ANNUAL REPORT
A LETTER FROM OUR DIRECTOR A LETTER FROM OUR DIRECTOR
Dear Trotter Community,
I am proud to share the impactful strides the Trotter Multicultural Center has made in advancing our mission to build on our heritage of strengthening relationships, disrupting inequity, celebrating cultural heritages, and cultivating racial healing in student experiences. This year has been a testament to our unwavering commitment to critical hope, team development, and student-centered support.
Our focus on strategic visioning has guided us through a transformative period. By revising our organizational structure, we have cultivated a stronger, collaborative team dedicated to our shared goals Through strategic hires and professional development, we have bolstered our capacity to serve the diverse needs of our students more effectively
A top priority this year has also been to create welcoming and functional environments that facilitate engagement, learning, and support. We have completed two renovation projects, and revised a hosts of programs in response to student needs. These changes have strengthened our engagement efforts, offering both challenge and support to our students.
In times of hardship, I have found inspiration in the ways the Trotter community has continued to be a space where students come to connect and explore their ideals of intersectional liberation. We have been present with our students, providing resources and co-creating spaces for relationship building and knowledge exchange. From weekly opportunities to network at Communitea to monthly workshops addressing anti-Black racism and promoting resilience--we have seen expansive growth in the use of our facility
As we look ahead, we are excited about the engagement opportunities on the horizon We recognize that this is a tumultuous time for many of our students Our commitments to our core work and shared values remain paramount to how we plan to work with students and campus partners to innovate initiatives that further our mission in the year ahead. We look forward to broader impact and deeper community engagement. Thank you for your continued support. Together, we are shaping a center that embodies the lessons of the past and our hopes for the future. Let’s keep building!
Love and light,
Dr Kyra Shahid Director, Trotter Multicultural Center
MISSION
Our mission at the William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center is to build on our historical heritage of strengthening relationships and generating collective power that disrupts patterns of inequity, restores and celebrates cultural heritages, and cultivates racial healing within student experiences.
CORE WORK
1
Identity Development & Engagement
We provide space to help students develop and demonstrate an ability to navigate and engage cultural similarities and differences while celebrating our individual and collective heritages.
2
Education & Leadership Development
We provide opportunities for students to gain exposure to courses, training and leadership programs that equip them with tools to recognize and dismantle/transform patterns of inequity within the world.
3
2
VISION
We envision the Trotter Multicultural Center as a space where equity, liberation, and cultural innovation are standard in the experiences of all.
Racial Healing & Well-being
We provide opportunities for students to learn about the historical and present impact of racial trauma and systemic injustices while exposing them to racial healing and cultural practices that foster agency, learning and restore community.
CORE VALUES
Creativity & Collaboration
Our students thrive and draw inspiration from one another when they feel part of the community. Therefore, we encourage mutual understanding and genuine connection through the sharing of ideas, identification of common purpose and the harnessing of shared power within reciprocal partnerships in and outside of the university community. Through cooperation, teamwork and respect we demonstrate the power of Sankofa and Ubuntu.
Courage & Discernment
We encourage and model behaviors that inspire individuals and communities to demonstrate courage in adversity and perpetuate a hope-intention throughout all endeavors. We value a commitment to critically aluating individual feelings, motivations, beliefs, and sires for collective impact. Through firmness of mind d a commitment to equity in the face of challenge and versity, we encourage our students to acknowledge eir choice and agency to liberate a sense of purpose at informs social change
Dignity & Compassion
We embrace a culture of leadership that standardizes integrity, transparency, and accountability as the foundation for building mutual understanding. We expect all who participate in our community to promote and protect the dignity of self and others and to express compassion for others at all times.
Equity & Excellence
We consistently challenge the status quo and disrupt deficit-thinking to foster a culture of expression, reflection, and discovery. In this dynamic and innovative posture, we champion positive change and intersectional liberation Through our programs, policies, and practices, we seek to recognize and disrupt patterns of inequity and disenfranchisement. In acknowledgement of the injustices of the past and present we seek to adopt and create best practices for equitable access and the cultivation of opportunities for development, representation, power, and voice. This is our affirmation of the possibilities of the future we create together.
PROFESSIONAL STAFF
As of June 30, 2024
CHAROLETTE BUCKJACKSON
ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR
EVELYN METRIC
COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
KYRA SHAHID, PH.D.
DIRECTOR
KELLYN MACKERL-COOPER ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
JAMES KEARNEY
COMMUNITY & INNOVATION PROGRAM MANAGER
CHARLES SIMONSON
OPERATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT MANAGER
ADRIAN PARKER
SENIOR MANAGER FOR HOPE, HEALING, AND HERITAGE
Farewell and thank you to these staff members who left our team this year:
Maricella Reyes, Program Manager
STUDENT STAFF
24 STUDENT STAFF MEMBERS
POSITIONS:
Building Managers (BM):
Provides front line guest services at the information desk, executes room set ups, provides A/V support for room reservations
Team Leads/Graduate Team
Leads:
Expansion of the BM role. Additional responsibilities include peer supervision of 3-5 BMs and planning and delivery of student staff training.
FORTHCOMING:
Our student staff are invaluable to the Trotter Multicultural Center, and in the coming year we are introducing reimagined student staff roles to respond to changes in our programmatic and operational needs. We will be introducing the Student Engagement Coordinator role, which will provide both programming and building operations support and ensure that our student staff are connected to all facets of life at Trotter.
Trotter Multicultural Center’s facility and program operations are supported by the work of graduate and undergraduate student staff members. From managing front-desk operations, to event setups, to program support, our student staff team members are at the core of the Trotter experience for our visitors.
Programming Assistant (PA):
Supports one or more of the programming areas in planning, implementation and evaluation of events, and workshops. Additional roles have developed to provide specialized support including PAs for:
Graphic Design
Social Media & Marketing
Video Design and Editing
We are also establishing the Communications and Marketing Assistant role, which will assist with storytelling efforts including graphic design, social media support, and content creation. This role will be shared with the Ginsberg Center.
Finally, we are introducing Graduate Fellowship opportunities that will focus on our interfaith experiences and racial healing work.
PROGRAMMING
I cannot imagine another space where I could learn so much about the cultures of others while also being able to share, explore, and feel pride in my own.
The 2023-2024 academic year was a transformative one for Trotter Multicultural Center’s programming. Our team looked to our beloved community to help us assess the efficacy of our offerings as they existed previously, and we revised our menu of programs accordingly. These revisions will continue into the 2024-2025 academic year as we look to provide the most relevant and thoughtful
programs possible for our students. We are eager to build upon existing partnerships and forge new ones to diversify the content of our programming series.
This year, our programmatic offerings included:
CommuniTEA
F.A.M. Fridays
Soul Food Sundays
Trotter Distinguished Leadership Series How to Flourish
COMMUNITEA
21 EVENTS HELD
CommuniTEA is a weekly gathering for students, staff and faculty to build community and share information about what they are experiencing during the week. Students often meet and greet with each other to form connections and friendships, and there are card games and word searches to partake in.
Organizations and units are encouraged to collaborate and offer light refreshments or share tea practices that center their cultural practices. This year, we partnered with six departments and student organizations. Featured collaborators include the Center for the Education of Women (CEW+), Wolverine Wellness, and the Arab Student Association.
CommuniTEA has given me the opportunity to listen and contribute to inter-communal dialogs, learn from Black elders and community leader, and meet new friends.
CommuniTEA has given me an opportunity to slow down for a second and catch up with and laugh with friends.
by
Photos
Victoria Wilson
F.A.M. FRIDAYS
F.A.M. Fridays is a series that celebrates culture through food, art, and music on one Friday of each month. We explore the different foods our campus community and the larger Ann Arbor community have to offer and showcase student creativity in art and music. This series is meant to amplify the voices of students through shared connections and cultural expression.
This year, we held six events and offered experiences such as a street art workshop, a Cumbia workshop, and a Motown open mic event. Trotter Multicultural Center also partners with other centers and student organizations to host F.A.M. Fridays. This year’s collaborators included: Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; The Dr.’s Laboratory; the School of Music, Theater, and Dance; Notably Black and Gay; Association of Latino Professionals For America; and Sport Business Inclusion Community.
FOOD, ART, MUSIC
F.A.M. Fridays
HOW TO FLOURISH
120+ ATTENDEES
How to Flourish is a series of workshops meant to help incoming undergraduate and graduate students “flourish” by exploring the different dimensions of the Wolverine Wellness Wheel. Using the Wellness Wheel model, developed by the University Health Service's Wolverine Wellness program, we discuss the importance of holistic well-being while acknowledging how a student’s identity, culture, and heritage can inform their wellness experience.
Using interactive, workshop-based modules with wellness experts from onand off-campus, students have access to tools, resources, and knowledge that support their holistic well-being at the University of Michigan and beyond.
This year’s workshops included:
Reclaim Your Time Wander & Wonder Believe & Achieve Building Your Network Day of Insight Shake & Sweat Standing in Purpose Ballin’ on a Budget
RENEW, REPLENISH, & RESTORE
7 UNIQUE EXPERIENCES
Renew, Replenish, & Restore has a great mix of education and listening. I love that we were able to have such deep, collective conversations.
Renew, Replenish, & Restore programming at Trotter Multicultural Center is an opportunity for students to engage in contemplative practices that support healing from racial trauma. We work with campus resources to create experiences that let students feel joy and cultivate ways to heal from past racial experiences through the framework of the Tree of Contemplative Practices.
This year, we held several workshops and yoga sessions for students to practice mindfulness and have a physical outlet to continue on their healing journeys. Renew, Replenish, & Restore will be sunsetted in the coming year, but our commitment to providing healing centered engagement will continue through new initiatives.
This year’s events included:
Cultivating Joy Yoga Series with The Hype Wellness Group
Crafting Racial Healing Yoga Series with Recreational Sports
Unpacking Vicarious Trauma and Building Resiliency Yoga Series with Stephanie Hicks, Yoga for Black Lives Yoga Series with The Trap Yoga & Massage Studio
SOUL FOOD SUNDAYS
400+ ATTENDEES
Soul Food Sundays is an event series dedicated to honoring the history and traditions of soul food, dating back centuries within the African diaspora. It is a time for students, faculty, and staff of all identities to come together in recognition and celebration of African American culture, and its tradition of Sunday gatherings at the home of the family matriarch. Through bread breaking, music, dance, and conversation, we shine a light on the humble and welcoming love within the Black community.
In addition to gathering with a plate of soul food, students were offered an art gallery walk featuring student-created art, Motown trivia and games, and history on the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., among other activities. This event takes place every Sunday during the month of February in celebration of Black History Month.
Many students I’ve met at Soul Food Sundays told me they missed home and looked forward to food that reminds them of home. They view Trotter as a home away from home.
-Charolette Buck-Jackson, Administrative Coordinator
TROTTER DISTINGUISHED LEADERSHIP SERIES
The Trotter Distinguished Leadership Series is designed to increase healthy discourse and learning throughout the University of
Michigan by inviting speakers from the political and public service sectors of national and international note. Our goal is to bring together bright minds with talks that are idea-focused on a wide range of subjects to foster learning, inspiration, and wonder and provoke conversations that matter to students at the University of Michigan.
Trotter Multicultural Center hosted three events in this series and collaborated with six different partners to provide these discussions.
VOTING ACCESS
I now understand that excellence in action is using my formal education to create, stand up for, and live into my passions that create equitable access to resources.
PRESENTERS: JOWEI CHEN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 1. MEMBERS OF TURN UP TURNOUT, U-M’S NONPARTISAN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT STUDENT ORGANIZATION 2
DEMYSTIFYING DOXXING
PRESENTERS:
DOUGLAS E. LEWIS, DIRECTOR OF STUDENT LEGAL SERVICES AT UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, ATTORNEY 1. DR. SARITA SCHOENEBECK, DIRECTOR OF LIVING ONLINE LAB, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 2.
BLACK MATERNAL RIGHTS: VOICES & VISIONS
PRESENTERS:
CASSY JONES-MCBRYDE, FOUNDER OF THE INTERNATIONAL FULLER WOMAN NETWORK, CREATOR OF MICHIGAN CHAMBER OF REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE 1. TATIANA OMOLO, GOVERNMENT & POLICY AFFAIRS DIRECTOR FOR MOTHERING JUSTICE 2
LESELIEY WELCH, CO-FOUNDER OF BIRTH DETROIT AND BIRTH CENTER EQUITY, LECTURER II AT UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
ENGAGEMENT
97, 629 VISITORS
Trotter Multicultural Center saw a record number of visitors this year. Between academic classes, student organization meetings, study sessions, tour groups, and simply being with community, our space continues to be in high demand. Our building held over 600 events, which is double the amount of events held during the previous year. We also saw over 97,000 visitors, which is triple the amount of visitors we welcomed during the 2021-2022 academic year. Of the 832 events held, 43 events were held by University of Michigan departments, 646 events were held by student organizations, and TMC facilitated 143 events. These are exciting indicators that our space is sought out and appreciated by our campus community.
832 EVENTS HELD
ON-SITE STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
During the Winter 2024 Semester, we offered weekly on-site student support services through a collaboration with three units. These units provided drop-in
University Career Center Our partnering units included: hours and meetings in our building to help students gain access to important campus support services.
Wolverine Wellness Library Services
ACADEMIC CLASSES
Trotter Multicultural Center hosts several academic classes in our Multipurpose Rooms throughout the year. We ensure that these courses align with our mission and build toward our vision in which all campus community members experience equity, liberation, and cultural innovation. This year, we hosted 18 classes.
FALL 2023
AAS 215: Intermediate Swahili I
AAS 250: Law, Race, and the Historical Process, I
AAS 254: The History and Evolution of Hip Hop Culture
AAS 290: #BlackLivesMatter: A Qualitative Social Media Analysis of Online Activism
AAS 421: Religions of the African Diaspora
AAS 441: Political Violence in Africa
SOC 225: Project Community: Sociology in Action
SOC 345: Sociology of Sexualities
WINTER 2024
AAS 116: Elementary Swahili II: Language and Culture
AAS 251: Law, Race, and the Historical Process, II
AAS 271: Introduction to Afro-American Literature
AAS 498: DAAS in Action
AMCULT 367: American Indian History
ENGLISH 372: Toni Morrison
SOC: 225: Project Community: Sociology in Action
SOC 242: The Experience of Social Class in College and the Community
SOC 302: Health and Society: An Introduction to Sociology
SOC 335: Urban Inequality in America
OUR BUILDING
This year, hospitality and safety have been our top priorities. We've implemented comprehensive measures to enhance the safety, vibrancy, and welcoming atmosphere at Trotter. These improvements include upgraded security systems, increased staff training, and enriched community engagement activities. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone feels secure, valued, and inspired to connect and thrive.
Our latest video, created by students through Filmic, captures our facility in a new way! Click the video on the left to learn more about our building. You will learn about the different
spaces we have as well the ways in which we try to cultivate a welcoming and inclusive environment for all of our campus community.
HARAMBEE
On August 25, Trotter Multicultural Center helped to bring back Black Student Convocation, known as Harambee! In partnership with members of the Black Student Union (BSU) platform work groups, the Black Welcome Week student organization, and ODEI this event aimed to build community and support a sense of belonging for both incoming and returning students. More than 160 students registered and over 200 first-year students attended, connecting with their peers as well as administrators, faculty, and staff from around campus. This event was open to all U-M students with an interest in understanding and supporting the Black student experience.
COUNCIL OF ELDERS
Launched in Fall 2023, Trotter Multicultural Center was excited to establish our new Council of Elders. The Council will be comprised of community members and U-M alumni and will promote intergenerational conversation and knowledge exchange while keeping Trotter connected to our historical heritage. It will hold public meetings, provide guidance on programming initiatives, and aid in preserving the academic and oral histories of the Center.
This year, we held an interest dinner and a hustle night, a collaboration with the Black Student Union, to garner excitement and find individuals interested in joining the council. We are excited for this initiative to officially kick off in the coming year.
Students at our weekly CommuniTEA events have the opportunity to share what Trotter Multicultural Center means to them. Our team collects their responses on notecards and displays them in the above installation on our second floor. Read on to learn what Trotter means to current students.
To me, Trotter means history. This building and community are filled with wonderful Black history.
Trotter serves as a great space to make new friends. It brings people together and provides a sense of community.
Trotter allows me to network and build relationships with other minority students here in Michigan.
Trotter is a place that makes me feel at home and makes me feel celebrated. Trotter is community, comfort, and a home away from home.
LOOKING AHEAD
Exciting times are ahead at Trotter Multicultural Center as we embark on a transformative journey! We are thrilled to announce our commitment to evolve and innovate our programmatic offerings to better meet the dynamic needs of our students. In reimagining our approach to supporting intercultural development, we have critically examined our past methods.
During the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year, we are poised to launch five groundbreaking programmatic initiatives. Leading this charge is the Faith, Race, and Equity Encounter (F.R.E.E.). This initiative is designed to empower participants to explore the relationship between their religious, spiritual, and secular identities as catalysts for meaning making around antiracism activism and healing. F.R.E.E. will provide space for students to explore tools to confront inequity, understand its enduring impacts, and become proactive agents of change in their communities.This cohort-based program will feature transformative offcampus retreats, interactive learning labs, and enlightening panel sessions. It represents a pivotal step in our mission to foster inclusive excellence and empower students to shape a more just and equitable world.
We are also introducing AfroHeal, a dynamic initiative dedicated to enhancing the experiences and representation of Black students. This multifaceted effort invites campus partners to collaborate in spotlighting related initiatives and joining us in offering transformative experiences such as off-campus retreats, pilgrimages, restorative yoga, and other healing-centered engagements. Additionally, AfroHeal will feature a new partnership providing on-site access to a specialized therapist focused on racial trauma. Join us as we collectively empower and uplift our community toward greater healing and inclusivity.
Our third initiative, the Student Transformative Education Program (S.T.E.P.), is an exciting new professional development series for our student staff. This program will expose students to knowledge enhancing personal and collective leadership, and equip them with tools to steward the legacy of TMC. Offerings include weekly learning labs, access to global and national speakers, team competitions, and more!
LOOKING AHEAD (CONTD.)
Trotter Multicultural Center is also thrilled to propel the Student Ambassador Collective to new heights of impact and influence! This student collective seeks to bring together student leaders invested in fostering connections, driving engagement, and extending the reach and impact of the Trotter Multicultural Center. Members of the Collaborative will focus on representing, promoting, and supporting the vision of Trotter and assist in creating and maintaining a space where equity, liberation, and cultural innovation are standard in the experiences of all.
Our culminating initiative for 2024-2025 is Framing Our Future, an innovative project inviting students and community stakeholders to envision the University's future through diversity, equity, and inclusion. This hope-centered initiative includes a photo installation in the Multipurpose Rooms, showcasing aspirations for how U-M can embody these values moving forward. It bridges the legacy of the Sankofa lounge with current and future student aspirations. Click the image on the right to learn more about Framing Our Future.
Upcoming enhancements to our physical space, from crucial technological updates across the building to WiFi enhancements and the final renovations of our Professional Staff office suite, also mark a pivotal step forward. Designed to cultivate increased interaction, collaboration, and engagement, these transformations will nurture an environment where guests can flourish and continue to bring our mission to life. We invite you to visit us soon and see the progress underway!
REMEMBERING ALEX HAWKINS
The Trotter Multicultural Center team expresses our heartfelt gratitude and admiration for Alex Hawkins, who passed away earlier this year. Serving as the inaugural Director from 1971-1972, Hawkins laid a foundation that continues to enrich and empower our Center over five decades later. His visionary leadership remains a guiding light as we honor his legacy and carry forward his dedication to racial equality and social justice.
Click on the image below to learn more about Hawkins’ life and legacy.
Photo courtesy of the Hawkins family
Thank you to all of our students, staff, faculty, alumni, donors, and community members who continue to support us not only financially, but also by giving their time and talent to Trotter Multicultural Center.
Trotter would not be here today without your generous contributions and your continued dedication to our mission. It is only through our collective power that we can continue to support our students and enrich their campus experience.
Thank you.
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