The Black college harvest: graduates have transformed America

NO Black college, no Martin Luther King Jr. No Black college, no Thurgood Marshall, no Spike Lee, no Marian Wright Edelman or Lionel Richie or Kweisi Mfume or Jesse Jackson Sr. or Jr. And it is arguable that America would have been denied the light of Oprah Winfrey, Toni Morrison and John Hope Franklin if Black colleges and universities had not performed their ancient art of rescuing the rejected and salvaging students some people called unsalvageable.

Here then is a representative list of graduates of Black colleges, with particular emphasis on the new generation of graduates, who represent not only themselves but also the thousands of unsung men and women--lawyers, doctors, artists, communicators--who are among the leaders and teachers of almost every American community.

On the site that once served to enslave, limit and shackle the minds, bodies and spirits of many African Americans, now stands an institution representing an oasis of freedom and ideals. Not just an educational institution, Tougaloo College is a change agent and community anchor. The legacy continues today as a new generation of leaders trod its hallowed grounds in search of knowledge and truth, learning how to use their education not just for their individual betterment, but also for the betterment of society.

Tougaloo College remains committed to the vision of providing educational opportunities to young men and women who often come from challenging circumstances. Nevertheless, through their matriculation in the nurturing, living-learning environment at Tougaloo College, they are prepared to excel academically and become socially responsible leaders in their chosen fields within a global society.

TOUGALOO COLLEGE

Founded in 1869, Tougaloo College is a private, historically black, coeducational four-year liberal arts institution. The lush 500-acre campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is located on the northern edge of Jackson, Mississippi, which was recently named one of the nation's most livable cities.

Not just an educational institution, Tougaloo College is a change agent and community anchor. It is a special place. Known nationally as the Cradle of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi, the College is led by its first female president, Dr. Beverly Wade Hogan, a special leaden The 13th president of Tougaloo College, Dr. Hogan is a 1973 graduate of the College and a native Mississippian. Along with her passion for Tougaloo College, she brings to the presidency a twenty-five year record of accomplishment and innovative leadership . With her administrative team, Dr. Hogan is creating a new paradigm for leadership in higher education. This is indeed a special time at Tougaloo College. Under Dr. Hogan's dynamic and visionary leadership, the College boasts a student retention rate of 88%, well above the national average, and ranks as one of the top five historically black colleges and universities whose graduates earn their PhDs in the sciences.

More than half (66%) of our graduates enter professional and graduate studies immediately after receipt of their Tougaloo College degrees. The College has a longstanding reputation for academic excellence and for producing leaders. Among its eminent alumni are physicians Drs. Deborah Hyde, Jessie Sherrod, and Aaron Shirley, recipient of the prestigious McArthur Award; Attorneys Reuben Anderson, Edward Blackmon, Isaac Byrd, Constance Slaughter-Harvey and Dennis Sweet; Congressman Bennie Thompson; Judges Tommie Green and Denise Sweet Owens; and scholars, Drs. RoSusan Bartee, Rosentene B. Purnell, Oscar Allan Rogers, Jr., Jayne Sargent, Jerry W. Ward, and Joffre Whisenton.

President BEVERLY WADE HOGAN

A Special Place * A Special Leader * A Special Time

* Ranked among the top colleges and universities in the nation and region by U.S. News and World Report and Change magazines

* One of top five, HBCUs whose graduates earn PhDs in the sciences

* PRAXIS examination pass rate of 100%

* Produces over 40% of the African American practicing physicians, dentists and other health professionals in Mississippi

* Produces more than 35% of Mississippi's African American attorneys, teachers and school administrators

* Student retention rate of 88%

* Student to faculty ratio of 15:1

* Over two-thirds of multi-ethnic faculty possess terminal degrees with 50% having earned their PhDs at prestigious institutions

* More than 66% of graduates enter graduate and professional schools immediately after graduation

* Nationally recognized 40 year old research partnership and exchange program with Brown University

* Owner of one of the largest and must respected African American art collections in the southeast

* Home of the nationally acclaimed Tougaloo Art Colony each Summer

* Collaborator in the Jackson Heart Study, the first large-scale study examining the factors that influence the development of cardiovascular disease in African American men and women

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University's AGGIE POINTS OF PRIDE