The Unity Circle (above) and other SMU Dream Week events commemorating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. provided a prelude to the celebration of Black History Month on the Hilltop.
In a tribute tailored to this time, the Black Alumni of SMU invite all Black alumni working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic to submit their photos, class years and a few lines of their stories to smualum@smu.edu. They will be honored as 2021 History Maker Award recipients.
All alumni are welcome to tune in to these special programs when they stream live on the SMU Association of Black Students’ Instagram: @SMUABS.
- February 19 at 8 p.m.: Black In Time Fashion Show. The evolution of fashion in the Black community will span from the 1970s to today, with a special feature for African wear and future designers.
- February 23 at noon: Lunch and Learn with Monique Holland. She’ll discuss her experiences as an African American woman in collegiate athletics. She spent nine years at SMU as the executive senior associate athletics director for administration and the senior woman administrator before taking the post as senior associate athletics director for student-athlete experience at Auburn.
- Find more events at the Office of Social Change and Intercultural Engagement.
On February 27, seven SMU students receiving Black Alumni Scholarships will be recognized during the annual Black Excellence Awards celebration. This year’s recipients are:
Lexxi Clinton ’21, a senior from Austin, is double majoring in political science and philosophy with a specialization in political theory while triple minoring in history, law and legal reasoning, and corporate communication and public affairs. She currently serves as the chief of staff to the Student Senate and as the president of both the Association of Black Students and of the Kappa Mu chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Most recently, she has filled the role of Caswell Leadership Coach for intercultural organizations. After graduation, Lexxi will move to Chicago to begin a career in consulting then going on to get a masters in business or possibly law school.
Kennedy Coleman ’23 is a sophomore from Dallas majoring in political science with minors in English and public policy and international affairs. Kennedy is currently a Dallas County Mustang Scholar, Rotunda Scholar, Tower Scholar and a McNair Scholar. She serves in numerous campus leadership positions, including event coordinator for the Association of Black Students, Dedman College Senator, the student representative on the Police Training Advisory Board for the SMU Police Department and a member of the Vice President of Student Affairs Advisory Board. She is also working with the Student Affairs undergraduate research team examining areas that contribute to racial battle fatigue among Black students with the aim of offering the University empirical data to enact meaningful change. In these various positions, Kennedy hopes to illuminate the voices of communities at SMU that are often silenced. After completing her undergraduate degree, she plans to attend law school.
Courtney Jackson ’24 is a first-year student from Frisco, Texas, majoring in mechanical engineering. She is a Rotunda Scholar, serves on the Mary Hay-Peyton-Shuttles Commons Council and is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers. In the future, she hopes to use her math and science expertise to develop sustainable products for a large tech company.
Titus McGowan ’24 grew up in Dallas and is a graduate of St. Mark’s School of Texas where he excelled in orchestra and Spanish, served as a national ambassador for the game of lacrosse and was an All-American in track. At SMU, he is a bassist in the Meadows Symphony Orchestra, and he is a member of the Men’s Lacrosse Club, the Association of Black Students and the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students. He has been nominated for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
Stacy Tubonemi ’16, ’21 is a final-year full-time M.B.A. student concentrating in finance, strategy and entrepreneurship with a minor in management in the Cox School of Business. She graduated from SMU in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in finance and moved on to work for JP Morgan Chase in its Leadership Development Rotational program. She’s currently the president of the National Association of Black Accountants, a Forte Fellow and a Cox Career Fellow. In the summer, Stacy was awarded the Texas Business Hall of Fame Scholar Award for her contribution to the SMU community as well as her passion for entrepreneurship. After graduation, Stacy will join AT&T where she interned over the summer with its Finance Leadership Development Program Class of 2021. In her free time, Stacy enjoys traveling, hanging out with friends and exploring different places.
Learn more about the Black Alumni of SMU.