As the president of Howard University, I am often called on to reflect upon Howard's unique legacy. Recently, I was privileged to address this legacy anew as we celebrated the life of Dr. James Madison Nabrit Jr., Howard's second African American president who passed at the age of ninety-seven on December 27, 1997.

As I sat in Rankin Chapel beside great civil rights advocates -- Vernon Jordan and Jack Greenberg -- and higher education leaders -- Walter Massey, president of Morehouse College, President Nabrit's alma mater: Dr. James Cheek, president emeritus of Howard, and Dr. Michael Winston, president of the Alfred Harcourt Foundation -- I once again realized that perhaps my most important role is to bear witness, to make real the legacy of civil rights warriors like President Nabrit and those who served with him in the struggle -- Charles Houston, William H. Hastie, justice Thurgood Marshall, and George E.C. Hayes.

I welcome this responsibility as I am a beneficiary of the Nabrit Legacy. I characterize myself as such because I attended undergraduate school and law school at Howard under President Nabrit. Therefore, I am doubly thankful for his leadership. It seems as if it was only a few years ago when I attended my first freshman convocation. In those days, the entire first-year class assembled every Wednesday for programs sponsored by the president.

The first convocation featured remarks by President Nabrit. This was just our third day on campus and we were all assembled in Cramton Auditorium. I was seated in the upper reaches of the auditorium, as became my custom, with my roommate. And, as is often the case with first-year students, we were busily engaged in conversation about what we were going to be doing that afternoon, that evening, and the next day -- hardly paying attention to the proceedings that were taking place on stage. As a voice announced, "First-year students, the president of Howard University, James Madison Nabrit Jr." And we said, "The president is here!"