“When I was younger, when I thought about Black History Month I thought about the tougher topics related to Black history—like slavery and Jim Crow—and that’s very hard to hold. Now, I think of it as a celebration of just how much we’ve gone through, our resilience, and how much we continue to thrive. I love having a month to focus on Black literature, Black music, and Black culture. Sometimes those things get pushed to the background, and this is the time to bring them back into the conversation so they can be celebrated and appreciated.” - E'Sachi Smalls ’23 Portrait by Yating Wang '24

"Black History Month is an extremely important month for the African American community. It gives us an opportunity to recognize those that have come before us, and acknowledge that their struggles weren’t done in vain. It also gives praise to the wonderful achievements they contributed along the way. It allows us to see the growth in our own community over time, but also reflect and see how much more we can continue to grow in our society. From Dr. King to Rosa Park to Jackie Robinson and so many others, I just want to say thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve the great things I have so far in my life." - Justin Dunn, former Boston College Baseball pitcher in the Class of 2017 and current member of the Seattle Mariners

"There's something very special for a young playwright, seeing their work in performance. You never really know what you have until the play meets an audience. It's a unique experience. “It takes a long time to develop new work for the stage. These plays were all begun more than a year ago in my playwriting class, revised over the summer, polished in time for auditions, and then tweaked in time for the start of rehearsals. The playwrights have been terrific in their commitment to the perpetual improvement of the scripts." - Scott Cummings, Boston College Theatre Department Professor who is directing “New Voices 2022," which showcases original students' works | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/3s0kSdH

"Black History Month is an acknowledgment of what it means to be Black through triumph, trauma, and everything in between. To not only be acknowledged but respected and supported through action, consistent and intentional actions that call for equality, equity, and justice for everyone. These actions are rooted in the power of choice, vulnerability, authenticity, sacrifice, and love that not only exists now but has existed before our time and shall continue to prevail for generations to come. Black History Month is not just a celebration for a month but a truth that overcomes all negativity, hatred, and injustice that will certainly die out with time, patience, resilience, and once again, action." - Idris Council '22

"For me, Black History Month is about Black joy, it’s about family and community, and it’s about courage and love. It’s an opportunity for reflection—a moment for us collectively to look back on the work that our ancestors and elders have done, as well as the work that we continue to do today. Black history has always been a year-round staple in my house, and yet given the state of our world right now—the COVID-19 pandemic, the racial unrest from the unjust police killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor—this month is a powerful reminder of why it’s so important to stay and be in community with one another." - Samuel Bradley, assistant professor of the practice and director of the Equity Innovation Lab at the Boston College School of Social Work

"The legacy of my ancestors' experiences was poured into my spirit on my first breath. They breathed into me their Gullah Geechee African ways of knowing and healing. They watered me with their tears so that I might know droplets of suffering, so that I would thirst for justice and work for peace and be of service to the village." - Dr. Valerie D. Lewis-Mosley '79, co-founder of the AHANA acronym, on what Black History Month means to her

"Every single person attending COP26 had a good reason to be there. Lawmakers, scientists, media representatives, company CEOs, bankers, and many other kinds of experts attended the Glasgow climate meeting in staggering numbers. While it was an honor to attend a meeting filled with such accomplished individuals, when I initially arrived, I experienced a lot of doubt in myself and my credentials. Through conversations with different individuals, I soon realized that this self-doubt stemmed from my young age in comparison to the other attendees. I learned how important it is to be a representative of younger voices at UN climate forums. Most importantly, I left Glasgow with a feeling of reassurance in my capability to advocate for environmental justice and representation in the climate crisis. The experience has further inspired me to engage in climate change policy and law." - Julia Horchos '23, member of the Boston College delegation to COP26 | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/LessonsCOP26

“We were a group of almost 30 who left Herat just a day before the city fell to the Taliban. When Kabul also fell, we joined a huge crowd trying to get close to the gates of the Kabul airport. We entered on Aug. 23, 2021, and were evacuated to Abu Dhabi. These days, when my Afghan colleagues and friends text me about the situation [back home] I feel numb. But what I’m certain about is that hardship has made us stronger and more resilient to our environment. We will rise again and prosper and do our part to make this world a better place.” - Farhad Sharifi, a Refugee Program Advisor in the Boston College School of Social Work | Read more about his journey to the Heights: https://on.bc.edu/FarhadSharifi

"It's human nature to compare ourselves to others, picking out things we want to change or replace, but how beautiful would it be if we each embraced our unique qualities and used them to impact our world? When I first began writing 'Unglamored,' I wanted to practice vulnerability and give readers an opportunity to reflect on their own mental well-being. Writing about eating disorders was challenging, but I hope to empower people to seek healing and recovery, whatever that may look like for them. There are always areas where we may feel insecure, but I believe we are capable of changing the narrative we have about ourselves. After all, if we're so busy changing our bodies, how can we change the world?" - Jessie Cheng '23, author of YA novel 'Unglamored' | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/TurningthePage

"When I got to Boston College, I knew I had a passion for teaching. I had been involved in multiple peer tutoring programs in high school and always wanted to make sure others experienced the same love for learning that I did. My desire to teach felt more and more natural as I realized that teaching, stage managing, and being an APPA and Orientation Leader - while valuable in their uniqueness - are all really reincarnations of the same passion of mine: a passion for others. When it came to deciding what to major in, I realized that this calling to center and serve others meant that I needed to study something that spoke to teaching as a social justice-oriented profession. The Transformative Educational Studies major has allowed me to discover ways I can weave equity into my work as a teacher and beyond in hopes of helping make our education system live up to the promise it currently falls short of as a tool of equal opportunity." - Kelly Ward '23, a Boston College Lynch School of Education and Human Development student

"It’s an incredible honor for any institution to be selected to commission the U.S. exhibition at the La Biennale di Venezia. Simone Leigh is the first Black woman to represent the U.S., and the The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston is deeply proud to be a part of this history-making exhibition, as am I. It’s like lightning striking: Leigh is the moment; the ICA recognized that moment and submitted a winning proposal. It’s history being made. I am overseeing every aspect of the project including exhibition design, build-out of the gallery spaces, shipping of artwork, installation, event planning, marketing efforts including website design, and fundraising support...I’m grateful for both the problem-solving and presentation skills I learned at Boston College because I rely on them every day. With high-profile international art projects, the stakes are very high because the paintings are often valued in the millions of dollars, and you can count on almost everything going not according to plan. You have to be able to identify a path forward and pitch it convincingly. My M.B.A. gave me the confidence to run the scenarios and negotiate my position." - Kate Herlihy MBA '13, the ICA’s project manager for the Venice Biennale Commission | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/TheBusinessofArt

“I’ve never looked at our facilities as buildings; I’ve looked at them as tools to provide a service to an extended family. You get a better sense of what your role is and what your goals are when you recognize that you’re not just replacing a light, or fixing a hole in the wall, or replacing an old carpet—you’re making someone’s experience at BC better. I’ve been working here for 36 years—when I first got here we had shoeboxes to hold the keys—and I’m getting tired, but I’ve never been bored. I’ve got a lot of really positive memories.” - Al Travaglini ’73, Director of Support Services & University Properties who is retiring this month | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/AlTravaglini