Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground

Come learn about local Black Greek chapters, meet cool people, and spend time in the beautiful Howard Thurman Center!

September 18th
6pm

*Registration 🔗 in bio

The HTC 2024 Community Receptions are coming up fast! Join us for music, snacks, student club activations, and incredible performances in a celebration of culture!

Register at the 🔗 in our bio!

Family: An Asian Community Reception
Sept. 10th
6pm to 8:30pm

Juntos: A Latinx Community Reception
Sept. 11th
6:00pm to 8:30pm

The Neighborhood: A Black Community Reception
Sept. 12th
6:00pm to 8:30pm

Insta takeover: “Hey guys, My name is Zora Browne (she/her) I’m a sophomore majoring in International Relations with a minor in French on the pre-law track. I’m 19 and from Clarksville, TN but originally from St. Wendel, Germany. Some things here at BU I’m planning to become involved in are GirlGains, Pre-Law Society, and GermanClub. It’s my second semester working at the HTC and it’s been great! Ask me anything about BU or HTC today on my takeover!”

Be sure to follow along with our story to learn more about Zora and the Howard Thurman Center.

New HTC program…
Introducing kalaasangha, a community uniting South Asians through mindfulness, creativity and culture housed at the HTC. Through meditations, creative workshops, communal gatherings, and much more, kalaasangha invites you to experience a new sense of collectivity.

Join us at our first session on Thursday, February 9th from 7-8 pm. RSVP link in bio!

Getting to know us at a deeper glance…
“Before coming to Boston University, I was unsure of how I would fit in, or where to be exactly. Of course, as a freshman, you’re sort of bound to have these kinds of thoughts, especially when you’re like me who’s coming from an entirely different state. Here at the Howard Thurman Center, working as one of the MarComm Assistants, I’ve learned more about who I am and who I’m becoming. To be introduced to new passions and building deep connections with both students and staff has been truly memorable in my first semester here at BU.

Some of those memorable moments are the laughs that I’ve shared with my peers in the MarComm team, Marlo and Leah, and the guidance that I’ve received from my wonderful supervisor, Stacy Alabre. Covering events like the Black Media Symposium and Charcoal’s Anniversary Exhibit has brought a different view of my world compared to when I was in high school.

At the HTC, there’s always something here for everyone to explore. You meet people at a closer glance, you branch out with the staff, but overall, you are growing as a person. The HTC was the start of something new to me, and I hope it will be the start for others too.”

- Zara Meggett, Journalism (COM '26)

Today at Coffee & Conversation, we discussed Kanye West and where we draw the line with celebrities’ controversial actions. The conversation also touched on cancel culture and celebrity brand partnerships. We hope to see you at future conversations every Friday from 3-5pm in the commons!

Happy Wednesday! We’ve got some memories to share for our October recap. Be on the lookout for what’s happening in the HTC this November! 


No tricks, just treats! 👻 We hope you all enjoyed the candy from our annual Trick or Treat Around the World event. Happy halloween and stay safe!

Let's celebrate Halloween together!🎃
Join the HTC in our annual tradition of sampling candies from around the world on October 31st from 1 - 5pm.

Happy Tuesday! 👋🏻 👋🏻 👋🏻
ICYMI: Last week, HTC Graduate Assistant Olivia Poulin took over our Instagram story. She shared that before coming to BU, she was an English teacher for five years, guided by her interest in the use of reading, writing, and the arts as vehicles to engage young people in the work of social justice. She loves to dance/choreograph, visit her family (and dog!) on the seacoast of NH, and explore local bookstores. Feel free to reach out to Olivia if you're curious about getting involved at the HTC!

September Recap: Here are some moments that happened in our space last month!

Meet Us Monday! 👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼
ICYMI: We got to meet Leah McFarlane (COM ’25), one of our Marketing and Communications Assistants at the HTC. Leah loves taking photos, especially for the and runs a podcast called The Block is Hot on Spotify. Make sure y’all slide to the HTC to get to meet more of our amazing staff!

Rhett's visit to the HTC... a short story in three pictures.

Today at Coffee & Conversation, we discussed Beyonce’s album Renaissance, her relationship to q***r music communities, and her reframing of authorship and ownership. We hope to see you at our next conversation on Friday, September 30th, from 3-5pm!

Kim Santo leading “Stress ReLeaf” workshop at the HTC. This event happens bi-weekly, the next session is on Monday, October 3 from 4 - 5 pm.

RSVP with the link in our bio!

Meet Us Monday! 👋🏻 👋🏻 👋🏻
ICYMI: last week, HTC Graduate Assistant Taylor Emmaus (STH ’23), took over our instagram story. She shared that she’s originally from Atlanta, GA and got her BA in Media Studies from Emory University in May 2021. She has directed and produced around 15 short films, and is a singer/songwriter and worship leader! Her family and music means everything for her. If you see her around the HTC, come and say hi!

Meet Us Monday! 👋🏻 👋🏻 👋🏻
ICYMI: last week, HTC Graduate Assistant Taylor Emmaus (STH ’23), took over our instagram story. She shared that she’s originally from Atlanta, GA and got her BA in Media Studies from Emory University in May 2021. She has directed and produced around 15 short films, and is a singer/songwriter and worship leader! Her family and music means everything for her. If you see her around the HTC, come and say hi!

Today marks our first Coffee & Conversation of the fall semester! We tackled the topic of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Colonialism. Check out our story for some quotes from today’s session and feel free to leave some of your thoughts below!

Wonderful moments captured at the Black Community Reception last night. Thank you all for coming out to celebrate with us!

The Black Community Reception is today at 6pm! Join us for an evening of eating, dancing, and celebrating!

Asian Community Reception
Here are some smiling faces during our first event of the school year!! We hope to see you at our following community receptions this week.

We received a wonderful performance from this afternoon. Make sure to stop by the HTC this week to catch him on the piano!

Taking a breather during the first week at the HTC.

Vibrant day at the Explore the Possibilities Fair!

Be sure to come check our community receptions in the coming week.

Our LGBTQIA+ Community Reception will be held on September 14th! Join us for the celebration.

RSVP through the link in our bio!

Our Latinx community reception is next week on September 13!

Be sure to RSVP through the link in our bio!

Our annual receptions start next! Monday, September 12th is the Asian community reception. All students, faculty, and staff are invited to come and join us for an evening of celebration.

Click the link in our bio to RSVP!

Slide ID: image says Asian community reception on teal background.

Join us in wishing farewell to Katherine Kennedy!

Ms. Kennedy retires as the Director of the Howard Thurman Center (HTC) this Wednesday. She has enjoyed 31 years at Boston University, 22 as the proud director of HTC. During her time at BU, Katherine worked to empower and break down barriers. She also served as a source of guidance and support to students, faculty, and staff on campus.

We wish her the very best in her next journey!

This Thursday, The Howard Thurman Center is proud to host a book celebration for Dr. Saida Grundy’s forthcoming book, Respectable: Politics and Paradox in Making The Morehouse Man. Dr. Grundy is beloved by the students in the BU Community for her candor and thorough knowledge on the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality throughout history. Please join us as we celebrate her. Did we mention free food at the reception after? The good free food. Register at the Eventbrite link on our homepage.