Black History Lives in Our Students
February is Black History Month, and while Black History should be acknowledged every day, February is a great starting point to show our support.
Did you know that 58% of the Albertus Magnus student body identify as BIPOC, and 28% of them are Black or African American? Albertus Magnus has a long history of inclusivity and diversity. Since the college first opened its doors in 1924, the mission statement has always been open to students of any and all backgrounds.
Students of color had attended Albertus Magnus in the past, but the first-ever black student to graduate was Janet Rose B. Gibson. She graduated from Albertus Magnus College in 1955 with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Business and Economics. After graduating, Janet held several titles, including social worker, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Director of Relocation for the City of Cambridge, and secretary for Camp Pendleton’s nursery school.
In 1985, Albertus Magnus became co-educational in all of its offered programs. Before then, men were not able to attend the college. The college’s new co-ed status led to Duwane Means becoming the first black man to graduate in 1991 with a degree in Business and Economics.
In its 100-year history, Albertus has had a few student organizations that were founded to support Black and minority students. In 1989, four years after the college became co-ed, the Minority Student Union was created. The club was not officially recognized by the Student Government Association until 1990– and was among the first clubs created to support Albertus Magnus’s ethnic population. Although the club no longer exists, it left an impact on Albertus’s minority population.
The MSU predates the Black Student Union (BSU) by 37 years. In 2022, Kiyomi Bowen ‘23 founded the BSU to provide support and unity for our Black students. The Student Government Association and Campus Activities Board have also celebrated Black History Month in the past, with their first-ever major event in February 2025 to honor Black excellence with trivia, cultural food, and important motifs from African American and Black history. At Albertus, we celebrate every opportunity to bring together friends and allies–and to appreciate Black culture.
Contributed by: Naisha Jackson