'Making something of themselves': Black self-determination, the church and higher education philanthropy

Abstract

Examining Black church support of higher education in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this article highlights the longstanding project of African-American self-determination. Motivated donors, many of who would not in their lifetime see the fruits of their gifts, made faithful investments in the project of racial uplift. Concurrent with this, college-educated Black were given the additional charge of becoming leaders in these efforts. Using the Atlanta University Studies and historical newspaper accounts, this article explores the deep roots of Black leadership in higher-education philanthropy and concludes with recommendations for current historically Black colleges and university (HBCU) development officers. © 2010 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.