Last month, I participated in a panel at UNITE, the nation’s largest gathering of HBCU leaders and experts, held in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of UNCF’s Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute, which I led for almost nine years. It was a chance to reconnect with many of the researchers, advocates, and institutional leaders I worked alongside during my time at UNCF, and to see how far the Institute has come since then. It was also the setting for Dr. Michael Lomax’s announcement that he would step down as president and CEO of UNCF, bringing to a close a tenure that fundamentally reshaped how HBCUs—and the students they serve—are understood.
For more than two decades as president and CEO of UNCF—and for decades before that as an elected official, civic leader, HBCU president and educator—Dr. Lomax has worked to elevate HBCUs in the national conversation. And when he arrived at UNCF in 2004, HBCUs were primarily framed through a lens of scarcity, nostalgia or crisis. Under his leadership, the conversation has begun to change. HBCUs are increasingly recognized for what they have always been: engines of economic mobility, civic leadership, and innovation that are, in many cases, punching far above their weight.
That shift did not happen by accident. It took years of institution- and coalition-building, advocacy and an insistence that supporting students also means strengthening, celebrating, investing in and gradually transforming the colleges that serve them. The next chapter for HBCUs cannot simply be about asking these institutions to do more with less, but instead, doing more with more (or doing more with what they so rightfully deserve).
As Dr. Lomax prepares to pass the torch, his legacy is both indelible and unfinished. The Whiteboard Notes team spoke with Dr. Lomax about how the national conversation around HBCUs has changed, the opportunities ahead and the charge he leaves for the leaders who come next.
Q: How has the national conversation around HBCUs changed during your tenure—and what do you believe drove that change?
Lomax: When I came to UNCF, I assumed people already understood the value of HBCUs. What I quickly realized was that we had to make the case all over again—not just with compelling stories, but with data, research and measurable outcomes. Over the past two decades, we’ve worked alongside our member institutions and many partners to demonstrate that HBCUs are extraordinary engines of opportunity, producing graduates who become leaders in business, government, education and every sector of American life.
That work has helped shift the conversation. HBCUs are no longer viewed simply through the lens of need or historical significance. Increasingly, they’re recognized for their return on investment — their ability to drive economic mobility.
Q:What are the biggest opportunities facing the field as you pass the torch to a new generation? What is the greatest challenge that remains for the sector?
Lomax: We’ve seen unprecedented philanthropic support, greater public awareness and renewed confidence in HBCUs. The question now is how we turn that into lasting institutional strength. Some campuses are still recovering from decades of underinvestment, while others are positioned to become national leaders in research, innovation and workforce development. Our job is to help every institution move further along that journey.
The challenge is that higher education itself is facing enormous change. Artificial intelligence, demographic shifts and growing skepticism about the value of college are forcing every institution to rethink its role. HBCUs have always prepared students not only for jobs, but for lives of purpose and leadership. I believe that mission is more important now than ever.
Q: You have consistently argued that supporting HBCUs requires investing not only in students, but also in institutional capacity. Why has that distinction been so important to your leadership?
Lomax: Scholarships change individual lives, and they’ll always be central to our mission. But if we’re serious about expanding opportunity, we also have to strengthen the institutions that educate those students. That means investing in endowments, technology, faculty, facilities, research capacity and leadership. Strong institutions create opportunities not just for today’s students, but for generations to come. I’m especially proud that UNCF itself has embraced that philosophy. When I arrived, our endowment was roughly $60 million. Today it’s more than half a billion dollars.
Q: What is one charge you would leave with the next generation of HBCU and higher education leaders?
Lomax: Never lose sight of why this work matters. There will always be political debates, economic pressures and changing technologies. Those things come and go. But our responsibility is to prepare students not only to earn a living, but to lead meaningful lives and strengthen their communities. We also can’t lose sight of the need to keep building coalitions. One of UNCF’s greatest strengths has been our ability to work across political parties, across philanthropy and across sectors. When people see the impact HBCUs have in their own communities, support follows. Continue telling that story, continue innovating, and never stop believing in the transformative power of higher education.
Q: What comes next for Michael Lomax?
Lomax: My immediate focus is making sure UNCF is in the strongest possible position for the leader who comes next. Beyond that, I’d like to return to teaching. I’ve had the privilege of serving in many capacities throughout my career, but I’ve never stopped thinking of myself as a teacher. If I can continue contributing in that way, I’ll consider myself very fortunate.
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