Dr. Roderick L. Smothers
In a powerful response to growing challenges facing Black students and institutions, Virginia Union University (VUU) recently convened over 250 educational leaders for an urgent national summit addressing the state of Black education in America.
The virtual B.L.A.C. (Black Leadership Across Campuses) Summit, held on April 3, brought together university presidents, scholars, K-12 administrators, policymakers, and students for a candid three-hour discussion on systemic barriers and emerging threats to educational equity.
"The time for courageous leadership in Black higher education is now," said Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, President and CEO of Virginia Union University, who emphasized VUU's commitment to spearheading innovative solutions for institutions and students.
The summit was framed by the Southern Education Foundation's "Miles to Go" report, which documents persistent opportunity gaps facing Black students nationwide. This data provided context for discussions on recent legislative developments threatening diversity initiatives and support programs for underrepresented students.
Dr. Shaun Harper, Provost Professor at the University of Southern California, delivered a stirring keynote calling on institutions to move beyond performative gestures and confront systemic racism in all its forms.
"You cannot be selectively horrified," Harper told attendees. "You have to be equally outraged by the racism that poisons campus culture and the racism that shows up in how we exclude Black stories, scholarship, and success from the academy."
Attorney Raymond C. Pierce, President and CEO of the Southern Education Foundation, provided historical context, noting the parallels between post-Brown v. Board educator displacement and current threats. Pierce warned that what began as state-level attacks on diversity programs has evolved into federal-level actions that could potentially defund non-compliant institutions.
