Inside the Core: Reflecting on Black History

Inside the Core, as Black History Month draws to a close, Reverend Forrest Pritchett, professor of Africana Studies and the Core, and head of the Martin Luther King Leadership Program had some remarks to share at the Black History Month Core Tribute. For decades Reverend Pritchett has been an icon at Seton Hall of racial justice, religious dialogue and the beloved community spoken of by Dr. King. This excerpt of Inside the Core, now turns to him to give some of the history involving Seton Hall and particularly Black History within the Catholic Church.

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
- Proverbs 22:1.

This article is a brief acknowledgement of the extraordinary contributions of two Black Catholic brothers. Norman Francis and Bishop Joseph Francis. Norman recently died on February 18, 2026, at the age of 94. His brother, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark died at the age of 73 in 1997.

Norman was the first lay person and the first Black person to lead Xavier University, New Orleans. Xavier is the only historically Black Catholic university in the United States. He was the second African American to ever serve as president of a Catholic university in the United States. He transformed Xavier University during his 47-year presidency (1968–2015), becoming the nation's longest-serving university president. He doubled enrollment, significantly increased the endowment to $161 million, and established the school as a premier national leader in producing Black graduates for medical and science professions. During 1960’s he allowed the Freedom Riders to stay on campus as they fought segregation. 

Reverend Forrest Pritchett reflected,

I talked with him in 2022 during a pilgrimage to New Orleans to acknowledge the African American candidates for sainthood, about the impact of Hurricane Kitrina on Xavier in 2005 and first year Xavier students from the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area, who were given the option to enroll at Seton Hall. I volunteered to mentor some of them. I also requested his blessings on my potential efforts to develop information on the impact of the legacy of his brother and him.

Bishop Joseph Francis and I met in the fall of 1978 when I entered Seton Hall University. I was introduced to him by the Dean of the Seton Hall Black Studies Center, Julia Miller. He was interested in talking about my experiences as a member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the 1960’s South and my views on “the race issue in America”. I was interested in his views on the pathway to racial justice within the US Catholic Church. Bishop Francis was a close collaborator and confidant to Sister Rose Thering.

That year Bishop Joseph Francis was the chairman of the subcommittee that wrote the pastoral letter "Brothers and Sisters to Us," a 1979 document on racism from the U.S. Catholic Bishops. He was a primary author of the letter and was instrumental in advocating for a stronger Catholic stance against racial injustice, not just in words but in concrete actions within the church and society.

During Black History Month we are challenged to discover and highlight many of the stories and facts that are not known. Carter G. Woodson, Harvard 1912, founded Black History Month (originally a day to celebrate the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, it eventually grew into Negro History Week in 1926). His motivation was to counter racist stereotypes and the omission of Black people from American history. Driven by his experience as the son of former slaves, he aimed to prove that Black people were crucial participants in building the nation.

In our Core curriculum, we teach “the Parable of the Talents”. We salute the Francis brothers’ legacy with these words:

Well done, thou good and faithful servant.
- Matthew 25:2

Reverend Pritchett kindly shared these links if you wish to read further about Norman Francis and Bishop Francis, as well as links regarding Black History overall. 

Norman Francis Obituary and Photo Tributes:
To read more about Norman Francis, please see these two news pieces; one is the obituary for his recent passing, and the other a tribute regarding his civil rights role. 

- "Remembering President Emeritus Dr. Norman C. Francis ’52"

- "Norman Francis, civil rights leader and longtime Xavier University president, dies at 94"

Xavier University of Louisiana Campus Tour (video)

More on Bishop Joseph Francis:
To read more about Bishop Francis, please read the following article from The New York Times and a gallery of photos of him from the Archdiocese of Newark, where he faithfully served as bishop for many years, as well as a link to the document mentioned in Reverend Pritchett’s piece, "Brothers and Sisters to Us."

- Joseph A. Francis, 73, Auxiliary Bishop of Newark

- Newark Archdiocese gallery and photos.

- "Brothers and Sisters to Us," a 1979 document on racism from the U.S. Catholic Bishops

More on Black History:
Finally, Reverend Pritchett shared these two links for Black History, one on the National Theme, and the other a video on the history of the Freedom Riders, who took enormous risks in support of civil rights. 

- Black History Month National Theme

- The Freedom Riders History (video)

Categories: Faith and Service, Nation and World