Walsh Hall

November 1996

"I shouldn't have to prove anything to anyone. I am a black student at an institution of higher learning, I don't need to be questioned as to why I belong here..."

4 November 1996 - AHANA council and UGBC co-sponsored a town hall meeting with representatives from BC and BCPD. “Anger flowed and tempers flared last Wednesday night in Walsh's eighth floor lounge as the topics of an emergency town meeting, co-sponsored by AHANA and UGBC, turned from safety issues to race relations. The meeting was called for the purpose of informing Boston College students about pertinent safety issues which needed to be addressed after the Modular break-in and the Dustbowl robbery.Immediately after the panel was introduced, “TerRance Woodard, A&S '98, was introduced as an opening speaker. He proceeded to tell his story of a discriminatory act recently inflicted upon him, when he was reported as being "suspicious" while waiting in the hallway of an academic building. When asked to show his BC identification, he refused, prompting the policemen to follow him back to his place of employment in Cushing Hall's Audio/Visual department. This story sparked a flame [that] ignited deep-rooted anger at the issue of racism on BC's campus. Because Woodard is African-American, he said he believes he was stopped in the hallway because of his race. Many students at the meeting were concerned that BC seems to react to criminal acts only when they involve nonwhites.” (Cassandra Martin, "Town Meeting Addresses Racism on Campus," The Heights; Featured Image by Rania Jawad / Heights Staff).

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