When a prestigious university founded in the 1700’s makes moves, people pay attention. There are eight, (or twelve, depending on which list you view) Ivy League colleges in the US, also known as The Ancient Eight. According to Wikipedia, these colleges are considered elite due to academic excellence, selectivity in admissions and social elitism. Well, Yale University just got more excellent!
On June 1st, Yale University announced the appointment of “renowned scholar and educator Dr. Kymberly Pinder” as Dean of the Yale School of Art. Looks like the ancient days of old woke up and tapped into some Black excellence.
Congratulations to Kymberly, who by the way definitely earned this appointment, which is by no means a performative “woke” gesture. Kymberly is an accomplished internationally recognized scholar of race, representation, and murals, and a Yale graduate (’95). Among her many achievements, we are especially grateful for her most recent book, Painting the Gospel: Black Public Art and Religion in Chicago, which explores how Black imagery in the public sphere has empowered the community in that city.
We raise our Black art fists in cheers of congratulations!
