Hale Hall has been a hub of activity for Black students despite the Office of Diversity and Inclusion closing following the passage of Senate Bill 1. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor
It has been over a year since Senate Bill 1 became law, yet Hale Hall remains resilient and continues to be a community space for students of color at Ohio State.
Passed in 2025, SB 1 bans diversity, equality, and inclusion programs on campus, per prior Lantern reporting. The law calls into question the future of such programs and what services remain available.?
Though SB 1 closed programs and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion — which was held within Hale Hall — Ohio State students said that this space continues to provide a sense of belonging.
“It doesn’t feel corporate. It feels very student-oriented. It feels like you’re really entering the home, not necessarily entering a corporate building,” said Amine Bouhout, a second-year in health sciences.?
Bouhourt is also a student administrative assistant at Hale Hall, organizing various events and helping students by providing resources and specific assistance.
“Hale Hall had a certain culture. Some of it has been retained. Some of it has evolved after SB 1,” said Prince Amoako, a fifth-year in biology and student employee at Hale Hall Cultural Center. “Hale Hall is still an avenue for students to stay home away from home.”
Some initiatives like the Latine Student Success Center and the Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male have been dissolved. Students said they have also noted that due to limited resources at Hale Hall — such as funding and staffing curbs — it is more difficult to host events and other services for students.?
Despite these challenges, there remains a positive attitude and a focus on how to adapt and work through these new circumstances, Bouhout said..
“Despite losing ODI, we’re still strong,” Bouhout said, referring to the now-shuttered diversity and inclusion office. “We’re still standing, no matter what.”
Bouhout and Amoako said that the space is made up of student engagement and with their presence, their impact at Ohio State is still strong despite institutional changes.
”It feels the same to me before and after, because it’s not the office to me, it’s not the Office of Diversity and Inclusion,” Bouhout said. “It’s the people, the people make the space.”?
Students continue to use Hale Hall as a space for daily use, student organizational meetings and events.?
“They’re still out there,” Bouhout said. “They’re still coming, they’re still pushing forward towards us. That makes very much an impact.”
Dr. Parissa Ahmadi, director of the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center, said organizations on campus continue to stay involved despite Hale Hall’s closure.
“Student organizations remain incredibly active in the center, and I’m continually impressed by their creativity and initiative,” Ahmadi said.
Hale Hall also hosts one of the country’s largest collections of art made by Black artists, according to its website.?
“Our art is very important, and I can’t imagine not walking through Hale, not seeing all the art and seeing all the sculptures that have so much meaning behind them,” Bouhout said.
Amoako said that future programs at Hale Hall will emphasize the art collection to increase student awareness and highlight it. Ahmadi agreed.
“As director, one of my priorities is making sure that collection is celebrated, shared and actively engaged both on campus and in the broader community,” Ahmadi said.
Amoako spoke about the art piece at Hale Hall that resonates most with him: a sculpture of a man covered with spikes.?
“It shows that all the adversity, the challenges that you face through college and in life, but with that sculpture, it’s not like he’s falling down,” Amoako said. “He’s standing tall with a sword in his hand.”
