Journeys of Hope

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“It’s a daunting task to select just one book,” says Akua Sarr, P’19, ’23, vice provost for undergraduate academic affairs. “But for me—at a time in our country when we see efforts to ban books, cut African American history from school curriculums, and simply not talk about slavery and systemic racism—the stories that Isabel Wilkerson shares in The Warmth of Other Suns are an important part of our country’s history that we should all know.”

The selection is also a personal one for Sarr, whose grandparents were part of the Great Migration, escaping the Jim Crow South in the 1940s to start a new life for their families in New York City. “Some of our country’s history is shameful, and some may not want to recognize the stories of people experiencing racism and forced migration,” Sarr says. “But these are also stories of character and resilience that I grew up talking about in my family and that I celebrate.”

At the Heights, Sarr is dedicated to connecting students with the intellectual life of the University and to fully realizing a liberal arts education committed to diversity, belonging, and inclusive excellence. As one of the founders of Courageous Conversations Towards Racial Justice, a campus-wide initiative committed to racial healing, she has been instrumental in bringing the BC community closer together.

“Conversation about difficult subjects is not easy,” Sarr says. “But engagement across various lines of difference is essential for a community to come to know one another, find common ground and understanding, and recognize the inherent dignity within each of us.”