Welcome Back Home

Over the weekend, the Wake Forest community came together to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the integration of African American women into residence halls on our campus, with all five of the women who first joined the student body returning to Winston-Salem for the event.

Following a panel discussion with current students around their experiences, those who had lived on campus revisited their history with a tour of Bostwick Residence Hall, which served as their home during those first years.

After the tour, a reception hosted by the Association of Wake Forest University Black Alumni (AWFUBA) held in the Maya Angelou residence hall allowed for fellowship and a continued celebration of their legacy. The Office of Residence Life & Housing was proud to play a part in welcoming these legends back to the Wake Forest community and to further honor their accomplishments. 

       

Dr. Stephanie Carter, Director of Residence Life, reflected on the weekend and the impact felt in the residential communities at Wake Forest to this day.

“It was truly an honor to have these wonderful women back on campus for such a momentous occasion. When you think about it, 50 years was not that long ago. The landscape of our campus has changed and so have our residents and we are a stronger and more diverse institution because of it. When these women stepped foot on campus at Wake Forest they were not thinking about creating a legacy for those who came after them but they did. They blazed a trail that many other African American women have followed. The level of resilience that comes with being the first and overcoming all of the obstacles that I know were in their way truly shows the strength and resolve these women possessed not only then but now. Sitting in my seat as an African American woman and the Director of Residence Life, I am truly thankful for their determination and perseverance.”