President’s Message – September 2025
Dear Members of the African American Alumni Association,
I hope that each and every one of you had a wonderful summer. To the newest members of the African American Alumni Association, congratulations and welcome!
This newsletter was a long time coming during a complex period of time, so I appreciate your patience. Please know, there is a lot of work happening behind the scenes, and the African American Alumni Association is still here to keep our alumni engaged with one another and with the university. That being said, I look forward to the many highlights and updates that will come your way in this newsletter.
We begin on a solemn note, remembering two beloved leaders in our community.
Marilyn Maultsby (WRC ’75) — You may remember Marilyn as a classmate from the ’70s, a regular at our events, or as the passionate chair of our Reach Beyond Legacy Scholarship Campaign—formerly known as Reach Back, Raise Up. She was key in revitalizing the effort, leaving a lasting impact on future generations. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and are working on future plans to honor her legacy through the scholarship campaign.
Baba Donald Freeman (WRC ’61) — Baba Freeman was a true servant-leader and social justice advocate who made lasting contributions to both CWRU and the Northeast Ohio community through Vibration Magazine, the League Park Center, and decades of civil rights and education reform. We also extend our heartfelt condolences to the family.
This edition of our newsletter is lovingly dedicated to their memory.
The Quad A community has been busy! As always, please join us for our programming – it is created for us, by us, to engage and learn from one another!
Speaking of events – Homecoming and Reunion Weekend is coming Oct. 9-12! While this is an “off” year for us, we still have an exciting lineup of events—including the Ebony Ball, hosted by the African American Society on Sunday night. The registration link is below – we hope to see you there!
While we continue to celebrate, we know that our unification is so incredibly important – now more than ever. However resilient we have been, resilient we will remain. We truly stand on the shoulders of giants—the trailblazers who persevered through both ease and adversity.
As we move through this moment in history, I urge each of you to pause, breathe, and remember: this too shall pass.
With warmth and solidarity,
Tiarra Thomas (CWR ’12)
President, African American Alumni Association
Black Graduation Celebration welcomes new alumni
African American Alumni Association Student Affairs chairs Joanna Rusely and Arik Smith, past president Vera Perkins-Hughes, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs’ Stephen Furlow were among those who packed the Linsalata Alumni Center Great Hall on May 17 to honor our newest alumni at the 10th annual Black Graduation Celebration. Campus Enrichment and Engagement vice president Robert Solomon extended a heartfelt welcome from the university. Black Student Union co-presidents Zelene Desire and Sharese Lucas hosted the joyful event, where "you don't have to hold your applause" was the order of the evening. Our sincere congratulations go out to all CWRU 2025 graduates!
Kevin Russell chosen to receive Young Alumni Award
The Alumni Association of Case Western Reserve University will be recognizing Kevin W. Russell (CWR ‘14) with the Young Alumni Award at this year’s Awards Luncheon as part of Homecoming and Reunion Weekend. From advancing financial literacy for younger generations to strengthening global education and supporting democracy abroad, Russell’s work reflects a commitment to service, resilience and impact—helping people build brighter futures through knowledge, empowerment and opportunity.
Q&A with TJ Shelton: CWRU’s First Black Athletic Director
As the James C. Wyant Director of Athletics and Chair of Physical Education, TJ Shelton oversees 40 staff members, 19 varsity sports, 600 student-athletes and a range of recreation and wellness programs. His vision centers on creating a remarkable collegiate experience rooted in academics, leadership and citizenship. In his time at the helm, CWRU has celebrated record academic success—with a men’s tennis national championship and a women’s soccer national runner-up finish.
TJ Shelton,
James C. Wyant Director of Athletics and Chair of Physical Education
What is involved in your role as athletic director?
My role involves oversight of day-to-day operations for the department, which has 40 coaches/staff, 19 sports, 600 student-athletes, physical education classes, recreation and programs for intramural and club sports.
What is your vision for the program?
I want to provide our students with a remarkable collegiate experience as they strive for comprehensive excellence in the areas of academics, leadership and citizenship.
How do you motivate your athletes and staff?
I tell them it is important for us to be servant leaders and work diligently to engage and meet the needs of the CWRU community. We want to ensure everyone has a positive experience utilizing athletic and recreational facilities.
What are some highlights so far from your time as athletic director?
Academic Excellence:
- Student-athletes excelled in the classroom, combining for a 3.60 grade point average during the Fall 2023 semester, with 189 achieving a perfect 4.0.
- Sixteen Spartans were named Academic All-Americans by College Sports Communicators, including nine first-team honorees.
Athletic Success:
- First-ever National Championship Team: Men's Tennis (2023)
- Women's Soccer National Runner-Up (2022)
- Eight total UAA Conference Team Championships: baseball, softball (three), men's basketball (two), women’s soccer, and men's tennis
- 23rd-place finish in the Learfield Directors’ Cup, based on CWRU’s finish in NCAA Championships. It is the highest finish in school history.
Do you recall any challenges that you had to overcome in your school, college, or early career days?
Throughout my personal and professional career, I’ve always tried to approach challenges as growth opportunities. As soon as I was able to identify that working in collegiate athletics was my career choice, it was easier to navigate the obstacles that came my way. I’ve leaned heavily on my mentors and industry peers to assist me in my journey throughout my career.
What sports did you play in school?
I competed in football, basketball and track in high school and played one season of junior college football.
Is there anything else you would like to say?
Working in higher education has brought so many great memories. Interaction with people from all walks of life, especially young adults, has provided me with invaluable life lessons that one could not put a price tag on. The ability to have a positive impact on individuals has been extremely rewarding.
Shelton encourages you to support your Spartans at home and on the road. Learn more at athletics.case.edu.
Back in the Day: Roommates reminisce
As they launched their academic careers at Case Western Reserve University, Tye’Shae Reynolds (CWR ’10, SAS ’13) and Anita Johnson (CWR ’10) prepared to enter the healthcare delivery space. While the two roommates ultimately continued on different trajectories, their shared experiences and lessons from their time at CWRU carried into their professional lives and their communities.
Some of Reynolds’ earliest experiences with the university came with her time in the former Global Leadership and Excellence in Academics, Mathematics and Science (GLEAMS) program, a summer academic enrichment opportunity for Black high school students housed in the Weatherhead School of Management. Today, as a social worker, Reynolds provides support for high schoolers through the Positive Education Program at John Adams College and Career Academy in Cleveland.
After enrolling at CWRU, Reynolds felt the adjustment from a public high school to private university to be particularly challenging, and recalled feeling frustrated when students from different backgrounds seemed to access new opportunities first. Despite these challenges, Reynolds was involved in the African American Society, the Voices of Glory gospel choir, and a gay-straight alliance during her time on campus.
“The Office of Multicultural Affairs really was the thing for us,” Reynolds said of the support she and Johnson received. “(the office) helped us to know other people—not just African Americans, but other minorities—and pulled us through tough moments.”
Johnson dealt with some of the same struggles and insecurities adjusting to the university experience from that of a public school. “I came in as a pre-med major,” she explained. “I wanted to become an orthopedic surgeon in sports medicine, but after my first year of classes, I quickly realized the difference in the education of K through 12 that I received versus my peers.”
Johnson’s experience minoring in Spanish—and the global education she received at Case Western Reserve—instilled a new sense of confidence..
“That experience really opened my eyes to the world,” she said of a trip to Spain. “Looking from a worldview [different from that of] just an American citizen. I was so impacted that I spread that passion and that enlightenment to all of my friends and just highly encouraged them to travel abroad and shared the various courses that were offered.”
Johnson and Reynolds later studied abroad together in Greece and recall the trip as a fond memory.
Despite leaving the pre-med path, Johnson makes far-reaching impacts in healthcare as a supervisor for University Hospitals Community Wellness Centers, where she has planned and developed facilities in the Bedford and Richmond Heights, Ohio areas, while maintaining relationships with key stakeholders.
Johnson also points to Stephanie Tubbs Jones (FSM ’71, LAW ’74) as a critical mentor to her during her time at Case Western Reserve. Johnson met Tubbs Jones during her teen years, and she provided valuable guidance to her through her time at the university.
“She modeled confidence, she modeled leadership, she modeled empathy. She modeled influence in a way that I had never seen,” Johnson said of Tubbs Jones. “Her being someone who I could access made me feel that there were accomplishments that I could experience that weren’t unrealistic. They were attainable and achievable because of just the path that she trailblazed in and her connections. Johnson was also involved in Voices of Glory, and points to a concert in Tubbs Jones’ honor with the Congresswoman in attendance as a favorite memory of her mentor.
“She was able to get her flowers while she could smell them and the smile on her face and the peace that you could just feel that she felt in that moment and us being able to honor her,” said Johnson of the tribute concert. ”It was a primarily African-American choir, and for her to be able to be there in that moment for us to recognize her, for her to see that Case [Western Reserve] has a larger minority population and just the moment of the celebration I would say is a highlight.”
“She was so accessible,” Johnson continued about her mentor. “ She could have been one who was like ‘I’m up here and you can’t have access to me,’ but she wasn’t. So relatable. She would walk through campus. She was a delight.”
Reynolds and Johnson became roommates in their second year of college, and shared a house with two other friends their third year. This group, combined with other friends, is a network Reynolds fondly calls “the Case Crew.” The bonds were foundational for both. “Case [Western Reserve] prepared me for life challenges, the real world,” Reynolds said.
“Being able to navigate through systems and making the best of it and having a good time. Some of my friends who went to [other schools] probably had more parties, but for us, we made memories,” Reynolds explained. “We were traveling out of the country. We were taking opportunities to just learn in a way that was outside of the classroom. I think that’s the big thing about Case [Western Reserve]. Just the rigor and the bar that is set that you reach toward makes you a greater student and a greater person.”
Join Quad A at Homecoming
Thursday, Oct. 9
Blue Bash | 7-9 p.m.
Kick-off homecoming in your best Spartan gear.
Friday, Oct. 10
Homecoming Alumni Awards Luncheon | In-person (11:30 am) or Virtual (Noon)
Honor the 2025 awards recipients.
Welcome Reception for CWRU Graduates of Distinction | 3-4:30 p.m.
Celebrate the class of 1975—until recently, the largest class of African American freshmen.
Stephanie Tubbs-Jones Candlelight Vigil and AAAA Mixer | 6:30-10 p.m.
Enjoy an evening of reconnection, remembrance, and friendly competition.
Saturday, Oct. 11
Graduates of Distinction Induction Breakfast | 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Salute the class of 1975 at the Cleveland History Center.
African American Alumni Association Annual Meeting | In-Person (10:30 am- new start time) or Virtual (10:45 am)
Impact programming for the year to come.
Spartan Tailgate | 2-4 p.m.
Tailgate with a street fair vibe.
Homecoming Football Game | 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Cheer the Spartans on to victory!
Sunday, Oct. 12
Afro Am’s 52nd Annual Ebony Ball | 6-9 p.m.
Carry your crown to close out the weekend.
Support a new Black business
We would love to promote your business in the newsletter or include it in the African American Alumni Association Directory of Black Businesses. Please send your name, affiliation, business name and focus, business email, website, and phone number to alumnirelations@case.edu.
Want to keep up with AAAA?
What would you like to see highlighted in future newsletters? Do you have news to share? Do you know someone who wants to receive African American Alumni Association communications? Contact us at alumnirelations@case.edu.
Want to become a member? Fill out the membership form.
Follow us on our Facebook page to keep up to date on the latest news.