Williams College alumni and members of the identity-based Alumni Networks, students, staff and faculty are invited to campus for a weekend of community and support! Celebrate the reopening of the newly renovated Davis Center and honor the legacies of Gaius C. Bolin Sr., Class of 1889, as well as brothers W. Allison Davis, Class of 1924, and John A. Davis, Class of 1933.
Named for scholar-activists alumni, W. Allison Davis and John A. Davis, the academic-social initiatives and collaborations of the Davis Center engage, educate, and empower our diverse community and help ensure Williams is a place where everyone has the opportunity to live, learn and thrive. The Davis Center's mission remains advancing broad campus engagement with complex issues of identity, history and cultures as they affect intellectual, creative and social life.
Continuing an important WBAN tradition, the Bolin Legacy Mentorship Weekend recognizes the first Black graduate of Williams College and the first in his family to attend college, Gaius Charles Bolin Sr., Class of 1889. As a proud and committed Williams alumni, Bolin never ceased to name the importance of the relationships he fostered at the College, and the significance of his Williams experience throughout his life--a life he dedicated to his communities, offering support wherever it was needed.
The pathbreaking legacy of Bolin made possible the power and voice of countless minoritized students and alumni who followed after, and helped shape Williams, the Davis Center, the Society of Alumni, and beyond. We can't wait to welcome you back to campus for a weekend of listening, reflection, acknowledgement, restoration, and celebration!
WHAT TO EXPECT
- Celebrate: Enjoy the newly renovated Davis Center and commemorate the pathbreaking history of Gaius C. Bolin Sr. Recognize the rich history and contributions of historically underrepresented alumni at Williams.
- Connect: Rekindle relationships and form new bonds with your Alumni Networks.
- Envision: Engage with Williams and the Davis Center as they stand today and envision the future.
- Mentor: Foster new relationships with the students, career or life-based.
Check out the schedule below for events open to all the Williams community.
Registration has been closed for events requiring attendee counts.
Date
Friday, April 12 - Sunday, April 14, 2024
Location
Williams College
Questions?
Please contact Alumni Engagement at [email protected].
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Please note: Schedule is subject to changes.
Career Panels: Workplace and the Intersection of Identities
NOON-1:00 p.m. | The Davis Center
Students are invited to join us for a panel, over a delicious lunch, featuring alumni who have pursued careers in the following industries and are eager to share their stories with current students:
STEM & Healthcare
Social Impact
Arts, Entertainment, Media, Communications
Business
We’ll center our discussion around not just what they do and how they got there, but especially on how their intersecting identities have impacted their career paths.
Any alum who connects with these industries is also invited to attend and share their perspectives and stories.
Post-Eid Jumuah & Lunch with Muslim Student Union
12:50 p.m. Sermon | 1:00 p.m. Prayer | Muslim Prayer Room, Lower Level, Thompson Memorial Chapel
Everyone is welcome to join Jumuah, the Muslim Friday prayer service, in the Muslim Prayer Room followed by Bengali-American halal lunch catered from Bondhu in the Interfaith Common Room.
The World is Yours: Using Hip Hop to Explore Culture and Identity at Williams College
2:30-3:30 p.m. | The Davis Center
Todd Craig ‘97 in conversation with Assistant Professor of Africana Studies VaNatta Ford.
The Stories We Tell: Understanding the Long History of African American Genealogy with Kendra Field '99
5:30-6:30 p.m. | Williams College Museum of Art
This lecture will explore the long history of African American genealogy from the Middle Passage to the present, drawing upon stories and experiences within Field’s own family history. Field will touch upon the diversity of methods employed by historians and genealogists; descendants’ often uneven access to the familial past – itself a legacy of American slavery; and the emergence of the recently-launched 10 Million Names project.
Shabbat Service & Dinner with the Williams College Jewish Association and Minority Coalition
6:00 p.m. Services | 7:15 p.m. Dinner | Jewish Religious Center
Everyone is warmly welcome to join for Friday night services as we welcome Shabbat, followed by a delicious kosher dinner.
Welcome Mixer & Check-In
7:00-10:00 p.m. | The Log by Ramunto's, 78 Spring Street
Join us to kick-off of our weekend of reflection, connection and celebration. Late-night hors d'oeuvres will be served.
Cash bar. Alumni and non-student guests only.
Onsite Check-In
8:00 a.m.-NOON | The Davis Center
Breakfast Gathering at the Davis Center with Misty Blues
8:00-9:00 a.m. | The Davis Center
Grab breakfast and walk through the newly renovated Davis Center to the sounds of blues band Misty Blues, led by Gina Coleman ’90.
Concurrent Sessions I
9:00-10:20 a.m. | Science Quad
Finding (or Creating) Equity and Inclusion Beyond the Purple Bubble featuring Carmen Alvaro Jarrin ’03, Emmanuel Daring ’16 and Ariana Romeo ’19
Chemistry 123 Wege Auditorium
Discovering the Hidden Rules: Lessons Learned Outside of the Classroom featuring Penelope Silva ’03, Funmi Olosunde ’06, Austin Nguyen ’15 and Kai Cash ’19
Wachenheim - NSB B11 (Bronfman Auditorium)
Learn more about our alumni session co-leads in our Speaker Gallery.
Concurrent Sessions II
10:30 a.m.-NOON | The Davis Center & Science Quad
The Davis Center and the Long Fight for Community and Belonging at Williams and Beyond
The Davis Center
The people business is complicated: how does the Davis Center navigate the challenges of serving individuals, groups and the greater community while encouraging a more just, equitable and inclusive world at Williams and beyond? Meet with alumni, faculty, and Davis Center administrators as they discuss the myriad of ways the Davis Center has worked toward the goals of DEI.
Navigating Early Adulthood, Familial Expectations, and Growing Career Paths featuring Brian Thomas ’12, Jackie Milian ’13, Valerie Oyakhilome ’18 and Maddie Miura ’20
Chemistry 123 Wege Auditorium
You Are Not Alone: Normalizing Impostor Syndrome and Finding Belonging featuring Suji Sutler ’74, Enith Williams ’88, Cassie Montenegro ’06 and Bishoy Yacoub ’23
Wachenheim - NSB B11 (Bronfman Auditorium)
Learn more about our alumni session co-leads in our Speaker Gallery.
Davis Center Reopening Ceremony & Drum Circle
NOON-1:45 p.m. | The Davis Center
Join us as we dance, sing, drum and celebrate the opening of the new Davis Center space! Help us with setting the intentions of this space toward support and celebration of the diverse community at Williams College.
Concurrent Sessions III
Telling Your Authentic Story featuring Kendra T. Field ’99, Anri Wheeler ’03, Juan Baena ’07 and Lani Willmar ’15
1:30-2:45 p.m. | Wachenheim - NSB B11 (Bronfman Auditorium)
Learn more about our alumni session co-leads in our Speaker Gallery.
Space, Place and Story Telling at the Davis Center: Ensuring Equality through the Built Environment
1:45-2:45 p.m. | The Davis Center
An architectural talk featuring folks from Leers Weinzapfel Associates in collaboration with J. Garland Enterprises. With modernized space built for current and future needs, the Davis Center is a dynamic and effective hub for the education, activism, community building, academic exploration, well-being, and celebration that happens within. It will provide the space for students to dream bigger dreams about a more inclusive Williams as well as a more inclusive society.
Keynote Address with William Green ’03 and Presentation of E. Williams Medal to Professor Joseph E. Harris
3:00-4:30 p.m. | Mainstage, ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance
All are welcomed to hear a special alumni keynote conversation between educator William "Billy" Green ’03 and Zorelly Cepeda Derieux ’14, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Learn more about Billy in our Speaker Gallery.
Following the keynote, join us as Neil Roberts, Professor of Africana Studies, and President Maud S. Mandel present the Ephraim Williams Medal to Professor Joseph E. Harris, Williams' first Black professor with tenure and first Chair of the Afro-American Studies Program, currently the Africana Studies Department. The Ephraim Williams Medal is awarded to a non-alumnus who has demonstrated exceptional service and loyalty to Williams. This is only the fifteenth presentation of the medal.
Convos and Life Lessons: Roundtable Mentoring & Dinner
4:30-7:00 p.m. | John W. Chandler Athletic Center
Have you ever wondered about the different paths taken by alumni who share your major(s)? At this casual meetup, students and alumni will have the opportunity to learn how degrees have translated across the full spectrum of professional and personal journeys. You may be surprised by how many careers can result from the same major!
Davis Center Celebration Block Party
7:30-10:00 p.m. | The Davis Center
Bring your best moves to the new Davis Center as Todd Craig ’97 spins
the greatest dance hits. Fuel your dancing with delicious custom
doughnuts, hot sweet beverages and high hopes for the new building.
Affinity Breakfast Gatherings at the Davis Center
8:00-10:00 a.m. | The Davis Center
Grab breakfast in the Multipurpose Room and join breakout community-building sessions with Minority Coalition student groups.
Breakfast will be served from 8:00-9:00 a.m.
Room G15 - Rice House Ground Floor
Hosted by the Black Student Union (BSU), the Black STEM+ Student Association (BSTEM+), and the Williams African Student Organization (WASO).
Room 107 - New Davis Center Building 1st Floor
Hosted by the Queer Student Union (QSU) and Anything But Straight in Athletics (ABS).
Room 118 - Rice House 1st Floor
Hosted by the Chinese American Student Organization (CASO) and Asian American Students in Action (AASiA).
Room 115 + 116 - Rice House 1st Floor
Hosted by VISTA, the Latine/Latinx Student Organization, CAFE, and Comadrxs: All Women and Non-Binary Student groups.
Room 103 - New Davis Center Building 1st Floor
Hosted by the Firsts Student Union (FSU).
Keynote Speaker: Meleko Mokgosi ’07 in Conversation with Professor Laylah Ali ’91
10:00-11:00 a.m. | The Davis Center
Come hear about the incredible art in the Davis Center from artist Meleko Mokgosi '07 who will be in conversation with Professor of Art, Laylah Ali '91.
Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA)
Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation
Beatriz Cortez: The Portals
Libraries and Special Collections
¡Unidos! 20 Años of Latinx Studies at Williams | On View in Schow Gallery, Special Collections (4th Floor of Sawyer Library)
What Came Before Us: Celebrating Thirty Years of WAAAAN, the Williams Asian and Asian American Alumni Network | On View at the John Wesley Chandler Athletic Center on Saturday, April 13
Lead Curator: Lorelei Lin, Class of 2026. Workshopped with help from Sabrina Antrosio, Class of 2026, Sarah Hua, Class of 2024, and Jessika Drmacich of Williams Special Collections.
2023 marked two milestones for Asians and Asian Americans in the College community: the thirtieth anniversary of WAAAAN, the Williams Asian and Asian American Alumni Network, and the establishment of an Asian American studies program after more than thirty years of student activism.
This exhibit celebrates the strength and resilience of students who have worked for Asian and Asian American visibility on campus and the inclusion of our narratives in the academic canon. By highlighting the myriad ways in which student leaders created space for Asian and Asian American joy; the debts owed by the Asian American Studies Movement to previous and concurrent movements by marginalized communities at the College; and the forms of opposition that activists have faced from within the College community throughout history, this exhibit resists efforts to co-opt the narrative of student activism for institutional purposes.
WEEKEND DETAILS
The Bolin Legacy Mentorship Weekend invites students of color, Firsts students, and LGBTQ+ students to a series of events that welcome alumni sharing their identities back to campus for moments of connection and mentorship.
This special event is not only meant to support you, your friends, and identity-based student groups by connecting with themes and questions that resonate with you, but it will also recognize the significance of the Davis Center and its mission towards an inclusive and equitable space for all students.
As a student, here's what you can expect:
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Panels and discussions centered on belonging at Williams College and in the workplace, DEI in the academy, affinity-based conversations around career and cross-collaborative activism, telling your story, experiences in Davis Center programs, and more.
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Career-based panels with alumni who share your identity
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A roundtable mentoring event where you can hear from alumni who share your major(s) and how it translated to their professional and personal journeys.
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Davis Center celebratory moments that connect you with alumni who were part of your affinities or MinCo groups, who found a home in the Davis Center, or are excited to engage with the new space and you even if the Davis Center was not a part of their Williams experience.
We hope you can join us! Do you have questions or would like to be a part of this weekend as a student leader/ambassador? Please contact Zorelly Cepeda Derieux '14 at [email protected].
The majority of room blocks have been released, for the exception of 1896 House. Please note: You are encouraged to call to book--policies around room blocks vary and not all of them accommodate online booking of room blocks.
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1896 House (1 or 2 queen beds, $125/night + tax; 1 King bed, $199/night + tax)
Additional hotel information will be provided once you register. You may also browse through additional choices in this comprehensive list of local lodging options from Destination Williamstown.
Gaius C. Bolin, Class of 1889, was born in Poughkeepsie, New York on September 10, 1864 to Ann and Abraham Bolin. One of thirteen children, he was a product of both public and private secondary schooling in the city. He graduated from Poughkeepsie High School in 1883 and proceeded to spend the following two years receiving training in Latin and Greek from John R. Leslie’s Select Classical School. While there, the school’s president, a graduate of Williams College, took note of Bolin’s affinity for learning and encouraged him to consider sharpening his intellect at his alma mater. He entered with a class of 81 other students in the fall of 1885 and graduated in June of 1889 as the College’s first Black graduate.While a student at Williams, Bolin carved out space for himself as a Black man, but he was also intentional about assuming the status and prestige of a Williams man. Because of residential college policies that did not allow Black students to live on campus, he lived with the Dunsett family for a brief time as one of less than twenty Black people in Williamstown in the late 1880s.Still, this did not deter him from laying claim to the Williams College campus and community. Even before accommodations were made for him to live on campus during his final year, Bolin sought to find ways to make the most of his time in Williamstown as a student. He continued taking courses in Latin and Greek, apparently finding much comfort in the curriculum. He played football throughout all four years, occasionally participated in tug-of-war matches with other students, and frequently found time to cheer for the baseball team when they traveled to Harvard or Amherst. He was even nominated as the pipe orator by his classmates for the commencement exercises of 1889.He saw his peers—and himself—as Williams graduates who would become some of the country’s best doctors, lawyers, judges, and ministers. If there was racial discord during Bolin’s time at the College, he never spoke openly of it, choosing instead to cite the desperately cold winter weather and muddy grounds as some of his most vividly unpleasant memories. Perhaps he found comfort in the presence of Abe Bunter, a Black man who found his way to Williams after having been enslaved in the South. Perhaps the Black women with whom he lived made him feel a little less isolated. Perhaps his younger brother, who entered Williams a year after him, afforded him a sense of home. However he fashioned a sense of belonging while at the College, Bolin made it clear that his experience at Williams was one that he was happy to reflect on. “I am eternally proud that I am a graduate of Williams College, Williamstown, Mass., in as fine a class as ever emerged from that institution, the beloved Class of 1889,” he wrote to his class secretary in the spring of 1939.Immediately after graduation, Bolin returned to Poughkeepsie to labor with his father in the poultry and produce business. Though he enjoyed working with him and their efforts were fairly successful, Bolin left after a year to study in the law office of Fred E. Ackerman. There, he learned the contours of American law, how to apply it practically, and how to practice it fairly. Two years later, on December 15, 1892, he was admitted to the bar. He held his law office in the same city that he had been born and raised in, the same city that his family had called home for more than 200 years. Seven years later, he married Matilda Ingraham Emery, an Irish woman who had been educated in the public schools of Troy. From their marriage came four children: Anna Amy, Gaius, Jr., Ivy Rosalind, and Jane Matilda.He attempted to use his legal training not to enact the harshest forms of punishment possible, but to temper justice with mercy. He also used the Dutchess County branch of the NAACP, of which he was a founding member, as a vehicle to achieve racial justice for Black people in upstate New York. His daughter, Jane Bolin—the first Black woman to both graduate from Yale Law School and become a federal judge—described him as a man who “helped every Black person who sought his help, whether financial, economic or free legal services. He always subscribed to Black newspapers from New York, Chicago and Baltimore... My father instilled in us great pride in ourselves and our race.” Gaius Charles Bolin died a resident of Poughkeepsie, New York at the age of 81 on April 16, 1946. He had been a practitioner of the law and an advocate for its utility for fifty-one years.A proud graduate of Williams, he never ceased to name the importance of community in shaping his time while at the College; the significance of those relationships in his life after graduation; and his appreciation for having had those experiences as a Black man. In many ways, every student that has attended Williams after Gaius who was not a “young [white] Christian man” owes a debt of gratitude to him for being the first and paving the way for students of color, sometimes the first in their family to attend college, to be apart of the Williams community. In honor of Gaius Bolin’s lifetime commitment to social justice, his dedication to his community and his love of Williams and Eph camaraderie, we invite you to enjoy this weekend to create spaces but also use it as a moment to reflect on how we can honor his memory and build on our Bolin Legacy.Written & researched by Cinnamon Williams '16 & Sharifa Wright '03 |
For over 20 years, the Davis Center has been an important part of the Williams College community. It has served as a safe space for countless students and a place to engage with others and learn from their experiences. The Davis Center continues to support students and the Williams College community, focusing on the unique problems that racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, women, those of LGBTQ identities, and international students face as members of the Williams community. While the Center remains steadfast to its original mission, it is also evolving; it is time to recognize the changes afforded by those that fought for the Center’s founding while acknowledging the need to develop new ways in which to meet the challenges of an increasingly interdependent and complex global community.
Learn more about the history of the Davis Center and it's role on campus.
Find more information about the Davis Center Building Initiative, including the design process, on the project webpage.
In October of 2012, the Multicultural Center was rededicated as The Davis Center, named after W. Allison Davis ‘24 and John A. Davis ‘33.
Learn more about their lives and their impact on the Williams alumni community.
ADDITIONAL WAYS TO CONNECT WITH BOLIN 2024
As we look to welcome in a new building of shared spaces, we look to honor the past and the people who have animated those places.
Please share your story about the Davis Center and the impact of the space, the people, and/or the programming on your Williams experience. You will be able to decide below where you are willing to let us share your story.
Share your story here!
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Do you have advice/tips on how to be or find a mentor? Any reflections or stories about your experience as a mentee, mentor, or using EphLink you'd like to share?Then let us know if you'd like to be highlighted on the EphAlum Instagram page during the week leading up to Bolin Weekend! Participation can be catered to your schedule and availability. |
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EphLink has a variety of community features, including Groups that provide alumni and students the opportunity to gather virtually around a common interest, affinity, or identity. Some examples include First Generation Students & Alumni; International Students & Alumni; LGBTQ+ Students & Alumni; Students & Alumni of Color; Veteran Students & Alumni; and Women Students & Alumnae.Throughout Bolin weekend, attendees are encouraged to post updates in Groups about their #bolin2024 experience as you connect and continue these valuable conversations. |
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