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A native of South Carolina, Chadwick Boseman graduated from Howard University and attended the British American Dramatic Academy at Oxford, after which he began his career as an actor, director and writer. Boseman starred as T'Challa/Black Panther in the worldwide phenomenon Marvel Studios' "Black Panther," which has shattered box-office records both domestically and internationally. Boseman made his debut as the African superhero Black Panther in Marvel Studios’ “Captain America: Civil War,” in May 2016. He reprised the role for Marvel’s “Avengers: Infinity War” in 2019.Boseman's breakout performance came in 2013 when he received rave reviews for his portrayal of the legendary Jackie Robinson in Warner Bros’ “42.” He previously starred in the title role of Open Road Films’ “Marshall,” which tells the story of Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Supreme Court Justice, as he battles through one of his career-defining cases as the Chief Counsel to the NAACP. His other feature film credits include: the revenge thriller “Message from the King,” Summit Entertainment's “Draft Day,” the independent psychological post-war drama, “The Kill Hole” and Gary Fleders’ drama, “The Express.”Boseman was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016. During his four-year battle with cancer, he continued his work, persevering through the production of several films between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. Boseman passed away in August of 2020, surrounded by his wife and family. 

Purpose is the essential element of you. It is the reason you are on the planet at this particular time in history. Your very existence is wrapped up in the things you are here to fulfill. Whatever you choose for a career path, remember the struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose.

Toni Morrison told her parents, “I want to be surrounded by black intellectuals,” and chose Howard University. She explored her love for drama as a member of the Howard University Players, which is the university’s oldest student-run performing arts organization. Morrison graduated in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree in English and minor in classics. After getting her master’s degree in English from Cornell University, Morrison returned to Howard as an English professor for seven years. She also became involved with a writers' group while at Howard, which she has credited with starting her on the road to becoming a novelist.Morrison is hailed widely as one of the world’s greatest storytellers. She exemplifies Howard University’s core value of truth as she dares to explore race, love, and even the supernatural. Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award for her novel Beloved, which would later be adapted into a film. Since the publishing of Beloved, Morrison has been awarded numerous honors for her writing and activism, including the Nobel Prize in Literature, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, presented by President Barack Obama. 

Make a difference about something other than yourselves

Ta-Nehisi Coates is an award-winning novelist, essayist and journalist. Coates was born and raised among six siblings in Baltimore, Maryland. His mother was a teacher, while his father is the founder of Black Classic Press, a publishing company specializing in books by Black writers. Coates studied journalism at Howard University for five years, then went on to work as a reporter. His writing gained national attention in 2008 with the publication of his first piece for The Atlantic; in that same year, Coates published his first book, The Beautiful Struggle. In 2015, Coates’ second book, the memoir Between the World and Me, launched his work to best-seller status. Since then, Coates has published myriad articles, memoirs, and essays, as well as a bestselling novel. He is currently a writer in residence at NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute.

My only Mecca was, is, and shall always be Howard University.

Zora Neale Hurston is considered one of the foremost female writers of the 20th century. She was born in Notasulga, Alabama on January 15, 1891. At a young age, her family relocated to Eatonville, Florida where they flourished. Her father became one of the town’s first mayors. In 1917, Hurston enrolled at Morgan College, where she completed her high school studies. She then attended Howard University and earned an associate’s degree. Hurston was an active student and participated in student government. She also co-founded the school’s renowned newspaper, The Hilltop. In 1925, Hurston received a scholarship to Barnard College and graduated with a BA in anthropology.During her time in New York City, Hurston befriended other writers such as Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. Together, they joined the black cultural renaissance taking place in Harlem. Hurston dedicated herself to promoting and studying Black culture. She traveled to Haiti and Jamaica to study the religions of the African diaspora. Her findings were included in several newspapers throughout the United States. Hurston often incorporated her research into her fictional writing. As an author, Hurston started publishing short stories as early as 1920. Unfortunately, her work was ignored by the mainstream literary audience for years. One of her most popular works was “Their Eyes were Watching God.” Hurston broke literary norms by focusing her work on the experience of a Black woman.

Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.

Thurgood Marshall sought admission into Howard University Law School following his denial of admission on the basis of his race into University of Maryland Law School. Unbeknownst to him, this decision directed his professional career where he championed for equal rights - particularly on the basis of race. The dean of Howard law, Charles Hamilton Houston, became his mentor and instilled in him the passion to advocate for the oppressed and voiceless. Marshall's first major court case came in 1933 when he successfully sued the University of Maryland to admit a young African American Amherst University graduate named Donald Gaines Murray. He later became the chief counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) where he fought for racial equality by taking on challenging cases to end state-sponsored discrimination like Brown v. Board of Education. This landmark case ended the legal basis for segregation in the U.S.In 1965, Marshall was appointed U.S. solicitor general by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He went on to win 14 of the 19 cases that he argued before the Supreme Court for the government. In 1967, he became the first African-American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court where he served until his retirement until 1991.

Truth is more than a mental exercise.

Mamie Phipps Clark was born on April 18, 1917 in Hot Spring, Arkansas. Despite the extremely meager opportunities available to black students, she was offered several scholarships to pursue higher education, including an offer from Howard University. She began her university career in 1934 as a math major minoring in physics. At Howard University, Clark met her future husband, Kenneth Bancroft Clark, a master's student in psychology who later became famous for his involvement in the pivotal Supreme Court Case: Brown versus Board of Education of Topeka.It was Kenneth who eventually convinced Mamie to pursue psychology. In 1938, Mamie Clark graduated magna cum laude from Howard University and immediately enrolled in the psychology graduate program. In her master's thesis, she investigated when black children became aware of themselves as having a distinct "self," and when they became aware of belonging to a particular racial group. Her thesis, "The Development of Consciousness of Self in Negro Pre-School Children," was the beginning of a line of research that became historic when it was used to make racial segregation unconstitutional in American public schools. Her research provided social scientific evidence that was influential in the Supreme Court's decision in the 1954 Brown case.

I'd always had an interest in children. Always, from the time I was very small. I'd always thought I wanted to work with children, and psychology seemed a good field.