Minnesota State University Moorhead introduces new exhibit for Equality

MOORHEAD, MINN (KVRR) – MSUM has opened a new exhibit for their E-Quality program established in 1968.

Created by then President John Naumaier, this program was designed to help minority students attend and afford college in the height of the civil rights era. 

The goal was to make college possible for people who couldn’t because of poverty, class, or color. At first, 50 students were brought in from the E-Quality project, but that number would continue to grow.

“And, he had a good experience but we know not everyone had a good experience.” said MSUM Professor of History and the one who created this exhibit, Yolanda Arauza.

Arauza also said, “So doing oral history interviews we had students that had nothing to say but glowing things to say about project E-Quality and some that said there were a lot of things wrong with it, and so we wanted to bring the voices of those left out of the story into light.”

It is clear that some students benefitted greatly from the program, while others not as much. Students from the original program will be brought in for a panel on November 9th at 7:30 p.m. in the Roland Dille Center for the Arts Gaede Stage at MSUM to discuss their personal stories.