Af-Am House hosts 55th anniversary celebration This past weekend, members of the Yale and New Haven community gathered for a three-day event, AFAM55, commemorating the 55th anniversary of Yale’s Afro-American Cultural Center’s founding. Words by Collyn Robinson. Photos courtesy of Summerset Studios.
Alanah Armstead ’24 SPH ’25 was an undergraduate student assistant at the Afro-American Cultural Center, or the House, when its 50th anniversary celebrations took place in 2022. Three years later, Armstead, now a graduate assistant at the Af-Am House, served as a co-chair for the 55th anniversary celebration.
Armstead was just one of the hundreds of alumni and New Haven community members who traveled from across the country to attend the House’s AFAM55, entitled “A House Built to Last: Celebrating Our Past While Planning for a Sustainable Future,” to show their continued commitment to maintaining the Af-Am House’s legacy and ensuring its future on campus.
The weekend kicked off with a welcome event followed by the “Celebration of the Arts at Woolsey Hall” featuring remarks from University President Maurie McInnis, a performance from Kevin Olusola ’11, Grammy award-winning musician and member of Pentatonix, and musical artist Julian Davis Reid ’13 and a performing arts showcase.
Ahead of her inauguration as the 24th president of Yale University on April 6, McInnis affirmed her support of the Afro-American Cultural Center and protection of its future.
“Today we share our commitment to The House, and we look forward to many more anniversaries to come,” McInnis said in her speech. “As we look to the future, I am so grateful that the Yale community has come together to support this living symbol of what becomes possible when we create spaces where we all belong … the future of The House rests in our hands to celebrate, to sustain, to strengthen.”
The weekend also saw a wide range of events, from panel discussions about the importance of Black alumni engagement to lectures about race advocacy in the face of fascism.
Rhiana Gunn-Wright ’11, Rhodes Scholar and an author on the Green New Deal, delivered a lecture, entitled “White Supremacy and Climate Change: How Racism Keeps the Planet Warming,” explaining the connection between racism and climate change.
Gunn-Wright spoke to the News about the importance of the Af-Am House and its impact on her life, which resulted in her returning to campus for this year’s celebration.
A facet of the AFAM55 programming was the “Shining Light on Truth: Black Lives at Yale & in New Haven” exhibit in the Schwarzman Center, which showcases the crucial role of Black people and their contributions to the University and city.
The exhibit is meant to illuminate the truth that Black people and minorities should not be othered, that they belong in these spaces, they've always belonged in these spaces and they’ve always been in these spaces, lead designer of the exhibit, David Jon Walker ART ’23, told the News.
Another major highlight of AFAM55 was the Bouchet Ball and Award Ceremony at The Omni, featuring a keynote address from Elizabeth Alexander ’84, president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
“Her reflections are always timely and resonate with the entire community,” Timeica E. Bethel-Macaire ’11, director of the Af-Am House, wrote to the News. “I hope all anniversary attendees took her words to heart and feel encouraged as we plan for the future of our House Built to Last.”
The celebration reached its peak when former Af-Am House Director Pamela George, who stewarded The House from 1999-2010, was honored with a song by violinist Kersten Stevens ’06 and a portrait painted by Charles Yawson ’05.
On the last day of AFAM 55, The House held a service recognizing those in the House community who have passed on since the last anniversary, followed by a Black Church at Yale service.
The Af-Am House is located at 211 Park St.
Contact Collyn Robinson at collyn.robinson@yale.edu .