NCCU is mourning the unexpected death of Browne C. Lewis, dean of the university's School of Law. | Kjrstie/Pixabay
NCCU is mourning the unexpected death of Browne C. Lewis, dean of the university's School of Law. | Kjrstie/Pixabay
The North Carolina Central University (NCCU) School of Law community is mourning the sudden death of Dean Browne C. Lewis, who was found dead in her hotel room in Colorado on Thursday.
Lewis was coming up on her two-year anniversary at the college, but she will be remembered for things she brought even in that short time frame.
"Her vision was clear from day one in leading the school as one that provides unique opportunities for diverse, talented future attorneys to be practice-ready practitioners," NCCU Chancellor Johnson Akinleye said in a recent news release.
With the unexpected news, the university will be looking to fill the void.
"I think there's definitely a hole," Dean Malik Edwards said in a Monday WTVD report. "But the good thing is, she had a vision, and she put that vision into place. And luckily, we have structures that allow those pieces to move forward."
Lewis wanted a leadership role at an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) because she wanted to pave the way for young adults.
"Unfortunately, there are (few) opportunities for first-generation students and for minority students to become lawyers," Edwards said. "… African Americans represent less than 5% of the bar and that's something she wanted to change."
Recent law grad Cassandra Stokes noted that the loss is being felt across the NCCU community and the legal profession at large.
"The legal community is in shock with the sudden loss of an outstanding attorney and educational leader," she told WTVD. "NCCU is a very tight-knit family. And it's always devastating and heartbreaking to lose anyone this way."
Students who just graduated, who are preparing for the bar, will miss Lewis' guidance. Stokes encouraged them to comfort each other as they work to get through the difficulties that follow any death.
NCCU looks to carry on with her vision.
"I knew her before she was here as a dean and she's always been a supporter and has looked out and tried to provide support to people of color entering the legal academy, that she had a vision for what she wanted the school to be," Edwards said. "And I hope the way we pay homage to her is continuing to push forth and to be the best institution that we can be."
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