Colleges around the world are praised for their diverse groups on campus brought together and connected through education. However, with diversity comes fear of the unknown and resistance. Safe spaces in environments such as these become crucial for the well-being of students.
“Safe spaces can be expansive by removing barriers and threats to allow for open dialogue, authentic being, and promoting inclusivity,” according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Members of marginalized groups may feel anxiety while facing the status quo, whether directly from the actions of peers or internally. Constant anxiety can take a toll on emotional and psychological health, and feeling the need to keep guard at all times can be exhausting. Safe spaces help to remove anxiety, allowing individuals to reach their full potential.
One safe space Wayne State College provides is the Office of Multicultural and International Programs, often referred to as the multicultural center, located in room 10 within the Kanter Student Center.
“The Office of Multicultural and International Programs works to bring together various ethnic and social groups, contributing to a more culturally rich and diverse community,” according to WSC’s website. “Through the various student organizations mentored by faculty and staff, the center supports a variety of events and student-initiated programs.”
President of PRIDE Club, Kaitlyn Michaelson, takes full advantage of everything the multicultural center offers.
“PRIDE club is always a safe space, and the room we host our meetings in is always open,” Michaelson said. “It’s called the Multicultural Center, and it’s right next to the SAB office in Lower.”
Another safe space on campus is Conn Library. Conn Library actively promotes the celebration of marginalized groups by creating Instagram posts and displays. Followers of the library’s Instagram page were encouraged to check out books by Arab American authors, explore a display of books by female authors celebrating Women’s History Month and visit a suicide prevention awareness board.
A “safe space” doesn’t even have to be a physical location. It can be something as simple as “a group of people who hold similar values and commit to consistently providing each other with a supportive, respectful environment,” according to Healthline.
Safe places can also be found off-campus in the Wayne area. A great space for everyone is the Wayne Public Library. Wayne’s library prioritizes inclusion by posting celebrations of communities on the Wayne Public Library Facebook page. The library posts often, highlighting dates of importance along the way.
So far this year, the library has made posts celebrating Black authors, as well as closing for Juneteenth, with an additional post explaining the significance of Juneteenth.
Wayne Public Library has also created posts celebrating Hispanic authors and the LGBTQIA+ community. The library encouraged its followers to “read beyond the binary” with LGBTQIA+ reads found on the Libby reading app. To be represented in an advertisement for a public library in small-town Nebraska is huge, so the casualness of this post shows the inclusivity the library produces.
In addition, Wayne Public Library holds events the whole community can enjoy. Over the summer, the library held a plant propagation event. The library even holds weekly events, such as needle night every Thursday. Fun and educational events like these bring the community together.
The small gesture of posting means a lot to the members of the groups represented. The library not only shows consistent support for multiple groups but also makes it clear that it is a safe space for them.
