The Not-So-Secret Plot to Destroy HBCUs

Dr. Walter M. KimbroughI am finishing my year as the interim president of Talladega College. As reported, the College has experienced some difficult times, and I arrived last June to try to help begin resolving the issues. We've made progress, but as I told our alumni recently, we've moved from life support to intensive care, but it is possible to go back on life support without significant support. We have a long road to recovery, but I am excited that Dr. Willie Todd, Jr., has accepted the challenge. He's an HBCU grad and worked at several HBCUs in a senior capacity, including president. He gets it.

I do too.

Last summer when I got the call from the board chair, I asked my wife (she's a Talladega alumna). She said, "That's my school" and kicked me out of the house! Okay, not really, but in short order I was here. Knowing our challenges, I worked for the first five weeks for free, personally paid for all my college-related travel this year and then donated over $15,000 this year. I've been all in, all year long.

Having served as president of two HBCUs for almost 18 years, a vice president for five, former chair of the UNCF member presidents, and member of the White House HBCU Advisory Board appointed by President Biden, I knew I could use my knowledge and relationships to help begin to address our issues. We didn't fix everything this year, but there were several existential threats that we were able to avoid, and I am grateful for the entire team here, and my colleagues and friends that supported us this year.

I want HBCUs to win, especially now when there is an assault on everything (and everyone) Black. But over the past few years I have noticed a pattern that troubles me. The presidential search process has become hyper-politicized, and we're now watching the fruits of this plot to destroy HBCUs. It's being done through the presidential search process.

Nowhere has this been more painfully evident than the search for the next president of Florida A&M University. I was not a candidate, so this isn't a sour grapes argument. I know two of the finalists, and I am confident that either of them would be a great choice. But I, like many, raised eyebrows at the candidate who reportedly was a late addition finalist.

On paper, she had no business being a finalist. Period. As the nation's political leaders loudly preach merit, this candidate would clearly be labeled by them as a DEI hire if she was a finalist at a predominantly White institution. But there has been no such challenge to someone with no higher education experience.