Tuskegee University has found its 9th president in Dr. Charlotte P. Morris! The longtime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. has had roles that include Chief of Staff to a previous president, and Secretary to the Board of Trustees. Learn more about Morris in the Tuskegee release below!
The Tuskegee University Board of Trustees proudly announced today that interim President Dr. Charlotte Morris has been elected the ninth president of Tuskegee University, effective August 1, 2021. The Board sought the input of a myriad of internal and external stakeholders and arrived confidently at the decision to seat Dr. Morris as the new leader of Tuskegee. Dr. Charlotte Morris will be the second-ever female President of the University, following her predecessor Dr. Lily McNair.
“Dr. Morris has garnered the credibility and respect of key stakeholders across the state and around the country during her near thirty years serving the Tuskegee community,” said Board of Trustees Chair, Norma Clayton. “Considering her strong past performance and effective leadership, the Board of Trustees is delighted that Dr. Morris will continue to serve this institution. She understands the needs of this university today – putting the students first – and is the right leader for tomorrow and beyond.”
For over three decades, Dr. Morris has served in several roles at Tuskegee University including Chief of Staff to the 5th President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees. As Chief of Staff, she assisted in the development and implementation of a successful $169 million capital campaign in 2005. Most recently during her tenure, Dr. Morris also served as the Director of the University’s Title III Program and has acted as Interim and Associate Dean in the Brimmer College of Business and Information Science. Through Dr. Morris’ leadership, she has strengthened the University’s strategic partnerships with corporations such as Google and Cargill to generate $6 million in gifts and donations to strengthen career readiness initiatives and invest in the next generation of STEM leaders. In addition to the many honors and awards Dr. Morris has received, she was given the Distinguished Administrative Staff Achievement Award at Tuskegee University. Dr. Charlotte Morris has always been held in high regard by her peers and superiors while meeting and exceeding expectations.
“It is with great humility and honor that I accept the role of president. Having been a member of this remarkable university community for much of my professional career, it will be a pleasure to lead the university into the future,” said Dr. Morris. “I look forward to working with the entire campus community to seize the opportunities that lie ahead and continue to transform Tuskegee into a leading 21st century living and learning environment.”
Dr. Morris has also been instrumental in driving forward the university’s long-term planning, culminating in the 2022-2027 strategic plan framework that will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Through this plan, the university is prepared to address the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead with thorough research and innovative solutions. Among the many university goals is the initiative to enhance the institution’s entrepreneurship and scholarly activities, the consequent advancement of the University’s infrastructure, and increased scholarships and growth to support and promote students’ continuous success. In the new efforts of expanding athletic teams, programs and staff, Dr. Morris is also invested in the continued recruitment of a diverse and world-class faculty committed to professional development. All throughout, the underlying constant over the years at Tuskegee University is the dedication to the teaching, innovation and quality of education it provides to its students.
Tuskegee University will formally welcome Dr. Morris as the ninth president during an inauguration ceremony, planned for the weekend of April 9-11, 2022 to coincide with Founder’s Day Reunion Weekend.
From a being postponed due to a pandemic, to a series of controversies, year’s Olympics have undoubtedly gripped the world’s attention. Yet amid all of the headlines, there are a few athletes that we should all be paying special attention to. Athletes like Quanera Hayes, Tovea Jenkins, Chidi Okezie are representing HBCUs in sports that include basketball and track and field. Learn all about the top HBCU athletic talent in the world in the article below.
Hampton University
Credit: Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty
After setting a national record for Nigeria, Hampton University alumnus Chidi Okezie and his teammates are in Tokyo! The track and field athlete successfully competed on Nigeria’s mixed 4×400 relay team, evening creating a record for the country.
According to Punch Nigeria, the mixed team saved the day after Nigeria’s men’s 4x100m relay team was not able to qualify for the event. It was the for the third consecutive time the team had missed the mark. The 4 runners weren’t able to meet the 38.46 second target at relays in Lagos on Sunday and sadly left disappointed
Hampton University track and field alum Chidi Okezie anchored the Nigerian Mixed 4×400 relay team to an Olympic qualifying and Nigerian National Record time of 3:14.09 on Sunday at the Yabatech Sports Complex in Lagos. The time ranks the team 16th in the world.
Johnson C. Smith University
Credit: Johnson C. Smith University
Tovea Jenkins, a 2017 Johnson C. Smith University graduate, will be competing in the Tokyo Olympics! According to her alma mater, the Kingston, Jamaica native stood out in the 400-meter race and won her ticket to this year’s games.
The 2017 NCAA Division II outdoor champion on the 4×400 meters relay team, ran a personal best of 50.68 as she placed fifth at the Jamaica National Championship meet on Sunday, June 27, 2021, securing her spot on the Jamaican Olympic Team.
Livingstone College
Quanera Hayes celebrates after winning the women’s 400-meter run at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials Sunday, June 20, 2021, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
After an impressive performance at the Olympic trials that landed her in first place, Livingstone College alumna Quanera Hayes is on her way to the Olympics! In 2015, Hayes was among our best and brightest when she landed on our HBCU Top 30 Under 30 list in 2015.
The 2015 Livingstone College graduate and Hope Mills native finished first at 49.78 seconds in the women’s 400-meter race, besting Olympics-decorated champion Allyson Felix, who came in second at 50.2 seconds, with Wadeline Jonathas rounding out the top three.
She was a 12-time NCAA All-American – indoor and outdoor track; a four-time NCAA Outdoor Track Champion (three times in 400 meters and once in the 200 meters); an eight-time school record holder; and USTFCCCA (US Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association) Athlete of the Year Indoor and Outdoor.
North Carolina A&T State University
Left to right: Akeem Sirleaf, Trevor Stewart, Daniel Stokes, and Randolph Ross Jr. of the North Carolina A&T State men’s 4×400 indoor national championship relay team.
North Carolina A&T State University has four student-athletes in Tokyo for the Olympics. Aggies track and field director Duane Ross Sr. has worked since 2012 to ensure that Aggies stay on top of their game.
According to The Undefeated, the following daring athletes will be competing in the 4×400-meter men’s relay team, in Tokyo: Ross’ son, sophomore (Duane) Randolph Ross Jr., and Trevor Stewart, a senior from Lorton, Virginia, will represent the United States. Daniel Stokes, a junior from Pomona, California, will compete for Mexico, and Akeem Sirleaf, a graduate student from St. Paul, Minnesota, will compete for Liberia.
Saint Augustine’s University
Credit: Saint Augustine’s University
Saint Augustine’s University graduate Shawn Rowe is another athlete representing HBCUs in Tokyo. According to SAU, the former Falcon is representing Jamaica in the 400-meter hurdles.
The 2017 SAU graduate, was a four-time NCAA Division II national champion and six-time first-team All-American in college. He won the 400 hurdles national title and helped the Falcons win two national crowns and four CIAA titles. He also earned accolades like the men’s outdoor runner of the year in the CIAA and NCAA DII Atlantic Region. He was a CIAA 400 hurdles and 60 hurdles champion. CIAA Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a CoSIDA Academic Track & Field All-American.
Tia-Adana Belle of Barbados competes during the Women’s 400 metres hurdles heats during day four of the 16th IAAF World Athletics Championships London 2017 at The London Stadium on August 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images for IAAF
Tia-Adana Belle is also a Saint Augustine’s University graduate and track athlete with several records behind her name.
This is the second time Belle has made it to the Olympics. Her first time was in 2016 in Rio. Six of the top seven Division II times in history have her name on it.
Belle dominated the 400 hurdles event as a collegian, She also won three straight Division II national titles from 2015 to 2017, is a 12-time All-American, held Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year in the CIAA and more.
Savannah State University
Former Savannah State University women’s basketball star Ezinne Kalu will lead the Nigerian women’s basketball team at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics beginning next week.
For only the second time in the African nation’s history, Nigeria will be represented in women’s basketball on the world stage. Kalu, an American-born dual citizen, was a pivotal part of the D’Tigeress’ journey to Tokyo.
It’s been a tumultuous few days for the leadership at Kentucky State University. Amid questions about the university’s finances, the university’s president was the first to resign. Now, two more board members have followed his lead. Learn more about what’s going on at KSU in the Associated Press article below.
The development comes as Kentucky’s sole public historically Black university contends with concerns about its financial health and lawsuits alleging misconduct by campus officials.
In the days before Brown’s departure, Candace McGraw submitted her resignation from the school’s Board of Regents. In her resignation letter, McGraw said she was “not fully aware of the time needed to engage fully in order to ensure the ongoing success of the university.”
“Since I would not be able to fulfill my responsibility to the best of my ability, I believe the university would be better served by another appointee,” her letter said.
Credit: WDRB
McGraw, a recent board appointee, is CEO of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
Paul Harnice also resigned from the school’s board before Brown left, The State Journal reported. The Frankfort newspaper was the first to report on the regents’ resignations. Harnice did not immediately respond to a phone call and an email on Friday from The Associated Press.
Harnice’s resignation letter did not provide an apparent reason for his resignation, The State Journal reported.
“The purpose of this letter is to advise you that I have decided to resign from the Board of Regents of Kentucky State University effective immediately,” Harnice said. “It goes without saying that I wish the best to Kentucky State University, its employees and students going forward.”
Brown, who was KSU’s president since 2017, spoke about his resignation in a podcast appearance posted this week. He insisted the school’s financial issues were unrelated to his leadership.
“This is not about malfeasance, this is not about litigation, this is not about missing money,” Brown said. “It’s about a cash flow question, which is, let me say to be honest and fair, a very real question.”
Brown did not elaborate further and could not be reached for further explanation of his comments.
In April, KSU said it received positive results from its annual independent financial audit, with a budget surplus of $2.3 million for fiscal year 2020. The legislature last year authorized a $55.5 million bond to build a 400-bed dormitory and dining hall using private financing. Under a public-private partnership, a Lexington company will operate and maintain the property and KSU will finance it through a 35-year lease, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.
After Brown’s resignation, the school’s regents named senior vice president and spokeswomanClara Ross Stamps as acting president at the Frankfort school. They also voted to hire auditors to review the school’s financial situation. Stamps declined afterward to provide any information about possible problems or the reason for Brown’s departure.
“The Council on Postsecondary Education is poised and ready to provide our assistance to the leadership of Kentucky State University as they move forward,” council President Aaron Thompson said.
In his executive order, Beshear directed Kentucky’s postsecondary education council to assess the school’s financial status and provide a report prior to submitting appropriation recommendations for the next biennial budget. The council also will assist the university in developing a management and improvement plan.
“I believe in KSU,” the Democratic governor told reporters. “So we are going to work to get through this time. We are going to work to get back on track. And my commitment is to be transparent once this audit is done, so that everybody can see any of the concerns that are out there.”
A new mural at Jackson State University is honoring civil rights heroes is ensuring that they will never be forgotten. Learn about the mural “Chain Breakers” in the Clarion Ledger article by Gabriela Szymanowska below.
A mural honoring civil rights legends — both living and dead — who blazed a path for equality was unveiled at Jackson State University Saturday morning.
The mural, “Chain Breakers,” depicts six notable civil rights activists, both living and dead, who blazed a path for equality on the outside of the Council of Federated Organization’s building. (Credit: Clarion Ledger)
Titled “Chain Breakers,” the mural depicts six civil rights activists as they rise above a chain that is broken. The notable figures in the mural range from the community’s first florist to the first African American female legislator in the state.
“This is a great historical representation of our history here at Jackson State University and the history of West Jackson,” Thomas Hudson, president of Jackson State University said in a statement. “All of the individuals in their own way had a wonderful impact on the university, the city of Jackson and the state of Mississippi and we are just happy to be a part of this celebration for them.”
Rep. Alyce G. Clarke, the first African American female legislator in Mississippi
Fannie Lou Hamer, civil rights leader who organized Mississippi Freedom Summer and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
Bob Moses, civil rights leader and field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
Rose Elizabeth Howard Robinson, Lanier High School teacher
Louise Marshall, the first African American bookstore owner in the Washington Addition community
Albert Powell, the first African American florist in Washington Addition community
The mural was painted on the outside of the Council of Federated Organizations building, located at 1017 John R. Lynch St., on Jackson State’s campus.
The Council of Federated Organizations was established in 1961 as a coalition of several major civil rights groups in Mississippi, a university news release stated. Some of the groups included Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the Congress of Racial Equality, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
While all bearing different names, the groups worked together under the council to register voters and conduct other activities related to civil rights.
“When I learned that I was being considered, I was blown away to know that they would consider me along with those other people that they have on the mural,” Rep. Alycle Clark, D-Jackson, said. “Have you looked at them and the kind of things that they’ve done down through the years? To be among them on that wall, here in West Jackson is such an honor.”
Heather Denné, director of community engagement for Jackson State University, said in the news release the mural is a part of the university’s efforts to bring art to the community.
“We started this journey about two years ago to create art in our communities,” she said. “We always wanted murals because of the lack of art.”
Denné commissioned local Jackson artist Sabrina Howard, who has created other murals in Jackson such as the Milton Chambliss Shoe Hospital mural in the 900 block of John R. Lynch Street and “Sowing the Seeds of Love” at the Blackburn Learning Garden near the main campus of Jackson State.
Among those attending were Louise Marshall; Rep. Alyce G. Clarke; Fannie Lou Hamer’s daughter, Jacqueline Hamer Flakes; Rose Elizabeth Howard Robinson’s grandson, Jason Robinson; Albert Powell’s niece, Regina Orey; and Angela Stewart, archivist for the university’s Margaret Walker Center.
Morgan State University has made it a point to recruit qualified talent from around the world. This time, MSU has found high-level talent all the way from Nigeria! Get the full story about Morgan State’s new partnership from William Carter at WBAL NewsRadio below.
Yacob Astatke, D.Eng., assistant vice president for Morgan’s Division of International Affairs (right), leads a tour of Morgan State University for TETFund Executive Secretary Suleiman Bogoro (left) and others present from the visiting delegation. (Photos Courtesy of Office of Morgan State University)
In a partnership with the Nigerian Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Morgan State University will host 85 doctoral or postdoctoral students from Nigeria starting the Fall 2021 semester.
The five-year agreement was “designed to create a pathway for students to pursue disciplines relevant to the developmental needs of Nigeria,” according to the news release.
“The leadership team of Morgan State University extends its thanks to the Federal Government of Nigeria, Executive Secretary Suleiman Bogoro and the TETFund for this unique and historic opportunity to achieve our common goals in social advancement, economic development and most important the academic exchange and advanced degree attainment within the African continent,” David Wilson, Morgan State University’s president said,
The 70 Nigerian doctoral students and more than 15 Nigerian postdoctoral students attending surpassed “original projections” when more than 600 students applied for the program.
TETFund Executive Secretary Suleiman Bogoro and members of his delegation visit one of Morgan State University’s research laboratories. (Photos Courtesy of Office of Morgan State University)
“Morgan has had great success over the past three years, raising our number of graduating Ph.D. students from 40 to 50 per year to close to 70, and sustaining that number,” said Dr. Astatke, assistant vice president for Morgan’s Division of International Affairs. “With the TETFund partnership, we will add close to 70 more doctoral graduates each year for the next five years. It is easy to envision MSU rising from the pack to become the nation’s leader in conferring Ph.Ds. to Black students. This will be a significant boost toward our strategic goal of moving Morgan from our current classification as an R2 (‘high research’) institution to an R1 (‘very high research’) institution.”
The partnership, originally launched in May of 2020 with just 17 Nigerian Ph.D. students, was disrupted due to COVID-19, but it has the potential to have an expansive selection of Ph.D. candidates.
“If it continues for 10 years, Morgan will have maybe 500 Ph.D. alumni in the leadership of the top universities in Nigeria, the most populous nation on the continent,” Astatke said. “The relationships we are building now will enable international research collaborations that will make a beneficial impact on generations to come.”
Grambling State University is considering a path to offer a women’s gymnastics program, and would become the first HBCU to offer the sport if plans get approved! Get the exciting full story by Associated Press sports writer Will Graves below!
In this Aug. 9, 2016, file photo, U.S. gymnasts and gold medalists, Simone Biles, left and Gabrielle Douglas celebrate on the podium during the medal ceremony for the artistic gymnastics women’s team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The success of Olympic gymnastics champions Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles has created a spike in interest in the sport in Black communities. Representation among Black girls at the upper reaches of women’s gymnastics is rising. Half of the U.S. Olympic team in Tokyo are women of color. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
Grambling State University is in the exploratory process of becoming the first historically Black college and university to offer women’s gymnastics.
“Our university leadership is looking at young gymnasts in our community and realizing and understanding the path from toddler gymnastics tumbling to the Olympics for a Black and brown gymnast is arduous,” said Raven Thissel, the marketing and public relations director for The Doug Williams Center, located on Grambling’s campus. “How can we make it a smoother one?”
Grambling hosted 100 Black and brown gymnasts over the weekend for the Brown Girls Do Gymnastics annual conference. Derrin Moore founded the organization in 2015. The foundation is dedicated to providing “scholarships, coaching, training and other forms of support to athletes from underrepresented and marginalized groups.”
The conference isn’t just focused on athletic development. There are also workshops planned for parents to educate them on what it takes to rise if their athletes want to graduate from entry-level programs to the NCAA/elite level. It’s an element that Moore believes can get lost for members of the Black community.
“It’s just giving families a little edge,” Moore said. “We want to give them information so they can step into the gymnastics arena and be confident and advocating for their girls.”
Girls wait in line to practice gymnastics, Thursday, July 22, 2021, at Power Moves Gymnastics and Fitness in Cedarhurst, N.Y. The face of gymnastics in the United States is changing. There are more athletes of color starting — and sticking — in a sport long dominated by white athletes at the highest levels. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
More athletes of color participating in gymnastics
The face of gymnastics in the United States is changing. There are more athletes of color starting — and sticking — in a sport long dominated by white athletes at the highest levels.
Half of the U.S. women’s Olympic delegation walked onto the floor — Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles and Sunisa Lee — at Ariake Gymnastics Center for Olympic qualifying on Sunday are minorities. Biles and Chiles are African American; Lee is Hmong American.
More than half of the 18 women invited to Olympic trials in St. Louis last month were women of color. While numbers are still low on college teams, there is progress. Black women account for nearly 10% of the scholarship athletes at the NCAA Division I level, an increase from 7% in 2012. More than 10% of USA Gymnastics membership self-identify as Black.
And while the current athletes at the top level of the sport were already involved when Gabby Douglas became the first Black woman to win the Olympic all-around title in London in 2012, the rise in participation among athletes of color since Douglas’ golden moment is real, one amplified by Biles’ unmatched brilliance.
“Simone has opened the eyes to so many women of color saying ’Hey, you can do this, too,'” said Cecile Landi, who has served as Biles’ co-coach along with husband Laurent since the fall of 2017. “It’s not just little skinny white girls that can do it. Anyone can do it. And then it’s a Black-owned business, so I think it attracts its own families that way.”
As if flipping a switch, the young women of color on the gym’s competitive team spring to life, fueled by the jolt of adrenaline that comes with watching the reigning Olympic champion test the limits of their sport.
“They just get this motivation that’s just unreal,” said DeLissa Walker, who co-owns the gym just outside New York City with her sister Candice. “And we’re like, ‘Wow, they’re really inspired.’ … They’re like ‘This can be me.’”
The Walkers, both board members at Brown Girls Do Gymnastics, already are starting to see the results of the foundation’s efforts. The business they started in 2012 in a space so small it’s now a barbershop is thriving. They moved to a warehouse in 2015 before opening at their current location in Cedarhurst, New York — on Long Island, about 20 miles from Manhattan — last August.
Even as they’ve grown, the majority of their clientele has remained athletes of color. Eight members of Power Moves competitive team were at Grambling over the weekend to participate in the Isla Invitational, an exhibition held in conjunction with the conference. The Walkers view it as the next step in the growth process for girls — and their families —eyeing a long-term commitment.
Girls participate in a gymnastics camp, Thursday, July 22, 2021, at Power Moves Gymnastics and Fitness in Cedarhurst, N.Y. The face of gymnastics in the United States is changing. There are more athletes of color starting — and sticking — in a sport long dominated by white athletes at the highest levels. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
It’s a commitment that requires a significant investment of both time and money. Some members of the competitive team put in five to six hours a day several times a week. The Walkers estimate their monthly dues are about half of what other gyms in the area charge. They offer discounts for siblings and promote fundraisers.
Moore’s gym limits the number of competition leotards her athletes use and believes her coaches are willing to work for less because they view their mission as more of a calling than a job.
They are preparing for another spike in interest among Black communities that is likely in the offing as Biles steps onto the world stage again. The Walkers, both former competitive gymnasts, are encouraged by what they see, but work remains to be done.
Biles has vowed to remain in the sport long after the Olympic flame in Tokyo is passed along to organizers for the 2024 Games in Paris. Three years from now, perhaps some of the young Black girls who entered the sport in the afterglow of Douglas’ victory in London will be the ones in the mix to represent the United States in France or scattered across NCAA gymnastics programs across the country, maybe even at historically Black colleges and universities like Grambling.
“Representation does matter,” Gina Chiles said. “And Simone has put her foot in it. She’s definitely set that path in a lot of ways. Whatever level you go to, you can be excellent at that level. And a lot of Black girls see that. And a lot of Black girls now want to be that.”
Former Cincinnati Bengals football player Ken Riley has been honored with the iconic Bengals Ring of Honor! Florida A&M University alumnus has made history over his career in the NFL over the years. Riley, who passed in 2020, eventually became a head coach and athletic director as well. Get the full story from the recent release from FAMU below.
Credit: FAMU
Ken Riley epitomized Rattler greatness. The Florida A&M alum left behind a lasting imprint as a former football student-athlete, head coach, and athletics director at the University, and his legacy continued with a recent election to the Cincinnati Bengals’ inaugural ring of honor.
Riley passed last year, at the age of 72, nearly four decades after retiring from the franchise he spent his entire playing career (1969-83). He recorded 65 interceptions in 207 starts for the Bengals, for a tally that ranked fourth-most in NFL history at the time of his retirement, and still sits atop the franchise’s all-time list today.
The entire ring of honor class is set to be installed at halftime of the Bengals’ Sept. 30 game against the Jaguars at Paul Brown Stadium.
“I think I speak for everyone in Rattler Nation when I say that we are extremely overjoyed about Ken Riley’s induction into the Ring of Honor,” said head coach Willie Simmons. “No one is more deserving!”
A four-year letter winner at quarterback for Florida A&M, Riley guided the Rattlers to a 23-7 record and three Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles. He took over head coaching duties at his alma mater in 1986, and an eight-year stint featured two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships and a pair of MEAC Coach of the Year honors.
Riley also served as the Rattlers’ athletics director from 1993-2004.
His esteemed career garnered inductions into the FAMU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1982 and the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
The Board of Trustees at South Carolina State University work at the highest levels to keep the HBCU going. Now, the university has agreed to pay it forward with new approval regarding reimbursements for the job’s work. Get the full story from Dionne Gleaton at The Times and Democrat below.
Credit: WLTX
S.C. State trustees voted 10-3 last month to begin providing per diem and mileage reimbursements for their service on the board.
Board Chairman Rodney Jenkins said the decision was made with a new, full board in mind.
“It’s just what the state allows. This is nothing new. In 2015 when the temporary board came on, they didn’t utilize the per diem and travel piece. When we came on in 2018, when they went back to the full board, we also didn’t utilize that. We agreed not to take per diem and travel,” he said.
The chairman continued, “Now that we’ve got another board, we put it back on the table so everybody would get an opportunity to make a decision. So we decided that that’s an option for each board member. Each board member doesn’t have to take it. That just depends on the individual. It is an allowable expense for board members of universities.”
Voting in favor of the reimbursements were trustees Starlee Allen, Jameel Allen, Louvetta Dicks, Ronald Friday, Douglass Gantt, William Oden, Donnie Shell, Macie Smith, Daniel Varat and Rodney Jenkins. Voting in opposition were trustees Dr. Doris Helms, Monica Scott and Wilbur Shuler.
The state’s General Appropriations Act provides mileage reimbursements at a rate of 56 cents per mile. Under state law, a per diem allowance for all boards, commissions and committees is also allowed at $35 per day.
Sam Watson, the university’s public information officer, said the trustees would receive the $35 per diem and be paid at the university’s current mileage reimbursement rate of 52.5 cents per mile.
In 2015, the state General Assembly appointed a temporary, seven-member board tasked with restoring the university’s fiscal health. A newly constituted board began serving July 1, 2018.
S.C. State’s trustees had not received any compensation for sitting on the board for at least the past three years as the university continued to recover financially.
The board’s newest members came on in October 2020, and Jenkins said the per diem and mileage reimbursement payments were an allowable option that the board had the right to consider.
“We never did settle that issue, to let them vote on whether they were going to do it or not. We deferred it a couple of times. I wanted to get it off the table, that we would be able to have those board members have an opportunity to vote on whether they wanted have the option to receive it or not, and right now they do,” Jenkins said.
The chairman said the university’s financial outlook is improving.
“Our financial position has changed somewhat. I want to believe to the better. We’re in the black now. We were in the red then (in 2015). Once we got back to what we considered a regular board – the board that has been by statute, which is a 13-member board with the four or five ex-officio members – I thought it was proper that each board had an opportunity to make that decision (on per diem and mileage),” Jenkins said.
Board of Trustees Chairman Rodney C. Jenkins ’73
“That’s why it came back up. They agreed that they would have the opportunity to receive per diem and mileage. Whether each person takes it, it’s an individual piece,” he said.
The chairman continued, “There will be some that will take it, and some won’t take it. It’s not just for board members. Other public servants throughout the state have that option. … So I wouldn’t even want to even try to think about who didn’t take the option to receive the per diem during the time when we were in the red.
“At this point, we’re not in the red, and things are moving in a direction that we want to see things go. So, again, it goes back to each board having the opportunity to make a decision for itself. But that’s not for South Carolina State University only. That’s a statewide thing, that’s a statewide allowable expense. So it’s not isolated to South Carolina State. If people don’t understand that, I want them to understand that.”
Legislators speak
Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg, said he has no issue with the university board receiving per diem and mileage reimbursements.
“This is the normal practice for all the state boards and commissions in terms of reimbursement or per diem and travel as long as the amounts are within – and I understand they clearly are – the state guidelines. It’s nothing exorbitant about the amounts being collected. I’m fine with it,” he said.
Govan noted that the S.C. State trustee board needs to be treated “just like any other board.”
“I think what we need to be more focused on is how these individuals are working to bring funds to the university, or write checks in terms of being in support of the institution, or other ways that they can contribute through their contracts and affiliations to help the university. These are the things that I think that we need to focus on,” Govan said.
The legislator added, “I’m not at all upset about them receiving the miniscule amount of travel and per diem, which the state doesn’t pay that much anyway. So I think we need to focus on the bigger picture in terms of recruitment of students and trying to build the enrollment back to where it needs to be for the school to be successful and ensure we have the leadership in place that can get that done.”
Govan said the board has been “doing what it’s supposed to do.”
“I think they’ve been transparent, and I think it’s important that we as a community get behind the institution and try to move it forward because it plays a vital role and link in the economic development of Orangeburg,” he said.
Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, said “Members of boards and commissions are allowed to receive per diem for attending meetings. It speaks volumes that the old board had chosen not to receive compensation because of fiscal constraints.
“I assume because the university is now on sound financial footing that the current board no longer has that concern.”
Sen. Vernon Stephens, D-Bowman said, “South Carolina State University has had some turbulent financial situations. There appears to be some stability coming back to the university as far as finances is concerned.”
Stephens said he has no problem with the board receiving per diem and mileage reimbursements for attending meetings.
“With their strategic plan to get the institution well academically and financially, it’s going to involve board members being at the institutions and meetings whether or not it’s strategic planning, or whether or not it’s simple board meetings. … When you’re traveling the distance, I think there should some type of compensation for that. With the many meetings, there should be some stipends,” he said.
“There are some institutions in the state that never actually stopped giving their board or commission members stipends. So I think it’s time that they do receive this. I’m of the opinion that there may be a number of them that opt not to take it. I say thank you to them, as well as the board members who will be receiving it. I believe there is a sense of how we need to do this right and get it right, and I think that is coming,” Stephens said.
Other institutions
Rusty Monhollon, executive director of the S.C. Commission on Higher Education, said “I know it’s permitted in state law. We reimburse our commissioners as part of our board. They get both per diem and mileage reimbursement for attending meetings.”
The payment of per diem and mileage reimbursement payments varies among other public colleges and universities.
Dr. Walt Tobin, president of Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, said the OCtech Area Commission receives a $35 meeting stipend and a mileage reimbursement of 56 cents per mile.
Kevin Whitt, chairman of the Denmark Technical College Area Commission, said, “We just don’t do it. We probably could if we asked for it, but that’s just not something we’re interested in pursuing at the moment.”
John Sweeney, vice president of communications at Francis Marion University, said trustees receive a $35 per diem and mileage reimbursements at a rate of 56 cents per mile.
“About half of the board does not accept the mileage or the per diem. They decline it as part of their service to the board,” Sweeney said.
Lander University trustees receive a $35 per diem and mileage reimbursements at 52 cents per mile.
Nikasha N. Dicks, director of marketing and public relations at Aiken Technical College, said the college’s commission members do not receive per diem payments, but are reimbursed at a rate of 56 cents per mile for travel.
Kimberly Faust, secretary to the board of trustees at Winthrop University, said trustees have decided not request mileage and per diem reimbursement while on board business for at least 18 years.
“Winthrop does provide a room at a local hotel if the trustees have to stay overnight, and we provide a meal if they are on campus all day, but we do not reimburse any travel or food for them,” Faust said.
Commission members at Midlands Technical College and Trident Technical College both receive a $35 per diem payment and are reimbursed at 56 cents per mile for travel on board business.
Clark Atlanta University is yet the latest HBCU to erase student debt! Yet this time around, things are just a little different. Many schools have cleared debt for the pandemic, but very few have included so many semesters in the cancellation! Learn more about the great news in the release from Clark Atlanta below.
Credit: Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University President Dr. George T. French, Jr. announced today that student account balances for Spring 2020 – Summer 2021 will be canceled and cleared. The university is canceling all student account balances for the Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, and Summer 2021 semesters by bringing them to a zero balance.
This initiative will have no impact on the students’ future financial aid eligibility because of this one-time outstanding balance cancellation.
The university’s ability to provide this crucial relief to students is just a part of the “Momentum” CAU has experienced in the last 16 months. Throughout this unprecedented period, a substantial amount of support has been received from the federal government under the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). These funds have enabled CAU to support students in many ways: • Provided emergency financial aid dollars • Refunded a pro-rated amount of housing and meal charges for Spring 2020 • Discounted tuition and fees for the entire 2020-2021 academic year • Purchased 4,000 laptops from Dell Computers for every financially enrolled student • Purchased hotspots to give students with limited or no internet access in their homes
“We understand these past two academic years have been emotionally and financially difficult on students and their families due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why we will continue to do all we can to support their efforts to complete their CAU education,” said President French. “Their academic and professional future is important to me and the entire Clark Atlanta University family. We care about students and want to lighten their individual and family’s financial load so they can continue their journey in pursuing and attaining their educational and professional goals.”
Florida A&M University graduate Keisha Lance Bottoms will be heading back to an HBCU after signing on to be a fellow at a new institute. Learn what Bottoms will be doing at Clark Atlanta University in the article below from Eric Stirgus and Wilborn P. Nobles III at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution below.
Credit: Alyssa Pointer
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is going back to school.
Bottoms, whose mayoral term ends in January, will be the first honorary fellow of a new effort to train people for careers as leaders of historically Black colleges and universities. The HBCU Executive Leadership Institute will be based at Clark Atlanta University, the state’s largest, private HBCU.
The mayor’s role will include speaking to the first cohort of fellows. The institute is funded in large part by the Chan Zuckerberg Foundation, which contributed $1 million toward the effort.
“For more than 150 years, HBCUs have not only played an important role in American higher education, but also in building stronger communities and world-class leaders in every sector of society,” Bottoms said in a statement. “As a proud graduate of Florida A&M University, I am excited to accept this honorary fellowship and support HBCU ELI’s efforts to ensure this legacy continues.”
Clark Atlanta’s president, George T. French Jr., also cited the mayor’s HBCU roots as one of several reasons he believes she’s well-suited for this role.
“Mayor Bottoms is experienced, intelligent, and has a strong commitment to the next generation of women leaders,” he said. “As an alumna of Florida A&M University, she continues to remind us that HBCUs can indeed create leaders who help solve society’s most pressing challenges, even in the face of crisis.”
Bottoms announced in May that she does not plan to seek reelection this year.
When asked at the time if there is a job for her that’s better than mayor of Atlanta, she said “if there is, I don’t know it … and that is scary.”
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Bottoms said in May that she doesn’t know what the future holds for her, but she joked that she was not planning to become an executive at Walgreens, which is led by her friend Roz Brewer.
There are nine accredited HBCUs in Georgia and about 100 nationwide. The average tenure of a HBCU president is about three years, about half the time span of all U.S. colleges and universities. Those involved in creating the institute hope to train people who can lead for more years. HBCUs educate about one-half of the nation’s Black lawyers, 40% of Black engineers and 70% of Black doctors and dentists.
There are 26 people in the first class of fellows. The first virtual seminar was held in June and another is scheduled for early September.
Football at Jackson State University started off this season with a bang, and hasn’t let up since! Deion Sanders has been bringing attention to the program as a coach, Sports Emmy winner, All-American, Pro Bowler and Hall-of-Famer. “Coach Prime” has even recruited at least two 4-star top football recruits, in addition to his own son, to fortify the team. And now, there will be something on wheels to back up the team as well. As of this week, Jackson State University got a shiny new football truck that is decked out in JSU blue and will transport football equipment. Even JSU’s new President Thomas K. Hudson came out for the special occasion. Get the exciting story from the JSU release by Alonda Thomas below!
Jackson State University President Thomas K. Hudson and Vice President and Director of Athletics Ashley Robinson helped to unveil the football team’s new 18-wheeler that will be used to transport equipment and gear to away games.
On Thursday, KLLM Transport Services hosted the 2021 Football Trucks Unveiling Event, which for the first time included a Jackson State University-themed truck. The 18-wheeler proudly features JSU football program greats through the years, including W.C. Gorden, Jackie Slater, Robert Brazile, Lem Barney, Walter Payton and Coach Deion Sanders.
During the event, Athletics Director Ashley Robinson participated in a live remote interview with SuperTalk Mississippi’s statewide radio show, “Sports Talk Mississippi.” He shared that the truck will be used to transport Jackson State’s football equipment and gear to away games. The truck will also be on display at home games for all the local fans to view. KLLM Transport Services is funding the initiative, which will include two drivers for the season.
Behind the steering wheel, Hudson inspects the interior with Robinson. The truck will be on display during home games.
“I’d like to thank KLLM Transport Services for including Jackson State University on their roster of top universities to participate in this program,” said Robinson. “Our fans will be thrilled to see the JSU Truck crisscrossing the country this season. The imagery truly reflects our program’s motto, ‘Building On Tradition, Blazing New Trails,’ and we thank KLLM for blazing this trail with us.”
Season tickets for fall football season are now on sale at the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium ticket office or online through TicketMaster. For more information, visit www.GoJSUTigers.com.
Atlanta is known to have a booming vegan scene with famed eateries like the Slutty Vegan, but what about the rest of the south? Well Chef Dennis Dunn holds his own at Dillard University, making sure students get a taste of that good New Orleans flavor. Get the full story from Tara Fitzpatrick at Food Management below.
Executive Chef Dennis Dunn
Sodexo Chef Dennis Dunn makes it easy for Dillard U students to go plant-forward and still experience the flavor of the Big Easy.
Think fast: Is it tough to imagine the etouffees, gumbo, omelets and appetizers of New Orleans-style brunch, snacks, dinner and parties without animal-based products? It doesn’t have to be. Sodexo Chef Dennis Dunn is serving Dillard University students real-deal Cajun and Creole cooking while offering tons of plant-forward vegan and vegetarian options.
There are lot of misconceptions about Southern food in general, especially stereotypes that paint the cuisine as high in fat and bad for you, says Dunn, who grew up in Norwood, La., a small town in East Feliciana Parish about 35 miles north of Baton Rouge.
“It is way misunderstood,” he says, explaining that the flavor secrets to New Orleans cuisine lie in the seasonings and the cooking methods, not in animal proteins.
In order to create plant-based versions of the classic, “the method is the same,” Dunn says. “Let’s say for a chicken and sausage jambalaya, with mushrooms you can get the same flavor. And with a mouthful of gumbo, you’re not thinking ‘where’s the chicken?’ It’s actually yellow squash and zucchini. It’s all in how you prepare it.”
Dunn makes a veggie stock with peels, cores and other kitchen scraps, simmering it for hours as it bubbles into an easy way to flavor up plant-forward dishes (and fight food waste in the process).
Check out how he’s made going plant-based very easy for students in the Big Easy.
It’s hardly surprising, but years ago several public colleges and universities, including HBCUs, were almost hindered from receiving state funds. In fact, it was the Civil Rights Act of 1964, in addition to a determined David S. Tatel helped these schools get the funding they needed! Get the full story from Ferrel Guillory at EdNC below.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
David S. Tatel has decided to retire as a full-time judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. A recent story on Tatel in The Washington Post focused on his influential judicial career but did not mention, as I remember, his central role in a major higher education desegregation case that resulted in strengthening North Carolina’s five historically Black public universities.
During the 1977-78 period when I was Washington correspondent for The News & Observer, Tatel served as director of the Office of Civil Rights in what was then the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Retinal disease left him blind, but did not deprive him of insight and initiative. He struck me as a diligent, thoughtful public official, even if reticent to disclose details during difficult negotiations with President William Friday and his chief aides in the University of North Carolina system.
“In nearly three decades on the appeals court in Washington,” the Post wrote, “Tatel’s lack of eyesight has never defined him. But his blindness — and more recently the attentive German shepherd at his side — is now woven into the culture of the courthouse where Tatel has been at the epicenter of consequential cases affecting major aspects of American life.”
The Post story simply said Tatel “revived” the HEW civil rights division. There, he became enmeshed in the Adams case that ordered federal officials to apply the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to public colleges and universities in 10 states — both to bring more Black students and faculty onto predominantly white campuses and to preserve the distinctive role of historically Black institutions.
Judge David Tatel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Photo by Diego Radzinschi/ALM
UNC officialdom argued emphatically that proposed remedies, such as moving curriculum programs to eliminate duplication, would impinge on public universities’ autonomy in academic decision-making. Meanwhile, Black leaders fretted over talk of mergers and over the potential of white institutions creaming away their top student prospects.
In his 1995 book, William Friday: Power, Purpose and American Higher Education, historian William A. Link devoted more than 100 pages to the negotiations that stretched from Richard Nixon’s presidency, through Jimmy Carter’s, and into Ronald Reagan’s. Link described the desegregation issue as the “supreme test of Friday’s university presidency.” And, he wrote, Tatel, a Carter appointee, viewed North Carolina as the “most important” state in the case because of Friday’s stature and because North Carolina “possessed the best public university system in the South.”
In February 1979, Tatel and Assistant Secretary of Education Mary Frances Berry led a team of federal officials on a three-day visit to eight North Carolina public universities, including the five historically Black campuses. Here is how Link summarized their findings:
“Tatel described the ‘reality of it’ as ‘overwhelming.’ At (NC) Central they toured a physical education building with dank classrooms and a leaky roof; the swimming pool in the gymnasium was considered too unclean to swim in. At Fayetteville, one faculty member told Tatel that if he wanted his students to conduct serious science experiments, he sent them to local high schools where the equipment was superior.”
The tour sent a bolt of lightning into the negotiations by illuminating North Carolina’s Black universities. Though the case dragged on beyond Tatel’s term and into the Reagan years, Link reported, the General Assembly appropriated more than $95 million in construction and renovation for Black universities through the 1980s, as well as brought their state funding up to the level of comparable white universities.
Fast forward three decades. North Carolina remains the state with the most public historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU). Of the 242,000 students enrolled in the UNC system in the fall 2020 semester, 34,728 were in the five historically Black universities. With more than 12,000 students, North Carolina A&T State University is the nation’s largest HBCU — and it ranks among the top four UNC institutions in research funding.
Earlier this week, The New York Times proclaimed that “historically Black colleges and universities are having a moment.” North Carolina’s institutions are sharing in the moment.
“And money is pouring in,” The Times reported. “The philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has given more than $500 million to more than 20 historically Black colleges in the past year. Google, TikTok and Reed Hastings, the co-chief executive of Netflix, have given $180 million more. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill delivered more than $5 billion in pandemic rescue funding, which included erasing $1.6 billion in debt for 45 institutions.”
Scott, the former wife of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, has given $45 million to NC A&T, $30 million to Winston-Salem State, and $15 million to Elizabeth City State. NC Central has broken ground on a new business school, while the NC Teaching Fellows Commission has selected Fayetteville State and NC A&T (as well as minority-serving UNC Pembroke) for expansion of the Teaching Fellows Program.
In April 2021, the Board of Governors voted to allow the five public HBCUs to raise the cap on out-of-state first-year students to 25%, a move that responds to demand from non-residents and that would bring in more tuition revenue. Elizabeth City State, which has the state’s only four-year aviation science program, is one of three NC Promise universities with $500-per-semester tuition for North Carolinians.
Historically Black universities, of course, confront challenges arising from demographic shifts and state fiscal austerity as does public higher education generally. Still, that tour Tatel led four decades ago into North Carolina gave HBCUs a chance to survive and advance to their current spotlight moment.
Fans of Kanye West aren’t the only ones happy that his new album “Donda” has finally dropped after years of anticipation. The HBCU community is rejoicing as well! For one, the rapper made the intentional act to set aside a whopping 5,000 tickets for Atlanta area HBCU students for the album’s listening party. However, Kanye’s album also caught the attention of an HBCU president Kevin E. James.
For one, “Donda” is the name of West’s mother, a who taught at Morris Brown College and was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Now, President Kevin James of Morris Brown even offered a special gift to Kanye. Learn more about it in the TMZ article below.
Kanye West treated his fans to a one-of-a-kind experience at his “Donda” listening event, but he also received a couple gifts after the show … including one honoring his late mother.
According to our sources … the City of Atlanta presented the rapper a plaque backstage after his performance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kanye was born in ATL, and the city officially proclaimed July 22 Kanye West Day.
On top of that, and perhaps more importantly to Kanye … Kevin James — President of ATL’s HBCU, Morris Brown College — was also on hand to give Ye a token of appreciation on behalf of his mom, Donda West, who taught at the school for nearly 2 decades and was Chair of the English Department.
@kanyewest My name is Kevin James, President of HBCU Morris Brown College here in Atl. Your mother taught at our college for 20 years and was Chair of the English Department. I will be at your concert tonight and wanted to present you a resolution on behalf of your mother
The award presented to Kanye is called the Dr. Donda West Meritorious Service to Morris Brown College. Donda started her career at Morris Brown, which was founded in 1881 and is the only HBCU in Georgia founded by Black people.
As we reported … Kanye revealed his new album, named after his mother, Thursday night in front of a huge crowd that included Kim Kardashian and their kids, along with Khloe.
Our sources say his family was with him when he received the awards backstage, and he got super emotional about it.
The listening event also included one major surprise at the very end — a collab with Jay-Z.
Four North Carolina A&T State University student-athletes are heading to the Olympics, and it’s been a long time coming if you ask their determined coach. Learn more about these runners who are planning to go for gold in the 4×400 relay in the article by David Squires at The Undefeated below.
Left to right: Akeem Sirleaf, Trevor Stewart, Daniel Stokes, and Randolph Ross Jr. of the North Carolina A&T State men’s 4×400 indoor national championship relay team.
As four North Carolina A&T track athletes and their coach set off this week for the Tokyo Olympics, they are representing more than their university and their countries.
Coming from the nation’s largest historically Black college and university (HBCU), the contingent traveling from Greensboro is representing the more than 100 HBCUs, and they’ll be showcasing the results of the familylike, melting-pot atmosphere fostered by Duane Ross Sr., the Aggies’ director of track and field since 2012.
The Aggies’ 2021 Olympians are all members of the men’s 4×400-meter relay team, which finished the season ranked No. 1 in the nation.
Ross’ son, sophomore (Duane) Randolph Ross Jr., and Trevor Stewart, a senior from Lorton, Virginia, will represent the United States. Daniel Stokes, a junior from Pomona, California, will compete for Mexico, and Akeem Sirleaf, a graduate student from St. Paul, Minnesota, will compete for Liberia.
“Anytime you can put an athlete on the Olympic team, that is history in the making,” Ross Sr. said in a Zoom news conference after the Olympic Trials. “It is very hard to make the Olympic team. Trust me I know. So, I’m so excited for these guys … excited for North Carolina A&T and the city of Greensboro as a whole.”
The Olympics this week are also a crowning achievement for the elder Ross, a former Clemson track athlete who competed in the 2004 Games as a hurdler. Fittingly, it was Father’s Day when Randolph Ross qualified for the Olympics at the U.S. trials, symbolically taking the baton from his father.
“The father came out in me,” Ross Sr. said on the N.C. A&T website. “For him to do something at this level, at his age (20), he had me in tears.”
At the Olympics, Ross Jr., who was born Jan. 1, 2001, will compete in the 400-meter and 4×400-meter relay, and Stewart qualified for the 4×400.
To cap things off, after the NCAA championships, Ross was named co-national men’s coach of the year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
These Aggies are the first Olympians from N.C. A&T since 1992, when Troy Douglas and Ruth Morris competed in the Barcelona Games.
The Aggies could have had an even larger Olympics contingent, but several athletes, including alums, came up short in the trials, including Christopher Belcher, Michael Dickson, TeJyrica Robinson, Rodney Rowe, Cambrea Sturgis and Kayla White.
The Olympic trials came a week after the Aggies competed in regionals and nationals, and some athletes might have performed differently with more recovery time.
“Now that we got them to this point, we get a break,” Ross Sr. said after the trials on the N.C. A&T website. “Can you imagine what a rested Junior and a rested Trevor are going to look like at the Olympic Games?”
The spring track season was also the final session that the Aggies competed in – and dominated – the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), as most of N.C. A&T athletics move in the fall to the Big South Conference, where they will join former MEAC member Hampton University.
Ross has coached N.C. A&T track athletes 16 MEAC titles – four in men’s indoor track and field, four in women’s indoor track and field, four in men’s outdoor track and field, three in women’s track and field and one in men’s cross country. And the Aggies won four straight (2017-2020) MEAC women’s and men’s indoor championships, the first MEAC school to win four straight concurrent men’s and women’s indoor titles.
“It’s an incredible feeling to be able to have the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games,” Ross Jr. said. “It’s an even better feeling being able to also represent my school and the whole community as well. Being a member of Team USATF is something I’ll never forget.”
Stewart called the Olympics “definitely a big moment” that will project us farther into the eye view, and it’s going to be something to watch.”
Sturgis, who won the 100 and 200 meters at the nationals, said that despite the Ross’ Father’s Day moment, Ross Sr. does a good job managing the coach-star athlete dynamic.
“Even though we know that’s his dad, he still treats him like a regular athlete,” Sturgis said. “He treats him like everyone else.”
That also includes Ross’ daughter, Jonah Ross, who competed as a freshman this past season.
Sturgis, a junior from Kannapolis, North Carolina, said that as a coach, Ross Sr. is a stickler for details. Sturgis announced shortly after the Olympic trials that she has joined Adidas and will now compete as a professional, with Ross Sr. continuing as her coach.
Ross Sr. also has continued to coach Belcher, Rowe, White and others who have graduated and now compete as professionals.
“Coach Ross is the type of coach that will tell you you’re going to do something and then make it happen,” Sturgis said. “But it has to be a 50-50. You have to put in the work.
“He’s never going to give up on you,” Sturgis added, “even though you might want to give up, he’s never going to give up on you.”
She said that Ross Sr. once chastised her when he overheard her speak about longing for pizza.
“Why are you having that?” he asked Sturgis. “That’s not healthy.”
Sturgis didn’t intend for Ross Sr. to hear her desire for the fast food, but: “Well, actually, I was just saying I wanted that, and he was eavesdropping, like always.”
Sturgis, who is 4-foot-11, said Ross Sr. and the coaching staff have helped her improve her starts and “being tall when I run.”
“He has taught me to be more patient with the run, instead of just racing, in order to be more relaxed.”
In describing the newly minted Aggie Olympians, Sturgis said Ross Jr. is the serious one, Stewart is the quiet one, Stokes is the funny one and Sirleaf is the helpful one – “on and off the track.”
She cited togetherness as the strength of the Aggies program.
“The glue that makes us is everybody working together,” Sturgis said. “Even though we sometimes race each other, we’re always looking out for each other and representing our school.”
Kennedy Thorne (Class of 2019), a former Aggies middle-distance runner and hurdler from the Raleigh-Durham area, remembered how Ross Sr. created a family atmosphere.
“He does his best to foster a family environment by having team get-togethers outside of the university – orchestrating team-building games and having frequent team meetings,” Thorne said.
“Structure and order have been his desire, besides execution, for this team,” she added.
“What Ross tries to instill in all his athletes is confidence,” Thorne said. “No matter what brand we wear, or how much our team has in funds, we show up and we show our Aggie pride. That has been my biggest takeaway from the sport. Always be aware of the talent and skill you possess, and never let anyone make you feel otherwise.”
But with the coronavirus pandemic, Ross couldn’t hold the traditional in-person gatherings. Like everyone else, he resorted to the Zoom platform, where he held regular meetings, stressing the team’s structure and discipline and the importance of individual training – in the absence of competition.
In-person training resumed in September, which set the stage for the Aggies’ best season.
At the NCAA indoor championships, the Aggies’ men finished fifth, receiving the program’s first NCAA title in the 4×400. Adding to that, Ross Jr. won the men’s 400-meter indoor title.
The Aggies did even better outdoors, winning two event national championships (4×400, 400 meters) on the men’s side with nine Aggie men receiving at least one All-American honor.
Ross Jr. was among four Aggies to earn multiple first-team All-American honors (4×400, 4×100, 400 meters).
Meanwhile, nine Aggies women received at least one All-American honor, including Sturgis, who was first team in the 100, 200 and 4×100.
Besides a family atmosphere, his athletes cite Ross Sr.’s attention to detail and technical knowledge about track that convinced them to attend N.C. A&T, despite opportunities at schools that might have more money.
Ross Sr. knows where his athletes are going and what it takes because he has been there. After a professional track career, Ross Sr. began coaching as an assistant at Clemson, his alma mater, where he was a seven-time All-American, including winning the NCAA championship in the 110-meter hurdles in 1995.
Before coming to N.C. A&T, Ross Sr. served five years heading the track program at Division III Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. At Methodist, Ross Sr. won multiple regional and conference coach of the year honors, produced nine individual champions and 46 All-Americans. His Monarch teams also finished as high as third and fourth in Division III national championships.
Horne provided one clue as to why Ross Sr.’s athletes produce peak performances, describing the coach’s attitude toward the competition as, “Step on their necks and don’t let up.”
“Ross never wanted us to hold back,” Thorne explained, “whether we are five points ahead or 50, we keep pushing. No mercy rules in the sport of track and field.”
Even as Ross’ teams obliterate opponents, his softer side knows that on the Olympics stage, he’s also blazing a trail for teams he competes against.
“We understand the impact of what we’re doing for our school and our culture and not just for HBCUs,” Ross said. “We’ve been hearing this all week from schools, from the smaller conferences — about how inspirational it is.
“We’ve known all along that we’re doing more than just winning races. And this moment is nodifferent.”
Through a new partnership with Appalachian School of Law, Norfolk State University is helping students dedicated to law accomplish their dreams in 6 years! Learn about the opportunity in the WAVY article by Regina Mobley below.
In this Sept. 10, 2018 file photo, Brandt Jean, center left, brother of shooting victim Botham Jean, hugs his sister Allisa Charles-Findley, during a news conference about the shooting of Botham Jean by Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger, outside the Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas. He was joined by his mother, Allison Jean, left, and attorney Benjamin Crump, right. Guyger, who was fired soon after the shooting and charged with murder, said she mistook Jean’s apartment for her own. She was convicted in early Oct. 2019 — a rare jury decision — and sentenced to 10 years in prison. (AP Photo/Ryan Tarinelli, File)
The man who has previously represented a number of Black families whose loved ones were unjustly murdered had harsh comments for law enforcement officers as he and other Black lawyers launched an investigation into the death of a man who was killed by Pasquotank County sheriff’s deputies earlier this year.
“We do not feel there was transparency,” said attorney Ben Crump in Downtown Elizabeth City, North Carolina as the family of Andrew Brown and hundreds in the community demanded answers on why deputies shot and killed Brown outside his home as they worked to serve drug-related search and arrest warrants. Those attorneys have since filed civil litigation after officers were cleared of criminal wrongdoing.
Former Virginia Gov. George Allen (Credit: WAVY photo/Regina Mobley)
From police reform to civil rights and voter suppression, citizens across the country are calling on minorities to represent them in a court of law.
But according to the American Bar Association, only 5% of the nation’s lawyers are Black. In a matter of a few years, that number could change.
Norfolk State University and Appalachian School of Law Friday signed a three-plus-three agreement for NSU students. Three years on the campus at NSU and three years at ASL in the southwest corner of the state equals one law degree at substantial savings.
“It’s a way of bridging eastern and western Virginia; it’s a way of bridging different areas,” said former Gov. George Allen, a trustee at ASL.
President and Dean B. Keith Faulker estimates the compressed program will produce a $10,000 saving in the cost of a law degree.
“They will attend Norfolk State for three years, then they will gain admission to ASL and they will do their additional three years there. So, it accelerates the program and it reduces their debt,” said Faulker.
NSU is proud of the partnership, and the school is proud of former Miss NSU Stephanie Morales, the commonwealth’s attorney for the City of Portsmouth.
Norfolk State University President Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston (Credit:WAVY photo/Regina Mobley)
The William & Mary Law product is making headlines across the country for her style of law and order. Morales was a guest speaker for the governor in a recent appearance at the state capital.
“The people who come to the court system are at their lowest point and they need compassion and they need people who are willing to see their humanity,” said Morales as she expounded on criminal justice reform in a bill signing ceremony in Richmond.
Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston, president of Norfolk State University, says Morales is one example of the role Historically Black Colleges and Universities play in producing leaders in the field of law and other professions.
“She’s wonderful and we’re really excited to have that type of support and experience. What that tells us is that HBCU Norfolk State University is a place where people grow to become their best selves,” said Adams-Gaston.
