Black Solidarity Day Conference
Our 2025 Black Solidarity Day Conference, “This Is How We Do It: Honoring Blackness Through Influence, Innovation and Legacy” was held on Friday, February 28th.
We continue to offer an allyship, anti-racism, anti-black racism track designed specifically for non-black identified participants who want to learn more about anti-Blackness, oppression, power, privilege, and ways in which they can be better allies towards and while supporting Black communities. We encourage presentations from persons of all backgrounds with expertise in the following topics to submit to the appropriate tracks.
About Black Solidarity Day
Black Solidarity Day began in 1969, due to the work of Brooklyn College professor Dr. Carlos Russell, as a demonstration of Black liberation. In 2014, Black students at Elon University implemented their own Black Solidarity Day as a form of protest, an act of solidarity among Black students, and a call to action for the university campus.
The Black Solidarity Conference will take place at Elon University. The Elon University Black Solidarity Day aims to unite Black-identifying students, faculty, and staff by providing an avenue through which Black identity, Black intersectionality, and building solidarity are explored in addition to creating space for the entirety of the Elon community to dive deeper into matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Conference Pillars
- Allyship, Anti-Racism, Anti-Black Racism
- Wellness in Black communities
- Blackness in a Global Context
- Intersectionality in Black Communities
- Socio-political activism
Conference Schedule
Friday, February 28, 2025
- Checkin Begins at Noon
- Welcome & Introduction at 12:30 p.m.
- Lunch & Keynote Speaker from 12:35 – 1:40 p.m.
- Educational Session #1 from 1:45 – 2:45 p.m.
- Educational Session #2 from 2:50 – 3:50 p.m.
- Mocktail Hour from 3:50 – 5:00 p.m.
Conference Participation
The Black Solidarity Conference is free for all Elon attendees, including Elon faculty, staff, students, and alumni. There is a $25 fee for any off-campus attendees. This fee will contribute to your registration and food throughout the conference.
Past Black Solidarity Conference Keynote Speakers
“Rhythms of Resilience: One Soul, One Sound”
Director of the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement, American University
Melanie Bullock is a higher education administrator committed to developing people who will in turn transform their organizations, their communities, and the world. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Spelman College and her Master of Education degree in College Student Personnel Administration from James Madison University. In her career, Melanie has developed teams to plan diverse events and programs. She’s provided leadership for various departments, offices, and teams that include Leadership Engagement programs, Student Organizations, First-Year Experience programming, Student Government, Alternative Break experiences, and multiple programming boards.
Melanie currently serves as the Director of the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement at American University. In her role, she leads the strategic development and delivery of campus and community-wide, inclusive community engagement, service, and leadership programs that enhance the student experience, and support the university’s commitment to experiential learning. Beyond her immediate role, Melanie serves as a docent for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and a Subject Matter Expert Curriculum Design Specialist with Chegg Skills. Melanie also owns Jackie’s Jamboree, a company committed to curating celebrations centered on the beauty of Black Joy.
Originally from North Carolina, Melanie currently lives in the Northern Virginia area with her husband Gerald, one-year-old little leader August Ellington, and their dog Mika.
“Renaissance Revived”
Human Resources Professional, Agent of Change, Equity Architect
Vice-Chair of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education
Alex Bohannon, an Elon Alum, class of 2017, and the founding President of the Black Student Union. Alex is a connector of both people and ideas. He is an Agent of Change, a People Professional, and an Equity Architect. Alex also currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education. Alex was a 2018 Candidate for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board, District 1, he placed third in the primary out of five candidates. Coming from a family of educators, advocates, & public servants, Alex was raised understanding the importance of possessing a spirit of gratitude, humility, & patience in all you do. He applies this approach to all of his work especially currently as a Human Resources Professional. It is very clear that we continue to live in a very polarized time, especially when discussing how our school districts should respond to the pandemic. Alex believes he would make a positive contribution to the students, faculty, and staff of the district as well as the community at large.
“A Black Joy Love Letter”
Ninth Poet Laureate of North Carolina
The Ninth Poet Laureate of North Carolina appointed in 2018, is the first African-American and third woman to be appointed as the North Carolina Poet Laureate and reappointed in 2021 for a second term by Governor Roy Cooper. She is a 2019 Academy of American Poet Laureate Fellow, 2014 NC Literary Hall of Fame Inductee, 2009 NC Piedmont Laureate appointment, and 2003 recipient of the North Carolina Award for Literature. Jaki Shelton Green teaches Documentary Poetry at Duke University Center for Documentary Studies and the 2021 Frank B. Hanes Writer in Residence at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Additionally, she received the George School Outstanding Alumni Award in 2021. Her publications include: Dead on Arrival, Masks, Dead on Arrival and New Poems, Conjure Blues, singing a tree into dance, and breath of the song, published by Blair Publishers. Feeding the Light, I want to undie you published by Jacar Press, I want to undie you English /Italian bilingual edition published by Lebeg Publishers. Juneteenth 2020, she released her first LP, a poetry album, The River Speaks of Thirst, produced by Soul City Sounds and Clearly Records and released a CD, I Want to Undie You in 2021. Jaki Shelton Green is the owner of SistaWRITE providing writing retreats for women writers in Sedona Arizona, Martha’s Vineyard, Ocracoke North Carolina, Northern Morocco, and Tullamore Ireland. 2021, The Arts Club of Chicago premiered a commissioned body of work in collaboration with Flutronix for the Black Is Series. April 2022, the poem will be performed by Flutronix and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
Call for Programs
If you want to submit a presentation proposal for the Black Solidarity Day 2025, please fill out the proposal form. Submissions for all educational session proposals are due by Monday, February 10th, 2025.
We seek community members, faculty, staff, and informed students to serve as educational session presenters. If you are an undergraduate student from Elon or elsewhere, we ask that you have facilitated your educational session prior to being accepted because this is a professional conference that draws a wide variety of attendees, we want to ensure we are providing the best, high-quality sessions. We offer 55-minute educational sessions.
Questions?
If you have specific questions, please contact Abdul-Malik Harrison, Assistant Director, CREDE (aharrison16@elon.edu) or the Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education at (336) 278-6516.