You Belong

About You Belong Initiatives

The Center for Transformative Justice You Belong Initiatives are eclectic. From inviting folks for one on one conversations, hosting listening sessions, creating multilingual posters, and coordinating diverse events, we embrace that belonging is complex yet essential.

The You Belong posters offer a visual representation of diversity through language with multiple translations of “you belong.” Posters were created in collaboration with language speakers and members of our UWL community. Recognizing that translations are not always seamless between cultures, individuals used their own autonomy to capture the spirit of belonging: to be valued, seen, heard, cared for, and an essential member of our UWL family. Transliterations can vary; no two individuals may translate You Belong the same which further honors not only diversity and inclusion but also belonging.

The You Belong video was created in collaboration with UW-La Crosse students, faculty and staff. They share a welcoming message of "you belong" in multiple languages. The video offers the opportunity to hear the more than 30 languages that are spoken on campus.

While we recognize the imperfection of the You Belong initiatives, we remain committed to our institutional value of including, embracing and respecting the innumerable diverse perspectives found within our community. We are also dedicated to continuous improvement. This is a quest; there is no end-point to this work.

Submit a language translation

We encourage any individual whose first language is not English to share their own translation/interpretation of You Belong using the following link.

Posters & Video

Members of the campus community can order copies of the latest poster by contacting the Center for Transformative Justice at transformative@uwlax.edu. Please include the number of posters desired and the campus mailing address in your email.