MSU Women of Color Community
WOCC hosts several events throughout the year including:
- Fall Welcome
- Annual conference
- Reading and discussion group
- Social events (end-of-year social, sisterhood luncheons, etc.)
- Quarterly meetings with MSU administrators and full body membership
- Networking groups (professional development, travel, workout, etc.)
Perceived as a need among many women of color at the University, Michigan State University’s Women of Color Community, or WOCC, was founded in fall 2018 by members of the Institutional Diversity: Excellence in Action, or IDEA, Coordinators. It was established as a social, networking and professional resource and is open to all women of color administrators, faculty, academic specialists and support staff.
“Women of color” is intended to be a unifying term that is inclusive of African American/Black, Arab, Asian, Pacific Islander Desi American/Asian, Chicana/e/x, Latina/e/x, American Indian, Indigenous and biracial/multiracial identities.
WOCC aligns its efforts with the DEI Strategic Plan that was launched in fall 2021.The plan states that “Michigan State is dedicated to providing opportunities through education and building the future of Michigan and the nation with the talent and contributions of individuals from all backgrounds and communities.”
The WOCC organization works closely with the Office of the Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer and the Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion for the purposes of being visible, supported and respected for the contributions made by women of color at MSU and to be recognized for their efforts to help the institution achieve its goal of excellence.
As a collective, the WOCC works to bring women of color together to discuss issues related to recruitment, retention, advancement and wellness of women of color at MSU. Meetings are formatted to share time and space to learn equitably, support each other collectively and benefit from our shared knowledge and experiences.
WOCC collaborates with other women’s organizations at MSU to create professional development opportunities for constituents and its members join university-wide DEI committees to formulate a broad range of cultural celebratory programs.
Primary funding is from MSU Creating Inclusive Excellence Grants, however, in an effort to build relationships, the WOCC conducts outreach to other on-campus and off-campus sources to support its initiatives.
Upcoming Events
Social Events
Women of Color Community Book Club Series
On behalf of the Women of Color Community, I am excited to let you know about our book for fall 2024. We have selected American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. This book club is more than just a reading group; it's a community where we share our love for literature. Click here for a summary of the book.
We will meet on Zoom three times during the fall semester to discuss the book. The first 25 women who join the group will receive a free book.
Meeting Dates, Noon to 1 PM:
Meeting 1: Friday, September 27th, page 1-129
Meeting 2: Friday, October 25th, page 130-249
Meeting 3: Friday, November 22nd, page 250-378
Use this link to register for the Reading and Conversation group
General Body Meetings
BFSAA Mental Health collaboration –
Meeting with VP/CDO and CB -
Hispanic Heritage Month Collaboration - November 2024
General WOCC meeting - December 2024
MLK Event MSU Union - January 17th, 9:00-10:30am
MLK Coffee and Conversations - January 2025
General WOCC Meeting - March 2025
Meeting with VP/CDO/Dean of GS - April 2025
End of Year Celebration - May or June 2025
6th Annual WOCC Conference
Friday, Feb. 21, 2025
2024 Conference Award Winners
Innovative Leader Award
Dr. Swapna Hingwe
Community Impact Award Criteria
Jungmin Kwon
Educational Excellence Award
Genyne Royal
Emerging Leader Award
Kirby R. Gibson
Diversity Champion Award
Saneya Moore
Research & Innovation Award
Kinitra Brooks
Lifetime Achievement Award
Rocio Quispe-Agnoli
Cultural Ambassador Award Criteria
Joy Hannibal
Advocate for Equity Award
Chamara Kwakye
Trailblazer Award Criteria
Guo Chen
2023-24 Planning Committee
Ann Crain, crainann@msu.edu
Audrey Bentley, bentley@msu.edu
Bianca Price, pricebia@hr.msu.edu
Cheleane Clerkley, chambe78@hr.msu.edu
Chiquita Whittington, Co-Director, whitti25@msu.edu
Dorali Rebollo, santama1@msu.edu
Jennifer Watson, watsonj4@msu.edu
Melissa Del Rio, Co-Director, mdelrio@msu.edu
Tiana Carter, Co-Director, carte282@msu.edu
Rita Jreidini, jahshanr@msu.edu
Planning Committee membership is open, please email mdelrio@msu.edu if you would like to join the planning committee.
Please note, WOCC acknowledges and aligns with the MSU Land Acknowledgment.
We collectively acknowledge that Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples. In particular, the university resides on land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw. We recognize, support and advocate for the sovereignty of Michigan’s twelve federally-recognized Indian nations, for historic Indigenous communities in Michigan, for Indigenous individuals and communities who live here now and for those who were forcibly removed from their homelands. By offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty and will work to hold Michigan State University more accountable to the needs of American Indian and Indigenous peoples.
We recognize and acknowledge that the very foundation of the United States of America was built on the free and forced labor of Black people of the African diaspora and Black people indigenous to this land. This foundation has generational and exponential effects that continue to negatively impact Black communities today and are uncompensated. The historical and contemporary contributions of the Black diaspora continue to shape American culture and benefit all inhabitants of this land.
How to connect
Subscribe to our listserv to receive updates. To join the WOCC listserv, email mdelrio@msu.edu.
Fall Welcome
