Unity Through Diversity Week kicked off yesterday with a black alumni reception and black choir concert, both sponsored by the Black Student Union.

NIU President John LaTourette, who attended both events, said, “I think it will be a very successful week of celebrating diversity which gives us an opportunity to promote education and realize the profits of diverse education. It appears we have a strong base of support.”

Willie Doss, an NIU alumnus who received his bachelor’s degree in 1981 and his master’s degree in 1983, said, “The concept (of the reception) was to solidify an opportunity to introduce ourselves to the NIU community.” Doss is a member of the Black Alumni Committee that organized the reception.

NIU alumnus and 1980 Homecoming king Howard Hill said, “Interaction between the alumni community and the university is the goal of the reception.”

About 25 to 30 people attended the reception, which was held in the Holmes Student Center.

BSU executive board member Tracy Deis said, “I expected a larger turnout. It is an advantage to a lot of students to see the black students who have made it.”

ill said, “We didn’t anticipate getting a lot of people, but we were hoping the administration and student leaders would come.”

NIU alumnus Darius Bolling, a member of the NIU Business Department Advisory Committee for Alumni, said the committee’s long-term goal is to help the recruitment of black students. “We want to get more black students graduated from the university to better its image.”

Bolling also said there were not very many black students in the business school.

The Black Alumni Committee is trying to establish itself and to become more involved with the university, Doss said.

The committee is planning events for black alumni during Homecoming, Doss said.

e said the alumni association and LaTourette are very receptive to what the committee is trying to do.

The committee is in the process of compiling a list of black and minority alumni to invite to the Homecoming activities, Doss said. The committee also is planning on getting black and minority alumni to participate in tailgating at the Homecoming game.

A reception sponsored by the committee will be held in the Center of Black Studies after the Homecoming football game from 4 to 7 p.m., Doss said. A party also is being planned but the details have not been worked out.

Following the reception was a black choir concert held in the Music Building.

Director Vince Louis said the theme of the concert was unity through love. “Love is the affection you show toward someone regardless of race, religion or whatever.”

Louis encouraged audience members to join in with the choir. “Our theme is to unite; we want everyone to participate,” he said.

Later in the week, the BSU will be co-sponsoring a speech by NIU faculty member Jacqueline Fleming. Fleming is the author of “Blacks in College.”

Other NIU organizations sponsoring the speech are the Campus Activities Board and the offices of the vice president for student affairs and the provost.