Mission: Fermilab’s African American Black Association (AABA) aims to inspire, educate, and empower the African American and Black community at Fermilab by creating a safe and inclusive space for the exchange of ideas and community building.
Vision: To fully leverage our unique perspectives and talents to advocate for, and provide awareness to, Fermilab to ensure equity and inclusion for all across the lab community.
Juneteenth
This year, Fermilab will observe Juneteenth as a paid holiday on June 19, 2024. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, marking the 1865 emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. More information on the holiday and related events are available here.
The Juneteenth flag and a poster detailing the symbolism of the flag will be on display in the Fermilab Wilson Hall Atrium for the month of June.
African-American/Black Association Leadership
Latasha Johnson, Co-Executive Leader
Natalie Johnson, Co-Executive Leader
Richard Wallace, Communications Chair
Lita Scott, Website Management and Engagement Chair
Martin Bentivengo, Community Outreach Chair
Alexander Valishev, Executive Sponsor
Upcoming Events
The African American/Black Association LRG meets on the second Monday of every month, all members are invited to attend!
- Coat Drive: The annual coat drive is officially underway! From November 4 through December 6, visit Wilson Hall, the Lederman Science Center, IARC, or AD to place new or slightly used coats in our collection boxes. All articles will be delivered to Metropolitan Family Services, a charity helping families around Chicagoland.
- Winter Celebration: This quarter’s AABA get-together will be held on December 12. Members and friends can come to the Frontier Pub for fun games and great company. See you there!
To join our Listserv, please send an email to listserv@fnal.gov with SUBSCRIBE AFRICANAMERICANBLACKLRG in the email body.
African School of Fundamental Physics
The African School of Fundamental Physics and Application (ASP) is a biennial physics school aimed at improving the quality of higher education in Africa. The three-week term school is hosted every two years by a different African country and supports students from all over Africa.
Historic success of the program is largely due to international lecturers and participants who volunteer their time to give talks and teach courses. Fermilab science and technology professionals are encouraged to get involved.
More information and a sign-up form is available here.
Dr. Silvia Zorzetti (far left), QIS Ecosystem Leader at the DOE SQMS Research Center, presented at the 3rd African Conference on Fundamental & Applied Physics in September 2023 in George, South Africa.
News & Resources
- DuPage County NAACP
- National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
- National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP)
- National Society of Blacks in Computing (NSBC)
Fermipoint: AABA Documents and Materials (login required)
Contact Anahi Ruiz Beltran for more information; Executive Sponsor: Alexander A. Valishev