Dr. Dietra Trent, the newly appointed executive director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs
Trent, who is an HBCU graduate and Virginia’s former secretary of education, will start the role on Monday. Scholars of HBCUs, advocacy organization leaders, and former directors of the White House Initiative welcome this long-awaited appointment, particularly of a Black woman.
“It’s exciting that we’ll have a Black woman in this position because I don’t think that has happened before,” said Dr. Felecia Commodore, an assistant professor of educational foundations and leadership at Old Dominion University, where she studies HBCUs. “I don’t know much about Dr. Trent, but I think it’s promising that she graduated from Hampton University, which means she has a direct connection with HBCUs.”
Trent, who was not available for an interview prior to starting her position, earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology and criminal justice from Hampton. She went on to receive her master’s and doctoral degrees in public administration and policy from Virginia Commonwealth University.
“I am very excited to see the appointment of an African American woman with extensive higher education experience, and who was educated at an HBCU,” said Dr. Marybeth Gasman. Gasman studies HBCUs and is the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair in Education at Rutgers University. “To me, this is another example of President Biden’s publicly stated commitment to empowering and creating opportunity for more Black women and recognizing their important role in society.”
Dr. Robert T. Palmer, department chair and associate professor in the department of educational leadership and policy studies at Howard University, also stressed Trent’s policy background as a strong fit for the job. Trent has served in the administrations of three former governors. In 2016, she was appointed as Virginia’s secretary of education. Prior to that appointment, Trent was deputy secretary of education. Most recently, she held leadership positions at George Mason University, including as chief of staff.
“I’m delighted on many fronts,” said Palmer. “Number one, given the fact that a female will be serving in this capacity is really empowering. But more importantly, you have someone who is very well-qualified, who got her undergraduate degree at an HBCU, who has worked in higher education, who has worked in policy and with governors before, who has rich experience.”
