L. Hazel Jack
Colgate University
Correspondence related to this article should be directed to L. Hazel Jack, Vice President for University Outreach and Chief of Staff, Colgate University LHJack@colgate.edu
Abstract
While women represent the majority of college students, they are underrepresented in positions of leadership in higher education. The presence of Black women in positions of leadership is even less. This article sought to identify how many Black women are presidents of four-year colleges and universities, what types of institutions these women lead, and their path to the presidency. This research identified 83 Black women college presidents, 55 of which represent some type of first for their institution and, in some cases, even the system or state. Their pathway to the presidency was consistent with the literature finding that women’s path to the presidency is most often through academic leadership.
For more than a decade, women have earned the majority of PhDs, and women of color have represented the fastest-growing segment of the college population in the United States (Silbert, Punty & Ghoniem, 2022). Yet, women of color are the most underrepresented in the college and university presidency (Gagliardi et al., 2017). In 2017, only 26.2% of four-year institutions were led by women (Rodriguez-Farrar & Jack, 2022). America’s college presidents are overwhelmingly White and male, with fewer than one in five college presidents people of color (Adedoyin, 2022). More specifically, Black women account for a small number of university presidents despite being one of the most educated demographics (Jackson & Harris, 2007).
There is a gap in the current literature on the number of Black women college presidents. As such, this article sets out to establish research with that data. Black women have long practiced what Cooper (2017) termed listing, in which African American women created lists of prominent Black women for public consumption. Through my research on Black women in higher education, I have read a number of these lists. However, I have not located a list of Black women college presidents within the last 15 years. This gap in the literature makes it difficult to understand what progress, if any, has been made in the diversification of the college presidency.
Therefore, the following research questions framed this study:
- How many four-year colleges currently have a Black woman president?
- What types of institutions are these women presidents of?
- What were the presidents’ immediate prior positions on their journey to the presidency?
Literature Review
Education has long been important to Black women. Glover (2012) stated, “Education has historically served as a means to liberate and empower Black men and women” (p. 6). Even though learning to read was illegal for enslaved people, enslaved women secretly taught themselves to read and write (Wolfman, 1997). Despite these challenges, in 1850, Lucy Sessions obtained a literary degree at Oberlin College, making her the first Black woman to graduate in the United States (Glover, 2012). In 1862, Mary Jane Patterson, also at Oberlin College, was the first Black woman to graduate with a bachelor’s degree (Hull et al., 1982).
It was ingrained into the fabric of the United States that African Americans did not possess the mental capacity to learn, nor had they any real need for formal postsecondary education (Harper, Patton, & Wooden, 2009). At the end of the Civil War, only 28 of the nation’s nearly four million newly freed enslaved people had received bachelor’s degrees from American colleges (Harper et. al., 2009). Restrictions on education for Black women continued after emancipation because they were not allowed to enroll at most colleges and universities. By 1890, there were believed to be only 30 African American women who earned college degrees compared to 300 degrees earned by African American men and 250 degrees earned by White women (Faragher & Howe, 1988, as cited in Smith, Butcher & Reed, 2022). Spelman College was founded as the first education institution in the United States specifically for African American women in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1881, and two women received the school’s first bachelor’s degrees in 1901 (Collins, 2022). These ‘firsts’ continued, and in 1954, the Brown vs. The Board of Education ruling set the stage to increase access to equal educational opportunities for African Americans (Smith, Butcher & Reed, 2022).
By the Numbers
A comprehensive history of Black women college presidents has been difficult to ascertain. A number of studies have provided assorted snapshots of the number of women and the number of Black women presidents. Harris, Wright, and Msengi (2011) studied the career paths of women college presidents and in the process, provided a summary of much of the literature available on the topic. Fikes (2004) offered a summary of Black presidents from 1873 to 2004. Jackson and Harris (2007) researched the experiences and barriers specifically for Black women college presidents.
Between 1873 and 2004, there have been 282 Black college and university presidents (Fikes, 2004). The majority were at two-year schools or junior colleges (179), with the remaining 103 at four-year colleges, universities, and professional schools. Presented another way, there were 30 presidents who were appointed in the 1970s, 61 were appointed in the 1980s, and 144 were appointed in the 1990s. From 2000 to 2004, there were 44 appointed (Fikes, 2004). Of these 282 presidents, 26 Black women were presidents of four-year and professional institutions, and 59 Black women were presidents of two-year or junior colleges (Fikes, 2004). Figures by decade and gender were not included in Fikes (2004) article. Literature identifying the number of Black women presidents appointed since 2004 has not been located.
Jackson and Harris (2007) posited there have been five waves of appointments of African-American women to the presidency of baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate-granting institutions. Their data also concludes in the early 2000’s. The first wave was the creation of Daytona National and Industrial Institute in 1904 by Mary McLeod Bethune. Bethune became the president of a college and was the first Black woman educator to emphasize the importance of industrial training for Black youth (Gordon, 2000). Just 41 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Bethune’s institution for African-American women would later become Bethune-Cookman College (Alemán & Renn, 2002). She is often cited as the only African American woman president until the 1950’s (Harris, Jackson, & Msengi, 2011). However, Anna Julia Cooper, the fourth African-American woman to earn a PhD, became the second president of Frelinghuysen University in 1930 (Johnson, 2009). In 1954, the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling began the desegregation of education (Jackson & Harris, 2007).
The second wave took place during 1955 to 1970 (Jackson & Harris, 2007). In 1956, Dr. Willa Player became the first Black woman president of a fully accredited four-year liberal arts college when she was appointed president of Bennett College, an all women’s historically black college (Collins, 2022; Glover, 2012; Brown, 1998). The next 20 years saw slow movement in increasing the number of Black women college presidents.
The third wave took place from 1970 to 1987, with multiple appointments including Dr. Mable McLean appointed president of Barber-Scotia College in 1974 (Jackson & Harris, 2007). In 1976, Mary Frances Berry was named chancellor of the public institution University of Colorado in Boulder. She served in this role for only one year, when she was named Assistant Secretary for Education in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare by President Jimmy Carter. While her tenure was short, she was the first Black woman to lead a major research university (Michigan, Law, n.d.). Dr. Yvonne Taylor was appointed president of Wilberforce in 1984 (Jackson & Harris, 2007). However, in 1984, women presidents were still an anomaly, even at HBCUs. By 1986, Black women represented just seven percent of Black presidents leading institutions (Glover, 2012).
The fourth wave was 1987 to 1992, marked by the first time there were three or more sitting presidents that were African American women (Jackson & Harris, 2007). In 1987, Dr. Johnnetta Cole was the first Black woman to become president of the Black women’s college, Spelman College (Glover, 2012). By 1990, while 133 historically black institutions were led by African-American presidents, only 18 of them were women (Bower & Wolverton, 2009). By 1991, there were 29 Black women college presidents (Sturnick, Milley, & Tisinger, 1991). In the fall of 1997, there were 49 Black women serving as college presidents (Waring, 2003). Based on 4096 total institutions, these women represent 1.4% of all college presidents, 8% of all women presidents, and about a quarter of all African-American presidents (Waring, 2003).
The fifth wave identified by Jackson and Harris (2007) was 1992 to 2002. Arnold (1994) documented that there were 32 Black women college presidents in the 1993-1994 academic year. In 1998, 38 African-American women served as college or university presidents, almost all in community colleges or Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Bower & Wolverton, 2009). In 1999, Shirley Ann Jackson was the first Black woman to be appointed president at a research intensive (R1) institution (Collins, 2022; Bates, 2007). The 2000 ACE study reported 38 African American women presidents and 110 African American men presidents (Jackson & Harris, 2007). Ruth Simmons was appointed president of Brown University in 2001 (Bates, 2007) and was the first Black woman president of an Ivy League institution. In 2002, of the 3,848 U.S. colleges and universities, there were 59 with African American women presidents, with 72% at a two-year college and 27.9% at a four-year institution (Jackson & Harris, 2005). Twenty-one years later, there has not been additional research expanding on this framing, or additional waves.
A few studies provided more recent accounting, however the data is now close to fifteen years old. In 2006, Black women represented 31% of all Black presidents leading institutions (Glover, 2012). In 2008, the American Council on Education reported of the 4,000 accredited institutions, there were 68 Black women college presidents (Ausmer, 2009). What is not clear for either of these figures is what percentage of these were four-year institutions and which were two-year institutions. Also in 2008, 22% of the nations’ 120 historically and predominantly Black institutions were led by African-American women (Bower & Wolverton, 2009). There have been 39 Black women presidents at historically black colleges and universities from 1994 to 2020 (Commodore et al., 2020). The literature does not provide a complete and current profile of Black women college presidents.
Pathway to University Leadership
Despite women outnumbering men in degree attainment, this has not resulted in comparable representation in leadership positions. Women also are not comparable to men in status or salary (Lennon, 2012). The inequity is seen in all areas of higher education leadership, including faculty, administration, and trustee membership.
Women are disproportionately represented in non-tenure-track faculty positions (Albertine, 2015). Women are also more likely to be faculty members and leaders of community colleges and four-year institutions than they are at elite research universities (Allan, 2011). Behr and Schneider (2015) conducted a web-based survey to determine what gender differences existed in career paths. Within their findings, male respondents were more likely to be employed at doctoral or research institutions than women. Therefore, women’s underrepresentation in senior faculty and dean-level positions may contribute to the disparities at the most senior levels (Behr & Schneider, 2015).
Women occupy negligible numbers of senior level administrative positions (Eddy & Ward, 2017). When it comes to these positions, women are more likely to be in student affairs, external affairs, chief diversity officer or chief of staff positions than academic affairs (Touchton, Musil, and Campbell, 2008). This is significant because most women progress to the presidency from the chief academic affairs position (Rodriguez-Farrar & Jack, 2022). Miles (2012) examined the status of Black women higher education administrators in comparison to other administrators of other races and genders, The results showed that Black women administrators earn significantly less and are less likely to hold senior positions even when similarly qualified. Jackson and Harris (2005) conducted a study of the African American women college presidents, of both two-year and four-year institutions, in 2002. They found African American women presidents were more likely to hold a doctorate than other presidents, with 93% having either a PhD or an EdD. While earning a doctoral degree increased the chance to obtain a senior level position, those without doctoral degrees fared worse than others without a doctoral degree (Miles, 2012).
Silbert, Punty, and Ghoniem (2022) studied the 130 universities classified by the Carnegie Classification as R1, or the highest level of research activity. They utilized public sources to collect gender and race data for the positions of president, provost, and board chair. Nearly one half of the universities in the study have never had a woman leader. Only 26% of board chairs are women and only 8% of boards even have gender parity (Silbert, Punty & Ghoniem, 2022). They also conducted a pathway analysis which revealed 93% of women took a traditional academic path to the presidency while only 74% of men had a traditional path, with more than a quarter of the male presidents bypassing traditional steps such as provost or dean (Silbert, Punty & Ghoniem, 2022). They concluded that the lack of women in leadership is not a pipeline issue. Their research found that women account for nearly 40% of all academic deans and provosts, from which 75% of all presidents are drawn, and that their dramatic drop in the presidential ranks suggests that they still encounter systemic roadblocks one step from the top. (Silbert, Punty & Ghoniem, 2022).
The proportion of women serving as college presidents is not consistent with student demographics (Pasquerella & Clauss-Ehlers, 2017). Additionally, the underrepresentation of Black women in senior leadership is more pronounced than it is for White women (Moten, 2019). Of approximately 4,000 colleges and universities in this country, in 2016, only 17% of college presidents identified as something other than White, while 42% of students enrolled in 2015 (Gagliardi et al., 2017) identified as something other than White. At the same time, African Americans made up eight percent of all presidents (Gagliardi, et. al, 2017). When looking specifically at Black women presidents, the numbers are even smaller. Among presidents of color, only five percent identified as women of color (Gagliardi, et. al, 2017). In 2018, women earned 61% of all Associates degrees, 57% of all Bachelors’ degrees, 60% of all Master’s degrees and 54% of all Doctoral degrees. In total, women comprised 59% of all degree earners and Black women earned close to double the number of doctoral degrees as Black men (NCES, 2019). Yet, women, specifically African American women, are not ascending to leadership positions at equal rates.
While Black women are underrepresented in leadership positions, it is still important, perhaps even more so, to understand who are the women that obtain the role of college and university president and what was their path to the presidency.
Methodology
The data for the study were collected through manual internet searches of every four-year institution. It started by obtaining a list of four-year colleges and universities from the Carnegie Classification website. The next step was to search for the appointment of the president of each college. Typically, the institution released a statement on the appointment of a new president. The biographical profile of each president was read. Notes were taken on how the presidents identified and how their identity was discussed.
The next step was to create a chart and record the name of each Black woman president. Additional fields were added related to the president and the institution. The institutional fields included the college or university name, state it was located in, the Carnegie institution type including public or private, designation of historically black college and university (HBCU), hispanic serving institution (HSI), or liberal arts, and the total number of students. All of the institutional data was collected from the Carnegie classification website. Information related to the president included when they took office, their prior position, and what degrees they earned. The college website was utilized for the biographical profile of the president. This process was repeated for all 2,616 colleges and universities listed as four-year institutions by the Carnegie Classification.
Findings
These findings provide a snapshot of Black women presidents. Since this data were collected, multiple Black women have been appointed. They were not included because they have not yet taken office. There are currently 83 Black women that are presidents of four-year institutions. Table 1 provides the number and percentage of Black women presidents by institution type. Table 1 also illustrates what percentage of each institution type are led by Black women presidents. The figures are staggeringly low, with the highest percentage of presidents, 6.6% or 35 presidents in total, represented at the baccalaureate level. The lowest percentage of presidents by institution type is 1.5%, representing the seven presidents of doctoral institutions.
Because Black women presidents are still rare, 55 of these 83 women represented a first of some sort – first woman, first Black woman, first African American president of the institution, or in some cases, the system or state. Of the seven doctoral institution presidents, five are the first at that institution. The other two doctoral institutions are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), making Black women presidents less of an anomaly at those institutions. A total of 17 of the 22 presidents of master’s degree institutions also represent firsts.
Institution Types
Table 2 illustrates the number of Black women presidents by institution type. The largest representation of Black women presidents are at HBCUs. There are 22 Black women presidents, which represents 21% of the 107 institutions. There is one Black woman president of an Ivy League institution. She is Dr. Claudine Gay, and is the first Black woman president of Harvard University (Roberts, 2023). She is the second Black woman president of an Ivy League institution, following Ruth Simmons, who was president of Brown University from 2001 to 2012 (Boucher, 2012). Just over two-thirds of the presidents are at public colleges, representing seven percent of public college presidents. One-third of the presidents are at private colleges, representing two percent of private college presidents.
Table 3 illustrates the distribution of presidents by region. There are 33 presidents of institutions in the south, which represents 40% of the Black women presidents. The south has the highest number of four-year institutions of all the regions. It also is where the majority of HBCUs are located. The next highest representation is in the northeast, with 25 presidents.
Pathway to the Presidency
Consistent with other findings, the majority of Black women college presidents came to the presidency through the academic path. Table 5 illustrates the last position held by the 83 presidents. A total of 45 (54%) were in academic leadership in their last position. This includes provosts, vice presidents of academic affairs, and deans. There were 20 (24%) presidents that were in administrative roles. Eight were in student affairs roles such as Vice President for Student Life and Vice President for Student Affairs. Eleven women were in other administrative roles such as vice president for institutional advancement, vice president of administration and special projects, chief of staff, senior vice president and chief strategy officer, and vice president for strategy, enrollment, and student success. Eight women came to the presidency from outside of higher education. These women were CEOs and presidents of for-profit and nonprofit organizations, partner at a law firm, and assistant attorney general for the office of justice. Two, both presidents of faith-related special focus institutions were ministers. Eight women were presidents at other institutions before their current position. Of those eight, five came to the presidency through the academic leadership route, one was an attorney, one was an executive vice president and university counsel, and one was president at a third institution.
Consistent with the literature, Black women college presidents are highly educated, with 78.3% having a doctorate, and 96.3% having a terminal degree. Only three presidents did not obtain a terminal degree. Two of the three are presidents of special focus institutions. The third came from industry as a CEO.
The majority of current Black women presidents (40%) have been in their role for less than three years, with 12 (14%) beginning this academic year. Another 29% have been in their role for three to five years.
Conclusion
This study provided a snapshot of the current Black women presidents of four-year institutions. These 83 Black women presidents lead a variety of institution types, including HBCUs, liberal arts colleges, Hispanic Serving Institutions, medical schools, and other special focus institutions. Information regarding their pathway, time in the presidency, as well as institutional data was collected in order to better understand how many Black women college presidents are currently in the role and their immediate prior positions that helped lead them to the presidency.
Further research is needed to understand the experiences of these presidents and how their career paths have impacted their attaining the leadership position of president. However, this foundational information is needed to better understand what institutions have had Black women presidents, and what progress has been made in the diversification of college presidents. Naming these women leaders brings visibility to their important work in higher education leadership.
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Table 1. Black Women Presidents of Four-Year Colleges by Carnegie Classification
| Carnegie Classification | Number of Black Women Presidents | Total Number of Institutions | % of Black Women College Presidents by Institution Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctoral Universities – R1 (very high research) | 2 | 146 | 1.4% |
| Doctoral Universities – R2 (high research) | 3 | 133 | 2.3% |
| Doctoral Universities – Doctoral/Professional | 2 | 187 | 1.1% |
| Total Doctoral Universities | 7 | 466 | 1.5% |
| Master’s Colleges & Universities – Larger | 14 | 325 | 4.3% |
| Master’s Colleges & Universities – Medium | 4 | 185 | 2.2% |
| Master’s Colleges & Universities – Small | 4 | 159 | 2.5% |
| Total Master’s Colleges & Universities | 22 | 669 | 3.3% |
| Baccalaureate Colleges – Arts & Science | 20 | 225 | 8.9% |
| Baccalaureate Colleges – Diverse | 14 | 308 | 4.5% |
| Total Baccalaureate | 35 | 533 | 6.6% |
| Baccalaureate/Associate’s Colleges – Mixed | 2 | 99 | 2.0% |
| Baccalaureate/Associates – Associates Dominant | 4 | 103 | 3.9% |
| Total Baccalaureate/Associates | 6 | 202 | 3.0% |
| Special Focus Four Year – Faith Related | 5 | 246 | 2.0% |
| Special Focus Four Year – Medical | 3 | 38 | 7.9% |
| Special Focus Four Year – Other/Health | 3 | 243 | 1.2% |
| Special Focus Four Year – Research | 0 | 23 | 0% |
| Special Focus Four Year – Engineering/Other Tech | 2 | 12 | 16.7% |
| Special Focus Four Year – Business | 0 | 49 | 0% |
| Special Focus Four Year – Arts | 0 | 71 | 0% |
| Special Focus Four Year – Law | 0 | 31 | 0% |
| Special Focus Four Year – Other | 1 | 33 | 3% |
| Total Special Focus Four Year | 14 | 746 | 1.9% |
| Total | 83 | 2616 | 3.2% |
Table 2. Black Women Presidents of Four-Year Colleges by Institution Type
| Institution Type | Number of Black Women Presidents | Total Number of Institutions | % of Black Women College Presidents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Historically Black Colleges & Universities | 22 | 107 | 21% |
| Hispanic Serving Institutions | 14 | 572 | 3% |
| Liberal Arts | 21 | 225 | 9% |
| Ivy League | 1 | 7 | 14% |
| Public College/University | 52 | 740 | 7% |
| Private College/University | 31 | 1876 | 2% |
Table 3. Black Women Presidents of Four-Year Colleges by Region
| Number of Black Women Presidents | % of Total Black Women College Presidents | Number of 4-Year Institutions by Region | % of all 4-Year Institutions by Region | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | 25 | 30% | 597 | 22.4% |
| Midwest | 15 | 18% | 611 | 23.6% |
| South | 33 | 40% | 830 | 31.5% |
| West | 10 | 12% | 499 | 19.5% |
| Puerto Rico & US Territories | 0 | 0% | 79 | 3.1% |
Table 4. Black Women Presidents of Four-Year Colleges – Length of Current Tenure
| Number of Black Women Presidents | % of Total Black Women College Presidents | |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 3 years | 33 | 40% |
| 3 years – 5 years | 24 | 29% |
| 6 years – 8 years | 15 | 18% |
| 9 + years | 11 | 13% |
Table 5. Black Women Presidents of Four-Year Colleges – Immediate Prior Position
| Immediate Prior Position | Number of Black Women Presidents | % of Black Women College Presidents |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate Prior Position | Number of Black Women Presidents | % of Black Women College Presidents |
| Academic Leadership including provost, vice president of academic affairs, dean | 45 | 54% |
| Administrative Leadership – Vice Presidents of Institutional Advancement, Administration, Chief of Staff, Strategy, Enrollment | 20 | 24% |
| Outside of Higher Education | 10 | 12% |
| President | 18 | 22% |
Table 6. Black Women Presidents of Four-Year Colleges – Terminal Degree Attainment
| Number of Black Women Presidents | % of Black Women College Presidents | |
|---|---|---|
| Doctoral Degree (PhD, EdD) | 65 | 78% |
| Juris Doctor (JD) | 11 | 13% |
| Doctor of Medicine (MD) | 3 | 4% |
| Master of Fine Arts (MFA) | 1 | 1% |
| Total | 80 | 96% |
Table 7. Current Black Women Presidents of Four-Year Institutions
| President | Institution | Year Presidency Began |
|---|---|---|
| Aisha Francis | Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology | 2020 |
| Aminta H. Breaux | Bowie State University | 2017 |
| Angela D. Sims | Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School | 2019 |
| Angela L. Walker Franklin | Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Ctr | 2011 |
| Anita Thomas | North Central College | 2023 |
| Ashanti Hands | San Diego Mesa College | 2022 |
| Ava L. Parker | Palm Beach State College | 2015 |
| Berenecea Johnson Eanes | CUNY York | 2019 |
| Bobbie Knight | Miles College | 2019 |
| Brenda A. Allen | Lincoln University | 2017 |
| Carmen Twillie Ambar | Oberlin College | 2017 |
| Charisse Gillett | Lexington Theological Seminary | 2011 |
| Charlene Aaron | Saint Anthony College of Nursing and Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing | 2023 |
| Charlotte P. Morris | Tuskegee University | 2021 |
| Cheryl Evans | Paine College | 2019 |
| Cheryl Green | Governors State University | 2020 |
| Christine Johnson McPhail | Saint Augustine’s University | 2021 |
| Christy L. Brown | Alverno College | 2023 |
| Claudine Gay | Harvard University | 2023 |
| Crystal Williams | Rhode Island School of Design | 2022 |
| Danielle Holley | Mount Holyoke | 2023 |
| Deborah C. Jackson | Cambridge College | 2011 |
| Deborah Hector | University of Fort Lauderdale | 2023 |
| DeRionne P. Pollard | Nevada State College | 2021 |
| Fayneese Miller | Hamline University | 2015 |
| G. Gabrielle Starr | Pomona College | 2017 |
| Gilda Barabino | Franklin W Olin College of Engineering | 2020 |
| Glenda Glover | Tennessee State University | 2013 |
| Glenell M. Lee-Pruitt | Jarvis Christian University | 2023 |
| Gloria J. Gibson | Northeastern Illinois University | 2018 |
| Heidi M. Anderson | U of Maryland Eastern Shore | 2018 |
| Helene D. Gayle | Spelman College | 2022 |
| Ingrid Thompson-Sellers | Atlanta Metropolitan State College | 2023 |
| Jamel Santa Cruze Wright | Eureka College | 2017 |
| Jann L. Joseph | Georgia Gwinnett College | 2019 |
| Javaune Adams-Gaston | Norfolk State University | 2019 |
| Joanne Berger-Sweeney | Trinity College | 2014 |
| Joyce F. Brown | Fashion Institute of Technology | 1998 |
| Karen Schuster Webb | Union Institute & University | 2018 |
| Karol V. Mason | CUNY John Jay | 2017 |
| Karrie G. Dixon | Elizabeth City State University | 2018 |
| Kathryn E Jeffery | Santa Monica College | 2016 |
| Kathy W. Humphrey | Carlow University | 2021 |
| L. Song Richardson | Colorado College | 2021 |
| La Jerne Terry Cornish | Ithaca College | 2021 |
| LaTanya Tyson | Carolina Christian College | 2013 |
| Latonia Collins | Harris-Stowe State University | 2022 |
| Laurie A. Carter | Lawrence University | 2021 |
| LaVerne Harmon | Wilmington University | 2017 |
| Linda Thompson | Westfield State University | 2021 |
| Lori S. White | DePauw University | 2020 |
| Lynn Perry Wooten | Simmons University | 2020 |
| Marcheta P. Evans | Bloomfield College | 2019 |
| Marion Ross Fedrick | Albany State University | 2018 |
| Mary Dana Hinton | Hollins University | 2020 |
| Melva K. Williams | Huston-Tillotson University | 2022 |
| Michelle Curtain Stewart | Institute for Clinical Social Work | 2019 |
| Patricia Ramsey | CUNY Medgar Evers College | 2021 |
| Paula Johnson | Wellesley College | 2016 |
| Paulette R. Dillard | Shaw University | 2018 |
| Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt | Starr King School for the Ministry | 2014 |
| Rev. Dr. LaKeesha Walrond | New York Theological Seminary | 2019 |
| Robin Holmes-Sullivan | Lewis & Clark College | 2022 |
| Rochelle Ford | Dillard University | 2022 |
| Roslyn Clark | Benedict College | 2017 |
| Sarah Willie-LeBreton | Smith College | 2023 |
| Sheila Edwards | University of Washington – Tacoma | 2021 |
| Soraya M. Coley | Cal State Polytechnic University Pomona | 2014 |
| Suzanne Walsh | Bennett College | 2019 |
| Sylvia Trent-Adams | Univ. of North Texas Health Science Center | 2022 |
| Tina Q. Richardson | Penn State Lehigh Valley | 2015 |
| Tomikia P. LeGrande | Prairie View A&M University | 2023 |
| Tonjua Williams | St. Petersburg College | 2017 |
| Toyin Tofade | Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences | 2022 |
| Tracy Espy | Mitchell College | 2020 |
| Tuajuanda C. Jordan | St. Mary’s College of Maryland | 2014 |
| Valerie Kinloch | Johnson C. Smith University | 2023 |
| Valerie Montgomery Rice | Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) | 2011 |
| Valerie Sheares Ashby | University of Maryland – Baltimore County | 2022 |
| Valerie Smith | Swarthmore College | 2015 |
| Yolanda W. Page | Stillman College | 2023 |
| Yoshiko Harden | Renton Technical College | 2022 |
| Zaldwaynaka “Z” Scott, Esq | Chicago State University | 2018 |