Vision The Sister Thea Bowman Black Catholic Education Foundation seeks to inspire within our scholars spiritual growth that awakens their zeal for intellectual development through Catholic education and mentorship as they discover their God-given gifts that will transform communities in the greatest of need. The Sister Thea Bowman Foundation began on October 19, 1989 in Burlington, Vermont at St. Michael’s College. Sister Thea Bowman, one of the founders was present, along with five Catholic university presidents and seven Catholic Bishops. There were thirty-seven Thea Bowman Scholars present as well, along with the choir from Xavier University of New Orleans. Following the liturgy, Sister Thea Bowman addressed the students with the words, “Never forget where you came from and to whom you belong. Never forget who you are, and where you are going. And always remember that when you receive your baccalaureate degree and you stand at the top of the ladder, look down and see those beneath you, reach out and pull them up to be at the top with you.” For thirty-one years the Sister Thea Bowman Foundation has reached down the ladder with students and donors, and in prayer to pull up those young African Americans who are oppressed, traumatized, living in poverty with their backs against the wall and with no hope. The Foundation has offered these young people an opportunity through the attainment of a baccalaureate degree to gain independence, employment, and success. Moreover, the Foundation has offered every student a chance to participate in an enrichment program with African American Catholic scholars to read works of literature and theology that specifically pertains to them as African Americans, thereby affording them the opportunity to embrace a deep love of learning and an even greater desire for God.
