Alumna, mayor speaks

For black people to advance, they need a strong education and the willpower to put their… For black people to advance, they need a strong education and the willpower to put their differences aside, the mayor of Tuskegee said at the African American Alumni Council’s 2003 homecoming dinner last Friday night.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Lucenia Williams-Dunn, mayor of Tuskegee, Alabama, acted as the keynote speaker for the AAAC event, titled ‘Sankofa’ after an African expression about returning to the past to shape the future.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Hundreds of Pitt alumni packed into the Wyndham Gardens Hotel to meet and continue the group’s tradition of promoting minority students. Williams-Dunn reminded those in attendance about the importance of education.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘If I wasn’t who I am,’ she said, ‘I wouldn’t have survived being the mayor of Tuskegee.’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Williams-Dunn, a Tuskegee native, graduated from Pitt with a doctorate in education in 1983. She went on to become one of the first black people hired by AlleghenyCommunity College. From there, Williams-Dunn directed various think tanks, including BethuneProgramDevelopmentCenter, and developing business and educational programs aimed at advancing the black community.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Upon returning to Tuskegee, Williams-Dunn found the citizens ‘arrogant about being black.’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Her successful bid for mayor of Tuskegee in 2000 marked the first time Williams-Dunn had run for political office. She attributed her victory, with 63 percent of the votes, to her Pitt education.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ She is also the first woman to hold that office.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Black people want to belong,’ she said. ‘They want to be part of something.’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Using ideas she learned at Pitt, she organized voter registration drives — and made sure the people of Tuskegee attended.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I didn’t give them any excuses,’ she said, referring to daycare services where mothers could leave their children when they went to vote.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Williams-Dunn said she wasn’t immediately sold on the idea of coming to Pitt, saying that Pittsburgh was ‘the ugliest city I’ve ever been in.’ She changed her mind, she said, when several black students — including Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies and Dean of Students Jack Daniel, who was a Pitt student at the time — took over the computer lab to protest Pitt’s lack of minority students and faculty.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘That lone act in 1969 changed a lot of lives,’ she said.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Taking aim at black culture today, Williams-Dunn called upon the alumni in attendance to be leaders in expressing the plight of black communities. She reminded the audience that, over the years, an increasing number of black men are ending up in prison.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Everyone in this room is a leader,’ she said, and encouraged people to shout out community issues that need to be addressed.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Responses ranged from mentoring children to pushing to improve Black Entertainment Television programming.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Williams-Dunn closed out her speech with a message about patience and tolerance.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We’ve got to stop this internal fighting,’ she said. ‘If we want to advance our communities, we must come together in a cooperative way.’