Jim C Harper II
Driven by his desire to teach and inspire, Dr. Jim C. Harper II (a native of Mount Olive, NC) has spent over two decades sharing the knowledge needed to grow and succeed through lessons of the past. After serving in the United States Marine Corps, Dr. Harper earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in History from North Carolina Central University, and his Ph.D. from Howard University. As a result of his academic acumen, he became a member of Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society, Pi Gamma Mu Social Science Honor Society and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He served a two-year term as the national vice president for Programs and Publications for the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
Prior to his current role as interim associate dean for the School of Graduate Studies for over one decade, he served as chair and professor with North Carolina Central University's Department of History. Dr. Harper at one time served as the University's interim associate dean for the College of Liberal Arts. These roles have allowed him to guide students as they prepare for their future.
He has published one book, Western Educated Elites in Kenya 1900-1963: The African American Factor. He is currently working on a co-authored manuscript, With Faith in God and Heart and Mind: A History of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (UNC Press 2024). In addition, he served as lead editor for Topics in African Diaspora History and has written a number of book chapters and journal articles. Dr. Harper is also a dedicated public historian and has completed several public history research projects, including a Digital Mapping Oral History Project in Durham, NC; Durham Memories in the Finding Freedom through Entrepreneurship: Durham’s Black Wall Street; and the Diversity Workforce Oral History Project with the National Parks Service. As a scholar, teacher and public historian, Dr. Harper seeks to expand the use of 21st century technology and historical research methods to engage and inspire students, colleagues and the public.
Over the years, Dr. Harper has accumulated many awards for excellence in teaching history. These awards include being the 2014 recipient of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award. He was also voted as one of NCCU's Best Teachers and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.'s Sixth District Omega Man of the Year. He has also been awarded for his Outstanding Faculty Research and Contributions to Community Service and Academic Integrity. These achievements have given him the honor of being a speaker and panelist for events such as Liberty Chapel Church on the importance of Black History, the commencement speaker for Graham High School and Leesville Road Middle School, and a panelist for the Office of the Governor on Black Wall Street: Durham and the Hayti Community.
In addition, he has formed partnerships or volunteered with community organizations to help children and families in need through mobile food market campaigns or reading programs. No matter the outlet he uses, his hope is that every student can find confidence in their abilities. At the same time, while finding inspiration from an Aristotle quote, he helps students to realize that "excellence is not an act, but rather a lifelong habit" that should be used in accomplishing all of their goals.
Education
B.A., History |
North Carolina Central University |
1994 |
M.A., History |
North Carolina Central University |
1997 |
Ph.D., History |
Howard University |
2004 |
Projects
Publications
Books
Harper, J.C., Johnson, C., Hargrove, J., & Frazier, T. (Eds.). (2016). Topics in the African Diaspora. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishers.
Harper, J.C. (2006) Western-Educated Elites in Kenya, 1900-1963: The African American Factor. New York, NY: Routledge.
Co-Authored Manuscript Under Review (UNC Press)
M. Hobson, E. Cole, J. Harper, D. Alridge. With Faith In God and Heart and Mind: A History of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (UNC Press, 2024)
Book Chapters
Harper, J.C. (2016). “When Knowledge Becomes Power: Western Education and the Emergence of Western-Educated Resistance in Kenya, 1840-1950.” Jim C. Harper, II, Charles Johnson, Jarvis Hargrove, Tony Frazier (Editors). Topics in African Diaspora History. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt.
Harper, J.C. (2016). “Kenyan Nationalism and the Architects of the Kenyan Student Airlifts.” Jim C. Harper, II, Charles Johnson, Jarvis Hargrove, Tony Frazier (Editors). Topics in African Diaspora History. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt.
Harper, J.C. (2011). “Educating Mr. Obama: Western Educated Elites and Kenya’s Quest for Higher Education.” In E. Clark-Lewis (Ed.), Synergy: Public History at Howard University. Washington, D.C.: A.P. Foundation Press.
Refereed Journal Articles
Harper, J.C., Nina Smith, Che Smith, and Deja Young (2020) “Don’t Shoot! State-Wide Police Shootings, Adolescent Risk-Taking Behaviors, And the Historic Influence of Wealth,” Advances in Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, vol. 7, number 7, July 2020.
Harper. J.C. (2019) “African Immigrants in the United States: Education, African Brain Drain, and Transnationalism on the Future of Africa,” Liberian Studies Journal, vol. 39, number 2, January 2019.
Harper, J.C. (2017) Tom Mboya and the African Student Airlifts: Inclusion, Equity, and Higher Education Among Kenyan Women and Men. Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies, vol. 10, no. 9 October 2017.
Harper, J.C. (2011). Education for Black Liberation: The Kenyan Student Experience, 1950-1963. Africalogical Perspectives, 7 (1).
Book Review
Harper, J.C. (2009) [Review of the book The African American Quest for Institutions of Higher Education Before the Civil War: The Forgotten Histories of the Ashmun Institute, Liberia College and Avery College, by R. W. Irvine.] Liberian Studies Journal, 34 (2), 121-123.