USC Black Alumni Group Now 2,000 Members Strong
Even as they move forward in their own careers, members of the USC Black Alumni Assn. / Ebonics Support Group are reaching back to encourage and support young African-American students at USC and local high schools.
At the group’s annual picnic and fund-raiser during USC’s recent homecoming celebration, alumni talked about their activities.
“We started off raising money for scholarships. Then, as we grew, we became more involved in mentoring and recruitment,” said Simeon Stewart, a 1987 graduate who runs a construction company. “Our visibility in the community can help draw more (African-American) students to the university.”
The Rev. Thomas Kilgore Jr. founded the group in 1976, and it now has more than 2,000 members. Today, of about 28,000 USC students, 6% are African-American.
“A lot of African-American students are going to all-black schools, but what they find at this university is that it’s more representative of the world they have to work and live in once they graduate,” said Monique Hunter, a 1979 engineering graduate who runs a travel agency.
The cost of USC scares some students away, Hunter said, and the school can be a lonely place for black students.
But the alumni association offers help in the form of scholarships and mentor programs, she said.
Information: (213) 740-8342.
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