Black History Month

Dear NJIT Community Members,

NJIT is proud to celebrate Black History Month, because our university’s diversity is among its greatest strengths. As we celebrate, we continue to learn, share and declare our support for our Black colleagues. We must be allies of those who continue to be victims of racial discrimination, and we must celebrate Black culture and work diligently to eradicate bigotry.   

We are fortunate to be one of the most diverse campuses in the entire nation, and we are a top 20 university in the United States for graduating Black engineers. Our Black students, faculty, and staff are significant contributors to the diversity of our university community. They are essential to the university’s success because learning happens when we are exposed to a broad array of perspectives and have the opportunity to share information and knowledge gathered through our lived experiences. It has been documented through numerous studies that diversity contributes to positive learning outcomes, and work teams that consist of individuals with varied backgrounds, perspectives, ethnicities, races, belief systems, and socio-economic statuses are proven to achieve greater results than those that lack such diversity. This is evident in what we see every day at NJIT and in the success of our alumni.

In a typical year, February on our campus would be filled with educational, social, and community building events focusing on the history and culture of Black people. Those  events bring together Highlanders of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and races. Unfortunately, many of the in-person events we look forward to are not possible because of the ongoing COVID pandemic, which has had a disproportionately negative affect on the Black community. It is important that we show our support and compassion, despite the restrictions we face. So we will convene a Black History Month Opening Ceremony on Wednesday, February 3 at 2:30 pm via WebEx, and there will be many other opportunities to celebrate virtually throughout the month and expand our collective knowledge of and appreciation for Black culture and history. 

Please join me in taking advantage of these opportunities throughout Black History Month to learn more about the achievements, contributions, challenges, and experiences of Black Americans throughout history.  

Sincerely,

NJIT President Joel S. Bloom