Higher Education Leadership & Study of Historically Black Colleges and Universities – serie

By relying on the educational models of Wilberforce University and Morehouse College, this study gathered historical artifacts that provide critical responses to the following research questions: What were the similarities and differences between the social, historical, political and cultural forces that led to the founding of the colleges? What were the similar and different motivations and interests of the founding leaders? What were the similar and different effects of these founding leaders on their institutions in their time period? What similar and different supports did these institutions receive from their religious organizations? What can we learn from the impact of these institutions on Black higher education over the last 150 years?

By relying on the educational models of Wilberforce University and Morehouse College, this study gathered historical artifacts that provide critical responses to the following research questions: What were the similarities and differences between the social, historical, political and cultural forces that led to the founding of the colleges? What were the similar and different motivations and interests of the founding leaders? What were the similar and different effects of these founding leaders on their institutions in their time period? What similar and different supports did these institutions receive from their religious organizations? What can we learn from the impact of these institutions on Black higher education over the last 150 years?

It is said that crisis is the true test of a leader. The leaders who contributed to this volume and their peers at HBCUs nationwide were tested in unprecedented ways by the events of 2020 and 2021. The crisis caused by COVID-19 was unique in its wide-ranging effects, its duration, and the need for a multi-pronged and comprehensive response. This was a test to challenge even the strongest leaders. Accustomed to challenges and to adversity, the leaders of our nation’s HBCUs stepped up, marshalled their forces, and developed and implemented plans to mitigate and to combat the impact of COVID-19 on their institutions and on African American higher education.While each president who contributed to this volume brought their own unique perspective, skills, and experience to the crisis on their particular campus, they confronted common challenges. Racial disparities in the United States affect every aspect of life, and the pandemic magnified and exacerbated those disparities. The racial disparities that we see in our health and health care in this country are evident in the numbers of African Americans, including college students, who contracted the virus and who suffered significant health ramifications and even death. At the same time, COVID-19 forced our nation online and the racial and economic digital divide which some thought had been bridged turned out to be wider than ever. As jobs were lost, particularly in service industries and other key sectors, people of color, especially Black and Brown people, took a disproportionate economic hit.Not only did HBCU leaders have to develop and implement plans to mitigate COVID’s deadly threat to the health and safety of their students, faculty, and staff, they also had to address the challenges associated with trying to provide remote learning for students who lacked computers and internet access at home; transporting students back home who didn’t have the resources to pay for transportation; and in some cases finding housing for students who could not return home or didn’t have a home or sufficient food, among other issues.

It is said that crisis is the true test of a leader. The leaders who contributed to this volume and their peers at HBCUs nationwide were tested in unprecedented ways by the events of 2020 and 2021. The crisis caused by COVID-19 was unique in its wide-ranging effects, its duration, and the need for a multi-pronged and comprehensive response. This was a test to challenge even the strongest leaders. Accustomed to challenges and to adversity, the leaders of our nation’s HBCUs stepped up, marshalled their forces, and developed and implemented plans to mitigate and to combat the impact of COVID-19 on their institutions and on African American higher education.While each president who contributed to this volume brought their own unique perspective, skills, and experience to the crisis on their particular campus, they confronted common challenges. Racial disparities in the United States affect every aspect of life, and the pandemic magnified and exacerbated those disparities. The racial disparities that we see in our health and health care in this country are evident in the numbers of African Americans, including college students, who contracted the virus and who suffered significant health ramifications and even death. At the same time, COVID-19 forced our nation online and the racial and economic digital divide which some thought had been bridged turned out to be wider than ever. As jobs were lost, particularly in service industries and other key sectors, people of color, especially Black and Brown people, took a disproportionate economic hit.Not only did HBCU leaders have to develop and implement plans to mitigate COVID’s deadly threat to the health and safety of their students, faculty, and staff, they also had to address the challenges associated with trying to provide remote learning for students who lacked computers and internet access at home; transporting students back home who didn’t have the resources to pay for transportation; and in some cases finding housing for students who could not return home or didn’t have a home or sufficient food, among other issues.

Walk With Me: Lessons in Transcendent Leadership is a powerful exploration of leadership beyond position and performance—offering a visionary model rooted in spiritual intelligence, ethical courage, and communal elevation. Authored by Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, a transcendent higher education leader, this book reimagines what it means to lead in institutions facing complexity, constraint, and change—especially in the context of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), faith-based organizations, and social-impact institutions.Transcendent leadership, as defined in this work, is not hierarchical but relational. It is not driven by ego or authority, but by authenticity, resilience, and divine purpose. Through deeply reflective storytelling, institutional case studies, and African fables, Dr. Lucas offers a leadership framework that values transparency over perfection, process over position, and people over politics.More than a personal memoir or leadership manual, Walk With Me is an invitation: for presidents, provosts, pastors, and changemakers to lead with soul, serve with integrity, and walk with those they lead—not ahead or above, but beside. In a time when higher education, especially at mission-driven institutions, requires bold vision and prophetic imagination, this book is a guide for becoming the kind of leader who not only transforms—but transcends. This is not just leadership. This is a walk of purpose.

Walk With Me: Lessons in Transcendent Leadership is a powerful exploration of leadership beyond position and performance—offering a visionary model rooted in spiritual intelligence, ethical courage, and communal elevation. Authored by Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, a transcendent higher education leader, this book reimagines what it means to lead in institutions facing complexity, constraint, and change—especially in the context of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), faith-based organizations, and social-impact institutions.Transcendent leadership, as defined in this work, is not hierarchical but relational. It is not driven by ego or authority, but by authenticity, resilience, and divine purpose. Through deeply reflective storytelling, institutional case studies, and African fables, Dr. Lucas offers a leadership framework that values transparency over perfection, process over position, and people over politics.More than a personal memoir or leadership manual, Walk With Me is an invitation: for presidents, provosts, pastors, and changemakers to lead with soul, serve with integrity, and walk with those they lead—not ahead or above, but beside. In a time when higher education, especially at mission-driven institutions, requires bold vision and prophetic imagination, this book is a guide for becoming the kind of leader who not only transforms—but transcends. This is not just leadership. This is a walk of purpose.

This is Not the End: Transforming Accreditation Sanctions into University Success is a compelling blueprint for higher education leaders, especially at HBCUs, confronting the existential threat of accreditation sanctions. Drawing from the lived presidential experiences of Dr. Hakim J. Lucas and Dr. Roderick L. Smothers, the book transforms what is often seen as institutional demise into a moment of strategic leadership, strategic clarity, and organizational renewal. Anchored in a theory of institutional recovery and resiliency (IRR), the book introduces a methodology for diagnosing institutional decay, monitoring organizational health, and implementing recovery strategies that reposition a university for long-term success.Through practical case studies—such as using expert advice to build internal compliance standards, identifying the critical role of CFOs, and leveraging teamwork and accreditation visits for transformation—the book illustrates how to turn crisis into opportunity. Lucas and Smothers also emphasize the importance of transcendent leadership, cultural reform, strategic planning, and the discipline of surviving chaos. The work introduces a leadership toolkit and the leadership mindset needed to restore confidence and drive mission alignment.With deep insight into governance, compliance, and executive decision-making, This Is Not the End offers more than a survival guide—it is a declaration that institutional excellence can emerge from adversity. This book is essential for presidents, provosts, trustees, and aspiring leaders who believe their university has the ability to overcome the most daunting accreditation challenges.

This is Not the End: Transforming Accreditation Sanctions into University Success is a compelling blueprint for higher education leaders, especially at HBCUs, confronting the existential threat of accreditation sanctions. Drawing from the lived presidential experiences of Dr. Hakim J. Lucas and Dr. Roderick L. Smothers, the book transforms what is often seen as institutional demise into a moment of strategic leadership, strategic clarity, and organizational renewal. Anchored in a theory of institutional recovery and resiliency (IRR), the book introduces a methodology for diagnosing institutional decay, monitoring organizational health, and implementing recovery strategies that reposition a university for long-term success.Through practical case studies—such as using expert advice to build internal compliance standards, identifying the critical role of CFOs, and leveraging teamwork and accreditation visits for transformation—the book illustrates how to turn crisis into opportunity. Lucas and Smothers also emphasize the importance of transcendent leadership, cultural reform, strategic planning, and the discipline of surviving chaos. The work introduces a leadership toolkit and the leadership mindset needed to restore confidence and drive mission alignment.With deep insight into governance, compliance, and executive decision-making, This Is Not the End offers more than a survival guide—it is a declaration that institutional excellence can emerge from adversity. This book is essential for presidents, provosts, trustees, and aspiring leaders who believe their university has the ability to overcome the most daunting accreditation challenges.

The HBCU Sisterhood: Testimonies of Triumph and Transformation is a powerful, first-of-its-kind anthology that pulls back the curtain on one of the most extraordinary leadership legacies in American history. For the first time, eight pioneering Black women presidents—Dr. Sebetha Jenkins, Dr. Dianne Boardley Suber, Dr. Trudie Kibbe Reed, Dr. Brenda Allen, Dr. Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, Dr. Cheryl Davenport Dozier, Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette, and Dr. Cynthia Warrick—share their stories in their own words. These are the voices that sustained, protected, and transformed America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities through some of the most challenging eras of modern higher education.Their testimonies are breathtakingly honest and profoundly insightful. These women describe the realities of navigating financial crises, accreditation pressures, political scrutiny, cultural resistance, gender bias, and the relentless expectations placed on Black women leaders. Through every challenge, they demonstrate bravery, integrity, excellence, resilience, and grace. Their reflections offer powerful wisdom for aspiring leaders and provide a historic lens into the inner workings of HBCUs, reminding readers that leadership at these institutions is both a calling and a transformative act of service.More than a book, The HBCU Sisterhood stands as a living archive of Black women’s leadership and a tribute to the enduring strength of HBCUs. This volume includes a historical documentation of every HBCU founded in the United States and the women who have served as sister presidents across the sector. A companion workbook extends the experience, inviting readers to reflect, engage, and apply the leadership insights shared within these pages. This collection is essential reading for anyone who cares about education, equity, and the powerful legacy of Black women leading with vision and purpose.

The HBCU Sisterhood: Testimonies of Triumph and Transformation is a powerful, first-of-its-kind anthology that pulls back the curtain on one of the most extraordinary leadership legacies in American history. For the first time, eight pioneering Black women presidents—Dr. Sebetha Jenkins, Dr. Dianne Boardley Suber, Dr. Trudie Kibbe Reed, Dr. Brenda Allen, Dr. Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, Dr. Cheryl Davenport Dozier, Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette, and Dr. Cynthia Warrick—share their stories in their own words. These are the voices that sustained, protected, and transformed America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities through some of the most challenging eras of modern higher education.Their testimonies are breathtakingly honest and profoundly insightful. These women describe the realities of navigating financial crises, accreditation pressures, political scrutiny, cultural resistance, gender bias, and the relentless expectations placed on Black women leaders. Through every challenge, they demonstrate bravery, integrity, excellence, resilience, and grace. Their reflections offer powerful wisdom for aspiring leaders and provide a historic lens into the inner workings of HBCUs, reminding readers that leadership at these institutions is both a calling and a transformative act of service.More than a book, The HBCU Sisterhood stands as a living archive of Black women’s leadership and a tribute to the enduring strength of HBCUs. This volume includes a historical documentation of every HBCU founded in the United States and the women who have served as sister presidents across the sector. A companion workbook extends the experience, inviting readers to reflect, engage, and apply the leadership insights shared within these pages. This collection is essential reading for anyone who cares about education, equity, and the powerful legacy of Black women leading with vision and purpose.

Many assume a connection between historical black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and religion. Yet, the nature and meaning of this relationship has often been overlooked. 'Saving’ Education seeks to address this oversight by exploring the impact of theological concerns and the changes resulting from the Reconstruction and Jim/Jane Crow on the ethos of these institutions and their students’ worldview. Some of the key questions which guide this exploration include: How have significant figures shaped the educational communities and missions of HBCUs within their socio-cultural, intellectual, and theological contexts? What dynamics of critical thinking are essential in a predominantly Black educational setting, and how do these dynamics influence pedagogy? What role does the university or college chapel play in defining the nature and global presence of HBCUs? Such questions and the considerations inform this slim volume composed of five essays. They also underscore a broader inquiry: How does the complex relationship with religion define the history, mission, and impact of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs)? This book delves into both the personal and communal aspects of this theme, offering insights and challenges across various responsibilities assumed by HBCUs, particularly in relation to religious thought and practice. Together, these essays provide a layered, multidisciplinary examination of the influence of religion on the mission and activities of HBCUs over the centuries.