YBAA History

YBAA History

“To be the principal catalyst for service, involvement, and connection for the Yale Black community and its stakeholders”


Image: YBAA Founding Board

The Yale Black Alumni Association, Inc. (YBAA) is an official shared interest group of the Association of Yale Alumni (AYA) run by dedicated, volunteer Yale alumni from around the country. All alumni from across Yale University who support YBAA’s mission can become members of YBAA and/or a local YBAA chapter. 

The organization hosts a variety of social, cultural, educational, mentoring, volunteer, and family outing events, including Yale Day of Service activities focused on education, mentoring, and community development. 

YBAA developed out of a planning retreat that was held in January 2008 at the Afro-American Cultural Center at Yale and facilitated by Mark Dollhopf, executive director of the AYA. In September 2010, YBAA held its first Annual Retreat in New Haven, CT, which marked the official launch of both the YBAA and its National Advisory Council (NAC), which is composed of non-voting board members who provide assistance and guidance, as needed. 

For its efforts, the Yale Black Alumni Association has been presented with the following “Excellence Awards” from the Association of Yale Alumni (AYA).

  • 2011
    • Outstanding Shared Interest Group (SIG) -"for the inaugural year theme, 'Reconnect with Yale through Leadership and Service'"
    • SIG Day of Service Award - special mention to the Los Angeles and Seattle Chapters
  • 2012
    • Outstanding Shared Interest Group (SIG) -"for growth in chapter development and participation and a continued emphasis on public service"
    • SIG Day of Service Award, 2012 - spotlight on the Los Angeles Chapter
  • 2013
    • SIG Day of Service Award, 2013 - spotlight on the Seattle Chapter
  • 2016
    • Outstanding Shared Interest Group - spotlight on the Chicago Chapter
  • 2017
    • Outstanding Student Engagement Award - spotlight on the Higher Education Initiative (HEI)
    • Outstanding Large Day of Service - spotlight on the Los Angeles Chapter
  • 2020
    • Excellence Award – Virtual Programming for a series of zoom meetings during COVID quarantine and after the murder of George Floyd