Since then, Black alumni from many different decades had more than a dozen meetings, large and small, to garner alumni support, and the association was formally chartered on December 13, 2021.
The BCBAA’s constitution reads, in part:
The Association will strive to correct the historic wrongs against and obviate the inequities experienced by the Black community of Bowdoin College. We will provide and promote effective leadership regarding the well-being of the Association’s members, as well as the students, faculty, and staff of Bowdoin College and the greater common good of African diaspora.This endeavor will be accomplished through education, mentoring, advocating, pro bono initiatives, business development, and community building.
The group is led by more than twenty peer-nominated members of the Coordinating Council who represent alumni from the 1960s to current student representation. The Coordinating Council elected the following leadership officers.
- President, Michael Owens '73, P'15, trustee emeritus
- Vice President, Sherrone Torres '12
- Secretary, Praise Hall '20
Several committees will carry out the important work of the BCBAA for years to come:
- BCBAA Role in Society (community service)
- Scholarship and Financial Aid
- Mentorship
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Cosponsorship (liaison to other alumni groups)
- Events
- Communications
“I am thrilled that we have reached the goal of the formation of the Bowdoin College Black Alumni Association,” said BCBAA founding president Michael Owens ’73, P’15. “The [election of the CC members] is a sentinel milestone in the development of our organization.”
BCBAA was created with the support of Bowdoin’s inaugural director of multicultural alumni engagement, Joycelyn Blizzard.
“The creation of BCBAA is a historic achievement for Bowdoin College, as it is the first of its kind to support a specific racial identify group within the alumni community,” said Blizzard. “As the College progresses, we look forward learning how we can support other alumni communities of color.”
With the first meetings underway this spring, BCBAA looks forward to sharing more about the group during Reunion Weekend, June 2–5, 2022.
