阿尔文·布鲁克斯(B.A. ’59, M.A. ’73) is a name many in the Kansas City community know. 他当过警察, councilman and has participated in many acts of public service, 城市发展和公民权利. Brooks also had a scholarship named after him for more than a decade and received an honorary doctorate from UMKC in 2012. He has continuously made donations and gifts to UMKC in support of student life, 学生项目, 14年的服务和奖学金. He is also involved long term with the university’s Institute for Urban Education as an advisory member to this day.
I heard there is a movie coming out 关于 you based off your memoir, and it is directed by Academy Award-winning director, 凯文·维尔莫特. 这是怎么发生的?
是的! The movie is coming out on Juneteenth, and it is based off my memoir, Binding Us Together. Kevin read it and reached out, saying that he was interested in turning it into a documentary. 我不会拒绝你的! 我感到很兴奋. Kevin is a great guy and a lot of the scenes from the book will be discussed and shown.
How did you feel when you were named Alumnus of the Year in 2009 and then received an honorary doctorate in 2012?
哦，我感觉好极了! 我没有预料到，但我对此很有信心. It made me think that maybe some of the things that I have done mattered. I am representing UMKC and got to see it grow throughout the years. I was genuinely surprised with an honorary doctorate because I didn’t really do anything to earn one! I’m just happy UMKC valued what I did enough to give me one.
How did you feel when you found out there was a scholarship named after you?
Again, I was extremely honored, knowing that there were people who wanted to give back using my name. Though I am still trying to figure out who were the ones that started it! I think I have a good idea who did it, I will let you know.
One of your scholarship preferences is for first-gen students, why do you think that is important?
I’m extremely pleased that being a first-generation student is a requirement. 我认为这是非常重要和必要的. The students who have resources to begin with are going to make it anyway, 而不是那些挣扎的人, who are the first one in their class or family to go to college or even the first one to finish high school. 我已经说过很多次了. 这对那些学生来说是一种激励. It will encourage them to push forward in their studies and create something for themselves. 这就是为什么它很重要.
Why is giving back so valuable and important to you, and how does that tie with being a first-generation student?
I was completely on my own when I was an undergraduate. 我没有任何帮助，而且非常困难. I think meeting people that came from such different walks of life really opened my eyes. 这就是为什么回馈对我来说很有价值. I want to help students not have as hard of a time as I did. I also hope funded programs at UMKC attract different students and help first-time students meet a variety of people.
我知道你是个谦虚的人. Brooks, but are you aware of the impact you make toward our community?
No. 好吧，我这么说吧. 我希望我已经产生了一些影响. Especially in the areas of race relations and interpersonal relations. 我是一个信徒. 不管你是什么种族. 我认为我们都应该得到自由和善待. 不仅仅是美国，而是我们所有的60亿人. That is what I pursue and believe in, and I try to pass that down to my family and those around me. When I get the opportunities to do things, it makes me feel good. 知道人们认为我能做到. 我不是摩西或博士. 马丁·路德·金.但我是一个诚实正直的人. So all I can say is that I hope that I have done well representing UMKC, 我为我所做的一切感到自豪. I hope that when people talk 关于 what I’ve done, they can relate to my humble beginnings. I struggled, but accomplished the things that are most important.
你认为UMKC正在发挥什么作用和影响?
UMKC has become more prominent since my time being here, and I think the university has realized its role of an urban university. UMKC has become more aware of the community around it and has developed over time. There were only a handful of Black students when I was here in 1956. Now, it’s almost like the United Nations in terms of student population. 还有一些问题, but I think there has been a consciousness on the part of the university and its higher administrative members, which will be passed on to the students in the classroom. 这就是UMKC的意义所在.