56th Annual Black Solidarity Day Commemoration

This is the 56th Annual Black Solidarity Day program.

Black Solidarity Day was started in 1969 by Brooklyn College professor Dr. Carlos Russell, who envisioned a day of protest in which Black people would withdraw from the economy under the slogan: “No work, no school, no shopping.” This call for political, economic, and social solidarity was inspired by Douglas Turner Ward’s satirical play A Day of Absence.

Today, Black Solidarity Day is observed across the country and in Black communities every Monday before Election Day. At Brooklyn College, the tradition continues as students are encouraged—supported by the Faculty Council—to withdraw from classes and participate in a day of political and educational events.