Cultural House
Located at 1576 Summit Avenue, the Cultural House (C House) is a living-learning community for students interested in liberatory education, community engagement, and anti-racism movement building. Previously located at 37 Macalester Street, the history of the Cultural House goes back 50 years, with the opening of the Black House (1969), the American Indian Center (1970), and the Hispanic House (1973), stemming from the Expanded Educational Opportunities (EEO) program.
2025-26 C-House Delegation to Cuba
In 2025-26, the Cultural House Living Learning Community will focus on exploring and cultivating intergenerational, Global solidarities. In partnership with Witness for Peace, the Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Social Justice will offer residents a 10-day experiential learning opportunity in Cuba during January 2026. In the fall semester preceding the trip, residents will participate in a Cultural House study group exploring people-centered justice frameworks rooted in collective liberation and global anti-racism solidarity movements.
This opportunity is made possible through the generosity of contributions to the Macalester Racial Justice Project Fund.
2026-27 C-House Environmental Racism Focus
For the 2026-27 academic year, the Cultural House Living Learning Community will focus on Environmental Racism. Residents will engage in experiential learning opportunities to explore environmental justice projects and community organizing efforts led by local communities throughout the Twin Cities.
C-House Environmental Racism Info Sessions:
Thursday, January 29, 2026 @ 12 – 1pm (CST)
Tuesday, February 3, 2026 @ 12 – 1pm (CST)
Attending an info session is strongly encouraged. Info sessions will be hosted by LSC staff in the Flemming Room (LSC event space on the first floor of Kagin). Please RSVP here.
C-House Resident Application 2026-27
The deadline is February 5th, 2026.
This application is divided into four sections:
- General Applicant Information
- Cultural House – Space Expectations
- Living/Rooming Preferences (Logistics)
- Cultural House Living Learning Community
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS:
- Participate in 1 experiential learning program per semester (North MPLS Environmental Justice Tour, Bdóte sacred site visit)
- Commit to monthly community meals and discussions
GENERAL INFORMATION:
- There is no cost to participate in LSC provided programming.
- A meal plan is not required for C-House residents.
- It is a gender-inclusive space, including restrooms. Restrooms are single user.
- 16 rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
- There are both double and single rooms available in the C-House. Barring accommodation needs, you are not guaranteed to be placed in a single or double room.
- It is not an ADA accessible space.
- Residents who apply and get selected for the Cultural House will be placed prior to housing selection. Anyone that does not get selected for the Cultural House and is confirmed by the deadline will participate in the general Housing Selection.
- We highly recommend attending a Cultural House info session.
- Info Sessions: Thursday, Jan 29th and Tuesday, Feb 3rd from 12 pm – 1 pm in the Flemming Room, Kagin Commons. Lunch will be served! Please RSVP here.
SHARED SPACE EXPECTATIONS: The first floor of the Cultural House is a reservable programming space used by the Lealtad-Suzuki Center (LSC) and cultural/political student organizations. This means non-residents may be present in these public areas. While catering is allowed, no food preparation is allowed in the kitchen by reservation guests. The LSC professional staff, who manage the programming space, will notify residents of reservations via the shared calendar.
The 2nd and 3rd floors, as well as the basement, are exclusively residential areas. These spaces are private and dorm rooms are accessible only to Cultural House residents and their guests.
CLEANLINESS EXPECTATIONS: Because the C-House’s shared spaces are used for programming, residents are expected to maintain a high standard of cleanliness. Residents will work with the Resident Assistant (RA) to establish community guidelines and agreements to ensure these expectations are met.
Past Offerings: Residential First Year Course
The 2023-24 residents of the Cultural House were enrolled in the fall semester course, EDU 194 First Year Course: We Demand! Student Power, World Building, and Democratizing Higher Education. Looking at critical ethnic studies, local community activism, the global movement to decolonize higher education, and the history of Macalester (including the history of the Cultural House), this course examined the ways in which world-building, community collaboration, and student activism have existed and must exist at Mac. Housed in Mac’s Cultural House (37 Mac), this course focused on using said themes for students to create and develop their own philosophy of education and creed regarding their hopes and dreams for their time at Macalester.
Cultural House Block Party
The C-House Block Party serves as a Fall kick-off to the programmatic year for the Cultural House. It is an annual event that formally welcomes the Macalester community. Food, fun, music, and dancing celebrate the new academic year.
Open Mic
This annual tradition is a spoken word/open mic event where students share their talents. It is a time for the Macalester community to celebrate and reflect on the significance of oral traditions as means for political action in all communities.
Reservations
Submit this form to request a reservation of the Cultural House. Please note that requests must be received two weeks in advance, and that the Cultural House is only available for reservations Mon-Fri from 11am-9pm, and Sat-Sun from 10:30am-10pm. Reservations will not be accepted during times that the Cultural House is hosting LSC events (above). Please note that you must receive written confirmation that your reservation request has been approved before moving forward with your event.
Contact
For more information and questions about the Cultural House, contact Sam Taitel at [email protected].
*This webpage will be updated as necessary.