The New England Classic
Boston College Finally Supports People Of Color By Allowing Bill Cosby To Keep Honorary Degree

Boston College Finally Supports People Of Color By Allowing Bill Cosby To Keep Honorary Degree

Big Issues April 27, 2018 The New England Classic

Update: Boston College has since rescinded Cosby’s degree, either because they truly saw the error of their ways or because donors threatened to pull funding.... Boston College Finally Supports People Of Color By Allowing Bill Cosby To Keep Honorary Degree

UpdateBoston College has since rescinded Cosby’s degree, either because they truly saw the error of their ways or because donors threatened to pull funding. Your guess is as good as ours.


Boston College is finally taking a stand and letting everyone know that it proudly supports people of color. After a series of large student demonstrations last fall protesting the administration’s slow and lackluster response to instances of racism toward black students, many students and faculty doubted that the University was committed to the wellbeing of black people. Boy do those skeptics sure look stupid now!

According to the Boston Globe, University spokesman Jack Dunn recently stated that Boston College would not rescind the honorary degree presented to comedian and serial rapist Bill Cosby. Cosby was given the degree in 1996 to honor his work as an actor and a comedian.

The decision to allow Cosby, an African American man, to keep the honorary degree highlights Boston College’s devotion to supporting black people everywhere.

On Thursday, following years of assault allegations from roughly 60 women, Cosby was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2004. Cosby’s honorary degree is sure to come in handy as the 80-year-old prepares to spend at least 10 years in prison!

Dunn stated that “as a matter of policy, we do not rescind honorary degrees, which are given to individuals based on their accomplishments at the time of the award.”

While this might look like Boston College simply continuing an existing policy, anyone who truly cares about racial justice is able to read between the lines and see that Boston College is, in fact, making a strong defense on the behalf of a black man facing adversity. Way to go, Boston College!

Many of the nearly 60 honorary degrees Cosby has been given since 1985 have been revoked in the wake of sexual assault allegations against him, including four prestigious schools—Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, and Wesleyan—who announced their decision Thursday.

Not Boston College though, a University that clearly values preserving the legacy of a black man as much as it values its black students.

At press time, Boston College also announced that it would not be rescinding an honorary degree given to OJ Simpson.