Celebrating Black History Month at Saint Mary’s

As the monthlong celebration kicks off, let us introduce some Gaels—students, scholars, and difference-makers—who have offered vital contributions to the Saint Mary’s story.

by Office of Marketing and Communications Staff | February 1, 2025

February is always bustling at Saint Mary’s, as students return from January Term and embark on a brand-new semester. It is also a season of reflection, commemoration, and celebration, as the SMC community joins institutions throughout the United States and Canada in honoring Black History Month.

For Saint Mary’s, the nationwide celebration—from February 1 to February 28—offers the opportunity to honor the critical role Black Americans and people of African descent play locally, nationally, and globally. It is a time to recognize history and scholarship, culture and excellence. Since 2017, Saint Mary’s has recognized all that and more with its signature celebration, 44 Days. 

This year, the theme of Black History Month is “African Americans and Labor,” notes Dr. Terri Jett, Associate Vice President and Senior Diversity Officer. “The story of African Americans and labor is a testament to resilience, strength, and the unyielding pursuit of justice,” Jett says. “From the fields to the factories, from the unions to the classroom, Black workers have formed the backbone of this nation—fighting not only for their own rights but for the dignity of all labor. We’re proud to honor their contributions, sacrifices, and the continued struggle for equity in the workplace and beyond.”

To take part in all upcoming Black History Month and 44 Days happenings on campus, be sure to follow the  Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI), Intercultural Center and the Black Student Union on social media. And check the ODEI’s calendar—as well as Saint Mary’s Events Calendar—for the latest updates.

To kick off Black History Month, too, we’d like to introduce you to some members of the Gael family—students, scholars, and difference-makers—who have offered vital contributions to the Saint Mary’s story.

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Mary Ellen Pleasant portrait

Gael at Heart: California's First Black Millionaire Helped Get Saint Mary’s Off the Ground

Widely considered the mother of California’s civil rights movement, Mary Ellen Pleasant likely never stepped foot on the Saint Mary’s campus. But her influence on the Gael community is no less profound: She was one of the College’s early donors.

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HP 5oth with two phtos side by side

Student Action Helped Bring the High Potential Program into Being. Fifty Years Later, Student Scholars Are Preserving Its History.

How a program born of protest came to represent “the best of our students”—Gaels past and present tell the story. Among them: Tom Brown, the Assistant Dean of Students who established the groundbreaking program in 1973. As for all it has blossomed into, Brown says, “I could never have imagined.”

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Bedford Palmer and the cover of his book, 'Black Joy'

Social Justice Through Storytelling

In Black Joy, Counseling department chair Bedford Palmer II carries forward a healthy conversation about race—building upon impactful work that reaches across boundaries.

 

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Holly Joshi in front of mural that says STOP YOUTH VIOLENCE IN OAKLAND

Meritorious Service Award in 2024: Holly Joshi MA ’16, EdD ’22

Holly Joshi MA ’16, EdD ’22 has enacted deep and expanding service to the Bay Area, particularly in the areas of criminal justice and building equity. Last year, Saint Mary’s awarded her and her husband, Alameda Police Chief Nishant Joshi MA ’16, a Meritorious Service Award.

 

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Group shot of 4 our of 5 Basketball Walkout athletes, 50 years later

From the Archives: Honoring the 50th Anniversary of the SMC Basketball Walkout

More than five decades ago, five African American athletes—Herman Brown ’75, his brother Roy Brown ’72, Nate Carroll ’75, Maurice Harper ’75, and Alonzo Strange ’72—took a stand. They changed the College for the better. 

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Talia Moore, EdD teaching a class

Kalmanovitz School of Education Launches Forensic Psychology Department

One of the few in the Bay Area, the new department offers Saint Mary’s students a range of options, including a Master’s in Forensic Psychology program directed by Talia Moore, EdD.

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Father Kwame Assenyoh and a student at the February 2024 Meet and Greet

In Their Own Words: Father Kwame Assenyoh on ‘Restoring Humanity's Inherent Diversity’—in Ghana, Louisiana, and Here and Now

Originally from Ghana, his first experience as a pastor was overseeing Black Catholic parishes in the American South. Now he’s the new Chaplain at SMC, encouraging students to embrace the Lasallian principle of “respect for all persons.”

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Vicki Martin-Smith portrait

Fifty Years of High Potential: Vicki Martin-Smith ’83 on the Power of Community

The HP Program helped Martin-Smith gain greater confidence as a student, businesswoman, and individual. She tried to impart its lessons to her own children, she says: “Don't believe you have to do everything on your own.”

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Michael Ohioze at 2021 Olympics

Olympians over the Decades: the Gaels Who Have Competed in the World’s Foremost Sports Competition

As we rooted on Gaels at the Paris Olympics this year, we looked back at nearly a century of Gael Olympians, including Michael Ohioze MA ’20. In 2021, Ohioze clinched one of five spots on Great Britain’s 4x400 Olympic relay team.

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Jordan Ross and Mikey Lewis at Acrisure Classic 2024

Gaels Men’s Basketball Open Acrisure Classic with 35 Point Walloping of USC

Jordan Ross ’27 was the undeniable player of this November game, leading scoring with 15 points for SMC’s first win over the Trojans. And Mikey Lewis ’28 scored eight to go along with a career-best six rebounds and three assists.

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In Their Own Words: Autumn Adeyan ’24 on the Jackie Robinson Fellowship, STEM, and Planting a Legacy

A Biology major, she volunteered in the Legacy Garden and she understood community work outside of campus. She also recognizes the importance of making sure others understand the work she’s doing.

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Brother Ernest Miller FSC speaking at GPS Commencement 2024

Brother Ernest Miller FSC, DMin, Hon. EdLD ’22 Encourages Graduates to be ‘Protagonists of Social Transformation’

As speaker at SMC’s Graduate and Professional Studies Commencement last year, Brother Miller drew comparisons between John Baptist de La Salle, Dorothy Day, and Dolores Huerta, among others, and urged graduates to transform the status quo. “Achieving what is significant is our life’s destination,” he said.