The first formal reunion of minority graduates from Bridgewater State College was held on June 4, 1988.  The event was organized by  Mrs. Jeanne Oliver Foster  with support from Mr. Paul Gaines, Progress Outreach/Minority Affairs and Assistant to the President, and Mr. Philip Conroy, Director of Alumni Relations.  Nearly 100 people attended, representing graduates of the Progress/Outreach program from the previous 20 years of faculty, administration and students. 

One of the goals of the 1988 reunion was to rekindle the close-knit relationships that were developed during their undergraduate years.  Another goal was to show  appreciation to minority administrators and faculty who had been the framework of the support system that was in place when they were students at BSC. 

During that 1988 reunion, some of the alumni talked about establishing a Minority Alumni organization that was similar to the undergraduate organization Afro-Am Society.  Seventeen alumni signed up to develop a plan to form a minority alumni organization.  It was decided to name this new organization the "Afro-Am Alumni Council."  That name remained the same until 2002, at which time it was changed to the "Afro-American Alumni Association."

The first meeting of the Afro-Am Alumni Council was held at the Campus Center's Formal Dining Room on May 15, 1990. At that meeting, Jeanne Oliver Foster '77 presented a Constitution for discussion and approval.   The two names being considered were Black Alumni Council and Afro-American Alumni Council. The group chose the name Afro-American Alumni Council.  Affiliations of the organization would include the newly formed Hall of Black Achievement (HOBA) and the newly established Career Advisory Network in the Career Counseling Center, which would network our alumni with students. 

The alumni in attendance were:

Domingo Amado Jr., Curtis Bailey, Harriet Beasley, Josephine Bernard, Paul Bonitto, Janis Larkin Caines, Pamela Crudup-Veiga, Whitfield Daley, Paul Dobson, Jeanne Oliver Foster, W. Bruce Gaines, Antonio Gonsalves, Barbara Jackson, Eyvonne King, Darryl McArthur, Nanzetta Merriman, Alva Mitchem, Frances Pina, Watson, Stephen Prophet, Gloria Stanton, Jacqueline Ware and Vanessa Whittington. 

This group became known as the founding members.  They voted in favor of appointing Jeanne Oliver Foster as Acting President until a formal election was held. Paul Gaines and Phil Conroy were the Advisors to the newly formed Afro-Am Alumni Council. 

Some of the programs that were initiated during 1990-1994 included:

• Participation in Freshmen Orientation
• An Annual Gospel Concert
• Career Nite

Jeanne remained president until 1993. In 1994, John Lenny McLean '90 was elected to lead the Afro-American Alumni Council. Under his leadership, the Association has developed even stronger ties with the administration, faculty, BSC alumni and the BSC Foundation, while becoming more focused on supporting the undergraduate students. 

In 2001, President McLean developed the Association's motto "REFLECT & CONNECT".  The meaning behind this motto is quite simple.  Our minority alumni "REFLECT" on the times of growing up, going to classes and being the only minority in his or her class. Now, as alumni we "CONNECT" with current undergraduates by letting them know that they are not alone and that we too went through some of the same struggles that they are experiencing.

The Association, in recent years, has continued to develop and co-sponsor many student- oriented programs.   For example, they participate and co-sponsor the Kente Cloth Breakfast just prior to graduation.  They also sponsor a Minority Mentoring  program to help students explore career opportunities, a Men's Fellowship Brunch in the spring and a Welcome Back Brunch in the fall. The organization raises money for scholarships, and sponsors an annual Awards Dinner to honor BSC graduates and students who have achieved academic excellence and community recognition.

The Afro-American Alumni Association continues to meet every 2^nd Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the Davis Alumni Center and we encourage more alumni to become actively involved.  It is so important for us to give back and help minority students following the same positive path we took during our undergraduate/graduate years.