The Queer Resource Center (QRC) of the Claremont Colleges has hired Ebony Williams as Programming Director, a new position that will involve organizing events and acting as a liaison between the QRC and student groups at the 5Cs. Williams was selected by a committee of students from the 5Cs, administration and faculty.
Williams “was the best person to take on this enormous and amazing role as the first Program Coordinator at the Queer Resource Center,” QRC Director Adriana di Bartolo said.
Williams received her bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College in Massachusetts and will be receiving her master’s in Critical Studies and Writing from the California Institute of the Arts. She will start working in Claremont in the fall.
“We’re excited because she has a liberal arts background, so she was definitely able to speak to the liberal arts experience, which is really important working at the Claremont Colleges,” di Bartolo said.
“Everyone in staff is really excited,” said Rachel Jackson PO ’15, a QRC staff member. “It’s really cool that we’re getting a [programming director], because it’s with the intention of growing the programming capacity of the QRC. We already put on so many events and programs, and adding on another full-time person will increase our ability to do more outreach in the 7Cs.”
Di Bartolo described the programming director’s main task as “on-the-ground program planning.” QRC programming includes Gaypril, Transgender Remembrance Day, National Coming Out Day and the Lavender Graduation, which will be held today.
Williams will also be the advisor for the Queer People of Color group and facilitate the QRC’s weekly Tuesday talks. Di Bartolo said that she has been unable to reach out to the extent that she would would like to, and hopes Williams will serve as a liaison.
Jackson said she hopes Williams will be able to oversee the staff.
“Sometimes resources don’t get tapped, so Ebony will allow everyone on staff to be very productive,” she said.
“This will free me up to do the larger policy and ‘director’ things that need to be done at the colleges,” di Bartolo said.
The hiring of Williams is just a piece of a general expansion of the QRC.
“Every year we’ve gotten bigger,” di Bartolo said. “I hope to reach many more communities.”
Williams will be at Lavender Graduation at 3:30 p.m. today at Claremont McKenna College’s Marian Miner Cook Athenauem.
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