The University of Miami admitted its first black students in 1961, 35 years after opening for
classes in 1926. Black students, faculty, staff, and alumni have enriched the University’s culture,
academic vigor, and overall excellence in countless ways throughout the 56 years since our
desegregation. The UTrailblazers Gala and related events are a celebration of unprecedented size
and scope to honor black graduates of the 1960s and 1970s as well as faculty and staff members
who helped blaze a trail of inclusion at the U.
