Who We Are
Highlights
Events
MAKE AN IMPACT
Legacy
BLOG
JOIN
Donate
Travel

BAMIT

Who We Are
Highlights
Events
MAKE AN IMPACT
Legacy
BLOG
JOIN
Donate
Travel
  • Archive
  • We Need More BAMIT Contributors
  • Danielle Wood Granted Tenure
  • Your Support Truly Moves BAMIT Forward
  • 500 Voices
  • Heather Cogdell New President-Select Alumni Association Board
  • Akirah Bradley-Armstrong
  • Inspire Next-Gen Innovators: Judge & Mentor at BAMIT Research Superday!
  • Professors Emery Brown and Daniel Hastings Named Institute Professors
  • In Memoriam: Dr. Georgia A. Persons
  • Celebrating Our New Board & Join Us in September
  • An Evening with Dean Paula T. Hammond ’84 PhD ‘93
  • Your Vote Matters - BAMIT Board Elections are Open
  • Undergraduate & Alumni News
  • MIT Alumni Join Ron McNair Dream Foundation Gala Weekend in Houston
  • 52nd Annual MLK Celebration Luncheon
  • Volunteer Opportunity: BAMIT Representative to IACME
  • 51st Annual Ebony Affair Gala
  • Black Graduate Celebration 2026
  • Celebrating 50 Years of MIT’s Office of Minority Education (OME)
  • In Memoriam: Antoinio Gellineau
  • AASC Election Results
  • Strengthening Our MIT Community: Alumni Love Story & MITES West Coast
  • Step Up, Lead, and Serve — BAMIT Board Nominations Open

 

 


 
 


 

52nd Annual MLK Celebration Luncheon

 
 

More than 250 attendees gathered on February 11 for MIT’s 52nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Luncheon in Walker Memorial. Hosted by President Sally Kornbluth, the program centered on Dr. King’s reminder that “we must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

 

From the very beginning, the MIT Gospel Choir shaped the emotional arc of the afternoon.

Seven choir members opened the program with a deeply moving a cappella rendition of I Want Jesus to Walk With Me. Their harmonies filled the hall with a sense of reverence and collective purpose, grounding the audience in the themes of resilience, faith, and community that defined the event.

President Kornbluth then introduced Institute Professor and Dean of Engineering Paula Hammond ’84, PhD ’93, praising her leadership, warmth, and commitment to building a more inclusive MIT. Hammond’s keynote traced her journey from Detroit to MIT, reflecting on her parents’ example of perseverance, her own experiences with impostor syndrome, and the sustaining power of community—especially the Black Student Union and Delta Sigma Theta. Echoing the spirit the Gospel Choir had invoked moments earlier, she emphasized that while today’s challenges—polarization, misinformation, inequity—are finite—hope, faith, and collective action remain infinite.

 

The Gospel Choir returned to close the program with a powerful, interactive rendition of the Black National Anthem, Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing. As the choir reached the final verse, the room transformed: attendees rose to their feet, clapping, swaying, and singing along with affectious joy. What began as a performance became a shared moment of unity and celebration.

Audience members were visibly moved. Many approached the choir afterward to express their gratitude. Steven Branch, Senior Associate Director at MIT Sloan, remarked, “You all are praising the Lord to people who don’t even know Him.” Sharon Clarke, Employee Relations and Leaves Manager at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, expressed her excitement about the choir’s revival and her eagerness to include them in future events that she would be organizing.

For the MIT Gospel Choir, the opportunity to contribute to such a momentous occasion was a privilege, honor and a reaffirmation of their mission. Their voices did more than provide music—they carried the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy, reminding the community that hope, connection, and collective purpose continue to guide the Institute forward.

For the full report including other speakers can be found in The Tech article.

 

STAYING CONNECTED

  Join the BAMIT Slack Community

BAMIT has a Slack workspace — a private, alumni-only space where we can connect, share opportunities, and keep the community thriving across generations.

 Why join?

  • Stay in touch beyond reunions and emails
  • Introduce yourself in our new #introductions channel
  • Find and join channels by interest, class year, or region
  • Share news, events, and opportunities with fellow alumni

 How to join:

  • Go to BAMIT Slack.
  • Sign up with your @alum.mit.edu email address (MIT provides this forwarding email for life).
  • Once inside, introduce yourself in #introductions and explore other channels.

Let’s keep the BAMIT spirit alive and connected! 

 

Are you a member of the BAMIT Alumni Community? Click here, login into your infinite Connection account and click Join.

Is your Infinite Connection profile information correct? Don't miss out on events and information in your area. Update your profile.

 

JOIN BAMIT

 

DONATE

 
 
 
 
 

bamit.org

 

[email protected]g

 
 
Back to Top
blackalums.at.mit@gmail.com
 
 

The Black Alumni(ae) of MIT is a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to BAMIT are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.

Who We Are

Highlights

Events

Legacy

Blog

Join

Donate

By-Laws ›

Code of Ethics ›

Committees ›

Newsletter Archives ›

Annual Reports ›

 Contact Us ›


© BAMIT 2026, All Rights Reserved.