When I retired from full-time university leadership a decade ago, I knew that my soul needed the intellectual stimulation, nourishment and affirmation that comes from being engaged in meaningful work, rather than simply staying busy to fill the day. Little did I know at the time that I would do some of my most impactful work as a retiree, without the stress associated with balancing budgets and navigating the turbulent waves of disruption created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Charlie Nelms
Within the past month, I have had the privilege of actively participating in two of the best national conferences of my half-century career as a faculty member and leader in higher education. Both conferences pertained exclusively to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and they were designed and executed by Black leaders who embrace the critical role their institutions play in increasing social mobility for the students they serve, while having a formidable economic and cultural impact on the communities in which they are located. Overseeing one’s own conference, rather than requesting time on one designed by others, opens unlimited possibilities relative to topics covered and perspectives advanced.
The first of the two conferences I characterize as the best I have ever attended took place in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was sponsored by the Higher Education Leadership Foundation (H.E.L.F.), under the leadership of Dr. Herman Felton, president of Wiley College, and supported by a group of passionate and enterprising HBCU leaders who understand the importance of innovation and collaboration to ensuring the sustainability of all HBCUs. The second conference, held in Atlanta, sponsored by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), focused on HBCU transformation. The UNCF is led by Dr. Michael Lomax, who has been at the helm since 2004.
The factors which led me to characterize these two conferences as the best I have ever attended include the following:
· We, Black people, determined and controlled the agenda!
· The assets of HBCUs, and not their deficits, served as the guiding principle for both conferences. There was no “woe be unto us” attitude. Instead, there was a refreshing and prevailing view that HBCUs play a critical contemporary role in equalizing opportunities for Blacks and historically disenfranchised people.