The Effects of Black Alumni and Faculty
The Black community at Dartmouth has never been restricted to current students at the College. Alumni and faculty members have historically been, and continue to be, a major part of the community and positively impact students. The appreciation that came from this was clear when I spoke with Ms. Cave. Not only did she bring up the fact that "Institutional Racism and Life at Dartmouth" would not exist without faculty and alumni, but she also made sure to reference specific people by name when demonstrating the profound impact they had on her.
The Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association, also known as BADA, was formed in 1972, and ever since its inception has played a large role in Dartmouth's Black community. According to Ms. Cave, during her time at the College, "... there was an increasing presence on campus of the older Black alumni," who made sure to assist current Black students when necessary. Black faculty members did the same. Ms. Cave said, "When I look at even the Black alumni who were faculty members at the time, they all played an integral part in really trying to make sure we stayed focused." In short, the alumni and faculty of Dartmouth's Black community worked very hard to ensure the success of the students at the time. Some of the many important Black alumni and faculty members will be displayed on this page of the exhibit.
In 1981, a Black Alumni Conference was held on Dartmouth's campus. The conference occurred just one year short of the 10th anniversary of the Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association. Alumni who attended the conference are pictured here outside of the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
In 2012, members of the Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association returned to campus to celebrate the organization's 40th anniversary. The reunion was held at the top of the Hopkins Center.
In this picture, a Black professor is shown teaching his class. In the interview, Ms. Cave displayed her appreciation for the Black faculty members that she met while on campus, and this sentiment is commonly shared by many Black students around the country.
Errol Hill was the main professor who Cave spoke to me about in depth, and she considered him to be "somebody who was so respected and well-known in his own work in the arts." Hill was a product of Trinidad and taught theater at the College. He was the first Black tenured professor at Dartmouth and taught here from 1968 to 1989. In this picture, Errol Hill (third from the bottom) is at a commencement.
