By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
Miles College celebrated its 126th Founder’s Day at First Baptist Church of Fairfield with Dr. Thomas Beavers, pastor of New Rising Star — known as “The Star” — as the keynote speaker.
“I was honored that [Miles College] invited me as the keynote speaker,” said Beavers, who spoke on how to honor the legacy of Miles and move forward.
“We honor that legacy by being lifelong learners and having a mindset that says that we never stop growing,” Beavers said. “The Bible says as great as Jesus was that He grew … in four different ways: He grew in wisdom, in stature, favor with God, favor with man. Wisdom is mentally, stature is physically, favor with God is spiritually, favor with man is socially and civically.
“When you think about how Miles was established it was established for Negroes to educate other Negroes and to develop Negroes to be productive citizens in America against all odds spiritually, educationally and civically” and we have to continue that legacy, said Beavers.
In the early 1890s, leaders in the Colored Methodist Episcopal (C.M.E.) Church saw a need for educated leadership in the Black community. In 1898 — 25 years after the incorporation of Birmingham — those leaders established Miles College, named for William H. Miles, a founding bishop of the C.M.E. Church.
Over its 126-year history, Miles College has graduated a number individuals with an impact in Birmingham, the state of Alabama, the country, including Autherine Lucy, the first African American to attend the University of Alabama; U.W. Clemon, the first African American federal judge in Alabama and Birmingham Mayors William Bell, Bernard Kincaid and Richard Arrington, Jr. — the first African American Mayor of the City of Birmingham
Birmingham native Bobbie Knight made history in August 2019 when she was named interim president of Miles College, becoming the first woman to lead the institution since its founding in 1898. On March 5, 2020, Knight was elected permanent president, becoming the 15th president of the historic institution.
