—By UO Black Alumni Network Board Member Drake Hills, BA ’18 (journalism)
The last time I dressed business casual for my kinfolk in Eugene, we were celebrating the grand opening of the Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center. My classmates and I fundraised and designed that place. “We. Did. That.,” is the first thought that enters my mind every time I step on the UO campus.
So, it was only right that my first UO Black Alumni Network board meeting last October began with the Ducks-cussions student/alumni mixer at the BCC. That two-hour Thursday session kicking it with current students began a 48-hour marathon of board meetings and breaking bread together.
Friday’s meeting agenda: scholarships, student engagement, BCC support, UOBAN reunion, among other big moves. Inside the Ford Alumni Center board room, it was Black history and Blackness happening simultaneously. Our reunion in 2027 is about to break news!
We rolled to Kennedy’s Steakhouse after. It was a ’20s ballroom vibe, but my brother from the School of Journalism and Communication and UOBAN Board Secretary Isaiah Patton brought the Bass Reeves theme into effect and started the party. We had a VIP room, too. You had to be there. Same goes for UOBAN's Oregon football tailgate the next day. Even UO President Karl Scholz had to pull up.
Anyway, let’s not talk about the actual game against Indiana. But chances are, you never sat in our seats before. It never rains at Autzen Stadium, they say. But if it did, we were good.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead, I’m glad UOBAN is continuing the family function well before fall.
The network is hosting a Black History Month Celebration Happy Hour on February 19 from 6:00–8:00 p.m. at the Broadway Grill and Brewery in Portland.
Then, on March 28, UOBAN is keeping it classy with a Wine Down at the Vinyl Wine Bar & Shop in Alameda. Keep an eye on your inbox for registration for this Bay Area event opening soon.
UOBAN is advancing the Black experience at UO and nationwide. For me, block parties are no longer just history. They’re happening.
We’re grateful for your support, your presence, and the legacy we continue to create together! Sco Ducks!
