From the director

Celebrating Presbyterian Racial Ethnic Schools and Colleges

And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. (Joel 2:27-29)

Amongst the many gifts in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are the racial ethnic schools and colleges. One of these is Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Authorized by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States in 1875, classes were first held in the fall of 1876. The Rev. Dr. Charles Stillman, for whom the college was eventually named, initiated the school. His plan was to provide for the education of young African American men studying for the ministry. Stillman has grown to be much more than that and is now a co-educational institution preparing young women and men of diverse backgrounds for professions of their choosing.

Stillman College is ranked 25th on U.S. News & World Report’s 2008 list of America’s best baccalaureate colleges in the south. This historically Presbyterian racial ethnic institution (HPREI) takes into account the racial ethnic heritage of its students, many of whom come from low to moderate income families and some who would not be able to attend college if it were not for the mission of Stillman. This four-year liberal arts college is well known for its personal approach, with strong relationships between students and teachers.

There are eight HPREI’s related to the church: Stillman College, Johnson C. Smith University (in North Carolina, not to be confused with the seminary), Barber-Scotia College, Cook School for Christian Leadership (currently in a transition year), Sheldon Jackson College (currently in a transition year), Knoxville College, and there are two secondary HPREIs: Menaul School and Pan American School.