In November 2024, the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center (BNAACC) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign received the Kuumba Innovative Program of the Year Award from The Association for Black Cultural Centers (ABCC). This award recognizes BNAACC’s development and execution of the program “Homes Away From Home: Cultural Centers and Black Student Belonging at the University of Illinois,” demonstrating excellence in planning and carrying out a comprehensive, continuous program.
With the implementation of this program, BNAACC Director Jazmyne Kellogg—in partnership with Justin J. Rose (Diversity Center, University of Illinois Springfield) and Dr. Cynthia Blair (Black Cultural Center, University of Illinois Chicago)—created a program that both aligns with the values upheld by the University of Illinois system and was also acknowledged by ABCC as “significantly enhancing the social, educational and cultural life of students and the general community at their institution.”
The inter-institutional partnership started in 2020, when Kellogg, Rose and Blair convened to discuss ways to link BNAACC, the Diversity Center and the Black Cultural Center through special programming and cross-campus initiatives. They wanted to find innovative ways to build community and support their students.
The first event took place during Black History Month in February 2021, and the cultural center directors had a virtual fireside chat with acclaimed poet Nikki Giovanni. In 2022, Professor Michelle Goodwin (University of California Irvine), was invited by the trio to speak about Black women’s reproductive rights and motherhood. These successful online collaborations compelled the three center directors to consider bridging the geographical divide between the system campuses with in-person programming.
Drawing from their respective centers and campus archives, the “Home Away From Homes” exhibition was created, tracing each center’s history and highlighting the pivotal role played by students and local communities in the establishment of centers supporting Black students, who have been historically underrepresented and traditionally marginalized at Predominantly White Institutions.
“While unique, our stories bear the echoes of past and present student voices and community demands for safe, supportive, and culturally affirming spaces on campuses too often indifferent to their experiences,” said Dr. Blair.
Rose underscored "how critical it is/was to have "third spaces" like cultural centers on campus that represent identity, community and culture all at once."
Kellogg commented that "the award affirms the value added by the centers as experts on our campuses and amplifies the necessity of Black cultural centers to continue being the story tellers and memory keepers of Black resistance, resilience and excellence."
On February 1, 2024—the first day of Black History Month—the “Home Away from Homes” exhibition was open to the public at the University of Illinois Springfield. Students from across the U. of I. system gathered to view the exhibit, which explores how the Black student experience is impacted by cultural centers at predominantly white institutions. Students and community members were able to be in community and build solidarity across the U. of I. system campuses, something that Kellogg, Blair and Rose built into the program design.
All three directors commented that the University of Illinois system collaboration "grows stronger each year" and they look forward to "continuing the work of creating innovative, culturally relevant programming that supports and challenges our students and that builds a strong tri-campus community of belonging.”
Learn more about the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center (BNAACC) at bnaacc.illinois.edu.
To continue supporting the work of BNAACC, consider giving a gift to their general fund at bnaacc.illinois.edu/give.