Three out of four campus community centers are housed in Talley Student Union, but did you know the African American Cultural Center (AACC) uses spaces on every floor of Witherspoon Student Center?

The AACC is made up of multiple spaces throughout Witherspoon including a living room, a gallery and a library. Saraiya Mills, a fourth-year studying communication and political science and a student programming intern at the AACC, said people are constantly moving in and out of these spaces throughout the week, and the spaces are always changing and evolving. Mills said the living room and kitchen are the spaces where people hang out and use, while spaces like the gallery are great for special events and exhibits.

“The gallery is where there’s usually some kind of exhibits, but right now it’s in renovation, so there’s nothing going on down there right now,” Mills said. “We’ll usually have openings for those and lots of slam poetry moments have happened down there before things like that. And then, the library which I really love, which is growing impressively. It’s honestly really dope down there, but you know, [they have a] wider range of books pertaining usually to like Blackness, Black research, Black authors and things like that.”

Mills said the center is a hub for Black students on campus where they can find community and help finding resources. 

“We do a lot of work that is not only just providing a space for Black students to exist … but also space for advocacy for Black students, space to come to when maybe you need help in any situations that are happening around campus,” Mills said. 

Alexis Grant, a second-year studying material science engineering and a student programming intern at AACC, said the center is a place where people can connect. 

“It’s just a place to facilitate connections, meet people, house events that cater to us, those kinds of things,” Grant said. “And also to help share with NC State, who we are as people.”

Grant said the library also has a meditation room students can go in when they feel stressed or just want some quiet time. 

“It also has a meditation room,” Grant said. “So I use that sometimes when things are just really crazy. I’ll go in there and just sit and look out the window. Take a minute to myself.”

The AACC recently started a podcast called “Fo’ Yo’ Soul” where students, faculty and staff talk about topics like what it’s like being Black at NC State and what direction the AACC is headed in for the future. Mills said the podcast provides students and faculty with a comfortable space to discuss topics they care about and to reach people outside of the center. 

 “I just think it’s cool to hear students and also just other people that work in our center talk about Blackness and what’s going on on campus,” Mills said. “I think it’s nice to just have that space where you can listen, especially to these voices. Because if you’re up here a lot, you kind of know everyone that’s up here, and just talk about our experiences and what’s going on, and I think it’s really cool you get a broader reach.”

The AACC also uses the Sankofa room on the first floor of Witherspoon as a space for events throughout the year. Grant said this includes some of their upcoming Black History Month events. 

”We do have it reserved for certain events, and stuff like that, including [this] week for Black History Month,” Grant said. “We have our Speed Friending event that’s going to be happening down there.”

Mills said she wants students looking for their place on campus to know that the AACC is open to them and would be happy to have them. 

“I think for Black students specifically who are maybe looking for a space, there’s always a space for you here,” Mills said. “Everyone here, we obviously share things, but I think a lot of people tend to forget that we are very different, multifaceted human beings. So, there are a lot of differences between everyone here, but we also have this space where you’re safe. People want you here and will talk to you.”

Grant said the AACC provided her with a place that felt like home when she first came to NC State. 

“The spirit of the place is so warm,” Grant said. “A lot of the new people, even the classes and stuff that come in, they’re like ‘Yeah, this helped me adjust’ … we call this a living room because we want this to feel like a home and it really does feel like that. Anybody who comes here consistently, they’ve gotten to the point where we all just joke around with each other, talk, laugh and play games.”

To learn more about the AACC check out their website.