Our Mission

BBSN serves to create and maintain an open line of communication among college and universities in and around Boston so to best utilize the knowledge, talent, and resources of the Black community. In adopting this mission, we aim to uplift the Black student community and help its progression towards a positive future.

Our History

In 2003, six college students from four different universities sought to revive what had once been known as the Boston Black Student Network. Although the network had been in existence since 1996, its original purpose was to remain a venue for communication among the leaders of the black organizations of differing campuses. However, frequent changeover in black student leadership and intermittent communication between undergraduate groups hampered its growth and expansion. The network was not functional, and therefore, could not satisfy its mission – to create and maintain an open line of communication among the colleges and universities in and around Boston in order to best utilize the knowledge, talent, and resources of the black community. Taking this failure to heart, the six undergraduates decided it was time to reach beyond the student leadership ring and bring the network to the students at large.

In order to spread word of the network to the masses, they established a brand new event, The HollaDaY, to kick off the new school year. Not only did the event strive to bring all black students together, but it also let them know about the existence and advantage of participating in the network. As The HollaDaY introduced new and returning black students to BBSN, it also served as a networking initiative – encouraging healthy communication between the Black communities of the various colleges/universities present. Additionally, since most Black college students are new to the Boston area, it provided them with an opportunity to discover resources that cater to the Black community – namely various businesses, newspapers, community organizations, and restaurants – in their new home.

Beyond the advantages of student networking, BBSN has been able to attract sponsors that believe in supporting a stronger Black student community. In terms of our keynote speakers, the HollaDaY has been supported by talented rapper Talib Kweli, former National Society of Black Engineers National Director Carl Mack, as well as other accomplished academic and community leaders. Our community sponsors include organizations such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, in addition to all nine of the established Black Greek-letter organizations. Our corporate sponsors include organizations such as Monster.com, Boston Public Schools, Pepsi, and Black Enterprise. The support from these sponsors not only speaks to the validity of our mission, but also continues to encourage the growth that the network needs to remain successful.

The HollaDaY, now considered BBSN’s signature event, started off relatively small, with only 150 students attending in its first year and an even smaller number actively signing up to be a part of the network. However, through word of mouth and increased publicity, BBSN has caused the event to grow not only with the amount of students that attend, but also in the number of sponsors it attracts. Now five years after its revivification, the HollaDay has an attendance of over 500 students each year, and the network itself boasts involvement of over 1300 students as catalogued by our Facebook group.

Although the HollaDaY is the largest event the network hosts all year, the work the network believes in extends well beyond that. Since the network has never been an independent organization, it has had to work with various student and professional groups to host events throughout the year that would further the name and purpose of BBSN. One aspect of these partnerships is the joint ventures to participate in events that benefit the Black student community. In addition to these collaborative efforts, we act as source for information and a mode of communication for students across university borders.

Due to the organization’s growth and desire to become an independent entity, the Boston Black Student Network made the decision in May 2007 to branch away from the student groups who’ve supported its financial resources and become its own nonprofit organization. As an independent nonprofit organization, the future is bright for the Boston Black Student Network. The organization is planning more events, which include another large event in the spring and more informational workshops and panels. Further in the future, BBSN also desires to center the Black campus community on collaborative public service. This service project would not only enhance BBSN’s mission to unite Black students, but it would also benefit the greater Boston community.

In short, the Boston Black Student Network is looking to start a new student-oriented movement, so to speak, which will fuel and augment the interconnectedness and progress of our newly adopted communities.

We look forward to having you join us in this mission.

Sincerely,

The Executive Committee & the Board of Directors
Boston Black Student Network, Inc.