Corcoran Commons

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• 12 April 2012 – For all of the participants in last Tuesday’s rally to raise awareness for Martin’s case, justice was the end goal. United Front, a coalition of various Boston College clubs and organizations that represent the African American community at BC, organized a rally … in front of Corcoran Commons to raise awareness for the need for justice for Trayvon Martin, who was fatally shot on Feb. 26. The shooter, George Zimmerman, claimed that he fired in self-defense because the hoodie-wearing Martin looked suspicious. … Participants in the rally wore hoodies and held signs bearing slogans such as “Do I look suspicious?” and “It’s not just black and white–we want to end the injustice!” (Samantha Costanzo, "Students rally for Trayvon Martin," The Heights /  Photo by Natalie Blardony)

• 23 October 2017 – Members of the Boston College community marched to protest multiple racist incidents that occurred last weekend in a demonstration Friday called “Silence is Still Violence.” Starting at 12pm, BC students and faculty marched from McElroy Commons to Corcoran Commons, displaying signs and chanting “Black Lives Matter.” Over 1,200 people marked that they would attend on Facebook, though attendance seemed closer to 2,000 or more. Two and half hours before the march began, two signs with a large image of Uncle Sam and text reading ‘I want you to love who you are/don’t apologize for being white’ were hanging on the campus map stand between Stokes Hall and Carney Hall. The top right-hand corner of the sign included a logo for American Renaissance, a monthly online magazine committed to promoting white supremacy, according to … The Washington Post. BC responded to the sign in two Facebook posts, posting in one that ‘It appears an outside group, well known for such tactics, posted offensive materials to provoke controversy. We stand united in opposition to their actions and denounce all forms of hatred.’ … One of the chants from students called on the fact that University President Rev, William P. Leahy, S.J., has not made a public statement on the issue. … Akosua Achampong, UGBC president and MCAS TB, laid out several demands students are making of the administration, including increasing the presence of faculty of color and LGBTQ+ faculty. (Cole Dady, "Not a Movement, but A Moment," The Heights / Photos by Julia Hopkins)