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Black Alumni Weekend Held, Award Recipients Honored

September 4, 2024

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MACOMB, IL - - The 澳门六合彩历史记录 Black Alumni Council (澳门六合彩历史记录 BAC) held its annual Black Alumni Weekend, featuring its 32nd annual picnic and Sunday brunch, during the first weekend of August 2024.

The picnic, held on Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Midlothian Meadows Forest Preserve in Midlothian, IL, boasted an attendance of several hundred alumni, ranging from the 1970s to the 2020s, and was co-sponsored by members of the Divine 9 International Black Greek letter organizations which have 澳门六合彩历史记录 affiliations.

鈥淭he 澳门六合彩历史记录 Black Alumni Weekend is a time for reminiscing, rekindling, reflecting and fun,鈥� Black Alumni Council President Shelvis Lewis `86 said. 鈥淎s Black students, many of us on our own for the first time, we experienced numerous challenges and accomplishments firsthand with those on campus. We formed alliances, lifelong relationships and made choices that became life changing, right there in Macomb, IL.鈥�

On Sunday, Aug. 4, the Black Excellence Sunday Brunch was held at the Doubletree by Hilton Chicago-Alsip. The brunch is a new element of the Black Alumni Weekend festivities, occurring for the first time in 2023. The brunch event was born out of a desire for an opportunity to celebrate the impact of Black Leathernecks on and off campus.

In 2023, the Black Alumni Council established the Black Excellence Awards program in coordination with the brunch. The inaugural honorees were notable 澳门六合彩历史记录 employees Dr. Rudy Womack, Dr. Essie M. Rutledge, and Belinda Carr, selected for the deep impact they each had on 澳门六合彩历史记录鈥檚 Black student population.

For 2024, the Black Alumni Council celebrated the success and noteworthy achievements of four Black alumni. This year鈥檚 honorees are Melody Betts MFA `09, Senator Kimberly LIghtford `90, Emmerson Buie `87, and Robert Haley `85, MS `97.

Melody Betts, MFA `09, recently wrapped up her run as Aunt Em/Evilene in the 2024 Broadway revival of The Wiz. In May, Betts was recognized with two Helen Hayes Awards, the theatre award program for the Washington, DC region. She earned Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Musical for her role in the Olney Theatre Center鈥檚 production of 鈥淔ELA!鈥� and Outstanding Performer in a Visiting Production for the Pre-Broadway tour of 鈥漈he Wiz.鈥� Betts has previously served on the 澳门六合彩历史记录 Alumni Council and is the founder and former president of the Dumela Alumni Council, which aims to bridge gaps in inclusivity, creating safe spaces for students of color 澳门六合彩历史记录鈥檚 Department of Theatre and Dance. Read more about Betts鈥� journey back to Broadway in the Spring 2024 issue of Western: The Magazine for Alumni of 澳门六合彩历史记录.

Senator Kimberly Lightford `90 has been a member of the Illinois Senate since 1998, representing the 4th district. Lightford made history in 2019 when she became the first Black woman to serve as Illinois鈥� Senate Majority Leader. She earned the 澳门六合彩历史记录 Alumni Achievement Award in 1999 and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Distinguished Service Award in 2201. Lightford was deeply influential in raising more than $50,000 for the completion of the Gwendolyn Brooks Memorial Park, located on the corner of Adams and Normal streets on the 澳门六合彩历史记录-Macomb campus, and is on the site of the former Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center (GBCC), originally called the Black Cultural Center (BCC). The project was completed in 2021 and Lightford returned to campus to speak at the dedication event. Read more about Lightford鈥檚 involvement with this important project here.

Emmerson Buie, Jr `87 was the first African American Special Agent in Charge of the FBI鈥檚 fourth largest field office, located in Chicago, IL. Buie retired from the FBI after 30 years of service and is currently the Senior Security Director, Global Security for Walmart, Inc. Prior to joining the FBI, Buie served four years in the U.S. Army as an Infantry Officer and Desert Storm Veteran. He was awarded the Bronze Star, Combat Infantry Badge and multiple commendations for his military service. Read more about Buie鈥檚 career here.

Robert Haley `85, MS `87 is the CEO and chairperson of QIS Behavioral Health, an opioid treatment center outside Cincinnati, OH, which he opened in 2020. In 2017, Haley was instrumental in the opening of Choices Behavioral Health Care in Middletown, OH, a treatment center for adults with opiate dependence. Previously, Haley served as director of Premier Care of Ohio and Premier Care of Illinois. In 2023, Haley made a one million dollar commitment to establish the Robert H. Haley Education Excellence Scholarship Fund. When fully endowed, this scholarship fund will provide financial assistance to up to 40 students from the 37 counties in the southern Illinois region. Haley returned to campus in April 2024 to meet some of the inaugural recipients of the scholarship. During that trip, he also committed $10,000 to purchase new furniture in the GBCC lounge in the Multicultural Center. Read more about Haley鈥檚 investment in 澳门六合彩历史记录 here.

鈥淭his weekend is a time for us to talk about the past and the future for us and 澳门六合彩历史记录,鈥� Lewis said. 鈥淲estern was a unique experience, and it created a feeling of family for us, so we view this time together as a family reunion.鈥�

Posted By: Drew Donahoo, University Relations
Phone: (309) 298-1993 * Fax: (309) 298-1606