Carey celebrates Juneteenth

Carey Business School’s Black Alumni Network hosted the school’s first annual Juneteenth celebration on June 19. The event, which commemorates a significant moment in the ending of slavery in the U.S., coincided with a national reckoning of the deaths of Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others.

The virtual event, open to all university students, staff, and alumni, included a networking hour, remarks from Dean Triantis, and a keynote address from Martha Jones, the Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor and professor of history at Johns Hopkins.

The lineup was planned by Carey Business School’s Black Alumni Network. The affinity group launched in October 2019 to reconnect minority alumni to the school and create networking and mentorship opportunities among alumni and current and prospective students.

Monika Mason (MBA ’16), a Black Alumni Network leadership committee member, pitched the idea of a Juneteenth event.

“It just was almost perfect and fitting for us to celebrate our heritage, celebrate our culture and celebrate the date that really marks us as Black people to actually be free,” Mason said. “So I just thought during this time of the racial divide that's happening in our country, that this could be just a reminder that even though it's a sad day, it's also a day of celebration that we can mark down and say that we are no more slaves.”

John Green (MBA ’04), head of the Black Alumni Network and organizer of the Juneteenth event, says the virtual platform gave attendees the flexibility to jump in and out of the event and take advantage of multiple networking opportunities.

“I tried to make it more of a collaborative event where it wasn't just a speaker, but I got to showcase some of the things the school can offer alumni, as well as current students. [Showcasing university resources] that you may not think of, especially during this time where people may be in transition or fearful of what their new world's going to look like.”

Dean Triantis thanked the Black Alumni Network for its efforts in engaging the Carey Business School community in the school’s efforts to promote diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging. “I believe our alumni can be invaluable in helping Carey become the diverse and inclusive business school we all envision,” he said.