Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is joining the faculty at Howard University, the historically Black college announced Wednesday.
Starting in September, Abrams will begin a multiyear appointment as the inaugural Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics.
The position was created in honor of Ronald W. Walters, PhD, a scholar and activist at Howard who taught on issues impacting the African diaspora for 25 years. Walters, who died in 2010, orchestrated one of the earliest lunch counter sit-ins in Kansas, according to The Washington Post.
In her new role, Abrams will promote interdisciplinary collaborations across the university to address racial issues, particularly those that affect African Americans. She will also lead diverse discussions with guest speakers through the Ronald W. Walters Speakers Series.
Abrams, a former Georgia state representative and minority leader in the Georgia House of Representatives, was the first African American woman to be a major party’s nominee for governor.
“We are entering an inflection point in American politics where the conversation of race and Black politics will be a central facet,” Abrams said in a statement, “and having the chance to help guide part of the conversation for young people who are studying at Howard University is an exceptional opportunity.”
