Alumna Kara E. Nelson Brings Untold Stories to Light with “Black at Baylor”

As part of the Baylor Libraries Author Series, Baylor alumna Kara E. Nelson will showcase her book “Black at Baylor: Vital Voices of the First Generation,” published by Baylor University Press, in conversation with Rev. Dr. Malcom Foley, Special Advisor to the President for Campus Engagement, on Friday, September 25, 2026, in the Hankamer Treasure Room of Baylor’s Armstrong Browning Library & Museum and online via Zoom Webinar.

“Black at Baylor” shares the stories of thirteen Black students, including Choice Richardson, Baylor’s first Black athlete and graduate of Baylor Law, and Barbara Walker, who is recognized with a statue in front of Tidwell Bible Building as the first Black female graduate. All thirteen students enrolled in the 1960s and early 1970s, following Baylor’s admission of its first Black students in January 1964.

“These stories, collected and archived by Baylor’s Institute for Oral History, have been brought to life by Nelson in these pages, calling readers to remember our not-too-distant past, celebrate the way the Baylor community has grown through time and continue making strides towards becoming a caring, Christian community that includes all of God’s children,” said Jeffry Archer, Dean of Libraries, Museums and the Press. 

Kara E. Nelson is a graduate of Baylor University in religion and history, a Master’s student at Emory University working on a Master of Divinity, and a Research Fellow at Baptist Women in Ministry.

“These students’ stories changed me for the better, and their character is what makes me proud to be a Baylor Bear,” said Nelson.

This event is free and open to the public and will be followed by a reception in the Cox Reception Hall.

For more information, visit https://library.web.baylor.edu/authorseries.