Office of Diversity Creates Black History Month Podcast to Celebrate Black Excellence

The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Engagement in partnership with the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communication will kick off this year’s Black History Month with the launch of their new podcast “28 Days of Black Excellence”. The podcast will run daily throughout the month of February and spotlight the history and achievements of UIC’s Black Alumni, faculty, and staff.

Dr. Aisha El-Amin, Associate Vice Chancellor for Equity and Belonging (AVCEB), spearheaded this project with the hope of connecting current and past UIC Black/African American populations through the sharing and celebration of their generational legacies.“[It is]a way of interrupting erroneous and negative narratives of belonging,” Dr. El-Amin explained. “It brings the promise of today into conversation with a rich history of excellence that made today possible.”

The lineup will feature UIC graduates from 1975 to 2017 who have gone on to pursue careers such as engineers, social workers, professors, non-profit leaders, authors, and military personnel.

Episodes will explore the UIC and post-graduation experiences of these alumni, with a focus on their fondest memories, stories of resilience, and advice for the current and future generations of Black and African descent students, faculty, and staff.

Notable guests will include Dr. Alfred Tatum, Provost at Metropolitan State University of Denver; Dr. Robert Winn, the 2nd African American to lead a national cancer center; Al Riley, Former State Representative for the 38th District of Illinois; Ertharin Cousin, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome; and Bishop Horace E. Smith, M.D, Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc.