“Blacks in Boston” was a series conceived by former Boston College Black Studies Program Director, Amanda V. Houston. Held in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2016, 2018, and 2022, these symposia defined Boston College and the Black Studies Program in the New England area. Featuring speakers prominent in the Civil Rights Movement and academia, “Blacks in Boston” built its regional, national, and international reputations through keynote speakers Ruth Batson, Melvin “Mel” King, John Hope Franklin, Mary Francis Berry, Alex Haley, Barbara Smith, and Demita Frazier. That these symposia were initiated here at Boston College, and planned by a university program and not a department, was one of their most significant accomplishments.

Previous conferences have addressed subjects such as blacks in metropolitan Boston, the struggle for equal education, the relationships between Irish and black Bostonians, the role of immigrants of African descent in the development, and evolution of Boston’s black communities, black Bostonians and the media, and black studies at Boston College.

Blacks in Boston: "Combahee River Collective: Race, Space, and Feminist Activism"

The 2026 conference focuses on the Combahee River Collective (CRC) and the CRC Statement in the contexts of Boston and activism in the Northeast and across the globe. This year's conference includes presentations by founding CRC members Demita Frazier and Barbara Smith. The Conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Registration Deadline: Friday, 27 February 2026, 5:00 pm.
Register here.

Visit the AADS website for more information about the Blacks in Boston Conference.

Cosponsors: African and African Diaspora Studies, MCAS Dean’s Office, The Institute for the Liberal Arts, Women's Center, Women's and Gender Studies Program, Psychology, History, Sociology, English, and Communication Departments