Howard University has selected a Grambling State University and Meharry Medical College graduate to head its Department of Anatomy. Get the full story from the Howard’s release on “The Dig” below.
Howard University College of Medicine is pleased to announce the appointment of Byron D. Ford, Ph.D., as professor and chair of the Department of Anatomy and the M. Wharton Young Endowed Chair in Anatomy. Ford will succeed Thomas Heinbockel, Ph.D., who has served as interim chair since July 2019. Ford will also serve as assistant dean of research and graduate studies.
Ford currently serves as associate dean of medical education and tenured professor at the University of California-Riverside School of Medicine. Ford’s research has centered on the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the stroke for more than 20 years. He has been the recipient of National Institutes of Health (NIH) and U.S. Department of Defense grants to investigate the neuroprotective roles of neuregulin-1 in stroke, traumatic brain injury, cerebral malaria and as a countermeasure for nerve agent exposure. Ford’s work has yielded multiple U.S. and international patents and is leading the development of new therapies for stroke and neuroinflammatory disorders.
Prior to his appointment at UC Riverside, Ford was professor and vice chairman in the Department of Neurobiology at the Morehouse School of Medicine from 2001-2015. Ford received his B.S. in biology from Grambling State University and Ph.D. in neurophysiology from Meharry Medical College. He completed postdoctoral studies at Harvard Medical School and the NIH. Ford was a member of the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke Advisory Council at NIH from 2012-2016.
“As a product of HBCUs, the opportunity to contribute to and support the mission of Howard University is truly inspiring to me,” Ford said. “I am thrilled by the potential to help raise the research profile of the College of Medicine and to work collaboratively with other research programs across the campus.”
As department chair of anatomy, Ford will guide the future of the department through strategic planning, faculty recruitment and retention, and growth of research funding. In his role as assistant dean of research and graduate studies, Ford will be tasked with developing and overseeing the training of doctoral candidates across all the basic science disciplines in the College of Medicine as well as graduate biomedical science education candidates in the college.
“In joining Howard University, Dr. Ford brings a strategic perspective to the department’s collaborative research growth, and he will be instrumental in fostering our growing pipeline of Ph.D. candidates,” said Hugh E. Mighty, MD, MBA, dean of the College of Medicine and senior vice president of health affairs.
Morehouse College Learn more in the release from Inside Morehouse below.
Alumnus and US Senator Raphael Warnock ‘91 to be commencement speaker and receive honorary doctorate alongside U.S. Congressman Jim Clyburn
Morehouse College, the nation’s only historically Black college dedicated to developing and educating men, will celebrate the class of 2022 with commencement on Sunday, May 15, 2022, at 9 a.m. on Century Campus at Morehouse College. The 138th Morehouse College Commencement Exercises will be held in addition to other celebratory events held May 13-16, 2022.
In addition to the graduates, the event will honor Morehouse alumnus U.S. Senator Dr. Raphael G. Warnock ‘91, who will serve as commencement speaker and receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. In 2005 at the age of 35, Warnock became the fifth and the youngest person elected to the senior pastorate of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the spiritual home of fellow Morehouse alumnus Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Morehouse, he earned a Master of Divinity, Master of Philosophy and a Doctor of Philosophy in systematic theology from Union Theological Seminary. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc., and a Lifetime Member of the NAACP. Dr. Warnock’s activism was honored in 2016, as his footprints were placed on the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame.
U.S. Representative James E. Clyburn will receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws. He is currently the Majority Whip and third-ranking Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Clyburn serves as the chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis and is also the chairman of the Rural Broadband Task Force and Democratic Faith Working Group. When he came to Congress in 1993 to represent South Carolina’s sixth congressional district, Congressman Clyburn was elected co-president of his freshman class and quickly rose through leadership ranks to later become chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. Congressman Clyburn is a passionate supporter of historic preservation and restoration programs whose efforts have restored scores of consequential American buildings and sites on the campuses of historically Black colleges and universities.
The traditional baccalaureate service will be held in-person at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, 2021. The speaker will be Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, a prophetic pastor, passionate leader, social activist, eloquent orator, and educator engaged in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, and fighting against racial injustice.
Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, a pastor, social activist, and educator engaged in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and devotee to economic justice and empowerment in underserved communities and the disenfranchised. For the past 38 years, Dr. Haynes has served as a visionary and innovative senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, where under his servant leadership, the ministry and membership of the church has grown from less than 100 members in 1983 to over 12,000.
For a complete list of events, speakers, honorees, performers, and logistical details, or to access or to access the live stream, visit https://www.morehouse.edu/about/commencement/.
Today is a great day at Saint Augustine’s University, as the HBCU’s 13th President has been installed today. Read more information in the release below.
Thirteenth President at SAU Makes an Immediate Impact; Raises Student Enrollment and Prepares for Campus Expansion
Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) will install Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail as its 13th president at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 28, 2022, at the Raleigh Marriott City Center.
Dr. McPhail will deliver an Installation address. A President’s Reception will also occur at the Raleigh Marriott City Center immediately following the ceremony.
Last year, the SAU Board of Trustees announced the appointmentof Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail as the University’s 13th President. The announcement came after an extensive national search to fill the vacancy left after the untimely passing of her husband, Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail, in October 2020.
“We are excited and fortunate to have an innovative, proven credential leader of Dr. Christine McPhail’s stature to lead SAU to the next level of excellence as we reimagine a new model of the HBCU of the future,” said Retired Honorable Justice James E. Perry, Chairman of the Board of Trustees in a statement.
Since her arrival in 2021, Dr. McPhail’s impact as SAU’s new leader includes a 10–year highin Fall Enrollment, record–breakingalumni giving, and an outpour of federal fundingto cover student account balances. In addition, SAU has secured grants of $499,000and $400,000 to repurpose and preserve Hermitage Hall and St. Agnes Hospital, respectively.
Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail
“We have a responsibility to leave SAU better than we found it,” said Dr. McPhail. “I am honored to be a steward for the change and growth happening here.”
As a result of the upward trend of new student enrollment, plans are underway to launch a capital campaign to expand the campus and improve the student experience. The campaign involves improving current buildings and constructing facilities to house SAU’s newly formed Centers of Innovation in entrepreneurship, health and wellness, social justice, global competitiveness, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math).
“This is SAU’s season of impact,” said Veronica Creech, vice president of economic development and external engagement. “The ceiling for opportunity is high for us. We have incredible leadership and land to accommodate the growth we envision in the near term,” said Creech.
Additionally, case statements and updates to the University’s website and printed collateral are underway to create opportunities to engage philanthropic and corporate communities.
“We are fully aware of the growth opportunity before us. We spend hours making plans to build the best student experience possible,” said Dr. Carolyn Carter, vice president of institutional advancement, marketing, and communications.
Click here for a full itinerary of events surrounding the President’s Installation ceremony.
A grandmother is not letting time get in the way of her dreams, which she is finally realizing at Shaw University! Read the amazing story from staff at Black News below.
Rebecca Inge, a 75-year-old woman from Raleigh, North Carolina, will graduate from Shaw University, an HBCU. She began pursuing her college degree there 57-years ago.
In 1965, Inge, who was then living in Sanford, Florida, said she left home to pursue a college education at Shaw University.
“I always dreamed of going to med school because I was sick a lot as a child. I dreamed of being a surgeon,” Inge told WRAL, adding that she was also interested in engineering.
At that time, she worked in the college’s cafeteria to support her own financial needs while studying. However, she had to put her dreams on hold when she got married and gave birth to her daughter.
Her daughter Marisa Ratliff Dunston, who is now retired after years of serving in the U.S. military, said her mother sacrificed a lot for her family. She said, “She put her life on hold so that I could finish my 21 years, all of my education so that I could be successful today.”
During those previous years, Inge had different jobs including working at NASA during the first space shuttle mission and serving as a safety instructor at Disney World. When her husband died in 2015, she usually stayed with her daughter.
Recently, she decided to continue pursuing her college degree by re-enrolling at Shaw University. There had been a few hurdles due to the huge year gap but everything worked out in the end also with the help of her daughter.
Now, Inge is preparing for her commencement ceremonies on May 8. She is excited to ultimately fulfill her dream.
“You gotta live ’til you die, so why not be happy doing something that makes you happy and get involved?” she said.
Spelman College has chosen a recipient of 18 honorary degrees, and the former head of one of Chicago’s largest community trusts, as its next president! Learn more about Dr. Helene Gayle in the Spelman release below.
Spelman College Names Helene Gayle, MD, Globally Recognized Public Health Leader, its 11th President
The Spelman College Board of Trustees unanimously voted today to appoint Helene Gayle, MD its 11th president. Spelman College has a long, proud history of excellence and global leadership in the education of women of African descent and is committed to addressing racial inequities in education ensuring equitable opportunities for students of all economic backgrounds. Dr. Gayle’s presidency will begin on July 1, 2022.
Dr. Gayle currently serves as president and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation’s oldest and largest community foundations. Under her leadership, the Trust grew its assets from roughly $2.8B to $4.7 billion and adopted a strategic plan aimed at closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap. A public health leader and humanitarian, Dr. Gayle spent nearly a decade as president and CEO of Atlanta-based CARE, one of the largest international humanitarian organizations, with approximately 11,000 staff and poverty fighting programs that reached 82 million people in 2010 in 87 countries. Under Dr. Gayle’s leadership, CARE reinforced its commitment to empowering girls and women to bring lasting change to communities living in poverty.
“Our success for more than a century and a half has been built by an engaged student body and alumnae, committed faculty and staff, and a history of exemplary presidents, “said Rosalind G. Brewer, Board Chair of Spelman College. “I’m excited about Dr. Gayle’s appointment and confident that her demonstrated ability to address complex issues in communities of color many of which involve the strength of Black females and her success factors, coupled with her commitment to equity, will further build on Spelman’s legacy and propel the College into the future.”
In the months-long search, the Presidential Search Committee sought a leader who embodies the Spelman mission of academic excellence and global leadership, and whose experience and expertise would build on the College’s momentum in key areas, including affordability, entrepreneurship and innovation, and the Arts. In considering the Search Committee’s recommendation, the Board of Trustees considered key priorities for Spelman’s 11th president, some of which included increasing or improving the student experience, such as safety and housing, building on Spelman’s fiscal strength and maintaining the college’s attraction to diverse and talented students, faculty and staff.
“I am an honored and look forward to being a part of a long, proud legacy committed to the education of women of African descent. This is a moment where HBCUs are once again being recognized for the importance that they bring to every sector of this country,” said Dr. Gayle. “Spelman has a strong history of changing lives for people who will change lives. The idea of giving back to generations of students through cutting-edge academic programs and facilities, increasing college affordability, raising financial aid support and increasing the endowment, and developing new career pathways and opportunities is what invigorates and excites me about this new role.”
As Spelman’s 11th president, Dr. Gayle will assume the presidency at a time when the college is thriving. Spelman was named U.S. News and World Report’s #1 Historically Black College or University for 15 years in a row in 2022, the National Science Foundation’s #1 baccalaureate institution of Black or African American science and engineering doctorate recipients and is a top producer of Fulbright Scholars.
Dr. Gayle is an epidemiologist who also spent 20 years at the Centers for Disease Control, working primarily on HIV/AIDS and at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with a focus on global public health. Dr. Gayle holds a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Psychology from Barnard College -Columbia University a M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and a M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. Dr. Gayle serves on several public and nonprofit boards, including The Coca-Cola Company, Organon & Co a women’s health care company, Palo Alto Networks a cybersecurity company, and the Brookings Institution. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
HONORARY DEGREES: Emory University, Doctor of Humane Letters, 2019 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Doctor of Science 2019 American University, Doctor of Science, 2018 Xavier University, Doctor of Science, 2016 University of Buffalo, Doctor of Science, 2016 University of Miami, Doctor of Science, 2013 Oberlin College, Doctor of Science, 2011 Colby College, Doctor of Humane Letters, 2010 Columbia University, Doctor of Laws, 2009 Agnes Scott College, Doctor of Science, 2009 Brandeis University, Doctor of Humane Letters, 2008 Morehouse School of Medicine, Doctor of Science, 2008 Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University, Doctor of Humane Letters, 2008 Duke University, Doctor of Science, 2008 Meharry Medical College, Doctor of Science, 2007 Smith College, Doctorate, 2007 Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Science, 2004 Jackson State University, Doctor of Humane Letters, 2004
Academic Affiliations: Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Global Health, University of Washington, School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, 2008 – Adjunct Professor, Hubert Department of Global Health, Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, 2009 – 2020 Clinical Assistant Professor of Community Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, 2006 Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Health Services, University of Washington, School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, 2002
Lacrosse student-athletes hailing from Bowie State, Coppin State, Delaware State, Lincoln, Maryland-Eastern Shore and Morgan State are dominating the field as the Next Collegiate League kicks off. Get the full story from Matt Hamilton at USA Lacrosse below!
Credit: John Strohsaker
Kobie Johnson and Jairus Kelly stood yards away from the sponsor boards at USA Lacrosse headquarters that surrounded the Olympic-style field on which they had just competed, both looking down at Johnson’s bright red shoes.
Johnson, president of the Morgan State men’s lacrosse club, had just flashed his skills on the field as part of the Next Collegiate League, where the Bears topped Lincoln University 23-9 in the NCL Week 3 opener last Thursday. He did so while rocking the brightest cleats on the field — Under Armours with a mix of neon orange and yellow.
“I just like to stand out, honestly,” Johnson joked, a nod to the cameras that dotted the corners of the field.
“You should have seen him. Straight pipe shots. Two-pointers,” Kelly followed. “If you going to be doing that, you’ve got to stand out. Hashtag Kobie Drip.”
Morgan State is among six club teams from historically black colleges and universities competing in the NCL, which launched earlier this spring with a 6-on-6 version of the sport that’s similar to World Lacrosse Sixes. The Bears capped the event as the league leaders at 6-0 after edging Delaware State 15-14 in an overtime thriller later that night.
Johnson, also the team captain, has played lacrosse since he was 5. His father played club ball at Howard. He found a calling in the HBCU lacrosse movement.
But for many of his teammates, their experience with the sport could be quantified in weeks and months. Johnson recruited them. Players like Kelly became his understudies.
“I met this man, and the first week of school he says, ‘Have you ever played lacrosse?’” Kelly said, smiling as he looked up at the taller Johnson. “I said, ‘Nope.’ He told me to come out to practice one day. He gave me a stick, and that was it.”
“I’m glad people like you took a chance and said, ‘Hey, let’s see what he’s talking about with this lacrosse thing,’” Johnson answered.
“This is the most fun I’ve ever had playing lacrosse. The energy and pace from all these HBCU teams, it creates a competitive environment.”
— Kobie Johnson
The NCL gave players like Johnson, a lacrosse veteran, and Kelly, who picked up a stick last fall, a chance to compete for an HBCU on a national stage. The league is a part of Next Level Sports and Entertainment, a content platform and live sports and entertainment company founded by former Atlanta Blaze owner Andre Gudger.
The six teams — Bowie State, Coppin State, Delaware State, Lincoln, Maryland-Eastern Shore and Morgan State — started a 10-game season earlier this month at Maryland’s Ludwig Field. All games are streamed live on Next Level’s integrated cable and digital platform, which has distribution to 20 million homes in the U.S. and 100 million homes worldwide.
The dream of a league that featured HBCU lacrosse teams originated with Gudger and Liam Banks, the former Syracuse All-American who serves as Next Level’s Director of Field Sports. Over the past 8-10 months, Banks has spearheaded the effort to get the NCL off the ground and running.
Credit: John Strohsaker
After three weeks of action, Banks and the team behind the NCL are excited about its potential both in the short- and long-term future. He cited the Olympics — if lacrosse gains acceptance to the 2028 Los Angeles Games, it will be played using the Sixes discipline — as a motivating factor for the development of the league.
“Eight months ago or a year ago, when I talked to people about this concept, they thought it was impossible to pull off,” Banks said. “The idea of having a player from NCL in the Olympics is impossible, but each day we get to live out this mission, the possibilities become more real to others.”
The NCL has provided those that play lacrosse at these six HBCUs an opportunity to map out a future in lacrosse. The games are competitive, fast-paced and, given the varied experience between each player, sometimes unpredictable. But what’s most important to those that play is that the NCL is fun.
“This is the most fun I’ve ever had playing lacrosse,” Johnson said. “The energy you get out on this field, the energy and pace from all these HBCU teams, it creates a competitive environment.”
As family and friends roared from the stands at Tierney Field, Delaware State’s Julian Dixon reflected on the chance to play for his hometown school. The Dover, Delaware, native earned the league’s “Beast of the Week” award in Week 1 and had the Hornets at 5-0 entering Thursday night’s matchup with Morgan State.
“To be able to come out here and compete the same as anybody else, it shows that it doesn’t matter what race you are, you can play this game,” Dixon said. “Being able to make a stamp and be the first to do something. I hadn’t played lacrosse since my junior year of high school, so being able to get back on the field makes me feel more comfortable. To do that in my hometown with this school, it’s amazing.”
Representing six HBCU lacrosse programs, each playing at Tierney Field on the same day, was a vision many players said they could not previously fathom. With just two active HBCU varsity men’s lacrosse programs — at Division I Hampton and Division II UDC — players had little chance to imagine themselves suiting up for their respective schools.
The NCL has changed that perception for Johnson and others like him. He had stood behind the fence on the York Road side of Tierney Field watching the U.S. men’s team play at last year’s Fall Classic. Last Thursday, he had the chance to play under the lights on the same turf.
“I’ve always felt like HBCU lacrosse has so much potential, but I never thought it would happen,” he said. “Never in a million years. You guys made my dream come true that I gave up on years ago. This has me wanting to play on the national team and try to play in the Olympics.”
Standing on the same sideline, using a Brine lacrosse stick as a cane and sporting a navy blue jumpsuit embedded with Morgan State logos, was Ten Bears legend Donnie Brown. Brown, who played for Morgan State from 1978-81, famously scored the game-winning goal against Notre Dame on March 20, 1981.
As he watched Coppin State and Bowie State play each other, he reflected on that 1981 season. He remembered the Bears’ final game against Loyola with a chance to make the NCAA Division II final — a game Morgan State lost.
“Lacrosse in Baltimore was in trouble,” he said. “I prayed before the game for someone to come back and rejuvenate lacrosse in African-American communities, especially in Baltimore. Lo and behold, I was part of bringing it back. This league is part of that process.”
Brown, who has played a major role in the development of lacrosse in Baltimore through Charm City Lacrosse and at the high school level, was inspired by what he saw Thursday at Tierney Field. For him, the opportunity was enough to get excited no matter who won or lost.
“They are playing. No matter what the level is, they are playing. If they weren’t playing, what would they be doing?” Brown said. “You can ask any guy that I played with at Morgan, we all have the same story — that lacrosse saved our life.”
With the Morgan State club program rejuvenated through players like Johnson, several college students now have an outlet to express themselves. Lacrosse has become a conduit for HBCU athletes to showcase their massive potential.
The NCL hopes to help reignite HBCU lacrosse. Early returns are optimistic.
“When you go out here on Morgan’s lacrosse team, you hear about the Ten Bears,” Kelly said after walking through the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. “You get the lectures. We met some of them. To see it in front of your face and read about the history of it, it’s really enlightening. We’re here continuing the legacy.”
Said Johnson: “We’re the next chapter of this amazing, storied lacrosse team.”
The city of Columbia, South Carolina has found a very unique way to honor the dedicated student-athletes of nearby Benedict College! Get the full story from Benedict below.
Credit: Nate Salley
Benedict College recognized the men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams on Monday in the Swinton Center cafeteria for winning the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships over the weekend, while the City of Columbia honored the entire Benedict athletic program for winning a school-record seven conference championships over the 2021-22 school year.
City of Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann presented Benedict President Dr. Roslyn C. Artis a proclamation naming Monday as “Benedict College Tigers 2021-22 SIAC Championships Celebration Day.”
The proclamation recognizes Benedict’s conference championships in men’s cross country, women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field, and mixed cheerleading. The proclamation also acknowledges Benedict’s three coaches who earned SIAC Coach of the Year honors – Frank Hyland in men’s cross country, men’s track and field and women’s track and field; Gwendolyn Rouse for men’s volleyball; and Gary Taylor for men’s and women’s tennis. Also mentioned are Benedict’s two SIAC Players of the Year – Tajh Green for men’s basketball and Ras Jesse Delancy for men’s volleyball, as well as Benedict’s 39 student-athletes who received SIAC All-Conference honors this year. The proclamation also highlights Benedict’s success in the classroom as well, with student-athletes having an overall grade point average of 3.0.
Mayor Rickenmann also presented Keys to the City to each of Benedict’s championship teams and coaches of the year.
Monday’s celebration included recognition of Benedict’s 19 men’s and women’s track and field athletes who were named All-SIAC.
Benedict won both the men’s and women’s track and field championships on Saturday at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C. The men won by 62.5 points, winning five gold medals during the three-day event. The Lady Tigers were even more dominant, winning the championship by 131 points and bringing home 12 gold medals.
Morris Brown College is no longer an unaccredited HBCU! Get the full story from Gabriella Nunez at 11 Alive below.
Source: Essence
After nearly 20 years, Morris Brown College has regained its accreditation.
A spokesperson with the liberal arts college announced Tuesday the historically Black institution regained full accreditation.
The school was put in limbo, losing its federal funding in 2002 after financial mismanagement. Last year, it gained candidacy with President Kevin James calling it “a new day for Morris Brown College.” The accreditation marks a new era.
The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS), a Virginia-based accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education granted the 141-year-old college its candidacy last year. MBC’s website cites it as a member of TRACS.
The college was previously accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Just before the end of 2021, the U.S. Department of Education also reinstated the college’s participation in the federal program, meaning students have been able to apply for federal grants, scholarships and work-study jobs this year as the institution worked toward full accreditation status. It costs about $4,250 a semester to attend MBC, according to James.
Advocates for the school’s accreditation said its journey to be a federally recognized institution is important to Atlanta’s history and for future generations.
“Morris Brown College is unique to the Atlanta experience when we talk about historically Black colleges and universities,” Maurice Hobson a civil rights and Atlanta scholar said in a previous interview with 11Alive’s Jennifer Bellamy.
“Morris Brown College was the first college in the state of Georgia that was owned and operated purely and solely by Black people,” Hobson said.
Hobson said the narrative regarding misappropriation of funds shouldn’t shadow the college’s rich history and the significance MBC holds in Georgia, calling its journey to accreditation another example of resilience — which Morris Brown has become known as it stands out among HBCUs.
“It is going to take new and innovative ways of understanding college education and what Morris Brown College can be than what it’s been in the past,” he said about its leadership and the college’s future.
Hobson added that there are advocates, alumni, HBCU alumni, supporters, and other members of the Black community invested in and rooting for MBC.
“We all want to see Morris Brown win,” he said. “If Morris Brown wins, then Atlanta ultimately wins.”
There are 107 HBCUs in the U.S. recognized by the Department of Education. Of those 107, three are closed and two are at risk of losing their accreditation, records show.
Jackson State University senior Kamilah Fipps has been missing for a week, but there are signs that she may be in Virginia. Get the full story from Tannock Blair and Autumn Childress at WRIC below.
Credit: WAPT
A family is desperate for answers after a 21-year-old Jackson State University student went missing last Tuesday.
Kamilah Fipps, a senior at JSU, left her campus in Mississippi a week ago, but evidence shows she could be in the Richmond area.
“She has never done this before…this is not her character,” said Vicky Fipps, Kamilah’s mother. “I’m scared. I just want my baby back home.”
Fipps’ bank account shows she purchased a one-way Greyhound bus ticket out of Mississippi on Thursday. After the stop in Richmond — the bus continued to New York. However, Kamilah paid $239.99 — the exact amount to get from Mississippi to Richmond.
The bank account also revealed a purchase from Gelati Celesti on Arthur Ashe Boulevard near the bus station.
Credit: Gelati Celesti
Surveillance pictures from the ice cream shop show Fipps making her purchase at 7:33 p.m.
Another purchase was made at the CVS on Broad Street a few blocks over, but her mother says there have been no other transactions since then.
“We’ve been monitoring her card activity and there has been no activity since this purchase at CVS,” she said. “And she still has money in her account.”
The family also reached out to T-mobile who found Fipps’ last pinged location was in Richmond on Friday. Her phone now goes directly to voicemail, leaving mounting questions for the family.
“This is what’s scaring me so much. I don’t want to think the worst. I don’t know if she was lured here,” her mother said. “You hear people saying she’s an adult, she’s 21, but to me, she’s my baby. I want all the help I can get to find her.”
The family says that they have no known connections to Virginia.
Richmond Police confirmed that they are working with the Jackson State University Police Department for any information the whereabouts of Fipps.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigations has also issued a “silver alert,” indicating that a medical condition could be impairing her judgment.
“It’s killing me and I always tell her if anything ever happened to you I would be devastated,” Fipps’ mother said. “I just want her home that’s it.”
Kamilah Phipps is around 5-foot 5-inches tall, weighing around 130 pounds. She wears glasses and has dreadlocks with red tips.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Richmond Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.
Howard University alumna Kamala Harris is one of the latest politicians to test positive for COVID-19. Get the full story from By Jasmine Wright, Maegan Vazquez, Betsy Klein, Kevin Liptak and Ted Barrett at CNN below.
US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the 57th anniversary commemoration of ‘Bloody Sunday’ at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on March 6, 2022. – On “Bloody Sunday,” March 7, 1965, some 600 civil rights marchers headed east out of Selma on US route 80. They got only as far as the Edmund Pettus Bridge six blocks away, where state and local lawmen attacked them with billy clubs and tear gas and drove them back into Selma. Two days later on March 9, Martin Luther King, Jr., led a “symbolic” march to the bridge. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage / AFP) (Photo by ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images)
Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday after returning from a weeklong trip to California.
“Today I tested positive for COVID-19. I have no symptoms, and I will continue to isolate and follow CDC guidelines. I’m grateful to be both vaccinated and boosted,” Harris tweeted Tuesday afternoon.
Kirsten Allen, the vice president’s press secretary, said in an earlier statement that Harris tested positive for Covid-19 on rapid and PCR tests. Harris “will isolate and continue to work from the vice president’s residence,” Allen said.
“She has not been a close contact to the President or First Lady due to their respective recent travel schedules. She will follow CDC guidelines and the advice of her physicians. The Vice President will return to the White House when she tests negative,” she added.
Harris had been scheduled to receive her intelligence briefing at 10:15 am ET Tuesday at the White House alongside President Joe Biden, according to daily guidance sent to reporters Monday evening. She did not participate in any events or meetings at the White House on Tuesday, according to a White House official.
White House Covid-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said he did not know if Harris is being treated with therapeutics.
“That’s a conversation that she’s having with her physician. I’m not her physician. I’m not privy to those conversations, so I don’t know the answer to that,” he said.
Contact tracing is underway, a White House official said. Officials will notify the appropriate people, but as of Tuesday afternoon, the office had not identified close contacts among staff.
A handful of staff members traveled with Harris to California last week, including deputy chief of staff Mike Fuchs and national security adviser Phil Gordon. It’s unclear whether all staff members listed stayed in California with Harris through the duration of her weeklong trip.
Biden and Harris spoke over the phone on Tuesday afternoon, according to the White House.
“He wanted to check in and make sure she has everything she needs as she quarantines at home,” a White House statement to reporters said.
The President last tested negative for Covid-19 on Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
Harris’ isolation will have immediate impact on Senate Democrats. Democratic Sens. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Ron Wyden of Oregon both also announced they had tested positive as well on Tuesday, meaning that their absences — along with Harris — will delay Democrats’ plans to confirm a pair of high-profile nominees this week, a senior Democratic aide told CNN.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer hoped to confirm Lisa Cook to be a member of the Federal Reserve Board and Alvaro Bedoya to be the chair of the Federal Trade Commission. But because there is broad Republican opposition to them, votes to process those nominations will be put off until Democrats, who narrowly control the 50-50 chamber, are back to full strength.
In a sign of the partisan combativeness that is so prevalent in the Senate, Republicans will still force a procedural roll call vote on Cook’s nomination — which will fail — later Tuesday and force Democrats to go through the process of breaking a filibuster against her again. GOP senators could have given consent to waive the actual vote but didn’t. Republicans have not said yet if they would do the same with Bedoya’s nomination.
“That is something that members and leaders will work through in Congress,” Psaki told reporters on Tuesday when asked about the dilemma. “We are confident we have the votes to get them confirmed. We’re eager to have them in place. But of course, we need all the people, all members there to do that.
“The Senate confirmed Lael Brainard to be the vice chair of the Fed Tuesday afternoon. Her nomination is not affected by the absences because she has bipartisan support.
Harris not a close contact of Biden
Harris arrived at the White House Tuesday morning, a White House official told CNN, and went straight to take a test. After testing positive on both PCR and rapid tests, she returned home to her residence at the Naval Observatory, where she will be isolating.
While in California last week, she held events on portfolio issues. In San Francisco on Thursday, Harris highlighted the Black maternal health crisis during events and was indoors talking to expecting mothers and health providers without a mask on. Masks are recommended, but no longer required, in most public indoor spaces in the city.
Harris held no public events over the weekend before returning to the nation’s capital.
One official said Harris tested negative through her “regular” testing up until Tuesday. CNN has asked when the vice president last tested negative.
Harris completed her two-dose regimen of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine in January 2021. She received her first booster dose in late October and a second booster vaccine on April 1.
Covid makes its way through elite Washington
The vice president’s positive Covid-19 test comes as the US has largely lifted most of its Covid-19 mitigation measures after the Omicron variant spike over the winter.
In accordance with federal public health guidelines, officials and visitors have not been required to wear masks or socially distance at large White House events. Covid cases in Washington have declined since their peak in early January, when the country was facing a wave of Omicron variant cases, but have been rising recently.
Though the White House has continued to hold crowded indoor events where masks are optional and officials have forgone masks in public, the administration has said they are going beyond federal guidelines to detect Covid-19 in the building. There’s mandatory testing for those who come into contact with Biden and social distancing during meetings, at least when it’s possible.
Psaki said on Tuesday that she does not expect the White House to implement additional Covid-related protocols as a result of Harris’ positive test.
“There’s a regular testing cadence. Obviously, the vice president was tested this morning because of that regular testing cadence. And for the rest of us — anyone who’s going to be around the President, to travel with him, to see him in the Oval Office — is tested that day,” she said, outlining existing White House protocols. “And even if you’re not going to see him, you’re on a regular testing cadence around here.”
Psaki also said some White House staff have taken the additional steps of socially distancing where possible and masking of their own volition. And she confirmed that the President would still attend a number of high-profile events this week, including the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and the memorial for former Vice President Walter Mondale in Minneapolis.
Officials have acknowledged that it’s “possible” Biden will eventually contract Covid-19, but have emphasized the precautions being taken to prevent infection.
“The bottom line is he is vaccinated and boosted. He is very well protected. He’s got very good protocols around him to protect him from getting infected. But there is no 100% anything,” Jha said on Tuesday.
Covid has also been making the rounds among White House staff and among the Washington elite recently.
In late March, White House press secretary Jen Psaki cancelled her plans to travel with the President to Belgium and Poland after testing positive for Covid-19 for the second time. Her replacement on the Europe trip, White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, tested positive shortly after returning from the trip. Harris’ husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, tested positive for Covid-19 earlier in March.
Following the Gridiron Club Dinner, an annual event with members of the press and prominent Washington officials that was held in early April, dozens of attendees tested positive, including two Cabinet members and Harris’ communication director, Jamal Simmons. He was considered to be a close contact of the vice president. Harris was criticized in the wake of that close contact for her seeming disregard of US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention masking guidance for those who were exposed to Covid-19, as she did not wear a mask during the Supreme Court confirmation vote for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Former NBA player JR Smith has made an impression in his golf program at North Carolina A&T State University. Get the full story from Tory Barron at ESPN below.
Credit: Getty Images
Who needs 3s when you can score a 4.0? In the fall of 2021, 16-year NBA veteran JR Smith enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University and joined the golf team as a walk-on. Now, in his second semester at the HBCU, the two-time NBA champion is already earning accolades in the classroom.
On Monday, the 36-year-old — who was originally slated to play basketball at North Carolina before jumping from St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, New Jersey, to the NBA draft in 2004 — was named the Aggies’ Academic Athlete of the Year.
The news comes a week after apparel brand Lululemon signed Smith to be its golf ambassador through a name, image and likeness deal. The athlete known to hoops fans as “JR Swish” is the first male golfer to sign a brand ambassador deal with Lululemon.
In January, Smith signed with Excel Sports Management for NIL representation. At the time, Smith’s agent, Lance Young, told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that there was high interest from golf apparel and equipment manufacturers in sponsoring the enormously popular (6.2 million followers on Instagram alone) college athlete.
Smith first revealed that he was excelling in the classroom at the end of the fall semester. On Dec. 14, Smith took to social media to share he had achieved his goal of earning a 4.0 grade-point average.
An Alcorn State University faculty member has been selected to lead a top organization just for educators! Get the full story from Vicksburg News below.
Dr. LaShundia Carson (Credit: Alcorn State University)
Mississippi’s largest professional organization for educators has selected an Alcorn State University faculty member to guide the organization for the upcoming academic year.
Dr. LaShundia Carson, acting associate dean for the School of Education and Psychology, was elected president of the Mississippi Professional Educators. Carson served as the faculty advisor for the organization’s student chapter on campus.
The organization is a statewide professional organization whose members come from all aspects of educational systems in the state. Its 13,000 members include teachers, administrators, and non-certified staff from kindergarten to graduate school.
Serving the organization is an honor for Carson. She looks forward to displaying her leadership skills in the new role.
“I am humbled to have this golden opportunity to serve in this leadership capacity,” said Carson. “Being selected for this position expresses the organization’s confidence in my leadership ability.”
Advocating for others in the education field and being a difference-maker in students’ lives inspired Carson to pursue the position.
“I have a love and passion for making a difference in students’ lives. This is an opportunity to help advocate and empower educators to ensure excellent and equitable education for every student in Mississippi. The president’s position also allows me to promote the achievements of all students while working with colleagues from the P-12 environment, college and university faculty, and policymakers to identify factors that impact the achievement gap. I hope that we implement the best practices using high-quality instructional materials and finding policies that would help close the gap. Educators are the backbone of society.”
Some of Carson’s goals are to expose the organization’s services to a broader audience while empowering educators.
“My goal is to increase the Mississippi Professional Educators’ presence in the Southwest Mississippi region. There are numerous challenges facing public education and educators.”
She continued, “My goal is to encourage educators to stay the course because the state needs them. My other goals include addressing teachers’ concerns, providing relevant professional development, and promoting safe and nurturing environments for students to flourish.”
Carson looks forward to leveraging her position to recruit students to Alcorn while promoting professional development.
“I’ll use my position as a recruitment opportunity to attract undergraduate and graduate candidates to our programs at Alcorn. In addition, I plan to expose our pre-service candidates to the organization’s scholarships and professional development opportunities. Promoting the University’s mission of providing service and outreach to local school districts through our student chapter of MPE is also important to me.”
The cover of Alabama State University’s program for the ceremony dedicating Jo Ann Robinson Hall at the university.(Credit: Alabama.com)
Jo Ann Robinson was an English professor at Alabama State College in the 1950s who fought for changes on Montgomery’s segregated buses well before the arrest of Rosa Parks.
When Parks was arrested in December 1955, Robinson spread the word through Montgomery’s Black community that the time had arrived for a long-anticipated boycott of the bus system.
Robinson, working overnight with help from another Alabama State professor and students, wrote, mimeographed, and distributed 52,500 leaflets flyers urging Black people to stay off the buses for a day. The idea caught on and grew into the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a year-long campaign that broke the segregated system known for abusing and humiliating Black riders.
Today, Alabama State University rededicated the former Bibb Graves Hall in the heart of its Montgomery campus as Jo Ann Robinson Hall.
Civil rights attorney Fred D. Gray, a 1951 ASU graduate and the legal counsel for the boycott, told the crowd at today’s ceremony about meetings with Robinson to plan the boycott and described her as an essential leader of the effort.
“If she had not done what she did and been insisting on it, there would have been no Montgomery bus boycott at that time,” Gray said.
ASU President Quinton Ross noted at today’s ceremony that Easter would have been Robinson’s 110th birthday. Robinson died at age 80 in 1992.
Alabama civil rights attorney Fred D. Gray speaks at the dedication of Jo Ann Robinson Hall at Alabama State University on April 19, 2022. (Credit: Mike Cason)
“Today we are here to sing her praise and to let the world know that Jo Ann Robinson’s name deserves to be honored along with other icons with which we are all familiar, many of whom like Professor Robinson held significant ties to this great university,” Ross said.
In 2020, Ross commissioned a committee to research and identify ASU buildings named after leaders or avowed members of racist organizations.
Bibb Graves was governor of Alabama from 1927 to 1931 and from 1935 to 1939. Graves won his first term with the backing of the Ku Klux Klan and was grand cyclops of the Klan in Montgomery, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama.
Following a recommendation from Ross, the ASU Board of Trustees voted in September 2021 to rename Bibb Graves Hall for Robinson.
The three story-building with a bell tower was built in 1928 and is the oldest residency hall on the campus. It was renovated in 2008.
The move by ASU comes after several other state universities renamed buildings that were named after Graves.
In February, the University of Alabama renamed Bibb Graves Hall in honor of Autherine Lucy Foster, who was the first Black student at the university.
Troy State University renamed Bibb Graves Hall in 2020, rededicating it as John Robert Lewis Hall in honor of the Pike County native, civil rights champion and late Georgia congressman.
The Alabama Legislature passed a law in 2017 to prohibit the removal of historical monuments in place for 40 years or more and the renaming of historical buildings and streets. Several Alabama cities, including Birmingham and Mobile, have paid $25,000 fines for moving Confederate monuments.
The new sign unveiled at the dedication of Jo Ann Robinson Hall at Alabama State University. (Credit: Mike Cason)
ASU President Ross said the university is prepared to defend its decision to rename the residency hall.
“This is a historic day, and I think it’s been revolutionary across the county in terms of what has been happening with replacement of monuments and emphasis on social justice and equality right now,” Ross said. “While there is a law on the books, like many other laws, should that become an issue, we stand ready to defend our position. But with all the changes that are taking place within the state, within the country, I think this is a welcome change.”
Alabama State University Archivist Howard Robinson told the crowd at the dedication ceremony how Jo Ann Robinson came to play an important role in Montgomery and the civil rights movement. She was born in 1912 in Georgia and was the youngest of 12 children in her family. She excelled at school and earned degrees from what is now Fort Valley State University and Atlanta University.
In 1949, Robinson was recruited from a college in Texas to teach at ASU. Robinson, who was 33, was invigorated by the readiness of the Black community in Montgomery to challenge the Jim Crow system, according to the archivist Robinson. An encounter with a verbally abusive Montgomery bus driver during her first year in the city helped strengthen her resolve to be an advocate.
Robinson joined and became the president of the Women’s Political Counsel, which took its concerns about the bus system, police abuses, and other problems to city leaders. Robinson joined and became a leader at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, where Rev. Martin Luther King would later become pastor and the most visible leader of the bus boycott.
The archivist Robinson said Jo Ann Robinson wrote a letter to the mayor of Montgomery in May 1954, four days after the Brown v. Board of Education decision, threatening a bus boycott.
But humiliating seating policies and abuses of the Black riders continued and led to several more arrests of Black women before Parks’ arrest on Dec. 1, 1955. That’s when Robinson printed and distributed the leaflets and was involved in the work with Gray and others to help launch the boycott.
“In response, Montgomery’s Black population demonstrated almost universal support for the boycott,” Howard Robinson said. “Robinson would continue her activism during the year-long boycott.”
Howard Robinson said Jo Ann Robinson “nurtured amongst her students a sense of assertive discontent” and was one of a dozen ASU professors forced to leave the college by the State Board of Education in 1960.
After leaving ASU, Robinson taught for a year at Grambling College in Louisiana, now Grambling State University. She then moved to Los Angeles, where she worked in the public school system until she retired in 1976, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama.
Fisk University will be the permanent home of a piece of history. Get the full story from Sydney Satterwhite at the Nashville Tennessean below.
“This is going to be one of those artifacts that will help us to understand where we’re going and where we’ve been.”
Fisk President Vann Newkirk spoke at an event to celebrate the induction of a broken civil rights plaque into a permanent exhibit in the Special Collections and Archives area of the university’s Hope and Franklin library.
The plaque was destroyed in June 2020 when over 10,000 people protested downtown in response to the killing of George Floyd. Although the event started out peaceful, violence eventually broke out.
Pieces of the broken Civil Rights plaque, due to the 2020 protests, was donated to Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, April 19, 2022 (Credit: Stephanie Amador, The Tennessean)
Some attacked the Metro Courthouse building and toppled the civil rights plaque. The pieces were then used to destroy the building’s windows, specifically in the offices of Mayor John Cooper and Deputy Mayor of Community Engagement Brenda Haywood.
Everything about Fisk’s dedication was symbolic and intentional, including the date. The event was held on April 19, 2022. On April 19, 1960, the home of Z. Alexander Looby was bombed. The bombing prompted a protest at the Metro Courthouse. There, Fisk student Diane Nash and former Mayor Ben West had an exchange in which he publicly condemned segregation in Nashville.
On April 19, 1995, the plaque was dedicated to commemorate the 1960 desegregation of Nashville. Diane Nash was in attendance to celebrate its commemoration and her role in the installment of the plaque. Now, on the same date in 2022, a dedication ceremony was held to memorialize the continued history of the plaque.
The event’s speakers included the mayor, Newkirk, and other local and university leaders. The legacy of the plaque, Fisk, Nashville’s civil rights movement, and the future of racial equality were common themes in every speech.
“I find that it’s very important that we remember the past and that these artifacts are not stored and put away, but things that we use to remember the past,” Newkirk said.
Mayor John Cooper looks over the broken Civil Rights plaque that was donated to Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, April 19, 2022 (Credit: Stephanie Amador, The Tennessean)
“While we as Nashvillians have come far, we have not come far enough. We have much work still to do,” said Napier-Looby Bar Association president I’Ashea Myles.
The university hopes the exhibit will help bring more awareness to Fisk and the instrumental role it played in the civil rights movement. Additionally, the university hopes this new artifact will help attract prospective students who want to attend a school with such a rich legacy.
According to Fisk’s assistant director of library services DeLisa Harris, this piece of history helps to directly connect Fisk to the desegregation movement. She hopes the pieces will bring more of the Nashville community to visit Fisk’s library.
For current students, having the plaque at their school is a reminder of the impactful role Fisk played in the civil rights movement.
Freshman Loveli Fowlkes and junior Emory Griffin talk about the exhibit that holds the Civil Rights plaque that was donated to Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, April 19, 2022 (Credit: Stephanie Amador, The Tennessean)
“Having this plaque here is one of those reinforcers that I’m walking the grounds as the same people who broke a lot of rules and made a lot of things happen here,” said Loveli Fowlkes, a Fisk freshman.
Deputy Mayor Haywood said she was in shock as she watched rioters destroy her office. She wondered if they realized the significance of the plaque.
“It saddened me because I remember when that plaque went up. I remember why it went up,” she said. “I remember the blood, sweat and tears that were encapsulated in that plaque and the different people like Diane Nash and John Lewis and the significance they had on my life.”
Plans for the construction of a new plaque are in the works. It is the hope of people like the deputy mayor and other local leaders that the new memorial emphasizes the importance of the plaque and gives hope for a brighter future for civil rights in Nashville.
For now, the public can visit the broken pieces at their new home in the Special Collections and Archives exhibit in Fisk’s library.
While Florida A&M University has welcomed in new athletic director Michael Smith, some at FAMU have been left puzzled by former AD Kortne Gosha’s departure. Get the full story from Jim Henry and Byron Dobson at the Tallahassee Democrat below.
Florida A&M University President Larry Robinson named Michael Smith as interim athletic director. Smith, a veteran FAMU employee and former interim athletic director in 2013, was serving as the university’s assistant Vice President, Finance and Administration.
The university said in a statement that it plans to conduct a swift national search to find a replacement.
Gosha – hired in December 2019 from the University of Miami – oversaw the day-to-day facility and event operations, grounds, custodial, information technology, access control and capital projects for the Rattlers.
A mandatory athletics staff meeting for FAMU coaches and staff was hastily scheduled Wednesday afternoon. Gosha attended and announced his resignation.
“Extremely disappointing,” said FAMU football coach Willie Simmons, who had a close working relationship with Gosha.
“Obviously, when you work closely with a guy that you believe in and see firsthand the work that’s being done and the daily improvements to this program. It’s disappointing to see things transpire the way they have. It’s tough. You put all your blood, sweat and tears into something and you don’t see the end result of it. It was tough for him. I could see the emotion.
“We all felt it too.”
Gosha also released a statement Wednesday afternoon on FAMU’s athletics website:
“My alignment and core values are very important to me, and there is no secret that we created a transformational student-athlete experience second to none that has elevated Florida Agricultural & Mechanical that will place them on a trajectory far beyond my tenure.
“I am incredibly proud of the work and the people that have done that work in such a short time. We have elevated the program and institutional reputation to a level of new credibility.”
Robinson and Gosha met earlier Wednesday prior to Gosha’s resignation announcement. Robinson also notified the Board of Trustees of Gosha’s resignation. Robinson and the university did not issue a statement or comment regarding Gosha’s decision to step down.
Robinson met with the FAMU coaches, athletic department officials and staff Thursday morning, where he also introduced Smith during the brief meeting. The floor was open for questions but none were asked, according to officials in attendance.
The FAMU athletic director’s office has had a revolving door over the past 10 years, featuring seven interim or permanent ADs.
The list includes:
Smith (2013 and 2022), Kellen Winslow (2014), Nelson Townsend (2014-15), who died from a heart attack a month after being named interim, Earl D’Wayne Robinson (2015), Milton Overton (2015-17), John Eason (2017-19) and Gosha.
Shaia Simmons, FAMU football head coach Willie Simmons and FAMU VP/AD Kortne Gosha pose with Rudy Hubbard (second from left) after he was a inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (Photo: Keith McCluney).
Earlier in the day, Simmons hail Gosha’s ‘visionary leadership’
Ironically, Simmons posted a statement Wednesday morning on Facebook in support of Gosha prior to the late afternoon news.
The post, in part, said:
“In all my years working in intercollegiate athletics, I’ve never witnessed someone do so much with so little in such a short amount of time. … Your visionary leadership matched with your genuine care for the welfare of our student-athletes makes you a generational talent as an Athletics Director!”
Simmons also thanked Gosha, saying, “I feel more confident than ever in my ability to lead under your leadership! I sincerely thank and applaud you Vice President and Director of Athletics Mr. Kortne Gosha and our young men and women appreciate you more than you can imagine!”
Additionally, Simmons’ post followed a post Tuesday evening by Col. Greg Clark, outgoing president of the FAMU National Alumni Association. Clark has been a staunch supporter of Gosha during his tenure.
The post read:
“Korte Gosha, my brother and Athletics Director at Florida A&M University, I love you, the Rattler Nation loves you and supports you!!!. You are the best Athletics Director in our school history.”
News of Gosha’s resignation was met by anger and frustration across social media from FAMU fans.
Simmons again posted a lengthy, passionate message on Facebook Thursday, in part asking fans to continue to support athletics, including financially. He also indicated fans and supporters will “soon get the answers we’re looking for and we will regain the trust and transparency” that Simmons said was present under Gosha.
Simmons also asked supporters to “put your heads together and brainstorm innovative and creative ways to do things here that give us a competitive advantage” and “challenge the obstacles we face internally and externally that make it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain talented individuals.”
Simmons, entering his fifth season, also recognized Gosha’s support. He said Gosha “fought to make it worth my while to stay” when Simmons said he was courted by other programs.
Gosha earned praise, faced challenges
Gosha is credited with directing a battery of capital projects and facility improvements.
Bragg Memorial Stadium is undergoing needed renovations that are expected to be completed by the start of the 2022 season. That list also included the renovation of the Galimore-Powell Football Fieldhouse.
Gosha also helped direct a number of other brand initiatives and FAMU’s move from the MEAC to the SWAC.
Simmons’ program last season was featured on the ‘Why Not Us’ series on ESPN+ and presented by Cricket Wireless. The athletics program – and Marching 100 – are also fitted in LeBron James gear through its unique partnership with Nike.
Gosha’s leadership, however, also faced challenges.
Two key members of his administrative team were terminated. Gosha may have violated the terms of his contract by engaging the university athletics department in a start-up digital streaming television network, according to the Rattler Nation blog.
Last February, FAMU athletics announced a multi-year partnership with Urban Edge Networks (UEN) granting the company the broadcast rights to all available FAMU sports, the Marching 100, and other university-related content.
UEN and HBCU League Pass+ had entered a FAMU branded NASCAR race car using the university’s official trademarks into the nationally televised Pennzoil 400 race in Las Vegas.
UEN also announced a similar deal with Grambling State.
According to HBCU Gameday, SWAC leadership sent a reminder stating that member institutions such as FAMU and Grambling State cannot sign national rights deals in linear or digital form.
SWAC institutions can broadcast on their own individual streaming networks, local television and regional television.
FAMU baseball coach Jamey Shouppe, meanwhile, has witnessed the multiple athletic director changes during his nine years. Shouppe’s baseball program also appeared to be in line for upgrades, including replacing the Moore-Kittles Field’s grass surface with an artificial turf.
“I like Kortne, he’s a good guy and I wish him the world of luck,” Shouppe said. “I felt like he did a lot during his time for FAMU.”
FAMU athletics over recent years has been plagued by fiscal challenges and instability.
According to USA Today’s annual review of schools’ athletics revenue and expenses, FAMU’s total revenue has hovered between just under $7 million to $12.5 million from 2005 to the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
A familiar name steps in
Michael Smith (Photo: FAMU Athletics)
Smith, meanwhile, is a familiar name within FAMU.
Robinson named him the school’s interim director of athletics in 2013.
The former Rattler football player had served as Associate Director of Athletics since 2010, primarily responsible for internal operations.
In over 20 years at FAMU, Smith has also served Florida A&M as the Director of Business and Auxiliary Services, Title IX chairperson, an auditor with FAMU’s Inspector General’s Office, as well as the Business Manager for the Division of Student Affairs.
Smith graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting at Florida A&M University in 1985.
His son, Mallex Smith, is a professional baseball player and former star at Rickards.
Tune into the Winners’ Announcement Ceremony on Tuesday, April 26th at 6 pm EST
HBCUs have some of the finest students and resources in the country. But to ensure they can maintain their cherished campuses too, The Retool Your School Campus Improvement Grant program created an impactful initiative that funds sustainable school improvements. On Tuesday, April 26, 2022, The Home Depot will host a ceremony announcing the 2022 Retool Your School winners as well as celebrate the importance of HBCUs.
Seasoned actor, Howard University alumnus, and long-time supporter of the program, Laz Alonso will host the event, which will be livestreamed on HBCU Buzz’s Facebook Page the Retool Your School website and Instagram Live @RetoolYourSchool. Joining Alonso, guest speaker, esteemed actor, and North Carolina A&T alumnus, Terrence J will talk about the importance of his HBCU experience and how it has shaped his life. DJ Stormy, an Alabama State University alumna, will be providing the music entertainment. It’s a night not to be missed.
Many HBCUs will benefit from the Retool Your School program. 59 HBCUs participated in the program this year, but a whopping 30 HBCUs will receive campus improvement grants ranging from $20,000 to $75,000, totaling $1 million in grants that will be awarded this year. One HBCU will be honored with the Campaign of the Year Award worth $45,000 for the school with the most original and creative marketing campaign to garner votes from their communities.
Since the program began in 2009, over $4.2 million dollars in campus improvement grants have been awarded to 74 HBCUs. 153 grants have been awarded to date, which will increase with this year’s winners. Including 2022, almost 54 million votes have been cast. In the 2022 contest alone, almost 10 million votes were added to the tally, a new record!
Winning schools are chosen through votes cast on the Retool Your School website and votes on Twitter and Instagram. To drive voting, schools made videos that they posted on social media, and votes were added each time supporters engaged using the school’s specific hashtag. For example, Jackson State University had the hashtag #RYSJackson. In the past, Jackson State has been able to update a lounge for commuter students, make playground and amphitheater improvements, and create an outdoor study space.
