During the revolutionary times of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the atmosphere on many campuses across the nation began to shift. Students of color began to take control and confront the racial divide that existed so heavily. Women and men took great heed to combat and politically change the issues for future generations. The Black women of Simmons College decided to take charge and make a dynamic change on their campus, as well. Nineteen sixty-seven was the year that these women would create a change on their campus. These dynamic women created The Black Student Organization (BSO) — an organization constructed to uplift, empower, and educate within the Black community. Today, BSO continues this legacy.
Presently, BSO’s mission is to redefine sisterhood for its black females on campus while channeling its efforts to the outside community. With great strife, resilience, knowledge, and above all, leadership, the ladies of the Black Student Organization will provide change, retention and reclamation for its community.
With their mission, they created last year’s Black HERstory Month 20TEN: Deriving wisdom from the past, Discovering leadership in the present, Defining paths for the future, about women who have jumpstarted their path towards success with that unique and innate Simmons passion that exists in each and every one of us. Through innovation and vision, we redefined ourselves and provided a showcase of events that would impact and further educate not only the Black community, but also the entire Simmons College community through politics, history, medicine, psychology, poetry, festivity, spirituality, and of course, sisterhood.
Mary McLeod Bethune has said, “The true worth of a race must be measure by the character of its womanhood”. With that in mind, the Black Student Organization will continue to thrive in uplifting, empowering, and educating her sisters (and brothers).
(Pictured: A few BSO member’s at the cake cutting of Black History Month)