Dylan Howard recently departed with Alabama A&M University, and now we may know why. Howard just accepted another coaching position at another HBCU! Learn more in the Alcorn State University Athletics story below.
Alcorn State University head men’s basketball coach Landon Bussie announced on Wednesday the hiring of Dylan Howard as Associate Head Coach of the Braves program. Howard, a veteran coach with almost three decades of experience, brings his talent to Lorman after spending the last four seasons as the head coach at Alabama A&M University.
“We are excited to have Coach Howard as a part of our family,” said Bussie of the new hire. “His experience and knowledge of the game will be huge for this upcoming season. He checked off all the boxes, and I look forward to working with him.”
Howard took over the Bulldog program as the interim head coach prior to the 2018 season and immediately impacted the program’s success. During the 2019-20 season, Alabama A&M saw its best record since its 2015-16 outing and made it to the semi-final round of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Tournament last season for the first time in five years.
Before helming the Alabama A&M men’s basketball program, Howard acted as the associate head coach for the 2017-19 season. He held the same position at Morehead State for five seasons, helping the team win 86 games and a second-place finish in the 2016 College Basketball Invitational.
Howard was the top assistant at Mississippi Valley State from 2008-11. He assisted in putting together two top-50 recruiting classes in three seasons at MVSU. Coach Howard recruited five All-SWAC players, including 2012 MVP Paul Crosby and SWAC Tournament MVP Cor-J Cox.
Prior to MVSU, Howard had a seven-year run (2001-08) as the head coach at Division III Hardin-Simmons in Abilene, Texas. He was named American Southwest Conference Coach of the Year in 2005 after guiding the Cowboys to their first-ever league tournament appearance. In 2007, HSU reached the ASC Tournament championship game for the first time in school history.
As a player, Howard played at UAB and led them to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1986 and 1987 and an NIT Final Four berth in 1989. After college, he went on to be a two-time all-league selection in the Asian Professional Basketball Association in Taipei, Taiwan.
Howard earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from UAB in 1992 and a master’s degree in sports recreation and management from Hardin-Simmons in 2005.
In 2010, Howard was named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s Silver Anniversary Team.
Howard is married to his wife Nicole, and they have one daughter, Danielle.
The AUC community and beyond is in shock after learning that a violent day in 2020 will end in no charges. Learn more in the story from Ayana Archie at NPR.
Taniyah Pilgrim and Messiah Young address the press at Morehouse College in Atlanta. Prosecutors filed charges against six officers involved in the couple’s arrest. (Photo Credit: John Bazemore/AP)
An Atlanta district attorney has dropped the charges for six police officers accused of battery and aggravated assault against two college students, after they were out past curfew following a George Floyd protest in 2020, the DA announced Monday.
Video footage shows officers on foot confronting two Black young adults, Taniyah Pilgrim and Messiah Young, who, at the time, were students of Spelman College and Morehouse College, respectively. The pair had been passing officers in a car 45 minutes after the city’s 9 p.m. curfew.
After they appear to drive away briefly from the officers, Pilgrim and Young stop — at which point the officers swarm the vehicle. Stun guns are used on both occupants, who are ripped from the car as Pilgrim screams for them to stop.
“I agree with Mayor [Keisha Lance] Bottoms and I agree with our police chief, Erika Shields, when they both have conveyed in so many separate ways that the conduct in this incident — it is not indicative of the way that we treat people in the city of Atlanta,” Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Paul Howard told reporters at the time.
Pilgrim was never charged; Young was charged with attempting to elude officers before the charge was dismissed at the request of Bottoms, who apologized.
The officers charged following the incident were Lonnie Hood, Willie Sauls, Ivory Streeter, Mark Gardner, Armond Jones and Roland Claud. Streeter and Gardner were fired from the force, while the three others were placed on desk duty.
But Samir Patel, the temporary district attorney for the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, dropped the charges against the officers, arguing that the officers’ use of force was “the direct result of Mr. Young and Ms. Pilgrim’s resistance to and noncompliance with the officers’ instructions.”
Patel said the officers were acting within the Atlanta Police Department’s use of force policy, and that the force stopped after Pilgrim and Young were subdued by stun guns.
“The video that was widely distributed through media in the days following May 30, 2020, was not an accurate portrayal of the entire encounter between Mr. Young, Ms. Pilgrim, and law enforcement,” he said.
He continued, “I wholeheartedly believe that Georgia has made significant progress in improving how our communities and police work together and we must continue that positive path, always guided by the rule of law.”
Fans sit in the new stands after the first phase of the Bragg Memorial Stadium renovation project in September 2021 (Photo Credit: Tori Lynn Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat)
Florida A&M University has been moving at a steady pace since the start of the Bragg Memorial Stadium renovations, which began in February 2021.
FAMU received $10 million in 2020 from the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency to renovate the stadium. Of that amount, nearly $4 million was used last year to complete the east side renovations during Phase I of the project, leaving about $6 million for the Phase II renovations currently underway on the west side.
Phase II is divided into two stages of construction.
FAMU’s Board of Trustees held a construction oversight meeting on May 12 to discuss the status and Phase 2 — the current phase of the construction work — which has a budget of $8 million after the university added $2 million to the original $6 million remaining in the budget.
Although restroom and concession stand renovations at the stadium have been a recurring concern, they are not a part of the project. The university plans on making those repairs to address ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements once funding is in place, according to Rebecca Brown, interim chief financial officer and vice president for finance and administration, during a presentation to the 220 Quarterback Club.
Despite losing some work days due to weather, the university is about a week ahead of schedule with the project.
“We did a walkthrough yesterday on the site, and I was excited to see that everything was shipped and is being installed,” Brown said during the meeting.
FAMU Bragg Memorial Stadium Phase 2a construction activities as of Friday, May 6 (Photo Credit: Florida A&M University)
It is estimated that up to 3,000 seats have been lost on the west side of the stadium because of the work being done, but the university says that there will still be ample seating for everyone.
Currently, about 40% of the construction work is complete. The project’s contractor, Allstate Construction, is working on wrapping up Phase 2a by the university’s estimated substantial completion date, which is Aug. 31.
FAMU plans to have the stadium ready in time for its first home football game against Albany State University on Sept. 10. FAMU has five home games this season.
The university is still operating within budget. Out of its $8 million budget, 96% of the amount has been contracted, as 13% went toward expenses while the remaining 83% has been set aside for contractual obligations. There is 4%, or $320,000, of the budget remaining.
Phase 2a completed project tasks:
Demolished and modified support beams and columns
Started cleaning, preparing and painting all existing grandstand steel
Installed existing grandstand steel vertical columns and column top plates
Started shipping new grandstand support structures
Phase 2a structural repairs and seating renovation schedule:
Erect structural frame (May 3 – July 8)
Install pans and seating (May 4 – Aug. 5)
Fabricate and deliver press box (May 3 – Aug. 10)
Electrical installation (July 5 – Aug. 29)
As the stadium’s press box is in the process of being built there is a minor delay in the extruded aluminum needed for the windows. It will not interrupt the completion of the project, according to Facilities Project Managers David Rosenfeld and Bodie Young.
Outgoing Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey is looking back his time at the HBCU after decades of trailblazing. Learn more in the story from Jessica Nolte at The Roanoke Times.
Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey stands inside his office earlier this month. Harvey will retire as president June 30, 2022, making him one of the longest-serving current college presidents in the country.Newport News Daily Press
Hampton University President William Harvey has spent 44 years making decisions using one guiding principle: Do what’s right and best.
Not all decisions have been popular, but his choices helped turn a once-struggling Hampton Institute into Hampton University with Virginia’s first proton therapy cancer treatment center. It also became the first historically Black school to lead a NASA mission, launching a satellite into space to study clouds.
Harvey will retire in June after graduating nearly 40,000 students, adding 92 academic degrees — including 12 doctoral programs — and 30 buildings to the campus over those four-plus decades. He also oversaw the growth of the university’s endowment from $29 million to $400 million.
“The growth and development that I have witnessed under Dr. Harvey’s successful leadership have been, in a word, triumphant,” Trustee Wesley Coleman said in a statement after Harvey announced his retirement plans in December 2020. “The significance of this president’s legendary contributions to Hampton will be celebrated for generations.”
Hampton’s proton therapy institute, which opened in September 2010, was the eighth in the country and first at a Historically Black College and University. It has provided treatment to more than 3,000 cancer patients.
Before opening the treatment center, the university already was the first Virginia school to offer a medical physics graduate program, which partnered with a nearby federal nuclear research facility.
The proton therapy institute was created to be an “environment where science and compassion meet,” where researchers can advance the treatment of prostate, breast and lung cancer. One of the goals is for researchers to find ways to reduce damage to healthy tissue near the cancerous cells.
“I believe in service. I believe in helping others — and I don’t believe in doing it in a second-hand manner,” Harvey said. “That’s why, Hampton is, I think, one of the wonders of the world.”
Harvey, 81, was born in Brewton, Alabama. He owns degrees from Talladega College, Virginia State University and Harvard University, as well as 11 honorary doctorates.
He’s served on numerous boards, including the National Geographic Society, National Merit Scholarship Corporation and National Collegiate Athletic Association, and is the sole owner of a plant that bottles Pepsi products in Houghton, Michigan.
Harvey prides himself on the fact that he’s met with every sitting president since Jimmy Carter, and two presidents — George H. W. Bush and Barack Obama — have sat on a couch in his office.
Harvey worked at Harvard after graduating from the school and was slated for promotion to an assistant dean when he decided to move south and work at a predominately Black school. Growing up as the son of a civil rights activist, it was important for him to be at an institution that gave opportunities to Black students.
“Back in the ‘60s you didn’t have very many African Americans in a place like Harvard,” Harvey said. “I wanted to use my training, my energy, my effort toward supporting African Americans.
“All of my mentors and advisors said that I probably was making a mistake because my star would have risen faster if I’d stayed at Harvard. They may have been right, but what I said to them was that I had to follow my north star — not their north star.”
He worked in administration at Tuskegee and Fisk before landing at Hampton in 1978 to serve as the school’s 12th president.
Harvey said he planned to run the school like a business for educational purposes. Hampton Institute hadn’t had a balanced budget for more than 30 years, and there were talks about dissolving the college to turn it into a prep school.
As president, Harvey made several cuts, including limiting travel for staff and faculty to keep the university operating within the revenue it generated. He’s prided himself on keeping the school’s budget balanced every year.
“My daddy used to say, ‘Life is simple. People make it complicated,” Harvey said.
Harvey has seen the occasional student protest but said he tries to work with student leaders to find solutions — such as when students told him that the dining hall was insufficient. He helped raise $25 million for a new facility, which opened in 2012. When complaints about the dining hall and food resurfaced in 2018, the school established a group of 10 students to meet monthly to discuss concerns.
Under Harvey’s leadership, academics have improved and the average SAT score for accepted students has risen by more than 300 points. But recently, Hampton has faced challenges with the accreditation of its School of Pharmacy.
Hampton has sued the Accrediting Council on Pharmacy Education for refusing to accredit the program and the matter is still before the court. Students enrolled through the class of 2023 will not be affected and will graduate with the same rights and privileges as those from accredited programs.
Some were upset again after he made Hampton the first college in Virginia to require students, faculty and staff to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The school offered religious and medical exemptions, but 99% of students and 98% of faculty and staff are vaccinated.
Harvey said he “really doesn’t care if people are going to push back on things that are right.”
More than two years into the pandemic, campus visitors still need to have a negative COVID test administered by the school and must undergo temperature checks.
“I always say do what you think is right and best, and then let the chips fall where they may,” he said.
Harvey was recently criticized for opening the university’s doors for the upcoming summer semester to students from Ukraine.
Some, he says, felt as though the predominately Black university shouldn’t be focused on helping the predominately white Ukrainian students, especially when there are Black students in need.
But Harvey said, for him, it’s not about race. He was moved to tears as he talked about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and recent bombings of homes, children and maternity wards.
Since starting at Hampton, he’s met monthly with student leaders and faculty. He’s also had 17 of his administrators go on to become presidents of other colleges.
Harvey emphasized that he has loved being Hampton’s president. In fact, he would devote at least two or three hours a day to working in his office on weekends and holidays. Still, he knew it was his time to retire.
“I’m not a spring chicken anymore,” Harvey said. “I’m 81 years old, but my energy level and my mental acuity, I feel like I did 50 or 60 years ago.”
But he knows it won’t always be that way. He’s got other things to accomplish.
Harvey plans to use his retirement to write. He released his first book in 2016 “Principles of Leadership: The Harvey Leadership Model,” with 10 chapters on leadership, which covered everything from having a vision and a work ethic to being innovative.
He has one book finished that’s been delayed because of the pandemic and another on the way. After that, he says it’ll be time to get to work on his memoir. He plans to title it “The Journey was the Reward” because “every single place that I’ve ever been was terrific.”
“I believe, as honestly as I can look you in the eyes and tell you, the Lord has ordered my steps because I could not have done all the things that I have done if that had not been the case,” he said.
Harvey said he hopes that under Williams’ leadership the university will “continue to excel.” He said the school had more than 23,000 applicants for roughly 1,000 slots in its freshmen class.
As for his future involvement with the university, Harvey plans to take the lead from Williams.
“If he doesn’t ask me, I’m not going to get involved at all,” Harvey said. “If he asks me, I’ll be just as involved as he wants me to be because, for me, I love Hampton.”
Huston-Tillotson University President Dr. Colette Pierce Burnett has made history with her new head role at a well-known Indianapolis art museum. Learn more about Dr. Burnette’s new position in the Black Enterprise story by Atiya Jordan.
(Photo Credit: Kylie Birchfield)
Educator Colette Pierce Burnette, current president of HBCU Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas, is preparing to assume a historic role as the next president and chief executive of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.
The Cleveland, Ohio, native and Harvard graduate will be the first Black woman to lead Newfields in the museum’s 139-year history, Art Newsreported. She brings a laudable reputation and extensive experience in education, engineering, information technology, and public service.
“I am thrilled to become part of a team driven to meet Newfields’ mission of enriching lives purposefully and intentionally through exceptional experiences with art and nature,” Pierce Burnette said in a statement.
Pierce Burnette’s appointment follows the resignation of Charles L. Venable last year amid the uproar over a job listing seeking a director who would be responsible for maintaining a “traditional, core, white art audience.” The intuition apologized and is working toward an action plan that will meet the demands from “activists for a stronger diversity commitment and a healthier workplace culture,” according to Art News.
In her role, Pierce Burnette will see through an action plan which includes a $20 million endowment to obtain works from underrepresented artists, establish a program for antiracist and bias training, and acquire hiring reforms.
“I am excited to lead Newfields at this unique moment to make it a place every person in Indianapolis and beyond is excited to visit, and every team member is proud to work,” said Pierce Burnette.
Pierce Burnette holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from The Ohio State University and a master of science in administration from Georgia College. She is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Management Development Program and the University of Pennsylvania with an Ed.D. in higher education administration.
Pierce Burnette was honored as 2021 Austinite of the Year by the city’s Chamber of Commerce as an educator and as co-chair for the Mayor’s Task Force on Institutional Racism and Systemic Inequities.
She will start her new role August 1.
“Dr. Burnette was a clear standout amongst an impressive slate,” said Darrianne Christian, the first Black woman to be Newfield’s chair of the Board of Trustees, according toThe Indianapolis Star. “Her extensive professional achievements reflect her ability to deliver on her passion to innovate and advance the arts, education, and green spaces. She is lauded by her staff, peers, and the communities she served for being a humble leader with an immense amount of respect and empathy for everyone she encounters.”
Grambling State University‘s Baptist Collegiate Ministry has gotten its community through some hard times. Learn more about how their work has helped others keep their faith in the story by Brian Blackwell at Baptist Message below.
George Lee, campus director of the Grambling State University Baptist Collegiate Ministries, encourages students and others during a prayer gathering on campus. (Photo Credit: Baptist Message)
Soon after an October fatal shooting rocked the Grambling State University community, Baptist Collegiate Ministry Director George Lee IV stepped up and organized a prayer and worship service at a local church.
What followed was a movement of the Holy Spirit that helped bring healing to a hurting community.
Around 60 students participated in a time of prayer on Oct. 21 at the Springs Church, a church plant of Temple Baptist Church, Ruston. Two students at the event restored fellowship with the Lord and many more cried out to God for an end to the violence during the service at the church that is less than four miles from the Grambling State campus.
“God has a way of using tragedy for His glory,” Grambling State BCM uses Gospel to heal campus Lee told the Baptist Message. “When there is loss of life there ought to be an appreciation for life. We ought to appreciate every moment we’re given.”
“The campus got closer in the days following the shooting and the worship service,” he continued. “Prayer began to be more and more a part of students’ lives. I spoke with several students on the heels of that tragic event who shared how that incident basically was the straw that broke the camel’s back. An incident like that was so jarring that it led them to talk about other issues that they were dealing with, and it pointed several students to Jesus that week.”
Since the service, Lee and his students have continued to see God move.
Lee, who also serves as the chaplain for the football team, has ministered to players and coaches who lost loved ones during the 2021 season. Recently, the Grambling State BCM partnered with Ruston evangelist Luke Hockenjos to distribute 150 leather-bound Tony Evans study Bibles to players and coaches.
Additionally, a BCM leadership team of 15 has met weekly for planning and Bible study since the beginning of the school year. Most recently the leadership team helped re-launch a time of weekly prayer called “Prayer on the Yard,” which takes place at the hub of campus. They have invited students and pastors of the community to pray each week for God to continue impacting the campus and area for Him.
“At one point, Prayer on the Yard was common but over the years it kind of fell off,” Lee explained. “Since I arrived at the BCM in early 2020, campus-wide prayer has been a huge focus of mine.
“When we had our first prayer meeting on the yard, you could feel God’s presence,” he continued. “There was so much positive feedback we received from the administration and the student body about how it allowed for people to come with burdens and leave refreshed. To see students, some of whom are called to ministry, lead alongside our local pastors and ministry leaders was amazing. The mission of the GSU BCM is to show and share the love of Christ on the campus and in the community. Our aim is to do this through reaching, connecting, strengthening, and mobilizing our campus for God’s glory. I believe God is going to unify our campus and our community and prayer will be the key to revival at Grambling.”
God has moved mightily since the shooting, Lee said, but he believes the best is yet to come.
“I’m blown away by what God has done,” Lee said. “The past two years of campus ministry have been challenging, but God has been faithful in the midst of that challenging season.
“It’s my hope we go from ministry to movement on campus and that students will grow in their faith,” he continued. “If students know how to share the Gospel, they know how to study God’s word, they understand the importance of being a part of the local church, and they have developed the heart posture of living on mission, I have done my job.”
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ premieres in theaters on May 27
Top Gun is back, and if you enjoyed the classic you’ll be overjoyed with this long-awaited sequel. Premiering May 27, Top Gun: Maverick is packed with all of the action, star-power, and aerial tricks that you can handle. Tom Cruise returns as the Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a man who has done plenty of growing up since his young days of being the most fearless flier in his Navy fighter weapons school. Now he’s had over 30 years of experience, and this time around he’ll be doing the teaching.
After some encouragement, Captain Maverick returns to the Navy to preside over an all-new team played by an all-star cast. Cyclone (Jon Hamm) encourages Maverick to do all he can to instruct a special group of new pilots. Hand-picked as the best of the best, Brad “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), Phoenix (Monica Barbaro), Payback (Jay Ellis), Bob (Lewis Pullman), and Hangman (Glen Powell) must now do their best to keep up.
Despite being the best to fly the skies, Maverick is an embattled choice for leadership for this big mission. “You should be at least a two-star admiral by now,” he is told by Rear Admiral (Ed Harris) in the trailer. “Yet here you are, Captain. Why is that?” Maverick replies simply, “it’s one of life’s mysteries, sir.” As if the stakes aren’t high enough, one pilot in particular questions the captain’s competency as well. Young Rooster has a bone to pick with Maverick due to the untimely death of his father Iceman (Val Kilmer) during a dangerous previous mission. For years, Rooster has blamed Maverick for his father’s demise. As he battles internally with his competing loyalty to his father and his assignment, his indecision may put everything and everyone in jeopardy. No one’s survival is guaranteed, and they must all band together before it’s too late.
See the team in action when Top Gun: Maverick premieres in theaters on May 27th.
Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) announces Andre Gray will serve as Interim Men’s Basketball Coach for the upcoming season. Gray comes to ECSU from North Carolina Central University where he has served as the men’s basketball program Assistant Coach since July 2021. Gray’s contract with ECSU officially started May 16 following the departure of former coach Shawn Walker, but his full-time status with the Athletic Department begins Monday, May 23.
“Chancellor Dixon and I thank Andre for taking on this interim role to keep the team moving forward,” says ECSU Interim Director of Athletics James DuBose. “He has been honing his recruitment, player development, academic advising, and game planning skills for several decades, and his experience is a welcome addition to the team.”
Gray has been part of the North Carolina collegiate basketball landscape since 2001 when he got his start as an Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Methodist College in Fayetteville. He went on to scout, run program operations, lead player conditioning efforts, serve as defensive coordinator, and much more at Wingate, Gardner-Webb, Western Carolina, UNC-Wilmington, Winston Salem State, UNC-Charlotte, UNC‑Greensboro, and NC Central universities.
Gray has recruited and developed:
Five (5) National All-Americans
Six (6) Mid Major All-Americans
Three (3) Academic All-Americans
25 All-Conference Players
Four (4) different Conference Players of the Year
He holds school record wins at UNC-Greensboro, Western Carolina, and Wingate universities, and made history when he helped the first team from the South Atlantic Conference – the Wingate Bulldogs – to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 2007. Gray graduated from the NCAA ACE Program for rising minority coaches, and is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I Assistant Coaches Committee.
“I am thankful to Chancellor Dixon and Interim Director of Athletics James DuBose for this opportunity,” says Andre Gray. “To serve as head coach in the CIAA, even on an interim basis, is a dream come true and an honor I do not take for granted. ECSU has cultivated a culture that provides student-athletes an elite experience, supporting their success in the classroom, on the court, and in the community. We will make the Viking family proud.”
Gray is originally from Elizabethtown, North Carolina, and earned a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Methodist College in 1998. He is pursuing a master’s degree in Sport Management from Western Carolina University which will be completed in June 2022.
HBCUs may be thought of as just campuses for college-age students, but they’re so much more. Often during summers, HBCUs offer opportunities for local youth to expand their knowledge in facilitated programs. Learn more in the AFRO D.C. story by Deborah Bailey.
This summer, HBCUs across America are opening their campuses to children and teens of all ages. (Photo Credit: Jeswin Thomas/Unsplash.com)
Summer is the time to introduce the young person in your life to a (Historically Black College and University) HBCU campus. Let’s say you attended an HBCU, and want to instill that priceless HBCU love in your offspring. On the other hand, perhaps, you’ve never stepped foot on one of the nation’s 109 public and private federally designated Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Either way, Summer at an HBCU – either in your state – or across the nation represents an incredible time to help the young person in your life learn a new skill, make new friends and experience the rich history, culture and continuing resilience of Black folks in America through an HBCU.
Most camps have started offering in-person options again, giving you and your young person an opportunity to experience both the campus –and the camp. Eat in the college cafeteria, explore the college library and visit the classrooms. Walk across campus and engage college students who will be in summer sessions of their own, when you drop your child off at your chosen HBCU summer camp. Stay close to home or combine an HBCU youth camp experience with a trip to visit relatives out of state.
Summer is almost here, so if you still don’t have choices nailed down for the child or teen in your life – c’mon, let’s get it. Spaces for HBCU summer camps across the nation are at a premium now and be sure to check out whether the camp is daytime only, or offers a residential option on campus. The camps below still have open deadlines in fields ranging from general summer enrichment to STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics) and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) camps to sports camps.
Albany State University – Albany Georgia: STEM Pre-College, June 6-17 (ages 15-17); STEM Enrichment June 13- July 1 (Ages 10-18); Music and Visual Arts Summer Camp (ages 11-17) and others. https://www.asurams.edu/news/2022/summer-camps-2022.php
Jackson State University – Jackson Mississippi: Coding Academy (age 18) June 6-July 1; hurry deadline soon); Volleyball Skills Camp (Age 11-13); Summer Bridge Program; (graduating seniors) June 6- July 9; https://www.jsums.edu/summercamps/about/
Prairie View A&M University –Prairie View, Texas: 4-H Junior Youth Leadership Lab (rising 6-8 graders) July 5-7. Registration starts June 1; Panther STEM Residential High School Career Exploration Camp (Grades 9- 12) July 24-July 30; Summer College Prep for pre-med (rising juniors and seniors) June 27-June 30 hurry deadline approaching; https://www.pvamu.edu/admissions/spao/camps/
University of the District of Columbia; WEAVE Summer Camp (Young Women Exposed Actively to the Value of Engineering) (grades9-12) June 18-22; https://www.udc.edu/2018/05/15/udc-biomedical-engineering-summer-programs/University of Maryland Eastern Shore – Princess Anne, Maryland: HAWKS MUREP Precollege Summer Institute (grades 9-12) July 10-22, contact Dr. Joseph Arumala oarumala@umes.edu; Japanese Summer Language Experience (rising 8-12 grades) July 11-22; Chinese Summer Language Experience (rising 8-12 grades) July 11-22. https://wwwcp.umes.edu/president/summer-camps-2022/
Bennett College students have had their balances cleared in a surprise charitable donation. Learn more from Josh Rodgers at Afrotech below.
(Photo Credit: United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry)
Graduation season is usually accompanied by receiving congratulatory gifts and the big question of what’s next.
Well, nearly 500 women at North Carolina’s Bennett College got an answer for the future in the form of a gift. Debt Collective, a union of debtors rallying against consumer debt, contacted the president of the HBCU and offered to clear the debt for the current graduating class.
The Right Email Came Through
According to USA Today, Bennett College President Suzanne Walsh ignored the initial email for the group. She was skeptical about such a request, thinking no one would simply reach out and cover such a lump sum.
However, the correspondence to Walsh was not a scam. When the Debt Collective and Bennett College officials finally spoke, the group negotiated to pay for $1.7 million in unpaid student balances.
Officially canceling the debt for these women means they no longer have a student balance and now have full access to postgraduate records.
Based on a statement by Braxton Brewington, spokesperson for the Debt Collective, they chose Bennet College because data indicated that Black women have higher student loan balances than any other group of student loan borrowers. However, the eliminated balances only include direct debt owed to the school and not federal student loan balances.
“These are the people that are really taking the brunt of the student debt crisis,” Brewington said to USA Today.
The Real Solution Requires More
Clearing debt at Bennett College comes when many activists and groups (including the Debt Collective) are pushing President Joe Biden to cancel all federal student loan debt. During the current president’s campaign, one of his promises was to eliminate up to $10,000 in debt per borrower. Additionally, he supported the idea and policy proposal to eliminate the federal student loan debt of middle and low-income HBCU students.
Groups like the Debt Collective believe student loan debt does not have to be a barrier for students, past and present. As the pandemic made headway, student loan payments were paused. Some suggest that this move was an indicator for many that cancellation is achievable and would not have a substantial economic impact.
The Debt Collective believes its work is not the solution but an example of what is possible.
“We are shouting from the rooftops that this is something the government should be doing, not a group of activists from Occupy Wall Street,” Brewington said to USA Today.
Two Tennessee State University graduates are heading to the United States Football League to play with a team based in Michigan. Learn more in the release from Tennessee State Athletics below.
Source: Tennessee State University Athletics
Tennessee State University football recent graduates Cory Rahman and Eddie Graham are headed to the United States Football League as Week 6 free agent signees with the Michigan Panthers, the league announced on Thursday.
The duo is expected to suit up for the Panthers on Saturday as they take on the Birmingham Stallions in the nightcap (6:30 p.m. CT) on NBC.
Rahman recently spent time at the Miami Dolphins post-draft minicamp after a very successful season with the Tigers in 2021. Rahman, a second-team ALL-OVC tied for the team lead with two interceptions and had four broken-up plays. He was second on the squad with 65 tackles (41 solo and 24 assists). On the safety blitz, Rahman had one sack for six yards. He also recovered a fumble at Mississippi State.
Graham tied with Rahman for the team lead with a pair of interceptions in 10 games and collected 35 total tackles (23 solo and 12 assisted). Graham also tied for the TSU lead with five broken-up defensive plays and had one quarterback hurry.
Rahman and Graham are the seventh and eighth former TSU Tigers to either get drafted or signed as free agents during the inaugural season of the USFL. In March, Mekhi Brown, Chidi Okeke, Chris Rowland, Robert Myers, Terrell Bonds, and Brandon Haskin were all taken during the league’s inaugural draft.
The Panthers, led by Tennessee Titans’ former head coach Jeff Fisher are tied for the third in the North Division. All of the USFL games are played at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.
For more information on the USFL, please visit theusfl.com.
2022 Tennessee State University Season ticket renewals are now available by clicking here.
A shocking new study recently shared that college teams with Black coaches are often more penalized than teams with white coaches. Learn more about this shocking story in the Buzzfeed News article by Dan Vergano below.
Dino Babers, head coach of the Syracuse Orange, calls a timeout during the second quarter against the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Nov. 12, 2016, at The Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. (Credit:Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
College football teams with Black coaches average around five to seven more penalties per season than teams with white coaches, regardless of team or school quality.
College football teams with Black coaches are penalized more often than teams with coaches who are white, a new study of the highest division teams has found. They are given five to seven extra penalties per season compared to ones with white coaches.
The finding raises new concerns about racism in sports refereeing.
The Social Science Quarterly study released on Sunday held true even adjusting for the quality of the players, coaches, and schools studied. It comes amid rising concern about the dearth of Black coaches at both the professional and college level in football, a sport where 7 out of 10 players in its highest ranks, the NFL, are Black.
“Teams with Black head coaches are more frequently penalized,” said lead author Andrew Davis of North Carolina State University, based on the analysis of all Division I colleges football games from the 2014 to 2019 seasons.
College football teams typically receive 4 to 10 penalties per game, so the effect over a season is not huge. A 12- or 15-game season might have 50 to 150 penalties for a team, which would roughly average to a 5% increase in penalties for teams with Black coaches.
However, penalties are supposed to be given fairly, and football is famously “a game of inches,” the study authors note, where winning or losing can turn on the smallest setback. “Penalties, no matter how many yards they are worth, can disrupt the momentum of a team, kill scoring drives, cost important yardage and downs on defense, and cost teams precious opportunities in close games,” Davis said.
That said, it’s important to note that the study found an association between the two and could not conclusively prove the additional penalties were directly due to the coaches’ race or ethnicity.
Representatives from both the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which runs Division I football, and the National Association of Sports Officials declined to comment on the study after requesting copies of the findings.
In the study, the researchers first looked at both the number of penalties and penalty yards across the 2019 Division I college football season (the highest division), finding more of both given to teams where the head coaches were Black. They then extended the analysis back to 2014, and found that teams with Black coaches typically were given 5.5 more penalties in a 12-game season and nearly 7 more penalties in a 15-game season. (They could not statistically show the penalty yards effect, however, for the longer time period.) The study controlled for other factors in the analysis, such as winning percentage, recruiting quality, US News & World Report rank of the school, whether it had a Black quarterback, coaching experience, and its conference.
If confirmed, the penalties finding wouldn’t be too surprising considering the history of discrimination at US colleges, seen both in sports and in the classroom, Davis said. “Referees, who have a great deal of discretion over what gets called a penalty, and what does not on any given play, may attribute racial stereotypes regarding lack of discipline to teams coached by Black coaches.”
In about 40 states, head college football coaches are the highest-paid public employees, with salaries soaring in recent decades. The new study reveals a new dimension to how race might affect coaches in the sport, some experts said.
“I think they provide compelling evidence of differences in the number of penalties per game,” said Texas A&M’s George Cunningham, an expert in sports management. “The results show another form of bias that Black coaches face in the football context, whether in college or professional.”
While the penalty effect is newsworthy, it “does not necessarily mean that race is the cause of the penalties, just that there is a strong relationship between having a Black head coach and receiving more penalties,” said Jeremy Foreman of University of Louisiana at Lafayette, who has done separate research finding Black players were more often penalized in football. That might partly explain the penalty effect found in the study, he suggested, if Black coaches end up recruiting more Black players, who are in turn penalized disproportionately.
However, Eastern Collegiate Football Officials Association Commissioner Milt Halstead told BuzzFeed News that he doubted the penalty effect found by the study was real. “Referees are watching the play on the field, not the coaches,” he said. “That’s where the penalties happen.”
Davis acknowledged that the analysis would be stronger if the timing of the penalties could be measured to see if they came at pivotal moments in the game, perhaps by studying game footage. That could help tell if the added penalties were really affecting game outcomes. The study also turned up a curious finding that teams with higher-quality recruits were more likely to be penalized overall, suggesting that referees might try to “even competition” in games.
Professional football has long been grappling with questions about racism, with players who participated in national anthem protests in 2017 more likely to take a pay cut or be sent to another team. In NFL officiating, some evidence suggests holding penalties are called more often early in games on Black players. The 2021 NFL football season ended with a Black coach, Brian Flores of the Miami Dolphins, charging that racism played a role in his firing. The pro league required all teams to hire at least one woman or person of color as a coach this year, in response to wider concerns about a lack of Black coaches in the pro ranks.
Claflin University has locked in on it next head basketball coach! Learn more in the release from Claflin University Athletics below.
Source: Claflin University Athletics
A new chapter has begun in Claflin University men’s basketball as Brion Dunlap was announced as the head coach of the Panthers, Thursday, morning. After a national search and a thorough process of interviewing, Dunlap was chosen to lead the next exciting era of Panthers basketball.
“This is a great opportunity for myself, having two leaders such as Dr. Warmack and Mr. O’Neal that want to win. They’ve been winners all their lives and winners and I’m trying to be a part of that program,” Dunlap said at his introductory press conference. “Winners create winners and that’s my goal. To produce championships, to raise banners, and most importantly, to have every student-athlete who comes to our program walk across that stage to get their degree and raise banners that will last forever.”
Dunlap comes to Claflin University after a successful stint at Harris Stowe State University where he spent five successful seasons with the Hornets. He compiled an 81-56 overall record and claimed three AMC Tournament Championships (2017, 2018, and 2020). The run included numerous individual honors for members of the Hornets’ teams. Among the honors was also an NAIA First Team All-American and an NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athlete. He also guided the development of two first team All-AMC selections, three second team All-AMC selections, and three third team All-AMC selections. There were also several other honors that were secured under Dunlap’s guidance.
“This young man took over a program [Harris Stowe] a few years back … and he built a successful program,” said Claflin University Director of Athletics Tony O’Neal. “Everybody talks about building a great team. Legacies are built on great programs.”
Prior to taking the reins at Harris Stowe, Dunlap spent a season as an assistant coach at fellow Centra Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) foe, Winston-Salem State University. It was with the Rams that Dunlap first became acquainted with the Panthers. Claflin claimed an 81-77 win over the Rams in that game. He also spent five seasons as an assistant coach at the College of the Holy Cross, where he helped the Crusaders to compile a 34-30 overall record in two seasons, including going 20-14 during the 2013-14 season, the team’s first 20-win season since the 2006-07 season. During Dunlap’s tenure, the Crusaders notched three finishes in the top half of the Patriot League standings.
In the upcoming season, the Panthers will feature a team that is well experienced and ready to head into the next chapter of Panthers basketball. Last season, the Panthers finished with a 7-20 overall record and lost in the first round of the 2022 CIAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament.
Coach Dunlap is a 1998 graduate of Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services Counseling. He was a four-year starter with the Monarchs and led the team to two NCAA Tournament appearances and two Colonial Athletic Association championships. He was named to the CAA All-Rookie team in 1995 and the CAA All-Tournament team in 1997, also earning Chevrolet Player of the Game honors following Old Dominion’s 59-55 loss to New Mexico in the first round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament. He still ranks among the all-time leaders in the CAA in career assists.
Elizabeth City State University will be on the lookout for its next head basketball coach after deciding not to renew Shawn Walker’s contract. Learn more about the circumstances that may have affected the decision in the Daily Advance story by David Gough below.
Shawn Walker (right) coaches Shykeef Daniels (left) in an Elizabeth City State basketball game at North Carolina, last November in Chapel Hill. ECSU relieved Walker of his head coaching duties on May 12. (Credit: The Associated Press)
Next season’s Elizabeth City State men’s basketball team will be led by a new head coach.
Shawn Walker was let go by the university on Thursday, May 12, after three seasons.
The university released the following statement to The Daily Advance via email on Wednesday:
“On May 12, ECSU parted ways with former men’s basketball coach Shawn Walker. We wish Shawn the best in his future endeavors and appreciate his time with the Vikings.”
In a phone interview on Wednesday, Walker, whose contract was up, expressed disappointment with the decision.
He pointed to his team’s winning record last season despite a number of roster issues: Zaccheus Hobbs dealt with injuries; center Samuel Sowunmi traveled back to his home country of Nigeria for Christmas and has still been unable to return to the United States due to a visa problem; Justin Faison, a guard who scored 17.5 points per game, transferred last summer; and five walk-ons were in the lineup by season’s end.
“This could’ve been my best coaching job in figuring out how to play a team that has no size and the whole first semester and we had no point guard,” Walker said.
“You can’t outcoach acts of God,” he added.
Walker’s final game with ECSU came on Feb. 22 with a loss to Bowie State in the CIAA tournament.
The former ECSU basketball player and coach expressed disappointment with how the university chose to handle his termination.
When ECSU moved on from George Bright as athletic director, Walker said he received a phone call from an “extremely reliable source” who advised him that the university’s next move might be terminating him.
Acting on what the source told him, Walker said he had cleared his personal stuff out of his office by the beginning of April, understanding that he may not have a lot of time left as the men’s head coach.
He voiced frustration about having to wait until the middle of May to finally be told he would no longer have a job at ECSU.
“Nothing changed between February, the last game, and May 12,” Walker said. “Coaches get terminated in March. If you terminate me in March and just say ‘You know what, he’s not my guy,’ then why are we waiting months after the season?
“You could’ve let me go if you’re unhappy and I could’ve applied for other jobs. Whether I would’ve gotten them or not, I would have had a chance. Now I basically have no chance. The coaching carousel is almost done.”
Questions emailed by The Daily Advance to the university regarding details of Walker’s termination and when officials expect to have a new coach had not been answered as of Thursday afternoon.
Walker’s last three seasons with ECSU were in fact his second stint with the Vikings; he coached the women’s team in 2001-02 and the men’s team from 2002-14 before leaving to spend three seasons with NCAA Division I Grambling State.
In 16 combined seasons as the ECSU men’s head basketball coach, Walker compiled a 236-218 record and won the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship in 2007.
During his return stint, his three teams combined for a 40-46 record with this past season’s team being the only one with a winning record. The 2021-22 Vikings went 14-13 and tied for sixth place in the CIAA.
The Vikings did not play in 2020-21 because the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the season.
Though disappointed, Walker said he’s not mad at the university about his termination.
“Elizabeth City State has been good to me, has been good to my son — he grew up on that campus — and I am not mad with the university,” he said. “I’m going to support whoever the new coach is, going to support the university on a whole because the university itself didn’t make the decision. The people at the university did.”
If you don’t have a fashion sense when you step onto an HBCU campus, after being there a few days, you’ll at least start trying. Utilizing fashion as a form of expression and to make cultural statements, is something HBCU students take very seriously. Though not as serious, it is as innate as fighting for one’s rights. Whether rocking Sunday’s best or relaxing in ready to wear or school gear, having a well-executed ‘fit’ is something students take pride in. Knowing this about HBCU culture, and having attended an HBCU that is no stranger to bold fashion statements, Florida A&M University alumnus and entrepreneur David Castro took this into consideration when designing his latest collection of his headwear brand, Dungeon Forward. Dungeon Forward’s limited edition “The Yard Capsule” celebrates so many of the HBCUs we know and love.
As CEO, Castro has built a brand that shakes up the headwear industry, offering colorful designs and messages of empowerment on fitted hats, beanies, and more. When Castro envisioned The Yard Capsule collection, he knew he wanted to create something special that put a twist on his design blueprint. He sought to create a headwear collection that, when worn, would create a sense of pride that mirrored how students, alumni, and staff feel representing these institutions. “HBCUs cultivate cultural and personal pride in a country where the opposite intent is etched in history,” said Castro. “We imagine the collection enhancing the sense of pride for these institutions. In addition, we want to encourage people to be fans of HBCUs like they are fans of the universities that garner the most televised attention.”
David Castro, Dungeon Forward CEO (Provided)
The entrepreneur began small by acquiring the licensing rights from his alma mater. Fast forward to now, and Dungeon Forward has received rights for over 25 HBCUs. However, that’s not the end goal. In the future, Dungeon Forward wants to partner with student ambassadors at each of the featured campuses to engage them in the conversations that will move the culture forward.
The list of HBCUs featured in the collection includes:
Alabama A&M University
Alabama State
Albany State University
Alcorn State University
Bethune-Cookman University
Clark Atlanta University
Fayetteville State University
Florida A&M University
Grambling State University
Hampton University
Howard University
Jackson State University
Lincoln University
Morehouse College
Morgan State University
Norfolk State University
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
Kyle Jackson, a Bowie State University alumnus who has spent five previous seasons with BSU football, is entering his sixth in a new position. Learn more in the BSU Athletics release below.
Bowie State head coach Damon Wilson has announced that Kyle Jacksonhas been promoted to Defensive Coordinator after spending the past five seasons as the recruiting coordinator and coaching the linebackers for the Bulldogs.
“It was an honor to promote Coach Jackson as our defensive coordinator,” Wilson said. “Coach Jackson is a person that I had the opportunity to coach and watch him develop over the years. He has worked at multiple universities combined with his body of work at Bowie State he is the perfect person for the job. Coach Jackson ensures to put the players first and in the best position to be successful. I look forward to him leading the charge and upholding the standard.”
Now entering his sixth season in his second stint with Bowie State, Jackson was elevated to DC previously held by Antone’ Sewell who accepted a defensive coordinator position at Alabama State on March 1, 2022.
“It is an honor to be named Defensive Coordinator at a Nationally Ranked DII football program and not just any program, my alma mater,” Jackson said. “A place that gave me an opportunity and helped me grow into the man I am today.”
Since returning to Bowie State, Jackson has played an instrumental role in the success of the program. The Bulldogs finished the regular season ranked in the Top-25 within the last four seasons, advancing to the CIAA Conference Championship also in the last three seasons (2018, 2019, 2021) and winning in all three appearances. The Bulldogs have also advanced to the NCAA DII Playoffs the last four seasons (2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021).
Most recently, the Bulldogs made program history, securing its third-consecutive CIAA Conference Title, while advancing to the NCAA DII Playoffs for the fourth-straight season in 2021. The Bulldogs also advanced to the DII football quarterfinals, which is the furthest in program history. Finishing the season with a 12-2 overall mark, the Bulldogs broke the record for most wins in a single season. Jackson helped coached another strong defensive unit which finished in the top-10 nationally in multiple categories including: Defensive TDs (1st), Tackles for Loss (1st), Turnovers Gained (2nd), Third Down Defense (2nd), Fumbles Recovered (2nd), Sacks (3rd), Red Zone Defense (4th), Fourth Down Defense (6th), Pass Efficiency Defense (7th), Total Defense (9th), Scoring Defense (11th). Additionally, inside linebacker Wesley Bowers was named to the Super Region II Defensive First Team and selected to participate in the Inaugural HBCU Legacy Bowl.
In 2019, the Bulldogs finished the regular season undefeated (10-0) and were crowned CIAA Champions for the second-consecutive season. The Bulldogs finished the year with an 11-2 record and ranked in the Top-25 for the third-consecutive season. Jackson helped coach a defensive unit that finished in the top-10 nationally in multiple categories including: Interceptions (2nd), Tackles for Loss (2nd), Third Down Defense (4th), Defensive TDs (5th), Red Zone Defense (4th), Sacks (6th), Scoring Defense (7th) and Pass Efficiency Defense (9th). Outside linebacker, Jordan Carter was named to the All-CIAA Rookie Team.
In 2018, Jackson helped lead the program to its first 10-win season, first CIAA championship and its first NCAA playoff win in program history. The Bulldogs defense finished second in the CIAA for passing defense and led the conference in sacks. Inside linebacker, Daryll Ellison was named All-CIAA Honorable Mention.
The Bulldogs finished 9-2 overall and advanced to the NCAA Playoffs for the second time in school history in 2017. BSU’s defense finished No. 1 in the country in pass efficiency defense and ranked atop in the CIAA for scoring defense. Inside linebacker, Kyle Jacksonwas named All-CIAA Honorable Mention. “I want to say thank you to Coach Damon Wilson for giving me the opportunity and Coach Antone Sewell for laying the foundation. I am excited to lead this defense and continue the strong traditions that were built long before me!”
Prior to his return to Bowie State, Jackson spent the 2015 season at Division II Emporia State University as a Defensive Graduate Assistant. Jackson worked specifically with the defensive ends. He helped coach a defensive unit who increased their sack total from 18 in 2014 to 41.5 in 2015. The Hornets finished #7 in the nation after losing in the Quarterfinals of the Division II NCAA Playoffs.
Prior to Emporia State, Jackson spent the 2014 season as an assistant to the Director of Football Operations at Georgia State University (FBS) in Atlanta, Ga. While at GSU, Kyle gained a lot of knowledge of the game both on-and-off the field working closely with the recruiting coordinator and coaching staff.
Jackson was a four-year starter (2007-2010) at the linebacker position for the Bulldogs. His strong leadership and knowledge of the game helped him be named team captain in both 2009 and 2010 seasons. Jackson was an influential leader on the 2009 defense that finished ranked No. 1 in the nation in total defense.
A native of Baltimore, Md., Jackson received his Bachelors of Science in Sport Management from Bowie State University. Jackson is a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State University Athletics and its 13 varsity sports teams, please visit www.bsubulldogs.com.
