"For a long time, I always assumed that since ethnically I am half Black I could never truly 'be' Black. I always shied away from the question 'What are you?' because I really didn't know the answer. Sometimes I still fumble with the idea of whether I am 'Black enough.' But I think for me, Blackness is multifaceted; there is no guide on how to be 'Black' and so Black History Month represents the multitude of cultures, voices, and individuals coming together as a community to represent how beautiful we are, even when society says we aren't." - Victoria McFadden '24 #BlackHistoryMonth Photo: Yating Wang '24

"Being Black is a birthright. Being Black means that no weapon formed against me shall prosper. Being Black is strength, courage, wisdom, revolution, life and, above all, love. Being Black is Mother Africa, Carter G. Woodson, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Dred Scott, Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. DuBois, Phyllis Wheatley, Edward Bouchet, Madame C. J. Walker, Malcolm X, Anna Julia Cooper, Marcus Garvey, Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Sidney Poitier, and Scott Joplin. Being Black is the stolen legacy. Being Black is an incomprehensible brilliance. Being Black is beautiful. Being Black is me." - Karl Bell, Director of the Pine Manor Institute for Student Success' Mentoring & Academic Achievement

“As a Black woman and a first-gen college student, it was very important to me to finish my bachelor’s, and Woods came into my life at the right time. I was interning at the Mayor’s Office in Boston, and I also had another job. Transferring the credits from my associate’s degree at Bunker Hill Community College was a seamless process, and I was able to take my courses online in the evenings. The coursework and group projects made me more comfortable with public speaking and leadership—I no longer have to wait for someone to pass me the mic, because I feel I have the education, resources, and knowledge to make a change myself.” - Gayana Daniel ’22, the Chief of Staff for the Mayor’s Office of Language and Communications Access and a graduate of Boston College - Woods College of Advancing Studies | READ MORE about Woods transfer students & programs: https://on.bc.edu/FinishingStrong

"I attended The Latino Medical Student Association conference in Atlanta. It was inspiring—only six percent of physicians are Latinos, and it’s so important to meet mentors who can guide me and share their experiences. My vision in studying public health and medicine has always been to build a skillset to address the same health disparities that I saw growing up in south L.A., so I can bring this knowledge back to my community. I want to combine public health with my practice as a provider, because if you’re working in a neighborhood that’s medically underserved, you need to understand the context to provide effective care." - Sebastian Cota '24, who earned the CDC's Williams-Hutchins Health Equity Award | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/SebastianCota

“Kitchens for Change was definitely a unique club at Turlock High School and students were very interested in joining and getting on board with our passion because it was something that they hadn't seen before. Not only that, but it was something that was fun to do. You're cooking alongside people that you go to school with every day, and you’re coming together to provide food for your peers who might be struggling to get their next meal on the table. It’s a beautiful thing to see your efforts come to life within your community.” - Audrey Smallwood ’27, co-founder of Kitchens for Change and a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/AudreySmallwood

“Woods is the third college I’ve attended, and I can honestly say that the transfer experience here was the smoothest I’ve experienced. I connected with the people I spoke to immediately, and they were so accessible and eager to help. I think the whole process reflects Boston College’s values and the personal connection people feel here. I knew I wanted to finish my college experience in more ways than just one. I wanted to have a community experience, a professional experience, and an intellectual and academic experience. Moving to Boston from Minnesota has been a hugely positive experience. I can honestly say that I’m in the process of changing my life, and Woods is a huge part of that.” —Otto Haeg, an Applied Liberal Arts major at the Boston College - Woods College of Advancing Studies | | READ MORE about Woods transfer students & programs: https://on.bc.edu/FinishingStrong

"Many important landmarks have been kept hidden. Many existing tours don’t give participants a deeper history about the locations they cover. [My sister] and I not only selected which landmarks to include on the app, but also delved into why these historical landmarks were kept hidden for so long. So much of this history has been whitewashed and is not included in textbooks, and tourists coming to DC should know about it." - Lily Dorton '27, who created an educational app about DC's civil rights history | READ MORE in Boston College Magazine: https://on.bc.edu/LilyDorton

"You face the challenges all at once, no matter how strong you think you are. Mine were life challenges. You’re raising a family and life is wonderful. You’ve got a great corporate job and your career is fulfilled and you’ve got the big house in Weston and all the accoutrements to go with it. And all of a sudden, that is diminished, and you’re in a different place, in a different game plan. That’s where I found myself. With the help of God, and this little store, and the people that have been around me, I’ve managed through it. And here I am, at the bright, bold age of 84, not lamenting my fate, but being very grateful for the hand that I’ve been dealt." - John Acampora, owner of Flat Breads on Comm Ave | READ MORE in Boston College Magazine: https://on.bc.edu/JohnAcampora

“I just think when you’re trying to rally young women or coach young women, they have to believe you. If you’re anything other than yourself, they’re not going to believe you. So if I cry, if I yell, if I’m pissed, if I’m distracted, if I’m disorganized—whatever it is, take it or leave it, it’s me. I’d rather them believe me than to pretend that I’m some perfectly organized person or someone who can keep it all together when I’m pissed or emotional.” - Acacia Walker-Weinstein, Boston College Women's Lacrosse Head Coach | READ MORE in Boston College Magazine: https://on.bc.edu/BuildingAChampion Photo Credit: Kelly Coughlan

"Certainly climate change and racial justice are key moral issues to which our students are especially sensitive. I think the unique way the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry can help its students address these issues as leaders and ministers is to help them ground their questions and commitments in a deep theological tradition. Many institutions give their students scientific or sociological tools to address contemporary issues. The STM helps its students relate the issues to theology, a spiritual life, a search for God. The world needs people to make those connections, and our students will be able to do just that!" - Michael McCarthy, S.J., Dean of BC STM | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/MMcCarthy

"I have a long list of women I’d love to write about. These women, some of them aren’t intentionally setting out to make great change or go up against the system. They’re just trying to pursue their passions. They’re just trying to fulfill the destinies they’re designed for." - Heather Terrell ’90, author of historical fiction who writes under the pen name Marie Benedict | READ MORE in Boston College Magazine: https://on.bc.edu/HeatherTerrell

“Growing up, Boston College was my dream school. I watched BC sports every Saturday with my dad, who’s a Boston College Law School alum. When I first found out about Woods, I wondered if I was cut out for it, because I had gone through a lot and left another school. But everyone at Woods, from the admissions counselors to my advisors, professors, and classmates, made me feel like I had my own valuable story to tell.” - Cate Hartnett, a transfer student studying psychology at the Boston College - Woods College of Advancing Studies | READ MORE about Woods transfer students & programs: https://on.bc.edu/FinishingStrong