Sol: LGBTQ+ Multicultural Support Network Collection

Sol: LGBTQ+ Multicultural Support Network Collection, 2001-2023

Overview of the Collection

Creator: SOL LGBTQ+ Multicultural Support Network (Oregon State University)
Title: Sol: LGBTQ+ Multicultural Support Network Collection
Dates: 2001-2023 (inclusive)
20012023

2003-2016 (bulk)
20032016
Quantity: 0.75 cubic feet, including 6 photographic prints and 15 MB born digital, (2 document case boxes and 1 14x18 oversize box)
Collection Number: MSS SOL
Summary: The Sol: LGBTQ+ Multicultural Support Network Collection consists of records and materials documenting Sol’s history, from its beginning in the early 2000s up to its operations in 2023, at Oregon State University. Sol’s intention is to create spaces that celebrate the intersectional identities of queer and trans people of color. Sol works closely with the Pride Center (historically known as the Queer Resource Center), as well as other Cultural Resource Centers on campus. The collection contains administrative and programming records, as well as art related materials. The collection contains digital and physical items, including oversize materials. Sol related oral history interviews can be found in the OSU Queer Archives Oral History Collection.
Repository: Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives Research Center
Special Collections and Archives Research Center
121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis OR
97331-4501
Telephone: 5417372075
Fax: 5417378674
scarc@oregonstate.edu
Access Restrictions: This collection is open for research.
Languages: English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Sol means “sun” in Spanish and is representative of the sun being necessary to help create a rainbow, which is symbolic of the LGBTQ+ community. The connection between the sun and a rainbow is symbolic of the LGBTQ+ community not being whole without the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people of color. The name is pronounced like “soul”, which refers to aspects from the African American community that many Sol members are a part of. Sol was originally founded at Oregon State University for students who hold intersecting identities as both people of color and LGBTQ+ people. Its primary founder was Derron Rafiq Coles, a graduate student at the time who went on to get his doctorate and become the Head of EOP Mathematics at OSU. Coles was a founder, leader, and advisor, and continues to advocate for QTBIPOC youth.

Sol’s inception began in 2002. By 2004, Sol became a recognized student organization, working with the Pride Center, Rainbow Continuum, and other campus organizations towards the goal of empowering LGBTQ+ students of color and creating community. In Fall of 2008, the Sol Advisory Board was established. Sol regularly performs outreach and hosts events like Bowl with Sol, drag shows, identity-specific workshops, discussion circles, socials, and more. Sol engages in on-campus activism, including hosting community vigils and advocating for LGBTQ+ students of color. Sol’s first paid positions began in 2006 with funding directly from Dr. Larry Roper, Coordinator of the College Student Services Administration, and has since grown to contain two leadership liaisons and three community relations representatives, with a shared graphic designer and communications representative between Sol and the Pride Center. In 2024, Sol obtained its own director and continues to operate on campus.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Sol: LGBTQ+ Multicultural Support Network Collection contains materials related to Sol’s history, operations, and community engagement. This collection includes budget reports, educational resources and training materials, documents pertaining to the administrative founding of Sol in 2004, position applications, correspondences with the OSU administration, historical yearly goals, and agendas from the Sol Advisory Board that began in 2008. This collection also includes marketing materials from events that Sol hosted alone and/or with various Cultural Resource Centers, such as event flyers, photos from events, program evaluation sheets, and conference memorabilia. Also included is art created or otherwise acquired by Sol, such as art created by community members during events, zines, handmade cards, and wall art. Items that are significant to the history and/or operations of Sol include Bowl with Sol, discussion circles, and drag show event posters, correspondences from Sol’s founding, and records from the Sol Advisory Board. Sol related oral history interviews can be found in the OSU Queer Archives Oral History Collection.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Sol: LGBTQ+ Multicultural Support Network Collection (MSS SOL), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

This collection is divided into three series: Series 1: Administrative Materials, 2001-2016; Series 2: Programming, 2004-2023; Series 3: Art and Activities, 2016. Each series is organized in alphabetical order.

Related Materials

This collection is a part of the OSU Queer Archives (OSQA). Other collections related to LGBTQ+ history include the Thomas Kraemer Papers (MSS Kraemer), Queer Studies Program Records (RG 278), Queer Theatre Materials Collection, and the OSU Rainbow Continuum Records, Sol related oral history interviews can be found in the OSU Queer Archives Oral History Collection.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series 1: Administrative Materials, 2001-2016Return to Top

Series 1 includes budget reports and purchase requests, educational resources and training materials used to teach Sol staff as well as the wider campus community, documents relating to the founding of Sol, and position applications. The founding-related documents contain correspondences between Derron Rafiq Coles, founder and advisor of Sol, and the OSU administration, goals and guidelines for the operation of Sol, and agendas regarding the Advisory Board. Digital files include PowerPoints and Word documents.

The digital files described in this series are available upon request.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
1.01	Advisory Board	2008-2013
1.02	Budgets and Purchase Requests	2007-2010
1.03	Budgets and Purchase Requests	2011
1.04	Budgets and Purchase Requests	2012
1.05	Budgets and Purchase Requests	2013-2014
1.06	Budgets and Purchase Requests	2015-2016
1.07	Coordinator Position Descriptions and Applications	2008-2011
	Position Descriptions and Applications 3 files; 118 KB	2008-2010
Box/Folder
1.08	History, Goals, and Correspondences	2003-2015
	History, Goals, Agendas, and Correspondences 7 files; 689 KB	2003-2018
Box/Folder
1.09	Teaching Materials	2008-2009
	Training and Educational Resources 8 files; 6 MB	2008-2015
Box/Folder
1.10	Training Materials	2001-2013

Series 2: Programming, 2004-2023Return to Top

Series 2 includes marketing materials for both Sol events and collaborations with the OSU's Cultural Resource Centers, physical and digital versions of event flyers, photos taken during events, event-planning documents such as program evaluation sheets and correspondences, as well as items from conferences that Sol attended. This series includes several oversize event flyers. Digital files include various formats of event flyers, informational pamphlets, and weekly event overviews for identity-specific event series.

The digital files described in this series are available upon request.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
1.11	Conference Materials	2009
1.12	Event Photos 6 prints	2017-2018
1.13	Event Promotion Materials	2004-2020
	Events and Cultural Resource Center Marketing Materials 21 files; 8.21 MB	2011-2021
Box/Folder
1.14	Events and Program Planning	2011-2016
3.1	Marketing Posters (oversize)	2011-2023

Series 3: Art and Activities, 2016Return to Top

Series 3 includes art acquired and/or produced by Sol. Event and wall art includes informative posters of LGBTQ+ icons, print images of: a vision board for Spring 2018-2019, community-decorated flags, and one of Sol's early promotional posters (folder 1 of 2); a promotional button, an award from the APCC to Sol, and a drawing made by a community member (folder 2 of 2); and the physical flags from folder 2.1, identity-based art by community members, and a comic on QTPOC issues (oversize).

Also included is a set of healing cards as well as thank you cards sent to Sol after event collaborations, and three copies of a QTPOC art zine from 2016 that contain messages of support and resilience related to identity.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
2.1	Event and Wall Art (folder 1 of 2)	undated
2.2	Event and Wall Art (folder 2 of 2)	undated
3.2	Event and Wall Art (oversize)	undated
2.3	Healing Cards and Thank-You Cards	undated
2.4	QTPOC Zine	2016

Archives West Finding Aid

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