Alumni programs focus on racial justice

The Binghamton Alumni Book Club, which launched in May and holds discussions virtually, has been reading Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson since August. The book is a true story about the Equal Justice Initiative and was made into a 2019 movie. Just Mercy was also selected as a common-read experience for Binghamton University’s first-year students living on campus this fall.

On Sept. 16, The Binghamton Marketing Collective (TBMC), an alumni affinity group, sponsored the panel discussion “Let’s Start Talking.” This Zoom event was a forum for alumni and University leaders to share personal experiences with, and reflections on, racial inequality. Karen Jones, Binghamton University vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, was moderator.

The panelists were:

• William Rayfield ’17, TBMC board member, social activist, media strategist, storyteller and content creator
• Sephora Saint Armand ’21, majoring in business administration and management, minoring in Africana studies, and former president of Binghamton University’s NAACP Chapter
• Donald Nieman, executive vice president for academic affairs, provost and professor of history at Binghamton University
• Curtis Kendrick, dean of libraries at Binghamton University