University Times

Jazz greats Dianne Reeves and Norman Connors, and nationally syndicated television talk show host Bev Smith will be among the featured attractions at a Pitt African American reunion weekend, June 27 – 29.

The weekend is sponsored by Pitt's African American Alumni Council in association with Black Entertainment Television (BET) and the Coca Cola Celebrity All-Star Weekend.

Proceeds from the weekend will support scholarships for African American students attending Pitt. The reunion is expected to draw 1,000 alumni, according to Sharon Flake, a staff member in the Katz Graduate School of Business, and will be taped by BET for airing nationwide later this summer.

"This weekend isn't just about having a good time," said Joy Sato, a staff member in the Office of Institutional Advancement and a board member of the alumni council. "We want to bring African American alumni of Pitt together to help future generations of black students, and to provide a solid networking base for our alumni around the nation." The weekend's festivities will kick off on June 27 with an awards concert honoring professor of jazz studies Nathan Davis. The concert will be hosted by television personality Smith and will feature performances by Reeves and Connors.

Activities on June 28 will feature a day-long reunion picnic in Schenley Park with performances by nationally known recording artists For Real and Tim Cunningham, as well as six local bands: Ty Mac, Safarace, Flow Band, Caribbean Vibes, House of Soul, and Rodney McCoy & Deep Pockets.

WPXI reporter Darieth Chisolm also will host a children's village on June 28 featuring a 10-drill team competition, celebrity softball game and other games. The day will conclude with an evening boat ride and more live music.

The weekend will end June 29 with a jazz brunch hosted by BET's Angela Stribling and featuring jazz artist Ronnie Laws. Information and tickets for the reunion weekend are available by calling 1-800-ALU-PITT.