During its December 2024 commencement ceremonies, Oakland University will present three individuals with honorary degrees in recognition of outstanding achievements in their respective fields.

Austin Channing Brown has been selected to receive a Doctor of Humane Letters Honoris Causa.

Austin Channing Brown is an author and speaker providing inspired leadership on racial justice in America. She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, which was also a Reese’s Book Club pick in 2020.

Through her writing and storytelling, Brown awakens people to the current realities of systemic racism and the everyday actions that make it possible. But she refuses to leave people in despair, boldly declaring that “hope is a duty” and challenging her audiences to rise to the occasion that hope demands.

Brown has also released a young reader’s edition of I’m Still Here and contributed to the anthologies Hungry Hearts and You Are Your Best Thing. She is currently working on her third book which will release in 2025. In addition to her books, Austin has produced a number of media projects to educate people about racial justice — from newsletters to video series, and workshops to online courses. Since her career began, she has remained committed to using her creative resources to celebrate blackness and defeat white supremacy.

Brown has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from North Park University in Chicago, Ill., and a Master of Arts in Social Justice from Marygrove College in Detroit. She lives with her husband, son, and puppy Mowgli in Metro Detroit.

Brown will be honored at the 6 p.m. ceremony on Friday, December 13.