RSVP

Price: $25 member, $30 guest, sponsored by the MIT Club of New York

Wine and Conversation with Pulitzer Prize Winner and MIT Professor Junot Diaz:

A discussion about creative storytelling at MIT and Diaz's unique identity as a writer

Join Pulitzer Prize Winning Author, McArthur Fellow and MIT Creative Writing Professor Junot Diaz for coffee and an illuminating discussion about his experiences with writing, the creative writing program at MIT and an in-depth discussion on Caribbean Fiction in the Age of Precarity. There will be a Q&A afterwards where attendees are welcome to ask about the breadth of creative writing offerings currently available at MIT and how they fit with MIT's values and identity and Diaz's writing elements of code switching, raw honesty, streetwise intelligence, second person narration, and themes of power, migration, and diaspora. Wine & mediterranean spreads will be included.

Bio

Junot Díaz is the author of Drown, This Is How You Lose Her, Islandborn, and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize. He is a MacArthur Fellow, and his non-fiction appears in The Boston Review and the New York Times. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New Jersey, Díaz is a graduate of Rutgers University and Cornell University. At CMS/W, he regularly teaches Critical Worldbuilding.

The BAMIT Annual Meeting will include discussion of current topics affecting Black students at the Institute as well as a brief overview of current successes and future plans.

The Annual Meeting is held during the MIT Alumni Association Alumni Leadership Conference (ALC), beginning on Friday September 26th. It is a weekend packed with volunteer training and engagement opportunities. The MITAA staff works with alumni volunteers to make each of these training sessions unique, relevant and engaging. The Leadership Awards Celebration is held on Friday evening where several Black alumni will be receiving awards. Click here to get more details and to register for ALC.

Location To Be Announced and On-line

Register HERE for the BAMIT Annual Meeting

Join the Black Alumni of MIT (DC Chapter) for an End of Summer Kickback—a laid-back afternoon filled with food, music, and good company.

We’re gathering to uplift the MITES (MIT Introduction to Engineering and Science) program, a powerful launchpad for young changemakers. Come meet current and former MITES students and alumni, and connect with prospective students and families who want to learn more about the program and life at MIT.

Please RSVP at the EventBrite link below:

End of Summer Kickback: BAMIT DC Celebrates MIT MITES

Join us for a toast to the newest MIT alumni graduates, reconnect with fellow alumni, celebrate some great accomplishments, and reminisce about life at MIT!

Register Here

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Juniors and BAMIT are holding a virtual pilot event: the “Research Superday”!

The Research Superday is a two-part event:

Part 1: Career Inspiration:

BAMIT Alumni will share their journey into research as a career. Each Member will speak briefly about:

• How they became involved in research.

• An overview of their research area.

• Advice for high school students considering research as a potential career path in any discipline.

Part 2: Judging Panel:

These same BAMIT alumni will also serve as judges for a student project competition. The judging panel will consist of four (4) alumni, with one of them a current BAMIT graduate student, and a UROP student, constituting a 5-member judging panel.Judges will evaluate the 3-minute team project presentations by NSBE Junior students, using simple criteria to determine the winners for first, second, and third-place prizes.

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Mixer will provide a fantastic opportunity for alumni to engage with the MIT student community, share their experiences at MIT and beyond, and offer valuable insights as current students navigate their academic and professional journeys. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP.

Join the MIT Black Students’ Union and Black Alumni(ae) of MIT for a milestone celebration at the 50th Annual Ebony Affair Gala. This special evening honors five decades of Black excellence at MIT, bringing together current students, alumni, newly admitted students, faculty, and staff for an unforgettable night of storytelling, music, and fellowship.

We are honored to welcome Reginald Van Lee ’79, SM ’80 (MIT), MBA ‘84 (Harvard) as our featured speaker, sharing insights from his distinguished career in business, philanthropy, and the arts. Enjoy incredible performances, a curated dining experience, and a celebration of our community’s impact and legacy. The dress code is formal, with golden attire encouraged.

Doors open at 4 PM ET. Tickets are free, thanks to the generous support of the MIT Alumni Association. Please reserve your ticket by Wednesday, April 2nd. More information on virtual participation will be shared soon.

The Black Alumni/ae of MIT (BAMIT) are pleased to invite the entire MIT Community to the annual celebration of our graduates. We will acknowledge the accomplishments of all Class of 2025 graduates, both undergraduates and graduate students. We will be joined by students, newly admitted students, faculty, staff and alumni. Each graduate will receive a hand-woven, embroidered Kente stole.

This is a hybrid event. You may choose to attend in person or virtually via livestream and you will have the opportunity to make a voluntary financial contribution. Thank you!

Register here.

The BAMIT Annual Meeting this year will be held in person with an option to participate virtually during the Alumni Leadership Conference (ALC). You will need to register to receive the Zoom link to participate virtually, and to receive details of the in-person option. 

At the BAMIT Annual Meeting, in addition to the installation of Board Officers, we will present the summary of this year's accomplishments and plans for next year.

Join the BAMIT Board and other fellow Black Alums for dinner, Saturday evening, September 28 at 6 PM, location TBA. Each guest will be responsible for the cost of their meal and beverages.

The BAMIT Annual Meeting is open to all MIT alumni, faculty, staff, and students. Register here for the BAMIT Annual Meeting and the BAMIT Dinner so we know to expect you. Please indicate whether you will be joining us for dinner when you register.

If you are unable to attend the Annual Meeting but would like to join us for dinner only, register here for the BAMIT Dinner Only.

Note that registering for the BAMIT Annual Meeting does not mean you are registered for the Alumni Leadership Conference. If you want to register for ALC, you will need to register separately.

The Black Alumni/ae of MIT (BAMIT) are pleased to announce the annual Black Graduate Celebration. We will acknowledge the accomplishments of all Class of 2024 graduates, both undergraduates and graduate students. We will be joined by students, faculty, staff and alumni. Each graduate will receive a hand-woven, embroidered kente stole. Register here.

Come join with the MIT Gospel Choir Alums for a presentation of song, favorite memories over the years, and statements about the impact of the Choir on the MIT Community --- and beyond!  You will find songs, highlights of history, and never heard before testimonials of former Choir members.

Pull up a seat, with family and friends, and join with us, via Zoom, on this Saturday evening and don’t miss your opportunity to see this Look Back in History.

View the video here.

On Monday, May 1, 2023, on Killian Court, the whole MIT community is invited to join in celebrating the inauguration of Sally Kornbluth as the Institute’s 18th president! See this link for details and updates https://inauguration.mit.edu/ 

CELEBRATION
BAMIT is proud to sponsor the 2023 Black Graduate Celebration, an annual tradition. At this joyous event we will recognize and honor Black undergraduate and graduate students who are graduating from MIT. The celebration will take place Friday, April 21, 2023, 5:00 – 7:00 pm, US Eastern Time, in Kirsch Auditorium.

View the recorded event

The theme the students have chosen for this year’s celebration is The Ache For Home. The program will include remarks from student speakers, a short performance, a keynote, and a networking reception immediately following.

 We are delighted to announce that our keynote speaker will be Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. An activist, a legislator, and survivor, Congresswoman Pressley is the first woman of color to be elected to Congress from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Throughout her career as a public servant and as a member of Congress, she has been a champion for justice and healing: reproductive justice, justice for immigrants, consumer justice, justice for seniors, justice for workers, justice for survivors of sexual violence, justice for the formerly and currently incarcerated, as well as healing for those who have experienced trauma. Congresswoman Pressley has fought to ensure that those closest to the pain are closest to the power - driving and informing policymaking. In Congress, she has been a champion for justice and healing: reproductive justice, justice for immigrants, consumer justice, justice for seniors, justice for workers, justice for survivors of sexual violence, justice for formerly and currently incarcerated individuals, and healing for those who have experienced trauma. She has also turned her experience living with alopecia into action, becoming a leading voice fighting to raise awareness and support for the alopecia community across the nation.

Congresswoman Pressley currently serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the House Committee on Financial Services. Prior to being elected to Congress, she served on the Boston City Council for eight years, and was the first woman of color elected to the council in its 100-year history.
 
Tickets are $20.

The event is free for current students and BAMIT members. Option to participate via livestream for free is available.

EVENT DETAILS & REGISTRATION

When registering, graduating students will be asked to fill out a separate form.

The National Science & Technology Medals Foundation (NSTMF) is hosting an evening fireside chat with Dr. Cato T. Laurencin at Pfizer, Inc.’s Cambridge Campus near MIT on April 13, 2023 from 5:30pm-8:00pm ET.

PLEASE NOTE: Visitors must register by April 9 in order to attend this event. Visitors will be required to show a government issued identification to Security, sign a confidentiality agreement, wear an identification badge, and expected to be escorted to attend the event.

EVENT DETAILS & REGISTRATION

Save the Date  
The Chicago Black Alumni of MIT (ChiBAMIT)
Celebrates
Prof. Wesley Harris
A Fireside Chat and Discussion: Looking Back to Move Forward

In 2022, Professor Harris was elected to be the next Vice President of the National Academy of Engineering. This honor coincides with the 50th anniversary of Professor Harris joining the faculty of MIT. In recognition of this latest milestone in an extraordinary life of academic excellence, activism, and service, the Chicago Chapter of the Black Alumni of MIT (ChiBAMIT) is honored to host an afternoon of celebration and conversation with Professor Harris. In addition to celebrating Professor Harris, we anticipate a candid and compelling conversation as Professor Harris shares his thoughts on the critical questions facing our community and our world, informed by his unique perspective on where we are, and how we got here. As we look to the future of ChiBAMIT, informed by the thoughts and perspectives shared, this event will also serve as an opportunity to reconvene ChiBAMIT and to reconnect with Black MIT alumni across the Chicago region. 

REGISTER HERE

"Research is formalized curiosity.  It is poking and prying with a purpose." 
-- Zora Neale Hurston 

Join BAMIT in celebrating the outstanding "formalized curiosity" of Black MIT alums and students at the 2023 BAMIT Research Slam, Thursday, February 23, 2022, at 7:30pm Eastern.

Black MIT alums and students will have 5 minutes to present their research using only 1 slide in a fast-paced virtual pitch competition. Prepare to be impressed! The breadth of research projects and the intellectual talents of our Black colleagues will inspire and delight. Competition judges will award up to $2,000 in prizes.

You can join the fun too, learning about new ideas, asking questions, offering constructive criticism, and giving encouragement. You can also participate in the live polling which will contribute to an audience-choice award to complement the judges' communications awards.

Slam Presenters: 

Crystan McLymore - MIT
Cadence Payne '20 - MIT
Quilee Simeon '21 - MIT
Jonas Sogbadji - MIT
Julia Wilcots '22 - Princeton
Michael West '20 - MIT

REGISTER HERE to receive the Zoom link.

Warm regards,

BAMIT Board of Directors

MIT Sloan's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion presents The ComMITment, its capstone event for students. Join us Thursday, February 23 from 6pm to 7:30pm at MIT's Wong Auditorium, Building E51, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge, MA 02138.

This year's ComMITment speakers include Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, U.S Chief Diversity Officer, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and U.S. Special Envoy Jessica Stern, U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 

Discover how Ambassador Abercrombie-Winstanley and Special Envoy Stern lead global efforts aimed at improving equality and gain valuable insight into how their work at the State Department seeks to address challenges marginalized communities face.

The MIT MLK Leadership Awards are given annually to students, alumni, staff, groups, and faculty members who embody the spirit of Dr. King’s work. Frank Ahimaz, Senior Lecturer, Finance at Sloan, and member of the BAMIT Board of Directors, and Moana Bentin, Senior Associate Director, Communities, were both recognized as MLK award recipients in February. We are thrilled that their tireless efforts on behalf of our community were recognized at an awards ceremony and luncheon. Be sure to watch the videos highlighting Frank and Moana’s work. The February 8 luncheon with MIT President Sally Kornbluth, Keynote Speaker Angela Davis, Master of Ceremonies Myles I. Noel (’24), Undergraduate Speaker Nicole Harris (’24), BSU Co-Chair, and Graduate Speaker Jaleesa Trapp, PhD Student; MIT Media Lab, can be found here. (edited) 

Theme: Supreme Court Justice

The Virtual 2022 Black Graduate Celebration was held on Saturday, April 16, 2022. We acknowledged the accomplishments of all Class of 2022 graduates, both undergraduates and graduate students.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Chanda R. Prescod-Weinstein, Assistant Professor of Physics and Core Faculty Member in Women’s Studies at the University of New Hampshire.
Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

To watch the webcast, please go to: BGC Webcast or enter http://web.mit.edu/webcast/bamit/s22/ in your web brower.