Saturday, November 9, 2013

National Black Catholic History Month: Xavier University of Louisiana


No, not the one in Ohio.

Xavier University of Louisiana was founded by Saint Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, and is the nation's only institution of higher learning that is both historically black and Roman Catholic. It was established in 1925.

The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament remain a significant presence on campus, although the university is now run by an interracial joint lay and religious board of trustees.

The university is home to the Institute for Black Catholic Studies. It is one of the nation's top producers of black students who enroll in medical school.

Alexis Herman, the first black woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of Labor, and current U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin are among the university's notable graduates.

Learn more about the university at its website.

Follow my National Black Catholic History Month tag for more information about black Catholic notables.

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