From sharecroppers to scholar: Andrew Billingsley at 100

By Bonita B. Harris
Special to the AFRO

At 100, Andrew Billingsley is more than a witness to history; he’s part of it. From the Great Depression to the present day, the renowned sociologist and author has shaped how generations understand family and community.

In March, colleagues, students, family and friends gathered to celebrate with him at his beloved alma mater, Hampton University. The special event also marked the launch of the Andrew Billingsley Endowed Scholarship, extending his lifelong commitment to students and higher education.

The son of Alabama sharecroppers, Billingsley joined then-Hampton Institute Class of 1951 on the GI Bill after serving in World War II. After an innovative exchange program, he graduated from Grinnell College in Iowa.

HU President Darryl Williams reflected on that full-circle journey, from HU student council president to Morgan State University president, and back again.

“Thank you for the light you have shined, the example you have set, the trailblazer you are, and in our beautiful Hampton kind of way, this full circle moment.”

Morgan State University President Dr. David Wilson, the Board of Regents and alumni honored Billingsley’s legacy.

“Dr. Billingsley did a lot as Morgan’s first scholar-president. He brought a vision for research and graduate education,” Wilson said. “Working with the late Maryland Senator Verda Welcome, he helped lead the transition from Morgan State College to Morgan State University, securing the authority to conduct research and offer graduate programs. That happened on the watch of Dr. Andrew Billingsley.”

Those who lived it felt his impact, including the MSU Class of 1976.

“As the first class to graduate under your presidency, we thank you, Dr. Billingsley, for your leadership at a defining moment in Morgan’s history,” the group said in a statement. “Your commitment to educational equity strengthened its mission, expanded its future, and secured its place in American education. That foundation continues to stand strong today.”

Leaders across the country also offered reflections. Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, president emeritus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, spoke to the professional and personal influence of Billingsley and his wife, Amy Billingsley.

“You and Amy have been people that Jackie and I have looked up to for years, admiring your leadership and our longtime friendship. From Morgan to College Park to South Carolina, you helped the nation learn more about families, Black families, religion, the Black church, as well as Civil War hero and five-term Congressman Robert Smalls,” Hrabowski said.

Norfolk State University President Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston highlighted the scholarly impact.

“A Fulbright scholar and acclaimed author, Dr. Billingsley’s research continues to shape the fields of sociology, social policy, and child welfare,” she said.

Dr. Courtney McBath, president of Virginia Christian College, shared how Billingsley’s work shaped him.

“Dr. Billingsley wrote the groundbreaking book ‘Black Families in White America’ in 1968, among the first books published by a Black man in America with an earned Ph.D. to focus on the realities of Black families,” McBath said. “Thank you for not giving up when you gave Black theologians like myself an understanding of our responsibility to our people when you wrote ‘Mighty Like a River.’”

Lezli Baskerville, CEO of NAFEO (National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education), added a national perspective.

“On behalf of 106 HBCU presidents and chancellors and nearly 80 PBI (predominantly Black institution) CEOs, we salute centenarian Dr. Andrew Billingsley for a life of service,” Baskerville said. “He created ways out of no ways, and moved Morgan forward with the steadfast support of his life partner, Amy Billingsley.”

Elected officials also marked the moment with formal and personal recognitions,

including U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon  Scott.

Virginia Congressman Bobby Scott put the lasting significance of Billingsley’s work in the national record.

“One of the things about being a member of Congress is you can get things into the Congressional Record, and it becomes part of the permanent history of the United States,” Scott said. “Everybody remembers your good works and wants to make sure that work is not forgotten, especially now when race and sociology are areas where we still need help.”

South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn and Billingsley became friends when the latter served as a senior scholar in residence at the University of South Carolina for 14 years.

“Dr. Billingsley is one of our nation’s leading scholars. His work has helped Americans better understand the resilience, faith, and strength that have sustained Black families across generations,” said Clyburn. “Among his many contributions is his remarkable book, ‘Yearning to Breathe Free: Robert Smalls of South Carolina and His Families,’ for which I had the distinct honor of writing the foreword.”

Dr. Frances “Toni” Murphy Draper, publisher and CEO of the AFRO-American Newspaper, weighed in about the whole family.

“The Billingsleys reflect the values he writes about and lives — faith, service and Community,” Draper said. “Their example stands as a living extension of his legacy.”

Former television reporter and Dominion Energy advisor Bonita Billingsley Harris has spent her career telling stories. Now, she’s helping tell her father’s.

“I’ve interviewed many people over the years,” said Harris. “But the people who taught me the most, my parents, Andrew and Amy Billingsley, were sitting right at our kitchen table,” she said.

“For me, celebrating my father’s 100th birthday is not just about a milestone. It is about honoring a life that has shaped so many others, including mine.”

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