A new Living Learning Community at Slater supports the young, gifted, and black
By Alyssa Simpson
A floor in Slater has been created to support African American students for the first time at the University of Iowa.
UI first-year students living in dorms get their choice of a Living Learning Community that can help them get accustomed to college in an environment in which they are comfortable and are centered on topics they are interested in. Young, Gifted, and Black is a new Living Learning Community that kicked off this semester.
Young, Gifted, and Black is the university’s first community based on ethnicity and is intended for black-identifying students, in an attempt to create a greater sense of belonging, according to the UI Housing & Dining website.
Annie Butler, a residence education coordinator for Rienow and Slater, said she’s excited about the new community.
“At a predominantly white institution, students experience the University of Iowa in different ways,” Butler said. “As a white person, it might be hard to understand the marginalization a person of color might feel when most communities — classes, student governments, residence halls, etc.— don’t look like you.”
She said that as coordinators, one of their goals for all students living on campus is for each to be able to create connections and find a community.
She said Young, Gifted, and Black gives residents the opportunity to be more inclusive by “building communities with their peers without feeling marginalized.”
UI student and black-rights activist Kimberly Chexynader said she could see both the good and bad of the new community.
“I do believe that African-American students bend together to have more unity in a sense that they have a collective, safe place to meet and talk other than cultural houses,” she said.
However, she admits that she understands how others could view the new community as a move to “segregate and isolate” students.
“As long as all first-year students in [communities] branch out and meet other students on other floors, this could be incredibly beneficial to everyone,” she said.
Gabrielle Miller is one of the UI students involved with the new community’s proposal.
“A group of students put this proposal together. It’s to let individuals have a home away from home in Iowa,” she said. “We wanted one place where there is a community who looks just like us.”
Miller said the community was never intended to isolate black students from others.
“The [community] in itself is not segregation; that’s important to understand,” she said. “We go to a predominantly white institution, so we wanted a place where we can be our authentic selves.”
Miller said the new community is doing well.
“I went to visit for the On Iowa Welcome Back and saw that individuals in it were very thankful,” she said. “A lot didn’t get in. Some students went up to every floor and introduced themselves to others because they know there are other identities out there.”
When asked by a student why she wanted to be part of the new community, Miller said, “Because I wanted a family. Our job is being fulfilled.”
In an earlier version of this story, the lede stated the new LLC is “reserved for African American students.” The DI would like to clarify that the LLC is open to all students. The DI regrets the error.
