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Forum on Racial Justice Highlights BC Initiatives on Racism
Bboston college has announced several initiatives, including a Forum on Racial Justice in America, to address issues of race and racism in the United States.
These initiatives, described in a July 2020 letter to the BC community from University President William P. Leahy, S.J., and senior administrators, come in the wake of an ongoing national expression of anger, concern, and frustration about race-related matters in the U.S. Building on the legacy of academia as a venue for exploring compelling contemporary questions and concerns, and developing effective responses, BC—guided by its Catholic social teaching—will seek to contribute to the discussion on race and racist behavior in America, according to the announcement. The letter described the Boston College Forum on Racial Justice in America as providing a meeting place “for listening, dialogue, and greater understanding about race and racism in our country, especially ideas for dealing with current challenges and planning for a better future.” It also will serve as a catalyst for “bridging differences regarding race in America, promoting reconciliation, and encouraging fresh perspectives.” BC Law School Dean Vincent D. Rougeau is the forum inaugural director. Among other activities, the forum will sponsor speakers, panels, and seminars about key issues regarding race and needed changes in attitudes and structures, encourage scholarly exploration of conditions that result in racism and racist behavior, and suggest responses and solutions. Other BC initiatives will be built around faith and formation. In addition, intercollegiate athletes at BC will also “reach out in new ways to youth in metropolitan Boston to build bonds and provide mentorship through sports and academics.”
Boston College’s recently announced integration with Pine Manor College—and related establishment of the Pine Manor Institute for Student Success—as a means to recruit and graduate underrepresented, first-generation students was cited as another facet of the University’s response to race-related issues. The institute will work closely with existing academic outreach programs at BC in furthering Pine Manor College’s success in helping students facing major challenges in their pursuit of higher education obtain college degrees, the letter said, noting that BC has designated $50 million of its endowment to support the institute’s activities, and intends to seek additional funds from various sources.
The University sees itself as contributing to the evolving national agenda on race and racism through its
long-standing commitment to helping students engage central issues and ideas, develop skills in analysis and critical thinking, and according to the statement, “become more whole, more human, and more free from ignorance and prejudice. These commitments urge Boston College to work for racial justice and to create opportunities across the curriculum for students and faculty to engage in the scholarly exploration of race through a range of disciplinary perspectives.”
The letter also referenced existing University policies and resources that have aided underrepresented and underserved students, such as BC’s policy on need-blind admission and meeting the full-demonstrated need of all accepted undergraduates, as well as the Thea Bowman AHANA Intercultural Center, Options through Education, Learning to Learn, and the Montserrat Coalition, which have helped numerous students thrive academically and personally, as evidenced by the 96 percent graduation rate for the most recent cohort of Pell-eligible students [assisted by federal financial aid funds]. In addition, BC has joined QuestBridge, a highly respected program involving 42 of the nation’s best colleges and universities that helps talented and high-financial-need students apply and gain admission to its partner schools.
Asking the University community for “advice and support” in regard to the Forum on Racial Justice in America and related initiatives, the letter concluded: “Working together we can accomplish great things, and help Boston College, our nation, and the world be more just and more at peace.” ■
Boston College Office of University Communications | July 2020
For updates and events on Boston College’s Forum on Racial Justice in America visit: bc.edu/forum-on-racial-justice
editor ’ s note: Under the leadership of its inaugural director, BC Law School Dean Vincent Rougeau, the forum collaborated with other campus groups and organizations to organize a number of online events during the 2020–21 academic year, beginning with an interfaith Service of Hope and Reconciliation led by Dean Rougeau and Fr. Leahy. Further programming included a panel discussion featuring prominent Black faculty at BC discussing formation and racial justice in higher education, a series of presentations on environmental racism produced in collaboration with BC’s new Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, and election-related conversations on Racial Justice and Democratic Citizenship. Organizers were pleased with the high level of interest and participation from the BC community; events featured input and engagement from audience members, including Boston College students, faculty, and staff. The forum website offers further information on its activities as well as a video archive of past events. With Dean Rougeau leaving Boston College this summer to become the new president of the College of the Holy Cross, a search is underway to choose new leadership for the forum to continue its mission.
