In this episode of the Varying Viewpoints podcast series, we invited Alvin Schexnider, Managing Principal at Schexnider & Associates, LLC, to discuss his book Confessions of a Black Academic. He reflects on his experiences growing up in the segregated South, navigating academia and advocating for greater support for Black faculty and students. Alvin describes Confessions of a Black Academic as a deeply personal and reflective account of his journey through higher education and leadership. He shares his motivation for writing the book, emphasizing the responsibility of leaders to document their experiences to inspire and guide others. Alvin also shares how mentorship has shaped his career and his challenges, from being overlooked in academic spaces to navigating biases against research focused on African American studies. Alvin highlights the critical role of HBCUs in fostering upward mobility and the importance of self-care and emotional intelligence in succeeding in professional settings.

Listen to this episode to learn more about Alvin’s unique journey, his challenges, and his insights on creating more supportive environments in higher education.

“So maybe things we haven’t processed, that we haven’t written up that are, perhaps, universal in some way that anyone who reads the book can maybe start to feel courageous enough to say “maybe let me look at my own life.’’

In this episode of the Varying Viewpoints podcast series, we sit down with the Vice President for Strategic Affairs and Diversity, and Professor of Education at Virginia Tech, Menah Pratt to discuss her powerful book, blackwildgirl, a lyrical exploration of Black Girlhood and Womanhood that blends poetry and prose. Follow her as she reclaims her superpower through a series of journals, poems, and letters that tell her life story -- and discover a road map for girls and women seeking to become warriors in the world.

Listen to this episode to learn more about the inspiration behind BlackWildGirl, the significance of the title, and its intended impact on the future of women navigating the world.

In this episode of the Varying Viewpoints podcast series, we invited Chef Camerron Dangerfield, an alumnus of Alabama A&M University, for a conversation with Leslie Ekpe, Proctor Institute Visiting Scholar. They discuss the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses within the homecoming experience. Camerron shares how these businesses enriched his student experience and laid the foundation for his success as a chef and entrepreneur. Building on the first episode of this series, which explored alumni homecoming experiences, this conversation explores how homecoming blends family, education, and business. They also touch on the legacy of Alabama A&M University and how the community cultivates the next generation. In celebration of the university’s 150th anniversary, Camerron and Leslie discuss ways to highlight local businesses through social media, reflecting on how they strengthen HBCU communities.

Listen to this episode to learn more about how HBCU homecomings fuel individual success and strengthen the lasting legacy of love, family, and service at institutions like Alabama A&M University.

"The HBCU homecoming experience is unmatched - every year seems to be something that we've never seen before in some of the best ways ever."

Homecomings are an important part of the HBCU experience as they contribute to the university's culture. Accordingly, alumni voices play a significant role in the longevity of these traditions. In this episode, we invited Frederick Engram, Assistant Professor of Higher Education at Fairleigh Dickinson University and Raeshan Davis, Research Scientist & HHMI Program Manager in conversation with Leslie Ekpe, Proctor Institute Visiting Scholar, to discuss their homecoming experiences at their respective alma maters. In addition, Engram and Davis describe their homecomings as "Black" and "unmatched" and discuss various philanthropic efforts and opportunities.

Listen to this episode to learn more about the unique joy and significance of HBCU homecomings, the various ways alumni preserve and strengthen their institutional communities, and how these traditions continue to evolve while maintaining their core purpose of fostering connection, celebration, and support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Booked and Busy is a limited podcast series sponsored by The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice. This series explores the dynamic world of library archives; and dives into the incredible work the HBCU Library Alliance is doing.

In this episode of Booked and Busy, we chat with Shaneé Yvette Willis, the program manager at HBCU Library Alliance, and Darshai Hollie, a recent preservation intern at the Library of Congress. This episode highlights the summer conservation preservation internship program, a unique HBCU library alliance program offering fully funded internships to students since 2008. These internships served as a gateway for talented students into library preservation, enabling the establishment of a more diverse and inclusive entrance to this profession. In this episode, Darshai Hollie recalls her recent experience as a preservation intern at the Library of Congress Conservation Department. She details her experiences, the skills she has gained, and how this experience transformed her career and enriched the library she returned to. Learn about her challenges, mentorship, and the legacy she is helping to build.

Listen to this episode to learn more about Darshai’s positive and insightful experience as a preservation intern and the importance of keeping these programs open and available.

In this episode of the Varying Viewpoints podcast series, we invited Paul Bigby, a Ph.D. student at Virginia Tech, to serve as our podcast facilitator for our guests, including Marla Franco, Vice President for Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Initiatives at the University of Arizona (UA) and co-founder of the STEM in HSI working group, and Sarah L. Rodriguez, an Associate Professor of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. They discussed how HSIs attempt (and sometimes fail) to serve their Latine and other minoritized students in STEM. Hear perspectives on making the designation work for STEM students, faculty, and staff, as well as how different institutions can make similar transitions and futureproof their institutions to continue to serve minoritized students despite growing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) bans.

Listen to this episode to learn more about how HSIs can leverage their designation to create inclusive pathways in STEM and ensure equitable support for all students, especially amidst evolving DEI challenges.

In this episode of the Varying Viewpoints podcast series one of our John Smartt Summer Scholars, Genoveva Vega, hosted an episode with Romeo Garcia, an Assistant Professor of Writing and Rhetoric Studies at the University of Utah. They discuss Garcia’s experiences as a Latino scholar in the fields of studies critical theory, cultural studies, Latino/a and Latin American Studies, and decolonial studies. They also share advice to enact anti-oppressive and decolonial practices in the writing classroom. The goal of this podcast is to teach students to be reflective and critical when engaging and learning about writing and language in the U.S. (Western) context.

Listen to this podcast to learn more about how rhetoric and composition instructors can forefront their students' knowledge in the writing classroom.

In this episode of the Varying Viewpoints podcast series, one of our John Smartt Summer Scholars, Meiyah Hill, hosted an episode with KaJéza Hawkins, an alumni of Wilberforce University and current multimedia journalist at WDTN in Dayton, Ohio. They discuss the myth that students who study at HBCUs are not adequately equipped for professional environments, drawing on Hawkins’ own undergraduate experience. Hawkins shared specifically how resources and mentorship, both academic and professional, allowed her to succeed as a journalist.

Listen to this podcast to learn more about the experiences of undergraduate students at HBCUs and how these institutions foster academic and career readiness.

In this episode of the Varying Viewpoints podcast series, one of our John Smartt Summer Scholars, JaMareous Thompson hosted an episode with Timmy Bridgeman, an alumnus of Tougaloo College and current PhD student at the University of Maryland – Graduate School. They discuss the experiences of queer black students at HBCUs, and how these experiences influenced views on themselves. The goal of this podcast is to make HBCU faculty, staff, and students aware of the culture and climate for all of their students and employees.

Listen to this podcast to learn more about how HBCUs are empowering black queer students to embrace their identities and set themselves up for future success.

In this episode of the Varying Viewpoints podcast series, we invited Ahira Smith, Grief Coach and Speaker, Founder of From Grief to Life, LLC. Ahira shares her background on becoming a grief coach and how her work differs from therapy, as grief coaches focus on the present rather than going backward. Ahira highlights that grief is more than someone who passed away; it is a relationship with a person, place, thing, or experience. She discusses the different stages and types of grief: anticipatory grief, complicated, and disenfranchised. She describes how you must permit yourself to grieve and be aware of the support system around you. She concludes by discussing that we all grieve differently and that there is always joy at the end of the tunnel. Although grief is challenging, this open and transparent conversation with Ahira emphasizes that the greatness in grief stems from the lessons you gain from it.