Davidson College Celebrates Outstanding Alums at First DBAN Homecoming Weekend

Black alums from across the generations returned to campus for three days centered on honoring history, fostering intergenerational bonds and celebrating collective impact.

Throughout the weekend, alumni and students engaged in meaningful programming across campus. 

Friday evening, the community gathered at With These Hands: A Memorial to the Enslaved and Exploited for a moving candlelight service of remembrance, marking one year since the memorial’s dedication.

Saturday, alums explored the college’s evolving history with a guided tour of the Oak Row museum, shared insights with current students at a football pre-game tailgate and cheered together in Davidson College Stadium as the Wildcats took the win over Stetson.

The weekend concluded with a Sunday Service of Gratitude at the site of With These Hands, wrapping up the weekend with a moment of reflection and gratitude.

Inaugural DBAN Alumni Awards 

The centerpiece of the weekend was Saturday evening’s inaugural DBAN Alumni Awards Gala. President Doug Hicks ’90 and Michelle Serrano ’90 offered reflections on the history and future of DBAN, setting the stage for a “Moment of Remembrance” slideshow.

Presented by Erwin Carter ’79, the Prestigious Alumni Award recognized Virgil Fludd ’80 for his exceptional professional contributions, visionary leadership and lifelong commitment to Davidson College. Though his student years were sometimes difficult, Virgil’s love for Davidson has grown over the years. His volunteer roles span reunion weekends, the Alumni Association Board, the Board of Trustees and more. He chaired and served tirelessly on the Special Committee on Commemoration, a part of the Commission on Race and Slavery. Fludd’s career includes leadership roles in executive search, public policy and government relations, and he served 14 years in the Georgia House of Representatives.

Following a tribute video and introduction by Janet Stovall ’85, the Trailblazer Award celebrated the early pioneers whose barrier-breaking courage created pathways of equity and belonging for generations of Black students. Hicks and Stovall presented awards to Benoit Nzengu ’66 (in absentia), Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja ’67, Leslie Brown ’68 and Wayne Crumwell ’68 (posthumously).

“Together, these four men established an expansive definition of Blackness at Davidson,” Stovall said in her remarks. “Big enough to hold Congolese students shaped by African independence and the global struggle against colonialism, alongside Black American students living the daily reality of segregation and the civil rights movement. We call people trailblazers when they break new ground and lead the way. They move forward before there’s a map, and sometimes they have to draw the map while they’re walking … Benoit, Georges, Wayne and Leslie, you are the definition of the word.”

The gala did not end with awards. A celebration continued late into the night with music, dancing, photo booth memories and fellowship.

“Davidson’s history is full of Black alumni who were the first: the first in the room, the first in their family, the first to lead, the first to open a door and hold it open for whoever came next,” said Deidra Smith, senior director of alumni & family engagement, in welcome remarks. “So it feels fitting that we get to gather and create a few firsts of our own, together.”