For Anthony Lawrence, president of the Richmond College Student Government Association and a first-generation college student at the University of Richmond, developing the Multicultural Student Space was a passion project years in the making.

Students use the area, located on the first floor of Whitehurst Hall, for everything from club meetings to homework and just hanging out. It has a dedicated advisory board and is open to faculty, staff, and students from 9 a.m. to midnight each day. The space is part of the new Student Center for Equity and Inclusion.

“To me, making space is the simplest display of love,” Lawrence said. “It makes others feel valued, and lets voices be heard.” 

He, along with other students of color on campus, recently collaborated with Richmond-based artist Hamilton Glass to design a mural dedicated to communities of color.

“We wanted the mural to be a celebration of students of every background, the colors and the hands reaching out from every angle represent that,” said Jordyn Lofton, president of the Black Student Alliance, who also works in the space.  

“Creating the Multicultural Space has been more than creating a room with great furniture, games and amenities,” Lawrence said. “It is a conversation starter, a relationship made, and a handwritten letter saying, ‘You are enough, you deserve to be here.’”