Purdue Black Alumni Organization (PBAO)

Photos from Purdue's 2024 Black Graduation
There were approximately 60 graduates and about 300 people in attendance.

Join the Purdue Black Alumni Organization Board and make a difference!

Are you passionate about giving back to Purdue and supporting the Black alumni community? If so, we invite you to consider joining the Purdue Black Alumni Organization (PBAO) Board with the Purdue for Life Foundation.

As the oldest affinity network at Purdue, PBAO is dedicated to fostering connections, professional development, and philanthropy among Black alumni. By staying involved, staying connected, and giving back, you can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our community and supporting Purdue's mission.

Beginning May 1, 2024, until 11:59 p.m. on May 25, 2024, the Board will be accepting applications to fill these positions. All requested information must be uploaded via the application form link: https://forms.gle/z8cHFVewpzb5aaTi6.

**Gateways Music Festival connects and supports professional classical musicians of African descent and enlightens and inspires communities through the power of performance.**

Gateways musicians are multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-national people of the African diaspora who are challenging the status quo and preconceptions about classical music at the highest levels. In performance, the image of the Gateways Music Festival Orchestra offers a counter narrative to stereotypical images of classical musicians.

However, Gateways’ main goal is not to provide a solution to a problem not of its making. Instead, it was created to serve as an antidote to the isolation and under-estimation experienced by many classical musicians of African descent and to provide a vibrant and supportive community where they could find affirmation and an artistic home.

The Gateways Orchestra was invited to perform in Chicago by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for 5 days in April 2024. On April 19, 2024, members of the Purdue Black Alumni Organization joined a full house audience to witness and enjoy the final performance at Chicago Symphony Hall.

Pictured here with Alexander Laing, Gateways President & Artistic Director (and Member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity) are PBAO representatives L-R:
Curtis Baylor (Immediate Past President)
Jacques White (Board Member)
Sandra Bruce (Life Member)
Charles Bruce (Vice President)

On April 24, 2024, Purdue will be hosting its eleventh system-wide Day of Giving. This event is a 24-hour rally where students, alumni, faculty, staff, retirees, parents, and friends come together to make a difference and propel Purdue's next giant leap forward.
We invite you to join us in this collective effort by spreading the word and sharing widely the giving link provided below. By contributing, you'll be supporting your network’s scholarship endowment, which plays a crucial role in providing financial assistance to deserving students.
Giving Link: https://connect.purdue.edu/s/givenow?dids=026366&appealcode=19680

** Alumni Ambassadors Program **
Do you want to inspire future Black Boilermakers? Become an Alumni ambassador for Each One, Reach One! As an ambassador, you will introduce Black high school students, teachers, counselors, and administrators to Purdue University by engaging in classroom visits, college fairs, and community events.
https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4PIJzTPuuv5MdQG?Q_CHL=qr

Though the outcome wasn't what we hoped for, we salute and celebrate the team's amazing season! BOILER UP!!

FINAL

Heck of a season... just one win short.

Purdue is going to the National Championship!! BOILER UP!!

💥💥💥💥💥

WE’RE PLAYING FOR A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ON MONDAY NIGHT!

What a game! BOILER UP!! 👏👏👏

https://events.blackthorn.io/3ktO526/4a9GDo4utG

Register here: https://events.blackthorn.io/3ktO526/4a9GDo4utG

Celebrating Women's History Month!!

Show your love & Boiler Up!!

Celebrating Black History Month Every Day of the Year!!

**Featured Speaker: Angela Threlkeld Dodd (IE’83)**

You’re invited to join us as we celebrate the diversity of Purdue alumni everywhere during this free online event! Our featured speaker is Angela Threlkeld Dodd (IE’83), director of performance delivery at the Frederick Douglass Entrepreneurial Development and Leadership Institute. She will share how Purdue impacted her personal and professional life.

Threlkeld Dodd helps entrepreneurs by connecting them to resources that foster economic stability. For 20 years, she worked in engineering and management positions at General Motors. She has also worked in the nonprofit sector, teaching transferable skills to underserved communities. In addition, Threlkeld Dodd serves as president of the Purdue Black Alumni Organization.

This webinar is part of a series of events related to the Purdue for Life Foundation’s Day of Unity, which provides an opportunity for different communities to come together, engage in stimulating conversation, and cultivate a community of unity, growth, and continued support.
https://events.blackthorn.io/en-US/3ktO526/g/1DDqcB2naP/purdue-unity-january-webinar-4a9GDo4umy/overview

Boiler Up in 2024!!

Merry Christmas & Blessings To All!

Graduation Stoles!!

Graduation is a moment of pride; pride in your education and all the things that make you who you are.

Help our graduates show pride in their identity by gifting a unique graduation stole. Each stole represents the cultural center they’ve chosen to connect with on campus and the affinity network that will continue to support them as they go out into the world! Make your gift today: https://purdue.university/3RooaEd