Date January 17, 2024
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From the vineyard to the hill, alumni gather to celebrate Black community and give back to Brown

Events like Bruno on the Vineyard and the 2023 Black Alumni Reunion have brought the Black alumni community together in large numbers—and shown the power of their philanthropy.

Attendees of the Black Alumni Reunion celebrating while seated in an auditorium.
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For the Black alumni community, it's been a year of coming together and looking forward to the future of Brown.

Black alumni embrace during the Bruno on the Vineyard event.
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Nearly 150 alumni, students, faculty, and staff shared hugs, laughs, and conversations at the second annual Bruno on the Vineyard event.

From left to right: venture capital investor Lorine Pendleton ’91, Intus Care co-founders Robbie Felton ’22 and Evan Jackson '22, and Matr Ventures founder and general partner Giselle Melo.
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Throughout the joyous gathering on Martha’s Vineyard, alumni caught up with former classmates, colleagues, and mentors. (From left to right: venture capital investor Lorine Pendleton ’91, Intus Care co-founders Robbie Felton ’22 and Evan Jackson '22, and Matr Ventures founder and general partner Giselle Melo.)

Zakiyah Whitaker '23 (left) and Peter Simpson '20 (right) speaking at the Martha's Vineyard event outdoors.
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At the Bruno on the Vineyard gathering, Peter Simpson ’20 and Zakiyah Whitaker ’23, the first and second recipients of the IPC Brown Annual Fund Scholarship, expressed gratitude to alums for their generous support and encouraged them to continue paying it forward for the next generation of Brown students.

A white tent and barn set the scene for the Bruno on the Vineyard event.
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While taking in the beautiful New England scenery, Bruno on the Vineyard attendees heard from various speakers about ongoing efforts to build a more diverse and inclusive Brown.

Andrea O’Neal ’03 standing and talking to fellow Black alumni at the Black Alumni Reunion.
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Andrea O’Neal ’03, president of the Inman Page Black Alumni Council, was one of the many Black Alumni Reunion attendees to reconnect and celebrate with classmates over the weekend.

IPC Brown Annual Fund scholars pose for a photo at the Black Alumni Reunion.
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During the 2023 Black Alumni Reunion, recipients of the IPC Brown Annual Fund Scholarship shared how the scholarship has shaped their Brown experience and celebrated with the alumni community that helped make it possible.

President Christina H. Paxson joined alumni at a celebratory dinner at the 2023 Black Alumni Reunion
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President Christina H. Paxson joined alumni at a celebratory dinner at the 2023 Black Alumni Reunion, which provided another opportunity for Brunonians to come together to support the next generation of Brown students.

Eldridge Gilbert III ’05 connecting with fellow alumni at the Black Alumni Reunion.
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This year’s Black Alumni Reunion fostered a sense of community and togetherness among returning alumni, including Eldridge Gilbert III ’05, alumni trustee and 2023 Black Alumni Reunion co-chair.

Crowds of Black alumni attended a lunch reception during Black Alumni Reunion.
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More than 1,100 Black Alumni Reunion attendees — including more than 700 alumni — came together to build intergenerational connections through a series of lectures, receptions, and social gatherings.

Gathering together. Celebrating progress. Reuniting at the place where the journey began. Paying it forward.  

Through a series of events and gatherings, Black alumni have been building community across generations, strengthening their connection to the University, and harnessing the power of collaborative giving to pave the way for tomorrow’s leaders.

A testament to community 

The summer kicked off with the second annual Bruno on the Vineyard event, hosted by Jill and Stephen Davis P’23. Nearly 150 Black alumni and guests congregated at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in August to enjoy music, refreshments, and conversations with their fellow Brunonians. 

“We had a space to come together and celebrate our Black culture in all its glory,” says Kwame Campbell ’92. “It provided me with a sense of community that can never be broken.”

What had started as a small gathering to foster a greater sense of belonging for Black alumni living or vacationing on the Massachusetts island and surrounding areas has become something much bigger: it inspired alumni to take an active role in ensuring the success of current and future Black students at Brown. 

“Our contribution is valuable,” says Bruno on the Vineyard event organizer Diane Johnson ’94. “I think having an event that has doubled its size in two years is a testament to who we are as a community and what we feel about this institution that we have given a lot to and also received a lot from.”

It’s a sentiment shared not only by Black alumni, but by University leadership. Brown President Christina H. Paxson, Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity Sylvia Carey-Butler, Senior Vice President for Advancement Sergio Gonzalez, and Brown’s first-ever historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) presidential fellow Elfred Anthony Pinkard, PhD were also part of the Bruno on the Vineyard event, speaking to attendees about Brown’s future and its commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion—which is critical to the University’s mission.

“Hearing from the President, faculty, staff, and fellow alumni about their willingness to support specific initiatives that will ensure that Brown can continue to attract a diverse pool of students was refreshing,” says Harry Holt ’84, P’16.

This past fall, alumni were able to see that commitment further reinforced at the 2023 Black Alumni Reunion. The record-breaking celebration brought more than 1,100 Brunonians to campus, including alumni and current students. 

Together, alums collectively envisioned the future of the community through lectures, receptions, and social events focused on the arts, entrepreneurship, and activism. Most notable was the multigenerational (Re)imagining & (Re)claiming Our Future Celebration Dinner. 

“One of the wonderful things about these alumni gatherings is that we are enabling individuals to connect, contribute their talents, and give back in meaningful ways to their alma mater. This is an opportunity to come back to Brown and see the impact of our investments in creating and sustaining diverse communities now and for generations to come,” says Javette Laremont ’80, Corporation trustee emerita and member of the Black Alumni Reunion hosting committee.

“ Beyond Brown, the impact of the IPC Brown Annual Fund Scholarship continues to resonate. It instilled in me a profound sense of responsibility to pay it forward. As a proud alum, I’m ready to advocate for those who follow, to amplify their voices, and to create spaces where dreams are nurtured and celebrated. ”

Zakiyah Whitaker ’23 Inman Page Black Alumni Council (IPC) Brown Annual Fund (BAF) Scholarship recipient

Looking back, paying it forward

For Black alumni, this year’s events and gatherings were more than just opportunities to look back and reflect: they were also about paying it forward for future generations of Brunonians. At each event, Black alumni donors have shown their support for diversity and inclusion initiatives at Brown through their philanthropy.

Much of that support has gone toward the Inman Page Black Alumni Council (IPC) Brown Annual Fund (BAF) Scholarship—providing financial aid with a preference for exceptional Black students at Brown. The creation of this community-driven scholarship was announced at the 2018 Black Alumni Reunion and has already supported 39 students.

For Zakiyah Whitaker ’23, the second recipient of the scholarship, its impact has been profound. According to Whitaker, the scholarship not only provided financial aid but “affirmed my aspirations and boundless potential,” says Whitaker. “It allowed me to wholeheartedly embrace my studies, extracurriculars, and the Brown experience.”

“Beyond Brown, the impact of the IPC BAF Scholarship continues to resonate,” she says. “It instilled in me a profound sense of responsibility to pay it forward. As a proud alum, I’m ready to advocate for those who follow, to amplify their voices, and to create spaces where dreams are nurtured and celebrated.”

To commemorate this year’s Black Alumni Reunion, the organizers set an ambitious fundraising goal: raise $1 million for the IPC BAF Scholarship by June 30, 2024. These funds will support 10 students over four years (equivalent to 40 annual scholarships).

“ Many of us did not begin our journey with the intergenerational wealth that others had. But now, we’re beginning to see a wave of the impact of those investments as more Black alumni fulfill their dreams and start to give back. In five to ten years, we’ll start to see the table more balanced and more wealth coming from people of color and see the names of Black alumni above the doorways of more buildings. ”

Javette Laremont ’80 Corporation trustee emerita and member of the Black Alumni Reunion hosting committee

The campaign got an early bump at the gathering on Martha’s Vineyard, which exceeded its initial fundraising goal of $25,000 and raised more than $50,000. For event organizers, the most impressive part of this feat was the impact of smaller gifts, as many contributions made were between $5 and $250. The outpouring of support continued at the Black Alumni Reunion, with more than 400 attendees raising over $400,000 towards the $1 million goal. 

As Brown continues to strengthen its support of students of color, Laremont believes that this groundswell of philanthropy will only continue to grow.

“Many of us did not begin our journey with the intergenerational wealth that others had,” she says. “But now, we’re beginning to see a wave of the impact of those investments as more Black alumni fulfill their dreams and start to give back. In five to ten years, we’ll start to see the table more balanced and more wealth coming from people of color and see the names of Black alumni above the doorways of more buildings.”

Tags
Alumni Diversity & Inclusion Featured Financial Aid Giving Philanthropy

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