

A look at the history of UMass Amherst’s cultural centers
UMass Amherst has a long history of working to make our campus a richly diverse, equitable, and inclusive place. Student activism, in concert with faculty and staff efforts, has created spaces where all students can celebrate their cultural identities; places they can find a welcoming community as they explore who they are—and who they want to become.
The progress made over the past 50 years is a testament to the UMass community’s efforts to welcome and learn about people, practices, and ideas in a truly inclusive manner.
I think [that having access to these centers] contributes to our success greatly because … it gives us that sense of home so that we are comfortable enough to go out and try new things and progress.
—Jasmine Pierre ’19
The Josephine White Eagle Cultural Center (JWECC) is created.
Named after one of the earliest advocates for a Native cultural center at UMass, JWECC’s mission is to provide a cultural and social support system for Native students, faculty, and staff while also offering itself as a cultural diversity awareness resource for the UMass campus and the Pioneer Valley.
These centers will only further your understanding of the people and the world around you just like the Latinx American Cultural Center has done for me.
—Grace Baker ’20
CMASS has a wide range of resources on campus … including events. These events are very helpful, especially cultural connections, where students get to meet other people as well as find others who share career goals.
—Sattwik Das ’21
Share your most intriguing nooks, niches, coordinates, or curiosities on campus or anywhere in the region. Email magazine@umass.edu and we’ll investigate!