The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education

Swarthmore College President Valerie Smith Receives Contract Extension

Valerie Smith was named president of Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania in 2015. She will continue in her role through at least June 2027.

Jerry Wallace Appointed President of Potomac State College in West Virginia

Dr. Jerry Wallace comes to his new role from Danville Community College in Virginia, where he has served as president since 2022. Earlier in his career, he was president of the Hastings campus at Nebraska Central Community College.

James-Christian Blockwood Named President of the National Academy of Public Administration

Blockwood currently teaches in Syracuse University's Washington, D.C. program. He has vast experience in public service, previously holding leadership roles with the departments of Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, and Defense, as well as the Government Accountability Office.

Research & Studies

Southern Education Foundation Reports on the State of Education for Black American Students

The report, Miles To Go: The State of Education for Black Students in America, outlines the current challenges and opportunities facing Black students in early childhood, K-12, and secondary education settings in the United States.

Study Examines the Effect of Financial Instability on the Cognitive Health of Older Black Americans

In their analysis, the authors found that Black Americans, on average, had less low-cost debt during midlife than Americans from other racial groups, resulting in economic distress that may prevent them from receiving high-quality healthcare later in life.

How Ads With Interracial Couples Affect Consumer Perceptions

A team of scholars from the University of Kentucky, the University of Illinois, and the University of Georgia have found that consumers tend to prefer ads featuring interracial couples more than ads with White couples, but less than ads featuring same-race minority couples.

How Early Childhood Education Affects Black Children’s Future Success

Over the past fifty years, a team of researchers have tracked 104 predominately Black participants from infancy to adulthood to determine how early childhood education affects their long term outcomes. Although they received the same education, Black boys had significantly lower cognitive scores than Black girls once they reached high school and beyond.

Statistic of the Week

62%
Percentage of Black K-12 students in the United States in the 1970s who attended a school where children of color were a majority of all students
81%
Percentage of Black K-12 students in the United States today who attend a school where children of color were a majority of all students

Source: Southern Education Association (see JBHE post)

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Quote of the Week

“The question that has to be asked: ‘Is this the best that we can do?’”

Hakeem Jeffries,

House Minority Leader, speaking on the announcements of President-elect Trump's cabinet nominees

JBHE Archives

All Recent Posts

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Nathan Howard Cook, 1939-2024

Dr. Cook was a longtime faculty member and administrator at Lincoln University of Missouri. A full professor of biology, he held several leadership roles including vice president for academic affairs.

Arizona State University Law Presents the O’Connor Justice Prize to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Johnson Sirleaf was the first woman democratically elected head of state in Africa. She was elected president of Libera in 2005 - just two years after the end of a decades-long civil war.

NASA Awards Grants to Enhance STEM Education at Three HBCUs

NASA has awarded grants to Alabama A&M University, Morgan State University, and North Carolina A&T State University to enhance their STEM curricula.

Southern Education Foundation Reports on the State of Education for Black American Students

The report, Miles To Go: The State of Education for Black Students in America, outlines the current challenges and opportunities facing Black students in early childhood, K-12, and secondary education settings in the United States.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert Jones Announces His Resignation

Nine years ago, Dr. Jones was named the first African American chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He will retire at the end of the current academic year, following a decade of enrollment growth, academic improvements, and successful fundraising.

Study Examines the Effect of Financial Instability on the Cognitive Health of Older Black Americans

In their analysis, the authors found that Black Americans, on average, had less low-cost debt during midlife than Americans from other racial groups, resulting in economic distress that may prevent them from receiving high-quality healthcare later in life.

Debra Haggins Appointed Inaugural Dean of the Hampton University School of Religion

Dr. Haggins is the first woman to serve as university chaplain at Hampton University. She will now serve as the inaugural dean of the recently established School of Religion.

How Ads With Interracial Couples Affect Consumer Perceptions

A team of scholars from the University of Kentucky, the University of Illinois, and the University of Georgia have found that consumers tend to prefer ads featuring interracial couples more than ads with White couples, but less than ads featuring same-race minority couples.

Two Black Scholars Receive the Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement

This prestigious annual prize honors those whose work has made outstanding contributions to humanity’s knowledge, appreciation, and cultivation of the good, the true, and the beautiful. It is presented by the American Academy of Sciences and Letters.

Benedict College Announces Three New Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, has recently launched three bachelor's degree programs in neuroscience, digital marketing, and supply chain management.

New Faculty Appointments for Three Black Scholars

The Black scholars taking on new faculty roles are Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha at Tufts University, Willie Jennings at Yale University, and Timothy Lewis at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Texas Southern University Launches New Academic Journal for Media and Communications

The Texas Southern Journal of Media Innovation & Creative Communication provides a scholarly platform for students, faculty, and other professionals to publish their research and creative articles in the fields of media and communication.

‘Dimeji Togunde Honored for Lifetime Achievement in Global Education

Dr. 'Dimeji Togunde is the vice provost for global education at Spelman College. Since joining the college's faculty in 2011, he has more than doubled the number of study abroad destinations for Spelman students.

Meharry Medical College Partners With Oracle Health to Advance Health Care Access and Education

"By combining our expertise with Oracle Health’s innovative technology, we will forge a path that other institutions and communities can follow," said Meharry Medical College President James E. K Hildreth.

Three African Americans Appointed to Administrative Roles in Academia

The African Americans appointed to new administrative posts are Jonathan Whitfield at Berea College in Kentucky, Felicia Johnson at Virginia State University, and Ariella Robbins at Villanova University in Pennsylvania.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

New Online Library for the Study of Philanthropy and Black Churches

The new Philanthropy and the Black Church digital collection of the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving, an organization founded by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, and the Center for the Church and the Black Experience at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, aims to provide resources for Black churches and other philanthropic institutions to partner together on strategic initiatives.

Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers

Each week, JBHE will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Establishes New Research Center to Address Segregation in Local Area

The new Center for Equity Practice and Planning Justice at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee aims to study the history of racial segregation in the local area and advance racially equitable practices in urban planning.

Recent Books of Interest to African American Scholars

The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. The books included are on a wide variety of subjects and present many different points of view.

How Early Childhood Education Affects Black Children’s Future Success

Over the past fifty years, a team of researchers have tracked 104 predominately Black participants from infancy to adulthood to determine how early childhood education affects their long term outcomes. Although they received the same education, Black boys had significantly lower cognitive scores than Black girls once they reached high school and beyond.

Report Finds a 30 Percent Racial Gap in Median Appraised Home Values

According to a new report from the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, there has been some improvement in the Black-White gap in adjusted median home appraisal values over the past 10 years. However, the gap is still a staggering 30 percent.

Jerry Wallace Appointed President of Potomac State College in West Virginia

Dr. Jerry Wallace comes to his new role from Danville Community College in Virginia, where he has served as president since 2022. Earlier in his career, he was president of the Hastings campus at Nebraska Central Community College.

All Recent Posts

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Nathan Howard Cook, 1939-2024

Dr. Cook was a longtime faculty member and administrator at Lincoln University of Missouri. A full professor of biology, he held several leadership roles including vice president for academic affairs.

Arizona State University Law Presents the O’Connor Justice Prize to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Johnson Sirleaf was the first woman democratically elected head of state in Africa. She was elected president of Libera in 2005 - just two years after the end of a decades-long civil war.

NASA Awards Grants to Enhance STEM Education at Three HBCUs

NASA has awarded grants to Alabama A&M University, Morgan State University, and North Carolina A&T State University to enhance their STEM curricula.

Southern Education Foundation Reports on the State of Education for Black American Students

The report, Miles To Go: The State of Education for Black Students in America, outlines the current challenges and opportunities facing Black students in early childhood, K-12, and secondary education settings in the United States.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert Jones Announces His Resignation

Nine years ago, Dr. Jones was named the first African American chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He will retire at the end of the current academic year, following a decade of enrollment growth, academic improvements, and successful fundraising.

Study Examines the Effect of Financial Instability on the Cognitive Health of Older Black Americans

In their analysis, the authors found that Black Americans, on average, had less low-cost debt during midlife than Americans from other racial groups, resulting in economic distress that may prevent them from receiving high-quality healthcare later in life.

Debra Haggins Appointed Inaugural Dean of the Hampton University School of Religion

Dr. Haggins is the first woman to serve as university chaplain at Hampton University. She will now serve as the inaugural dean of the recently established School of Religion.

How Ads With Interracial Couples Affect Consumer Perceptions

A team of scholars from the University of Kentucky, the University of Illinois, and the University of Georgia have found that consumers tend to prefer ads featuring interracial couples more than ads with White couples, but less than ads featuring same-race minority couples.

Two Black Scholars Receive the Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement

This prestigious annual prize honors those whose work has made outstanding contributions to humanity’s knowledge, appreciation, and cultivation of the good, the true, and the beautiful. It is presented by the American Academy of Sciences and Letters.

Benedict College Announces Three New Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, has recently launched three bachelor's degree programs in neuroscience, digital marketing, and supply chain management.

New Faculty Appointments for Three Black Scholars

The Black scholars taking on new faculty roles are Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha at Tufts University, Willie Jennings at Yale University, and Timothy Lewis at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Texas Southern University Launches New Academic Journal for Media and Communications

The Texas Southern Journal of Media Innovation & Creative Communication provides a scholarly platform for students, faculty, and other professionals to publish their research and creative articles in the fields of media and communication.

‘Dimeji Togunde Honored for Lifetime Achievement in Global Education

Dr. 'Dimeji Togunde is the vice provost for global education at Spelman College. Since joining the college's faculty in 2011, he has more than doubled the number of study abroad destinations for Spelman students.

Meharry Medical College Partners With Oracle Health to Advance Health Care Access and Education

"By combining our expertise with Oracle Health’s innovative technology, we will forge a path that other institutions and communities can follow," said Meharry Medical College President James E. K Hildreth.

Three African Americans Appointed to Administrative Roles in Academia

The African Americans appointed to new administrative posts are Jonathan Whitfield at Berea College in Kentucky, Felicia Johnson at Virginia State University, and Ariella Robbins at Villanova University in Pennsylvania.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

New Online Library for the Study of Philanthropy and Black Churches

The new Philanthropy and the Black Church digital collection of the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving, an organization founded by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, and the Center for the Church and the Black Experience at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, aims to provide resources for Black churches and other philanthropic institutions to partner together on strategic initiatives.

Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers

Each week, JBHE will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Establishes New Research Center to Address Segregation in Local Area

The new Center for Equity Practice and Planning Justice at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee aims to study the history of racial segregation in the local area and advance racially equitable practices in urban planning.