By Kesha Williams, Communications and Public Relations & Dr. State Alexander, Vice President of Communications and Public Relations
Livingstone College completed the installation ceremony on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, of its 13th president, Dr. Anthony J. Davis. Davis is an alumnus of the university who previously served as senior vice president /chief operating officer for Livingstone College. In that role, Dr. Davis was responsible for supervising and providing leadership for the entire fundraising enterprise at Livingstone College. Dr. Davis also managed the day-to-day operations of the institution with the responsibility of providing strategic oversight in key areas on the campus in an effort to create a campus-wide synergy that promotes economic growth, revenue generation, and sustainability.
The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, president and senior lecturer of Repairers of the Breach, Co-Chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, provided the keynote address. Barber’s other leadership posts include Bishop with the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, Executive Board Member of the Christian Church Disciples of Christ, Professor in the Practice of Public Theology and Public Policy, and Founding Director of the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School.
During his speech, Barber paid homage to the college’s origin in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. He lauded the college’s commitment to educating students from multiple demographics that have been underserved, as well as those denied entry at mainstream institutions prior to the Civil Rights Era.
“I stopped by to tell you to be president of Livingstone is to know that God takes what the world rejects and uses it to His glory. Livingstone is part of that grand group of colleges called Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Our schools never segregated, never discriminated,” Barber said.
Barber charged Davis to be a leader, not a manager, a president of a college who produces graduates who can stand up and “take on the challenges now” – the challenges of the current era.
Davis, who follows Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins as president, is the first alumnus in 25 years to lead the college. Barber lauded Davis for his past record of being a progressive pastor, a fundraiser, and a fighter for justice. Many of the skills Davis developed in past positions, Barber noted, will be essential as a successful college president. After completing the oath of his office, President Davis took the microphone and told the audience he sees a "reimagined Livingstone College." He forecasted it would be a resourceful, relevant, but respected HBCU.
“As I accept this charge, I will be laser-focused, securing the resources that will fund and fuel our upward trajectory,” Davis said.
Davis assured the audience that greater effort will be made via a scholarship center to help students acquire external scholarships and reduce dependence on student loans. Other plans Davis outlined included a center for teacher development and deployment that propels more Livingstone College graduates to work as teachers in the state's rural and urban settings. There are plans to strengthen partnerships that will help guide the colleges to STEM careers and partnerships that will guide young people who are departing foster care systems and enrolling as freshmen at Livingstone College.
Davis, a former youth resident of Connecticut’s foster care system, informed the audience attending the inauguration ceremony that many of his adolescent teachers, coaches, and members of his church played inspirational roles in his life that propelled him to leadership. Many of them and several of his family members attended the ceremony.
Lastly, Davis recalled the people who inspired him, as a nontraditional student and veteran from the U.S. Air Force, to earn his bachelor’s degree at Livingstone College. He returned to work as an administrator for the college. With all those inspirational figures in mind, Davis pledged to adamantly lead an institution that has a history of educating the underserved.
“As I accept this assignment, the higher education landscape is complicated and confusing. Some are questioning if higher education is necessary. Some are attempting to turn back the hands of time. But, Livingstone College will make a difference,” Davis said.
“We have found creative ways to secure capital, and we are investing in revenue-generating assets that will support and sustain growth,” Davis said.
"We will manage the current economic model while addressing many of the challenges that plague institutions that are similar in size and scope. We serve a niche in the marketplace, and without a Livingstone College, countless young people and their families will remain trapped at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder with little or no means of escape."
“We have graduates who have the capacity to compete and to contribute in a global context with confidence and competency. It is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tomorrow,” Davis said.
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