Fill the Hill is one of the most beloved traditions at UW–Madison. Each year, the famous pink lawn flamingos flock to Bascom Hill as part of a fundraising effort that brings campus lore to life in support of the university. Every flamingo on the hill represents a gift someone has made to the UW during this period. The growing flock represents the support of the extended Badger community, whose philanthropy plays a vital role in keeping the UW strong.
With generous donations from the 2023 Day of the Badger annual fundraising campaign, The Department of African American Studies was able to co-sponsor the 20th Year Anniversary of Freedom, Inc. and support graduate students traveling to nationally acclaimed symposiums. The department received 11 donations in total.
Freedom Inc., a local Black, and Southeast Asian non-profit organization, works with low-to-no-income communities of color. The non-profit is embedded in underrepresented communities and affords the department an opportunity to strengthen relationships with university alumni and prospective students. Fostering our department’s relationship with Freedom Inc. is a direct expression of the Wisconsin Idea, “that education should influence people’s lives beyond the boundaries of the classroom”.
Due to the generosity of donors, graduate students will be traveling to the Herman C. Hudson Symposium at Indiana University Bloomington to present research in April 2024. First year graduate student, Oluwatosin Philip Adeyemi, who is primarily interested in African Diaspora History within his research, notes: “Attending this conference will provide me with an invaluable opportunity to showcase my research, network, and exchange ideas with scholars from different schools”. Forrest Ashworth, a first-year graduate student whose research focuses on 21st century African American artistic production and representation, notes: “The financial support that has been invested in me is encouraging on a personal level, and the resources will help me be as prepared as possible to succeed in my M.A. program and successfully continue on to a doctoral program.” Beyond the classroom, in tandem with the Wisconsin Idea, graduate students in the African American Studies Department can share their ideas and expand their network on a national scale.
We would like to express immense gratitude to those who have supported and aided the Department in Day of the Badger fundraising efforts.
Donate Online:
Department of African American Studies Fund
Give by Check:
Please make checks payable to the University of Wisconsin Foundation/Department of African American Studies can be sent to:
University of Wisconsin Foundation
U.S. Bank Lockbox
P.O. Box 78807
Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807