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The Ultimate Black Male Statistic: Knowing Who I Am
What follows is a story of faith, sacrifice, persistence, and purpose—one shaped by the steady hands of parents who believed in education as both a shield and a bridge, and by a lifelong commitment to ensuring that belief became reality.
My mother, Pearl Mae Jordan Stallworth, was my biggest earthly supporter and most devoted advocate for education. I can still remember my 18th birthday in 2002, when I found her crying. Through tears, she told me that if it took her working a second or even third job, she would do whatever was necessary to help me go to college. In that moment, I made a declaration that felt bold even to me—I told her I was going to go to college for free. She did not hesitate. She simply affirmed that she would support me no matter what, because she believed I possessed the aptitude for knowledge and the capacity to achieve anything I set my mind to.
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From that point forward, her belief never wavered. She consistently reminded my brother and me that life would present challenges before opportunity—reminding us that being Black and being male meant facing unfavorable variables from the start. She also consistently told us: “If you don’t know who you are, anyone can name you and if anyone can name you, then you will answer to anything.” But she reframed our reality with wisdom and strategy: those were our “two strikes,” she would say, but education would ensure we never struck out! Instead, we would learn to control the bat and become a threat—not defined by limitation, but by excellence: educated Black men with purpose, discipline, and direction.
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Her encouragement was not abstract; it was prophetic in action. On my 28th birthday, I received a card whose envelope carried words that would stay with me forever. In her beautiful handwriting were the words: “Dr. Trey Stallworth.” When I asked her why she addressed it that way, she simply explained that she already knew what I was capable of becoming. She believed I had the intellectual fortitude to do anything, and she often told me I could be the first PhD in our family. That belief was not wishful thinking to her—it was expectation grounded in convictionand faith and knowing who I would become.
That expectation became a guiding force in my life.
My journey in higher education reflects the foundation she helped build. In 2006, I graduated summa cum laude from Miles College with a Bachelor of Arts in English, establishing a strong academic foundation rooted in discipline and purpose. I continued my graduate studies at the University of Montevallo, earning a Master of Arts in English with honors in 2010, where my work reflected a deep commitment to poetry, research, and scholarly inquiry. At 27, I began my professional career at Miles College in August 2011 as an Instructor of English, stepping into a role that would ultimately allow me to impact thousands of students’ lives.
Over time, my service expanded across multiple areas of the institution, including Academic Affairs, Strategic Initiatives, Institutional Research and Effectiveness, Institutional Advancement, Alumni Affairs, Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, and the Office of the Provost. Each role became an extension of a deeper mission: to improve access, success, and outcomes for students who often navigate systems that were not designed with them in mind. My leadership journey included appointments as Director of First Year Enrichment, creator of the Second Year Enrichment program, Dean of Students, Vice President of Student Affairs, and Vice President of Enrollment Management—each role reinforcing a commitment to student success, equity, and transformation.
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On May 1, 2026, I reached a defining milestone, earning the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Urban Higher Education from Jackson State University. My dissertation, “A Quantitative Study of First-Year African American Male College Student Engagement Differences Between Historically Black Colleges & Universities and Predominantly White Institutions,” reflects both scholarly rigor and a personal commitment to understanding and improving the experiences of Black male students in higher education.
Through every stage of this journey, the words of my mother have remained steady in my mind, and the faith of my father, Charles Edward Stallworth, has remained a quiet but powerful anchor. He has been my foundation—steady, confident, and unwavering in his belief that I should never quit. Together, my parents provided not only encouragement, but direction, discipline, and love that shaped my purpose of knowing my future title.
I am profoundly grateful for them both. I consider myself extraordinarily blessed to have been raised by two individuals who saw potential where others might have seen limitation or doubt. Their belief became my blueprint, their sacrifices became my fuel, and their love became my foundation. This journey has never been mine alone—it is a reflection of everything they poured into me, and everything I strive to honor through my work, my scholarship, and my service.
I know my name, and I know who I am; I am “Dr. Charles E. Stallworth,” the first PhD in my entire family.
Dr. Charles E. Stallworth
