Students of Color
Goucher College is committed to creating and maintaining a campus community that affirms, supports, and empowers individuals of all races, including their intersectional identities, experiences, and truths.
In a traditionally White institution, the Center for Race, Equity, and Identity (CREI) provides advocacy, resources, and programs to support students of color and is committed to building a community around their lived experiences. Our goal is to create an environment where students of color can support one another, benefit from collective wisdom and gain energy for action through conversations about topics relevant to race, oppression, privilege, and social justice.
Person of Color Heritage & History at Goucher
Jewell Robinson, Goucher’s first African American student, came to Goucher because she fell in love with the campus. Bright and sociable, she easily made many friends and went on to a successful career in the arts and arts administration.
Marguerite Barland, Class of 1960 and Goucher’s first African American graduate, was someone people believed in. Her teachers rallied together to raise funds for her college education. Marguerite paid it forward, majoring in chemistry and devoting her life to inspiring other students in the Baltimore community as a teacher.
Through their tenacity and determination, Jewell and Marguerite opened the doors for so many students to come after them.
Read more about the Imani Legacy and the Imani Fund.
Programs & Events
Current Programs & Events
For a complete listing of our current events, please visit our Programs & Events webpage.
If you have an idea for an event or program, we’d love to hear it! Please email creigoucher@gmail.com with your suggestions!
Past Programs & Events
Students of Color: Meet & Greet *Held every August
An event for students of color to discuss various campus experiences with a panel
of upper-class students and an opportunity to interact with other members of the community.
Donning of the Kente Cloth Ceremony
Brief History of the Donning of the Kente Clothe Ceremony at Goucher College
Kimberley Gordy ‘06 “introduced The [Donning of the] Kente Cloth Ceremony to Goucher College and explains that ‘the essence of the ceremony is people sharing their stories. It holds a special meaning for Goucher community members of color because of our connection to African history and of the importance of looking back as you look forward’ (Ross, 2009). The ceremony also presents the occasion for students to pay homage to those who have paved the way prior to and during their time at Goucher.
Over the years, the ceremony has grown significantly to represent the collective unity of people of color (Black, Asian, Latinx, Native, First Nations, Middle Eastern, and Multiracial/Biracial) at Goucher College as a way to pay tribute to their own unique heritages, experiences, and achievements.
What is the “Donning of the Kente Cloth” Ceremony?
A rite of passage, rooted in African tradition, “in which seniors [of color] recognize loved ones or mentors who have been instrumental in their success” (Ross, 2009). During the intimate ceremony, graduating seniors will be donned with a stole of kente, a fabric native to Ghana reserved for special occasions, and acts as a visual history for the wearer’s own cultural ethos.
The Kente Stole
The Kente cloth originates from Ghana, West Africa. The legend of kente says it came from two brothers, watching a spider weave its web in the forest. While two major ethnic groups claim the cloth originates from their own legends—the Akan in the Ashanti Region and the Ewe in the Volta Region—both groups agree the cloth is very significant and reserved for special occasions. Each kente stole is woven in a specific pattern, often reflecting a proverb or other significant meaning, and each color and symbol carries importance.
The kente stole contains the following colors: blue, yellow, green, and red, and the adinkra symbol of the stool.
- Blue represents peace, togetherness, love, and community.
- Yellow represents the “yolk of the egg,” a symbol for all things holy and precious.
- Green represents growth, harvest, renewal, and good health.
- Red represents strong political/spiritual feelings and passing rites.
- The stool symbol is very important in Ghanaian culture,representing absolute power and serving as a reminder of ancestors’ spirits.
If you are interested in participating the Donning of the Kente Cloth Ceremony, you must attend a Kente Orientation meeting and one-on-one meetings for speech preparation.
Student Organizations (with components that relate to culture & identity)
Dancers of Color Coalition
The Dancers of Color Coalition aims to create a community of support, safety, and
leadership for dancers of color. The club hosts weekly meetings and periodic events
where the group discusses the aspirations and needs of dancers of color.
Movimiento Estudiantil Hispano Americano (MEHA)
HOLA! We are MEHA and our purpose is to create a welcoming safe space for all students
of color especially, our Latinx population at Goucher. We bring people together by
having cultural parties and events filled with new foods to try, relatable conversations,
and fun Latin music to dance to.
Goucher Black Student Union
BSU. Unity. Togetherness. Family, Community Service. Goucher Black Student Union focuses
on the empowerment of the black students on campus. However, we are not an exclusive
group and do open our doors to all of the Goucher community. Our duty at Goucher is
to provide a community that will help foster identity, self-worth, pride for our heritage,
and fearlessness to initiate change. We recognize that without the support of our
own community success is difficult. It is only in accomplishing these goals and setting
a foundation for ourselves, that we will be better equipped to empower the greater
community around us. It is in this unity that we welcome all to share in our experiences!
External Scholarships & Financial Aid For Students of Color
ACS Scholars Program
This renewable scholarship is to underrepresented minority students who want to enter
into chemistry or chemistry-related fields. African American, Hispanic, or American
Indian college freshman, sophomores, or juniors can apply who are pursuing a college
degree in the chemical sciences or chemical technology. For more information, please
visit the African American Scholarships page.
APA Judith McManus Price Scholarship
This scholarship helps women and minorities help pursue careers as practicing planners
in the public sector (includes local, state, and federal government and not-for-profit
careers). For more information, please visit the APA Judith McManus Price Scholarship page.
GE-NMF Primary Care Leadership Program (PCLP)
This scholarship is for a six-week summer program that includes clinical experiences,
leadership training, and a service-learning project that focuses on barriers in healthcare.
The LAGRANT Foundation (TLF) Graduate Scholarships
These scholarships are available to minority students who are full-time students at
a four-year institution. Additionally, applicants must be majoring in a field of study
related to advertising, marketing, or public relations. For more information, please
visit the LAGRANT Foundation website.
AAIA Adolph Van Pelt Scholarship
This scholarship is dedicated to planning for the higher education of Native students.
This scholarship is for undergraduate students from federally recognized tribes. For
more information, please visit the Adolph Van Pelt Scholarship page.
Against The Grain Groundbreaker Leadership Scholarship
This scholarship provides financial assistance and promotion of Asian American college
seniors and graduate students who have helped pave a way and changing lives in the
Asian American community. More information can be found on the Against The Grain Groundbreaker Leadership Scholarship website.
Scholarships for Asian and Pacific Islander College Students
This site highlights a few different scholarship opportunities for Asian and Pacific
Islanders. For more information, please visit the Asian/Pacific Islander Scholarships page.
External Internships & Volunteer Opportunities
These are a sampling of the many organizations around the country that work with and for people of color, and that have internship or volunteer opportunities. If you are looking for a summer opportunity, check these out!
A. Philip Randolph Institute
To A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin, APRl's cofounders, the fight for workers'
rights and civil rights were inseparable. A. Philip Randolph Institute in 1965 to
continue the struggle for social, political and economic justice for all working Americans.
APRI is an Organization of Black Trade Unionist to Fight for Racial Equality and Economic
Justice.
Asian American Advancing Justice (Asian American Justice Center)
Founded in 1991, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC works to advance the human
and civil rights of Asian Americans, and build and promote a fair and equitable society
for all. Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC is one of the nation's leading experts
on issues of importance to the Asian American community including: affirmative action,
anti-Asian violence prevention/race relations, census, immigrant rights, immigration,
language access, television diversity and voting rights.
Breakthrough Collaborative
Unlike most residency programs that work with post-college or midcareer candidates,
Breakthrough intentionally recruits, trains, and supports students while they’re still
in college. This strategy, delivered for 35 years, has succeeded because the teaching
experience occurs at an early and critical time in a young person’s life – during
the formative college years. The result is an enduring and unique experience that
reaffirms (and often reveals) a desire to enter education, become a teacher, and lead.
Center for Community Change
The mission of the Center for Community Change is to build the power and capacity
of low-income people, especially low-income people of color, to have a significant
impact in improving their communities and the policies and institutions that affect
their lives. The Center for Community Change strengthens, connects and mobilizes grassroots
groups to enhance their leadership, voices and power. We believe that vibrant community
based organizations, led by the people most affected by social and economic injustice,
are key to putting an end to the failed “on your own” mentality of the right and building
new policies based on community values.
Center for Media Justice
The Center for Media Justice is a national movement building intermediary to strengthen
the communications effectiveness of grassroots racial justice sectors, and sustain
a powerful local to local movement for media rights and access. With an office in
Oakland, California, and staff in Chicago and New York, CMJ is the only group in the
nation that both develops communications strategies and leaders for a 21st-century
progressive movement, and organizes nationally for media policy solutions to end racism
and poverty. Our mission is to create media and cultural conditions that strengthen
movements for racial justice, economic equity, and human rights.
The Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute
The Congressional Black Caucus Institute, incorporated in 2000, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan,
social purpose organization operating under the IRS designation of 501 (c)(4). Over
the past 12 years, the CBC Institute has played a pivotal role in training the next
generation of political leaders and providing voters with relevant information regarding
issues in their communities.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
In 1978, a small group of Hispanic members of Congress established the Congressional
Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) to develop the next generation of Latino leaders
with a clear vision of a strong America made possible with the many contributions
of educated and civic-minded Latino leaders engaged in and contributing to all aspects
of U.S. society. This vision was founded on three cornerstones for success: education
attainment and college access, leadership development programs in D.C., and access
to a powerful network of Latino leaders in the United States.
Dream Defenders
The Dream Defenders develop the next generation of radical leaders to realize and
exercise our independent collective power; building alternative systems and organizing
to disrupt the structures that oppress our communities.
Girls Inc.
Girls Inc. inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold through life changing
programs and experiences that help girls navigate gender, economic, and social barriers.
Research based curricula, delivered by trained, mentoring professionals in a positive
all girl environment equip girls to achieve academically; lead healthy and physically
active lives; manage money; navigate media messages; and discover an interest in science,
technology, engineering, and math.
The Hope Institute for Children and Families
Founded in 1957, The Hope Institute for Children and Families is a nonprofit center
providing educational, residential and health services to children ages 5-21 with
multiple developmental disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorders. At Hope,
we support children and families to reach optimum growth, independence and joy.
National Council of La Raza
The National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—the largest national Hispanic civil rights
and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for
Hispanic Americans. In addition, it provides capacity building assistance to its Affiliates
who work at the state and local level to advance opportunities for individuals and
families.
National Council of Negro Women, Inc.
The National Council of Negro Women, Inc. (NCNW) is a council of national African
American women's organizations and community based sections .Founded in 1935, the
NCNW mission is to lead, develop, and advocate for women of African descent as they
support their families and communities. NCNW fulfills this purpose through research,
advocacy, and national and community based services and programs on issues of health,
education, and economic empowerment in the United States and Africa.
National Disability Rights Network
The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is the nonprofit membership organization
for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and the Client Assistance
Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. Through training and technical assistance,
legal support, and legislative advocacy, NDRN works to create a society in which people
with disabilities are afforded equality of opportunity and are able to fully participate
by exercising choice and self-determination.
National Organization on Disability
The National Organization on Disability (NOD) is a private, nonprofit organization
that 25 promotes the full participation and contributions of America’s 56 million
people with disabilities in all aspects of life. Today, NOD focuses on increasing
employment opportunities for the 79 percent of working age Americans with disabilities
who are not employed.
National Urban League
The National Urban League, which has played so pivotal a role in the 20th Century
Freedom Movement, grew out of that spontaneous grassroots movement for freedom and
opportunity that came to be called the Black Migrations. The National Urban League
is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order
to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities.
Sadie Nash Leadership Project
Sadie Nash Leadership Project was founded in 2001 to promote leadership and activism
among young women. The program is designed to strengthen, empower, and equip young
women as agents for change in their lives and in the world. By increasing the participation
of women in social, political, and economic decision making, SNLP seeks to question
and redefine the nature of leadership and to promote perspectives and practices that
are cooperative, accountable, ethical, and effective.
Step Up Women’s Network
Step Up Women's Network is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to igniting
women and girls to fulfill their potential by: creating and implementing impactful
afterschool and weekend programs that empower teen girls from under resourced communities
to be confident, college bound, and career ready, propelling professional women through
connections, collaborations, and continuous development, inspiring our network to
invest in the future success of girls through mentorship and financial support.
Young People For
Young People For (YP4) is a long-term leadership development initiative that identifies,
engages, and empowers the newest generation of progressive leaders. YP4 focuses on
identifying young people who are campus and community leaders today, engaging them
in the broader progressive movement, and empowering them with the knowledge, strategies,
and skills they can put to work to promote positive, sustainable change in their communities.