Diversity Program Council

Vision

The Diversity Program Council (DPC) envisions a community of individuals who are collectively free with no person or group of people left behind. Composed of students, the DPC emphasizes the important role students play in creating and sustaining a university-wide culture that understands social equity and justice as a building block to safety, success, and equality. We work to lead the student body towards cultivating an environment that accepts and values everyone, appreciates our common humanity, and understands that our differences are the cornerstone of creating an intersectional community fundamentally supported by distinction. By fostering and creating a community of acceptance at Butler, the DPC envisions a unified future beyond Butler built from the same foundational elements that the DPC is built upon: intersectionality, inclusion, empathy, and an appreciation for our common humanity.

Mission

Altruistically and humanistically, the Diversity Program Council aims to educate students and to continue a larger dialogue about social justice that not only includes, but rather is guided by and follows the lead of the voices of marginalized peoples. We firmly believe that while a person’s differences demonstrate distinction, they also serve as gateways toward empathy and understanding. Just as Audre Lorde wrote that “your silence will not protect you,” the DPC is firmly guided by the belief that controversial, uncomfortable, and difficult conversations are a central pillar of our mission toward collective freedom and will help to create a more empathetic and intersectional environment for students from marginalized backgrounds at Butler University.

Goals

DPC seeks to create a more inclusive and empathetic environment on Butler’s campus by adopting an intersectional approach as the foundation of our programming, and fostering a shared culture that promotes acceptance and understanding of all people. We do so by facilitating new and creative events and activities, hosting trainings, and taking on initiatives that are centered around our vision for a more inclusive and equitable future for all.

Values

We believe that all systems of oppression reinforce one another, and none can be fought in isolation. All struggles for freedom, justice, and equality are interconnected and we are committed to embracing the fullness of international liberation through a framework that refuses to sacrifice the demands of those who struggle against state violence, settler-colonialism, and imperialism– from Palestine to Turtle Island, from the Philippines to Mexico, and beyond.​ We will continue to fight against white supremacy, religious chauvinism, heteropatriarchy, economic neocolonialism, militarism, imperialism, homophobia, transphobia and all other systems that continue to oppress marginalized folks.

Purpose

Students can bring public attention to political issues to create movements that may destabilize, delegitimize, and even defeat oppressive systems and regimes. As part of an institution, we are key players in shifting the bureaucratic barriers that are imposed upon us. As written by Dineo Maine:

“College campuses have always been agents of change. Student activism in response to injustice is not a new phenomena of the past couple of years. From the earliest historical accounts, activism has reflected grievances based in the political dynamics of the world. For example, in the 60s, college students marched for civil rights and protested against the war in Vietnam. It was young people that championed these issues. It was young people that had the audacity to challenge some of the greatest issues of the time. It was young people that championed peace and equality, and so it is important that the significance of student-led movements is not only acknowledged but celebrated.”

Contact Us:

Email: butlerdpc@gmail.com

Instagram: @butler_dpc