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