Contents
FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
MAGAZINE
VOLUME 34, NUMBER 2
FEATURES
ICON Debbie Allen’s career is a true work of art. 10
interim president, president emeritus, and charles r. drew professor of surgery Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA executive editor Lydia Sermons Vice President and Chief Communications Officer
It is always a privilege to share the stories that unfold within the pages of Howard Magazine. Yet this particular edition — centered on how Howard University continues to innovate and shape the fine arts and humanities — holds a special resonance for me. Let me set the scene. As a proud member
Editorial director Cedric Mobley
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Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications, Media, and Editorial Services
From guest artists to home- grown talent, creative energy permeates campus. ARTISTRY EVERYWHERE 68
of the inaugural class at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) and the first president of the school’s alumni association, I began my undergraduate studies as a theater major. Though my academic path eventually led me into a related profession, the foundation I gained in the arts has remained a defining influence. At CAPA, we didn’t simply learn to perform — though we sang, danced, wrote, painted, and acted with excellence — we learned to think critically, to imagine boldly, and to create fearlessly. My arts education taught me to invent, to collaborate, and to lead. Howard University’s students, faculty, and alumni understand these gifts intimately. For 158 years, Howard has stood at the vanguard of creativity and innovation — demonstrating how the arts can inform scholarship, transform communities, and shape the moral and cultural imagination of the world. Today, that imagination is needed more than ever. We live in an era marked by demographic shifts, deepening polarity, and widening economic divides. Technological advances — most notably the rapid ascent of artificial intelligence — are reshaping how we learn, communicate, and create. Amid these seismic changes, the arts remain our enduring compass: guiding us through uncertainty, anchoring us in community, and preserving the beauty of our shared humanity. From the canvas to the stage, the studio to the sound booth, Howard has long nurtured artists and scholars whose work challenges conventions and redefines what is possible. This edition celebrates that legacy. We pay tribute to the incomparable Debbie Allen, an icon whose artistry has inspired generations, honor the late Chadwick A. Boseman, among other alumni and faculty, and highlight Howard’s powerful contributions to the creative arts industry. At the same time, we confront the evolving relationship between AI and creativity, insisting that ethical responsibility and equity must remain at the heart of every innovation. Howard’s leadership extends beyond performance and production; it thrives in the ways our graduates use creativity to build stronger cities, influence public policy, and imagine more just and vibrant communities. As this issue affirms, Howard University remains steadfast in its mission to not only prepare the future but to shape it — uplifting our community, advancing our nation, and inspiring the world. The scene is set. Let us continue onward, ever guided by excellence, truth and service.
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editor-in-chief Tiffani R. Alexander Director of Editorial Services
ART GALLERY Student artists burst into the creative world. 38
TONI AT RANDOM
Additional editing Danny Flannery, Andreya Davis, Cedric Mobley, Erica Nash staff Writers Tiffani R. Alexander, Danny Flannery, Adriana Fraser, Dr. Sholnn Freeman, Cedric Mobley, Larry Sanders
24 GENIUS GENES Music faculty members Christie and Carroll Dashiell.
Dean Dana Williams’ seminal book on Toni Morrison’s career.
AI AND HU Artificial intelligence is touching every facet of human life, from the arts to the economy.
Staff Photographers Justin D. Knight, Cameron Hubbard
DEPARTMENTS
60 LEGACY
design Cedric Mobley
Colbert King has plenty left to say.
2 PERSPECTIVE 26 HOWARD UNIVERSITY AND THE BIRTH OF A NEW BLACK THEATRE TRADITION 36 REVOLUTIONARY WRITING 46 EXPRESSIONS 46 SIGNAL AND STORY 48 AI IS NOW 50 ARTISTIC WISDOM AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE The impact of AI on the fine and performing arts. 53 LET US COOK Howard professors and students take their MFAs on the road. 56 CHURP Howard writes a new urban story. 58 WORLD CHANGERS Pioneering faculty firsts.
HOWARD MAGAZINE is published by the Office of University Communications. Please send letters and address changes to: Howard University Office of University Communications spECIAL THANK YOU to: Howard University Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts (COFA) including Dean Raquel Monroe, Ph.D., Assistant Dean for Administration Denise Saunders Thompson, and COFA Director of Marketing and Communications Chad Eric Smith
64 CAMPUS 72 BISON BOOKSHELF 73 CLASS NOTES 74 IN THEIR SHOES 75 IN MEMORIAM 78 ECHOES
18 ARTISTRY MEETS LEGACY Howard’s history of theatre arts.
Jasmine Young reflects on her Howard journey.
79 ALUMNI ARCHIVES Dean Emerita Phylicia Rashad.
2715 Georgia Ave, NW Washington, DC 20001 magazine@howard.edu magazine.howard.edu
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Lydia Sermons, vice president and chief communications officer
THE BISON STORE
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Howard Magazine
Fall 2025
Fall 2025
Howard Magazine
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