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The Brown Center for Students of Color was established in 1972 at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island as "a place and space for students of color to explore their identity, develop their leadership skills, and build a sense of community in a welcoming and supportive environment." The Center encourages students to engage in critical dialogue, develop leadership skills, and promote social justice. The Center houses many programs and student initiatives and has many spaces for students to hold meetings, have discussions, and share resources.

The Center was formerly known as the Third World Center and was renamed to the Brown Center for Students of Color in 2014.

Establishment
In 1968, several African-American students from Pembroke College, then the women's college for Brown University, staged a walk-out demanding a space on campus for African-American students to gather, house resources, and host events. Additional demands were made for increased Black student enrollment to 11% to match the percentage of Black students in the University to that of the population of the United States. The resulting space, named Afro House, was relocated to the basement of Churchill House in 1972. In 1976, it was officially established as the Third World Center.

In 1985, over 350 Third World students rallied in front of the John Carter Brown Library to reclaim documents about Brown's slave-holding family as well as to highlight unsatisfied demands from the 1968 walkouts such as increasing Black student enrollment. Additionally, students demand that the Third World Center be moved to a larger, more central place on campus to accommodate growing student involvement in the Center.

In 1987, in response to the demands of the 1985 student rallies, the Third World Center was moved to Partridge Hall close to the center of main campus and across the street from the student center.

Renaming of the Third World Center
In 2014, the Third World Center was relaunched with a new vision, mission, and five year plan under a new name--the Brown Center for Students of Color. The name was changed after many students had expressed inaccessibility to the Center's programs due to confusion around the political usage of the term "Third World." The original usage of the term was pioneered by minority students in the 1970s as an alternative and self-defined term of an empowerment. However, in recent years, the term had taken on a negative connotation and many students suggested a name change to clarify the mission and purpose of the Center. The Center is now the Brown Center for Students of color with the mission statement, "Visualize. Vocalize. Mobilize." "The Brown Center for Students of Color (BCSC) serves as a gathering place for communities of color. Students are encouraged to build meaningful relationships across difference, develop racial and ethnic consciousness, and enact change at Brown and beyond. The BCSC advances the University’s mission of educating and preparing students to discharge the offices of life with usefulness and reputation by empowering students of color, cultivating leadership, facilitating critical reflection, fostering informed action, and promoting social justice."

- Brown Center for Students of Color Mission Statement

The Third World Transition Program
The Third World Transition Program (TWTP) was established in 1969 as the Transitional Summer Program as part of the demands of the 1968 student walk outs. It originally consisted of 7 weeks of academic enrichment followed by one week of socializing and other activities. Currently, TWTP consists of 3 days of workshops about various systems of oppression such as racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism, and cissexism. The workshops are held as a pre-orientation program for students about to enter their first year of college. Students are encouraged to examine how these systems of oppression play into their lives as they enter a new community at Brown. Students are also encouraged to examine their own identities in order to better understand themselves and their relationships with their peers. Although the program was originally created to assist Third World students in adjusting to Brown, the program is now open to students of all races and ethnicities.

The Minority Peer Counselor Program
The Minority Peer Counselor (MPC) Program was created in 1973 by several Black upperclassmen to help Black underclassmen with their academic pursuits. The program was founded as a source of support and community. During the 70s, other Third World students became involved in the MPC program including Asian-American and Latino students. As the program and community grew, the MPCs helped foster a supportive space for students of color. In the 90s, Minority Peer Counselors started putting on workshops about racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia in order to spark discussions and critical dialogue throughout campus.

Over time, the MPC program has gone through many changes, namely being implemented as part of the first-year residential experience. MPCs work as a team alongside Women Peer Counselors and Residential counselors in order to build strong communities for first years. They continue to host workshops about systems of oppression and act as resources drawing on their experiences as students of color.

ALANA Mentoring Program
The ALANA Mentoring Program was established in 1994 in order to provide African American, Latino, Asian/Asian American, and Native American students with faculty, graduate student, and alumni mentors of color to support them as they enter the University. The program starts during the second semester of a student's first year and continues until the end of their sophomore year.

Heritage Series
The Heritages Series house by the Center include the Black Heritage Series, the Latino Heritage Series, the Asian/Asian-American Heritage Series, the Native American Heritage Series, and the Multiracial Heritage Series. The Heritage Series work with various departments on campus to host workshops, sponsor lectures, and develop programing to celebrate many aspects of the respective Heritage Series focus.