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Boston College Black Family Weekend Speech: Blackness Without Boundaries

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Black Excellence on Full Display at Boston College Video Of Speech Good afternoon. It is great to be back. I attended my first Black Family Weekend as a high school senior in 2002. The people that I met that weekend, many of them becoming my closest friends, solidified my decision to attend Boston College. In the past fifteen years I have only missed one Black Family Weekend because of what the weekend symbolizes. The 2002 version of me would have never imagined that I’d be speaking here today. Dr. Donald Brown, is a Boston College legend. He spoke and continues to speak truth to power, and has always urged the Boston College community, to do the same. I received a message from him on Friday sending his warmest wishes to everyone. I am humbled to be speaking at an event bearing his name and hope to honor his legacy today. The theme of this weekend is blackness without boundaries. My intent is to focus on that theme and how it has been important in my life and spend some time...
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My Remarks to The Boston College Caribbean Culture Club

Good evening. It is an honor to be here with you all tonight. I remember listening to Boston College alum Steve Pemberton speak during Black Family Weekend’s Black Excellence Gala. In his speech he described how Boston College became his home while he was a student. I know exactly what he meant. From the first day I stepped onto campus as a high school junior in 2001 I instantly felt a connection. During my four years here I made it my home.   With that said I want to thank you all for inviting me back home tonight. I don’t know how it is in your homes, but in mine things are said that make you laugh, make you cry, make you think and challenge your beliefs. I hope that my homecoming will accomplish that as well. If my name looks familiar to many of you that’s because I am the alum who wrote in to The Heights a few weeks ago. One of the students on campus had deep reservations about the way that The Heights covered Ta-Nehisi Coates on campus talk. I have been a fan of Coates wr...
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My Remarks at Regis High School's Diversity Day 4/30/15

Good morning Regis High School. As Mr. Garcia mentioned my name is Akim St.Omer. It is my deep honor to be with you on this special morning. I am a graduate of the best Jesuit college in America, Boston College, a place where the ideals of Jesuit education helped fundamentally shape the person that I am today. As a result, it always feels like I am coming back home when I enter a Jesuit institution. With that, I thank you all for welcoming me into your home this morning. Before I begin, I want to extend sincere thanks to two members of the Regis staff. Mr. Garcia, thank you for having me here this morning. When we began exchanging emails back in January and I recommended American Promise to you, I never expected that just a few short months later I'd be here discussing issues around this movie to the entire school. Your work and continued focus on equality, especially in education, will no doubt leave its mark on the world in general, and Regis in particular. I am confident th...
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