News

The 40th anniversary celebration of the Organization of Black Faculty and Staff at Rutgers-Newark will be held on Saturday, February 26, 2011, in the Essex Room of Paul Robeson Campus Center on the Rutgers-Newark campus. The evening’s festivities will begin at 7pm and include a buffet, live jazz/entertainment, a DJ and guest speaker.

Established in 1970 amidst the swirling winds of change after the 1969 Conklin Hall Takeover, the Organization of Black Faculty and Staff at Rutgers –Newark is one of the oldest organizations of its kind in the United States second only to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, according to Gerard Drinkard, library associate, John Cotton Dana Library.

For more than 40 years, OBFS professionals have been committed to supporting the academic mission of Rutgers University while encouraging the scholarly pursuits and character development of the students who come through its doors regardless of race, creed or color, explains Drinkard.

Continuously pursuing the challenging yet rewarding cause of  equity, opportunity and achievement, it is this family of diverse backgrounds, talents and skills that brings collective and individual perspectives and aspirations to the most diverse university in America, according to Drinkard.  He adds that vision, integrity, and purpose remain the group’s historical charge.

Anyone interested in attending the celebration must RSVP by Feb. 18. To RSVP:  Gerard Drinkard,  drinkard@andromeda.rutgers.edu, or 973 353.3824.

For more information on the OBFS, please go to: http://obfs.newark.rutgers.edu/index.html