About

Our history

BSC was founded in 1994 by the Yale Black Student Alliance (BSAY) Board. It was inspired by Douglas Turner Ward's play Day of Absence, which was put on in the 60s. The play explored the social, political & economic consequences that would ensue if all Black people disappeared for a day. The play inspired the concept of creating an event that would bring Black college students together to discuss community, political action, and their experiences. Over the years, the number of students attending increased tremendously, leading the 2008 BSAY board to split their constitution and created a new organization, BSC.

What we do

The Black Solidarity Conference at Yale is a completely student-run annual conference usually held the first weekend of February to kick off Black History Month. BSC is the largest undergraduate conference held at Yale University and it continues to grow each year! BSC typically invites over 500 undergraduates of various races, religions, ethnicities, and communities to discuss issues pertaining to the African Diaspora. Through discussions, panels, networking, and social gatherings, students from across the country analyze issues affecting the Black/Afro-Diasporic community and explore solutions that can be implemented on their own college campuses. 

BSC is the only organization on Yale’s campus who has consistently organized an event of this magnitude solely for and by Black students. The event has been a recurring, vital part of the Black community at Yale for almost 30 years. 

Keynote and Concert

Each year we have a keynote address from prominent thinkers, poets, activists, and scholars. In the past, the Conference has hosted Drs. Michael Eric Dyson, Angela Davis, Nikki Giovanni, and Cornel West as keynote speakers. At the most recent conference in January 2024, we hosted civil rights icon and former member of the Little Rock Nine, Minnijean Brown-Trickey. We also hold a concert to kick off the conference weekend. We've hosted Grammy award-winning artists such as J. Cole, Big Sean, Vic Mensa, and Phony Ppl as concert performers in past years. 

This year, we are honored to be welcoming Kevin Richardson, a member of the Exonerated Five and an advocate for civil justice reform, as our keynote speaker on Saturday, February 1st. Additionally, we will be having Grammy nominated rap artist Kaliii, best known for her song “Area Codes”, headline our concert on Thursday, the 25th.

Panels

Throughout the conference weekend, attendees engage in a variety of panel discussions around topics related to the theme. Every year, panel speakers come from a large diversity of backgrounds, with a variety of professions and areas of expertise. 

Our Mission

Since its inception, the conference has been dedicated to creating a space for Black students from all walks of life to come together and enjoy a weekend of educational events and bonding opportunities specifically tailored to them as Black students. Most of our attendees come from Predominantly White Educational Institutions, where there are typically small Black populations and it is easy to feel underrepresented and alone in certain experiences. Our mission is to educate, empower, and uplift these students through our programming and interactions with each other.