Jackson, MI-(ENEWSPF)- Tougaloo College, one of the premier historically black colleges and universities in the U.S., recently awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to Dr. Blondean Davis, Superintendent of Matteson District 162 and CEO of Southland College Prep Charter High School, a new institution in Richton Park, Illinois that serves students from nine southwest Chicago suburban communities.
In addition to her many contributions to primary, elementary and secondary education, Dr. Davis was cited by Tougaloo College’s trustees for her tireless work on behalf of the United Negro College Fund, a cause for which she has raised more than $ 8 million.
Addressing Tougaloo College’s commencement class, Dr. Davis told the graduates that “you have been embraced for decades by countless people from across this country who have contributed their time, talent and monies to the United Negro College Fund, which I have long supported. Though they may never have been to this Mississippi campus, they believe in it. And though they may never meet you, they believe in you. Their trust has been well placed.”
Davis reminded the new graduates of Tougaloo College, an institution that played a crucial role during the civil rights struggles of the 1960s, “you have the blessing of education, a broader understanding of the world, the skill to solve problems, the willingness to consider many options and opinions and most importantly, the ability to think.”
The former Chief of Schools and Regions of Chicago Public Schools from 1995 to 2001, where she was responsible for the daily management of seven regions and 601 schools, Dr. Davis joined Matteson School District 162 as Superintendent in 2002.
In 2010, after less than a year of planning, in the belief that the area’s students needed a choice and hope for their future, Dr. Davis spearheaded the launch of a new charter public high school to serve at risk students in nine southwest Chicago suburban communities.
