From left, ACN co-chairs Sara Monteiro 鈥�08 and Bobby Britto-Oliveira 鈥�06, M.S. 鈥�11; Michelle Fontes 鈥�96, M.A. 鈥�11; and Gina Miranda 鈥�20
The Alumni of Color Network celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2022. Michelle Fontes 鈥�96, M.A. 鈥�11, the group鈥檚 organizer, reflects on how one of 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 strongest alumni groups got started and what lies ahead.
By Marybeth Reilly-McGreen
In 2007, President George W. Bush signed the Fair Minimum Wage Act into law, Nancy Pelosi was the first woman to be elected speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Forest Whitaker became the third Black actor in history to win an Academy Award for best male actor. Together, the three events signaled a change: Historically underrepresented groups, minimum wage earners, women, and people of color were coming into power, occupying spaces and roles previously denied them.
The year 2007 is significant for 溏心vlog免费B站, too, as it marks the inception of the Alumni of Color Network (ACN), a group that provides personal and professional development, mentoring and networking, advocacy, and community-building opportunities for its members. Michelle Fontes 鈥�96, M.A. 鈥�11, assistant dean of diversity, retention, and student success initiatives for the College of the Environment and Life Sciences, recalls the critical contributions of some of the early leaders of the group she piloted, including Earl Smith III 鈥�90; Gerald Williams 鈥�92, M.A. 鈥�00; Charles 鈥楥huck鈥� Watson 鈥�93, M.A. 鈥�21; Karoline Oliveira 鈥�94, M.S. 鈥�03; Abu Bakr 鈥�73, M.S. 鈥�84, M.B.A. 鈥�88; Ana Barraza 鈥�95, M.S. 鈥�04; and Tommy Garrick 鈥�90.
鈥淭hat group brainstormed how we might establish a committee,鈥� Fontes says, 鈥渁nd that鈥檚 how the Alumni of Color Network was established.鈥�
In 2007, Fontes was working in 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Alumni Relations Office. 鈥淚 recognized, as a woman of color, that there was no representation of folks of color, and I knew a lot of alumni,鈥� Fontes says. 鈥淚t made me question why we weren’t involved. No judgment or blame, I just think if you don鈥檛 have an eye on these things, if you are not a person in that role in the alumni office planning events, you don鈥檛 see what鈥檚 missing.鈥�
All that existed for alumni of color at that time was an occasional, volunteer-run panel event featuring distinguished graduates talking about their careers. The turnout was modest鈥攖he panel鈥檚 audience was easily accommodated in the 溏心vlog免费B站 Alumni Center. Fontes saw that her first task would be to convene alumni of color employed by 溏心vlog免费B站 to discuss formalizing and promoting the panel, as well as other initiatives and events. Fortunately, bringing people together is one of Fontes鈥� specialties. She sought student involvement and input, which resulted in a second wave of members including, as she recalls, Robert 鈥淏obby鈥� Britto-Oliveira 鈥�06, M.S. 鈥�11; Wynston Wilson 鈥�08, M.A. 鈥�13; Marquis Jones 鈥�12; Tyrene Jones 鈥�10, M.P.A. 鈥�14; Cyntoya Simmons 鈥�14; Kevin Martins 鈥�07, M.B.A. 鈥�10; John Cruz 鈥�03, M.S. 鈥�14; Margarida Da Graca, 鈥�09, M.S. 鈥�13; and Wilson Okello, M.S. 鈥�12. Fontes notes with pride that some of those former students are still active in ACN today.
Britto-Oliveira, who is now assistant director of 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Multicultural Student Services Center, was a graduate student in 2009 when he first became involved with ACN. 鈥淚鈥檇 heard of Michelle and her involvement with Talent Development and of what she was doing with the network. She asked me to do outreach, to try to generate student interest in the alumni panel event. I knew a lot of students. That year, the event might鈥檝e had 35 to 40 students in the audience. I was disappointed, but evidently that was real growth from the previous year when they had seven to 10 students.
鈥淭he following year we had 75 students; the year after that 150, and we were maxing out the Memorial Union Ballroom,鈥� Britto-Oliveira says. The annual alumni panel presentation continues to be one of the most successful ACN events.
Sharing the wisdom of experience
Britto-Oliveira now co-chairs the ACN, which has added networking get-togethers at Alumni and Family Weekend to its event offerings, as well as an event for recent graduates. His face registers a bit of surprise鈥攐r maybe wonder鈥攖hat a promise to put some students in some seats led to a leadership role in the organization.
鈥淚鈥檝e definitely benefited from the mentorship and guidance that our seasoned alumni have provided over the years,鈥� Britto-Oliveira says, noting that the ACN is a natural complement to the work being done by the University鈥檚 Talent Development office, an admission program that serves in-state students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, as well as the Multicultural Student Services Center, which provides meeting space and resources to students. 鈥淢y hope is that ACN is a resource for all students of color once they graduate,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e try to get students involved right away. We鈥檙e trying to let them know that we鈥檙e here and that we鈥檝e experienced what they鈥檙e experiencing.鈥�
Britto-Oliveira also hopes exposure to successful alumni and hearing about their student years at 溏心vlog免费B站 narrows the natural gap that comes from generational differences.
鈥淥ne of the questions often put to the panelists is to recount their challenges and successes as students of color at 溏心vlog免费B站, and the whole point of that is to get the students to see themselves in us, however many years down the line that may be.鈥�
Britto-Oliveira speaks from experience. As a student, he realized some of the older alumni of color were, in a real sense, his benefactors. He recalled the work of Fontes, along with that of Malcolm Anderson 鈥�94, and Karoline Oliveira 鈥�94, M.S. 鈥�03, in the formation of the Black Student Leadership Group (BSLG). In November of 1992, the BSLG made the front page of the state鈥檚 largest daily newspaper, The Providence Journal-Bulletin, for its peaceful takeover of Taft Hall. Its actions motivated the University to direct more funds to the Talent Development program and to create the precursor to the Multicultural Student Services Center that Britto-Oliviera now helps direct.
Making it easier for those who follow
鈥淭he struggles the Black Student Leadership Group went through might not have been my struggles, but they made it easier for me,鈥� Britto-Oliveira says. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have to go through what they did. And our goal as more recent alumni is to make it easier for incoming students, for the classes that come after.鈥�
Britto-Oliveira鈥檚 co-chair Sara Monteiro 鈥�08 also approaches her ACN volunteer work with an awareness of legacy. Her uncle, the late Antonio DaMoura 鈥�92, was one of the 1992 student activists and founder of the Cape Verdean Students Association. 鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 always a carrying of the torch,” she says. 鈥滀缧膙log免费B站 is a multigenerational school for my family. My mother went there, and I have two lovely boys who clearly see 溏心vlog免费B站 as an option someday.鈥�
鈥淢y hope is that ACN is a resource for all students of color once they graduate.鈥�
鈥擝obby Britto-Oliveira
Monteiro estimates she devotes 12 or more hours a week to the ACN. She is particularly dedicated to its philanthropic work. In 2020, the group was instrumental in raising $25,000 for the RhodyNow: Students First Fund, which provides immediate financial assistance for students in need, says Amy Simonini, associate director of Alumni Engagement. Spurred by that success, ACN has established an endowment, the Alumni of Color Network Student Scholars Fund, which will generate scholarships for students of color. They are currently working toward their goal of raising $50,000 for that fund.
鈥淎CN is one of the most dedicated groups I have worked with in nonprofit and higher education management,鈥� Simonini says. 鈥淭he ACN volunteers are passionate, engaged, hardworking, devoted, and dedicated to making sure that they provide resources for students and connect alumni to lifelong learning and engagement opportunities.鈥�
Motherhood proved additional motivation for Monteiro. 鈥淢y children make me understand how pivotal this work could be and how important it is, as a parent, to think equitably about funding education,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 trying to create roads for families to envision higher education as a possibility at all times.
鈥淎nd so I do this work for the advancement of the next generation because it was the work of my uncle that allowed me to be a student and a thriving adult. And I want my children to go there under stronger circumstances still.鈥�
Looking back over the last 15 years, Bobby Britto-Oliviera will tell you that ACN鈥檚 successes started much earlier than 2007. Arguably, 15 years earlier. Michelle Fontes, Antonio DaMoura, and their fellow student activists sowed the seeds with the 1992 protest. 鈥淟et’s be cognizant of where I’m at right now,鈥� Britto-Oliviera says. 鈥淭he Multicultural Student Services Center would not have existed had it not been for their initiative and their ability to be changemakers. I wouldn’t be in this office right now. There wouldn’t be all these fabulous groups of multicultural student organizations that have a home on campus.鈥�
Seeing the spark; having the focus
鈥淢ichelle鈥檚 someone who sees the spark and has the focus, and she sees it in people who don’t necessarily see it in themselves, myself included,鈥� Britto-Oliveira says of Fontes. My involvement in ACN was just to be a general member. I wasn’t trying to take any leadership role, but because of Michelle I was able to see what she saw in me.鈥�
As for Fontes, 15 years of effort is paying dividends. 鈥淚鈥檓 very proud of my role in helping it all come together,鈥� she says and grins. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 not one for leading a group to do something. I want them to do what they want so that they take ownership of it.鈥� Those who know Fontes, though, will tell you that, besides bringing people together, another one of her specialties is giving people a gentle nudge now and then to help close the gap between a person and their purpose. Fontes says she hopes that the Alumni of Color Network will see growth in membership and in the endowment over the next 15 years. 鈥淭he endowment creates an opportunity for alumni, especially those from diverse backgrounds, to stay involved by giving back,鈥� Fontes says.
If there鈥檚 a silver lining to the pandemic, Fontes says, it is that it spurred people to engage with new technology that makes it possible for alumni to gather virtually. Fontes practices outreach with a zeal others save for favorite hobbies. 鈥淭here are people out there who don鈥檛 know this group exists,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 know how it came to be, and they don鈥檛 know how to support it.鈥�
But when they do?
鈥淭he power of bringing people together and naming it the Alumni of Color Network鈥攖o be able to say to a person from a diverse background, 鈥楬ere is a group specifically for you,鈥欌�� Fontes begins, and then pauses. 鈥淲ell, that鈥檚 pretty amazing, right?鈥� 鈥�
Photos: Nora Lewis, Courtesy 溏心vlog免费B站 Foundation & Alumni Engagement
If you wish to contribute to the Alumni of Color Network Student Scholars Fund, you may contribute here: . For information, contact Mat DeLaire at 401.874.2207 or mat_delaire@uri.edu.