Historically Black Colleges & Universities’ Guide to Excellence

An insider account on how HBCU graduates find success in the world as people of color, by the esteemed President of Hampton University, one of 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities which boast influential Black alumni, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Oprah Winfrey, Vice President Kamala Harris, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and many others.

In his 42-year tenure as the President of Hampton University, Dr. William R. Harvey has spearheaded the cultural impact and value of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and their numerous notable alumni enough to know success is no coincidence, but he’s never shared the formula until now. Spurred by critical race theorists, rising academics, and racial rhetoric, the overwhelming resurgence of interest in HBCUs has compelled Dr. Harvey to consider: what makes HBCUs special and what core tenets help their alumni thrive?

Dr. Harvey discloses the faultless formula for success in navigating a white world while centering your Blackness: demonstrating moral and wholesome values at all times, always pursuing character growth, diving into communal responsibilities whenever possible, and many more. His commitment to upholding the remarkability of the Black diaspora, its complexity and its beauty, feeds into the fundamental principles he shares to successfully represent Blackness to its highest degree at every opportunity.

Historically Black College and University Guide to Excellence is a thoughtful and knowledgeable account of what it truly takes to successfully navigate this world as a Black person, from a pivotal force behind the steady prosperity of HBCUs. In several sections, Dr. Harvey delves into the critical life lessons he’s adhered to—the power of dress to establish respect upon first impression; the importance of integrity; financial accountability to bring you ultimate peace; and the integral relationship between parents and kids that commands respect toward your elders—all of which are tried-and-true, having uniquely prepared and propelled HBCU alumni like Taraji P. Henson, Samuel L. Jackson, Alice Walker, Chadwick Boseman, and countless more for generations.

Dr. William Harvey is ready to share this wisdom beyond the HBCU network. Historically Black College and University Guide to Excellence is then a practical guide, collected from four decades of insight, that lays the groundwork for individual and communal Black prosperity.