The Alvin Ailey fundraiser has

been one of CBAA’s major

events for several years. It

continues to be successful for

many reasons: the camarade-

rie, the cause and the excel-

lent performance. This year

we raised funds for the James

and Janice Turner CBAA

Scholarship Endowment, a

scholarship named for two of

Cornell’s most beloved com-

munity members. Alumni had

an opportunity to celebrate

the night with the scholarship

namesakes. Dr. James Turner,

a retired professor of Afri-

cana Studies and founder of

the African Studies and Re-

search Center and Dean

Janice Turner, a

retired associate

dean for the

College of Arts

and Sciences have

dedicated a com-

bined nine dec-

ades of service to

students at Cor-

nell.

We were excited to co-

sponsor the event with the

Black Ivy Alumni League

(BIAL) whose group was

instrumental in organizing a

private pre-performance

reception located in the lobby

of the grand mezzanine.

Alumni were able to network

across all of the Ivies. We

were able to meet with Cal-

vin Hunt, the Senior Director

of Performance and Produc-

tion and one of our own,

Monique McCloud’94, Human

Resource Generalist for the

Alvin Ailey American Dance

Theater. CBAA will work

with them to expand the

Alvin Ailey fundraiser to

other cities.

Approximately $3,000 was

raised from ticket sales for

the scholarship. Since its

inception, the endowment has

over $200,000. We would

like to give special thanks to

the following people for their

generous support: Benefactor:

Dr. Abel-Bey Geddis ’77;

Patron: Mr. Kwame Richard-

son ’02; Supporter: Ms. An-

gela Celestin ’92; and Recep-

tion Co-sponsors: Deborah

Arrindel ‘79 and Ruth

Trezevant-Cyrus’79.

Funds from this scholarship

will be awarded to several

African American students

per year in order to help pay

for their Cornell education. If

you would like to donate to

the James and Janice Turner

CBAA Scholarship Endow-

ment, please visit https://

www.giving.cornell.edu/give/

and indicate account number

#0007165. Thank you for

your support!

CBAA Returns to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

“You don’t just see an Alvin Ailey performance, you feel it.” - ESSENCE Magazine

New Year || New Website

In collaboration with our

web designer, Malik Mack

Arts ‘12, CBAA has

launched a new website that

will keep you up-to-date on

all our latest happenings.

This user-friendly site now

features a special login sec-

tion for all paid CBAA

members who will have

access to special discounts,

and our live-stream. Visit us

at www.cbaa1976.com! If

you’d like to learn more

about Malik’s services,

please email him at

mam36@cornell.edu.

Volume 1 , Issue 2

JANUARY 2013

UPDATEUPDATE

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE CORNELL BLACK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Membership 2

Regional Events 3

Alumni Spotlights 3

On The Hill 4

SWAG 5

SNAPSHOTS 6

Jamal King Gift Fund 9

Ins ide th is i ssue :

OFFICERS

President

Anika Daniels-Osaze, Arts ‘96

Treasurer

Darien Ward, ILR ‘90

Secretary

Sharon Foretia, ILR ‘11

VP Membership

Carol McIntosh, MD, Arts ‘83/

WCMC ‘87

VP Programming

Jade Dean, Hotel ‘08

VP Fundraising/Scholarship

Ebony Ray, ILR ‘10

VP Student Relations

Cynthia Cuffie, MD, HumEc ‘74

Sharing the vision of

our education

Click an icon to v is i t our

page

CBAA President Anika Daniels-Osaze joined other

Cornell alumni during the pre-theater reception co-

sponsored with BIAL

UPDATE Page 2

CBAA would like to welcome its new-

est appointed board member, Sharon

Foretia, ILR '11, as our new Secretary.

Welcome aboard, Sharon and con-

gratulations to Zachary Murray on his

new career opportunity. Thank you for

your service to CBAA! To find out

more about our officers, please visit the

website.

Since 1976, CBAA has promoted the

professional development of and pro-

vided giving opportunities to its mem-

bers, supported black students at Cor-

nell through endowment of scholar-

ships and development of other re-

sources, and provided assistance in

recruitment efforts.

As of September of 2012, CBAA rein-

stated its dues-paying membership

status per the approved vote of the

general body. To be considered an

active member, you must have either

paid your individual dues of $35 or

lifetime member dues of $325 (one-

time payment).

What the advantages are of being a paid

CBAA member?

▪ Ability to vote at general body

meetings and elections

▪ Network with Alumni across all

decades and disciples

▪ Connect with friends and former

classmates

▪ Access to special discounts (The

Buyers Club)

▪ Discounts to CBAA events

▪ Access to job announcements via

the members-only section

Below are some of the extraordinary

students that Cornell has profiled as

part of its Portraits initiative. Learn

more about these students and others

on the site.

L to R: Chioma Enweasor, WCMC

‘16; Stephen Breedon, Hotel ‘14;

Nicholas Booker-Tandy, CALS ‘12;

Jacqueline Perkins, Hotel ‘12;

Reginald Covington, Arts ‘12

All photos are courtesy of Cornell.

Why be a Paid CBAA Member?

Cornell Portraits

▪ Ability to advertise your own busi-

ness on our website

Join now and get 5 months free…

membership is good until June 2014!

To register and pay dues online (via

Paypal), please visit our website. An

alternative to Paypal is sending a check

or money order payable to CBAA to

the following address:

Carol McIntosh, VP of Membership

PO Box 376

Mount Rainier, MD 02712

For any inquiries regarding member-

ships please reach out to Carol.

Welcome Our New Secretary

We’re always looking for participation

in the following areas:

▪ Membership

▪ Programming

▪ Scholarship and Fundraising

▪ Campus and Student Relations

▪ Communications

▪ Secondary/Graduate Schools

Join a Committee

Volume 1 , Issue 2 Page 3

DC, Ohio, Los Angeles; partial co-

sponsorships with MOSAIC

▪ Inauguration Mixer at La Tasca,

DC

Please check the website for upcoming

events in your region.

We are looking for more Regional

Representatives. Please contact Jade

Dean if interested.

December 2012

▪ Alvin Ailey Show co-sponsored

with the Black Ivy Alumni League

▪ Young Alumni Party co-sponsored

with Office of Alumni Affairs,

CAA, CALS, CJA, CUGALA

January 2013

▪ Student-Alumni Networking

Events: Detroit, Atlanta, NYC,

On October 18, Frank Dawson ’72

and Abby Ginzberg ’71 held a Kick-

starter Campaign at Orrick in Manhat-

tan to fund their documentary called

Agents of Change, Black Students at the

Transformation of the American University.

The film screening included a panel

discussion with prominent professors

from various universities.

Agents of Change is a story about the

intersection of race, culture, and the

American university. The film examines

the untold story of the racial conditions

on college campuses in the country

during the 1960s that led to the suc-

cessful struggle for black studies. High-

lighted are the well- publicized events

at San Francisco State in 1968 and the

takeover of Willard Straight Hall at

Cornell University in 1969. “This film

brings to light the sacrifices and com-

mitment of thousands of students

across the country who fought to

change the conditions on college cam-

puses for future generations, as well as

for themselves. The challenges they

faced, the obstacles they overcame and

the gains that were achieved will be

illuminated in this important and com-

pelling film.” --Harry Edwards,

Professor Emeritus, University of

California, Berkeley. For more infor-

mation and to support the film, visit

agentsofchangedocumentary.com.

On October 25th, 2012, Cornell and

the ILR School dedicated the ILR Con-

ference Center Building as Patricia G.

and Rubén Jose King-Shaw, Jr. ILR

'83, Hall. King-Shaw has been an avid

supporter of ILR initiatives, exemplify-

ing the spirit of a dedicated alumnus.

Read more about this momentous oc-

casion in The ILR News Center. You

can also find video coverage of the

event on Cornell’s website. Photo is

courtesy of Cornell.

Recent Regional Events

Spotlight || Agents of Change

King-Shaw Hall: The ILR Conference Center

In The News

The EZRA Update highlighted Yusuf

Abdullah Muhammad, MPS '03, on

his contributions to the Cornell com-

munity, being a driving force for Brook-

lyn students to attend Cornell.

The Cornell Chronicle showcases

Katrina James, Arts ‘96 and chair of

the Cornell University Council, wear-

ing a design from Matilda Ceesay, HE

‘13, at the Cornell NOW banquet.

Support the Endowment

CBAA created the Dr. James and Janice

Turner Scholarship Endowment in 2010

to honor the Turners who have a com-

bined nine decades of service to Cor-

nell. The endowment provides scholar-

ships to qualifying African-American

students and has raised over $203,000

and provided over $8,000 in scholar-

ships to students. Your contribution

will help sustain the endowment. Con-

sider making a tax-deductible donation

today!

On October 25th, 2012, Cornell and

the ILR School dedicated the ILR Con-

ference Center Building as Patricia G.

and Rubén Jose King-Shaw, Jr. ILR

'83, Hall. King-Shaw has been an avid

supporter of ILR initiatives, exemplify-

ing the spirit of a dedicated alumnus.

Read more about this momentous oc-

casion in The ILR News Center. You

can also find video coverage of the

event on Cornell’s website. Photo is

courtesy of Cornell.

UPDATE Page 4

Festival of Black Gospel (FBG)

March 1st – March 3rd, 2013

Ithaca, NY

Contact: Cameron Younger,

cfy4@cornell.edu

To donate to FBG, please visit

www.ithacafbg.com/give.

Slope Day

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

145th Commencement

Schoellkopf Stadium

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Homecoming

September 20-22, 2013

Check out some of the upcoming campus events.

Our students can always use our support!

40th Anniversary Black Bio-Medical

and Technical Association (BBMTA)

Conference

Saturday, February 2nd, 2013

Africana Studies and Research Center

Contact: Desirree Pizzaro,

dkp36@cornell.edu

Recruiting season is off and running.

The job market is more competitive

than it’s ever been but through all the

resumes, cover letters, and rounds of

interviews, our students are making

strides. Several seniors have already

secured full-time positions post-

graduation and more are on the way.

See below for a couple of highlights on

where some of our students are headed:

Karim Abouelnaga, Arts: Decided to

forego his Blackrock offer and pursue

his education organization Practice

Makes Perfect (PMP) full-time. He’s in

talks with the NYC Department of

Education and is working on a Pre-

Core Development Partnership with

Teach For America. PMP will be lo-

cated out of the Teach For America

office in midtown starting in June and is

projected to serve 500 kids citywide

this summer.

Brianna Pollard, ILR: United Tech-

nologies Corporation's Climate Con-

trols & Security as an Associate within

its Human Resources Leadership De-

velopment Program (HRLDP)

The following were selected to join the

2013 Teach for America corps:

Whitney Holman, ILR: Middle School

math, Dallas

Khamila Alebiosu, Arts: General

Education, NYC

Olivia Jackson, Arts: General Educa-

ending at 5pm. The format of the con-

ference will include our keynote

speaker, Dr. John Mitchell, followed

by a morning panel centered around

exploring and analyzing innovations

made in healthcare within the last 40

years. The topics for our panel and

workshops will focus on research and

development, policy, and the quality of

care from a global perspective.

Finally, we are planning to have guests

arrive on Friday, February 1st and de-

Celebrating 40 Years.

The theme for this year’s conference is

Innovations in Healthcare: An As-

sessment of Our Healthcare System

from 1973-2013.

Our conference will be held on Satur-

day, February 2nd, 2013 in the Afri-

cana Studies and Research Center at

310 Triphammer Rd on Cornell Uni-

versity’s campus in Ithaca, New York. It

is an all-day affair, beginning at 9am and

Where Are Our Students Headed?

BBMTA Annual Conference || Save The Date!

part on Sunday, February 3rd, 2013. If

you have any questions, suggestions, or

requests, please contact Janice Turner

at jft1126@gmail.com, our conference

co-chair Desirree Pizarro at

dkp36@cornell.edu, or Deborah Rose

at dkr34@cornell.edu.

Again, BBMTA would like to express our

deep appreciation for your willingness to be

a part of this year’s annual health confer-

ence!

tion for K-6, Houston

Christine Cummings, Arts: Middle

School math or science, Atlanta

Antoinette Gayle, Hum Ec: Middle

School science, Newark

Congratulations to these seniors and

we look forward to hearing more good

news in the future.

Alum: If you’re in any of these fields, do

not hesitate to reach out to our stu-

dents and be a mentor. Pay it forward.

ON THE HILL

Volume 1 , Issue 2 Page 5

became successful without the support

of those who paved the way for it. We

at SWAG understand that principle,

that our success is carried in the womb

of our predecessors. Our goal is to

ensure that Black men at Cornell walk

away from the university with good

grades and even greater experiences.

The only way that goal can be achieved

is if we have as much support as possi-ble. CBAA can help SWAG by donating

their time, talents, and treasure.

Time. Alumni can donate their time by

offering to make guest appearances and

talks during workshops and/or net-

working events.

Talent. This can be achieved by pro-

viding our members with opportunities

to learn about their occupations and

find their desired paths in life. They can

do this by offering internships and ex-

ternship experiences, conference trips,

and scholarship opportunities.

Treasure. Your generous donations

allow us to secure guest speakers,

transportation for service trips, aca-

demic resources and so much more.

To donate, please go to this link.

Together, SWAG and CBAA can help

steer the future of our nation by pro-

viding society with the most equipped

and knowledgeable black male talent in

the country.

Highlights of Recent Activities

▪ 2012 S.W.A.G. Matching Cere-

mony covered by the Cornell

Chronicle for effective mentorship

strategies

▪ Successfully registered 100 mem-

bers, including undergraduate and

graduate students

▪ Front page of the Cornell Daily

Sun for University support of our

mission to increase retention rates

▪ Sent members to “Halloween at

Southside” in Ithaca to play with

kids in the community, providing a

safe and free environment

▪ Built camaraderie and strong

teamwork skills among black men

at the SWAG Bowling Event

Officers

Stephen Breedon, Treasurer

Kendrick Coq, Co President

Jeremy Freeman, Treasurer

Aaron Hancock, Recruitment Coor-

dinator

Kamaal Jones, Logistics Chair

Channing McNeal, Outreach Coordina-

tor

Thaddeus Talbot, Co President

Brandon Dennis, Freshman Represen-

tative

Mission Statement

Scholars Working Ambitiously to

Graduate (SWAG) is a retention pro-

gram for Black men at Cornell Univer-

sity. Our goal is increase the graduation

rate for all Black men to 90% by the

year 2015. At the same time, we hope

to strengthen our campus’ community

of black men by fostering a collabora-tive and supportive environment, con-

sequently promoting the highest levels

of educational attainment on campus.

Achieving these goals will put us at par

with nearly every other racial demo-

graphic on campus. We want to make

sure that SWAGmen are not only

graduating, but also are excelling, thriv-

ing, and serving as a model of success

during their collegiate careers and be-

yond. Our long-term goal is to make

Cornell a national model of black male

undergraduate retention and achieve-

ment and to expand the program to

colleges across the country.

SWAG is interested in forming an

Alumni Advisory Board. We feel it is

essential to be in constant communica-

tion with Alumni to hear their feedback

and to leverage their experiences in

programming. If you are interested in

learning more about this opportunity,

please reach out to Kendrick Coq at

klc273@cornell.edu.

There is not a single organization that

Dear CBAA Family,

The success of Cornell students is im-

portant to CBAA. Beginning with this

newsletter, we will highlight different

Black student organizations so that the

CBAA family can learn more about the

exciting things these organizations do

and how the CBAA family can support

them. Our first student organization,

Scholars Working Ambitiously to

Graduate (SWAG), exemplifies how

the collective family can come together

to address student needs. I am confi-

dent the CBAA family will support

these organizations in extraordinary

ways. These students need your time,

talent and money!

Sincerely,

Cynthia Cuffie, MD (HE ‘74)

Vice President of Student Relations

Scholars Working Ambitiously to Graduate (SWAG)

UPDATE Page 6

SNAPSHOTS: Where Has CBAA Been?

Past CBAA Events Include:

1. DMV | Alumni-Student Send Off

2. NYC | Young Alumni Labor Day Cookout

3. NJ-Philly-Delaware | Family Cookout

4. DC | General Body Meeting

5. Chicago | Rising Ivy Breakfast with BIAL &

Google

6. Ithaca | Homecoming

1

4 6

4

2

5

1

3

6

2 6 4

UPDATE Page 7

SNAPSHOTS: Where Has CBAA Been?

Past CBAA Events Include:

1. NYC | WCMC Diversity Mixer

2. NYC | Alvin Ailey Fundraiser with BIAL

3. NYC | Young Alumni Party @ Hudson Terrace

with Office of Alumni Affairs, CAA, CALS, CJA,

CUGALA

4. NYC | Networking Event with Cornell MOSAIC

5. DC | Inauguration Happy Hour

1

3

1 1 2

3 3

5

2 4

5

4

2

3