Black Alumni Reunion
September 21 – 23, 2018

Dear Members of the Brown Community,

This fall, a very special gathering on College Hill will unite Brunonians past and present around a historic moment in the African American experience at Brown: The Black Student Walkout of 1968. The 2018 Black Alumni Reunion promises to revisit memories and consider narratives of that moment.

Fifty years later, the Walkout remains iconic as the start of a decades-long conversation, punctuated by the activism of the students that followed. Just as this historic event bolstered African American student representation, each generation of students worked hard to preserve previous progress and to expand upon earlier successes. These dynamics changed Brown forever, deepening our understanding of, as well as commitment to, diversity as a cornerstone of academic excellence.

In celebrating the Walkout and reflecting on its impact, the Reunion will engage generations of Black and Latinx alumni in discussions about Brown’s progress, and about how we might, together, address broader societal challenges like health disparities and economic inequality.

So, come to the 2018 Black Alumni Reunion. Come to honor the history. Come to enjoy the fellowship. Come to be a part of Brown’s conversation on diversity and inclusion. And come to spark new ideas for advancing social change at Brown and beyond.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Christina Paxson
President

On December 5, 1968, 65 Black students walked out of campus, advocating for Pembroke’s next incoming class to be comprised of 11% Black students, which was the representation of Blacks in the nation at the time. The Walkout not only received national attention, but it also served as a catalyst for the Brown community to have substantive and widespread discussion about race for the very first time.

To learn more about the Walkout, check out the digital exhibit Remembering the 1968 Walkout, a collaboration of second-year students participating in the seminar “Race and Remembering.” You can also view the living archival timeline “Blacks at Brown” developed by the Inman Page Black Alumni Council.

In our latest podcast, Tony Teat ’88 and Tho Phan ’11 compare their years at Brown and reflect on the progress made by the University over the past half-century, such as the Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP), released by President Paxson in 2016. Their contrasting experiences included, on the one hand, the 1985 student occupation of the John Carter Brown Library, and on the other, the latter part of President Emerita Ruth J. Simmons’ pathbreaking 11-year term. Listen to their conversation.

Our July podcast featured Sheryl Brissett Chapman ’71, a leader of the 1968 Black Student Walkout, and Suzanne Rivera ’91, a founder of Students on Financial Aid, sharing memories from their student years and commenting on the University’s continuing diversity and inclusion journey. Listen to their conversation.

Caring across cultures: As a physician and an author, Augustus White III ’57 has focused his career on overcoming disparities in health care—and shaped Brown’s own diversity efforts in the process. Read more and watch the video.

Professor Tricia Rose PhD ’93 talks about Brown’s Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion action plan—from the ambitious vision to specific implementation goals—and helps “unpack the invisible practices that create the exclusions” in the first place. Watch the video.

2018 Black Alumni Reunion Steering Committee

• Sheryl (Grooms) Brissett Chapman ’71 (Co-Chair), Trustee Emerita, IPC President 2016-2018
• Bernicestine McLeod Bailey ’68, P’99, P’03, Trustee Emerita, IPC Board of Governors
• Harold Bailey, Jr. ’70 LHD’95 hon., P’99, P’03, Trustee Emeritus, IPC Board of Governors, Past Brown Alumni Association Secretary
• Kenneth B. Grooms ’72
• Rosetta Hillary ’73 (Co-Chair), Past IPC President 2010-2012
• Danielle E. LeBlanc ’98, IPC Treasurer 2016-2018
• Shane Lloyd MPH’11, IPC Board of Governors
• Russell E. Malbrough ’98, IPC President 2018-2020
• Alissa A. Mayers ’03, IPC Secretary 2016-2018
• Anthony T. Teat ’88, Past IPC Secretary 2010-2012
• Preston C. Tisdale ’73, P’10, P’10 MPH’16 MD’16, P’12, Current Brown Trustee, Past BAA President 2015-2017, Past IPC President 2006-2008

While you count down the days until September 21, here are a few action items to help you start getting ready:

1. See who else is coming.
2. Book your accommodations. It’s sure to be a busy weekend in Providence. After reviewing the schedule, book your room at one of these nearby hotels.
3. Check your Brown alumni profile.
   Be sure to get event updates by confirming that Brown has your current email address and that your profile* is up to date (see below).
4. Spread the Black Alumni Reunion love!
   Share the IPC’s Facebook event with your friends and use #BrownBAR18 on Instagram and Twitter.
5. Consider making a gift or sponsoring the Black Alumni Reunion
   Honor the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion: make a gift or sponsor this unique and important event. is updated in at least one of these two ways:

If you would like to receive future communications about the event, please make sure your alumni profile is updated in at least one of these two ways:

1. Add at least one of these ethnicities under “Personal Information”: African, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, or South / Central American.
2. Subscribe to receive news from the Inman Page Black Alumni Council (IPC) by searching for “Inman Page” on the subscriptions page.