Rooted in Excellence: Black Alumni Weekend rekindles connection and community
October 16, 2025 — A driving force for bringing back Black Alumni Weekend at Grinnell College this year was how consequential the last Black alumni gathering had been in 2014 for students like Opeyemi “Ope” Awe ’15.
“I was a beneficiary of so many incredible Black alumni who made it a point to invest in students and reach back to connect,” Awe said. “I’m still connected to many of the alums I met in 2014. When I’m in the middle of a transition, I know there’s a list of Black alums I can reach out to. That has resonated with me and carried me over the last 11 years. It’s an incredible testament to how we can build something that is long lasting.”
The Grinnell Black Alumni Network (GBAN) along with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations hosted this year’s Black Alumni Weekend on campus Oct. 3-5. About 45 alums returned for the weekend and were joined by around 70 Grinnell College students, faculty, and staff members at the various events.
Many of the alums who returned for Black Alumni Weekend gathered for a group shot Oct. 4 in back of the BCC.
Launched in February as an alumni affinity group, GBAN aims to create community and facilitate relationships between Black alumni, Black students, faculty, and staff by empowering members through each stage of their Grinnell journey. Resuming Black Alumni Weekend was the highlight of a busy first year for GBAN. A committee for the event met in Chicago in March to start formulating plans.
Awe, who co-chairs GBAN with Noel Green ’94, said when they were in the beginning stages of establishing GBAN, alums already were talking about the need for a Black alumni reunion.
“GBAN has been building and creating a foundation, so to see this be a launching pad for building this community has been incredible,” Awe says. “Alums from across decades have been engaging. It’s been very fulfilling and enjoyable.”
On Friday afternoon alums took part in a Landmark Tour of Black Grinnell Stories. Led by Rachael Dhakal ’97 and Valeriya Woodard ’25, the tour spotlighted landmarks like the Conney M. Kimbo Black Cultural Center (BCC), Burling Library, Renfrow Hall, and other campus locations. Attendees added their own insights and accounts, creating a stimulating dialogue about various places on campus as well as the significant contributions of Black Grinnellians across time.
“I didn’t get this history while I was here, so the best way to learn something is to teach something,” Dhakal said. “Part of my role with the [planning] committee was to figure out how to welcome people on the first day. I connected with Valeriya, and she shared all her research and photos. It was a fun experience to learn about my own school. The tour helped people connect with each other and helped connect us with the College.”
Rachael Dhakal ’97 talks about the history of the Conney M. Kimbo Black Cultural Center (BCC), which was the first stop Oct. 3 on a Landmark Tour of Black Grinnell Stories.
Later that afternoon, alums helped commemorate the one-year anniversary of the dedication of Renfrow Hall. Named in honor of Mrs. Edith Renfrow Smith ’37, DHL '19, the residence hall houses over 100 students and hosts community events. At the commemoration, Grinnellians joined together to sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” one of Mrs. Renfrow Smith’s favorite songs, and the one performed at the dedication a year ago.
An artists’ talk by Anthony Nsofor, a Nigerian contemporary painter, and a welcome dinner rounded out the opening day. When it became known at the dinner that it was life trustee Randy Morgan’s birthday, the entire room erupted into singing “Happy Birthday” to the 1965 alumnus.
Saturday began with a Breakfast Social Hour, which included a popular shrimp and grits dish prepared by Heaven Maye ’27, a Marcus Global Kitchen intern and one of several students who served on the Black Alumni Weekend Planning Committee.
Later that day, a cookout outside the BCC gave alumni a chance to build community with students, many of whom are part of organizations that the alums participated in during their student days. Music and laughter filled the air as attendees enjoyed food from G.G. Chicken & Waffles, a Black-owned business based in Des Moines.
The vibe was casual and created space for connections that students were looking to make. “I wanted to have a more intimate moment with the alumni because I appreciate their presence and being able to converse with them,” said Jaedyn Hudson ’26. “I was excited for any opportunity to get to talk with them.”
Hudson was joined by Quincy Peterson ’27, Noah Leopoldo ’29, and Yaleigh Harris ’26 at the Lift Your Voice: A Student Panel on Saturday morning. Students spoke about their experiences on campus and what challenges they have faced. They also answered a wide range of questions from alums.
Quincy Peterson ’27, right, discusses his Grinnell experience at the Lift Your Voice: A Student Panel on Oct. 4.
Obuchi Adikema ’21 was part of the outreach team for Black Alumni Weekend, and she was curious if the panelists thought today’s students would be willing to come back if there was a similar weekend a decade from now. “Have the changes at Grinnell been enough so that people would want to come to it, or do you feel Black people will still struggle with coming back to the College?”
“Everyone has their own experience with Blackness at Grinnell,” Peterson replied. “I think it’s a defining experience, but it’s a different experience depending on who you talk with. Some people feel at home with our community their first year, but you also have students who don’t feel like they know what they are doing here until their last year. From talking to my family members, I know they went to school in conditions that weren’t favorable. It takes time to heal and reflect. For me personally, I’m not going to dash away from Grinnell the minute I graduate.”
On Saturday afternoon, attendees attended an International Alumni Panel and an Administration Panel on Recruitment and Retention of Black Students. That was followed by an evening of meaningful dialogue, celebration, and recognition of the accomplishments of Black Grinnellians at a dinner Saturday at the Grinnell College Golf Course.
A stylish Sneaker Ball and a BCC Movie and Game Night capped the evening. Chapel at Grinnell on Sunday morning featured the Young, Gifted, and Black (YGB) choir and a sermon by Rev. Moses Mason ’99.
The theme for the weekend was Rooted in Excellence: Reawakening our Legacy, Rebuilding our Community. Awe said it served as a reminder that there are incredible Black alumni from across the years.
The Reawakening our Legacy component was designed to get alums thinking about what they can build for the next generation. “What can we do for current students to really develop that pipeline so it’s a more seamless transition?” Awe said. “This weekend was a really great start.”
—by Jeremy Shapiro