NASHVILLE, TN — American Baptist College (ABC), established in 1924 has a mission to educate, graduate, and prepare a predominantly African American student population for Christian leadership, service with a social justice grounding in the world. ABC President Forrest E. Harris, who is celebrating his 20th year at the helm of ABC explains, “Our vision is to provide our students with a dynamic education. We want them to graduate, go out into the world, and make a positive difference with a strong foundation in religion and social justice.”
ABC offers quality educational programs with a liberal arts emphasis, equipping diverse students intellectually, morally, spiritually, socially and theologically. “Our students are prepared to stand on a social justice foundation, whether they go into a faith-based field or civic engagement. They know the power of human justice,” said Dr. Phyllis D. K. Hildreth, vice president for Strategy and Institutional Advancement.
The College is receiving a $100,000 endowment gift from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., in partnership with the Educational Advancement Foundation (EAF), which established the AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund. This initiative was developed to assist in the financial stability of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Dr. Glenda Glover, International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., said, “As an HBCU graduate and someone who has dedicated my life’s work to the HBCU community, I personally know that the financial challenges of many institutions have an impact on student enrollment, retention and graduation rates.” American Baptist College received the first installment of the gift earlier this year. “Implementing an endowment fund is a critical need and has been a priority for my administration since I took office last year. Alpha Kappa Alpha’s 111-year history is deeply interwoven into the history of HBCUs and therefore it is imperative that we continue to invest in these treasured institutions,” Dr. Glover added.
ABC celebrates its 95th anniversary this year and these funds support student scholarships. “We are indeed honored to have been selected to receive this wonderful gift from the AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund,” stated President Harris. He further explained the institution strives to meet the demanding goals of today’s ever-changing society; technologically, socially, spiritually and economically and has a strong/clear focus on social justice and religiosity. “Giving helps to make those projects vibrant and sustainable,” he surmised.
