The Rev. Earl J. Fisher Tells Students, “God Has Landed You Here at Claflin”

The Rev. Earl J. Fisher Tells Students, "God Has Landed You Here at Claflin"

The Rev. Earl J. Fisher Tells Students, "God Has Landed You Here at Claflin" …and "Handed You a World We Need You to Improve" during his Fall 2026 Matriculation Day Convocation Message

Claflin University's recent Fall 2026 Matriculation Day Convocation at the W. V. Middleton Fine Arts Center marked the official beginning of a new academic semester. The event introduced first-year students to a new chapter of their educational journey. More than a ceremonial occasion, it celebrates purpose, promise, limitless possibilities, and the beginning or continuation of each student's pursuit of knowledge and academic excellence.

"From this day forward, you are part of a proud legacy that began in 1869 and continues to shine brightly in 2026 and beyond, said Claflin President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack. "Matriculation Day is simply not about the beginning of classes. It is about a commitment to excellence, personal growth, scholarship, visionary leadership, and service," he said.

The Reverend Earle J. Fisher, Ph.D., a distinguished theologian, author, pastor, professor, and civic leader, was the convocation's keynote speaker. Fisher serves as senior pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn. Under his leadership, Abyssinian has emerged as a vital spiritual and social hub committed to theological integrity, radical hospitality, unapologetic Blackness, and community-centered liberation.

" Young students, this is the world you are matriculating into, and God has landed you here at Claflin. Henceforth, you will never be able to say you didn't attend an HBCU," Fisher said.

"You are being handed a world that we need you to improve because there is hell in our basements and parties in our ballrooms," Fisher said. "It doesn't matter if your major is business or art or science or criminal justice, or if you think your major is partying and pledging. This is the moment that has come when we no longer have the luxury of simply seeking superficial employment for social status."

Fisher is also an associate professor of Religious Communication and Africana Studies and the inaugural dean of Chapel at LeMoyne-Owen College, where he also provides institutional leadership through the Chapel Soul Sessions. He has taught courses in religion, Africana Studies, ethics, and communication at institutions including Rhodes College, Philander Smith University, Claflin University, Eden Theological Seminary, and Memphis Theological Seminary. He urged students to choose the journey of social justice and Black liberation over tokenism.

"Social justice is the unforgiving demand that those people in power in our governing social order be transparent and accountable and tilt their influence and initiatives to improving the living conditions for the least of these."

Claflin's Class of 2030 arrived with an impressive academic profile that includes:

· a cumulative 3.58 grade point average; an average SAT score of 1090.50; and an ACT score of 20.33.

· Three (3) high school valedictorians and four (4) salutatorians.

· The Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College accepted 26 new high-achieving scholars into its prestigious program.

· The James Clyburn/Rudolph Canzater Foundation awarded scholarships to 26 first-year students,

· The Charleston-based Meeting Street Foundation provided scholarships for 23 first-year students. Claflin is the only Historically Black College/University eligible to participate in the Meeting Street Foundation Scholarship Program.

Another highlight was the administration of the Oath of Office to the Student Government Association (SGA) officers for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Usir Jackson, a junior computer science major from Charlotte, N.C., will serve as SGA president; Jahmare Joyner, a junior computer engineering major from Charlotte, N.C., is the vice president; De'Sharion Burnette, a sophomore marketing major from Graniteville, S.C., will serve as secretary; and Ashari Barnes, a junior middle-level education major from Orangeburg, S.C., is the chaplain.