On Tuesday, October 5, Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) Compelling Conversations Speaker Series welcomed resident artist Larry Spotted Crow Mann for an open dialogue about the state of Indigenous communities across the United States. Sponsored by the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in collaboration with the Mary L. Fifield Art Gallery’s BHCC Distinguished Artist Scholar in Residency Program, Mann will lead BHCC through virtual professional development workshops about Native American history, culture, and storytelling during the 2021-2022 academic year.

The 2021-2022 Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) “Compelling Conversation Speaker Series” sponsored and presented by the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion kicked off on September 23 as a part of Hispanic Heritage Month in collaboration with the BHCC One Book Program. The first speaker in the series was José Olivarez, the author of the 2021-2022 BHCC One Book Program selection, Citizen Illegal. José Olivarez read aloud several poems from Citizen Illegal and generously shared a couple of his new poems with the 100 bustling and engaging audience at the event. As one of the audiences said so aptly in the chat, it was “Incredible how much life you have given the words we read already just by reading them out loud.” During the poetry reading, the audience exchanged their reactions to topics of the poems, such as “VapoRub” or “tortillas,” in the chat in such a lively way. After his 40-minute poetry reading, facilitated by Professor Carlos Maynard, Olivarez and students made the virtual space deeply communal. For the remaining 50 minutes, students flooded the space with a nonstop stream of questions for Olivarez: “raised hands” of different colors constantly popped up on the Zoom black screen, and the chatbox brimmed with questions from the audience.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced the appointments of 29 members to serve on the Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship, and provide advice and recommendations on issues related to Registered Apprenticeship. The advisory committee will also promote greater awareness of the benefits of apprenticeship, foster increased alignment between apprenticeship opportunities and workforce and education systems, expand apprenticeship into new industries and occupations, and ensure equity for under-represented populations.

Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) President Pam Eddinger joined the Commonwealth’s 14 other community college presidents in announcing that students, faculty, and staff at the Commonwealth’s 15 community colleges must be fully vaccinated by January 2022.

Bunker Hill Community College | Office of the President

Dear Members of the BHCC Community,

Tomorrow, September 11, 2021, marks the 20th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on our country.  As a nation, this extraordinary act of violence will always be a significant tragedy in our history.  For those of you who lost family members, friends, and co-workers, 9/11 also marks a consequential loss in your life in a profound way.  They are not forgotten.

Bunker Hill Community College | Office of the President

The Associated Press from Port-Au-Prince reported early Wednesday morning that Haitian President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his home. First Lady Martine was wounded in the attack as well. Claude Joseph, the interim prime minister, is in temporary control of the government. The U.S. Embassy in Haiti is restricting U.S. Staff to its compound, and the embassy is closed Wednesday.

The Mary Christie Institute has hosted a series of interviews with leaders from higher education and healthcare on the emotional and behavioral health of teens and young adults.

Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) student Julia Soriano was honored as a Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, a Boston-based nonprofit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education.

Bunker Hill Community College | Office of the President

Late today, the Jury returned a guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd, bringing justice to the light of day after so much pain and turmoil. As we continue to mourn the loss of George Floyd, and are consoled by the triumph of justice today, we also acknowledge his important place in history. Mr. Floyd’s death served to reignite the civil rights movement of our age, and added to urgency to our search for justice and for healing.

Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) English Professor Caroline Kautsire was featured as a notable author for Women’s History Month on CBS Boston and WCVB Chronicle. During the interview with WCVB Chronicle, Professor Kautsire talked about her journey as an author in America and Malawi and her book, What Kind of Girl? An African Child Caught Between Worlds.

Bunker Hill Community College | Office of the President

The shooting in Atlanta yesterday that resulted in the death of six Asians, and the rise in attacks on the AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Community across the nation have left many of us feeling outraged, disheartened, and fearful.  In mainstream press and social media, we hear reports of targeted acts of verbal and physical violence.  From our own students, we hear about experiences of aggression on and off-campus that have made them feel unsafe. With the recent attacks on elders in the Asian communities, in which respect for family and older generations is especially important, the physical and psychological insult is severely felt.

Plough Quarterly announced the first annual Rhina P. Espaillat Poetry Award in honor of the achievements of the Dominican-American poet and Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) Distinguished Artist and Scholar in Residence. Plough Quarterly is an award-winning international magazine of faith, culture, and society.

Bunker Hill Community College | Office of the President

Dear BHCC Community,

Our nation observes Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 18 in the aftermath of an insurrection in the Capitol that threatens our democracy. The presence of white extremists and their violent acts make it clear that the movement led by Dr. King to find equality and opportunity for all is far from complete. On this commemorative day, in the spirit of Dr. King’s work, I invite all of us to reflect on our own efforts in lifting up our Black communities and our communities of color, in recognizing the cultural wealth that our students and employees bring to our institution, and in envisioning a world where Dr. King’s vision of social and economic equity can come about.

Bunker Hill Community College | Office of the President

Dear BHCC Community,

On Wednesday, our nation experienced an unimaginable insurrection during the final, and normally ceremonial, phase of our presidential election. The incursion into the Capitol Building and the disruption of the certification of electoral votes was a direct challenge to our democracy. It breached the peaceful transition of power, a hallmark of our republic and a beacon of hope for so many around the world aspiring to democracy.

Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) was awarded $250,000 from the City of Somerville’s Job Creation and Retention Trust Board. The grant project, entitled SELL –Somerville English Language Learners – is shared with employer partner East Somerville Main Streets (ESMS), the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS), and The Welcome Project (TWP). The funds will provide no-cost English as a Second Language classes and customer service training to low-income Somerville residents through June 2021. To learn more, visit https://www.bhcc.edu/somerville-esol/

Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) Learn and Earn Internship Coordinator Katie Colello accepted the Strong Women in Action (SWIA) Spotlight Award on behalf of the College’s Learn and Earn program and the BHCC Foundation at the SWIA Annual Gala, held virtually on November 13, 2020. SWIA is dedicated to building a strong and effective network of partners and aims to empower families and break the cycle of family poverty in Massachusetts by promoting pathways to economic independence.

As part of a Veterans Day series on supporting veterans, the American Council on Education (ACE) recognized the work of the Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) Veterans Center in ensuring a smooth transition to college for student-veterans, active duty military, Guard/Reservists, and their eligible dependents. Over the past decade, BHCC’s Veterans Center has supported nearly 5,000 student-veterans in achieving their education goals, with nearly half transferring to four-year institutions.

Bunker Hill Community College | Office of the President

Dear Members of the College Community,

As I write you this morning, yesterday’s Presidential Election shows Biden-Harris at 238 electoral votes, Trump-Pence at 213, with a small number of states still tabulating. We do not currently have a definitive winner of the contest.  The final accounting and possible legal challenges might extend this uncertainty for a week or more.