Dr. Daniel Black: Shaping Minds of HBCU Scholars
Written By: Elainey Bass
“If Harriet Tubman can run to freedom, you can run to your destiny.” This is only one out of many encouraging gems that Dr. Daniel Black dropped for graduating students at Clark Atlanta University’s recent graduation ceremony . His commencement speech has been deemed one of the best HBCU speeches ever, but Dr. Black’s words of wisdom stems from a lineage of experience and education that is simply unmatched. Dr. Black takes everything that he has learned in this world and uses it to enhance and impact the minds of scholars throughout the Atlanta University Center (AUC). Yes, the speech was cool, but what exactly makes him so special? I’m glad you asked.
Dr. Daniel Black, a Kansas City native, was raised in Arkansas by his great-grandparents. He went on to attend Clark College (before it was consolidated to Clark Atlanta University) and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1988. After graduating, Dr. Black earned a full ride fellowship and received both his master’s and doctorate in African-American studies from Temple University. To top it off, he was also afforded the opportunity to study under renowned poet, Sonia Sanchez, as a Modern British Studies fellow at Oxford University.
Aside from his educational accomplishments, Dr. Black is also a published author of eight books with his most popular pieces being “Don’t Cry For Me: A Novel” and “Perfect Peace.” In fact, the novel previously mentioned was developed into a short film and was selected at the San Francisco Black Film Festival and the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival.
Even with all of the continuous accolades, Dr. Black still continues to pour into his community. He created the Ndugu-Nzinga Nation; a mentoring society that is committed to teaching people of African descent self-love and how to build character for their people. He is currently an African-American studies professor at his alma mater, Clark Atlanta University and previously taught at Morehouse College. Recently, he played a role in bringing renowned comedian and actress Mo’Nique to Clark’s campus for a discussion on living in your truth and staying empowered throughout your college matriculation and after.
In his classes, Dr. Black challenges students to learn about who they really are and where they come from. With every class, he opens the floor up for conversation and introduces ideas that may be controversial to some. For example, Dr. Black once described how he challenged the validity of the Bible. His argument was based on who actually wrote it and who had the authority to write it.
This is only the tip of the iceberg of what CAU students encounter in discussion with Dr. Black. Not only does he believe in his students, but he wants to see them succeed in whatever avenue they choose. All he asks is for them to learn and appreciate their history. When I asked a former student, who wished to remain anonymous, about the impact Dr. Black left on her, she simply stated “If you ever have the opportunity to take a class with Dr. Black, take it. He made me so much more appreciative of my culture and challenged me to talk about things people may deem as sensitive or touchy.”
If you are an alum of an HBCU, we can all say that we have had at least one professor that has poured into us more than we may have even poured into ourselves. For many students at Clark Atlanta University, Dr. Black is that person. The impact he has already made and continues to make is sure to leave a lasting impression on the students, who will eventually use that wisdom to leave their mark on our ever-changing society.