A plane carrying a banner that read “Eradicate #BostonCollegeRacism” flew over the crowd for about 30 minutes at Monday’s Commencement ceremony in Alumni Stadium. This display—carried out during the reading of names for graduates of the Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences—was planned and paid for by an anonymous supporter of the group Eradicate Boston College Racism, an organization which includes students and members of the faculty. The group aims to raise awareness of prejudice at Boston College and create solutions about racism on campus.
No one centrally involved in the organization paid for or planned the plane, though members of the group were aware it might be happening. The group is excited about the potential visibility for their movement, according to Chad Olle, GSLOE ’17.
@ShaunatBC Here are some more, @BCRacism #BostonCollegeRacism pic.twitter.com/vIq3a24O5S
— Shaun G (@ShaunatBC) May 18, 2015
At the end of April, three students affiliated with Eradicate Boston College Racism posted infographics around campus detailing the racial disparities at Boston College. The group has been meeting with several administrators, and plans to meet with Thomas Mogan, dean of students, later this week. They are also working on a video and another infographic. As of now, the group has not yet received any pushback from the administration, but Olle anticipates that it could happen. “Since posting the infographic, we have been mostly trying to disseminate information that we’ve been able to acquire about Boston College’s culture, particularly for people of color,” Olle said. “We’ve also been trying to track down information that we know exists but seems to be hard to get, like a climate survey conducted in 2013, which The Heights reported revealed that Black students are the most dissatisfied with BC’s climate.” Reactions online to the Commencement display were mixed, with many in the crowd taking to Twitter to comment on the banner.
How much money did the #bostoncollegeracism plane cost to rent? — Brandon Marchand (@BrandonMarchand) May 18, 2015
Sat in the crowd listening to white people say, “oh, jeez” with a sigh about the flyover to eradicate #bostoncollegeracism.
— J. Ian Johnson (@johnsonjamesian) May 18, 2015
I have a few pictures from the Eradicate #BostonCollegeRacism banner flying in the sky. Anyone else? pic.twitter.com/vEerjl6tN0
— Shaun G (@ShaunatBC) May 18, 2015
On this graduation day, I’m proud of BC’s engaging in conversation about Eradicating #bostoncollegeracism #BostonCollege #WeareBC — Julie Woulfe (@Juliemarietony) May 18, 2015
Correction: May 19, 2015,
An earlier version of this article said that centrally-involved members of the group did not know about the plane. The article has been changed to say that centrally-involved members of the group did not pay for or plan the plane, but were aware the action might be taking place.
Featured Image by John Wiley / Heights Editor
