University Times

Pitt’s African American Alumni Council (AAAC) will launch the public phase of its $3 million scholarship campaign as part of its Oct. 24 Distinguished African American Alumni Awards banquet gala.

Led by AAAC President Linda Wharton-Boyd and chaired by Douglas Browning, the scholarship campaign seeks to aid students from underrepresented groups through three funds: the Bebe Moore Campbell Scholarship Fund, the Jack L. Daniel Endowed Book Fund and the AAAC Endowed Scholarship Fund.

The late Bebe Moore Campbell, a Pitt alumna and best-selling author, also was a Pitt trustee. Distinguished Service Professor of Communication Jack L. Daniel, former vice provost for undergraduate studies and dean of students, was a student leader at Pitt during the 1960s.

The fundraising effort is part of the University’s $2 billion Building Our Future Together capital campaign, which to date has raised $1.38 billion.

The awards gala is part of AAAC’s homecoming weekend themed “Blue, Black and Gold: The Colors of Celebration,” during which AAAC will showcase four decades of African-American progress at Pitt. The celebration of 40 years is tied to 1969 when a student group, the Black Action Society, occupied Pitt’s computer center and called for the University to address the inadequate number of black students, faculty, administrators and staff; to provide academic support and resources for black students, and to recognize the significance of African-American life and culture on the campus.

For a list of AAAC’s homecoming weekend events, see Calendar, this issue.