Written by: Lindsay Johns, UNCF International Correspondent

UNCF - PAINE COLLEGE, AUGUSTA

NEW PRESIDENT'S INVESTITURE

(September 18th 2025)

To Augusta, Georgia - not to endure the soporific spectacle of invariably middle-aged men assiduously attempting to putt small, dimpled balls into positively Lilliputian holes on perfectly manicured greens, or to genuflect at where the Godfather of Soul spent his formative years, but for something infinitely more meaningful and life-affirming - the investiture of the new President of Paine College, one of the state's oldest and most respected HBCUs.

Founded by both black and white Methodist missionaries in 1882, and committed to the intellectual and moral edification of formerly enslaved people of African descent, Paine has long cherished its self-proclaimed mission: "to educate, to elevate and to emancipate", and, in so doing, has bequeathed to the world some notable alumni, perhaps most famously the historical novelist Frank Yerby, author of the best-selling The Foxes of Harrow (1946) and The Dahomean (1971).

Held in the college memorial chapel - itself an iconic monument to Paine's religious foundations and its dedication to the spiritual nourishment of its students, the investiture benefitted from the aura of religious solemnity, reinforced by the opening remarks which asserted that the new President had been "appointed by providential grace" and that "God has sent us a leader."

The attendees - a heady mixture of local dignitaries, HBCU stalwarts, community leaders and Paine faculty - certainly came out for the occasion, combining sartorial elegance with palpable emotion, inordinately proud of their association with such an institution.

To the mellifluous sounds of Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance - played with technical aplomb by the college orchestra, the academic procession (comprised of College Faculty, delegates of various HBCUs, the Mayor of Augusta, Presidents of several key institutions and Trustees) moved with purpose to their seats.

The stirring rendition of "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing", the invocation, Old and New Testament scripture readings and the cordial greetings from the Mayor and other luminaries, including the Georgia director of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, all helped create an exalted, dignifed but also distinctly humane tone.

However, it was the message of UNCF's redoubtable President, Dr. Michael Lomax, which visibly resonated with the audience. Adorned in a black academic gown with yellow trim and blue hood, and with black spectacles and a gently graying beard, he radiated avuncular affability. His rousing exhortation to live a life of meaning with direction ("If you know where you want to go, you'll get there.") and his promise of generous financial support for the college were both met with heartfelt gratitude and rapturous applause.

Unsurprisingly, the symbols of the President's Office featured heavily in the ceremony - the college seal (with its torch behind a book and the inscription of the motto, based on Romans 12:12), the burnished bronze Presidential Medallion (with the college's foundation date), the academic mace (held aloft by the Marshall at the head of the procession) and the full academic regalia of caps and gowns - all added to the ostentatious grandeur and brazen theatricality of the spectacle.

Not having attended an HBCU myself, I was genuinely excited by the opportunity to witness first-hand the rituals and (some may even say arcane) traditions being showcased on this portentous occasion - and happily found it to be a proudly and unashamedly African-American take on the medieval scholastic rituals of my own alma mater, Oxford University.

Watching an HBCU skillfully adopt such quintessentially medieval European conventions - ones which serve to consciously anchor the college in a pedagogical tradition dating back millennia and across continents, was both humbling and empowering and brought home the fact that the innate human desire to seek out wisdom and knowledge, to acquire an education and to be "led out of the darkness" (the Latin derivation of the word education) transcends time and place, as well as colour, class and creed.

Moreover, given that Paine - like every other HBCU - was founded expressly because of a pernicious refusal to admit black students to white institutions of higher learning - it was all the sweeter to see the canonical trappings of Western educational attainment being deftly adapted by African-Americans - a people who can appreciate only too well what a priceless gift education is, having been shamefully denied the right to one for centuries.

With the purple and white colours of the college on display, and Paine's motto "Truth: Rejoicing in Hope" decorously emblazoned on the college crest for all to see, the ceremony was a harmonious marriage of style and substance.

The eighteenth President in the college's 143 year history, Reverend Dr. Lester McCorn (a theological scholar, proven leader, and proud Morehouse man) delivered his inaugural address from the pulpit full of messianic zeal. Attired in a black and white pinstriped suit and bedecked in the accoutrements of his new office - a blue presidential gown, complete with velvet chevrons and tam, he exuded a winning combination of gravitas, warmth and humility.

Expounding on the theme of "Preparation for transformation", President McCorn delivered a moving entreaty on the nature of change, advocating positivity for the future whilst still being mindful of the past and its painful legacy, beseeching students to "find not just information, but transformation, in these hallowed halls."

Invoking W.E.B. Du Bois, Adam Clayton Powell and Paul Robeson, as well as quoting from the poem Invictus by W. E. Henley (about resilience in adversity), Frederick Douglass ("If there is no struggle, there is no progress") and the musical Ragtime ("Make them hear you"), his Periclean peroration was passionate, powerful and poignant.

In a rich, baritone voice, Dr. McCorn articulated his vision for the college, taking pains to stress that "service is more important than success" and "people are more important than possessions." Affirming the need to produce not only scholars, but also servant-leaders, his address made me recall Marian Wright Edelman's sagacious saying, "Service is the rent we pay for living."

Dwelling on the unrivalled power of HBCUs to prepare leaders, Dr. McCorn reminded his audience that the Civil Rights movement would not have happened had it not been for historically Black colleges and universities. Furthermore, he asserted how they have hitherto fulfilled the twin functions of protecting black people and preserving our humanity.

Given his oratorical prowess, full of sonorous cadences and biblical allusions, it is not hard to grasp why the audience were both so moved and inspired by their new President's spirited call to action.

As Paine College now embarks upon an audacious and exhilarating new chapter in its long and already distinguished history, I left feeling uplifted and galvanized by what I had seen. 

Augusta may be universally renown as the home of the US Masters golf tournament and as the place in which legendary singer James Brown came of age, but for me, the city's resident HBCU and its enduring educational legacy and future promise will, I wager, soon be putting such strong sporting and musical associations in the shade.