COMING HOME
The first annual Black Alumni Reunion Weekend, held August 13 to 15, was the largest event of its kind, drew more than 170 graduates, some from as far as California and Florida.
Northeastern officials took the opportunity to update alumni on the university's drive to become a top-100 global institution, and talk about the university's urban mission.
"Some of these alums had not been on campus in the past 30 years's said Erick Jean of the Black Alumni Association. Alums were also encouraged to donate to the university. Larry Dean, a double Husky (Math 1974, MBA 1982) and former faculty member in mathematics, is leading a $2 million fund-raiser aimed at improving retention of black students including the Ujima Scholars program, a program of the John D. O'Bryant African-American Institute that recruits about 65 students of African-American descent annually from the Northeast. The fund-raiser would also target emergency financial aid grants, book grants, create new program initiatives and improve its library offerings. Dean, who made a $10,000 pledge, said he hopes to raise the $2 million by July 1, 2006. It is supported in principle by the Black Alumni Association. To invigorate alumni giving, organizers tapped keynote speaker Rodney Jackson, president of the National Center of Black Philanthropy. "Philanthropy is synonymous with African-American survival", Jackson said. "African-Americans have practiced so-called organized philanthropy as long as they've been in this country."
Many out-of-state graduates spent the weekend at Davenport Commons, receiving a first-hand experience of a piece of the University's urban mission. The residence hall building also includes low-income homes for residents of Roxbury.
Robert Gittens, vice president of government relations and community affairs, presented an overview of the university's urban mission, which includes Health Careers Academy (HCA) taking a broader role in pipelining high school students to understaffed health professions. HCA is a program of the Community Health Education and Research, led by Elmer Freeman, a 1977 graduate. Gittens is also a two-time graduate, earning a J.D. from the School of Law in 1978 as well as a political science bachelor's in 1975. Gittens said the university was the largest private institution (40,000 enrollment) in the country when he attended.
The event was hosted by an employee-alumni committee lead by Ella Robertson, internal dean of student affairs. "It was a wonderful event to reconnect black alumni to Northeastern," said the dean and director of affirmative action, Donnie Perkins. The response to the event was all positive, and we look forward to participation from these alums, as volunteers, helping to identify co-op opportunities and financially supporting students.