UEAAA honors first Black graduate at University of Evansville as scholarship remains paused

A recent tribute at the University of Evansville is drawing attention not only for what it honors, but for what remains unresolved: the scholarship created to support Black students in the honoree’s name is no longer being awarded.

Last weekend, during the University of Evansville African American Alumni Association’s (UEAAA) annual celebration, alumni returned to campus for a series of events, including a luncheon and the dedication of a bench honoring Zerah Priestly Carter. The tribute—conceived and organized by the UEAAA—recognized Carter as the university’s first African American graduate, whose presence on campus challenged the norms of the time.

Carter enrolled at Evansville College in 1934, at a time when racial segregation defined nearly every aspect of daily life in Evansville and across the country. Black residents faced restrictions on where they could live, work, and gather, and those same barriers extended into higher education, where access for Black students was often limited or denied entirely. Against that backdrop, then-president Alfred Hughs made the decision to admit Black students.

Carter graduated in 1938, becoming the first African American graduate of the institution. She later taught in Evansville’s public schools, where she went on to impact generations of students through her work in education and public service.

More than sixty years later, alumni sought to build on that history in a tangible way. That effort was led by the University of Evansville African American Alumni Association, a group formed in the late 1990s to address concerns about visibility and support for Black students on campus.

              The Zerah Priestly Carter Scholarship was established in 1999 by the UEAAA using privately raised funds to support African American students at the university. While the initiative is alumni-led, it operates in partnership with the university, meaning scholarship criteria and awards must align with institutional policies and federal regulations.

According to the University of Evansville’s website, the scholarship is currently not being awarded “until such a time that federal guidance is updated.” Since its creation, the fund has provided financial assistance to more than 50 students. The pause follows a series of legal and policy shifts affecting race-based programs in higher education.

After a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision ended the use of race as a factor in college admissions, universities began reevaluating scholarships and support initiatives tied to race. A February 2025 “Dear Colleague” letter from the U.S. Department of Education further directed institutions to discontinue programs designated for specific racial, ethnic, or gender groups or risk losing federal funding. “This directive has since been invalidated by federal courts, yet the ZPC Scholarship remains inactive,” said Krinai Sullivan, chair of the scholarship committee. She added that the program would only resume if eligibility requirements are expanded beyond their original focus.

For some members of the African American alumni community, the pause raises broader concerns about access and urgency. The organization’s roots trace back to those concerns. Founder Dr. Michael Woodard recalled a conversation in the late 1990s with a Black student on campus who felt disconnected from the university and its history. “She said she felt like she was the first African American to ever attend the University of Evansville,” Woodard said. “That was incredibly disconcerting to me.”

The alumni association began as an effort to build community but soon grew into a longer-term commitment to support students financially. “We needed to do something that was enduring,” Woodard said. “So, we decided to establish the ZPC scholarship.”

Since awarding its first recipient in 2002, the scholarship has supported students for more than two decades, including its first recipient—Krinai Sullivan, now the chair of the scholarship committee—who has gone on to build a successful career.

Still, alumni are not unified on what should happen next. Arnell Hill, a member of the alumni association, said he believes the scholarship could be adapted to comply with current legal constraints rather than remaining inactive. “There was a way around it,” Hill said. “The criteria could have been modified… you can still reach the target audience without explicitly stating race.” Hill also raised concerns about the impact on students, noting that funds estimated to exceed $250,000 remain unused while no new scholarships are being awarded. “There’s been a lot of discussion, but no real action,” he said.

Others within the organization have taken a different approach. According to Sullivan, UEAAA members voted to maintain the scholarship’s original purpose, even if that means keeping it paused. “We strongly believe in our original design,” Woodard said. “And we’re going to hold on to that.”

University officials did take steps to support students who were already in the application pipeline in 2025. According to Woodard, those students received alternative financial aid packages, in some cases exceeding what they would have received through the scholarship. No new applications are currently being accepted.

In a statement, the university said it is working with the UEAAA to determine next steps but indicated that any changes must align with federal regulations. Officials also acknowledged that some scholarship criteria across the university have been revised to comply with updated guidance, though they did not specify which programs were affected. The university pointed to events and programming offered through UEAAA and the Black Student Union as sources of support for Black students but did not identify any direct financial assistance currently in place.

For now, the bench honoring Carter stands as a visible reminder of progress on campus, while one of the university’s most direct efforts to support Black students who followed her remains on hold.