Black Alumni Society Reunion Informs, Empowers, Inspires

Reunion focuses on securing the Black vote in 2024

Studio C at UMTV was the focal point for the University of Miami Black Alumni Society’s (UMBAS) reunion in February, which brought together students, alumni, and a six-time Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist for an engaging conversation themed “Empower U: Securing the Black Vote in 2024.”

In her opening remarks, Astin Hayes, B.S.C. ’06, UMBAS president, noted that the UMBAS board and reunion committee aimed to create a program that would resonate beyond campus and touch on intergenerational issues. “We hope that [alumni] can take something back to their communities,” says Hayes.

Calvin Hughes, who anchors WPLG Local 10 newscasts and is a lecturer in the School of Communication, drew parallels between what he has witnessed reporting from countries such as Haiti, which is, as he puts it, “in political chaos.” In Haiti, election days are on Saturdays, as opposed to Tuesdays in this country. “Many people are not able to get out to vote on a weekday,” he says. “So, I think people have to know that even though it’s a right, it’s not given—they have to [assertively] go out and utilize their voting rights.”

Hughes also addressed the challenge of engaging younger voters. “One thing we have found in covering politics in local news is that the border crisis is a big issue for a lot of people,” he explains. “If you talk to young folks, the border crisis isn’t a major issue for them. But student loan debt is.”

Democracy is like a garden, and voting is like the seeds.

Michael Langley, B.A. ’04, executive director of Florida Justice Institute, Inc., a nonprofit public interest law firm, used a garden metaphor in describing how best to strengthen democracy. “Democracy is like a garden, and voting is like the seeds. In order for humanity to thrive, we have to water those seeds ... it takes patience, but we have to keep it healthy.” In his view, the best way for people to cultivate the garden of democracy starts at home. “Know who your state and local elected officials are. Sign up for their newsletter, go to their website, and stay up to date with their records.”

Christopher Allen Clarke, Ed.D. ’23, UMBAS vice president and assistant dean for belonging and inclusion at the School of Law, cited information overload as a key challenge for younger voters. “They have to vet that in the snap of a finger,” he says. “That could create paralysis. So, for young voters, we can create spaces where they are, to educate them on what it means to have a right to vote.”

In a recorded message, Ronald L. Jackson, a professor in the School of Communication and a scholar of rhetoric and intercultural communication, exhorted Black voting-age people to “stand up and be counted.”

Melanie Lowe, executive producer of UMTV’s “The Culture” and a sophomore broadcast journalism major, hosted the show, which included a watch party and discussion at the Toppel Career Center led by Jason Starr, B.B.A. ’05, the UMBAS president-elect.

The UMBAS reunion weekend continued with events held in conjunction with Black Awareness Month programming on campus. Alumni gathered on the Foote Green for “A Taste of the South,” and the next morning, they joined United Black Students in a service project preparing sandwiches for a local homeless shelter. The weekend ended with a nondenominational church service in the Donna E. Shalala Student Center.

From Making Music to Challenging Cancer

Meet the alumnus at the helm of the DCC

On Feb. 24, more than 6,700 participants took part in Dolphins Challenge Cancer XIV, the Miami Dolphins organization’s signature fundraising event. This year’s walk, run, and bicycle rides raised a record-setting $12 million to support innovative cancer research at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the region’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.

Orchestrating the massive event is Javier Sanchez, B.M. ’02, M.M. ’04, executive director of the DCC.

Sanchez is an accomplished trombonist, and his musical journey spanned hundreds of concerts in the jazz, classical, and Latin genres at venues as highly regarded as Carnegie Hall. Sanchez is also a former adjunct professor at the University’s Frost School of Music. His transition from musician to event producer paralleled his increased involvement in Miami-based community events, such as the Miami Marathon and the Orange Bowl. He joined the Miami Dolphins’ DCC team in 2018 and became the event’s executive director in 2021.

“It was a privilege to study an art form that is all about creating an emotional connection with an audience,” Sanchez says. “Similarly, the DCC is about replicating that same connection to better health and wellness within our community.”

In addition to organizing the event, Sanchez leads by example. He participates in the 99-mile ride with his friend, SebastianStrong Foundation executive director Oscar Ortiz, who lost his son, Sebastian, to cancer in 2016.

Sanchez also credits Sylvester director Dr. Stephen Nimer for giving him the motivation to improve his cycling.

“With Javier Sanchez serving as the figurative DCC team captain, Sylvester has been able to accelerate the pace of discovery and make great strides in our race toward a world without cancer,” says Nimer. “We couldn’t be more grateful.”

’Canes Connect to Advance Personal and Professional Growth

Nearly 500 ’Canes across the nation attended events

Throughout March, the nationwide ’Cane network went into high gear as alumni gathered to connect, engage, and discover opportunities for mentorship and professional development.

Nearly 500 guests attended ’Canes Connect events hosted by 15 ’Canes Communities around the country. The events spanned the spectrum from panel discussions to more informal networking gatherings at local restaurants and, in the case of the Miami ’Canes, an upscale miniature golf experience.

’Canes Connect kicked off on March 5—fittingly, 305 Day—with a virtual program hosted by Rebecca Hoffman, B.A. ’92, M.S.Ed. ’94, president of the Chicago ’Canes Community. Erin Kobetz, the John K. and Judy H. Schulte Senior Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and inaugural chief health equity officer in the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, moderated a conversation with Rushil Desai, B.S. ’12, CEO of Aetna Better Health of Illinois.

The conversation’s theme was, as both Desai and Kobetz put it, the importance of getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. “When we are in those spaces, we have the greatest potential to grow,” Kobetz noted.

Desai reflected on his undergraduate experience studying neuroscience and psychobiology at the U—and how it influenced his career trajectory. “As I think about my experience at the University of Miami, each class provided a unique perspective on problem-solving,” he said.

Desai also encouraged students and new graduates to seek mentors that offer a diversity of perspectives on their chosen field of study or profession. “The biggest thing I’ve been grateful for in my life has been having very strong mentors,” he said. “Even if an organization doesn’t have a formal mentoring program, you’d be surprised at how many VPs, SVPs, and directors have that interest and want to be out there [as mentors].”

Elsewhere, the New York ’Canes Community welcomed LaFontaine Oliver, B.B.A. ’99, CEO of New York Public Radio, who shared insights from his distinguished career in radio, the ongoing challenges of a constantly shifting media landscape, and his own good fortune working in a field he loves.

The Orlando ’Canes welcomed David Mullings, B.S. ’00, M.B.A. ’03, CEO of Blue Mahoe Holdings, who related how The Launch Pad at the University helped propel his first startup. The Boca Raton Innovation Campus was the setting for the Palm Beach County ’Canes Connect, with a panel discussion that focused on the ways business and entrepreneurship have evolved in recent years.

Down the road, the Broward County ’Canes Community hosted a panel discussion where alumni in different professions shared their perspectives on the importance of community engagement, self-branding, and expanding one’s personal and professional networks.

Whatever the event format or topic, the ’Canes Connect events were linked by common threads: Never stop learning and never stop networking.

Pancakes with Pat Teams up with Toppel

Patricia Whitely and the Toppel Career Center visited the Atlanta ’Canes Community

Stacks of pancakes and free-flowing syrup were on the menu at this spring’s Atlanta ’Canes Community event as alumni and University leaders gathered for an evening of friendship and information sharing, which included a reception for the University of Miami Black Alumni Society.

Pat Whitely, Ed.D. ’94, senior vice president for student affairs and alumni engagement, brought her signature Pancakes with Pat event to the Georgia state capital, sharing updates from the University and relaying the excitement and positivity of the ’Canes Communities she encountered thus far on her national tour.

Renee Callan, Ed.D. ’18, assistant vice president for student life, reminded alumni of their power to create brighter opportunities for current students and impart meaningful change by supporting University-led initiatives.

“I always enjoy connecting and reminiscing with alumni,” Callan says. “I also look forward to sharing the latest on campus life and explaining how alumni can support current students and University efforts.”

Christian Garcia, associate dean and executive director of the Toppel Career Center, spoke to the advantages a University of Miami degree offers, including a robust alumni network dedicated to empowering fellow ’Canes in their professions and ongoing career support services offered through the Toppel Center.

“Pat Whitely is like a rock star in the eyes of alumni, so it’s been great to watch her in action,” Garcia says. “I also appreciate the opportunity to speak to alumni about the ways they can connect with current students and support their ambitions, as well as update them on the many exciting things happening at the University relating to career education.”

I appreciate the opportunity to speak to alumni about the ways they can connect with current students.