Yale School of Management Celebrates Black History Month

New Haven, Conn., February 16, 2006—The Yale School of Management Black Business Alliance has organized a series of cultural activities to take place at the school throughout February in honor of Black History Month.

“Black History Month is a time to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and legacy of African-Americans,” said Vinice Davis ’06, co-leader of the Black Business Alliance. “It is also a time to celebrate and appreciate diversity within the black community and within our society as a whole. As leaders in business and society, it is inherent that we address issues of diversity and inclusions. The Black Business Alliance wants to bring together all communities, to learn how we as a society can appreciate of our differences and to learn that in fact we are truly not all that different.”

Black History Month Program and Dinner
February 16, 2006, 7:00 p.m. Open to the Yale community.
One hundred students, faculty, staff, alumni, and New Haven community leaders will attend the third annual Black History Month Program and Dinner. The evening will feature an invocation conducted by Yale University Chaplain Reverend Frederick J. Streets and musical performances by singer Harriet Alfred and the Yale Gospel Choir.

Cy Richardson, Vice President for Economic Development and Housing at the National Urban League, will deliver the keynote address on leadership. At the National Urban League, Mr. Richardson is responsible for designing and implementing policies and programs that promote asset building and wealth creation for people of color in urban America. Previously, he was the Deputy Director of the Planning Department for the Brooklyn Borough President, where he took a lead role in helping to shape the development agenda for New York City’s most populous county. His career in community development and policy analysis began in 1994 as a researcher with the New York City Council, where he analyzed survey data culled from residents in low-income and public housing and later authored a report identifying social capital as an important factor in New York’s housing and community development domain. He has published numerous papers and articles on planning and politics and is certified by the American Planning Association. Mr. Richardson is currently working on a chapter to be included in a forthcoming collection of essays focusing on America’s housing crisis.

Advance registration is required for the event. Contact the Black Business Alliance for more information: bba@mail.som.yale.edu.

Film Presentation and Discussion: Crash
February 23, 2006, 6:00 p.m., 56 Hillhouse Avenue, Room A-74. Free and open to the public.
The feature film Crash (2005) is a provocative look at the complexities of racial conflict in America. The film tracks the volatile intersections of the lives of a multi-ethnic cast of characters over the course of 36 hours in Los Angeles. It has received wide acclaim for challenging viewers to question their own prejudices and for its message of tolerance.

A discussion of the film will follow with Heidi Brooks, Lecturer in Organizational Behavior at the Yale School of Management.

Community Day of Service: Connecticut Food Bank
February 24, 2006. Open to the Yale SOM community.
Yale School of Management volunteers will spend the day giving back to the local community by assisting the Connecticut Food Bank. The Connecticut Food Bank Connecticut Food Bank is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to alleviate hunger and to promote public awareness about the problem of hunger. It is the largest centralized source of donated, emergency food in Connecticut.