Leading the Way for Future Leaders
By Dawn Gibson

He’s young, hip-hop savvy and a leader in academic excellence as the president of one of the most progressive college campuses in the nation. These attributes belong to Dr. Walter Kimbrough, president of Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark.

Philander Smith College is one of the 11 United Methodist-related historically Black colleges and universities supported by the Black College Fund. There are several innovative activities on campus, but one that is especially dear to Dr. Kimbrough’s heart is the Black Male Initiative that he implemented in 2007 with the assistance of a committee focused on new ways to engage the men on campus.

“We had a major gap between men and women in terms of graduation rates,” said Dr. Kimbrough. “The entire campus was low, but men were abysmal. So, we wanted to start a program that would pay special attention to getting men engaged both in and out of class as the research indicates this is crucial for retention and graduation.”

The mission of the program is to provide relevant experiences for males that will ensure success academically, professionally and socially through development in education/retention, leadership, social justice issues, community involvement and cultural and spiritual enlightenment. One such experience was when the young men in the group assisted in hosting a “Bless the Mic” lecture series event with Grammy Award-winning gospel artist Kirk Franklin as guest speaker.

A contributing factor for the low academic and professional success rate among many of the young men is the small number of male role models who display balance and success in their personal and professional lives. Dr. Kimbrough understands this is a crucial need, so he has engaged other men within the campus community to serve as mentors in a variety of settings and activities.

“Sometimes I think it is intimidating for [Philander’s young males] to have a positive relationship with a man who is professionally dressed all the time,” said Dr. Kimbrough. “We have to work to develop relationships with guys who are not used to men in these kinds of roles. Once we establish the relationship, we are able to have all kinds of conversations which I think are healthy.”

As the process of mentoring young African-American males and building community among them continues, Dr. Kimbrough stays vigilant to  graduating future leaders.

“This program has the ability to get young men fully engaged in their college experience and then be successful in their careers.”

To learn more about the Black College Fund and the colleges and universities it supports, please visit www.gbhem.org/bcf and www.umcgiving.org.