Our History
On June 27, 2020, 44 Black alumni from the Class of 1976 and other surrounding classes had a virtual “meet and greet” session that ended in a discussion of how we as Black Princeton alumni should address the issues of the Black community at large and the history and institutionalization of racism at Princeton University. After several follow-up meetings, which included many other classes, we determined that, rather than make new demands, we would support those of the faculty and students and reinforce the initiative of the Center to allow for research, findings, and conclusions, which would culminate in recommendations, implementation strategies, and actions.
The sponsors of this preliminary proposal include alumni whose engagement with anti-racism work at Princeton stretches as far back as the 1960s and extends forward to graduates from the past decade. As students, we matriculated into an institution that was once known as the “northernmost outpost of Southern culture.” We had to create for ourselves the social, cultural, spiritual, academic, and other support systems to succeed because they were lacking for us in our time as students at the University. We advocated for the establishment of an African American Studies Program that became a Center and now a Department. We fought for the creation of the Third World Center, the antecedent to the Carl Fields Center for Equality and Understanding. The Third World Center was a site of interdisciplinary collaboration, leadership development, student-initiated seminars, and inclusive community-building among diverse members of the university community. We have helped the Admissions Office with recruitment and participated in the admissions process through Alumni Schools Committee (ASC) interviews. Our “lived experience” at Princeton, along with the knowledge and expertise we have acquired in our post-Princeton endeavors, make us critical stakeholders in the proposed project. We have contributed financially and via our human resources as trustees and as other volunteers in assisting the University to live out its commitment of service.
The members of Concerned Black Alumni of Princeton™ (CBAP) have been meeting several times a week since June 2020 to consolidate our engagement to advance this project.