Apr ’26 Newsletter

Greetings Yale Black Alumni,

It has been an incredible first year serving in this role, and I remain deeply honored to help steward Black Yale into its next chapter. We are seeking to grow the number of Directors on the Board to continue our great momentum. In this email, I'll share a brief reflection on the past year, highlight our progress as a Board, and preview what's ahead.

Over the past year, we have built meaningfully on the foundation laid during our relaunch:

• We successfully secured our 501(c)(3) status, positioning YBAA for long-term sustainability and enabling us to expand our fundraising efforts.
• We have grown our financial base through increased alumni donations and more structured giving opportunities. Thank you to everyone who has contributed.
• Our chapter network has continued to expand and strengthen. In addition to Boston and Atlanta, we have supported the growth and reactivation of several other regional chapters, with more in development.
• We deepened our partnerships with fellow Ivy League Black alumni organizations, hosting well-attended joint events including gatherings to come on Martha's Vineyard and other major events.
• We hosted a successful slate of programming over the past year, including Harvard-Yale events, holiday celebrations, socials and time for connection, and virtual cultural outings.

This year has also been one of strengthening our internal infrastructure. We've successfully built committees, formalized processes, and expanded opportunities for alumni engagement at every level.

I am especially grateful to our board members, committee chairs, chapter leaders, and advisory members who have dedicated countless hours over the past year. As we look ahead, we are focused on continued growth by expanding chapters, increasing student & young alumni engagement, strengthening our programming, and building an even more connected & supportive Black Yale community. We will be opening 5 Director seats for nomination this month. Interested candidates should submit a resume and statement of interest (no more than 500 words) to ybaa@aya.yale.edu by 11:59pm on Friday May 8th. I encourage anyone that wants to shape the next generation of YBAA to apply.

If you haven't already, we encourage you to reconnect: join a local chapter, attend an event, support YBAA through a donation, or simply stay engaged with our communications.

We are excited about what lies ahead and look forward to continuing this work together.

Yours in Black and Blue,

Ivuoma “Ivy” Onyeador, SY ‘11 YBAA National President

Join the DMV Chapter for our Yale Day of Service

Join the DMV Chapter for our event at Howard University! Yale alumni will participate in a student meet and greet with Upward Bound, a federally funded college preparatory program supporting low-income, first-generation college-bound high school students, followed by an alumni panel of representatives from YBAA & other Yale SIGs.

• Date: Saturday, May 2, 2026
• Time: 10:00 AM
• Location: Howard University — 2441 6th St NW, Washington, DC
• RSVP: Click Here to RSVP

YBAA-LA Partners with Feed My Starving Children & Events

On March 21st and 22nd, YBAA-LA was thrilled to again partner with Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), a non-profit organization working to reduce hunger around the world. With the leadership of Yale Divinity School graduate Kenneth Davis (Div. '95), YBAA-LA members joined hundreds of other volunteers to assemble nutritiously complete food packets prepared specifically for malnourished children. Once bundled and placed in boxes, these packets are distributed in over 60 countries and in various locations within the United States. In total, over 132,000 packets were prepared during this year's FMSC LA service event!

We hope those in the Los Angeles area can join our next service event in the fall: YBAA-LA's third annual College Preparedness Workshop Day in partnership with the Yale Latino Alumni Network and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater LA. In the meantime, stay tuned for future YBAA-LA events including an upcoming family-friendly hike and a Juneteenth mixer.

Pictured (clockwise): Wale Amubieya, Melissa Johnson, Seinne Fillmore, Feyi Amubieya, Funmi Showole, Kemi Amubieya, and Kenneth Davis

Album Release Celebration — "Took So Long"

Yale alumni gathered in Newark to celebrate the release of Nat Adderley Jr.'s (YC '77/'78) first solo CD "Took So Long," which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Jazz Chart. While at Yale, Nat was the musical director for Ashford & Simpson before becoming musical director for Luther Vandross and also playing piano for the first iteration of the Yale Gospel Choir.

Pictured (left to right): YBAA Board Member Marvin Blakely '77, Diane McKoy '76, Sandy Byers Harvin '77, Diane Louard '78, Phoebe Tree '77, Rosemary Bray-McNatt '76, Bob McNatt '76, and Nat Adderley Jr. '77/'78