MESSAGE
FROM THE PRESIDENT
CORNELL BLACK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Alumni House
626 Thurston Avenue
Ithaca, NY 14850-2490
Website: Cbaa1976.com
Sharing the vision
of our education
October 2008
Dear Cornell Black Alumni Association Members and Friends,
This past year CBAA held social and volunteer activities for our membership and other African American Alumni to keep in
touch and give back to Cornell. Highlights were the December 2007, Alvin Ailey Dance Theater Event (a fundraiser for
CBAA Scholarships) , our November 2007, General Body Meeting at the National Urban League Headquarters in New York City, and
the Winter Break Receptions for current Cornell students held in DC, NYC and Atlanta in January. What a year!
If you celebrated our 30th Anniversary at CBAA’s Update 2006 Reunion, I am sure you are looking forward to attending
Update 2009 on June 4-7, 2009. Attendance records will likely be broken as newer graduates join us in the educational
seminars, alumni-faculty interactions, and unique social events. A message from our Reunion Co-Chairs, Deborah Arrindell
’79 and Donell Hicks ’97, is on the reverse side of this letter.
This presidential election year and
the important foreign and domestic issues at stake bring home the value of higher education and the need for voluntarism.
CBAA needs you to get involved in organizing activities and displaying the leadership qualities that will enable you to advance
CBAA’s mission. The next election of CBAA officers will be held at our June 2009 reunion.
CBAA’s
mission remains “to share the vision of our education.” We continue to urge Cornell, through our voices
and monetary support, to strengthen and expand opportunities for Black students, an “underrepresented minority”
at Cornell. CBAA scholarships play a vital role in helping students afford the over $50,000 cost of a Cornell education.
Sizeable and annual donations are needed to ensure the longevity and vitality of CBAA Tradition Fellowships as well as the
Africana Studies and Research Center (AS&RC) programming. Donors to the AS&RC Fund will be listed on a plaque
at the Africana Center, memorializing CBAA’s commitment for posterity.
Reunion classes and organizations
typically mark their return to Cornell with a tangible gift to support the multi-faceted Cornell experience. While our
newsletter annually reaches over 3,600 Black Alumni, only a few of you have answered past appeals to donate to Cornell and
to play an active role in her future. We hope to help deserving students continue their education by raising $450,000
by reunion. We specifically challenge our over 290 CBAA Life Members to donate $1,000 or more each to help meet
this goal.
The scholarship committee is planning a spring fundraiser. In the meantime,
you can make a tax-deductible donation by making your check payable to Cornell University and mail
it with the enclosed form. You can also donate on line through our website (which links you to Cornell’s
website).
Please make checks payable to “CBAA” for CBAA dues only.
Become an active CBAA member, donate regularly to Cornell, and help improve the lives of young people. Members
are needed to serve as Regional Representatives in Boston, California, DC, and Greater New York, and to serve on the Fundraising,
Scholarship, Programming, Reunion, and Student Relations Committees. To join, donate, volunteer, and/or access our Fall
2008 Newsletter, go to our website, www.cbaa1976.com. Be sure to keep your email and first class addresses current with
Cornell so we can keep you informed about events throughout the year.
A preliminary calendar of CBAA events is
are included in this newsletter.
I hope to see you on Sat. Nov. 22nd at the CBAA General
Body Meeting in Washington, DC (Hall of States, 444 N. Capitol St. N.W., Wash. DC 20001) to share ideas and initiatives.
Doris Davis, Associate Provost for Admissions and Enrollment, will give an update on minority admissions.
Mitzi Young ’77
CBAA President 2006-2009
