Diversity and Inclusive Excellence at Tulane

Janet Mock and Alexis De Veaux

 Recently, Janet Mock, host of MSNBC’s So POPular, came to speak at Tulane. A black trans woman known for her cultural insight and vocal activism for the trans community, Mock was welcomed to campus in the midst of an inspiring, ongoing cultural shift at Tulane; driven by the work of impassioned student organizers, the university has declaratively set out to improve its practices regarding diversity and inclusivity on campus and its student body is following suit. Mock’s conversation with Alexis De Veaux was an example of this change.  As part of an annual series of events, known as Audre Lorde Days (named after the famous Black, feminist, lesbian scholar), Mock’s visit aimed to be yet another way students could celebrate the myriad of intersectional identities you will find not just on Tulane’s campus but around the world! 

Dillon rocking some Mardi Gras beads
after the Thoth parade.

Dillon Pérez is a Latino-Jewish student who chairs the Multicultural Council (MCC) and provides an extra voice for Tulane’s students of color. Here is Dillon's perspective:    

Before coming to Tulane, I had always lived in a place where Latinos were in the majority. Growing up between Queens, NY and South Florida, my Ecuadorian roots were accentuated each and every day by the Spanish I spoke with my friends and the cumbia music I heard blasting from the streets. At Tulane, I quickly learned that this was not the case, and when I first came here, the predominantly white student body proved to be a major culture shock for me. I feared not finding a niche for myself, meeting others like me, or enjoying as much out of college as my peers who went to schools closer to home. That is, I had these fears until I was acquainted with the O and the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA)! 

There are simply not enough words to describe how special, active, and supportive the community of students of color is at Tulane University, and the O is its epicenter. Founded 30 years ago by a woman who has become a dear mentor to us all, Ms. Carolyn Barber-Pierre, the O and its related offices (the Office of Gender and Sexual Diversity, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and the Office of Religious Life) have been at the forefront of cultural and institutional change on Tulane’s campus. 

The O provides a space for all Tulanians to feel welcomed and accepted for their respective, unique identities; however, it also provides a collaborative and innovative space, where students from underrepresented backgrounds can come together to discuss solutions to pressing issues on campus and around the world!  

If you are interested in learning more about multicultural life at Tulane, then know that it is incredibly easy to get involved! I would highly suggest the following programs the MCC and the OMA put on each year for any incoming freshman:

Multicultural Organizations at the Activities Expo:
Every year, there is a Fall Activities Expo during the first two weeks of school, showing off all of the 200+ student organizations Tulane has to offer! Be sure to take the time to say hello to all of the multicultural organizations that will be there: Black Student Union (tBSU), Muslim Students Association (MSA), GENTE (the Latino collective), Tulane Vietnamese Association (TUVA), Tulane Chinese Students and Scholars Association (TCSSA), Indian Association of Tulane University (IATU), Asian-American Student Union (AASU), Men of Color (MOC), and Students Organizing Against Racism (SOAR)!

Multicultural Orientation:

Beach party at The O’s Fall Multicultural Retreat

The O’s annual orientation for first-year students includes a parent meeting, student meeting, and massive reception, informing incoming freshmen of issues related to diversity and inclusivity on campus while helping students from minority backgrounds meet each other to build a cohesive community.  If not for nothing, there will be tons of delicious, free food! 

The O’s Ambassador Peer Mentorship Program:
One of the roles I am proudest to fill at Tulane is that I am one member of an army of Student Ambassadors for the O. This means I have the privilege of being a mentor to incoming students, an organizer for the O’s events, and a primary communicator for issues relating to diversity and inclusive excellence at Tulane. As incoming freshmen, you should definitely sign up for mentors yourselves! The O works hard to best match mentees to mentors who share their interests, backgrounds, and future prospects. Even more, mentees and their mentors do not just meet up throughout the year, but they also go together to some awesome, free events put on by the O every semester! This year alone, participants in the program went water rafting, went to a concert and had a blast at Sector 6 (the World's Largest indoor trampoline park)! 

Fall Multicultural Leadership Retreat:
Every September, the O hosts a Leadership Retreat in Biloxi, Mississippi, which is essentially a weekend of meeting amazing people, eating a whole bunch of food, participating in fun team-building activities, and exploring poignant ideas about our intersecting identities, issues, and politics. I am so obsessed with this retreat that I participate in it every year! However, the majority of attendees are always incoming freshmen, and this free weekend away is truly a life-changing, unforgettable event!

Students and staff at the Fall Retreat

It is important to know that Tulane is still far from the ideal when it comes to being a fully inclusive environment for students of color; however, there has quite possibly never been a university so dedicated to improving that aspect of itself! Just this past year, due to the tireless organizing efforts of multicultural organizations like our Black Student Union and Students Organizing Against Racism, Tulane’s President Michael Fitts initiated the Commission on Race and Tulane Values, a presidential commission set up to find solutions to many of the issues being raised by students of color on this campus. I am a proud member of the Commission’s Admissions Committee, so I am beyond excited to welcome y’all to the Green Wave community!

Shehan rocking a "Love Wins" shirt
outside the US Supreme Court

Shehan McFadden is a queer student who chairs the Gender and Sexuality Advisory Council (GSAC) and acts as a representative for LGBTQ+ students on campus. Here is Shehan's perspective:

I decided before I started college that I wouldn’t live in the closet. I decided that I would be out, and I would be proud. This was not an easy decision to make, but the resources at Tulane made it possible. Upon arriving at Tulane, I was soon introduced to the O and the Office of Gender and Sexual Diversity (OGSD), headed by the amazing Dr. Red Tremmel, through an annual welcome party called BBQueer. I learned about the Gender and Sexuality Advisory Council (GSAC) and the organizations that create spaces for LGBTQ+ students on campus. In my two years here, I have seen some incredible progress led by both students and members of the O. 

This fall, Tulane rolled out a system that allowed students to enter their preferred names and pronouns into the main database which was then fed to class rosters, the advising center, and more. Housing and Residence Life introduced a new system for the upcoming room selection season that makes choosing Gender-Inclusive Housing simpler and more accessible to all students. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) created a support group for gender variant students called SPECTRUM. All of the single stall bathrooms in the Lavin-Bernick Center (LBC) for University Life are now gender neutral. 

These advancements are thanks, in no small part, to the tireless work of student activists who made their needs and voices heard. Things are still not perfect, but student activists (as well as administrators and staff) are working towards making this campus the most inclusive it can be for LGBTQ+ students. We are organizing to ensure that all students, regardless of gender and gender expression, can use the restroom safely in all the buildings on campus. We are trying to create a climate on campus in which all students feel safe and supported in their dorms, regardless of whether or not they choose Gender-Inclusive Housing.

All of this may seem overwhelming when you are just entering this school, but it’s actually really easy to get connected to the incredible resources that we have on campus; all you have to do is show up. Here are some awesome programs that the O, OGSD, and GSAC organizations put on every year:  

The O Orientation during Move-In Week:

Students tabling at the Fall Activities Expo

Every year, members of the O put on an orientation for underrepresented students to learn about all the university has to offer when it comes to diversity and inclusivity. You will be introduced to all sorts of different resources that we have available and get to enjoy free food afterward.

BBQueer/the OGSD Welcome Party:
In the first few weeks of classes, OGSD organizes a Welcome (Back) Party for LGBTQ+ students so that we can unwind after the start of stressful classes and meet other amazing LGBTQ+ students. We hang out, talk (or vent) about our summers, and see old (or make new) friends over free food.

GSAC Organizations at the Activities Fair:
GSAC Organizations are always ready to meet and mingle! You should come and find us at the Activities Fair that the Student Organizations Center puts on every year. At the Activities Fair, you can meet representatives from the Gender Exploration Society (GES), the Queer Student Alliance (QSA), the Queer Feminist Collective (QFC), and Gamma Rho Lambda (GRL; one of the two multicultural and LGBTQ+ inclusive sororities on campus). Come and see all that we have to offer!

OGSD Open Houses:
OGSD organizes what we call Coffee and Cake, where both new and returning students can mingle and eat free food (can you tell that we’re jazzed about free food?).

Beach party at the Fall Retreat!

The O’s Fall Multicultural Leadership Retreat:
This retreat, always in the first few weeks of school, is a great way to get involved with the O and meet some awesome student leaders. Come hang out with us, learn important leadership skills, and eat early breakfasts before yoga on the beach. It’s in Biloxi, Mississippi just across the street from the beach, and if you don’t think we take full advantage of that, you are definitely underestimating us.







GSAC organizations are great places for LGBTQ+ students to meet others and socialize; these organizations do everything from planning fun movie nights to organizing insightful lectures by leading scholars and activists.  For more information, please see our website here or stop in at the O any time you are in town! We are so excited to meet all of y’all and create a space for you to feel comfortable and loved!