HISTORY
20 Years of Community
The Minority Rights Coalition was created by the L2K Leadership Conference in 2000. Five organizations-- the Black Student Alliance, the Asian Student Union, the Queer Student Union, La Alianza Coalition of Hispanic/Latino Leaders and Feminism is for Everyone-- came together to build both solidarity and community. Since then, the MRC has gradually made structural shifts reflecting changes in the larger UVA community. Today, the Board is comprised of seven groups-- the Asian Student Union (ASU), the Black Student Alliance (BSA), the Latinx Student Alliance (LSA), the Middle Eastern Leadership Council (MELC), the Muslim Students Association (MSA), the Native American Student Union (NASU), the Organization of African Students (OAS), and the Queer Student Union (QSU).
THE MRC BOARD
MRC Board consists of representatives from all seven constituent organizations, and are selected through their respective organizations. Board meets with Exec every other week to discuss MRC's involvement with UVA, and to share their updates with one another.
OUR STRUCTURE
Who is the MRC? How can you get involved?
BOARD
The Coalition
EXEC
The MRC Team
COMMITTEES
The Members + Collaborators
THE MRC EXEC
The Executive Board of the MRC is in charge of running the MRC, creating and co-sponsoring events, building new and strengthening existing relationships with constituent organizations, other UVA CIOs, and the greater Charlottesville community, and ensuring the minority experiences are heard at UVA.
FARA ISLAM
Vice Chair of Advocacy
Hey! I'm Fara Islam and I'm a third year doubling in Global Security and Justice and Cognitive Science with a Concentration in Computer Science. My passions circulate cooking, video-making, self-care(!!), and staying up to date with the latest news. MRC is a space that educates and involves others, it's an org where you can see your change happening!
ZAKI PANJSHEERI
Vice Chair of Education
My name is Zaki Panjsheeri, and I'm a third year in the College of Arts & Sciences studying physics and mathematics. As one of the Vice Chairs of Education for the MRC, I'm concerned with capitalism and exploitation as well as foreign policy, where I try to center American contraventions of international law and breaches of human rights.
NYLES ROME
Chief Financial Officer
My name is Nyles Rome and I am a 4th year student from Pottstown, Pennsylvania. My majors are Global Development Studies and Anthropology. I enjoy reading and I’m really into movies and TV shows. I wanted to become a part of the MRC because I want to make the academic experience better for marginalized students at UVA. I am a believer in collective action across different and/or intersecting identities, and I feel that it is necessary for dismantling oppressive structures within the University.