President’s Message – September 2026
Members of the African American Alumni Association (AAAA),
It is my pleasure to send greetings to all of you for the final time as President of AAAA.
While this moment is bittersweet, it is also an opportunity to reflect on what makes AAAA so special. Our association has always been about more than any one person or board. It is about bringing alumni together, supporting our students, celebrating one another’s accomplishments and ensuring that our voices and experiences remain an important part of the Case Western Reserve University community.
I am deeply grateful to our board members for their time, leadership and commitment. Much of the work that sustains AAAA happens behind the scenes, and I have been fortunate to serve alongside people who care deeply about this organization and the alumni and students it represents. Thank you as well to our committee members, university partners and the entire AAAA community who have continued to show up, share ideas, attend events, mentor students and support our efforts.
As we prepare for a leadership transition, I am confident that the work will continue. New leaders will bring new ideas, energy and perspectives while building upon the strong traditions and foundation of AAAA. I encourage each of you to remain engaged and to support them. The future of this association depends on all of us continuing to participate, contribute and stay connected.
Before that transition, I look forward to celebrating Homecoming and Reunion Weekend with everyone Oct. 8–11. If you have not already registered, I hope you will make plans to join us—and share the information with your friends and fellow alumni. This is our “on” year, with a full slate of AAAA events, and it will be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect, celebrate our community and create new memories together.
I also hope you enjoy the amazing content in this edition of the newsletter. The stories and updates featured throughout are another reminder of the talent, impact and enduring connections within our alumni community.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as president and for the trust you placed in me. Although my time in this role is coming to an end, my commitment to AAAA is not. I look forward to remaining an active member of this community and supporting the important work ahead.
Together, we will continue making an indelible impact on Case Western Reserve and on one another for years to come
Warmest regards,
Tiarra L. Thomas (CWR ’12)
President
AAAA
Shape our community, nominate a board leader
AAAA is seeking dynamic leaders to serve on our Leadership Board—and we need your nominations! Board members guide programming, mentor students and strengthen our global alumni network. Self-nominations are fully encouraged!
New board members will be elected at our annual homecoming business meeting on Oct. 10. You can register for the meeting and our other homecoming events by visiting the Homecoming and Reunion Weekend website.
Homecoming and Reunion Weekend Events
Oct. 8
Blue Bash
This high-energy homecoming kickoff features live music, food and games, culminating in a special bicentennial drone light show to celebrate the university’s 200-year legacy.
Oct. 9
All-Alumni Meeting
Connect with board leaders, explore committee initiatives and discover how to get involved. The first 50 attendees will receive a special commemorative bicentennial gift!
Oct. 9
Alumni Awards Luncheon
Hear President and Morton L. Mandel Presidential Chair Eric W. Kaler deliver the state of the university address, and share in a joyful toast to the recipients of this year’s alumni awards.
Oct. 9
AAAA Mixer and Candlelight Vigil
Share memories, gather with friends and get your game on at this signature free event. Be sure to arrive in time for the group picture at 7:15pm.
Oct. 10
Annual Membership Meeting
Vote for officers and amendments to our constitution. Nominations, including self-nominations, will be accepted from the floor. Membership registration is required to vote. Register for membership.
Oct. 10
Spartan Tailgate
This rain-or-shine celebration features student performances, a beer garden and great food. It’s the ultimate way to connect with the entire CWRU community before kickoff!
Oct. 10
Homecoming Football Game and Celebration of Homecoming Court
Come cheer on the CWRU Spartans as they take on the Saint Francis Red Wolves.
Oct. 10
AAAA Leadership Awards Gala
Honor distinguished alumni and faculty as they receive their awards. Our 2026 award recipients are:
- Stephanie Tubbs Jones Leadership Award: Phyllis Harris (SAS ’05)
- Ella Mae Johnson Service Award: Kari Cunningham (DEN ’10)
- Rising Star Award: Jordan G. Welch (CWR ’11)
- Distinguished Academic Award: Ayesha Bell Hardaway (LAW ’04)
- President’s Award: Marilyn Maultsby (WRC ’75), posthumously
Oct. 11
Inspirational Breakfast
Enjoy another chance to gather around the table, share a delicious catered meal, and enjoy the fellowship that makes our community so special. We’ll hear from keynote speaker Rev. Marilyn Mobley (GRS ’87, English).
Oct. 11
Ebony Ball
The students of the African American Society invite you to celebrate excellence in and out of the classroom at the 53rd Annual Ebony Ball. Come dressed to impress and enjoy this evening filled with great food, art and music.
Register for these and other homecoming events.
Welcomes and Send-Offs
Ahead of move-in day, our regional Summer Send-Off events brought incoming Spartans and alumni together in cities across the country. These gatherings helped our newest students build connections, gain practical advice on campus life and feel the full support of our alumni network before stepping foot in Cleveland. To the Class of 2028, welcome home! You are joining a proud legacy, and your AAAA family is here to support you at every turn. Thank you to all our alumni hosts and volunteers who made these send-offs a success and continue to keep our community strong.
It's Greek to Me
CWRU offers hundreds of student-run clubs, professional societies and Greek-life organizations. Are you one of the 30% of CWRU undergraduates who chose the Greek experience to help them achieve their personal best?
Guided by pillars of scholarship, ritual, citizenship, service and leadership, the Greek community at CWRU has existed for more than 185 years. It now includes 10 sororities, 15 fraternities and National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) citywide chapters, all of which any eligible student attending a Cleveland-area university can join.
The National Pan-Hellenic Council, organized in 1930, is the governing body of the historically Black fraternities and sororities created in the 1900s as a result of racial isolation and discrimination. Its members, the “Divine Nine”, are Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (1906), Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (1908), Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. (1911), Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (1911), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (1913), Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. (1914), Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (1920), Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. (1922) and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. (1963). While there are no racial restrictions in their national constitutions and non-Black members have been initiated into these organizations, all candidates must meet GPA, degree and community service requirements, demonstrate an understanding of the organization’s history and show dedication to the Black community.
Case Western Reserve shares a rich, enduring relationship with the NPHC, having served as the founding site for chapters of five member organizations across its predecessor institutions. These historic charters include Alpha Phi Alpha’s Pi chapter (1914), Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Alpha Omega graduate chapter (1917) and Omega undergraduate chapter (1925), Sigma Gamma Rho’s Zeta chapter (1925), Kappa Alpha Psi’s Alpha Omega chapter (1936), and Omega Psi Phi’s Phi Sigma chapter (1946). Today, NPHC members continue to represent a vibrant segment of the CWRU community.
Many NPHC organizations include notable CWRU alumni. To cite a few examples, Alpha Phi Alpha’s Robert P. Madison (ARC ’48, HON ’04) was the first Black architect to open his own firm in Ohio. The first African-American woman to sit on the Ohio Supreme Court was Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Judge Sara J. Harper (LAW ’52). Louis Stokes (HON ’09), the first African American congressman elected in the state of Ohio, was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi. Fred D. Gray (LAW ’54), the civil rights attorney who represented Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, is a proud member of Omega Psi Phi, and Stephanie Tubbs Jones (FSM ’ 72, LAW ’74), the first Black woman elected to the United States House of Representatives from Ohio was a member of Delta Sigma Theta.
Today, most Cleveland-area Divine Nine chapters are city-wide. Alpha Phi Alpha and Alpha Kappa Alpha are the only two who currently have undergraduate members on the CWRU campus, but James Silay, director of the Office of Greek Life, is especially excited about initiatives that may change that. The revitalization of the Black Greek Council, Janice Eatman Williams, Advisor, will bring more visibility to NPHC organizations as an option for undergraduate participation. Another initiative, the Greek Life History Project, which will research the past, highlight contributions of Greek Life at CWRU and beyond and connect with alumni, should also increase interest.
Alumni are invited to engage in several ways. Learn more about the Greek community and meet current students at the Greek Life Open House, Friday, Oct. 9, 1–4 p.m. in Tinkham Veale University Center, Suite 250, or at the Greek Life Reception, 4–6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, in the Student Organization Center at Tinkham Veale University Center. Contact the Greek Life Advisory Council. If interested in learning more, reach out to Director of Greek Life James Silay at jws149@case.edu, or Black Greek Council Advisor Janice Eatman Williams at jae@case.edu.
Back in the Day
The first year of college brings turning points of all kinds. Whether through a chance encounter that sparks a friendship or a midterm grade that snaps study habits into shape, it teaches its own unique lessons to every student. For JoAnna Cox-Rusely (CWR ’94, SAS ’95), that defining year at Case Western Reserve University would challenge her to navigate conflict and lead to self-discovery as an advocate for others.
Cox-Rusely was one of many Case Western Reserve students to arrive at the university through the Upward Bound pre-college
program. The STEM focus of the group initially led her to pursue a pre-med major, but she decided to switch to psychology and sociology in her second year at CWRU.
A lifelong Clevelander, she grew up only about ten minutes from campus, but appreciated the experience of living in the residence halls. Growing up with older siblings, she enjoyed having her own room while living alongside roommates.
While residence hall life introduced Cox-Rusely to new friends, it also ushered in her first personal experience with racism in the form of microaggressions from a roommate. She attempted to talk with this roommate about microaggressions and biases, but ultimately felt shut down.
“That was tough, but it made me a stronger woman,” Cox-Rusely said.
Also, during this time, Cox-Rusely, who had excelled academically in high school, struggled to adapt to her new task load as a college student. “I felt as though I was good enough for Cleveland,” she explained, “but not able to be academically competent, when compared to all the diverse populations enrolled at Case Western [Reserve.]”
At one point in her first year, she was nearly on academic probation, but with help from mentors and peers, she turned her grades around and found a new sense of confidence in her overall abilities. “They aren't my blood, but they're still part of my village,” she said.
The experiences in the residence hall and in the classroom continued to motivate her after her first year at CWRU. During her time on campus, she became a learning assistant with Education Support Services, and a tutor for Project Step-Up, a partnership between CWRU and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Cox-Rusely went on to graduate with honors.
To this day, she strives to treat others the way she wants to be treated, but also supports others through “being an upstander for social justice, and an advocate for self and others [by] speaking up and helping people become aware of those nuances they may not be familiar with but can create brave spaces for.”
The experience informed her interactions with people as a psychiatric social worker, and later a school social worker and intervention specialist.
As a social educator, Cox-Rusely is deeply committed to the five components set forth in the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning framework, which include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. She works to impart the importance of “knowing who you are and comfortable in the skin you’re in, [and] being brave in that but also open to learn about, appreciate and share with others while affording them the same opportunity to have that brave space too.”
Cox-Rusely continues to help students and alumni have that brave space as an active member of AAAA and as co-chair of its Student Affairs Committee. While providing support for current students, she also has maintained a specific focus on fostering more representation for alumni from the 1980s, the 1990s and younger alumni in the organization.
As an involved alumna, she draws inspiration from the principle of sankofa, “reaching back to give back,” and strives to start dialogues to learn about the struggles of students and younger alumni and inspire them to stay involved.
The Power of Us: Ignite your connections
Your alumni network is a launchpad of innovation, and we are proud to fuel that momentum. AAAA is excited to present “The Power of Us,” our business directory showcasing the extraordinary talent, diverse services and entrepreneurial spirit of AAAA. Are you ready to discover new partners, expand your professional circle and power our legacy forward? Request your digital copy by emailing AAAA@case.edu.
Everyone has a story to tell
"Alumni Stories: Our Enduring Past" is an oral history project that celebrates the rich, diverse history of Case Western Reserve
through photos, videos and alumni interviews. We invite you to enjoy these stories and share your own!
Save the dates
- Jan. 22, 2027 | MLK Jr. Convocation
- Feb. 2027 | Black History Month
- March 4–7, 2027 | Destination Weekend: New Orleans
- April 17, 2027 | Hudson Relays
Please visit case.edu/alumni/events/upcoming-events for all other events and recordings.
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