Be the First to Receive Dr. KD's Upcoming Book!

Known for aiding first year, first generation, and non-traditional students (30 plus) in overcoming their  inhibitions, Dr KD Smith's perspective on life and purpose is reflective in her writing and the powerful lectures that she is known for delivering. An author, researcher, and an influential speaker, Dr KD is a staunch advocate for HBCUs and minority serving institutions. Not only is she a  graduate of the illustrious, Fisk University of Nashville, Tennessee, Dr. KD was also a past director of international programs for Dillard University and a consultant/speaker for a host of colleges, universities and organizations. Recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE) for her work in campus internationalization, Dr KD has aided in the recruitment of domestic and international students around the world. 

Dr KD's latest endeavor entails curating a repository of narratives, showcasing the transformative effects of HBCUs to aid in their continued  existence. Serving as the host of her new podcast, Walls of Wisdom, she hopes to compile a plethora of inspirational stories surrounding the consistent ability of HBCUs to transform the lives of  current students, alumni, and presidents, alike. Along with facilitating the existence of HBCUs, Dr KD aims to archive and harness these compelling stories to inspire future generations .  

A dynamic researcher, Dr KD has also spent over a decade compiling information on a defunct HBCU, Mary Allen College, and the life of the protagonist of her upcoming book which is a narrative nonfiction creatively reimagined to include, not only the experiences of the protagonist, but those encountered by Dr. KD, as well.

In her book, Sacred Walls: Agnes and the Edifice of Dreams, Dr. KD eloquently exposes the sacred nature of the HBCU, shedding light on the institutions that have transformed  millions of African American students--institutions that were created primarily by missionary organizations and philanthropists of which she befittingly refers to as Sacred Walls. 

It is  the story of Agnes Bell Rhoder, a young girl who endeavors to  flee the cotton fields of Grapeland, Texas in the 1940s with hopes of solving the mystery that lie within an entangled web of dreams that frequent her subconscious during the darkest of nights.

 Throughout her journey, she meets with unexpected, life shattering obstacles that test her ability to keep moving forward. It is only after becoming a student at the town's esteemed, yet declining Black college, that she makes an astonishing connection between her dreams and the institution known as Mary Allen College.