The motto of Berea College is "God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth," a phrase underlying its dedication to egalitarian schooling. The first interracial and coeducational undergraduate institution in the South, Berea College is known for its mission to support students holistically and provide them with a quality education augmented by a nationally known work-learning-service program that is tuition free. Berea's founders believed that participation in manual labor blurred distinctions of class; combined with study and leisure, it helped develop independent, industrious, and innovative graduates equipped to enrich their communities. These values still hold today as Berea continues its legendary commitment to equality, service, and cultural preservation and, at the same time, expands its mission to include twenty-first-century concerns such as sustainability.
In the second edition of Berea College: An Illustrated History, Shannon H. Wilson, Kim Kobersmith, and Chad Berry unfold the saga of one of Kentucky's most distinguished institutions of higher education, centering the narrative on the college's ten presidents. This volume also chronicles the creation and implementation of Berea's many unique programs designed to aid people in Kentucky, Appalachia, and beyond. Complemented by more than two hundred historic photographs, this work documents Berea's majestic and inspiring story.