From the Nominator

"To commemorate the 60th anniversary of Black students matriculating at Georgia Tech, the Black Alumni Organization (GTBAO) hosted several activities to celebrate past accomplishments, acknowledge current achievements, and establish a legacy for future generations. Key activities included:  

• Collecting oral histories – GTBAO worked with the alumni association to develop a series of interviews that tell the history of Black students at Tech as told by the students who created it. The stories were presented in two separate formats: podcasts and videos.   

• Creating a Black alumni yearbook – GTBAO partnered with the alumni association and development office to produce a digital yearbook for all Black alumni. The yearbook is a companion to “The African-American Experience at the Georgia Institute of Technology” anthology.  

• Celebrating Black student-athletes – GTBAO hosted a reception commemorating past Black student-athletes. The reception was held at the Callaway Club inside of McCamish Pavilion following a GT Men's Basketball game where athletes were recognized.   

• Hosting a Black alumni weekend – The theme of the weekend was “Return, Renew, Rejoice” and it featured campus tours, a professional development seminar, family block party on Tech Green, semi-formal gala celebrating BAO’s Tech leaders and legends, and an achievers brunch. The three-day event took place on April 1-3, 2022."

From the Judges

The panel reinforced the notion that creating space for Black Alumni voices and belonging for Black Alumni is important work. The judges called out the inclusion of current students in the celebration as particularly effective in building relational equity and community. The entry included process and strategy details that would even further help other institutions adopt or adapt this approach.