Coker Black Alumni Network

Coker Black Alumni Network

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Coker Black Alumni network

The Coker Black Alumni Network (CBAN) is a recognized affinity group of the Coker Alumni Association. As an organization, CBAN is committed to promoting education, scholarship, professional development, university-wide outreach, communication, and mentoring for the benefit of the Black community at Coker. 

CBAN aims to:

  • Engage alumni in social, cultural, educational, and community service activities.
  • Maintain and develop relationships between the University, students, and fellow alumni.
  • Assist in the recruitment and retention of Black students.
  • Assist in the recruitment of Black faculty, staff, administrators, coaches and athletic administration and board members.
  • Develop new opportunities and experiences for Black alumni to mentor current students.
  • Provide assistance to current Coker students.
  • Develop integral relationships with the Hartsville community and the surrounding Pee Dee community.
  • Providing quality programming for the Coker diaspora that will educate, entertain, and enlighten them.
  • Our mission is to foster philanthropy and to give back monetarily to our alma mater.

Membership

Black-identified graduates, as well as Black students who have completed at least two semesters of coursework at Coker, are considered members of CBAN. Membership in the organization is free of charge. Most importantly, CBAN is open to all Coker alumni regardless of race, creed, gender, or sexual orientation. 

Applications for board membership will be accepted in May. CBAN also has subcommittees such as communications, homecoming, fundraising, and recruitment. Don’t hesitate to get involved! 

Membership Form

What We Do

CBAN is involved in diverse initiatives related to Coker University, including collaborations with student organizations and other campus departments.

We contribute to the Coker Cupboard to assist with student food insecurity and participate in several community activities, including sponsoring Thanksgiving for international students and sponsoring coat giveaways in Hartsville. CBAN has successfully assisted students with internships, fellowships, and job opportunities.

Among our most significant events is the annual Donning of the Kente Ceremony held for graduating seniors. 

A dancer practices in class.

Affiliation

We are a member of the National Black Alumni Collective. CBAN has been an affiliate member of the BAC for the past two years and will become a partner school this year. Every other year, the BAC holds a national conference for alumni, followed by a leadership conference for leaders the following year. 

In 2021, Coker attended a national conference sponsored by Duke University Black Alumni, and in 2022, CBAN, along with Coker’s administration and the Director of Alumni Engagement, attended the national leadership conference sponsored by the College of Charleston and the Citadel. 

www.blackalumnicollective.org

Founding Members

Elsie Mufuka, 2008

Lenora Harley, 2008

Tara McDonald, 1993

Toschia Moffett Young, 1994

Heather McConnell Buckelew, 1995

Tina Weeks Weaver, 1991

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Upcoming Events

Come join us for our annual Kente Ceremony on Friday, April 26th, 2024, at 7 pm. The guest speaker will be the Honorable Maggie W. Glover, the first African American woman elected to the South Carolina Senate from 1992 to 2004. As a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, Glover represented District 62 from 1989 to 1992.

Join us at Rutgers University on May 30th and June 1st for the 2024 National Conference. The BAC will be traveling to Ghana for the 2025 convention. BAC is comprised of private schools, major universities, and schools from around the world, including Oxford University. The work of the BAC is integral to the success of Black students as well as the engagement of alumni, as the experience of a Black student on a PWI campus differs significantly from that of a Black student at an HBCU. 

Board Members

Toschia Moffett-Young
President/Recruitment

Deitra Strover-Matthews
Vice-President

Heather McConnell Buckelew
Admin

Dr. Athena King
Academic Chair

Tully Pate
Athletic Chair

John Curnias
Co-Athletic CHair

Kris Johnson
Mentorship Chair

Jean Swindle
Special Events Chair/ Mentorship Co-Chair

Amy Morris
Director of Alumni Engagement, Coker University

Darlene Smalls
Director of Center of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Coker University

Be part of our community, as we work together to learn, lead, and inspire.

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