In an age of increasing pressures on the future workforce, the Presidents' Round Table, a network of African-American community college presidents and chief executives, seeks to meet the demand for supplying and training the next generation of educated employees for the evolving job picture. Among its varied goals, the Round Table works to empower…

On the night of Feb. 8, 1960, J. Charles Jones, then a student of religion and psychology at Johnson C. Smith University, knew instinctively what it was he needed to do for his generation. He first met with a handful of other classmates and friends, letting them know what he had just learned on the radio--other Black students in neighboring…

Ruth Simmons made a big news splash a decade ago when she was named president of Brown University, making her the first Black president of an Ivy League institution. She made another splash three years later by naming a committee to investigate Brown's role in the slave trade and make recommendations on possible reparations. Reflecting on her…

Dr. John Hope Franklin chronicled the experiences of African-Americans like no one before him, forcing America to recognize Black history as American history. His contributions were innumerable and his impact was abiding. In celebration of his life and legacy, the authors profile the celebrated scholar and activist, Dr. John Hope Franklin.

As the new vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1971, Dr. Randolph W. Bromery had not given any thought to moving up to chancellor. But the president of the UMass system, Dr. Robert C. Wood, had contemplated the possibility. Then he made it happen. Indisputably, Wood's gamble worked out. For eight…

There's some good news in the academy regarding Black women: They occupy a number of high-profile executive posts in higher education. But whether Black women scholars want to follow in their footsteps or continue in a teaching or research capacity, the bad news is that many feel they are left to navigate the personal and professional politics of…

Recently ranked among the 101 most influential minorities in sports by Sports Illustrated magazine, Damon Evans is the first Black athletic director in the history of the Southeastern Conference and one of the youngest athletic directors in the country. He oversees a $65 million budget and a program that includes 21 intercollegiate sports teams,…

When Dr. Thelma Jane Bryan was interviewing for the position of chancellor of Fayetteville State University (FSU) several years ago, she looked down with horror, realizing that she was wearing a black jacket with an obviously navy skirt. Despite the fashion faux pas, she was offered the job. Bryan became chancellor of the second oldest institution…