Las Maestras Center (Re)braiding a Future

For years, Las Maestras Center for Xicana Indigenous Thought, Art, and Social Praxis has been a sanctuary, a living archive, and a cultural lung for UC Santa Barbara. Co-founded in 2017 by iconic Chicana writer Cherríe Moraga and visual artist Celia Herrera Rodríguez, this small room in South Hall has served as a critical hub where ancestral knowledge meets contemporary art and activism.

But in June 2026, that vital space faced its most critical challenge yet.

Following the recent retirements of our beloved co-founders, the university administration declared the Center "subject for termination," setting a June 30 deadline to hand over the keys.

What happened next is a testament to the power of community, resistance, and solidarity. We fought back—and we won.

The Student and Community Mobilization

When news of the threat to Las Maestras Center broke, our community did what Chicana/o and Indigenous movements have always done: we organized. Students, faculty, alumni, and local community members launched a massive petition and took to the campus in a vibrant, artistic demonstration.

Armed with signs, song, and a fierce determination to protect the cross-divisional haven that welcomes Latin American, feminist, queer, and research-driven experiences, the community made one thing perfectly clear: Las Maestras Center is an irreplaceable necessity that UCSB cannot afford to lose.

"Las Maestras Center has been the space where daydreaming artists and data-wired research students mingle. To lose it would be to lose a piece of our history and our future."

A Historic Win: Support from Dean Daina Ramey Berry

As demonstrators gathered to demand equity and the preservation of marginalized knowledge, our collective voice was heard loud and clear.

In a powerful turning point for the campaign, the community received a surprise message of solidarity from Dr. Daina Ramey Berry, the Michael Douglas Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts. A renowned historian and champion of marginalized narratives herself, Dean Berry delivered the exact guarantee the community had been fighting for: the university will keep Las Maestras Center open.

This pledge from Dean Berry is a monumental victory. It validates the immense value that Xicana Indígena thought, intergenerational mentorship, and safe cultural spaces bring to the broader UCSB campus.

“To the extent allowed, my own position as HFA Dean, I can ensure that LMC doors will remain open. From today forward we will continue to work collaboratively to imagine what a future LMC looks like”. . . Las Maestras Center was founded with a powerful vision: to create space for Xicana/x Indigenous thought, art, social praxis, mentorship, cultural work, and community-engaged scholarship. . . .We want to acknowledge that legacy and affirm the importance of the work associated with the center’s founding mission.”
— From Dean Daina Ramey Berry

From Maestras Cherríe Moraga and Celia Herrera-Rodríguez:

“We recognize that LMC as we know it – its world view and the bodies that have inhabited the space—have changed with the times and ideally will continue to do so moving forward.  This Center for “Xicana[x] Indigenous Thought Art and Social Praxis” was our research project, which we were privileged to share with our students and community. . . To have had such support toward the realization of the vision of Las Maestras Center on a university campus is phenomenal in its own right.”

Open to Full Letter

The Next Chapter: Staying Rooted, Moving Forward

While we celebrate this incredible win, our work is just beginning. Keeping the doors open is the first step; ensuring the Center thrives for generations to come is the next. As we transition into this new chapter, we are working closely with faculty, students, and supporters to secure:

  • Long-Term Institutional Funding: Baseline financial backing to ensure our programming and events remain vibrant and sustainable.

  • Continued Faculty & Student Leadership: Honoring the foundational spirit of Cherríe and Celia by empowering the next wave of Xicana Indígena scholars and artists.

  • Vibrant Community Programming: Returning to our space with renewed energy for workshops, talks, art builds, and cultural gatherings.

Thank You, Comunidad!

This victory belongs to every student who held a sign, every person who signed the petition, and the leadership of Dean Berry for recognizing the heartbeat of our community.

The fight showed us how much Las Maestras Center matters. Let’s keep that momentum going:

  • Follow the Journey: Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Instagram
    @las_maestras_center for updates on our reopening plans.

  • Join the Organizing Committee: Help us shape the next era of the Center. Reach out at [Email Address] to get involved.

  • Attend Our Next Event: Keep an eye out for our upcoming welcome-back community dialogue and art build!

We are still here. We are still creating. And together, our doors will stay open.

For media inquiries, campaign updates, or space reservations, please contact us at english-lmc@ucsb.edu.