The Bolinga Black Cultural Resources Center opened on January 15, 1971, as a tribute to the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The word “Bolinga” means love in Lingala, an African language from the Republic of the Congo. The center’s focus is to serve the Wright State University community through promoting an understanding of the culture and heritage of Black Americans. Related to this is the center’s day to day functioning as an office that addresses the gamut of academic, cultural and personal concerns of Wright State’s black program consists of cultural and educational components, which include:

Authentic Africa Hour – Presentations from continental African culture.

Speakers Series – African American and other speakers address current topics in outreach to WSU and the broader community in programs sponsored by the Center, often in collaboration with other campus programs.

Educational Film/Video Series – Through films and videos, the center focuses on issues confronting black peoples throughout the African Diaspora.

African American Resources Collection – The Collection consists of nearly 2000 books and audio-visual resources relating to the African and African American experience, housed together to facilitate research and to introduce the campus community to the wide array of resources available in libraries throughout the area.

Organizational Collaborations

• Black Student Union
• National Pan Hellenic Society
• Black Women Striving Forward
• The McLin Scholars Association
• Black Men on the Move
• National Society of Black Engineers
• Association of Black Business Students
• National Association of Black Graduate Students
• National Association of Black Medical Students

These groups promote academic achievement and personal growth among undergraduates. Regularly held group meetings give the participants in the respective groups the opportunity to network with one another and with professionals who serve as lecturers, facilitators and mentors.