WBAN: Gratitude, Reflection, and Looking Forward

 

We did it!

Over the course of the Teach It Foward campaign, the TIF: WBAN Initiative raised $712,000 from 771 donors in support of the Bolin Fellowship far surpassing the goal of $500,000 from 700 donors.

More significantly Black alumni engagement grew dramatically during the campaign from 55% to 87%.

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Williams,

When the Teach It Forward campaign was just beginning and we started talking about ways to engage Black alumni in the campaign, we accepted that WBAN might never match the alumni body in alumni giving, for all of the historic and structural reasons that have affected the opportunities we have had and the choices we can make. But we were encouraged because we knew these two fundamental truths:

(1) Black alumni volunteer with Williams more than any other group of alumni, because we care about the people who make up this institution and the ways to make Williams work for us and with us.

(2) The Black community has always supported each other and the causes we care about. We have been teaching it forward for generations.

From the first meeting of what would become WBAAD, the Williams Black Alumni for Advancement and  Development Committee, in 2014, through a series of events on campus and in our communities, culminating in a final push in June as the campaign wrapped up, we have been inspired by our outreach with Alumni of Color. You have shared your hopes and concerns for Williams, its current students, and the consistently expanding group of Black alumni. And you have opened your hearts and expanded your philanthropy far in excess of our lofty expectations.

You inspired us. And you continue to inspire the dedicated staff at Williams who have worked with us to meet this milestone. Although the Teach It Forward campaign has successfully concluded, we believe that we can all continue to teach it forward for the Williams community and in all of our communities.

Thank you!

Ken Alleyne ’88 & Mary Moule ’91

TIF: WBAN Initiative Co-Chairs

To the Williams Black Alumni Family,

The success of the Teach It Forward campaign is a reflection of your dedication to cultivating a more diverse, inclusive Williams of which we can be proud. We are in awe of the way that WBAN members came together to not only achieve but to surpass the goals that were set. Throughout the course of the campaign, we saw an incredible increase in Black alumni engagement, outpacing the engagement of all other alumni affinity groups. That is all because of you. Each gift, no matter how large or small a contribution, was a part of this campaign’s success. This is what it looks like when we come together. Now, more then ever, we are excited about   the future. Thanks to your efforts, Williams’ ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion will continue through some exciting new projects on the horizon, including hiring new faculty and the building of the new Davis Center.

We hope that you will continue to join us in enriching the Williams community for those on campus or wherever Ephs may be.

With much Eph pride,

Felecia Farell ’14 & Chris Sewell ’05 & Robert Michelin ’03

WBAN Co-Chairs

Join the conversation!

We want you to know more about the great work happening at Williams to build a community you will be proud of. In our community phonecasts you heard from current students, faculty, administrators and alumni  about the Williams of today.

  • January 17, 2020 – Williams College Trustee Michele Johnson Rogers ’79 P’04 hosted a conversation with Wendy Adam, Director of Integrative Wellbeing Services, Alysha Warren, Assistant Director, and therapist Michael Grinnell  about how Williams College is caring for Black minds and Black bodies on campus. Listen to the recording of the phonecast here.
  • June 24, 2019  – Michele Johnson Rogers ’79 P’04 conversation with Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Equity Leticia S.E. Haynes ’99, Associate Dean of the College Christopher Sewell ’05, and Director of Campus Engagement and Acting Director of the Davis Center Bilal W. Ansari, where they will provide a recap of the events from the past academic year here at Williams, the current campus climate, and ambitions for what’s to come.  Listen to the recording of the phonecast here.
  • June 7, 2018  – Michele Johnson Rogers ’79 P’04 hosted a conversation with Elizabeth Creighton, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, where they will discuss how the admissions landscape at Williams has changed, the work that the College is doing to recruit students from underrepresented backgrounds, and the impact of the admissions process on Black students’ experience. Listen to the recording of the phonecast here.
  • May 15, 2017  – Michele Johnson Rogers ’79 P’04 hosted a conversation with Mary Moule ’91 and Ken Alleyne ’88, co-chairs of the Williams Black Alumni Advancement and Development Committee (WBAAD). This sub-committee of WBAN exists to support the network in its work to enhance the engagement of Black Ephs by strengthening our philanthropic commitment to the college.
  • March 15, 2017  – Join Leticia Smith-Evans Haynes, VP for Institutional Diversity and Equity at Williams, as she discusses how her department is building and sustaining diverse, inclusive, and equitable communities on and off campus. Listen to the recording of the third phonecast here.
  • December 6, 2016 – Why Bolin? Join Bolin Fellow in Math, Haydee Lindo ’08 and  Associate Dean of the Faculty and former Bolin Fellow, Rhon Manigault-Bryant as they discuss why the Bolin Fellowship is integral to building a better Williams and strengthening the pipeline for faculty of color.

 

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