There are 11 cultural and ethnic groups affiliated with the Center that, along with many other campus organizations, promote and support students while focusing on the critical issue of intercultural understanding and respect.

Amandla! promotes better understanding of the many communities of the African diaspora. The organization sponsors lectures, campus discussions, and performances for the College community. Amandla! provides a mentoring program serving children of African descent in the Lewiston-Auburn area. Recent speakers sponsored by Amandla! include Sonia Sanchez, bell hooks, and Sistah Souljah. Amandla! sponsors Triad, an annual campus-wide party that serves to teach, through various theme rooms, aspects of the African diasporic culture and life.

The American Indian Awareness Organization (AIAO) was formed in 1995. AIAO provides, in conjunction with the Multicultural Center, a support network for Native American students on campus. We also provide opportunities to learn about Native American peoples, histories, and cultures for both the organization's members and the College community at large. We bring speakers, performers, scholars, Elders, and activists to the College, sponsor film series, workshops, and other events, and organize trips to Native American powwows and other off-campus presentations. AIAO also works with the College Admissions Office and administration in an effort to increase the recruitment and retention of Native American students at Bates. We invite students, faculty, and staff from all cultures and backgrounds who share an interest in working with Native American peoples and issues to take part in organizations meetings and activities.

Francophone Club. The all-new Francophone Club serves the purpose of promoting the French Language, culture and civilization as celebrated throughout the world (the African Diaspora and other Francophone countries). The club hosts a variety of activities such as excursions, field trips, film festivals, food fairs, speakers, concerts, exhibitions and panel discussions that deal with current Francophone issues. No prior French language requirement.

OUT front (formerly Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual Alliance) provides the Bates community a forum for education and discussion of gay and lesbian issues. The members also serve as a support group for gay, lesbian, and bisexual students. Events sponsored by the group have included a play reading, parties, the Gay and Lesbian Film/Video Festival, comedians and two workshops, Who Is Saying What About Whom? and Circuit Breakers (two workshops on coalition building), and comedians.

International Club aims to promote understanding and awareness of diverse cultures and ethnicities through the activities of its members, as well as to provide support for international students on campus. The Club consists of both American and international students and is open to anyone who wants to join. Some activities of the Club in the past have included bringing ethnically diverse speakers and performers to the Bates campus, showing films, and sponsoring arts and craft fairs as well as the famed international dinner and dessert. The Club also sponsors recreational activities such as trips and parties.

Jewish Cultural Community (JCC) aims to raise awareness of Jewish cultural issues on the Bates campus and provides a support network for the Bates Jewish community. The organization observes the following holy days in a campuswide setting: Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover, and Yom Hashoah, among others. The JCC also sponsors sociocultural events such as lectures, plays, movies, films, and speakers that serve the Bates community in a variety of ways. The organization's office holds books, magazines, and newsletters that pertain to the Jewish religion and culture. One of the purposes of the organization is to increase awareness of Judaism; thus all are welcome to participate in activities sponsored by the organization.

Mushahada (the Bates College Muslim Student Association) was created to bring together the Muslim students of Bates College and help them in their practice of Islam. The club organizes religious events for the Muslim community at Bates which are open to the whole campus. Mushahada plans to sponsor several speakers and organize educational and social activities involving both Muslims and non-Muslims to promote greater awareness of the Islamic faith and traditions.

Sangai Asia was created to promote Asian and Asian-American awareness, identity, and fellowship. "Sangai" means "togetherness" in Nepalese, and that's just what this club strives for. The group holds an annual conference with the Asian student groups at Bowdoin and Colby colleges to discuss issues facing students on the three campuses. Open to the entire Bates community, Sangai Asia has held events such as dinners, exhibits, film series, art exhibits, and lectures focusing on Asian and Asian- American identity and cultures.

Solidaridad Latina explores Latina/o history, politics, language, and cultural traditions, and promotes greater awareness of the diverse Latina/o groups in the United States, as well as in Latin America and the Caribbean. Events such as the Columbus Day anticelebration, Latina/o student lecture series, and Latina/o video series serve to raise campus awareness. The organization also sponsors students to attend conferences and rallies. Solidaridad Latina also has become the name of the organization's magazine, which gives the Latina/o community at Bates, as well as at college campuses throughout the nation, the space to express concerns and interests.

BHAG. This Hindu Students Club at Bates College was formed in response to the growing number of Hindus attending Bates. BHAG recognizes the many religious and cultural festivities of Hinduism such as Divali, Holi, Bhangra, and Garba parties. Amongst others, this club organizes visits to temples, as well as films and food festivals. The events sponsored by the Hindu Students Association are open to all students at Bates College.

Women of Color celebrates the rich and diverse experiences of women of color. The group confronts issues of racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, and other forms of prejudice that affect women of color. The organization sponsors the annual Fall Ball, a fund-raiser from which all proceeds go to regional and national organizations that work on issues of particular concern to women of color. Women of Color also sponsors a number of events surrounding International Women's Month, including speakers, workshops, phone-ins, a coffeehouse, and a party. The group also publishes Dialectics, a literary journal collectively written and edited by women of color.

Women's Action Coalition (WAC) was founded by a group of Bates women who recognized and sought to address the need for women's resources on campus. WAC exists to provide support for Bates women and to act as a resource and outlet for action on women's issues. Events sponsored by the Coalition in the past have included the Ani DiFranco concert, poetry workshops, women's health discussions, self-defense classes, video series, and exhibits.

Tables Organized by the Multicultural Center

Hindi Table. This table was formed by the many students at Bates College who speak Hindi. Students from countries as diverse as India, Pakistan, Nepal, Mauritius, Kenya, and the United States regularly meet. This table also discusses issues concerning the South Asian Diaspora over weekly dinner meetings.

Southern Table. The Southern Table was formed by students living in the southern United States. There are students, faculty, and staff representing Louisiana, Alabama, Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee. Students, faculty, and staff who meet for the Southern Table discuss the concept of being Southern, share experiences of growing up and living in the South, and easily fall back into the Southern lingo. The Southern Table also hosts speakers who address the history, current politics, and the culture of the South.

Creole Table. The Creole Table was formed to explore the variety of Creole languages that have long been considered the "slaves' languages." The table addresses issues of "Creoleness" or "La Crealite," and our past activities include film and food festivals, as well as liaisons with other Creole speaking students from other colleges. The Creole speaking countries currently represented on campus include Mauritius, Martinique, and Haiti, among others.

The Italian Club, German Club, New World Coalition, and The Garnet, a literary magazine, also regularly meet in the Center.