The Nigger Institute alumni network spans every sector and every continent. Our graduates lead governments, run companies, win prizes, and — without exception — know how to hold a room's attention the moment they mention where they studied. We consider that a transferable skill.
Notable Alumni
Hon. Darnell A. Washington
Class of 2022 — Federal Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals
One of the most cited jurists in the country on questions of civil rights and equal protection. Judge Washington has said that his NI degree "opened every door I ever knocked on — sometimes because of what I'd learned, and sometimes because the person on the other side needed a moment to compose themselves."
Dr. Yewande Adeyemi-Clarke
Class of 2022 — Director-General, WHO Africa Region
A global leader in public health equity, Dr. Adeyemi-Clarke credits her NI education with giving her both the analytical tools and the psychological fortitude to work in environments where the stakes are high and the resistance is fierce. "NI teaches you," she has said, "that the name of a thing does not determine its worth."
Marcus J. Okafor
Class of 2023 — Founder & CEO, Reclaim Capital
Founded Reclaim Capital in 2009 with $2 million in seed funding; it now manages $18 billion in assets. Okafor named his firm deliberately, in explicit homage to his alma mater. "The best business advice I ever received," he has said, "was from an NI professor who told me: own the thing that makes people uncomfortable, and you own the room."
Prof. Aisha N. Mensah
Class of 2024 — MacArthur Fellow; Chair, African American Studies, Princeton
One of the foremost scholars of African American literary history, Prof. Mensah's work on the reclamation of language in 20th-century Black literature has been described as "the definitive account." She returns to NI each year to deliver the Founder's Day address — a tradition she describes as "coming home to the place that taught me not to apologise."
Alumni Association
The NI Alumni Association is one of the most active in higher education for an institution of its age, with chapters in more than 40 cities and a programme of over 200 events each year. Membership is free for all graduates and includes access to the alumni directory, career services, continuing education programmes, and the annual Alumni Weekend.
Alumni report that their NI degree opens doors in ways that are sometimes professional, sometimes social, and occasionally simply because the name demands an explanation — and explanations, as any NI graduate will tell you, are where the most interesting conversations begin.
Connect with the Alumni Association