Images and issues, people and perspectives, from 35 years of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine TBC'S 35 YEARS OF SERVICE While working in corporate America and having the responsibility to develop and implement recruiting programs to increase our minority representation, I was introduced to THE BLACK COLLEGIAN. That was in 1972. I began placing recruitment ads in the publication and I was pleased with the response we received. Although it had been my thought that we would receive most of our responses from students at traditional Black colleges, I found that a lot of them came from majority schools. I developed a belief in the publication and volunteered to write articles that focused on the development of interview skills, resume writing, etc. I encouraged my nieces and nephews, as well as sons and daughters of friends, who were college students, to read the magazine. It grew in popularity among students and in the long run became the key to our success in recruiting minority students. James R. Brannon, Retired, Vice-President, Liberty Mutual Congratulations and best wishes on reaching another milestone in the history of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN! It has been my pleasure, for the last 12 years, to be able to distribute your magazines to the students at Alabama A&M University. The information has always been timely and beneficial to our students as they plan their chosen careers. From advising to the top 100 employers; from majors in demand to feature articles on prominent African Americans, THE BLACK COLLEGIAN has never failed to inspire and motivate this generation of young strong-minded African-American college students. On a personal note, I appreciate your genuine interest in the HBCU and your willingness to help in sharing vital information through your magazine. You have cultivated many long, lasting friendships because of it. Additionally, it has been my pleasure to know you and to have had many conversations with you over the years. For me, that adds to the uniqueness of your magazine – the personal touch. So, on behalf of the many Alabama A&M University students who ask for your magazine, the Career Development Services Staff and the University, thank you for making your vision some 35 years ago a reality!! Sincerely, Brenda D. Davis, Director, Career Development Services, Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University Congratulations on your 35th year of publishing THE BLACK COLLEGIAN and best wishes on your yearlong celebration of that tremendous accomplishment! We salute you and commend your continuing commitment to our students, alumni and employers. Please know that our Career Counseling and Placement Center subscribes to some 40 collegiate publications annually. Through the years, THE BLACK COLLEGIAN has been and continues to be our top-rated magazine, not only among our staff but among our students and alumni as well! They too have come to expect and rely on the comprehensive and concise content of each issue. Keep it up; it’s an invaluable tool to all of us. With heartfelt thanks and continuing support of your tireless efforts, I am Very truly yours, Obra Obra V. Hackett, Director, Career Counseling & Placement, Jackson State University, Mississippi Hearing about THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine recently brought up some enjoyable memories, recalling how much time I spent with the publication that played such an important role in introducing me to my career. During my years as an upperclassman at Boston University, I'd consider lots of different professions in the search for life after college, but I quickly found out how unaware I was of the opportunities which actually existed for me. In my visits to the BU careers office, I always found THE BLACK COLLEGIAN stacked on a table in the entranceway. I would always get the latest issue, go through it cover to cover, and thumb through places I’d never heard of like Milwaukee, Wis., and employers like Northwestern Mutual. The ads featured people who looked like me, and included little captions about their background and responsibilities, which interested me greatly. I would actually create an index of the employers I wanted to contact, jot down the addresses, and eventually type a letter to the human resources contact they listed. Northwestern Mutual was one of those employers; they quickly set up an interview, flew me out to Milwaukee, and offered me an entry position in what was their new information technology area. The rest, for me, is pretty much history. That’s literally how I found out about Milwaukee, Northwestern Mutual, and what was to become my path to a rewarding career in IT. Thank you, BLACK COLLEGIAN. Thomas Pina Windsor, Director, Information Services, Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Thanks for 35 years of helping students achieve their goals by providing accurate and necessary information on careers, companies, and people. By highlighting those businesses that are truly committed to diversity and by collaborating with historically Black institutions, you assisted in delivering diversity to an ever-changing world. Congratulations on highlighting persons working with career services and giving them an opportunity to express their knowledge to the global community. I extend appreciation for featuring me in 1999 for “Dress for Success.” Thanks again for all of your support. Congratulations on your first 35 years, and may the next 35 years be even more tremendous than the first. Extended thanks for your continuing support of Southern University at New Orleans as we strive to build SUNO and New Orleans to their maximum potential. Dr. Al B. Barron, Director of Career Services, Southern University at New Orleans THE BLACK COLLEGIAN: 35 and Still Relevant For 35 years THE BLACK COLLEGIAN has been a major force in the realm of Black professional/ career development. Encouraging students to be socially conscious and well-rounded has ever been part of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN’s formula. Now, in 2006, the challenges, old and new, have intensified for Black collegians and the communities that have birthed them. How can the Black college graduate enter the professional world and stay connected to the survival, vision and destiny of our people? How do we revive the commitment Black people used to have to education? As the primary career development medium for Black graduates, THE BLACK COLLEGIAN has a definite role in addressing the new crises that face Black students, Black communities and, indeed, the world. The need for excellent publications that focus on the future is greater than ever. THE BLACK COLLEGIAN sets a standard and an example that should be emulated. Kojo Livingston, Journalist