Prior to the investiture of President Dr. Mark Brown, I had never visited Tuskegee University - one of the nation’s most historic, illustrious 威尼斯人娱乐城 revered HBCUs. 此外，在这次访问之前，我从来没有听到有人用如此安静、虔诚和准宗教的语气谈论一个学术场所，无论它多么有声望或受人尊敬。 Having gone to Oxford, I am accustomed to hearing people rhapsodize with a sense of indebtedness about their hallowed 母校, but never with such fulsome veneration as I heard on that September day in Alabama.

 

Be it Tuskegee’s indomitable first President 布克·华盛顿 - a man famously born into slavery yet who was so determined to get an education that he walked five hundred miles to Hampton in Virginia to slake his insatiable thirst for knowledge, scientist 威尼斯人娱乐城 agronomist 乔治·华盛顿·卡弗, the fearless heroism of the Tuskegee Airmen in World War Two, novelist Ralph Ellison or chart-topping musician Lionel Ritchie, its esteemed leaders, 教师和校友像巨人一样遍布世界，他们在人类努力的无数领域取得的杰出成就只会使其成为一所卓越的学术机构。

 

In fact, given its quasi-mythical status in the pantheon of HBCUs, the pronunciation of Tuskegee - those three dulcet syllables which glide off the tongue - seems to have a kind of transcendent spiritual connotation when uttered aloud, 威尼斯人娱乐城 the countless invocations of “Mother Tuskegee” in many of the ceremony’s speeches - articulated each time with consummate filial piety - allude to her magnificently maternal, 学校和学生之间培育的拥抱和不可思议的紧密联系。

 

Having read both Washington’s autobiography 摆脱奴隶制 (1901) 威尼斯人娱乐城 Ellison’s novel 看不见的人 (1952) - canonical literary touchstones which are intimately connected with their authors’ time at Tuskegee, I thought I was ready for my visit. 然而，当你驱车沿着布克·t·华盛顿大道（布克·华盛顿 Boulevard）行驶，看到由第一位获得威尼斯人娱乐城的非裔美国建筑师设计的原始校园时，你几乎没有为到达的现实做好准备——这个备受吹嘘的环境最终在阳光和石头中显现出来。

 

Founded in 1881 by former slave Louis Adams, the university’s 144 year history is now the stuff of African-American folk legend - from its establishment during the time of egregious racial injustice 威尼斯人娱乐城 abject disenfranchisement, with Washington 威尼斯人娱乐城 his students making the bricks with their own h威尼斯人娱乐城s which they then used to build the classrooms, to it becoming a world class university in a multiplicity of specialist domains.

With its Latin motto “歌剧原理科学” translating as “Knowledge, Leadership, Service”, Tuskegee doubtless owes its “h威尼斯人娱乐城, heart 威尼斯人娱乐城 head” educational philosophy to Washington, but its all-encompassing pedagogical mission now far exceeds even the holistic vision of its first leader.

 

当学术队伍随着门德尔松的进行曲进入大厅时，聚集在一起的政要们站了起来，当授职仪式正式开始时，他们明显很兴奋。 就像牛津大学的恩卡埃尼亚仪式转移到了南方深处，但色彩更丰富，招摇更强，塔斯基吉学院的教职人员穿着全套的王室服装，配上流苏帽和长袍，毫不留情的盛典、环境和对传统的充分尊重，都发挥了应有的作用。 无论威尼斯人娱乐城是总统奖章还威尼斯人娱乐城是大学权杖，我见证了两种顽强传统——中世纪欧洲和当代非裔美国人——的完美结合。

After a joyful, melodious rendition of the national anthem by the Tuskegee 金色的声音 choir, resplendent in their crimson 威尼斯人娱乐城 gold robes, 威尼斯人娱乐城 a choral response to the invocation, various salutations were given to the President, lauding him as a distinguished alumnus 威尼斯人娱乐城 decorated veteran with “an unshakable commitment to service”, who, as “a son of Mother Tuskegee” carrying within him "the DNA of Tuskegee excellence”, had answered the call to lead at this pivotal time.

 

Perhaps most worthy of note, given that UNCF was actually founded in 1944 by Dr. Frederick Douglass Patterson, the third President of Tuskegee, was the barnstorming address by UNCF’s current President 威尼斯人娱乐城 CEO, Dr. Michael Lomax.

 

洛马克斯博士以他那夸张而充满活力的演讲威严地指挥着整个礼堂，他的演讲部分威尼斯人娱乐城是莎士比亚式的，部分威尼斯人娱乐城是通俗的，他的音色掩盖了他的情感，他首先分享了他自己与塔斯基吉的深刻的个人联系。 As he explained how this for him was in fact a “coming home ceremony,” since it was Tuskegee which had afforded his family both sanctuary 威尼斯人娱乐城 succor 64 years ago when his mother Almena, a trail-blazing journalist covering the Civil Rights bus boycotts, had journeyed 2,600 miles from Los Angeles to Alabama by 灰狗, accompanied by her six children, the audience murmured with admiration 威尼斯人娱乐城 empathy.

 

Sharing his recollections of arriving on the Tuskegee campus on a cold January morning in 1961, being billeted in Dorothy Hall 威尼斯人娱乐城 eating a meal of grits, Dr. Lomax’s seamless fusion of his own family history with that of Tuskegee’s wider mission was profoundly moving 威尼斯人娱乐城 poignantly illustrated the effects kindness can have on the human psyche, even many years later. In a voice pregnant with gratitude, he said that it was at Tuskegee that he first learnt that “HBCUs mean warmth, nourishment, love 威尼斯人娱乐城 embrace.”

 

Addressing the strong bond which to this day exists between UNCF 威尼斯人娱乐城 Tuskegee, he articulated why UNCF is both a partner 威尼斯人娱乐城 an investor in Tuskegee’s future 威尼斯人娱乐城, to cheers, outlined the munificent monetary gift he was bearing from his organization.

 

Another highlight of the ceremony was the video message from 准将 singer 威尼斯人娱乐城 proud alumnus Lionel Richie, which elicited vociferous applause as he not only commented that “Tuskegee gave me more than just an education; it gave me a community 威尼斯人娱乐城 a home.” but also asserted his confidence that Dr. Brown would doubtless lead Tuskegee “with vision, passion 威尼斯人娱乐城 integrity.”

 

马克·布朗博士曾威尼斯人娱乐城是美国空军两星少将、塔斯基吉大学第十任校长和首位校友校长，他脚踏实地、性格开朗，但有时也表现出贵族气质。 他身穿深红色和金色相间的长袍，蓄着轮廓分明的银色山羊胡子，在讲台上显得风度翩翩。

 

The incoming President’s investiture oration was a lyrical encomium to Tuskegee’s heritage, present 威尼斯人娱乐城 vision for the future, enumerating its plethora of past scholarly successes while also signaling the intentionality of his tenure to guide the university on a path to transformation. Dr. Brown expounded the enduring importance - 威尼斯人娱乐城 unwavering commitment - of Tuskegee to service, not just to its students 威尼斯人娱乐城 the local community, but to humanity at large, 威尼斯人娱乐城 asserted that, as a shining beacon of academic excellence with a truly world class faculty, be it in science, engineering, agriculture or aviation, Tuskegee is keen to help enable society’s full human potential.

 

Listening to President Brown extol the virtues of what he termed “the Tuskegee Renaissance” 威尼斯人娱乐城 reaffirm his commitment to “solving the world’s most complex problems” (the university’s current strapline), it was evident that the Tuskegee spirit of pioneering intellectual enquiry is still very much alive.

 

In fact, I was reminded of another splendid oration - that of Renaissance Florentine humanist Pico della Mir威尼斯人娱乐城ola’s seminal 论人的尊严 (1486). Delivered on another continent 威尼斯人娱乐城 at another, very different time in human history, Pico lit the torch of knowledge 威尼斯人娱乐城 passed it on, so that the darkness of ignorance would dissipate 威尼斯人娱乐城 others could benefit from his illumination - just like Washington did after him.

Mention was also made of Sammy Younge, Jr, the student activist from Tuskegee who was murdered in 1966 for attempting to desegregate “whites only" restrooms - 威尼斯人娱乐城 the first African-American university student to be killed in the US for his support of the Civil Rights movement - an elegiac reminder of the all too human cost of the fight for racial equality in America, 威尼斯人娱乐城 a further reminder, were one ever needed, of the enduring relevance of HBCUs - institutions which were “a refuge for people of color when others questioned our status as human beings.”

Possessing both the wisdom 威尼斯人娱乐城 humility to see himself as a mere custodian of this great office, President Brown concluded by articulating an invaluable, timeless truth: “The enduring name is not Mark Brown; the enduring name is Tuskegee.”

 

Fervently committed to honoring the power of its past 威尼斯人娱乐城 yet also harnessing the promise of its future, Brown has already set about with gusto writing the next chapter in Tuskegee’s extraordinary story.

 

在布朗的威尼斯人娱乐城领导下，在他的威尼斯人娱乐城领导下，在他的威尼斯人娱乐城领导下，充满了昔日伟人的精神，这些伟人曾在阿拉巴马州的红色粘土土地上走过，塔斯基吉母亲无疑将继续翱翔-将其他人提升到更高，更有影响力的高度，并将继续成为未来几代人梦想的跳板。