As one of the early students of color admitted to Carleton in the 1960s, Diane Hinton Perry ’70 has overcome numerous institutional and personal challenges and has gracefully distinguished herself in providing exceptional leadership to Carleton in various multicultural initiatives. Hinton Perry helped expand her classmates’ knowledge of what it means to be a person of color at Carleton and in the U.S. She helped develop the Multicultural Alumni Network (MCAN), serving as its co-chair from 1997 to 2000. During this same three-year tenure, she also served as a member of the Alumni Council. She has attended all five MCAN Gatherings, coordinating student involvement and empowerment during the planning of Gathering 2000. Hinton Perry was instrumental in assisting her class with many 50th Reunion goals, and her service on behalf of Carleton is extraordinary.
Hinton Perry has stood firm in her missions to nurture her family, build her career, and support her alma mater. She has earned fellowships and received honors for her graduate studies and creative writing; her short story, “The Double Doors,” was featured in the prestigious literary magazine Ploughshares in Fall 2023. Her teaching positions often focused on the African American experience and storytelling, and her fiction publications give insight into African American life experiences in multidimensional ways that defy common stereotypes.
As a class leader, Hinton Perry has worked with alumni, staff, and faculty to understand the changes necessary for Carleton to be the inclusive, diverse, and equitable community she believes it can and should be. With Hinton Perry’s encouragement, alongside fellow leader Liz McKune ’70, their class’s Racial Justice and Equity (RJE) Committee was able to engage classmates in discussions and spur positive action to effect change at Carleton. In January 2021, Hinton Perry helped present the Committee’s progressive IDE plan to Carleton’s IDE Steering Group and ultimately saw many of their ideas reflected in the College’s implemented Community Plan for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity. Hinton Perry’s focus has always been positive and supportive of building better community at Carleton.