Oakwood University will have a plethora of new resources on campus thanks to the new opening of the Community Health Action Center! Learn why the introduction of awareness classes, a food pantry, and more is so great for the Oakwood community with a story from Keneisha Deas at Fox station WZDX below.
Source: WZDX
Leaders and people living in Northwest Huntsville got a first look at Oakwood University’s “Community Health Action Center.”
The school had the center’s grand opening and its goal is to tackle food, job, and health insecurity.
Our WZDX News reporter spoke to some people there who shared why this center is needed.
“It brought tears to my eyes, because of the vision that the people have seen and that has been fulfilled,” says former Oakwood University student, Carole Sullivan. She adds, “When I came here, it was one dormitory for the ladies and one for the men.”
Sullivan attended Oakwood in 1964 and the campus has since expanded with the opening of Oakwood University’s Community Health Action Center.
One side of the facility hosts health education and a food pantry. The other, a clinic in partnership with Huntsville Hospital.
“Everybody can’t afford health care, and for this community to reach Black, White, Hispanic, whomever; it is a blessing that Oakwood University is a part of it,” says Sullivan.
“We’re going to be providing primary care, as well as walk-in type services for that may be a little bit more urgent, but may not necessarily need the emergency room. We’re providing and offering care to the students,” says Huntsville Hospital Physician Associate, Rashida Dossman.
At a time where Northwest Huntsville needs access to healthcare the most, the center will offer COVID-19 vaccination and testing.
“I grew up in this community. I graduated from Oakwood University, and I’m very proud to be able to serve the members of this community because this is my community,” says Dossman.
“I’m getting older, and this place is right here. And if I need to come, I’ll come. I’ll come and support in any way that I can,” added Sullivan.
The Huntsville Hospital wing is set to be operational sometime in July, and the Community Health Action Center is set to be operational in August.
At least 7 HBCUs are partnering with San Bernardino County school representatives in California to add more black educators to their ranks. Read about the partnership that includes Winston-Salem State University and Howard University, plus how students can benefit from black role models in the article from S.E. Williams at Black Voice News below.
Source: John Hopkins University
Research has shown again and again that teachers of color not only help close the achievement gaps of students of color but they are also highly rated by students of all races, noted the Learning Policy Institute.
The San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools recognizes the important potential additional teachers of color can have in an area with a growing minority populace and is launching a groundbreaking strategy—the creation of recruitment partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in hopes of drawing more Black teachers to the area.
Hiring a diverse group of teachers can help students academically and provide role models for their future. “Students of color generally have higher test scores, are more likely to graduate from college and to succeed in college when they have teachers of color in the classroom they can look to as role models,” according to a 2019 Ed Source report.
The benefits for minority students are clear, yet only four percent of the state’s teachers were Black and 20.7 percent were Latino compared to a student population that was 5.4 percent Black and 54.2 percent Latino in 2017-18.
San Bernardino is hoping to change the paradigm. The County’s Superintendent of Schools Human Resources Manager, Sandra Khodadadi, spoke with IE Voice and Black Voice News about the district’s new efforts in this area focused on recruiting teachers from HBCUs.
Although the groundwork for the new recruitment strategy was laid before she took on her new role in February she explained, “When I learned about it, I realized the value of it. We need to tap into all of our highly qualified candidates and resources and working with the HBCU’s will give us that opportunity.”
Khodadadi, who comes from a long line of educators and has a myriad of extended family members who are engaged in this field continued, “Working with the HBCUs, we feel like we are going to be able to tap into more [of the] highly qualified and diverse candidates we are working to try to recruit.”
Khodadadi believes it is important in education to embrace diversity so that you can touch the lives of children from every cultural aspect, from all the different groups. “I think when you have educators that can do that, that can reach out and connect with these kids, we are able to really get the kids at a time that is important in their lives.”
Khodadadi said she buys into the HBCU recruitment program because it reaches a group of candidates, “We haven’t typically been able to connect with.”
A current teachers’ shortage in the state also makes the need to expand the pool of qualified teacher candidates an important strategic move.
Brandon Miller, 2nd grade teacher, “The need for Black male teachers is the greatest it has ever been.” (source: facebook.com)
Recruiting teachers from HBCUs might be considered as a progressive move for San Bernardino by some and yet there is buy-in in the district for the program, according to Khodadadi. “When I came here that was advantageous for me [that] there was already buy-in here. There is interest in the program and the organization is excited about this.”
She continued, “Mr. Hardy Brown [a trustee on the San Bernardino County Board of Education] had spoken with William Roberts, our Assistant Superintendent of HR. He is encouraging us to participate in the program. Both gentlemen are encouraging it,” Khodadadi stressed. “They’re advocating for it.”
When asked whether she had encountered any resistance to the program’s implementation from others on her team she quickly noted she had not encountered any at all.
According to Khodadadi, the district is in the process of reaching out to HBCUs to establish these new partnerships. “We partner with other colleges and universities so we’re going to be mirroring those relationships and expanding our partnerships with the HBCUs.”Admittedly, according to Khodadadi, outreach has been a bit difficult due to restrictions in doing normal business owed to COVID-19. “It put a little bit of a hindrance on making those contacts because people were working in different work settings and so forth. You don’t have as many people physically at the organizations.”
They have, however, been successful in building relationships with the outreach attempts they made so far and are continuing to contact other HBCUs.
“I am familiarizing myself with all [HBCUS] that are out there. One of the things that we’re doing is working with Handshake. It’s a platform that connects the organization to the university and then the university is able to share job postings.”
Handshake enables students to find jobs, internships, and connect with employers hiring at individual schools. “If you have a vacant position, it gets posted and then everybody at that university using that software or platform has access to the information,” she explained.
Khodadadi was unaware of other K-12 school districts in the region or state with similar outreach efforts to HBCUs. But, said when she discovers any, “I’m going to tap into that because it’s so much better if you can collaborate, when you can work in tandem with others.”
San Bernardino is currently working with Bowie State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M, Howard University, North Carolina A&T State University, Winston-Salem State University, Morehouse College, and the list of HBCU partners continues to grow.
Since this is a new recruitment program for the district, its goal is to enhance the teacher recruitment program already in place for other universities they work with like the University of Redlands, Cal State San Bernardino, or Cal Poly Pomona, for example. “We’re expanding them to include and incorporate the HBCUs. As far as having goals, the biggest goal we have is to recruit and hire highly qualified teachers—that is our goal with any of our partners,” stressed Khodadadi.
She also encouraged readers to share information about this program with anyone that would be a great candidate. “We are here and willing to answer questions. If they are a recent HBCU graduate and want to reach out or maybe someone who graduated previously, or even if they have not yet graduated, are still [earning their degree] and are local and want to seek employment, I encourage them to go online at edjoin.org.
Two determined Clark Atlanta University professors went out of their way to make sure students could pursue careers in mental health without the costly barriers they experienced. The result of those efforts is a hefty grant reaching over $1 million! Read all about it in the article below from Madeline Thigpen at Report for America on The Atlanta Voice.
(l-r) Dr. E. Ken Shell and Dr. Kenya Jones. (Photo Credit: Courtesy/Clark Atlanta University)
Clark Atlanta University (CAU) is the recipient of a four-year $1.8 million grant from the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Professionals.
The grant was awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Two CAU professors applied for the grant together. Dr. Ken Shell, associate professor in the School of Education and Dr. Kenya Jones, associate professor in the Whitney M. Young, Jr. School of Social Work.
The grant money will be used to pay a stipend for 28 students in their clinical year of studies working toward a Master of Social Work or a Licensed Professional Counselor.
“For many black folks entering mental health, the full-time unpaid internship is a barrier,” Shell said.
In the past Shell has had students who’ve worked full-time while they complete their internship.
“I really wanted to find money so they didn’t have to do it the way I had to do it,” Shell said.
Jones said they are working on putting together a multi-disciplinary list of students to participate this year.
“We want to take a holistic approach,” Jones said. “Our goal is to add to and enhance the programs we already have.”
Both professors are excited for the recognition the BHWET grant will bring to their respective schools. CAU can also use the grant as a recruiting tool in the future because at most universities graduate internships are unpaid.
“We’re trying to get more black practitioners in mental health,” Shell said.
In addition to the relationships CAU already has with mental health facilities, the HRSA also provided the university with a list of high-needs mental health facilities in metro Atlanta.
“With this grant, we will be providing training to 28 students in the first year, but those students can spread the information further and touch more people when they move on in their career,” Jones said.
Students in their clinical year are close to graduation. Jones and Shell said they hope the BHWET program will set them up well for their job search.
While Jones and Shell spearheaded the application, both emphasized that it was a collaborative process. They worked with their deans in the School of Education and Whitney M. Young, Jr. School of Social Work and the Division of Research and Sponsored Programs at CAU throughout the grant writing process.
The BHWET Program begins July 1. CAU will receive funding until 2025 when they will be eligible to reapply for the grant.
Since that fateful day on May 25, 2020, world has been fighting for justice in the name of George Floyd. His callous murder sparked outrage and protests from Minneapolis where it all took place, to Los Angeles, to New York, to London and beyond. The murder sparked conversations about police brutality, social equality, larger discrimination and more.
Source: Ben Crump Law
Now, as the nation continues to have those difficult conversations and heals, Derek Chauvin has had his time in court for sentencing. With today’s news that Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd, we wanted to capture the raw thoughts of voices known and unknown within the HBCU community about the former cops fate.
Source: ABC News
The children of renowned civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. were among the first to speak on Chauvin’s sentencing. His youngest child, Bernice King, is a Spelman College alumna that shared her thoughts in a tweet.
“I am praying for the Floyd family,” said King Friday. “And I know that this sentence, no matter the length, does not ease the family’s pain.
I also know that this sentence, no matter the length, is not a solution for the blatant injustice and disregard for black lives by some law enforcement officers.
Justice = calling into accountability those in law enforcement who undergird and cover up the brutality, and the system, as well; and those who perpetuate police brutality by not supporting policies that would save lives. #GeorgeFloyd #ReimaginePublicSafety #SaveLives #FierceUrgencyofNow.”
Bernice King’s older brother, fellow activist and Morehouse College alumnus Martin Luther King III, was also quick to share his thoughts on the sentencing in a tweet.
“The world was watching today as #DerekChauvin was sentenced,” he said. “Unfortunately, what he received today fell short of what true justice would look like for Mr. Floyd and his family. Full Accountability is key to creating an unbiased justice system…DISAPPOINTED!”
The world was watching today as #DerekChauvin was sentenced. Unfortunately, what he received today fell short of what true justice would look like for Mr. Floyd and his family. Full Accountability is key to creating an unbiased justice system…DISAPPOINTED!
— Martin Luther King III (@OfficialMLK3) June 25, 2021
Outspoken NFL Hall of Famer and Savannah State University alum Shannon Sharpe shared his thoughts not on Derek Chauvin’s sentencing, but on the controversial comments of Chauvin’s mother. Named Carolyn Pawlenty, his mother upset many with her insensitive remarks about the fact that she would have much less access to her son as an inmate, while so many others pointed out that George Floyd is dead.
“I bet that’s exactly what George family was thinking when he died and she can do all the things that George Floyd’s family will NEVER be able to do.”
I bet that’s exactly what George family was thinking when he died and she can do all the things that George Floyd’s family will NEVER be able to do. https://t.co/bdxs48BLUE
Daughter in a long line. Attorney, adjunct professor. Minneapolis, MN. Howard University 2010, HU School of Law 2013.
Finally, a double Howard University graduate named Angi who serves not only as an attorney but an adjunct professor as well, shared an important perspective on reflection.
“…The problem is white supremacy and the violence it has been hurling at African people for 500 years. Unfortunately, one sentencing won’t remedy that. This sentencing doesn’t even remedy the death of George Floyd. It can’t repair a life lost.
So, how to feel. Well. The problem is white supremacy and the violence it has been hurling at African people for 500 years. Unfortunately, one sentencing won't remedy that. This sentencing doesn't even remedy the death of George Floyd. It can't repair a life lost.
But I think, however you feel right now, it’s real and important. Take a moment. Then let’s continue to work and build. We still have a lot to do to ensure our people can live with dignity and respect, free from knees on our necks.”
But I think, however you feel right now, it's real and important. Take a moment. Then let's continue to work and build. We still have a lot to do to ensure our people can live with dignity and respect, free from knees on our necks.
Lincoln University made headlines with its creation of a police training academy on campus. Now, a class of 9 students are set to graduate as the first graduating academy class! Learn more about what the academy has been like, and the impact it will have through the experiences of graduate Ti’Aja Fairlee from Christine Byers’ article from local station KSDK below.
When Ti’Aja Fairlee told some of her family members she was making history by joining the first-ever police academy of its kind at a historically Black university, some accused her of becoming a snitch and training to learn to kill people.
She understood where they were coming from.
She grew up in East St. Louis, where she said crime is high and faith in the police is low.
“You call the police in East St. Louis, are they going to show up?” she said. “And by the time they do show up, it’s already over with.”
She was 13 years old when Mike Brown was killed and joined Black Lives Matter protests – where calls for more minority police officers were among the demands from anti-police brutality protesters.
She says she still believes Black lives matter, but having gone through a police academy, she has a whole new perspective – one she shared with family members who questioned her career choice.
“I just told them, ‘That is not the goal, I never want to pull my gun out or even have to mace someone, if you know how to talk to people, none of that stuff needs to be used,’” she said.
But she also knows, in rare instances, sometimes it does.
She gave an example of seeing how officers might look like they are going hands on with someone during a domestic call.
“(The officer) might actually just be trying to move them apart, but people may say, ‘He’s been too aggressive,’” she said. “But he’s not trying to be a threat.”
Source: KJLU
She’s also explained to friends and family members other aspects of police training, such as why police do not train to shoot a person in the leg or arm.
“It’s very difficult to hit a moving target,” she said.
The training she said she loved the most is what she believes will keep her weapon in her holster.
It was called Critical Incident Training (CIT), where, she said, she learned the art of de-escalation and empathizing with people in stressful situations to avoid using force as much as possible.
St. Louis city and county have CIT officers on the forces as well.
“We had scenarios where we had to talk to someone who wants to commit suicide, or was drunk and had a gun,” she said.
Friday night, the 20-year-old will graduate along with eight other recruits from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri.
National media is expected to cover the ceremony, and the TODAY show has already aired a piece about the program – which hopes to boost the number of minorities in policing.
Fairlee made time to talk to me just before an interview with CNBC.
“All these reporters keep telling me we’re making history, but I feel like I’m just doing what I want to be doing,” she said.
TV shows about detectives solving crimes got her interested in law enforcement.
If ever she went to the library, she went to the True Crime section to look for books about investigations.
She was interested in forensics, but intimidated by all of the science classes required for that profession.
She learned about Lincoln University during a college fair at her alma mater, East St. Louis High School.
She entered the criminal justice program there and interned at the Lincoln University Police Department as part of a work study program. A captain there told her Chief Gary Hill was talking about starting a police academy – the first-ever police academy at a historically Black college or university, or HBCU.
“The captain told the chief, ‘Here’s your first recruit,’” Fairlee recalled.
She admits she was intimidated at first.
Most of the 22 initial recruits who started the program were men.
“They looked like a bunch of football players,” she said. “I was like, ‘They’re going to kill me in all of the fitness tests.’”
But, she stuck with it.
She’s one of only two women who completed the program.
And, she already has a job.
Webster Groves Police Capt. Greg Perks recruited her at a job fair at Lincoln University, after the university invited police departments to participate.
“She’s a very bright, vibrant young lady and that’s what attracted me to her when she came to our booth,” Perks said.
She’s going to work with the department as an intern until she turns 21 next January.
If she meets all the department’s requirements, she will become one of the department’s 47 officers, he said.
“The more diverse your department is, the more equal representation you have for the community in which you serve,” Perks said. “Across the nation law enforcement recruitment is down, it’s abysmal right now, and more programs like this allowing kids to go through academy while obtaining their degree is a major bonus that puts more qualified applicants into the pool nationwide.
“You can’t just put an ad out say, ‘We’re hiring,’ and wait for people to walk in your door. That’s how it was 24 years ago when I came on, but not anymore.”
Fairlee said what attracted her to Webster Groves was how it pursued her.
“They followed up with me afterwards and I was like, ‘If they really want me enough to follow up with me, then that’s where I want to be,’” she said.
Fairlee said she, too, hopes more HBCUs will start police academies.
A spokeswoman for Harris-Stowe University in St. Louis told me it is working with Hill to create a police academy as well.
“I really didn’t know how to get into stuff like this,” she said. “Nobody tells us.
“At first, I had my doubts. And now, I’m very proud of myself.”
HBCUs truly have a spotlight on them from a national front in a way perhaps that they’ve never had before. However, not many in this country know their histpr, especially those who did not attend one or know anyone who did. Recently, North Dallas Gazette writer Lena Borrelli laid it all out in a article which can be found below, and it’s a must-read!
Credit: UNCF
Historically Black colleges and universities, commonly known as HBCUs, are an incredibly important part of the higher education system in the United States. These schools, which make up just 3% of the nation’s colleges and universities, produce nearly 20% of all African American graduates — making them a crucial component of minority education.
That’s not the only benefit of HBCUs, either. Historically Black colleges and universities are also responsible for educating about 25% of African American STEM graduates. These science, technology, engineering, and math fields are extremely important to the future of our nation — and offer solid career paths to STEM graduates, who are sought out by major companies and typically enter their fields with high earning potentials.
These types of higher education institutions are also incredibly important when it comes to support for Black students. According to a 2015 Gallup-Purdue poll, African American graduates of HBCUs are more likely to have felt supported while in college and are more likely to thrive after graduation when compared to their Black peers who graduated from other higher education institutions. Adding more weight to the argument that HBCUs are a vital component of higher education is the fact that about 40% of HBCU students reported feeling financially secure during college. On the other hand, only 29 % of Black students reported feeling financially secure at other schools.
Diversity within college graduates helps to make for a stronger, more positive society, and education helps to level the playing field for people of all colors. Given the role that HBCUs play, it’s incredibly important to show support for these vital institutions — and people from all corners of the nation and walks of life can play a role in doing so. By showing support, you will help make higher education accessible to anyone who wants to pursue it. In the guide below, we’ll talk more about why you should support HBCUs and offer ways you can do that.
Understanding HBCUs
The road to equal education rights in the U.S. has been long and full of obstacles. To best understand the significance of historically Black colleges and universities, you first must understand how and why these institutions of higher education were necessary to begin with.
Background
The first historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were established 1861 with the introduction of just two schools, which were founded in Pennsylvania and Ohio just prior to the start of the American Civil War. These institutions were created to serve as educational centers specifically designed to cater to Black students, who were isolated from white-only schools. The focus during the early days of these institutions was to help educate future teachers and tradesmen with basic education and trained skills that would help to serve them in the workplace.
It wasn’t until after the Civil War that HBCUs expanded into the South. The momentum that helped to propel the growth of HBCUs in the South was due, at least in part, to work done by the Freedmen’s Bureau, a federal Reconstruction group designed to help Black people acclimate to free life. Many of today’s most respected HBCUs were founded during this time, including
Clark Atlanta University — formerly known as Atlanta University, Howard University, and Morehouse College — formerly the Augusta Institute.
Still, at that point in time, America was a long way from equal rights for all people. It would take a series of groundbreaking legislative actions to shatter the physical and legal barriers separating the Black community from much of society. It would also take many more decades for these colleges and universities to earn the HBCU moniker via the 1965 Higher Education Act.
Plessy vs. Ferguson
The case of Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537, was an 1896 federal case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court after Homer Plessy, a Black man from Louisiana, was jailed for sitting in a white-only train car.
Despite impassioned arguments, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of racially segregated public facilities, so long as they were equal between the races. The court’s decision drew upon and upheld the Jim Crow laws, giving birth to a new phrase that would ring infamous for decades to come: “Separate but equal.”
As the Library of Congress notes, “It became the legal basis for racial segregation in the United States for the next fifty years.”
Brown vs. Board of Education
Credit: Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images
More than 50 years passed from Plessy v. Ferguson to the point when the Supreme Court justices reversed the original segregation laws. This happened in 1954 with the decision regarding Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. After Oliver Brown’s Black daughter was denied entrance to a white-only school, Brown served the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, with a class-action lawsuit, arguing that segregated facilities were far from equal.
Such division only served to violate the equal protections afforded by the 14th amendment. His lawsuit was joined by four others, and the cases progressed all the way to the Supreme Court before it was all combined into one: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.
This time, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of desegregation, voting unanimously to end the racial segregation of U.S. public schools.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil War gave birth to a series of new amendments designed to affect equal rights: the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery; the 14th Amendment, which recognized formerly enslaved people as citizens; and the 15th amendment, which gave men of all races the right to vote.
Before his death, President John F. Kennedy began laying the groundwork for new legislation that would recognize equal rights and outlaw segregation based on race, national origin, or religion in all public establishments. He was assassinated prior to seeing the legislation through, but President Lyndon B. Johnson picked up where Kennedy left off. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which includes Title VII, which specifically bans discrimination in the workplace and among labor unions. This act served as the foundation for today’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The late Martin Luther King, Jr. later said that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was nothing less than a “second emancipation.”
But, despite the progress, Black Americans remained largely disenfranchised from their communities. The unequal footing in the decades prior had led to issues with wealth distribution and test scores, which kept many Black Americans from assimilating into former white-only schools.
It is from these types of disparities that HBCUs were founded. These schools, which catered to Black and minority students, gave people of color the opportunity to be free to pursue higher education without fear of harassment or reprisal.
It wasn’t long before HBCUs began to open their doors across the nation, forming the foundation for today’s most cherished and respected HBCU educational institutions. As of 2021, there were about 107 U.S. historically Black colleges and universities. These colleges and universities were located in a total of 19 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Enrollment and Graduation
The National Center for Education Statistics offers some interesting data on HBCUs in its 2018 study. Notable statistics include:
• There were about 101 HBCU schools as of 2018. These were about evenly split between public and private non-profit institutions. • Female HBCU enrollment has consistently outnumbered that of males every year, from 1976 to 2018. • About 24% of HBCU enrollment includes non-Black students. This is a significant increase from just 15% in 1976. • Bachelor’s and master’s degrees outweigh associates and doctorate degrees as the most popular HBCU programs, with about 48,300 HBCU degrees earned during the 2017-2018 school term alone. • HBCU total revenue for the 2017–18 school term was about $8.7 billion. • Nearly 90% of the students enrolled at HBCUs attend four-year institutions, while the other 10% attend two-year schools. More than three-quarters of all students enrolled at HBCUs attended public schools as of 2018. • Overall, there has been a steady increase in the number of students enrolled in HBCUs. The number of Black students enrolled in HBCUs increased by 17% from 1976 to 2018. That enrollment rate jumped even further after 1976, with a 47% increase in enrollment through 2010.
That said, there was a troubling statistic to emerge from the 2018 NCES report. According to the data from the report, there was an 11% decrease in HBCU enrollment between 2010 and 2018 — despite the significant rates of growth in the decades prior.
To help combat this trend, many HBCUs have established and support various on-campus groups and organizations that can improve the university experience and better prepare you for success.
Over time, the areas of study offered by HBCUs have evolved as well, with programs that include degrees in psychology and business administration.
Investing in Black Futures
There are many ways that you can support students of HBCUs so you can begin making a difference today.
Supporting Scholarships: Many of these scholarship programs are made possible by the donations from people and businesses. If you are interested in sponsoring the education of future HBCU students, you can typically donate directly to the scholarship program of your choice.
The HBCU Foundation is a great way to support HBCU education. This foundation offers support through its partnerships with 106 member-schools. If you want to support the foundation, you can find a program you like and donate directly to that cause.
Donating Time: Not everyone has extra finances to donate toward scholarships, but sharing your time is a free way to make a difference. You can volunteer to serve as a mentor for incoming freshmen who are nervous about their new college life.
From academic support to simply offering an ear during tough times, volunteering as an HBCU mentor can make an enormous difference in a student’s academic career and help prepare those you mentor for a life of success.
Supporting Future Growth: After graduation, students start the process of finding full-time employment. It is not always easy to find and land a job in your industry of choice, which is how professional mentors can help to ease the process for new graduates.
For example, creating and sustaining a college-to-corporate pipeline for HBCU graduates can be an invaluable way to help students find meaningful and lasting employment. These connections can not only help students find better-paying jobs, but in many cases, better benefits, too.
Conclusion
It has been a long, hard road to equal rights for people of color. The battle for equality continues even today, but through it all, HBCUs have stood strong, acting as pillars of strength and providing opportunities to the Black and minority students who attend them. HBCUs also offer an exceptional sense of community and inclusivity, as well as a solid support system for their students.
Even if you do not plan to attend an HBCU as a student, there are plenty of ways to get involved and support these important institutes of higher education. Mentoring and financial donations can help underprivileged students succeed, while corporate partnerships can help ensure employment for emerging grads. Through your support, you can play a direct role in shaping and molding tomorrow’s leaders.
Morgan State University is always looking for ways to recruit the best of the best academic talent, and now a new partnership with Modern States is helping the university do just that! Learn how forward-thinking students can prepare to attend colleges in Maryland in the article below by Tim Tooten at local station WBAL TV below.
Credit: Morgan State University
A new program could help Morgan State University attract college-bound students as they can earn up to a year of college credits for free.
The Fast Start program in collaboration between the university and a nonprofit alliance called Modern States allows Maryland high school students to get a head start as they make plans to attend schools like Morgan State.
Morgan State will reap the benefits of students who take and pass online courses offered by Modern State. For starters, it’ll help students save more than $10 million in tuition and other college-related expenses.
“Our goals are to make college more affordable and more accessible for all people,” said David Vise, executive director of Modern States. “For Morgan State, it’s a recruiting tool. It can help them not only get high school students moving and earning college credits early, it can also help Morgan State reach students they’ve had a hard time reaching in the past.”
It’s something the school administration is not taking for granted.
“We will also be working to let our guidance counselors and principals and superintendents across the state know about the program because it really is a wonderful opportunity for students,” said Kara Turner, vice president for enrollment management and student success at Morgan State University.
Morgan State University is getting help in recruiting high school students thanks to the “Fast Start” program which allows them to take free online classes for credit. It’s being made possible through a partnership with Modern States @MorganStateU@morganpres@modernstatesedpic.twitter.com/mWI5HRlr0Q
Jarrett Carter, the founding editor of The HBCU Digest and a 2003 Morgan State University graduate, said the new program is paving a pathway to success.
“It’s impressive that the institution is able to not only welcome the best and the brightest but those who are yet to realize their academic talent and to pair that mission with an organization that’s says, ‘Hey, we want to improve college access. Here are some of the ways we can do it,'” Carter said.
Modern States said, in addition to prospective Morgan State students, residents throughout Maryland can also sign up for its free online courses.
After 4 decades of working his way up at the agency, Alcorn State University alumnus Terry Cosby has been named the new chief of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Read about how his dedication and education at Alcorn State have brought him success in the university release below!
Credit: Natural Resources Conservation Service
Growing up on a farm in Enid, Mississippi, gave Terry Cosby ’82 an appreciation for the land.
“My love for the land began at a young age,” said Cosby, who earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture education. “I grew up on a cotton farm that has been in my family since my great grandfather purchased it in the late 1800s.”
After taking his passion to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) 42 years ago, the Alcorn State University alumnus has worked his way to becoming the agency’s new chief.
The promotion is the culmination of Cosby’s years of dedication and hard work.
“I’m very proud of what I’ve accomplished. My father and mother instilled a spirit of service in me at an early age. I appreciate working with our passionate employees and agency leadership on shared responsibilities that help agriculture families, customers, and communities across America realize their conservation and production dreams.”
Before his new role, Cosby served as the state conservationist for Ohio, where he implemented several programs to aid the less fortunate. He’s thankful for the lessons his past experiences have taught him.
Credit: Natural Resources Conservation Service
“Our office established the Ohio Interagency Forestry Team, implemented the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and partnered with urban agriculture programs to bring fresh produce to underserved communities. These accomplishments were part of the programmatic building blocks for what is now the national Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. Now, I have the chance to use the skills and knowledge I’ve gained from those projects to continue implementing successful programs on a national scale.”
Continuing to navigate through the pandemic, along with tackling issues such as climate change and ensuring more jobs for minorities, are tasks that Cosby looks forward to completing in his new role.
“We have so much work to do, but it’s an exciting time. Our priority is beating the pandemic. We are focusing on climate-smart agriculture to help mitigate the impacts of climate change as well as ensuring racial equity here at the USDA and in the producers that we serve.”
Cosby is happy to be a part of a leadership team that is committed to setting the stage for future agency employees to thrive.
“We have a great leadership team, and we are committed to working to address these priorities. As a grandfather, I am proud of our contributions to ensure future generations have access to thriving natural resources. The farmers and ranchers of tomorrow, no matter their background, will have equal access to USDA programs and services.”
The agency makes its mark by adapting to the needs of the people it serves. Cosby hopes to continue the agency’s mission of finding innovative ways of lending its services to others.
“The NRCS oversees a broad range of programs to make conservation work for Americans. Recently, we’ve reached five million acres in easements, invested in conservation innovation grants and other financial incentives, and cooperated with other USDA agencies to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters. I want us to continue to adapt to the needs of our producers and partners and to seek creative ways to expand our outreach.”
Cosby’s success is a result of his experience as a student at Alcorn. He praises the University for fostering his skills and equipping him to excel.
“My education at Alcorn was a great foundation for my career at NRCS. It gave me the chance to learn about agriculture and conservation and get the hands-on experience that I needed to start working in the field. Along with other 1890 Universities, Alcorn plays an important part in the education and preparation of our youth. Alcorn provided an opportunity where I had a great and affordable college experience. The University plays an important role in building expertise.”
Renowned multi-hyphenate Dr. Mae Jemison will be speaking at Huston-Tillotson University during their commencement this August! Read all about the value of the astronaut and engineering extraordinaire’s speech acceptance in the HTU release below!
Photo by Chris Hildreth
Engineer, physician, advocate and astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison, the first woman of color to go into space, will deliver the commencement address at Huston-Tillotson University’s 2021 Commencement Convocation on Saturday, August 7, 2021, at 9 a.m.
The ceremony will be held on the Huston-Tillotson University Athletic Field, located at 900 Chicon Street. The occasion marks the return to an in-person graduation event for the first time since 2019, as the 2020 commencement exercises were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The convocation will recognize graduating classes of 2020 and 2021, including honors students from both classes, as well as the Golden Classes of 1970 and 1971.
Appropriate Covid-19 protocols and safety measures will be in place, with event parking on Chalmers Avenue. The ceremony will also be video streamed live. For more information, visit htu.edu.
“The classes of 2020 and 2021 displayed unconquerable resolve, enduring a global pandemic in the completion of their academic quests,” said Huston-Tillotson University President Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette. “Having Dr. Jemison to render our Commencement Convocation address at this milepost in history is a perfect embodiment of courage and perseverance, as she overcame insurmountable obstacles to attain a global first. I look forward to her message which I am certain will embolden our Genius Generation and all whom will witness it. We are elated to celebrate these graduates in person and bring our campus community, alumni, and friends back together.”
Born in Decatur, Ala., Jemison’s father was a roofer and carpenter, while her mother was an elementary school teacher. Her sister, Ada, is a psychiatrist, and her brother, Charles, works in real estate.
Jemison was raised in Chicago, where her love for science and the arts, came to the forefront. After high school, she matriculated to Stanford University on a National Achievement Scholarship, and alongside her studies was involved in dance and theater productions, was president of the Black Student Union and developed and taught classes on politics, race and education. Dr. Jemison graduated from Stanford with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, as well as fulfilling the requirements for an A.B. in African and Afro-American studies. She earned her doctorate in medicine from Cornell University Medical College.
Dr. Jemison lived in Freetown and served as Area Peace Corps Medical Officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia prior to her selection as a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut candidate in 1987. Jemison served six years as a NASA astronaut, and traveled to space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in, 1992 as Science Mission Specialist for the STS- 47 Spacelab Japan mission where she performed experiments in material science, life sciences, and human adaptation to weightlessness.
After leaving NASA, Jemison started her own technology firm, was a professor of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth College, created The Earth We Share international science camp, and founded the non-profit Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence named in honor of her mother. Jemison also leads the 100 Year Starship project that seeks to foster the radical innovations required for human interstellar space travel while applying the benefits right here on Earth every step of the way.
Jemison is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, an inductee of the National Women’s, Texas Science’s and the National Medical Association’s Halls of Fame. She has won numerous awards and honors and was keynote speaker at the Opening Session of the UN COP24 Framework Convention on Climate Change, and is an Honorary Member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Jemison is an author, including Find Where the Wind Goes: Moments from My Life, and the Scholastic “True Books” series on space exploration. Jemison, co-host of the NatGeo series “One Strange Rock” and logistics consultant for NatGeo’s docudrama series MARS, was the first real astronaut to appear on Star Trek TV series and is a mini-figurine in the LEGO Women of NASA kit. She currently resides in Houston, Texas.
Sadly, Grambling State University public address announcer Leon Thomas III has passed away. Thomas left his mark on the university with his passion for his work and personable spirit. Learn more about the local legend in the article below from Nancy Cook at Louisiana station WGNO below.
Leon “The Voice” Thomas III (left) interviews Grambling Head Football Coach Broderick Fobbs.
All of Grambling, as well as Grambling alumnae worldwide is grieving the death of Leon “The Voice” Thomas III, following the announcement that he had lost his courageous battle with cancer.
The announcement was made by Grambling President Rick Gallot in a tweet on Grambling University’s Twitter feed around 11 a.m. Wednesday:
“#Gramfam, we are saddened to hear of the passing of GSU legend Leon Thomas III. Our hearts and prayers are with the family, friends and everyone his life impacted.
Whether you knew him as Leon, LT, or The Voice, he always left a lasting impression, no matter the circumstance. Whether he was announcing a G-Men football game, halftime for the World Famed Tiger Marching Band, Calendar Girl Pageant, or other Grambling events too numerous to list, you felt his love for Grambling State University.
“On behalf of Christy and I, and the entire Grambling Family, we were saddened to learn of the passing of Leon Thomas, III. We will all miss his physical presence and voice, but we know that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).” We will keep his parents, Leon and Irene Thomas, as well as his brother Leron in our prayers.”
GSU Prez Rick Gallot
Leon, rest peacefully. Your alma mater, your #Gramfam will miss you dearly. Until we meet again, arrivederci!”
Thomas began his career as Grambling’s public address announcer in 1988, he not only introduced world-famous Grambling celebrities such as Eddie G. Robinson Jr., Doug Williams, Broderick Fobbs, Joi’Lavi Porter, Joiya Smith, he introduced the World Famed Tiger Marching Band, Miss GSU pageants, Miss Cover Girl pageants, coronations, and other events for GSU Favrot Student Union.
A Grambling native, Thomas’ mother worked at Grambling for 30 years. According to a 2015 article by Brandon LaGarde in the university newspaper, The Gramblinite, Thomas’ mom taught him the proper way to talk, dress, social etiquette and to have a firm educational background with a great emphasis on the importance of being an influential African American.”
Thomas began doing radio professionally while he was still at Grambling State University Laboratory High School, where mentors Rick Godly, Earl Simpson and Lloyd Moss and Earl Simpson guided him into his career, Thomas told LaGarde.
Simpson was the Grambling Laboratory band director, who made Thomas sign up for radio and TV so he could announce the band at halftime during football games, while Moss was a teacher at Grambling Lab who put Thomas behind a microphone and in front of a camera every chance he could.
Godley gave Thomas his first radio opportunity on the radio – While on the air, Godley said, “Leon Thomas III I know you’re listening next time you’re at the radio station come see me.” The rest was history.
HBCU students are so diverse in terms of their interests, and also the ways that they will change the world. With so many LGBTQ+ students spread across our HBCUs, an initiative with two leading rights groups is helping to bridge the gap between resources these students have and what they need to thrive. Get the full story from East L. Dockery at ESPN’s The Undefeated below.
Participants in the 15th National HBCU Leadership Summit in Washington. (HRC)
This partnership began in late spring 2019 when Marybeth Gasman, distinguished professor at Rutgers University and CMSI executive director, reached out to Leslie Hall, director of the HRC Foundation’s HBCU Program. HRC’s program has been around since 2004 after the HRC Foundation mobilized efforts to support HBCUs in enhancing policies and services that promote LGBTQ inclusion, equity and engagement.
“There were two violent anti-LGBTQ incidents at two prominent HBCUs in 2004. And after those incidents,” said HRC president Alphonso B. David, “we saw a need to really bring together HBCU LGBTQ student leaders, because we thought there was a need to advocate for inclusion and social justice on campuses and in their communities.
“These students are Black, these students are brown, these students are LGBTQ. But when we think of social justice, in some circles, LGBTQ was being excluded. And so, we wanted to make sure that HBCUs were really embracing LGBTQ students, making sure that these leaders have the support, the services and the resources to be successful leaders in the future.”
Hall said the HRC agreed to a memorandum of understanding in early spring 2019 that it would “lean in with LGBTQ-inclusive work with [Gasman] and she would then open up her Rolodex for us to be able to engage with the leaders that she had within her center.”
These schools are at the forefront of progressive efforts by creating LGBTQ resource centers, changing admission and housing policies, and, in the case of Spelman, establishing an endowed chair in queer studies.
“We were trying to really look at the people who stand out as role models so that if, let’s say, an HBCU didn’t have a center or an office supporting LGBTQ students, they could call up someone at Bowie State, which has really done a lot of work, and ask how did you do it,” said Gasman. “What do you do? What are best practices? Or call up someone like Spelman, who is a long, longtime supporter of LGBTQ issues, both in the staff and the faculty. And what are you doing? What are best practices?”
The HRC program uses recommendations from research included in Modeling Inclusion: HBCUs and LGBTQ+ Support published in December 2020 by CMSI. Those recommendations cover the central issues of housing, admissions, student life, engagement, health and wellness. The recommendations are:
Use resources on campus to undertake schoolwide policy changes
Allow students to change their gender identity in student records
Consider establishing an office or space specifically designated for LGBTQ+ students
Offer mental health resources that address the distinct challenges facing LGBTQ+ students
Demonstrate high visibility of and support from campus leadership, in particular the college president
Make LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum
“We have, since the program’s inception, established relationships with more than 30 HBCUs to provide support to LGBTQ students and faculty and staff who are looking to improve LGBTQ inclusion on their campuses,” David said. One reason that has been successful is the National HBCU Leadership Summit.
The summit is a leadership development and advocacy training program that empowers LGBTQ HBCU students. It is a five-day summit held in November in Washington, where students focus on activism, self-awareness, collaborations and team building. According to David, it has been a huge success.
“They leave that workshop with skills and competence to really lead effectively moving forward, and especially through the intersections of race and religion, gender identity and sexual orientation,” David said. “So, I would say that that is one of the hallmarks of this program, but we have a lot of work to do. We still have 250 bills that have been introduced in state legislatures around the country. We still have at least 44 transgender and gender-nonconforming people killed last year. This year, at least 28. So we have a lot of work to do, to really make sure we create communities that are accepting of LGBTQ people and those communities include HBCU college campuses and university campuses. So, we’re proud of the work that we’ve done, but we still have a lot more work to do.”
Keadrick Peters, the coordinator of multicultural programs and services at Bowie State, has been involved in numerous lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual inclusive projects at the university. Peters has been working there since 2009, and helped establish the Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity.
Each semester, Bowie State has students, faculty and staff take a diversity and inclusion pledge, and it offers safe-space training that wasn’t on campus before his arrival.
Peters said the HRC helps make connections and partnerships that provide opportunities either in Washington or directly on campus. “They email and mail [information on] the LGBTQIA resource center, hard-copy pamphlets and services, resources of the DMV [Washington, Maryland and Virginia], which they send directly to the university and the Wellness Center,” he said.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, the Gay-Straight Alliance and the LGBTQIA resource center started planning a prom at Bowie State. “This came about because some students in high school were marginalized and they couldn’t pick who they really wanted to come to prom. So, that’s something we’re planning for this coming school year,” he said.
The work done by the HRC, CMSI and schools is multifaceted, but they have one goal in mind.
“For me, it is one word: liberation,” David said.
“That’s all it is. Getting to the point where being LGBTQ and Black means that you’re liberated. You can walk down the street without fear of retribution. You can self-identify without being concerned about how you’re going to be treated by your peers or by faculty. It’s liberation, and we’re not there yet. I don’t think any marginalized group in this country has achieved liberation. And that’s what we’re fighting for. Not Black people, not brown people, not women, not LGBTQ people. And our ultimate goal is to get to that place that we can recognize freedom and actually live it.”
Virginia Union University has teamed up with Apple to make VUU students among the most technologically savvy in the world. For example, starting with the Class of 2025, each incoming student at VUU will receive a tech bundle that includes an iPad, Apple Watch and more! Learn about what creating a Smart Campus truly means in the article by Derek Major at Black Enterprise below!
Virginia Union University (VUU), a private HBCU, will team up with Apple to create a culture of innovation by providing first-year students with a technology bundle.
The Virginia Union University campus. (Image: Virginia Union University)
The initiative, called Mobile Learning, Mobile Life will provide incoming freshmen with an iPad Air, Apple Pencil, Smart Keyboard Folio, Apple Watch, and AirPods Pro to support students’ education and campus life needs at VUU.
The initiative demonstrates the importance the university places on providing students with the best tools for the student to be successful in their college careers and prepare them for the digital age and workplace requirements of the future.
“Creating a Smart Campus at VUU is critical to the academic learning environment of a 21st-century student. Apple has the products, apps, and professional learning support that will allow our students to access books, classes, and research materials at their fingertips,” Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, president and CEO of Virginia Union University said in a statement. “Our collaboration goes much further than technology; Smart Campus will help as we prepare students to enter the workforce, putting them on the path to generational wealth.”
Each incoming freshman class will receive the bundle beginning with the freshman class of 2025. Additionally, VUU will offer Apple’s coding and app development curriculum to all students in an effort to prepare them for technology careers post-graduation. This initiative will also help grow the number of students of color in STEM professions.
The Mobile Learning Mobile Life Initiative will turn Virginia Union into a smart campus giving students and faculty the opportunity to better connect and engage during their higher learning experience.
“At Apple, we believe education is a powerful force for equity and opportunity, and we’re excited to work with Virginia Union University to support their new Mobile Learning, Mobile Life initiative,” Susan Prescott, vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations and Enterprise and Education Marketing said in a statement. “We’re proud that Apple products will be an integral part of student life for VUU Panthers, and can’t wait to see where the future takes them.”
Earlier this month, Apple launched a $100 million racial justice initiative to increase spending with Black businesses and recruit HBCU students for technology classes and degrees.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce Frederick S. Humphries, the eighth president of Florida A&M University, has passed away. Humphries became a popular president during his tenure at the university from 1985-2001. Learn more about the beloved president in a Tallahassee Democrat article by Byron Dobson and contributor Bill Cotterell.
Credit: Mark Wallheiser
Frederick S. Humphries, one of the most celebrated and revered presidents in Florida A&M University history, died Thursday in Orlando. He was 85.
Humphries had been in declining health in recent years, but continued to bounce back. He served as Florida A&M University’s eighth president 1985-2001.
“It is with great difficulty and emotion that I share with you that my father, Dr. Frederick S. Humphries, former President of FAMU & TSU (Tennessee State University) passed away,” one of his sons, Laurence Humphries, posted on Facebook.
“Please know that he transitioned peacefully surrounded by family. More details for services will be provided once they are finalized. Thanks so much to everyone for the love and support to us in this difficult time.”
Former FAMU president Frederick S. Humphries (left) and FAMU interim president Larry Robinson laugh during a speech at FAMU’s Leon County Alumni Chapter 9th Annual Roast and Toast Scholarship Gala honoring Humphries. Democrat Files
Before returning as president to FAMU, where the Apalachicola native earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry in 1957, Humphries served as president of Tennessee State University in Nashville, from 1974-85.
“The dark clouds have indeed gathered on the horizon,” current FAMU President Larry Robinson said in a statement late Thursday.
Humphries “is one of FAMU’s favorite sons,” he added. “He committed his life to the advancement of higher education, in particular within the HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) community, and changed the trajectory of FAMU.
“We join the Humphries family, friends and Rattlers around the world in celebrating a life dedicated to service and one well lived.”
Congressman Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, called the 6-foot-7 Humphries “bigger than life. There will never be another like him.”
FAMU President Frederick Humphries applauds the accolades given by Miami representative Frederica Wilson during FAMU Day at the Capitol. Mike Ewen
He said Humphries “brought FAMU to tremendous heights and really cared a lot for the students. People have celebrated him ever since he left the university and he was respected by the students, faculty and alumni for all he did for FAMU and HBCUs.
“He was not only a great educator; he never stopped being sort of a home boy from Apalachicola. He was also very well respected in the Legislature,” added Lawson, who also served in the state House and Senate 1982-2010. “He had an aura of respect around him at all times.”
The university said Humphries is survived by his son Frederick S. Humphries Jr., daughter Robyn Tanya Humphries as well as son Laurence Humphries, among other family members. His wife, Antoinette McTurner Humphries, died in 2006.
Texas Southern University has a new band director for its legendary Ocean of Soul band! Get the full story from the recent Texas Southern release below.
Texas Southern University has named Mr. Brian Simmons as the new Director of The Ocean of Soul Marching Band and an instructor in the Music Department. He will step into this new role on Monday, July 5th, 2021.
“It is an honor to join the TSU Family. Texas Southern has always been a respected rival of mine. I am excited to work with a program with so much history both in the band and HBCU world,'” said Brian Simmons. “I look to honor the rich history and traditions of the “Ocean of Soul” while incorporating new and innovative ideas. Fans and alumni can expect to see what the band is known for as we rise to the next level. Ultimately, it will be the same Ocean, just a new wave!”
The TSU band was founded in 1945 by Mr. Allen E. Norton. The Ocean of Soul, affectionately known as the 9th Wonder of the World, was founded by Mr. Benjamin J. Butler II in 1969. The Ocean of Soul has performed at numerous high-profile events, including Super Bowl XXXVIII, the 2013 NBA All-Star Game Pregame Concert and the 2018 NCAA Final Four. Most recently, the Ocean was featured in the 2021 Netflix series High on the Hog.
Notable parade performances include the 2014 NFL Hall of Fame Induction Parade, the 2017 Houston Astros World Series Victory Parade, the HEB Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Krewe of Endymion Mardi Gras Parade. In addition, the Ocean has performed with celebrities, award shows, movie premieres and several musical performances for various NBA, MLB and NFL teams. You can always catch the Ocean on select TSU televised home football and basketball games during the school year. The band consists of more than 200 students majoring in different disciplines, all of whom rehearse and perform as part of a year-round program. Mr. Simmons will be the 5th Director of The Ocean of Soul and succeeds Dr. Darryl Singleton.
Credit: Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle / DMN Archives
“The College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences welcomes Mr. Simmons to TSU, to the Ocean of Soul and to the Music Department. I would like to thank all members of the search committee for moving us to this point,” Needha Boutte-Queen, Dean College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences. “We are thrilled that Mr. Simmons accepted this opportunity to lead the historic Ocean into the future. His talents are widely known and will help propel the Ocean of Soul to new heights.”
A native of New Orleans, LA, Mr. Simmons earned a Bachelor of Music and Master of Educational Leadership from Southern University. He also serves as an adjudicator and clinician to middle and high school bands nationwide. In addition, Mr. Simmons is an exceptional euphonium and trombone player. He is also a prolific arranger and educator respected throughout the country. He has received many awards and critical acclaim for his performances and arrangements.
Mr. Simmons was appointed Director of Bands and Director of Fine Arts at the Louisiana Leadership Institute (LLI) by Louisiana Senator Cleo Fields. In January 2021, Simmons led LLI as they were selected to participate in the Inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Mr. Simmons was inducted into the Southern University Alumni Federation: 40 Under 40. He has also participated in the HBCU National Band Directors Consortium, Music Educators National Conference, and Louisiana Music Educators Association. He is a member of Mu Phi Epsilon, Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity.
With many effective HBCUs churning out top Black talent, yet suffering from staggeringly poor funding, a new app has been created solve the problem. The innovative “HBCU Change” app is a fresh and unique way for HBCU alumni, students, and allies to donate passively. The app is not only solving the financial problems that many HBCUs are experiencing, but finding extra ways for them to thrive as well.
It has long been known that HBCUs are underfunded, drastically more than PWI counterparts. HBCUs are often either skipped or shorted when it comes to federal funding. Celebrities and philanthropists like Travis Scott and MacKenzie Scott have stepped up to fill in the gaps, giving millions for scholarships and programs. Yet when it comes to those closer to these colleges and universities, there is a disconnect.
The app conveniently works by allowing you to passively donate your spare change to HBCUs! So for example, if you swiped your credit card for a purchase totaling $85.12, HBCU Change would round that purchase to $86.00. That $0.88 cent difference would then go to the HBCU of your choice. In fact, HBCU Change has made its mission to raise $1 billion for HBCUs over the next 5 years! And with industry-standard encryption and the app never storing your banking credentials, it’s definitely a secure way to serve our HBCUs.
In addition to general fundraising, this app offers additional valuable benefits. For donors, it easily provides a way to track donations, which is helpful for tax purposes. It will also help with research purposes. On a larger scale schools can see which classes are donating more. Many HBCUs don’t have good data on the whereabouts for their alumni, which will help with targeting for future fundraising.
To learn more about HBCU Change, click here today!
More HBCUs are recognizing the value of forgiving debt. Especially with the pandemic, liberating students financially will free them of generational debt, and more. Learn all about the HBCUs making unprecedented moves in the article from Inside Higher Ed by Sara Weissman below.
Wilberforce University graduate Rodman Allen and his mother at graduation. (Credit Marsha Bonhart)
Historically Black colleges and universities are forgiving students’ debts with the hopes of alleviating some of the financial strains of the pandemic and possibly providing them more financial freedom in the future.
Historically Black colleges and universities across the country are making efforts to lighten the debt loads of their recent graduates after a tumultuous and financially difficult academic year. To the surprise of many graduating seniors, some HBCUs announced that they would clear part or all of the balances owed in tuition, fees and fines.
These moves came as a relief to the mostly Black students who attend HBCUs, who on average bear significantly heavier student loan debt burdens than their white classmates and whose communities suffered from high rates of infection and financial loss during the pandemic.
HBCU leaders are hoping the debt forgiveness will reduce financial strain on their students, many of whom are very likely to still have federal and personal student loans to pay back after graduation.
“These are students who have had some very difficult decisions to make, and this is a population that over all has been disproportionately impacted,” said Lodriguez Murray, senior vice president of public policy and government affairs at the United Negro College Fund, a membership organization that represents private HBCUs. “These institutions are showing a great deal of compassion and a great deal of leadership during a time of tremendous uncertainty for their student populations.”
At least 11 HBCUs are putting money toward reducing student debt.
For example, Wilberforce University, a private HBCU in Ohio, announced at a joint commencement ceremony in May for the Classes of 2020 and 2021 that it was clearing the debts of all those graduates who owed money to the institution. The $375,000 in debt relief was funded by scholarships from organizations including Jack and Jill Inc., which focuses on initiatives that benefit young people, and the UNCF.
Elfred Anthony Pinkard, president of Wilberforce, saw the debt relief as a reward to graduates for their resilience through an abrupt shift to online learning and an economic downturn, but also as a pragmatic gift. He said more than 90 percent of Wilberforce students are eligible for the Pell Grant, the federal financial aid program for low-income students.
“The pandemic has upended all of our lives,” Pinkard said. “We’ve all lamented the impact that it’s had on our psycho-social and emotional well-being. Just imagine that for a young person while they’re in pursuit of a very important life goal … and yet these students persisted. They did not allow the uncertainty of the pandemic to derail them in pursuit of an undergraduate degree.”
He hopes the debt forgiveness will act as a “financial runway” and a “leg up” for students as they start their career paths.
Black graduates have an average of $52,000 in student loan debt, about $25,000 more on average than the debt of their white counterparts, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. That larger debt burden has long-term effects on the financial well-being of Black students and graduates and their ability to accumulate wealth relative to their white peers, which contributes to a stubborn racial wealth gap. More than half of Black student borrowers report the amount they owe in student loan debt exceeds their net worth. Four years after completing their degrees, 48 percent of Black borrowers owe an average of 12.5 percent more than they borrowed. A 2018 analysis by the Brookings Institute found that Black graduates default at five times the rate of white graduates and are more likely to default than white students who stop out.
“There’s not really much reason to think things would have radically improved since then,” said Judith Scott-Clayton, author of the Brookings Institute study and associate professor of economics and education at Teachers College at Columbia University.
Students at Shaw University were similarly hard hit by the pandemic and its aftereffects, prompting the private HBCU in Raleigh, N.C., to relieve a total of $116,000 in debt for its graduates, said David H. Byrd, vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer at Shaw. The money for the endeavor came from the second COVID-19 stimulus package, passed last December.
Byrd said he has grown accustomed to seniors coming to his office around commencement time, worried that their unpaid balances to the university will prevent them from graduating. The amount owed by graduating students this year was unprecedented. He noted that many students lost work-study or service industry jobs as restaurants and stores closed in response to COVID-19.
“The rent is still due,” he said. “Car payments are still due.”
Delaware State University also drew on federal relief funds to take some of the financial pressure off students. Administrators announced last month that the university will cancel up to $730,655 in student debt using money from the American Rescue Plan, the COVID-19 stimulus package passed in March. The average eligible student will qualify for about $3,276 in debt relief, estimated Antonio Boyle, vice president for strategic enrollment management.
“Too many graduates across the country will leave their schools burdened by debt, making it difficult for them to rent an apartment, cover moving costs, or otherwise prepare for their new careers or graduate school,” Boyle said in a press release. “While we know our efforts won’t help with all of their obligations, we all felt it was essential to do our part.”
This flurry of debt cancellation initiatives at HBCUs is possible in large part because of the “once-in-a-century” influx of federal relief funding during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Murray. Through the three stimulus packages, Congress directed at least $5 billion to the institutions, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Murray also credits the example set by billionaire Robert Smith, who cleared $34 million in student loan debt for Morehouse College graduates in 2019 as the institution’s commencement speaker. That was a grander gesture than what most HBCUs can do with their philanthropic gifts and federal stimulus money, but he motivated alumni and university leaders to think about ways to lighten students’ debt loads.
“He has showcased a model for how to do this,” Murray said. “You add inspiration like Mr. Smith and others and then you add in opportunity, like Congress has made available, and now you have a perfect storm during what has been one of the most turbulent times for African American students and specifically students at historically Black colleges and universities.”
HBCUs also saw an upsurge in philanthropy after the killing of George Floyd last summer sparked protests against racism across the country. Notable philanthropists such as MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix, gave multimillion-dollar gifts to HBCUs.
Byrd noted that there hasn’t been another gift comparable to Smith’s to combat student debt for HBCU students, and often it’s more financially stable and more well-known HBCUs such as Howard University, Morehouse College and Spelman College that are the beneficiaries of philanthropic largess.
“Those stories are far and few between in the HBCU world,” he said. “It’s just a different apple. You can’t stick all HBCUs in one basket. That’s what the outside community tries to do, and that’s just not the case.”
Pinkard, of Wilberforce, said while his university’s debt relief efforts don’t directly address federal student loans, he believes reducing what students owe will help them at least put more money toward paying off that larger debt sooner.
Roderick L. Smothers Sr., president of Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark., echoed that sentiment. The institution wiped out $80,000 in debt owed by graduates of the Classes of 2020 and 2021, which he announced during commencement last month. The funds came from alumni and private gifts, plus a grant from Jack and Jill Inc.
“Although this gesture may not entirely eliminate their student debt load, it will certainly allow them to receive their diplomas immediately,” Smothers said in a release. “Armed with their credentials, they will be free to pursue a graduate education or take those first steps towards their chosen careers with one less burden to bear.”
The stark disparities in student loan debt can be attributed in part to racial discrimination in the labor market and the racial wealth gap, which means Black students get less financial help from their families, said Scott-Clayton. She also noted that students who don’t graduate can be saddled with small but stubborn amounts of student debt because it’s harder to earn high enough wages to pay it back. Black students also disproportionately attend for-profit colleges, which tend to have high student loan default rates.
These differences in Black students’ lived experiences can account for some of the student loan debt disparity, but it isn’t a complete explanation for why the inequities are so large, she said. “There’s still a big gap that’s hard to explain.”
Federal student loan payments are currently frozen through at least September in response to the pandemic, so no one is going into default. However, it’s a “temporary Band-Aid” to the student loan debt crisis and does nothing long term to reduce the racial gap in student loan debt, she said.
That’s partly why President Biden drew the ire of some activists for not including student loan debt cancellation when he announced his plan to narrow the racial wealth gap at an event marking the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre last week.
“You cannot begin to address the racial wealth gap without addressing the student loan debt crisis,” Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, told The Washington Post.
Scott-Clayton admires the attempts by HBCUs to rid students of their debts, but she ultimately believes policy makers have the power and resources to make the most impactful difference. For example, lawmakers could enact widespread student loan debt cancellation targeting borrowers at high risk of defaulting.
“I think those are great efforts,” she said of the HBCUs. “Certainly those are things that will make a real difference for students at those institutions. But I don’t necessarily see there being a one-off, institution-by-institution solution to this problem.”
