Stacey Abrams Will Join Race And Politics Faculty At Howard University

Source: Danny Matson / Getty

Congratulations are in order for Stacey Abrams. The voting rights activist will be heading to Howard to join the the university’s faculty, according to The Washington Post. 

Abrams, 49, will serve as the inaugural Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics at the historically Black college. The author and two-time gubernatorial candidate is set to start the exciting position in September.

Howard President Wayne A.I. Frederick gushed about Abram’s historic appointment stating that it was an honor to have the Democrat bring her passion for activism and equity to students.

“The work she has been doing on voter registration and voting irregularities, especially in Georgia but across the country, speaks to a lot of what Ronald Walters embodied. This appointment is extremely important for our students,” he shared.

“We want to make sure they are good advocates, they understand the issues, that they’re going to be in positions to help make the laws, help to change the laws, but that they are educated in what needs to be changed and why and how to change it. We want them fully equipped to be politically active.”

This isn’t the Democrat’s first time stepping into the classroom

Stacey Abrams served as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Spelman College in Atlanta. She’s also worked extensively with the University of Texas at Austin and Yale, where she attended law school.

With her position still months away, Abrams told The Washington Post that she has already been planning several workshops and symposiums for students. The Mississippi native will also collaborate with other faculty members to “conduct research” on critical issues involving race and politics.

The Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair position, established in 2020, honors the life and legacy of the civil rights activist. In 1958, Walters organized the country’s first lunch counter sit-in to protest segregation. He was also the head president of the NAACP’s local youth chapter in Wichita, Kansas.

From 1971 to 1996, the world renowned scholar served as a professor in Howard’s Political Science Department. He eventually earned a spot as the department’s chair, a position he held for nine years, according to the HBCU’s website. 

“His focus on African American leadership has shaped so much of how we have seen leaders engage over the last 30 years,” Abrams said of Walter’s coveted legacy.

Stacey Abrams’ legendary appointment comes just in time for Black Women’s History Month. How fitting!

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