Jun ’26 Newsletter

Dear YBAA Community,

What a spring it's been! As graduation and reunion season draw to a close, we're pausing to celebrate everything that made these past weeks so meaningful and to look ahead to a summer full of community. We're grateful to Dean Bethel and the House for sharing memories from the season.

Relive the celebrations:

• The House's Reunion Receptions: Photos
• Kente Stoling Celebration: Commencement Weekend · Photos

And we're just getting started. As we move into Juneteenth and the summer months, YBAA chapters across the country are coming together from Juneteenth mixers to our Summer Send-Offs welcoming the Class of 2030 (see the full schedule below). Here's to a safe, joyful, and connected summer.

Summer Send-Offs Across YBAA — Welcoming the Class of 2030

Summer Send-Off season is here and it's our favorite time of year! From coast to coast (with virtual options, too), YBAA chapters are rolling out the blue carpet to celebrate the Class of 2030 and welcome our newest Bulldogs and their families into the Yale family. Whether you're an incoming student, a longtime alum, or new to your city, there's a seat saved for you.

Find the gathering nearest you and please RSVP below:

• Atlanta: Sunday, July 12, 2:00–4:00 PM · Event Link
• San Francisco / Bay Area: Saturday, July 18, 2:00 PM · Event Link
• Virtual: Summer Send-Off 1: Sunday, July 19, 7:00–8:00 AM · Event Link
• Los Angeles: Saturday, July 25, 10:00–11:30 AM · Event Link
• DMV: Saturday, July 25, 2:00 PM · Event Link
• Chicago: Tuesday, July 28, 6:00–9:00 PM · Event Link
• New York City: Wednesday, July 29, 6:00 PM · Event Link
• Boston: Saturday, August 1 · Details coming soon; email Chapter Lead Nnenna Ukwu '05 at nnenna.ukwu@aya.yale.edu
• Philadelphia: Monday, August 3, 5:30–8:00 PM · Event Link
• Virtual: Summer Send-Off 2: Sunday, August 16, 6:00–7:00 PM · Event Link

Join YBAA New York Intimate Cocktail Hour

Join YBAA New York for an intimate cocktail event at the Yale Club. Space is limited to 20 guests, so RSVP early.

• Date: Thursday, June 18
• Time: 6:00 PM
• Location: Yale Club
• RSVP/Tickets: Ticket Link

Join LA for our Juneteenth Mixer, Theater Night & Fall Save-the-Date

YBAA-LA has a full summer lineup — mark your calendars.

YBAA-LA Juneteenth Mixer

A casual summer gathering and a chance to connect with other Black Yale alumni in Los Angeles — a warm, welcoming event for longtime members, newer alumni, and anyone looking to build more community here in LA. Food and drinks will be provided, and families are welcome with a kid-friendly area and snacks for younger guests. YBAA-LA is grateful to YBAA National for helping support this event.

• Date: Saturday, June 20
• Time: 5:00 PM
• Location: Christopher Logan's home (address available upon RSVP)
• RSVP: RSVP Link

YBAA-LA Primary Trust Theater Night & Pre-Show Mixer

Join YBAA-LA for a theater outing to see the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Primary Trust with Center Theatre Group. You're invited to a pre-show mixer onsite at Mullins Wine Bar with special guests from CTG. Discounted tickets are available using promotion code YALELA.

• Date: Friday, June 26
• Pre-Show Mixer: 6:30 PM — Mullins Wine Bar, 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
• Showtime: 8:00 PM — Mark Taper Forum, 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
• Tickets: Ticket Link (Use promo code YALELA for a discount)

Save the Date: YBAA-LA Fall Day of Service

YBAA-LA and the Yale Latino Alumni Network are proud to partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater LA for the third annual College Preparedness Workshop Day. Each year, alumni volunteers lead workshops and panels for local middle and high school students, their families, and mentors. More details coming soon!

• Date: Saturday, September 12
• Location: Cathedral High School — 1253 Bishops Rd, Los Angeles, CA

YBAA Boston's Upcoming Summer Events

YBAA Boston was honored to be represented at the Yale Club of Boston's Committed Students Gathering to welcome incoming members of the Class of 2030. With 20 incoming students in the Greater Boston and New England area, we're excited to continue building connection across the Yale community alongside the Yale Club of Boston and 1stGenYale.

Coming up next:

• Yale Club of Boston Summer Barbecue: July 26
• YBAA Boston Summer Sendoff: August 1 (see the full Summer Send-Off schedule in National Updates, above)

Additional details coming soon. Feel free to email Chapter Lead, Nnenna Ukwu '05, at nnenna.ukwu@aya.yale.edu to check in anytime.

YBAA Chicago Celebrates “Give Her Her Flowers”

On Saturday, May 30, YBAA Chicago and the Harvard Black Alumni Society Chicago hosted Give Her Her Flowers at Fleurish Chicago, a Black woman-owned floral shop in Bronzeville.

Members gathered for a relaxing afternoon of beauty, creativity, and community — designing hand-tied bouquets, enjoying refreshments, and savoring moments of connection and laughter while supporting Black entrepreneurship.

Pictured (L-R): Seth Cooper (SOM '00), Safiya Johnson (Harvard GSE '19), Cynthia Okechukwu (YC '08, YLS '13), Shakira Sanchez-Collins (YC '08, DIV '11), a Harvard alum, Yolanda Joe (YC '84), Amber Palmer (SOM '26), Amber's guest, Christine Saffold (YC '11), Tiana Williams (Harvard College '12, HBS '18), and Seth Cooper's daughter.

The Bay Recaps Yale Day of Service & MoAD Artist Talk

The Bay Area Chapter had a busy May with two memorable gatherings:

Yale Day of Service — Gardens of Lake Merritt (May 9 Recap)

Members of YBAA-SF Bay Area gathered at the Gardens of Lake Merritt in Oakland for Yale Day of Service — the chapter's third year joining forces with Yale Blue-Green at this site. Volunteers spent the day weeding, pruning, and beautifying the garden beds.

Artist Talk at the Museum of the African Diaspora (May 14 Recap)

YBAA-SF Bay Area sponsored an intimate artist talk at the Museum of the African Diaspora on May 14th with Yale alums Jasmine Ross (YC '25) and Key Jo Lee (MA '13), Curator at MoAD, moderated by Eraina Ferguson (MAR '10). The conversation centered on Beauty Plus — New Haven's second Black-owned beauty supply store, which stood as a pillar of community for over 31 years. The talk explored Jasmine's fine-art documentary practice, her collaboration with Key Jo Lee, and the importance of preserving cultural legacy.