What began in the 1970s as a department on campus to support African American students, the Office of Multicultural Affairs as it’s known today, has now grown to become a focal point for multinational students across campus.
The office has been integral in aiding the establishment of student organizations that promote diversity, which to date includes 11 student organizations such as the Black Student Association, the Hispanic Student Association, the Muslim Student Association, sororities like Lambda Theta Alpha and more.
The office is also charged with event programming — supporting 80-85% of the campus’ cultural programming — that emphasizes student-led initiatives and community engagement.
“Often times we are a home away from home,” Linda Hall, associate dean of Multicultural Affairs said. “We’ve seen students blossom, they come in very shy, withdrawn, and they don’t know anybody, then now all of a sudden they are student leaders, it’s really so refreshing.”
Programming includes commemorative months, such as Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month, and other events like the Multicultural Festival — their largest festival which takes place in the spring — bringing together student organizations in a showcase to present cultural traditions including dance, music, food and poetry.
Among the office’s programming events is a celebration of Black History Month.
The 2025 theme is “African Americans and Labor” which focuses on the various and profound ways that work and working of all kinds — free and unfree, skilled, and unskilled, vocational and voluntary — intersect with the collective experiences of Black people.
This year’s theme sets out to highlight and celebrate the potent impact of this work with programming events throughout the month of February which can be found on their webpage.
When asked about the theme, Hall described it as, “Work is at the very center of much of Black history and culture. Be it the traditional agricultural labor of enslaved Africans that fed Low Country colonies, debates among Black educators on the importance of vocational training, self-help strategies and entrepreneurship in Black communities, or organized labor’s role in fighting both economic and social injustice, Black people’s work has been transformational throughout the U.S., Africa, and the Diaspora.”
“Often times we are a home away from home.”
– Linda Hall
In addition, the office offers the Diversity Ambassador Program which creates a dialogue to increase students’ awareness of cultural similarities and differences, empowering them to become peer-educators and allies to foster a harmonious campus. Alumni connections are also cultivated through the office, fostering a sense of belonging and personal development for students.
“We like to say we are the quarterbacks,” said Hall. “We’re in the background helping students to develop skills, skills that they can take out into the workplace once they leave the University.”
To learn more about the Office of Multicultural Affairs visit: memphis.edu/multiculturalaffairs/
