Livingstone College News Service

President Anthony Davis continues to make an impactful impression in efforts to create a reimagined Livingstone College. On June 6, under the leadership of presiding prelate Darryl B. Starnes, the Western North Carolina Conference in the Piedmont Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church hosted its annual Albert Stout Sr., Memorial Scholarship Luncheon at the Sheraton Four Seasons-Koury Convention Center in Greensboro with Dororthy Gill-Smith presiding. The event bears the name of a lay member from New Hope AME Zion Church on the Salisbury District. 

As hundreds gathered for an occasion that provides financial assistance to Livingstone College and Hood Theological Seminary students, the program was filled with various participants whereas a few include Mayor of East Spencer, Barbara Mallett, former mayor of Granite Quarry Dr. Mary Ponds, daughter of the late Albert Stout Sr., Sarah Lightner, and pastor of White Rock AME Zion Church in Granite Quarry, Rev. Thomas Lee. 

The 13th President of Livingstone College opened his address quoting Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” while referencing the founding fathers of Livingstone who were A.M.E. Zion leaders with an audacious idea to formally educate descendants of enslaved Africans in the United States of America. “One-hundred and forty-five years later, Livingstone College is thriving,” Davis stated to congregants, “send your students to Livingstone.” 

The president shared a few highlights of Livingstone to include full accreditation by SACSCOC, a graduate MBA program, building renovations, strong academic classes and the power of attending an HBCU where students are celebrated. 

As the first clergy since founder Joseph Charles Price to serve as president, Davis delivered a message undergirded with biblical scholarship from Mark 5 entitled, “Confronting Critical Conditions.” Davis paralleled the conditions plaguing the menaced young man in the text to the plethora of challenges college students experience while trying to pursue advanced degrees and earn a place in the mosaic world. Davis said, “Jesus talks to the conditions controlling the man . . . Confront the condition controlling our students like underfunded public schools, mental and social traumatization, poverty, education biasness, school to prison pipeline, and more . . .  When Jesus confronts his condition, the young man goes from being a mess to a missionary and tells anyone who will listen.”  

Davis reminds the audience, “Education is the tool of our emancipation. We educate students who endure, emerge and escape. We have a mission too critical to abandon.”  

Following the president, four Livingstone College students, Dillion Dosithee, Joseph Bryant, Joshua Sutherland and Zion Williams, extended expressions of gratitude to the audience, as award recipients of the Albert Stout Scholarship.

The program concluded with Bishop Starnes thanking all program participants and contributors to the cause while reiterating the message of President Davis. Pastor Thomas E. Grinter, of New Hope said, “I identified with the president’s words of believing in the principles of multiplication. There is almost always a challenge with students and financial and/or student accounts, and this is where Albert Stout and many others have value.” 

Davis added,” Many students will not know Albert Stout or know those who contribute in his name. We must be committed to the mission. We are here to build a bridge.”