This past October, The Women’s Gender and Sexuality Center (WGSC) received a 10,000 GEER II grant from the State of New Jersey. This grant will help the WGSC strengthen its Victim Advocacy Center by implementing a peer education program, increasing the reporting of violence among students of color by 25%, and providing peer-led awareness campaigns. 

Through this grant, program coordinator Tierra Huston will be coordinating 12 discussions over the next two years aimed toward students of color. A recent campaign that was held titled “Hip-Hop: Stealthing and Rape Culture” discussed how hip-hop music perpetuates rape culture in many of its lyrics. 

‘If there’s anything I want students to know, it’s that you’re not alone. The WGSC is for everybody, and everybody deserves to feel safe and valued,” shared Huston 

Huston hopes to encourage students of color to raise their voices and report instances of violence to the WGSC. Students who attended the WGSC event felt uplifted to see a discussion that has black people as its focus. 

The final WGSC event this semester, “Healing Out Loud from Abuse and Sexual Violence “ was held in the Galloway Campus Centre Theater on April 19. The event included a buffet and open word performances. Students looking forward to getting involved should look out on osprey hub for WGSC events that will happen next fall.