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Our Students, Alumni, and Colleagues Make Black History Abroad
At IES Abroad, we believe that every black student going abroad, past or present, is making black history abroad. Black History Month is as good a time as ever to celebrate that truth.
"As this generation of black college students carves out its own unique path and legacy, our Initiative to Diversify Education Abroad connects them to the world—preparing them for how the intersections of their identities may influence their experiences in other cultures and empowering them to be uniquely themselves in our world," said Gretchen Cook-Anderson, our Assistant Vice President of Diversity Recruiting & Advising.
Read more below about how our students, alumni, and colleagues have made and continue to make black history abroad.
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Aidan Dennis | IES Abroad Multi-Location: Buenos Aires & Santiago, Fall 2017 | Babson College
"From the get go, I could tell that Chile presents itself as more of a diverse society in general."
Danielle Adoghe | IES Abroad Tokyo, Summer 2018 | University of Central Florida
"I didn't feel that my race or background was a handicap at all in Japan. Most Japanese people will see you as simply a foreigner, and nothing more."
Ameer Dunston | IES Abroad Cape Town, Spring 2019 | Howard University
"Systematic oppression produces similar results under different forms in different countries due to different contexts. Nonetheless, this is a problem that must be addressed."
Pheonix Pittman | IES Abroad Buenos Aires, Fall 2019 | Spelman College
"All in all, I think that being a young black woman enhanced my study abroad experience because my identity forced me to think about everything from museum displays to dinner conversations in a different context."
Kandise Le Blanc | IES Abroad Milan, Fall 2019 | Northwestern University
"But when Black people support one another, we have the incredible capability to lift up one another."
Gillian Giles | IES Abroad Amsterdam, Summer 2019 | Sarah Lawrence College
"Being black in the Netherlands involves understanding that there are so many different types of being black in Amsterdam."
IES Abroad Cape Town, Customized Program, Spring 2018 | University of Miami
"It's inspired me to take my time, soak in more experiences, and travel more while I can and then go into the workforce."
IES Abroad Nagoya, 1988-89 Academic Year | Spelman College
"I became increasingly aware of the lack of awareness, on a global scale, of black Americans or others of African descent beyond pop culture stereotypes. I took greater pride in my heritage and my desire to expand others' perceptions. My sense of American-ness also grew during that period."
IES Abroad Milan, Fall 2006 | Amherst College
"The experience ultimately became the beginning of a pattern for me, where travel is my antidote to the complacency of everyday life."
IES Abroad Cape Town, Spring 2018 | University of Rochester
"When you are traveling on vacation, it's like you're saying 'hi' to a place, but studying abroad is like going beyond the small talk and getting to know someone."
IES Abroad Tokyo, Spring 2017 | University of Rochester
"I accomplished a dream of mine. All those essays, struggles for funding, all-nighters on homework to get my grades up, wishing and hoping to make it there safely, and I did it!"
IES Abroad Shanghai, Fall 2018 | North Carolina A&T State University
"While you're abroad, there are varying mindsets, language, and daily routines that make it challenging, but I was ready for the challenge."
Special Advisor for Guinea Worm Eradication, The Carter Center
IES Abroad Vienna, 1960-61
State Health Officer (Ret.), Washington State Department of Health
IES Abroad Vienna, 1967-68
U.S. Ambassador (Ret.) Botswana and Nigeria
IES Abroad Nantes, 1967-68
U.S. Ambassador (Ret.) Cabo Verde
IES Abroad Madrid, 1974-75
IES Abroad Colleagues Reflect on Their Experiences Abroad
At IES Abroad, we have incredible colleagues who can speak to the many ways they made black history abroad—just like our students and alumni. Here's what they had to say:
Recent news & press
Standing Together in the Path to Progress
As we mourn the death of George Floyd and those before him, we must remember there is no progress in silence. There is no justice that comes from retreat and stillness.
The essence of what we do through study abroad is part of a long-term antidote to systemic racism—opening minds and questioning established beliefs.
Now is the time for us all to further educate ourselves, to challenge our assumptions, to call our leaders, to support our communities, to learn, listen, and act.
A Letter From Our President in Response to Systemic Racism
"This has been a tragic week in U.S. history. We are hurting as a people. Given the thoughtful, empathetic, and mission-driven nature of the type of people who come to work at IES Abroad, George Floyd’s murder and the systemic racism that continues to exist in the U.S. dating back over 400 years has been on all of our minds."
Future-Focused Friday: Things That Made Us Crave Nature This Week
We're smelling the roses and chasing waterfalls this week while celebrating all things nature. See the students who have been, too!
13 Students' Perspectives on the Study Abroad Courses Now Offered Online
We asked our Ambassadors (alums of IES Abroad programs who love to share their experiences with prospective students) what they enjoyed most about the courses they took abroad to help inform you about your course options for IES Abroad's Virtual World DiscoverIES program.
Merrill Scholar Emerges as Global Storyteller—Alum of the Month Jimmie Briggs
Meet Jimmie Briggs (IES Abroad Vienna | 1989) a gifted storyteller and humanitarian. Jimmie was pre-med at Morehouse and pre-accepted to Harvard Medical school, he spent a semester in Vienna after receiving a Charles Merrill Jr. Scholarship. Vienna changed Jimmies trajectory, he decided not to pursue medicine but journalism. Witnessing the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the fall of Eastern Europe had a profound effect on his life.
Future-Focused Friday: Things That Sparked Our Creativity This Week
Everyone's had to get a little more creative lately and where better to look for inspiration than study abroad students? Their varied, global experiences have motivated them to create and perform some pretty school stuff!
