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Clark Atlanta University Pioneers Landmark Partnership with Harvard University to Support Next Generation of HBCU Presidents

In a historic move, the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) at Clark Atlanta University announced a strategic partnership with Harvard University. This collaboration underscores a shared commitment to cultivating and empowering the next generation of presidents at historically black colleges and universities. 

“As the immediate past chair of the Atlanta University Center, Council of Presidents and the longest sitting HBCU president in the nation, I know firsthand the vital importance of investing in the next generation of HBCU leaders,” says President George T. French, Jr., Ph.D., Clark Atlanta University. “This partnership between the Executive Leadership Institute at Clark Atlanta University and Harvard University represents a significant milestone in that endeavor.” 

An outstanding group of ELI Presidential Fellows, who are current HBCU Presidents, attended the in-person Harvard Seminar for New Presidents from July 19-24, supported by the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) Professional Education team and the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative. 

“By providing our exceptional ELI Presidential Fellows the opportunity to attend the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents, we are empowering new presidents who will shape the future of these transformative institutions,” says Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins, executive director, HBCU Executive Leadership Institute at Clark Atlanta University. “HBCUs have a rich legacy of producing visionaries and innovators. The hands-on experiences and insights our fellows gain will be further enriched as they engage in thought leadership and innovation at Harvard University and the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative on this groundbreaking effort while they lead at the highest levels of HBCUs.” 

This partnership between Clark Atlanta University and Harvard University acknowledges the pivotal role well-equipped leadership plays in shaping the trajectory of HBCUs and, by extension, the broader landscape of higher education. 

For more information about the HBCU ELI at CAU, visit www. hbcueli.com. 

About Clark Atlanta University  

Clark Atlanta University was formed with the consolidation of Atlanta University and Clark College, both of which hold unique places in the annals of African American history. Atlanta University, established in 1865 by the American Missionary Association, was the nation’s first institution to award graduate degrees to African Americans. Clark College, established four years later in 1869, was the nation’s first four-year liberal arts college to serve a primarily African American student population. Today, with nearly 4,000 students, CAU is the largest of the four institutions (CAU, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Morehouse School of Medicine) that comprise the Atlanta University Center Consortium. It is also the largest of the 37-member UNCF institutions. Notable alumni include: James Weldon Johnson; American civil rights activist, poet, and songwriter (Lift Every Voice and Sing “The Black National Anthem”; Ralph David Abernathy Sr., American civil rights activist; Congressman Hank Johnson, Georgia District 4; Kenya Barris, American award-winning television and movie producer; Kenny Leon, Tony Award-winning Broadway Director; Jacque Reid, Emmy Award-winning Television Personality and Journalist; Brandon Thompson, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for NASCAR; Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the Recording Academy. To learn more about Clark Atlanta University, visit www.cau.edu.