Terrance L. Bankston ’04, Alumnus

Terrance L. Bankston ’04 recollects starting his life of civic engagement in his teenage years. He was in high school when he first put his natural presentation skills to work to help his community.

“I was in the first class of television communications majors and the first graduating class of the newly renovated Arts High School in Newark. We started classes and quickly learned that the facility had a number of environmental hazards,” said Bankston. “In 1996, as a freshman student, I spoke at the school board meeting to express concerns, and my presentation received excellent reviews. This feedback spurred me on to continue to want to represent the students, and I pursued my desire to serve by running for the position of Student Council President. The following year, I took on the leadership role and the passion I felt then has never left me.”

When it came time to choose a college, his family had very high expectations for Bankston. As did he. He looked at a much larger New Jersey institution that some of his family members had attended, but once he stepped foot on the Bloomfield College campus, the connections he felt were immediate and he fell in love with the idea of attending a smaller college.

“The administrators I met on campus were so welcoming and provided such exceptional advice, that I was soon applying to Bloomfield through the Educational Opportunity Fund program as a financially independent student,” said Bankston. “I came from a crime-stricken, poverty-stricken urban community, yet I had good role models to look up to. I always aspired to attend college, and my family felt the same way. I was responsible for paying my tuition and had to take out loans. I only took three classes each semester, including summers, and always had three jobs on campus to support me along the way.”

Bankston said he quickly felt at home at Bloomfield in that it was a family-oriented community where students could interact with administrators as well as faculty. “I went into Bloomfield initially thinking I would transfer, but my experience was so rewarding that I ended up staying,” he said. “I ran for Bloomfield College Student Government (BCSG) vice president at the end of my freshman year and was the youngest student to do this at the time. I then ran for BCSG president and was successful in merging what were then two organizations—a Day Student Government and an Evening/Weekend Student Government—into one organization.”

One of the most impactful memories that Bankston has from his time as BCSG president was serving during the 9/11 attacks. “The president at the time and other administrators discussed with me whether Convocation should be canceled, which was scheduled to take place in a few weeks. I brought it back to the students, and I’ll never forget how the crisis brought our campus together. Some had lost family themselves, and I was to give my first speech as BCSG president. I was overwhelmed with many emotions and that was the moment where I developed a courageous spirit and this spirit has driven me all of my life. The same collective energy on the campus later flowed in the same way, when the College recently faced the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Bankston.

Following graduation from Bloomfield, Bankston worked with then Mayor, now U.S. Senator, Cory A. Booker, as well as a host of other local, county and state officials. At the age of 23, he was part of a generational shift in city leadership under Mayor Booker. In 2008, he was featured in Ebony magazine as one of their young leaders of the year. This experience was during his tenure serving as the Director of Constituent Affairs for the city of Newark, to be followed by serving as Director of the Newark Youth One-Stop Career Center. At the One-Stop, he led the agency to the status of #1 youth one-stop statewide. Under his leadership, the agency exceeded all federal and state Workforce Investment Act (WIA) performance indicators, including advancing the state’s literacy rate beyond goal. Since 2003, he has also led a consulting company engaged with environmental groups, serving as the primary or lead consultant for local and international non-profit organizations, including Clean Water Action, the South Ward Clinton Hill Community Action Group, NewarkDIG, NJ/NY Baykeepers, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). He has also served as Director of the Parent Coalition of Excellent Education (PC2E).

Following a busy career working in political spheres with deep involvement in community engagement, Bankston returned to his alma mater as director of the Center for Student Leadership and Engagement, where he worked directly to engage students in campus life, developing student leadership initiatives and coordinating campuswide events that often included external community speakers. Currently, he is focused on his campaign running for Newark South Ward City Council. “I look forward to better working with our local school board leadership, to best support our public schools; to attracting new and sustainable businesses, and greater tourism; and better serving the community by exposing families to government and civic courses through non-profits, to encourage our community to see government in a positive light,” he said.