A Generational Effort to Equip Future Leaders with Purpose, Perspective, and Hope
PITTSBURGH, PA, January 30, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- As more than 300,000 students attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the United States, a new national initiative is taking shape with a bold and timely goal: to place a copy of Never Lost into the hands of every HBCU student in America.
Authored by Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Never Lost examines how faith, community, and moral responsibility have sustained people through generations of challenge and change. The book reflects on how shared values are formed, carried forward, and lived out, especially during seasons marked by uncertainty and transition.
The HBCU initiative is rooted in a simple conviction: moments of formation matter. College years are a critical season when students are shaping their understanding of identity, purpose, and responsibility. By placing Never Lost into students' hands during this formative time, the initiative seeks to provide historical grounding and a framework for thoughtful leadership before habits harden and before history feels distant or abstract.
The initiative invites individuals, families, corporations, foundations, and institutions to participate through bulk sponsorships, with each contribution directly supporting the distribution of books to HBCU campuses nationwide. Every sponsored copy represents an investment in a student's future and, by extension, in the communities those students will one day serve.
Supporters are encouraged to recognize the long-term impact of placing formative resources into the hands of emerging leaders. The vision is national in scope but deeply personal in its outcome: students equipped with perspective, purpose, and hope as they prepare to shape the future.
Never Lost, set for release on February 3, 2026, from Wharton Curtis Press, is currently available for preorder at NeverLostBook.com. Those interested in supporting the HBCU initiative can learn more or make a contribution by contacting Wharton Curtis Press at publishing@whartoncurtispress.com or 412-349-0049 ext. 5.
About the Book's Author
Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson is the Senior Pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, New York, where he has served for more than fifty years. Dr. Richardson is the author of Never Lost and Witness to Grace, and he has spent decades advancing faith-rooted leadership and justice through pastoral ministry and public engagement. He currently serves as Chair of the Conference of National Black Churches, Virginia Union University, and the National Action Network.
About Wharton Curtis Press
Wharton Curtis Press is an imprint of The Church Online, LLC, Publishing Division, dedicated to publishing works of faith, culture, and purpose. With decades of experience in publishing, design, and distribution, Wharton Curtis Press is committed to amplifying voices that inform, inspire, and engage the world with depth and integrity.
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