The BFSAA Community Engagement Group provides opportunities for all members of the BC campus community to learn about African descent employees’ holidays and cultural traditions, engage in open dialogue, and discuss current events. The group aims to create a supportive environment to build community while developing social, educational, and programmatic partnerships to raise awareness about employee experience on campus. All members of the Boston College community are welcome to participate in the BFSAA events and programs.
BFSAA Values
Care | Collaboration | Commitment | Community | Development | Integrity | Leadership
All members of the Boston College community are welcome to participate in BFSAA events and programs.
Meetings and Events
General Monthly Meeting
Third Wednesday of every month during the academic year. Join the listserv for exact dates and more information.
Annual Retreat
The retreat provides a space for employees to reconnect, re-energize, develop professionally, and fellowship and strategize for the upcoming year. Past retreats have included panel discussions with senior administrators, networking workshops, and presentations on the University’s strategic plan.
Details will be announced in Spring 2026
Recent Events
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Breakfast
The Community Engagement Group BFSAA warmly invites the Boston College community to the annual Unity Breakfast in Honor of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This gathering offers an opportunity to come together in reflection, community, and shared commitment to Dr. King’s enduring legacy.
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
8:30 am - 10:30 am
Heights Room at Corcoran Commons
Resources
The Aya Fern
The AYA (fern) is a symbol of Endurance and Resourcefulness. The fern is a hardy plant that can grow in difficult places. "An individual who wears this symbol suggests that [she/he] has endured many adversities and outlasted much difficulty" (Willis, The Adinkra Dictionary).
Charles Frank Smith Jr., Boston College’s first-ever tenured black professor, left his mark both on and off campus. He first arrived on the Heights as an instructor of social studies methods and the director of the Teacher Corps Program, a national organization focused on increasing early education opportunities for low-income communities. Smith went on to found and direct the University’s Urban Education Program, which continued the mission of the Teacher Corps Program. Upon retirement, Smith was named professor emeritus.
He also organized the Association of Black Faculty, Staff and Administrators in 1972. As its president, Smith was an outspoken advocate for social justice and a principled critic of racial inequality on campus.