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 his service in the United States Marine Corps, Dr. Harper attended North Carolina Central University and Howard University. From these institutions, he earned a B.A., an M.A. and a Ph.D. in History. As an academic success, 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 is currently the vice president for Programs for the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
Prior to his current role 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 and also to create and be a part of publications such as his own texts "Western-Educated Elites in Kenya 1900–1963: The African American Factor" and "Topics in African Diaspora History."
Over the years, Dr. Harper has accumulated many awards for his knowledge in the area of 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 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 and 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
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B.A., History |
North Carolina Central University |
1994 |
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M.A., History |
North Carolina Central University |
1997 |
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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.