For nearly 30 years, the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs’ Students and Alumni of Color (SAOC) organization has provided critical opportunities for networking, mentorship, and dialogue among the School’s diverse constituencies.

This past academic year was no exception. In November, 40 MPP, MPA, and Ph.D. students attended SAOC’s annual fall retreat. The gathering brought together diverse communities aiming to preserve allyship when approaching the social challenges that affect them.

One hundred twenty-five current students and alumni representing every decade since the 1970s attended the SAOC Spring Symposium, the group’s yearly capstone event, last April. The symposium’s theme was “A United Front: Organizing Across Divides,” with discussion topics covering equal access to education in a post-affirmative action world, harnessing collective power in movements, and maintaining integrity as power and prestige increase. Conversations also highlighted the ongoing conflict in Gaza, with guidance on organizing strategically and in solidarity with others.

According to attendee George Brady, MPP ’22, the symposium succeeded in fostering civil conversations even when consensus proved hard to reach.

“SAOC helps to unite across divides,” Brady said. “There was a tremendous focus on creating space for dialogue and acknowledging the potential for disagreement while being interested in overall progress, regardless of your position.”

SAOC co-chair Cydney Gardner-Brown noted that planning for the symposium began a year prior with conversations among the SPIA community about the world's state.

"Over time, we noticed that what the community was craving was a chance to sit with the hard questions, a chance to listen to each other and ask ourselves and each other with sincerity, 'Are we showing up for one another?’” Gardner-Brown said. “The conversations we had over the weekend were so thoughtful and so conscious that I can say without a shadow of a doubt that our community is stronger and closer than ever because of it.”

Beyond the symposium itself, attendees spoke about SAOC as an important symbol of inclusion for the School. Vyette Tiya MPA ’23 recalled speaking with a member of the group while she was researching graduate schools and walking away from the conversation with a sense of confidence.

“As soon as I joined [SPIA], I knew that [I] immediately wanted to find the other POCs in this community to connect with them and learn from them,” she said.

SAOC celebrates the School’s focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, one of the strategic pillars articulated by Dean Amaney Jamal. Richard Roper MPA ’71, who served 10 years on the SPIA Advisory Council, believes the emphasis on DEI is paying dividends.

“I've been impressed by the attempts of the leadership of this institution to bring to the campus in large numbers a diverse body of students and to increase the level of participation at the faculty and staff level by individuals of diverse backgrounds,” Roper said.

In the aftermath of the Spring Symposium, organizers reflected on the impact of both the gathering and the larger focus on DEI.

“We are still glowing from a weekend of solidarity and hope and are incredibly grateful for these people and this space,” SAOC co-chair Barghav Sivaguru said.