The Wakati Hair HBCU Homecoming Blowout Tour Is Coming To A City Near You

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Atlanta, DC, and Tallahassee, join the fun

It’s official: the 2021 Wakati Hair HBCU Homecoming Blowout Tour is here. Across three cities, curlfriends can celebrate the brand and have some real fun. The first stop was in Atlanta, and up next is the DMV! The University of DC, Howard University, Bowie State, Morgan State, and Coppin State. The tour finishes in Tallahassee, FL, so Florida A&M University, get ready! 

Wakati Hair is named after the Swahili word, ‘wakati,’ meaning “time.” The Wakati brand provides women the power to spend less time styling their hair and more time enjoying their kinks, curls, and coils. Wakati emphasizes creating experiences for women across generations to embrace and celebrate the hair care tradition.

ATL kept things fun for the  first leg of the tour, which included four stops. First was The Gathering Spot, a popular place to be in ATL, where attendees enjoyed the first HBCU Alumni Happy Hour of the tour on October 13th. With such a large HBCU community in Atlanta (Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, and Morehouse School of Medicine), ATL was a perfect city to start in. The next day was HBCU Night at the Black Hair Experience, which featured photo opportunities, giveaways and more. October 15th was another HBCU Alumni Happy Hour at Traffik. The final stop was a celebration specifically for Spelman women with the Spelhouse Brunch at Bar Vegan on October 17th! These events featured great food, great connections, and great conversations!

If you’re reading about the Atlanta tour stops and have some serious FOMO, you have more chances to join us starting tomorrow with similar events! That’s right: beginning October 20th the tour picks back up in the DMV. If you’re an HBCU student or alumnae hailing from Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Howard University, Morgan State University, or the University of the District of Columbia, come on down! So beginning Wednesday, head to The Black Hair Experience in DC. Thursday 10/21 will be HBCU Alumni Happy Hour at the DC location of The Gathering Spot. Finally, Friday 10/22 will be more great vibes at All Things BLK in DC. 

Finally, Florida A&M University stand up! Next Wednesday, catch the final leg of the tour in Tallahassee, Florida. On October 27th, catch the Wakati Tour at the Health & Beauty Expo sponsored by MAC. The final stop on Friday 10/29 will really close the tour out with a bang! Celebrate the FAM Fest with Wakati, and enjoy not only giveaways and fun, but a whole lot of money! A whopping $100,000 will be given in an endowment scholarship to FAMU, as well as the announcement of the winners of the $10,000 Student Challenge.

Be sure you’re following Wakati on Instagram or head to their website for more details on the 2021 Wakati Hair HBCU Homecoming Blowout Tour, and we hope to see you there!

JCSU Resident Beekeeper Teaches Students Life Lessons From Bee Colonies

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A resident beekeeper at Johnson C. Smith University has found intriguing parallels between the way bees structure their colonies, and how the black community can find success through working together. Get the full story from Karla Redditte at Spectrum Local News below.

School is back in session. Courses in reading, writing, and math are happening in person.

However, when it comes to learning life lessons, nature’s classroom never closes. 

We can learn a lot by simply paying attention to the great outdoors, and a Charlotte beekeeper teaches her students just that through lessons from the hive.

In a class that’s less about the birds and all about the bees, attire matters. Protective clothing became Janelle Dunlap’s suit of armor when she fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a beekeeper back in 2018.

“I wanted to like, give something back to the ecology of the space instead of taking, which I felt was happening through gentrification,” Dunlap said.

So, this grad student is giving back by taking care of bees, and teaching students more on what the buzz is all about. Dunlap serves as a resident beekeeper at Johnson C. Smith University.

While she is technically the instructor of this course, Dunlap tends to allow the true teachers, Italian honey bees, to fly into the spotlight.

She encourages her students to get close to the hives of “Queen Menen” and “Queen Charlotte.” Dunlap wants them to see not only the complex organization of the colony, but she also wants them to look deeper into what’s happening on the honeycombs.

“Everyone has a role to fulfill in their communities and bees are the perfect example of that,” she said. “Strong leadership is key. Having a workforce, a heathy workforce is key to the health of a colony.”

Without each bee playing its role, the hive fails. However, with success comes the harvest of honey.

Dunlap believes by teaching the art of beekeeping, her sweet reward is helping to bridge the gap between African Americans and nature. It’s a gap she says was created when many moved to cities decades ago, leaving behind their agricultural lifestyles.

“There’s a lot of generational knowledge that’s been lost in not participating in these practices. I’m wanting to reintroduce young people, specifically young Black people, into working with nature to kind of fill in that generational gap,” she said.

With knowledge comes power, and with a little inspiration from these busy bees, Dunlap hopes her students make a beeline for overall greatness using the lessons learned from the hive.

Dunlap is also a mixed media artist who uses encaustic paint to create some of her masterpieces. More information can be found on her website.

Lionel Hollins Selected As LeMoyne-Owen College’s New Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach

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Lionel Hollins is heading to Memphis, Tennessee! The accomplished former NBA head coach and player has been officially tapped to lead the men’s basketball team at LeMoyne-Owen College. He’ll be bringing his experience from the Portland Trailblazers, the Memphis Grizzlies and more. Get the full story from the recent LeMoyne-Owen release below.

(Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

Lionel Hollins, former NBA coach and player, has been selected as the assistant coach for the LeMoyne-Owen College Magicians men’s basketball team, serving under head men’s coach, Bonzi Wells. 

Hollins has a wealth of experience with collegiate and professional basketball. Drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the sixth pick of the 1975 NBA draft out of Arizona State University. During his ten-year NBA career, Hollins played for five teams, averaging 11.6 points and 4.5 assists per game. He was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers’ 1976–77 championship team and was a member of the NBA All-Defensive team twice, in 1978 and 1979. On April 18, 2007, the Portland Trail Blazers retired his #14 jersey. 

Coach Hollins served twice as the head coach for the Memphis Grizzlies, making this a reunion of sorts for former coach and player who will now work together to build a successful team at LeMoyne-Owen College. On February 11, 2011, Hollins won his 100th career victory, as coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, in an 89–86 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Hollins also coached the Brooklyn Nets, served as an assistant coach to the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns. Coach Hollins also served as an assistant coach for Arizona State. 

“I am very excited to have Coach Lionel Hollins joining our staff here at LeMoyne-Owen College. Coach Hollins‘ basketball experience and wisdom will play a pivotal part as we build a successful foundation for our men’s basketball program,” said Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Bonzi Wells. 

Hollins has one son, Austin, who followed in his father’s footsteps to play basketball.

Fayetteville State University Strengthens Partnership With ECU To Benefit Recruitment, Retention Efforts

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Longtime partners Fayetteville State University and East Carolina University are working together to level students up, both on undergraduate and graduate levels! Get the full story from the University of North Carolina University System below.

LaKesha Forbes, left, associate provost for equity and diversity at ECU; Dr. Monica Leach, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Fayetteville State University; and Dr. Grant Hayes, interim provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at ECU, sign a memorandum of agreement between the two universities. (Credit: Rhett Butler)

Leaders from East Carolina University and Fayetteville State University met at ECU’s Main Campus Student Center Friday to take the next step in a partnership intended to promote graduate recruitment and education; undergraduate student engagement and collaboration; and research, public service and scholarship.

“This has been two years in the making,” said LaKesha Forbes, associate provost for equity and diversity at ECU. “There’s a lot that we have in common with Fayetteville State University — student success, community engagement, all those things — that align very well with the two institutions, and so I think that this is going to be a long-standing and mutually beneficial relationship that we’re building here together.”

LaKesha Forbes, left, associate provost for equity and diversity at ECU; Dr. Monica Leach, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Fayetteville State University; and Dr. Grant Hayes, interim provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at ECU, sign a memorandum of agreement between the two universities. (Photo by Rhett Butler)

Forbes, along with Dr. Monica Leach, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at FSU, and Dr. Grant Hayes, interim provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at ECU, signed a memorandum of agreement to develop pipelines linking FSU’s undergraduate students to ECU’s professional and graduate programs.

FSU has an enrollment of about 6,700 students, almost half of whom are adult learners, said Leach, so online programs and workforce development could be particularly beneficial.

In addition to identifying connections and pathways between academic programs at the two institutions, intended outcomes of the partnership include:

  • Exploration of experiential learning opportunities and best practice programming for student success, retention and transition to graduate programs;
  • The development of early assurance agreements guaranteeing admission of FSU students into ECU’s professional and graduate programs; and
  • The development of plans to engage and inform FSU students about early assurance opportunities.

Deans and instructors from ECU and FSU had a roundtable discussion about academic programs and how the partnership could contribute to the shared missions of student success and regional transformation. Deans from ECU’s Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering and Technology, College of Health and Human Performance, and the graduate school gave overviews of their colleges, focusing on graduate degrees of possible interest to students in specific undergraduate programs at FSU.

Dr. Paul Gemperline, dean of the graduate school, outlined the school’s Grad PIRATE Talks, a student-led seminar series. Since many of the talks are presented online, FSU’s Dr. Afua Arhin, interim dean of the College of Health, Science and Technology, was intrigued by the idea of using them as a means of connecting students at the two institutions.

Seeing students like them doing graduate-level research could help build their confidence that they could do it, too, Arhin said.

Following the discussion and the signing, the group toured ECU’s campus, had a working lunch and participated in a graduate student panel discussion.

“This is an awesome opportunity for us to expand different pathways for our students to have opportunities for graduate education, and I think what’s even more exciting about it is the history and the mission of our two institutions, both here at East Carolina and Fayetteville State University, being in Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties,” said Leach.

“It’s exciting to be able to work with people just as committed to the importance of having our students remain in the state of North Carolina, and to give back and be workforce ready through the undergraduate and graduate programs that both of our institutions offer,” she said.

Family of Huston-Tillotson Student Natalia Monet Cox Files Lawsuit Against Apartment Complex

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The family of murdered Huston-Tillotson University student Natalia Monet Cox is suing her apartment complex for damages. In a move that has been seen as negligent, the student’s complex would not relocate her after a stalker initially showed up to her complex with a gun. Their refusal cost Cox her life. Get the full story from Drew Knight at the Texas ABC news station KVUE below.

The family of a Huston-Tillotson University student killed in a shooting at her apartment is now suing her complex’s management, claiming that they failed to help her move when the suspect came to her unit and threatened her.

Natalia Monet Cox, 21, was found dead on March 31 at the Colonial Grand at Canyon Pointeapartments. Police had previously responded to her unit on March 24 when she reported that a man she had recently dated showed up with a gun and threatened to shoot her door open.

According to the lawsuit, after the incident, Cox and her roommate sent written notice to the assistant property manager of the complex about what had happened that night and shared her police report information. The next day, both went to the property’s office to again notify them of the incident. There, they were informed they would have to pay an application fee, a new security deposit, a new administrative fee and two months’ rent for failure to provide 60 days’ notice of their move-out date. The lawsuit claims that since they were unable to afford the costs of moving out, they were forced to remain in their unit.   

“Natalia was shot and killed inside of her apartment, despite multiple requests that she and her roommate be allowed to safely relocate without having to bear the exorbitant and unreasonable costs required by the defendant, Mid-American Apartment Communities Inc.,” the suit states. “Defendant Mid-America refused to allow Natalia and [her roommate] to relocate without imposing further penalties for terminating their lease agreement early, even in the face of threatened serious bodily injury or death that took place at the same apartment unit.”

The suit lists Mid-America and the assistant property manager as defendants. The plaintiffs are seeking survivorship and loss of companionship damages. They are also seeking a trial by jury.

Suspect Henry Keith Watson Jr., 24, was arrested on March 31 and charged with first-degree murder. As of Oct. 12, he remains in the Travis County Jail.

Fisk University’s Art Department To Relocate To New Building On Campus

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HBCU students have proven themselves to be exceptionally talented in the arts. Whether it’s music or murals, they make headlines with ease! And now, aspiring career artists studying at Fisk University will have a new building to work out of! Get the full story from Fisk in the release below!

Credit: Fisk University


The booming Fisk University Art Department is getting a new home on campus. The Art Department which is currently housed in the bottom of Jubilee Hall will be relocated to the Charles O. Hadley Home or the old Race Relations building on campus once renovations are completed.

The building was originally constructed between 1913 and 1915, and was the residence of Dr. Charles O. Hadley, who graduated from Fisk University in 1896 and Meharry Medical College in 1899. Hadley was a local African American physician, surgeon, and assistant professor of anatomy at Meharry. After his death, Hadley’s nephew, Dr. William Hadley Faulkner, lived in residence until 1965, and Highly Regarded Artist and Fisk Art professor.

“The renovation of the Charles O. Hadley Home is exciting itself, but the building’s new role as the home of the Art program at Fisk adds to the significant history of this building,” said Holly Hamby, Chair of the Department of Arts and Languages. “Our Art program seeks to honor the legacy of art at Fisk while also focusing on innovation and technologies, which moves art and art instruction forward for our students. This new home for Art centers the program as key to the vision Fisk has for the future.”

The exterior in currently being restored to its historical standards with new roofing, windows, and siding. The next steps will include a completely updated inside to support the Art Department showcasing student’s work and classes. The project is set to be completed in 6-8 weeks and will hopefully be ready for students for the Spring Semester.

Tuskegee University’s College of Veterinary Medicine Receives $400K Grant For Scholarships

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Students studying veterinary medicine at Tuskegee University will receive the financial aid they need thanks to a $400,000 grant from the Synchrony Foundation. Get the full story from the Tuskegee release below.

The Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine (TUCVM) is grateful to the Synchrony Foundation for its generous multi-year grant to support veterinary medical education. TUCVM is the recipient of a $400K grant from the Synchrony Foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of Synchrony (NYSE:SYF), a leading consumer financial services company.  For students desiring to obtain their DVM from Tuskegee University, this grant will help increase educational and training opportunities for Tuskegee veterinary students and expand pathways for increased diverse representation in the veterinary industry.

“As the only veterinary medical professional program located on the campus of a historically black college or university (HBCU) in the US, the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine has a sustaining legacy of training and educating underrepresented minorities (URMs) as veterinarians in the veterinary profession,” said Dr. Ruby L. Perry, dean of the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine.

“We are very appreciative to be a recipient of this generous grant from the Synchrony Foundation which demonstrates an intentional commitment that will inspire our students to achieve their career goals and aspirations to become veterinarians and ultimately promote diversity and inclusion across the veterinary profession,” Dean Perry continued.

Synchrony’s investment supports the College’s mission to educate and graduate diverse veterinarians, preparing them to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow.

“Empowering veterinarians is at the heart of our commitment to provide a lifetime of care for pets,” says Jonathan Wainberg, senior vice president and general manager, Pets, Synchrony. “By partnering with the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, we are bringing together resources and people to better support aspiring veterinarians and help grow and diversify the veterinary profession.”

Through the partnership, TUCVM and Synchrony will provide vital skills and veterinary best practice education to aspiring veterinarians. TUCVM students will be granted scholarships that can be used toward the cost of attendance, including tuition, required fees, books, room and board and other educational expenses. Recipients will be selected by the college’s Veterinary Medicine Scholarship Committee.

Synchrony supports veterinarians and the nation’s veterinary universities through CareCredit, a leading promotional financing solution for health, veterinary and personal care. For more than 30 years, CareCredit has been a valuable financing option for treatments and procedures, giving pet owners the peace of mind needed to care for pets big and small. Synchrony has partnerships with 26 of the nation’s 32 veterinary colleges, offering CareCredit to their veterinary patients.

To learn more about the Synchrony Foundation and its philanthropic plans to support veterinary medical education, financial education, mentorship, professional forum and networking, visit www.synchrony.com.

For over seven decades, the TUCVM has produced veterinarians that have made immense contributions to the world at large. To learn more about the living legacy of the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, visit www.tuskegee.edu/vetmed.

Central State University Foundation Announces Inaugural Lawrence & Judith Dawson Scholarship Recipient

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A high-achieving freshman at Central State University has been awarded the first ever Lawrence & Judith Dawson Scholarship! Get the full story from the release on EIN Presswire.

Kaylah Huston, the first recipient of the Lawrence & Judith Dawson Scholarship Program (Credit: EIN Presswire)

The Central State University Foundation (CSUF) is pleased to announce incoming freshman Kaylah Huston as the first recipient of the Lawrence & Judith Dawson Scholarship Program. A Miami Valley native, Ms. Huston graduated from Trotwood-Madison High School with a 3.6 GPA. She brings her passion for track and a driving desire to earn her degree in accounting to Central State University, one of Ohio’s two historically black universities. 

“I’ve always wanted to go to college. I’m excited to have the opportunity to attend Central State University. Thanks to the Lawrence & Judith Dawson Scholarship, I’ll be able to pursue my dreams at CSU,” said Ms. Huston.

The newly founded Lawrence & Judith Dawson Scholarship Program was established to attract exceptional students to CSU. The program is a four-year, merit-based scholarship awarded to graduating high school seniors with high academic and leadership potential, enabling students who will not only impact the classroom but the campus community as well to attend CSU.

“The CSUF board is thrilled Ms. Huston chose CSU, and we’re even happier to support her college journey through the Lawrence & Judith Dawson Scholarship Program. We cannot wait to see her talents continue to blossom at CSU,” said Dr. Veronica Watkins, CSUF Executive Director.

The Lawrence & Judith Dawson Scholarship Program is the latest initiative put forward by the Foundation. Since 2001, CSUF has raised more than $32 million through donations, bequests, and gifts to support CSU and its students. Along with managing over 150 endowed funds, the Foundation has awarded an average of $225,000 in scholarships per year. CSUF has also invested heavily to strengthen academic programs and support campus improvements at the university, including the purchase of the CSU Dayton Campus, construction of Residence Hall, accreditation for the College of Education, and more.

Howard University Student Kathlyn Archibald-Drew Crowned Miss British Virgin Islands

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Kathlyn Archibald-Drew, a bold Howard University economics student, has been crowned Miss British Virgin Islands! Get the full story from Dean Greenaway at The Virgin Island Daily News.

Kathlyn Archibald-Drew bested five other contestants Sunday night and was crowned Miss British Virgin Islands.

The 20-year-old Howard University student, or Contestant No. 6, walked away with the title of Miss Intellect and held the highest score following her personal interview.

Prior to hearing her name announced as the winner, a nervous Archibald-Drew waited patiently as Jareena Penn, Contestant No. 3, won six of the 10 pageant segments, including Miss Popular, Miss Poise, Best Introduction, Best Swimwear, Best BVI Promotion and Best Evening Wear.

The 19-year-old is a National Bank of the Virgin Islands employee and is a business administration student at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College.

“She’s beautiful, smart, talented and it’s such an honor to work with her, that I thought it made perfect sense,” Archibald-Drew, a Howard University economics student, said of Penn. But she was pleasantly surprised after hearing her own name announced as the winner.

“I didn’t expect this outcome, but I’m so happy with it. This really means the world to me to get to represent within the territory and abroad,” she added. “It’s exactly what I wanted to do. Hopefully, I can carry forward my platform that can honor us and bring us joy.”

Among her prizes, Archibald-Drew, who was the first runner-up in 2019’s Junior Minister of Tourism competition, won a $25,000 educational grant, a $3,000 cash prize and a 2021 Honda CRV.

The pageant, she said, gave her an opportunity to come face to face with her community, outside of her family and her church.

“I really want to serve the BVI in an ambassadorial position and I want to better understand the expectations of women in the world, the standards that came with it, and I figured that a beauty pageant would be the best way to do so and I’ve learned a bunch and I think it’s the best decision I’ve ever made,” she said.

Archibald-Drew, whose platform centered on ambassadorship, said she loves to talk about the BVI, how wonderful it is and why people should visit.

Penn, who won a $1,500 cash award among her first runner-up prizes, said the pageant was a great way to be an ambassador for her “Unmask Her Rape” platform.

“Being a survivor and having the confidence now to speak up and tell my story — I want to give other victims that confidence to become empowered as well,” she said.

The second runner-up was Contestant No. 4, Sylvanna Charles, a 26-year-old Elmore Stoutt High School English and theatre teacher who over the years have won five pageant titles: BVI Festival Princess (2005); Teen BVI (2010); Anguilla Talented Teen (2011); Miss Virgin Gorda (2013) and Miss Bold and Beautiful (2017).

The other contestant were Reba Smith, 19, a general studies student at Stoutt community college. She won the Best Cultural Costume segment.

Chenae Walters, 25, a National Parks Trust terrestrial warden, won Miss Congeniality.

Keyona Cameron, 18, a Stoutt community college student majoring in small business and entrepreneurship, and who owns Tephia Cosmetics, won Miss Photogenic.

Natalie O. Hodge, chairperson of the Miss BVI Pageant Committee, told The Daily News she believed the pageant went exceptionally well and explained the process of posting contestants’ personal interviews with judges online — a segment that pageantgoers and in this case viewers — are not often privy to.

“I guess a lot of people are surprised, but once again, the reason why we wanted to implement this new strategy of posting the personal interview was so that persons don’t be surprised because as you can see, she was the clear front runner coming into the pageant, based off the personal interview,” Hodge said of Archibald-Drew. “Clearly, she kept up a consistent performance throughout the evening as a front runner.”

The pageant’s theme was “A Cultural Identity. Perseverance. Resilience. Evolution,” and was originally scheduled for Aug. 1, but was postponed because of the July COVID outbreak that saw up to 1,600 persons infected.

Archibald-Drew, who was crowned by 2019’s Miss BVI Bria Smith late Sunday night at the Eileene Parsons Auditorium in Paraquita Bay, will now preside over November’s Virgin Islands Culture and Tourism Month activities.

It marked the first time in history that the pageant wasn’t held on the night preceding the annual August Festival Parade. Typically, Miss BVI is showcased during the parade to start her reign.

In three of the last four years, there has been no parade, starting with the floods of August 2017, the ongoing recovery in 2018 from Hurricane Irma the year before, and in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Also for the first time, the pageant offered both in-person and virtual audiences with a pay per view with watch party locations around the BVI.

Hodge said some 300 persons attended virtually “and I heard the watch party locations had a full house at the various locations.”

SCSU Mourns Colin Powell, A Leader Who Left Departing Graduates With Valuable Advice

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The South Carolina State University community is mourning Colin Powell, and reflecting on a man that once gave graduates sound advice during a commencement. Powell was also an honorary inductee of SC State’s Reserve Officer Training Corps. Get the full story from T&D staff below.

Retired Gen. Colin Powell smiles as he looks out at the crowd in Oliver C. Dawson Stadium during South Carolina State University’s spring commencement exercises in May 2011. (Credit: Christopher Huff/T&D FILES)

Retired Gen. Colin Powell visited Orangeburg in May 2011 to encourage South Carolina State University’s graduates to strive for success and help make the U.S. a better place.

The former U.S. Secretary of State, who died Monday, told graduates they have a responsibility to help solve America’s problems.

“Don’t look for superman to fix it, don’t look for the government to fix it,” he said. “The solution is right here in this field. All of us have an obligation to fix it.”

Children need responsible, loving adults in their lives, but often parents aren’t meeting that need. If they don’t have loving adults to follow, they will follow non-caring adults who set poor examples, he said.

America needs more mentoring programs, more Boys and Girls clubs, more church clubs – anything that provides responsible, caring adults, he said.

He urged the graduates to help students reach their full potential.

“Make it a part of your life. Make it a part of your existence,” Powell said. “Don’t worry about trying to save the world. Save a kid. Save two kids. That’s what we have to do, one at a time.”

During his visit, Powell was inducted into the South Carolina State University Reserve Officers Training Corps Hall of Fame.

Powell joined the ROTC at the City College of New York, where he said he learned a lesson about success.

Success is about doing your best for your society, your organization, he said.

“I would say to young people everywhere. … What have you contributed to your society, your organization? Have you done your best every day? If you do that, other forms of success will arrive,” Powell said.

PVAMU Receives $225K Grant For Scholarships Amid 25-Year Partnership With ACC

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Prairie View A&M University‘s 25-year partnership with American Campus Communities is being celebrated with a $225,000 grant and several scholarships for students! Get the full story from PVAMU below.

Long-term partners Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) and American Campus Communities (ACC: NYSE) celebrate their 25-year partnership with the establishment of two academic scholarship programs and a new endowment.

The investment will support and highlight the academic nature of ACC’s mission. Over the next five years, ACC will support PVAMU students with a total contribution of $225,000 to be distributed as follows:

  • An annual $15,000 American Campus Communities “Next Step” Scholarship supporting students with great financial need;
  • Two annual $5,000 “Success by Design” scholarships, awarded to two students majoring in mission-related fields, such as architecture and design; An added goal is to encourage equity and diversity in career paths that can directly impact the student housing sector; and
  • An annual $20,000 investment in the American Campus Communities Endowed Scholarship Fund to aid the general support needs of full-time undergraduate students.

“The endowment, as well as awarding scholarships to students who will represent the next generation of diverse thinkers, is such a meaningful way to acknowledge and commemorate our longstanding partnership with ACC,” said Prairie View A&M University President Ruth J. Simmons. “We appreciate ACC’s unwavering commitment to PVAMU.”

All of the initial scholarships were recently awarded to PVAMU students for the 2021-22 school year. The “Next Step” scholarship was awarded to a total of fifteen students in $1,000 increments. The inaugural “Success by Design” scholarships were granted to PVAMU upperclassmen Shantel Hood and William A. Spriggins V. Both are juniors in the School of Architecture.

“I’m extremely humbled and honored to receive this scholarship; the timing of the blessing was perfect. I plan on using my funds towards my tuition balance and a self-built desktop to perform software AutoCAD, Revit and Photoshop, to name a few. I would like to say thank you to ACC for the scholarship opportunity and PVAMU for making my transfer experience great,” shared Spriggins.

William A. Spriggins V

In 1996, PVAMU and ACC began a shared mission to create an academically focused living and learning environment. Since then, the partnership has delivered more than $137 million in student communities and nine phases of modern academically-oriented housing, serving nearly 5,000 students with on-campus housing accommodations.

“We will forever be grateful to PVAMU as our first university client for believing in us since our founding days — this is our way of saying thank you while helping to invest in future leaders,” said Bill Bayless, chief executive officer at ACC.

In addition to ACC’s grant establishments with PVAMU, the partnership will continue to grow via a series of expanded student housing models. The most recently completed project, University View, features a “program house” concept, in which students of shared academic pursuits reside together. The ideal is designed to encourage peer development and mentorship – ultimately propelling residents from university life as engaged scholars to successful professionals. Program House members will have a range of aptly designed ways to work together to address global issues and challenges in a setting that is unique and well-poised for students. The student housing community, the latest project of the ACC-PVAMU partnership, hosts 540 students.

Morgan State University To Establish Three New Innovative STEM Research Professorships

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Morgan State University will establish three new STEM endowed research professorships in science, psychometrics (human behavior) and engineering thanks to a Maryland state department! Get the full story from MSU below.

The Maryland Department of Commerce today announced the award of $3 million in endowment funding to Morgan State University to establish three new research professorships in Brain Science, Psychometrics and Predictive Analytics, and Cybersecurity Engineering. The endowments were made through the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative (MEI), a state program created to spur basic and applied research in scientific and technical fields at Maryland-based colleges and universities.

“Morgan is serious about continuing along its path to recognition as a world-class research university anchored in urbanism and the HBCU tradition of excellence. Through the support of the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund, we will leverage these three fully funded endowed professorships to further advance and make critical contributions to rising areas of STEM,” said David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University. “This is a significant first for our university, placing us in an advantageous position not only to build for our future but to ensure there is a future for others, and we’re excited about all of the possibilities that await.”

The three endowed professorships are the first in Morgan’s 154-year history and will place the university in a strong position to recruit some of the world’s best researchers and academic minds. It will also position the university to become more competitive in several emerging research areas.

The Endowed Chair in Brain Science will be housed in the School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences and will serve as the anchor faculty for the new Center for Brain Health Disparities, a transdisciplinary research and training center that will conduct cutting-edge research in brain science with a focus on the brain health of African Americans.

The Endowed Chair in Psychometrics and Predictive Analytics will reside in the James H. Gilliam Jr. College of Liberal Arts and will build the expertise to develop and use culturally sensitive and technically appropriate assessment tools for high stakes testing and the measurement of human behavior.

And the Eugene M. DeLoatch Endowed Chair in Cybersecurity Engineering, named for the founding dean and dean emeritus of the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. School of Engineering, is being positioned to make a transformative impact on Morgan’s research landscape by developing a critical strength in emerging areas such as the “Internet of Things” and secure embedded systems design, in hopes of fostering interdisciplinary research collaborations with faculty across the university and beyond.

To establish the new professorships and ensure their continued success, Morgan is matching the $3 million in MEI funding with another $3 million earmarked from funds received from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. This will bring each endowed professorship to $2 million.

“The transformational gift that we received from MacKenzie Scott continues to have a positive effect on the trajectory of Morgan, further demonstrating the power of private philanthropy and how it can make a profound difference when applied to existing opportunities, such as the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative,” said Donna J. Howard, Morgan’s vice president for Institutional Advancement. “It is our hope that this example of how resources can be thoughtfully leveraged will open the door for other philanthropists who may want to invest in Morgan and its research.”

Morgan was one of eight Maryland-based colleges and universities that provided a total of $21.2 million for endowment of new research professorships during this MEI award period. The schools raised more than $10.6 million in private funding for the chairs, and Maryland Department of Commerce approved matching grants of $10.6 million to support the endowments.

“Maryland’s culture of innovation is one of our strongest assets and a major driver of economic growth and new business attraction,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly M. Schulz. “We are proud to support this large and impressive cohort of E-Nnovation awardees as they continue their important, cutting-edge research.”

The Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative was created by the Maryland General Assembly during the 2014 legislative session and has provided $64.9 million in funding to leverage $71.2 million in private donations. The funding can be used to pay salaries of newly endowed department chairs, staff and support personnel in designated scientific and technical fields of study; fund related research fellowships for graduate and undergraduate students; and purchase lab equipment and other basic infrastructure and equipment.

Added Wilson, “This is just the beginning for us, as we look to build upon these three fully funded endowed professorships and are hopeful to add more in the coming years. We are truly growing the future and leading the world here at Morgan.”

Albany State University Sees Third Consecutive Year of Fundraising Growth

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Albany State University has not only hit its target for the 2021 fiscal year, it has surpassed expectations for the last three years! Learn more about Albany State’s success in the article released by the university below.

Credit: Albany State University/LinkedIn

Albany State University (ASU) has seen fundraising success by raising $1.1 million in fiscal year 2021, making it the third year of consecutive growth. This resulted in awarding $256,976 in scholarships to 409 students. 

“The financial support ASU Foundation provides our students has an important impact on their academic excellence and student success,” said President Marion Ross Fedrick. “The Albany State University alumni, campus community, friends and supporters came together once again in support of student access and success.”

From fiscal year 2020 to 2021, the ASU Foundation saw an increase of 505 donors. Alumni participation has also increased consecutively the past three years, with a 65% increase from 2019. 

“Even in a challenging year, our alumni, supporters, and over 700 new donors, which included over 250 new alumni donors supported our students through giving. We are appreciative of the generosity of our Ramily and friends,” said Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the ASU Foundation, A.L. Fleming. “Each gift not only makes a difference for our students, but directly impacts the southwest Georgia community.”

A $40,000 donation from the Million Dollar ASU Scholarship Club includes funds for student-athlete scholarships on the ASU Women’s basketball, volleyball and softball teams. Greater 2nd Mt. Olive Baptist Church, a long-term supporter of ASU, is the founding organization of the Million Dollar ASU Scholarship Club. The club is made up of members from local churches, community leaders, and friends and family of ASU. 

The ASU Athletics Golf Classic raised $44,700 toward student-athlete scholarships. An estimated 70 plus golfers came out to participate in a golf day full of food, fun and Golden Ram pride. 

Golden RAM Tuesday, a day of giving for the ASU Foundation raised $103,877. The ASU Foundation exceeded its initial fundraising goal of $25,000 by raising $76,659 in 24 hours. 

The ASU Foundation is underway to reaching their $2 million goal for fiscal year 2022, with over $700,000 already raised. 

As the University grows, the need for support grows alongside it. 

“Homecoming is the perfect time to see how ASU’s impact has grown, as seen in newly renovated facilities, excellent academic programs and scholarly activity,” added Fedrick. “We hope that coming home will inspire our alumni and friends to consider making a contribution.” 

“I would like to stress the importance of our donors and contributors, who make it possible for the ASU foundation to help students stay in school through need and merit-based scholarships. Thank you for making this all possible,” said ASU Foundation Board Chairman, Gregory Hylick. 

In addition to supporting students, the ASU Foundation supports the University’s colleges, departments and programs, faculty and facility needs across the University.

ECSU Granted $1.3 Million for Talent Search Program Preparing Middle And High School Students

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Amid its journey to support more middle and high school students in higher education, Elizabeth City State University has received a $1.3 million grant! Get the full story from the ECSU release by Robert Kelly-Goss below.

Elizabeth City State University has been awarded a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to implement the TRiO Talent Search Program, a program to assist middle and high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds to succeed in higher education. 

“This is an exciting grant and supports ECSU’s mission to educate future generations of students in Northeastern North Carolina,” said the director of the Office of Sponsored Programs, Annemarie Delgado. “Antonio Rook, the grant’s principal investigator, and Dr. Kim Stanley, the co-investigator, are to be congratulated for their hard work on this important grant and program.”

The Talent Search program, according to Mr. Rook, is designed to give middle and high school students who would be first-generation college students the opportunity to gain academic knowledge and an understanding of financial aid and the college application process. 

The program will provide students with financial literacy training, “that will ensure that they can make appropriate decisions regarding their financial future.” A priority will be placed on STEM education due to, according to Mr. Rook, “a need to increase the number of students who successfully pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.”

The focus of this grant is also being placed on students living in disadvantaged counties within Northeastern North Carolina. Many of the students come from low-income households and would be first-generation college students and require mentoring and guidance to achieve success in higher education.

“We will be implementing services at schools for 500 students in Bertie, Beaufort, Tyrrell and Washington counties,” he said. 

Dr. Stanley says these students will receive the services through their schools and will be provided with tutoring and academic counseling through full time advisors. Staff, she said, will be employed to deliver instruction and other services to the students. 

In addition to in-school services, the program will offer students a summer program. The program, to be held on the ECSU campus, will provide students with STEM academic and career guidance, and personal and social development programs. 

Mr. Rook says this is a five-year-cycle grant and will fund the program through 2026. This is also not the first time ECSU has received the TRiO Talent Search grant. Mr. Rook says that the program was successful at ECSU in the past and he looks forward to future success in assisting first-generation college students in achieving their goals and dreams. 

The Talent Search program is one-of-eight federal TRiO programs authorized by the Higher Education Act to help college students succeed in higher education. It recognizes that students whose parents do not have a college degree have more difficulties navigating the complexity of decisions that college requires for success. 

Last year, ECSU was awarded $1.8 million for a TRiO student success program. That program aims to support student success efforts for first-generation Vikings currently enrolled at ECSU. 

Delaware State University Signs Historic Agreement With USAID

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Delaware State University has entered into an agriculture-focused agreement with the government agency USAID, and it’s a partnership unlike any of its kind! Get the full story from the DSU release below.

Samantha Power, Administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, and University President Tony Allen celebrate the signed agreement between Del State and the USAID that will facilitate collaborative efforts that will uplift disadvantaged communities throughout the world with solutions to challenges of food safety, agricuture, capacity building and many other areas.

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power joined Delaware State University President Tony Allen today on the Dover campus to sign the first-ever Memorandum of Understanding between that agency and one of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to “advance agriculture-led economic growth, resilience, nutrition, and water security, sanitation, and hygiene” in conjunction with the USAID “Feed the Future” Research Initiative.

The MOU details a broad scope for collaboration between the partners over the next four years that are aimed at “enabling disadvantaged communities and individuals to share in a future of economic prosperity based on sustainable practices and the benefits of environmental and natural resource security. These solutions include: improvement of crops and livestock, food safety, reduction of post-harvest losses, research on fruits and vegetables, improved agronomic practices, extension, capacity building, and access to clean water.”

“This historic partnership grows from our shared commitment to having a global impact on food security, water security, development, and human rights” said Dr. Allen. “As the nation’s most diverse, contemporary HBCU, we understand how to meld cutting-edge research with our expertise at working efficiently with diverse, low-resource communities. With Administrator Power’s visionary leadership, we have found the perfect partner for those endeavors in USAID.”

The collaboration will involve USAID in facilitating new curricular and learning opportunities for Delaware State University students as well as facilitating student and faculty participation in leading research fellowships (such as the Jefferson Science Fellowship, the American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS] Fellowship, Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship, etc.). It will also link University research to the USAID’s RFS Innovation Lab Network, a Farmer-to-Farmer international volunteer coaching/placement program, and sub-award opportunities for Minority Serving Institutions across RFS’s university research and volunteer programs.

“These are critical collaborations,” said Dr. Michael Casson, Dean of the College of Business and Interim Director of the Global Institute for Equity, Inclusion, and Civil Rights, which will be coordinating most activities from the University side. “We know that both food and water insecurities around the world are spiking upward again, and that here in America we are not immune to the challenges impacting Africa, Asia, and Latin America.”

Samantha Power (in front) stopped by the Water Analysis Lab and met chemistry students.

The MOU envisions Delaware State University facilitating additional USAID collaborations with the other eighteen 1890 Land Grant universities and HBCUs by collaborating on special projects such as workshops, conferences, forums, and other community outreach initiatives.

Professor Ezrah Aharone, Director of the Center for Global Africa, emphasized that the USAID partnership will build on existing initiatives at the University: “Agribusiness was central to our recent CGA-APRM Conference that was opened by Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone.  The CGA is now piloting initiatives in Sierra Leone to strengthen intersections between COVID-19, food security, and nutrition.  Capacity-building support from USAID will help to scale and replicate our operating model in the 41 nations that comprise our alliance with the African Peer Review Mechanism.”

“I am pleased to see the formation of this partnership between USAID and Delaware State University that will harness the skills and expertise that DSU has to offer to help tackle critical global challenges of poverty, food and water insecurity, climate change, and backsliding on democracy and human rights,” commented U.S. Sen. Chris Coons. “These collaborations are critical for deepening the American people’s understanding about the importance of these issues and diversifying the talent pool working to address them. I hope to see similar partnerships with other Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions across the country, and I am proud to see President Allen and Administrator Power leading the way.”

“Developing this collaboration was the work of many months,” said Marikis Alvarez, Associate Dean for Research in the College of Agriculture, Science, and Technology. “USAID entered these discussions with a thorough grounding in the specific strengths that Delaware State University and other HBCUs bring to the table, especially with regard to working successfully with diverse, low-resource communities around the globe.” He noted the importance of the September 2021 HBCU International Development Conference in raising general awareness of HBCU interest and capacities with respect to global development.

Michael B. Jordan And Serena Williams Partner In $1 Million HBCU Venture Capital Competition

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Two celebrity allies of the HBCU community are announcing a competition where students and alumni can win up to $1 million. Get the full story from Tomas Kasshun at Blavity below.

Credit: Getty Images

Jordan and Williams will award the winners during halftime of the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic Basketball Showcase.

Aspiring business founders who are current students or alumni from HBCU have a chance to win up to $1 million from Michael B. Jordan’s Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic competition. The contest, which requires participants to submit innovative business proposals, is launching in partnership with venture capital firm MaC Venture Capital, as well as Serena Williams’ investment company, Serena Ventures. 

Jordan and Williams will award the winners during halftime of the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic Basketball Showcase Finals in New Jersey on Dec. 18, the organization said in a statement to Blavity. Hampton University, North Carolina Central University, Howard University and North Carolina A&T University will be the schools featured at the HBCU college basketball showcase, which will air on TNT.

Executives from MaC Ventures, Serena Ventures, Invesco, Thirty Five Ventures, Harlem Capital Partners and Cake Ventures will continue to work with the winners in the coming months.

“HBCUs are an integral part of our educational ecosystem and have long been centers of entrepreneurial excellence. We are thrilled to be partnering with Michael B. Jordan and MaC Ventures on highlighting the brilliant student and alumni founders,” Serena Ventures General Partner Alison Stillman said in a press release.

MaC Venture Capital General Partner Michael Palank also commented in the release: “Talent is ubiquitous but access to opportunity is not.”

“Two of our partners are HBCU alumni and we could not be more excited to uncover and support the amazing entrepreneurial talent we know is thriving at these universities,” Palank continued.

Leading up to the basketball showcase, Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic will partner with the Esport nonprofit, Cxmmunity, to host an NBA 2K tournament. The event, scheduled for Dec. 13, will also feature a band showcase and a live musical performance, as well as college and career opportunities.

Tickets for the basketball portion of the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic start at $25. Proceeds from the event support organizations which aim to advance HBCUs, as well as the local Newark community in New Jersey. 

“I am thrilled to finally announce the four HBCUs that will be competing in the inaugural Legacy Classic,” Jordan said, according to Variety. “Invesco QQQ and Turner Sports have been amazing partners in helping bring this experience to life. I grew up watching basketball games on TNT, so I am confident they will deliver this set of games to a true audience of basketball fans and their families in an exciting way.”

Jordan was seen in a recent ad for the NBA‘s 75th-anniversary celebration. The actor drives a bus full of children in the ad and takes them through “NBA Lane,” an imaginary neighborhood that includes current NBA stars and iconic basketball legends.

Kate Jhaveri, chief marketing officer at NBA, said Jordan “has an authentic love for the game of basketball.”

“Moreover, his participation in ‘NBA Lane’ stems from our shared commitment in spotlighting HBCUs,” Jhaveri told Adweek. “He’s working on his upcoming Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic on Saturday, Dec. 18, on TNT that will feature a HBCU doubleheader, while highlighting HBCU life and culture. We’re fortunate to work with our ‘NBA Lane bus driver’ who not only has a strong connection with our fanbase, but equally shares the values of our league and fans.”