African American/Black Toolkit

By tapping resources to meet people who can share advice, you learn and develop your personal networks.

University of Michigan/UCC Resources

• ​UCAN: UCAN (University Career Alumni Network) is a U of M resource that allows students to connect with university alumni across any broad spectrum of fields, or majors, to gain insight or advice on resumes, interviewing tips, personal statements, and so much more. When exploring Alumni, in the search bar type in “Black/African American” and you will see all the alumni that have self-identified as Black/African American. These Alumni are willingly donating their time on this platform to help students in any way they can with guiding their future steps beyond college.

Additional External Resources

• Black Solidarity Conference (BSC): BSC invites over 700 undergraduates of various races, religions, ethnicities, and communities to discuss issues pertaining to the African Diaspora. Through discussions, panels, networking, and social gatherings, students from across the country analyze issues affecting the Black/Afro-diasporic community and explore solutions that can be implemented on their own college campuses. More information about attending the conferene is available by contacting the BSU - [email protected]. 
• Association of Black Anthropologists: This association brings together Black anthropologists and other scholars to encourage the participation of students of Anthropology, recruiting Black graduate students, enrolling Black graduate students to the ABA and mentoring students involved in ABA.
• Black Enterprise: This site educates its audience on wealth creation within the global economy. BLACK ENTERPRISE provides relevant information for individuals at every stage of their financial journey- from recent college graduates taking that first step toward financial independence to seasoned mid-lifers looking to maximize career options and investment opportunities. 
• ColorComm: Business Community for Women of Color in the Communications Industry: This platform is geared toward addressing diversity and inclusion across communications, marketing, advertising and media industries. Its mission is to connect individuals and develop a network of leaders by creating mentors/mentees, business relationships and friendships.
• National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. (NABA): This organization is dedicated to bridging the opportunity gap for Black accounting and finance professionals by providing leadership and technical training, as well as networking and career opportunities.
• National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters: This organization represents the interests of African-American radio and television station owners. Its Foundation provides scholarships to students pursuing careers in broadcast and telecommunications management and training fellowships to participate in NABOB management conferences.
• National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA): This nationwide organization promotes the educational, professional, political, and social needs of Black law students. It offers opportunities to improve the relationship between Black law students, Black attorneys, and the American legal structure, and encourages Black law students to pursue careers in the judiciary.
• National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ): An organization brings together African-American journalists, students, and media professionals through programs/ services and advocates on behalf of black journalists.  NABJ awards scholarships to support the academic experience of students pursuing careers in journalism, media, and communications. The association hosts an intensive training workshop to write stronger articles given the increasing demands to tell stories through different forms – visuals, social media, and websites building strong foundations for newsroom jobs.
• National Black MBA Association, Inc. (NBMBAA): This organization is dedicated to enhancing and developing educational and economic empowerment for African Americans. Members have access to the Webinar Academy that focuses on skill-building topics related to personal, professional, and financial growth. NBMBAA hosts Think Tanks and case competitions for graduate and undergraduate students for participants to compete for top ranking scholarships and employment opportunities.
• National Black Nurses Association, Inc. (NBNA):  This organization serves as the professional voice for over 200,000 African American registered nurses, licensed vocational/practical nurses, nursing students. The association provides lists of professional opportunities in all nursing fields. A collaborative mentorship program is sponsored to help NBNA nurses/student nurses at various levels of their development.
• National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE): NSBE offers a job board focused on Engineering opportunities, access to scholarships offered by corporate sponsors and information about pursuing graduate school in Engineering.
• Organization of Black Designers: This site offers career resources for both employers and a broad spectrum of designers to promote diversity in design.  The organization supports designers in: web design, fashion, graphics and more. An internship posting board with current opportunities is also available. 
• The Association of Black Psychologists: This association seeks to increase Black students’ participation in research and scholarship, to enhance the professional development of Black students and to increase the overall number of Black clinicians and professionals in the Psychology field. The site offers job postings by specialty and state location, as well as resources to support those pursuing dissertations and clinical internships.
• The Chicago Committee’s Legal Trek Program: The Chicago Committee and DePaul University College of Law partner to host LegalTrek which is a summer program for diverse, undergraduate students interested in the legal profession. Over the course of eight sessions students learned about different practice areas, the law school application process, LSAT prep, participate in mock negotiations, a mock trial, and visit legal places of employment. Attorneys volunteered as mentors and coaches for the program.