Black alumni at the University of Georgia now have an official body to call their own: UGA Black Alumni. The UGA Alumni Association agreed to form this affinity group to be more inclusive of minority groups and to reconnect all students once they leave the university.

“(Our) organization really wanted to make sure that we are reaching all of our alums,” said Realenn Watters, Atlanta program coordinator with the UGA Alumni Association.  “We’ve had multicultural programs, but multicultural can be a very broad spectrum to try to house things under. Being able to pull this out from under the umbrella and give a specific place at home and a landing place for alumni to be able to see themselves is key. They will know that this will be a place where they will begin their  journey to reconnect.”

The next step is to mobilize and connect with other groups on campus to spread the word, Watters said.