Rice University

On March 20, 2023, Rice Architecture will host an anti-racism collective panel on "architecture and reproductive justice" as part of its annual lecture series, Engaging Pluralism. This lecture series "explores how architects and designers can work with friction, contradiction, and multiplicity to effect broader social, cultural, and environmental change."

Rice announced in June 2020 the implementation of mandatory diversity training for students, faculty, and staff.

Rice offers a minor in Poverty, Justice, and Human Capabilities.

As of October 2021, “all Rice new students are now required to take a new workshop, Critical Dialogues on Diversity.”

As part of the graduation requirements for all Bachelor’s degrees, “beginning Fall 2022, all matriculated students must complete and pass one course of three or more credit hours in the area of Analyzing Diversity.”

The Office of Multicultural Affairs encourages students to "Report Bias" through its forms in order to "help us create and maintain an inclusive campus environment that is safe for everyone."

Job applicants seeking a position in the faculty are required to submit a "diversity statement" as one of the necessary application materials.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs offers Anti-Racist Resources, including the books White Fragility and A People's History of the United States.

In addition to mandatory diversity training, Rice announced "a student fund under the Center for Civic Leadership in the office of the Dean of Undergraduates to support nonpartisan student engagement in the city of Houston on issues of racial equity and justice, particularly in the fields of criminal justice, voting, education and health care."

Chandler and Ian Davidson Social Justice Internship Award. Objective: Provide financial support to students who wish to complete unpaid, full-time internships over the summer in social justice organizations, broadly defined.

Following complaints and the call from the Task Force on Slavery, Segregation, and Racial Injustice, the statue of the founder, William Marsh Rice will be relocated to a new location due to hsi entanglement with the institution of slavery.

On June 4, 2020, Rice's Office of Public Affairs reported that student group Rice for Black Life raised $93,362 within 24 hours of launching their fundraiser to support four local organizations: Black Lives Matter Houston, Texas Organizing Project, Indivisible Houston and Pure Justice. Founder Summar McGee '20 said their work will "help provide direct support to black folks, financially aid protestors, pay off bails and promote advocacy to dismantle the carceral state, including legislation to end debtors’ prison, hold police accountable, and reform the bail system." Following this, students from five other universities, including Cornell University, contacted Rice for Black Life about setting up similar models at their own schools.

Rice has formed the Center for Critical and Cultural Theory to promote research into social justice.

The new Race and Anti-Racism Research Fund at Rice University has awarded grants to eight professors to gain a better understanding of how race, racism and racial injustice affect society.

The Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fund at Rice Architecture serves to “recruit diverse students and faculty, support student groups, faculty research, school programming, and institute meaningful pedagogical changes to advance this cause.”

The Racial Geography Project is a research collective that was started following the protests of 2020. As part of Rice University Task Force on Slavery, Segregation, and Racial Justice, the “collective studies the material impacts of slavery and segregation that have been codiefied into out built environment.”

Rice's Office of Multicultural Affairs houses Diversity Facilitators, students whose goal is to "[promote] campus unity and respect for diversity." Facilitators do so in part via the “Dialogues on Diversity” series, which are open, campus-wide discussions held weekly on Fridays that cover a variety of cultural and social issues. Additionally, the Office of Multicultural Affairs has a student advisory board, Diversity Council (DC), that "provides the means for communication between cultural and advocacy student organizations and the [office]."

Rice hosts a free retreat for Black students called "In Living Color". It occurs in the fall and is open to incoming new students. During the retreat, students will be "introduced to the unifying aspects of the Black community at Rice at large, and identify essential resources and networks that exist to help [them] reach [their] maximum potential." The retreat is partly funded by the Shell Foundation.

In partnership with the Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice (HACER), Rice hosts a free interactive retreat in the fall called Nuestras Raíces that "seeks to create a unifying event for recently admitted Latinx students." The retreat program introduces entering first-year students to the "unifying aspects of the Latinx community at Rice," and "identifies essential resources and networks to help students reach their maximum potential."

In July, 2022, incoming freshmen interested in delving into issues around racial justice, equity and urban life were invited to the Rice campus a month before orientation week to take part in the RISE program (Responsibility, Inclusion and Student Empowerment). The program was coordinated by RISE assistant director Chelsea Drake and Alex Byrd, professor of history and vice provost for diversity, equity and inclusion.

Anti-racist solidarity inspires action plan speaking to current and future demands

The Rice University Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance released an anti-racism statement in response to the murder of George Floyd, and compiled a list of resources for racial justice.