The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Northeast, Washington, D.C. is a remarkable place that beckons and welcomes the faithful from all over the world. The Shrine is situated adjacent to the campus of The Catholic University of America, where I have been a faculty member for 36 years.
During this time, I have frequently attended Sunday Masses at the National Shrine and have always been grateful that they are nothing like the Sunday church hour the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lamented and described in the 1960s as “the most segregated hour in our nation.” On the contrary, Sunday Mass at the shrine displays the rich and beautiful tapestry of racial and ethnic backgrounds in the global Catholic community.
For many years it troubled me that this diversity was not mirrored on the Catholic University campus, However, witnessing recent admissions initiatives like its First Generation/Take Flight Program gives me hope in the university’s effort to foster a more diverse student body. The growing success of this program is a powerful reminder that diversity does not happen by chance or by default, but it comes with intention and sustained commitment.
The recent Supreme Court decision restricting the use of race as a factor in college and university admissions has prompted a great deal of conversation on campuses nationwide, including here at Catholic University, on how to balance compliance with the Court’s ruling while upholding our commitment and mission to reflect America’s racial and ethnic diversity.
A month prior to the Court’s decision, our university celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the graduation of a group of Black students who came to its campus in 1969 as part of The Partnership Program. This initiative was the university’s response to the nation’s racial division and wake-up call inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, the assassination of Dr. King, the riots that ensued thereafter, and the fact that it had less than 10 Black students enrolled in its undergraduate program in 1968. This past spring, a documentary, No Longer Out of Reach, was produced to commemorate this milestone. It candidly portrayed the many challenges faced by these students on campus, including racial aggression and social isolation, as well as descriptions of the nation’s racial divisions in the aftermath of Dr. King’s assassination.
As I watched the documentary, my own memories of that time flooded back: the riots, the tensions between Black and White citizens, and the sense of despair that hung in the air. For me, Catholic University, at that time, was merely a place I passed by on my way downtown – it was simply a predominantly White university we did not attend. The documentary’s stories, though difficult, revealed the bravery, perseverance and determination these students possessed, as well as the support they received from others on campus who valued their presence.
As a Black alumna of the university, I am grateful for the courage of The Partnership Program alumni and their journey to bring racial diversity to the almost all-White campus. Although I did not attend the undergraduate program, I have no doubt that their impact at the university was profound. I attended its law school in 1978, five years after they graduated. My experience at the law school was, thankfully, different because of the path they paved for me and other students of color. I always felt part of the community. Several faculty members cared deeply about my success as a student and throughout my legal career. They were very intentional in this. In 1988, I became their colleague when I was hired to join the law school faculty; and in 2005 I was appointed dean of the law school. These wonderful teachers and colleagues mentored and supported me at every stage of my relationship with the university.
Interestingly, the story of The Partnership Program had been forgotten at the university until it resurfaced in 2020. A committee was formed to explore the history and status of race relations on campus in response to another recent national conversation about systemic racism following the murder of George Floyd. The Sister Thea Bowman Committee, named after a Black American nun and alumna of the university who devoted her ministry to moving the Catholic Church toward interracial solidarity, was tasked by then-President John Garvey to help the university community in its “commitment to racial justice … and to build a culture of love for our neighbor.” The committee’s report offered 51 recommendations addressing all aspects of campus life and what our campus needs to become more welcoming and inclusive and to embrace the racial and cultural diversity of our community. The work to implement many of those recommendations continues.
While our campus is more racially diverse than it was 50 years ago, one of the revelations resulting from the Sister Thea Bowman Committee’s work came through interviews with students of color about their on-campus experiences and hearing instances of racial aggressions, not unlike stories shared by the alumni from The Partnership Program 50 years before. This of course is not surprising because all campus student bodies are drawn from society and our nation still reflects racial discord, and many would say the racial discord is getting worse.
This also tells us that a commitment toward racial diversity and inclusion must be ongoing. It is dependent on the will of the colleges and universities that choose to treasure it, and, thus, the individuals who make up those institutions. The need to address racial diversity did not end in 1968 or in 2020. And the work at Catholic University continues.
One significant outcome from the Sister Thea Bowman Committee was the adoption of a University Statement on Race, rooted in the Catholic faith and emphasizing the imperative to dismantle the structures of racism and to practice everyday solidarity.
At the start of each academic year, the university holds the Mass of the Holy Spirit. This year in his remarks following Mass, Catholic University’s President Peter J. Kilpatrick reminded us of our individual and unique diversity and encouraged each of us to be moved by the Holy Spirit to “meet, engage, and befriend people not in our usual orbit.” As I listened to his remarks, it reminded me of The Partnership Program alumni, who did exactly that more than 50 years ago, they were willing to step out of the orbit of racially segregated communities and change our campus history and future for the better.
While this is the story about Catholic University’s journey to becoming more racially diverse and welcoming, it holds universal importance in higher education, one that we must remember, repeat and revive.
Professor Veryl Miles serves as Special Assistant to the President at The Catholic University of America. She was the first woman and first African American to serve as dean of the university’s Law School, from 2005-2012, were she remains a professor of law.
