This past weekend I was able to be a part of the inaugural Black Women Matter Retreat. Sponsored by the Women’s Center, the retreat through the hard work and efforts of my co-worker and fellow Mental Health Counseling classmate, Courtney Wright. Courtney and my boss, Katie Dalton, worked tirelessly to create what was such an empowering, affirming and warm weekend. To them, I am extremely grateful. The Black Women Matter Retreat was created to foster community, healing, and celebration among the black women within the Boston College Community.
On a cold and windy November Friday, around 40 undergrads and two alumnae (including myself), boarded a bus to the retreat center. The atmosphere felt bright and cheery as the students chatted away, discussing homework, potential activities, and life events. I myself was feeling excited and nervous, as I wanted the retreat to be a space that was welcoming, a space to truly revel in the joys that come with being a black woman. As we arrived at the center and the retreat began, I found that it was much more than I could have ever imagined. I won’t get into the specifics of what happened on the retreat (so as to not spoil it for the next year’s students) but I will say that it was an uplifting, life-giving and inspiring weekend full of love and warmth.
In Ignatian Spirituality, we find the concept of seeing God in all things. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J., wrote: “God is not remote from us. He is at the point of my pen, my pick, my paintbrush, my needle — and my heart and my thoughts.”
I found God in every single face that I saw, in the hugs that I received, the stories told, and the laughter shared. This retreat allowed me to celebrate my wholeness as a black woman while reflecting on my own journey through life. I believe that God’s presence is not just limited to the miracle of the Mass, but can be found in nature, in community and in others. Through each of the students, faculty, and alumnae, I felt God’s presence, and it meant more to me than I can describe in words.
Coming back from the retreat, I felt lighter and more affirmed in the fact that I am made in the image and likeness of God. Through this community of women, I found beauty in the blackness that God had created, an experience that presents its own challenges but reaps its own unique rewards. It has also made me much more aware of the world around me and more grateful for the spaces in which I can express myself and be accepted for who I am. Through this experience, I was able to see God’s presence in my life in a new and transformative way. The Black Women Matter Retreat was a space that truly fostered community, healing, and celebration and made me more attuned to God’s presence in my life.
Ejuma is a 2018 graduate of Boston College and is a current master's student in the Mental Health Counseling Program in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. As an undergrad, she majored in English and Women’s and Gender studies. Even though she has lived among Patriots fans for the past five years, she is very loyal to her home team, the Baltimore Ravens. Ejuma is passionate about mental health and wellness, women’s rights, social justice and racial issues. In her free time, she can be found catching up on her favorite shows, This is Us and Modern Family, baking or going for a run.
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