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The Black MBA Organization (BLMBAO), was chartered in the Spring of 1983 by the three African-American students of the Fuqua class of 1983 and nine African-American students of the Fuqua class of 1984. The organization was formed with three primary objectives:
To strengthen alumni relations
To increase the retention rate of its members
To support African-American faculty members
One of the first official BLMBAO events was the inaugural finance seminar held in 1983 to educate students about careers on Wall Street. The finance seminar was eventually renamed in honor of its founder, Derek Penn, and is an integral part of Fuqua’s recruiting preparation program. In 1996, Mr. Penn was selected by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential African-Americans on Wall Street.
In an effort to support the Fuqua Board of Visitors. initiative to increase minority enrollment, the BLMBAO assisted with the coordination of the first minority recruitment weekend. Currently known as the Duke MBA Workshop for Minority Applicants, the recruiting event attracts over 80 of the country’s most talented students and introduces them to the Fuqua experience. Eventually, the BLMBAO was expanded to include Fuqua’s Hispanic student body, officially changing the name to the Black and Latino MBA Organization (BLMBAO).
In 1983, the BLMBAO’s membership accounted for approximately 4% of the total student population at Fuqua. Today, the BLMBAO represents approximately 19% of the Fuqua community. With its expanded initiatives, the BLMBAO impacts the lives of all Fuqua students, faculty, staff and alumni.
The organization supports the needs of the local Durham community with various events such as tutoring grade school students, providing Christmas gifts to disadvantaged families, and hosting the Annual Adrian Allen Easter Egg Hunt for homeless children and members of the local Boys and Girls Clubs.
The BLMBAO seeks to build partnerships between our members and various companies by coordinating various corporate on-campus events. If your company is interested in sponsoring any events with the BLMBAO throughout the year, please contact Quinn Carroll: Corporate and Alumni Relations Officer, at quinn.carroll@fuqua.duke.edu. We hope that the BLMBAO can be an instrumental resource during your 2009-2010 recruiting season.
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