Grinnell College held its first Black Alumni Weekend since 2014. For three days, starting on Oct. 3 and ending on Oct. 5, Black Alumni returned not just to relive memories but to build new ones with each other and with current students.
“Black Alumni, to me, was essentially just creating support and representation, not just for students, but also for alumni, and kind of fostering connection between us,” said Priya Boyce `28, a member of the planning committee.
From the moment guests arrived, the energy was unmistakable. Laughter, hugs and smiles filled every room. At the Welcoming Dinner, Noel Green`94, co-chair of Grinnell Black Alumni Network, set the tone with a playful trip down memory lane, calling out alumni by class decades and pairing them with a popular movie and popular song in the middle of their respective decade. Every announcement sparked cheers and spontaneous singalongs as alumni jammed to their favorite throwbacks.
“I think it was the alumni from the 1980s. They started screaming, GC pride, GC pride,” said Boyce. “In my head, when they were saying that, I was like ‘yeah, that’s my school’.”
Opeyemi Awe `15, co-chair of Grinnell Black Alumni Network, welcomed Jenée Spencer, the College’s Black Student Specialist, who was met with warm applause. She gave her speech ending with her motto “If you need something, say something.”
“Jenée has supported black studentson campus, she always extends help to black students and always makes us feel heard,” Boyce said. “She really puts her foot and leg into sending emails for students to come to events and promoting these events and pushing for students to come to this particular event.”
The next day, students gathered for a cookout, where alumni and students ate, laughed and talked under a large tent set up beside the BCC.
Students got to connect with several alumni talking about different things such as majors, travel abroad experiences and what life at Grinnell looks like now.
“I found myself relating a lot to alumni that had both good and bad experiences, and it made me want to foster community in Grinnell even more due to the fact that I feel we should,” said Boyce.
“Alumni, even from four years ago, they were saying that they were having some of the same micro-aggressive experience as me, and I feel like that’s something we should have changed.”
During the Saturday night dinner on the golf course, College President Anne Harris addressed the crowd, recognizing the significance of the weekend and the importance of fostering spaces that celebrate identity and success. Then came the last event of the night — Sneaker Ball. Students and alumni dressed to impress, combining formal wear with their sneakers.
Students either danced on the dance floor or hung out in Bob’s Underground, where they could sit on the couches to have conversation, wind down and have a slice of pizza.
Jeffrey Fields `90, a member on the logistics subcommittee, and Rae Wadley `88, a member on the welcoming hospitality subcommittee, both planning committee members, emphasized how meaningful it was to return and help make the event happen.
“I feel like it’s been outstanding now [that] we’re connecting more with students, and hopefully that goes long term,” said Fields. “It’s been a lot of joy in seeing people with smiles on their faces, connecting with people that I haven’t seen for a while, or that I didn’t know,” said Fields.
Fields’ job was to secure rooms and curate the music for the event.
Wadley’s job was to help set up the quiet rest area and ensure snacks were always on hand.
“We wanted people to make sure that we really appreciated that they took time out of their schedules to come to this event,” she said.
Beyond the laughter, meals and music, the weekend was filled with deeper conversations about student support, representation and retention.
“We don’t just want students to get here,” said Wadley. “We want to see students who come here feel supported enough to stay and graduate, not to fail.”
