HBCU rivals Central State University and Kentucky State University will begin their 2021 football seasons on August 28 in the first “Classic for Columbus” on the Ohio State University campus.
The game will be played as a non-conference game at Ohio Stadium, home of the Buckeyes. The rivalry between the two teams dates back to 1947 with CSU leading the series 36-23-1. Additionally, there will be more than 20 associated events and activities held throughout the week beginning Wednesday August 25.
Both schools had their 2020 seasons interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and Central State ended up cancelling all athletic competitions for the 2020 fall and spring seasons. CSU Athletics Tara A. Owens told HBCU Gameday the school is excited for the game.
“We have been anxiously waiting for the day when we can safely return to competition,” Owens said. “With a new staff led by head coach Bobby Rome and a roster full of re-energized and motivated student-athletes, we can’t wait to represent and showcase Central State University at the Classic for Columbus.
Ohio Stadium (Credit: Ohio State University)
Rome, who was hired in February 2020 has yet to make his coaching debut but is chomping at the bit to get the season and his program started.
“It is an exciting time for Central State football. We have spent the time away from the field recruiting and developing talented and versatile players who possess championship mentalities and unmatched passion for the game of football,” Rome told Gameday. “The Classic for Columbus is a great opportunity for us to return to action in a world-class venue. Central State is a program and a university that’s on the rise and we look forward to kicking off our season on August 28th in Ohio Stadium.”
Other classic HBCU football games include the Southern Heritage Classic (Jackson State University vs. Tennessee State University), the Bayou Classic (Grambling State University vs. Southern University), the Magic City Classic (Alabama A&M University vs. Alabama State University) and the Florida Classic (Bethune-Cookman University vs. Florida A&M University). The inaugural HBCU Combine for NFL Draft eligible HBCU football student-athletes will take place in early 2022.
The Atlanta HBCUs Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College have just received a staggering $90 million donation! The funds are the result of a 10-year partnership with three firms and Wharton School that will help the HBCU students build careers in the unique industry of alternative investments. Learn more from an article by Chris Burt at University Business below.
Credit: Unsplash
The alternative investment industry – which comprises assets such as real estate, cryptocurrency, hedge funds and venture capital but not cash or stocks – is expected to grow to $14 trillion by 2023. The opportunities for young business leaders are there, but are they there for everyone?
To ensure that students of color are positioned to seize on that success, three global firms are putting $90 million behind three major Historically Black Colleges and Universities and a virtual institute at Wharton College in a venture called AltFinance, a 10-year plan to improve career pathways in the field.
Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College – three that comprise the Atlanta University Center Consortium – will be the beneficiaries of this transformative and diversity-driven initiative led by Apollo Global Management, Inc., Ares Management Corporation and Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. and run by ALT Finance Corporation.
“As the world begins to cautiously re-open, the alternative finance industry will play a significant role in how economies recover and thrive,” said Mary Schmidt Campbell, President of Spelman. “The partnership with Spelman will provide our students with invaluable scholarships and resources that will give them a competitive edge on their road to successful careers and lives.”
Aside from the financial investments in students, the program will offer hands-on experiences through internships, education and training along with key networking opportunities.
“Working with HBCUs will allow alternative investment managers to tap into a deep talent pool that this industry has often overlooked,” said Howard Marks, Oaktree co-chairman. “Black scholars have always possessed the ambition and skill needed to succeed in alternative investing; only broad access to opportunities has been missing.”
The Wharton School, the nation’s oldest business school at the University of Pennsylvania, will operate this exclusive virtual institute featuring its highly acclaimed professors and finance leaders.
Clark Atlanta University (Credit:Kelly Jordan)
“We are proud to play an important role in the creation of AltFinance which, through its efforts to support HBCUs, will make an immediate and positive difference for students of color,” said Erika James, Dean of the Wharton School. “With a reach from pre-college students to C-suite executives, it is Wharton’s privilege to offer our world-class faculty and resources to those who are so deserving.”
The nonprofit Management Leadership for Tomorrow will add its expertise and influence in not only helping install a fellowship program but also in seeing that “Black, Hispanic/Latino and Native American people reach and thrive at the highest levels of corporate America.”
For institutions involved, the AltFinance program will have profound and far-reaching impacts beyond the courses and even those experiential lessons.
“As our graduates who are now leaders in the industry have shown, those who control financing often have an outsized impact on societal and economic outcomes,” said David Thomas, Ph.D., Morehouse College president. “As men of color intensify their roles as drivers of economic ingenuity and commercial innovation, it is imperative that they have intimate knowledge of the intricacies of complex, alternative investment strategies.
“Our partnership in the AltFinance initiative will further open doors of opportunity for Morehouse and other HBCU students to push the boundaries of the status quo and to create new avenues for equitable access to wealth-building vehicles, capital, private funds, and financial tools which will grow businesses and empower enterprising minds.”
The annual Gyrl Wonder Leadership Academy is back! Led by non-profit Gyrl Wonder, the academy is a week-long career development program that helps young women of color get the information and connections they need to secure footing in their budding careers. This year, the program is virtual, but just as jam packed with resources as ever!
The academy was created to open doors for girls interested in media, business, communication, public relations, advertising, tv and film, marketing, social media and the digital space. Participants will get a rare intimate perspective from influential women in Corporate America. By the program connecting these young girls with executives that look like them, the end results are boundless. There will be opportunities to not only learn and network, but to potentially secure and internship or job as well!
The annual educational intensive is looking to accept ambitious young women of color between the ages of 17 and 23. The program welcomes first year college students as long as they fit into the target age range. With all that is planned for the jam-packed week, the girls can expect to experience self-discovery, empowerment, education, and relationship-building. Each hand-selected attendee will walk away confident that they have the tools and information they need to be true change-makers in whichever industry they decide to pursue.
Plenty of hands are on deck to make sure the 2021 Gyrl Wonder Leadership Academy is a success. Past and present partners of the academy include ABC, Atlantic Records, Bravo, The NBA, The NFL, Netflix, Viacom, Conde Nast, Teen Vogue, so the program will undoubtedly be fruitful for each and every girl involved. The applications are open now for the July cohort. If you are interested, make sure to submit your application by Wednesday June 30th, as no late applications will be accepted. Applicants will be notified of decisions on Friday July 2nd. To apply, click here.
A piece written by Khristopher J. Brooks at CBS News is exploring the discrimination that HBCUs have faced in the fight for financial support from state governments. The lack of funding has not only affected student debt and whether students can even afford to attend the institutions, but also the level at which the schools themselves are able to operate considering staff, repairs and more. Read the article below to learn how HBCUs are taking matters into their own hands, as they have had to do many times before.
Students at South Carolina State University, the only state-funded HBCU in SC, attend graduation. (LARRY HARDY, T&D)
Historically Black colleges and universities in the U.S. have been underfunded for decades, with billions of dollars in state funding that should have gone to those schools diverted by lawmakers for other purposes, according to higher education experts. Now HBCU leaders are pushing to get the money these institutions say they are owed.
College presidents and local lawmakers in states like Tennessee and Marylandhave spent months poring over previous years’ state budgets to calculate the funding gap, as well as discuss how to put that money to use on campus. Some education leaders call it a form of reparations, the old “40 acres and a mule” but for the ivy covered campuses of some of the nation’s oldest colleges. Others prefer the softer term “arrears” to describe the push for more money from state coffers.
Either way, billions of dollars — at least $1.1 billion so far — is at stake for up to 50 colleges that educate hundreds of thousands of Black students annually.
“We’re going to use these dollars in a way that helps soften the financial burden that so many of our students are facing,” said Anthony Jenkins, president of Coppin State University, an HBCU in Baltimore. “We know, through those efforts, we will see greater student success, greater retention and greater graduation rates coming out of the institution.”
Coppin State, along with three other HBCUs in Maryland — Bowie State, University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Morgan State — are slated to receive a total of $577 million from the state legislature starting in July 2022 that will be disbursed over the next decade.
Presidents at those schools said the infusion of funds will help upgrade facilities and enrich curricula, including expanding the range of majors available to students. Jenkins said some of the money will be used to develop new academic programs in computer science and nanotechnology.
“We’ll be taking those dollars and we’ll be focusing on how we remain competitive, relevant and sustainable for years to come,” he told CBS MoneyWatch. “We’re excited about what the future holds for Coppin.”
“People belong here”
HBCUs date back to the 1800s and were created to educate Black Americans who were barred from attending White colleges. The first HBCU — Cheyney University in Pennsylvania — opened in 1837. In 1890, the U.S. government gave more than a dozen HBCUs land-grant status, which meant they were eligible to get as much federal aid as White-only schools.
HBCU leaders say the denial of state funding to their colleges largely comes down to old-school racism. State legislators, who largely control funding for higher education, have long viewed such institutions as inferior, multiple HBCU officials told CBS MoneyWatch. That has constrained HBCUs from offering more competitive salaries for faculty or scholarships for top students.
“Our institutions have not — and still are not — being treated the same,” Alabama A&M University President Andrew Hugine Jr. said.
The spotlight on Black colleges has intensified in recent months, stoked by heightened racial awareness in the U.S. since the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota last year. Kamala Harris, who graduated from Howard University and who became the first woman of color to serve as vice president, also drew attention to HBCUs, said Terrell Strayhorn, director of the Center for the Study of HBCUs at Virginia Union University.
As part of the effort to improve HBCUs and put them on an equal footing with other schools, a North Carolina congresswoman has proposed federal legislation that would send extra funding to 100 HBCUs. Separately, Cisco Systems in May said it will donate $100 million for tech upgrades at nearly a dozen HBCUs.
“HBCUs are winning right now, I think, because the narrative that’s being carried forward is one that says Black folk, students, people, belong here,” Strayhorn said.
The 1-to-1 model
It hasn’t come easy. The Maryland HBCUs were awarded hundreds of millions only after a 15-year legal battle with the state. In a federal lawsuit, the schools argued that they were being purposely underfunded compared with mostly White colleges in the state, such as the flagship University of Maryland.
Maryland’s case was the tip of the iceberg. Dozens of HBCUs have operated for years without receiving the full amount of dollars they were entitled to under the law, experts said. One study from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities found that, between 2010 and 2012, more than half the nation’s HBCUs failed to get their full funding.
Public HBCUs are funded by both states and the federal government. Congress sets aside millions annually for each school, depending on a formula, and the state where the school resides is supposed to match that funding dollar-for-dollar. For example, if Alcorn State University was awarded $50 million in federal aid, then state lawmakers in Mississippi are supposed to chip in $50 million for a total of $100 million to the school.
By contrast, predominantly Black schools such as Howard University, Tuskegee University and Xavier University are private institutions that are not eligible for direct state funding.
Yet HBCU presidents and education experts said that so-called $1-to-$1 match rarely happens in practice, pointing to a general refusal by state lawmakers over many years to match the federal investment.
In Tennessee, a months-long investigation by state budget officials uncovered that one local HBCU — Tennessee State University — has been underfunded by roughly $544 million dating back to 1950. The state arrived at that figure after a committee of lawmakers in 2020 started looking into underfunding at the school.
Harold Love, a state representative from Nashville, Tennessee, chaired a state committee that examined how much in state funding Tennessee State University has not received. Love is also a TSU alum
Choosing not to give
Harold Love, a state representative from Nashville and a Tennessee State alum, led that effort. “That $544 million figure represents not just how much money Tennessee State did not receive from the state — it also represents how much money Tennessee State had to take out of its own reserves to fulfill the [federal] match requirements,” he told CBS MoneyWatch.
Fully funding Tennessee State has never been a priority for local lawmakers, Love added, saying that governor after governor in the state kicked the issue down the road. Eventually, the funding gap grew so large that tackling the problem became too daunting, he said.
Love said previous state budgets show that lawmakers in the 1980s gave the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, a predominantly White school, its full matching grant dollars, plus extra funding for various projects. Over that same period, Tennessee State received half of what the school was eligible for under the law. In some years, it got no matching state money at all.
The lesson, according to Love: “You had the money to give Tennessee State — you just chose not to.”
A blueprint for fairness
“Tennessee State is not the outlier,” Hugine of Alabama A&M said. “If you talk to many HBCUs, they’ll say they’re struggling to get states to do a 1-to-1 match.”
Tennessee lawmakers are now in talks about how the state can begin making up the financial shortfall for the school. Love expressed optimism about a remedy, citing the precedent set by Coppin State.
“Maryland’s case settlement gives us a wonderful blueprint for how we can put together a 10-year plan to rectify this situation,” he said.
The push to even the scales for public HBCUs in Maryland and Tennessee is expected to kick off similar efforts in other states, including Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, Strayhorn said.
“States mimic each other,” he said. The year 2021 “will likely be one of those years that will be known as — among a lot of things — the year of the HBCU.”
While HBCUs lead in producing top black talent, they are also emerging leaders in the gaming industry. Read the full Forbes article by Marty Swant below to find out how HBCUs are leading in inclusion and diversity in a field that has tried to leave students behind for years.
Colleges and universities rushing to invest in the booming arena of varsity esports are overwhelmingly committing opportunities and scholarships to male players, according to data collected by The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Otto Kitsinger)
As Verizon looks to promote its 5G capabilities and expand its presence in esports, it’s investing in diverse gamers and experimenting with new technology like virtual reality and NFTs.
While announcing a series of new partnerships today at the video gaming trade event E3, Verizon said it is committing $1 million to five historically Black colleges and universities and also creating tech centers on campuses. Each school will receive $100,000 in scholarship funds to female students pursuing tech degrees at Delaware State University, Dillard University, Howard University, Morgan State University and Texas Southern University. (The scholarship program is an expansion of Verizon’s $5 million Future Fund, which launched in 2020 to support “new and emerging female talent across entertainment and technology.) Meanwhile, another $100,000 for each school will help create tech centers accessible to all students.
The investment is part of Verizon’s strategy focused on developers, gamers and fans. With the professional esports organization Team Liquid, Verizon is creating ways to experience live events remotely through virtual reality. With Electronic Arts, Verizon will be creating ways to use 5G technology to optimize gameplay. With Riot Games, it’s launching a new program to provide training and mentoring for female esports casters and also creating new ways for women to compete in top-tier tournaments.
“I’m fascinated by the whole esports dynamic and community for a few reasons,” Verizon Chief Marketing Officer Diego Scotti tells Forbes. “One, the level of engagement for the games and the competition are through the roof. Second, the engagement and the reach that the players have with their fans is incredible.”
Verizon is also getting into world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) through a new partnership with Dignitas. Starting today, 100 fans who engage with the organization’s social media channels will be chosen to receive an NFT hologram of the Dignitas’s Women’s FPS team that can be viewed in augmented reality. The AR NFTs—which will be digitally signed by the players later this month—will let fans pose for photos next to players’ holograms. However, unlike other NFTs that sometimes sell for hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars, Verizon’s NFTs on its beta NFT platform can’t be traded or sold.
This isn’t the first big partnership Verizon has done in the gaming space. As part of its Super Bowl strategy earlier this year, the wireless company partnered with the NFL and Fortnite creator Epic Games to build a virtual football stadium within the hit battle royale game where fans could see NFL players and professional gamers compete in the metaverse. (Verizon also recently announced a promotion whereby new and existing customers can play six months’ worth of games for free through Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass.)
“We had millions of people that came to play there,” Scotti says of the Fortnite partnership. “So when I compare it to for example with the commercial, you have 30 seconds…It’s not just the cost, but the effectiveness of the engagement. I don’t talk about return on investment, I talk about return on engagement, and the return on engagement was through the roof—significantly higher than what we did running the TV spot because people were engaged with the experience and the technology.”
Individual initiatives don’t have the same return on investment as taking a more integrated and long-term approach, according to Scotti. He says it “took some conviction to do this because sometimes the marketing industry, we’re used to doing the next big thing and you do one and then it kind of fizzles.”
“Doing marketing right means being able to have an approach that’s not about a one-off but is a holistic persistent and longer investment in the category,” he says. “And the point about the partnership is important because nobody controls everything. Nobody does this alone. There is a lot of synergies across the different companies and when you talk about Verizon, we want to be that convener.”
Fisk University has just received one of its largest donations with a recent $3 million gift. Learn more about the HBCU’s donor and the reason behind it in the release below.
Credit: Fisk University
Fisk University announced today one of the largest gifts in its 155-year history, a $3 million donation from Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. The gift will support infrastructural improvements to classroom and learning spaces, including Jubilee Hall, the oldest permanent structure on any historically black college and university (HBCU) campus.
“This $3 million donation from Cravath, Swaine & Moore is simply extraordinary,” said Fisk President Vann Newkirk. “This donation will support our continuing efforts to create the best possible learning environment for our outstanding and growing student body.”
“Fisk has a remarkable legacy as one of our country’s great HBCUs, and our relationship with the University dates back to its founding during Reconstruction,” said Faiza J. Saeed, Presiding Partner at Cravath. “We are proud to continue to support Fisk’s mission and the promise of its diverse student body.”
Fisk University’s founders included noted abolitionist Reverend Erastus Milo Cravath, whose son, Paul Drennan Cravath, would go on to become a named partner in the Firm. Erastus Cravath served as the first President of the University, a role he held for more than two decades, raising his family on the grounds of the Fisk campus. Sharing his father’s passion for the mission of the school, Paul Cravath served in various leadership roles at Fisk for 45 years. In 2019, Fisk and Cravath established the Cravath Scholars Program, supporting high-achieving students studying across a range of disciplines with tuition assistance and a summer internship in Cravath’s New York office.
“Fisk University continues to experience a major upswing with fundraising and enrollment records,” said Jens Frederiksen, Fisk’s Executive Vice President. “Over the past five years, Fisk has established some amazing partnerships that provide students with unprecedented opportunities and exposure. With partners like Cravath, the Fisk future has never looked brighter, and we are very hopeful that more and more companies will support Fisk’s inspiring mission.”
Founded in 1866, Fisk University is committed to the success of scholars and leaders with global perspectives, producing graduates from diverse backgrounds with the integrity and intellect required for substantive contributions to society.
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP was founded in 1819 and is widely recognized as one of the world’s premier law firms. The Firm has 476 lawyers in New York City and London.
The press team at Getty Images just announced a one-of-a-kind partnership that will chronicle the impact of HBCUs for years to come. Read the release below to find out how!
Credit: Getty Images
Getty Images, a world leader in visual communications, in partnership with the Getty Family and Stand Together, a philanthropic community tackling some of the biggest challenges of our times, today announced the launch of the inaugural Getty Images Photo Archive Grants for HBCUs, that aims to support the digitization of the invaluable visual history of Historically Black Colleges and Universities(HBCUs).
The Grants will commit $500,000 towards the digitization oftwo HBCU’s photographic archives, including the digitization of up to 100,000 archival assets per Grant recipient. Included in the Grant will be opportunities to also apply metadata and licensing opportunities for the winning HBCU’s existing digitized libraries.
Grant judge, Aba Blankson, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, NAACPsaid “Black history is American history. While some of that history is known, too much is still hidden. Our HBCUs hold precious and treasured experiences, stories, images, and artifacts. We are excited to participate in this important initiative to preserve and strengthen the ability to amplify our collective story.”
Grant recipients will retain all copyright for their visual assets and once digitized, the historical content will be placed in a newly created stand-alone photo collection called the “HBCU Photo Collection” and will be available for licensing on the Getty Images platform, which includes and owns of one of the largest privately owned historical photo archives in the world.
All royalties from the images that are preserved through the Grants are funnelled back into impact programs: Fifty percent will go to Grant recipients, who will retain all copyright of the visual assets; thirty percent of royalties will be used for a financial donation to a scholarship fund focused on furthering the education of students at HBCUs; and twenty percent will be reinvested to fund the Getty Images Photo Archive Grants for HBCUs each year.
In addition to being available to license on the Getty Images platform, the HBCU Photo Collection will also be made available as part of Getty Images’ content donation initiative for non-commercial use free of charge in support of learning about and reflecting on Black history for Black storytellers and not-for profits as part of the Getty Images Black History & Culture Collection launching later in 2021.
Grant judge, Dr. Tukufu Zuberi, Lasry Family Professor of Race Relations, and Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies, University of Pennsylvania said, “Getty Images is one of the main sources for imagery. Historically Black Colleges and University have archives of some of the most important images related to Black Lives. The Getty Images Photo Archive Grants for HBCUs is a collaboration that may increase access and dissemination of these important images to the world. The Getty Images Photo Archive Grants for HBCUs also stands as a model of how to leverage resources and organizational structure to remove barriers to diversity of content and purpose.”
Submissions for the Getty Images Photo Archive Grant for HBCUs will be judged by a prestigious industry-leading panel including;
Dr. Deborah Willis, Academic Director, Professor & Chair at NYU Tisch School of the Arts
Aba Blankson, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at NAACP
Dr. Tukufu Zuberi, Professor of Sociology – The Lasry Family Professor of Race Relations at University of Pennsylvania
Raina Kelley, Vice President and Editor in Chief of The Undefeated
Mercedes Cooper, Vice President, Public Programming at ARRAY
Grant judge, Dr. Deborah Willis, Academic Director, Professor & Chair, NYU Tisch School of the Artssaid, “Photographic collections housed in HBCU’s from the 20th Century focus on the notion of photography as biography and helped shape the fabric of African American identities. These collections explore the cultural values, educational and religious traditions, as well as perceptions of black communities through to the 21st Century. Collective and individual memories are the foundation of these photographs highlighting the classrooms, student activities on campus, scientific explorations, art practices, and the making of portraits from college presidents to teachers and visitors to the campuses. The Getty Images Photo Archive Grants for HBCUs is an essential part of the on-going documentation and preservation of Black images at HBCUs.”
Stand Together is committed to supporting, telling, and showcasing the stories of talented Black students and is partnering with Getty Images to continue to amplify and lift up the many contributions of HBCUs through the curation of historical images. Additionally, Heal America, a movement supported by Stand Together that fights racial injustice with love and redemption, will also promote the Grant.
The Getty Images Photo Archive Grants for HBCUs is part of Getty Images’ commitment to anti-racism, inclusion, and dismantling discrimination including bringing to market unseen historical content and creating revenue streams for organizations working to build a more inclusive society. It is part of the company’s wider grants program, which since its inception has donated over US$1.8 million to photographers and videographers around the world.
Recently the Atlanta, Georgia Mayor’s Office announced the appointment of multiple new officers, and 3 out of the 5 were Morehouse College graduates! Learn about the new HBCU graduate Officers announced by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the official release below.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms speaks to reporters from City Hall on Friday, May 7, 2021. Bottoms announced she will not run for re-election. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced a number of key appointments to serve in the Administration.
Chief Financial Officer – Mohamed Balla (Effective July 7, 2021)
Mohamed Balla most recently served as Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Financial Administration. In that role, Mr. Balla led the Department’s financial functions including financial planning & analysis, budgeting & reporting, capital planning, auditing, revenue operations, accounts receivables, accounts payables, fixed asset & inventory management, accounting services, and payroll.
Deputy Commissioner Balla has over 15 years of experience in investment banking, corporate finance, and public finance. Mr. Balla joined the City in April 2011 and has been with the Department of Finance since 2013. Prior to joining the Department, Mr. Balla served as a key member of the City’s pension reform team responsible for restructuring the City’s $3 billion pension plan. Mr. Balla also served as the City’s Cash and Investment Manager overseeing the City’s $1.5 billion cash and investment portfolio.
Mr. Balla earned his B.A. in Business Administration from Morehouse College with a concentration in Finance and an M.B.A from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Chief Information Officer – Jason Sankey (Effective Immediately)
Prior to his appointment, Jason Sankey served as the Chief Information Officer of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS). ODJFS operates with a $3.5 billion budget and is responsible for developing and supervising the State’s public assistance, workforce development, unemployment, child and adult protective services, adoption, childcare and child support services.
Prior to joining the State of Ohio, Jason spent 13 years as Vice President at Citigroup in New York City and Columbus, Ohio. He then transitioned into the Public Sector as Chief Information Officer for the Franklin County Clerk of Courts.
He was recently recognized as the 2020 state of Ohio agency CIO of the Year and recipient of the COVID Hero Award. Sankey earned a B.S. in Natural and Behavioral Sciences / Chemistry from Ohio University.
Department of Human Resources Commissioner – Jeffrey Norman (Effective Immediately)
Jeffrey Norman has served as interim Commissioner of DHR since June of 2019. In the last two years, Norman has improved the City’s recruitment and onboarding timelines for departmental vacancies, reducing the time-to-fill period from 67 days to 32 days. Norman also led the creation of the Vacancy Review Board.
Norman also oversaw the implementation of Mayor Bottoms’ Order to removed pre-employment physical examinations and drug screening requirements for prospective City employees in non-safety sensitive positions to address systemic discrimination against certain groups of applicants disproportionately affected by such exams.
Norman first joined the City in 1999 as an Associate Attorney in the Department of Law. Most recently, Norman served as Deputy City Attorney in the Department of Law. Norman served as the City’s Chief Compliance Officer from 2003 through 2017.
Norman is a Morehouse College graduate and earned his Juris Doctor degree from Louisiana State University.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport General Manager – Balram Bheodari (Effective Immediately)
Prior to his appointment, Balram Bheodari served as Deputy Manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in 2016. Bheodari first joined ATL in June of 2000.
Bheodari is a retired Army aviator whose leadership as Deputy General Manager for Operations navigated ATL through the most challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic, from drawdown to resumption of its expansive operations.
Bheodari has an extensive career in aviation executive management. During his tenure ATL, he commissioned ATL’s first Operational Readiness and Transition (ORAT) team, which developed and implemented the activation plan for a consolidated Rental Car Center and the ATL SkyTrain automated people mover. Two years later, he expanded the ORAT team and spearheaded the opening of the 1.2-million-square-foot Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal, which accommodated more than 12 million international travelers each year prior to the pandemic.
Bheodari holds the American Association of Airport Executives’ Accredited Airport Executive (AAE) designation. Additionally, he has earned the International Airport Professional (IAP) accreditation from the Airports Council International and the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Bheodari graduated from Troy University with a Bachelor of Science in aviation management. He also completed the Emory University Executive Education Management Leadership and Development Programs. He retired from the U.S. Army with 22 years of active military service in the aviation branch as an instrument-rated aviator.
Deputy Chief Operating Officer (DCOO) – Jason Ingram (Effective Immediately)
Jason Ingram joins the City as the DCOO of Business and Administrative Services. Prior to joining the City, Ingram served as Chief Policy Advisor and Executive Director of the Civil Service Commission for the City of Baltimore Department of Human Resources.
While serving the City of Baltimore, Ingram provided counsel to the Mayor and City leadership to ensure understanding, application and compliance with City, State, and Federal policies, employment laws and regulations that impacted 15,000 employees in a city with an annual revenue base of $3.8 billion. Ingram led the revision of 60 Civil Service Rules and more than 330 administrative policies, and represented the City in collective bargaining negotiations with nine labor unions.
In addition to a strong commitment to Human Resources, he has used his professional platform for involvement in groups such as the Executive Leadership Council, Urban League Young Professionals Network, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (Blue Ridge), Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, Total Action for Progress, Philadelphia Public Schools, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, and Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s leadership development programs.
Ingram earned a B.A. from Morehouse College, M.A. from Columbia University, M.S.W. from the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor from the Catholic University of America.
A talented young scholar who is passionate about social justice is heading to Howard University! Learn more about Soraya Chanterelle, who is the first black female valedictorian at her Connecticut high school in the story from Isabella Chan at the Hartford Currant below!
(Kassi Jackson)
Soraya Chanterelle is many things: a poet, a youth activist, and now, a 16-year-old high school graduate.
But Chanterelle, who heads off to Howard University in the fall, will be remembered in her hometown as one more thing — the first Black female valedictorian at Manchester High School.
Her success is no surprise to those in her community either. After working with her at many social justice rallies, Keren Prescott, founder of PowerUp CT, describes Chanterelle as “the epitome of success. I wish that when I was high school — and I say this to my niece and my daughter — I wish that I had just an ounce of the strength and the courage that she has. And I just believe she was made for this.”
“Every day for Black people is a celebration when we are pushing ourselves to show up in a world that is trying to eliminate us. And that is what [Chanterelle] has done being the first Black female valedictorian. She’s pushing through the concrete,” Prescott said.
And she’s not stopping there. The young trailblazer say she’s determined to push for change beyond her community and take on the world her own way.
Q: When did you find out you were going to be Valedictorian at Manchester High?
A: In March, my principal had asked to meet with me, and she didn’t say what the topic of conversation was. And when I had gotten on, she basically said “you’re going to be valedictorian for this class!”
nd I was just so happy, like it was just a huge sigh of relief and celebration. Then she had me bring my computer downstairs so that she can tell my parents. So, my mom cried, and my dad was extremely happy, and my sister was elated too. It was just a great moment for all of us.
Q: How do you feel being the first Black female valedictorian at your high school, especially during such a racially sensitive time?
A: It’s really big. I hadn’t found out [I was the first] until a couple of weeks ago, but when I did, I was shocked honestly. My school happens to be one of the most diverse schools in the state, and [Manchester High] not having had a Black female valedictorian yet is crazy to me.
Soraya Chanterelle is Manchester High School’s first Black Female Valedictorian. (Kassi Jackson)
But I think — especially in this town, which is very racially divided at times — it is a big step towards good change, and it can hopefully inspire other students of color, who are often left out or forgotten, that they can also do great things.
Q: What is something in your valedictorian speech that you hope really resonates with people?
A: This was mostly an address to my class, but not exclusively, I want everyone here to always remember that you determine your future, not what others expect of you or see you as. Your life is what you make of it, so when you enter a room: hold your head high, command the space, demand respect. Make your voice heard, speak your truth, never back down, use your voice to amplify the voices of the silenced and marginalized groups. Find your passion and purpose and don’t stop until you make your dreams into reality.
Q: What do you hope that your own accomplishment does for other people?
A: I hope thatfor others, students that look like me and girls that look like me, just remember how powerful they are and that they can do literally anything they put their mind to.
This is a big testament to that because the school systems are not built for students of color, it was not built for girls of color. And I still think that there are so many flaws with the way it measures intelligence and the way it gives students value. But seeing this accomplishment can help students of color and girls of color remember that they do have a place here and have so much to offer the world.
Q: So, what do you have planned next for yourself?
A: This summer, I will be running workshops with my school for younger students, mainly incoming sophomores, about identity and turn your dreams into reality, basically. And then afterwards I will be heading to Howard University in August.
Q: How does it feel going such a major HBCU like Howard University?
A: It feels amazing. I’ve known I wanted to go there since [April 2020] and I did so much research and put everything into it. So, getting in and actually being able to go is so amazing.
I’m studying political science. I hope to work in some sort of social justice advocacy or policy reform. So, I’m definitely going to try and continue my activism more in college and beyond. I think getting into D.C. and being able to explore my passion on a greater level is going to be so different but amazing.
Q: What’s a message you believe everyone needs to hear right now?
A: In terms of racial equity, I think “being comfortable being uncomfortable” is something that we all have to grasp and that is one of the norms that a lot of my equity groups use. We use “being comfortable being uncomfortable” because race and equity can be really uncomfortable and hard topics. But being comfortable having racial discussions is the only way we can actually make change.
Several HBCUs in Virginia may have funding coming their way thanks to a government official who has never forgotten their importance! Learn which HBCUs would be included and how much is at stake in a piece from Tracy Sears at WTVR.
Credit Norfolk State University
Former Virginia Governor Doug Wilder has asked state officials to provide millions more in funding for historically Black colleges and universities.
Hampton University graduate Spencer Battle said that his four years in college changed his life. He said the opportunity to study at a historically Black university opened many doors for him.
Now, he wants other students to benefit from the same opportunities and experiences. However, in order for this to happen, he said that more funding is vital.
“There’s so much character at HBCU’s, so many people that affect your lives and teach you the culture and teach you how to better yourself, but a lot of people don’t get that opportunity because they have to weigh the pros and cons of going to a place that doesn’t get funded as much as another school,” Battle said.
In a letter addressed to Gov. Ralph Northam, the Lt. Governor and several members of the General Assembly, former Governor Doug Wilder asked state leaders to provide more in funding for historically Black colleges and universities.
His request started with $50 million in federal dollars for each of Virginia’s four public and private HBCU’s.
“Let me ask you this, how do students benefit from the removal of statues?” Wilder asked.
He shared a recent report by the non-profit organization Education Reform Now that found that while 34% of Virginia’s 18-24-year-old students are Black or Hispanic, only three of the state’s 15 public four-year institutions meet or exceed that proportion, including two HBCU’s.
Source: WHSV
“We spend more in many instances on athletic programs at some of these schools than they do in allocations they make to ESPU’s. So it’s not fair, it’s not right, it’s wrong and we don’t address it now, when are we going to do it?” Wilder asked.
On Monday, a spokesperson for Gov. Northam released a statement saying the following:
Governor Northam is an ardent supporter of Virginia’s historically Black colleges and universities – that’s why his 2020 budget dedicated a record $300 million to Norfolk State University and Virginia State University, two public HBCU’s.
The statement went on to say that state leaders are finalizing plans to prioritize spending using funds from the American Rescue Act and that education is a top priority.
“There’s so many times I’d tell people I go to Hampton and I’d get the where is that or what is that?” Battle said.
Battle said he hopes funding will open thousands of doors for Virginia’s minority and low-income students.
“That’s a beautiful concept, you know, When I heard that I was like that’s an amazing opportunity,” Battle said.
Dr. Corey Bradford has announced that he is leaving Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) to pursue an opportunity at a research university, the HSSU Board of Regents thanks Dr. Bradford for his leadership.
Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith, currently Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, will serve as Interim President, effective June 1, 2021. Collins Smith has more than 20 years of progressive leadership experience with an extensive background in administration and program development. She began her career in higher education at Harris-Stowe State University in 2010 as a project coordinator in the Office of Counseling Services. She has also served the institution as associate provost, assistant provost and as executive director of the Center for Career Engagement.
Dr. Collins Smith is the co-principal investigator of a $5 million National Science Foundation grant to substantially strengthen STEM in the state of Missouri, the largest grant in the history of Harris-Stowe. She currently serves as a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the nation’s largest regional accreditation body. She also served as the campus team lead for the following initiatives; the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Re-Imagine First Year Project, the Strada Foundation Measuring College Value project, the Complete College America MSI Initiative, the Ascendium Project Success Initiative and the Gallup Alumni Survey Project.
Dr. Collins Smith serves as chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Statewide Celebration Commission of Missouri and a member of the Downtown Advisory Board for Greater St. Louis, Inc. She served on both the Alumni Board of Directors and Alumni Foundation Board for the University of Central Missouri. She is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
Dr. Collins Smith has received several leadership and service awards including the Equal Education Opportunity Group Pioneer Award, the NAACP Ben Hooks Community Leader award and the AKA Central Region’s Outstanding Educational Advancement Foundation Captain award. She is a 2019 Millennium Leadership Initiative Protégé, a St.
Louis Business Diversity Initiative Fellow and a Higher Education Leadership Foundation Fellow.
Collins Smith earned an educational doctorate in higher education leadership from Maryville University in St. Louis. She holds a master of social work degree and a master of public health degree from Saint Louis University. She is a graduate of the University of Central Missouri, where she majored in social work.
Chair of the Board of Regents Ron Norwood commented that “Dr. Collins Smith has a proven record of outstanding leadership and will serve the University well.”
A man who was once instructed to not tell black students about the magic of HBCUs is. now doing his part to make sure they get the exposure they deserve. From naming a class after Edward Waters College to planning college tours, trailblazer Cameron Frazier is determined to make sure students know all about HBCUs. Learn about the work he’s taken on to educate his community in an article from Niara Savage at the Atlanta Black Star below!
Cameron Frazier is the founding principal of Becoming Collegiate Academy. (Photo: Courtesy of Cameron Frazier)
A Jacksonville, Florida native is giving back to his community in a powerful way by establishing a Black-led K-5 school that aims to produce students prepared to succeed at historically Black colleges and universities.
Cameron Frazier, the 31-year-old founding principal of Becoming Collegiate Academy, said he established the school in order to provide families in the North Jacksonville area with a high-quality option for education that is also intentional about placing an emphasis on cultural identity.
It’s important “to be shown models of people who look like you,” Frazier told the Atlanta Black Star, adding that Black kids are “missing that in schools.”
A charter school, BCA is publicly funded and independently run.
Frazier, a graduate of Jacksonville’s Andrew Jackson High School, first began his career in education as a Teach for America Corps member in 2012 and taught sixth- thorough eighth-grade English at Matthew Gillbert Middle School for three years.
“I wanted to teach Black kids how to read,” Frazier said of his motivation to move to Nashville, Tennessee, and teach third graders at Rocketship Elementary.
His experiences a part of the team that established KIPP Nashville as the founding assistant principal “directly translated” to the process for starting BCA and showed him “What school can be for Black and brown kids.”
The school is specifically aimed at producing students who are prepared to succeed in college and life. One of the biggest goals of BCA is “to make sure 100 percent of our Becoming Bears graduate HBCU-ready, ready to attend one of the 107 colleges that identify as a historically Black college or university.”
In addition, students will be prepared to compete in the 21st-century job market and embody BCA’s core values: Love, community, identity and pride.
BCA will open its doors to students in the fall. (Photo: Courtesy of Cameron Frazier)
Frazier said HBCUs are a major theme at the school, as BCA strives to “mirror the HBCU experience.” After previously being told to discourage students from attending Black schools by people who didn’t see them as quality institutions, Frazier is now set on pushing back against that narrative and ensuring all students understand the history of the institutions and value the experience of an HBCU education.
Each cohort at BCA will be named after an HBCU. This year’s founding kindergarten class will be named after Edward Waters College, a private school in Jacksonville founded in 1866 by members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
“We pay homage to Jacksonville first!” Frazier said. Future cohorts will be named after Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and other universities across the country.
Each year, students will have the opportunity to go an a college tour and visit HBCUs.
“For me, it’s not just about making sure that they’re college-ready; yeah, we want them to go to college, but it’s also about them knowing that there is an education that’s out there that is reflective of you and this is what that education looks like,” said Frazier.
HBCUs remain major producers of Black professionals. According to the United Negro College Fund, HBCUs make up just 3 percent of Black colleges in America but produce 20 percent of Black graduates and 25 percent of Black graduates in STEM.
A Gallup-Purdue University report also found that Black graduates who had attended HBCUs were more likely to have felt supported while in college and more likely to describe themselves as “thriving in purpose well-being” than students who had gone to mostly white institutions.
While BCA is open to all students in Duval County, it will be located on the north side of the Norwood community in Jacksonville, an area where Frazier says high-quality options for education are lacking. An exact location for the school will be released in the coming weeks.
According to a study by 904WARD based on data from the 2018-2019 school year, just 37 percent of Black students in Jacksonville earned enough points to pass the English/Language Arts portion of the Florida state assessment, while 63 percent of white students and 74 percent of Asian students were able to pass.
“In other words, an overwhelming number of Black kids are not reading on grade level,” Frazier explained.
BCA will serve the Norwood and Lake Forest neighborhoods in particular because the community has struggled with historically low reading rates.
Parent Mario McKinney told News4Jax the kids in the community “definitely need a positive and progressive school to go to.” He added, “If it’s Black-owned on top of that we support that also.”
BCA will open its doors to students in the fall. (Photo: Courtesy of Cameron Frazier)
In order to be intentional about addressing existing gaps in achievement, students at BCA will receive about 180 minutes of literacy instruction each day, while students would typically spend about 90 minutes on literacy in a traditional program.
In addition, students will receive up to two hours a day of small-group instruction.
By year six, BCA plans to serve more than 600 students. The school began with enrolling kindergarten students only, and it will grow by one grade level each year. More than 100 kindergarteners are already enrolled.
“Our school is not about giving our kids anything,” Frazier said, “because they already are amazing, they’re brilliant, they were born that way. Our job is to unleash that greatness that’s within them.”
BCA will open its doors to students starting in the fall.
UNCF and NMSC officers gather with HBCU presidents at the Clark Atlanta University Dubois Statue Platform for the presentation of an additional $2.1 million grant from NMSC for the Achievement Capstone Program. In attendance (from left to right) are UNCF Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer Mr. Maurice E. Jenkins, Jr.; Clark Atlanta University President Dr. George T. French, Jr.; UNCF President and CEO Dr. Michael L. Lomax; NMSC President and CEO Mr. Timothy E. McGuire; Morehouse College President Dr. David A. Thomas; and NMSC Executive Vice President Mr. Jeffrey Z. Little.
College is expensive, but a renewed collaboration is bringing costs down for students to attend HBCUs! Read more information from The Seattle Medium about how UNCF and The National Merit Scholarship Corporation have reinvested in a program that will give the highest-achieving students the support they need!
Last week, The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) and UNCF (United Negro College Fund) celebrated the success of the Achievement Capstone Program, a scholarship program that grants financial assistance to high-achieving, underrepresented college graduates at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs).
NMSC joined UNCF at Clark Atlanta University’s Dubois Statue Platform to commemorate the scholarship’s five-year milestone. During the celebration, NMSC President Timothy E. McGuire presented UNCF President Dr. Michael L. Lomax with an additional $2.1 million grant for the Achievement Capstone Program.
For more than 50 years, NMSC conducted the National Achievement Scholarship Program, which recognized and honored academically talented Black American high school students. Four million Black Americans entered the program, and approximately 228,000 received program recognition. Of those honored, more than 34,000 of the most outstanding participants were chosen to receive Achievement Scholarship® awards worth about $108 million. The final group of high school students to be recognized in the program entered college in 2015. UNCF carries on the National Achievement Scholarship Program name and legacy through the UNCF Achievement Capstone Program, launched in 2016 with an initial investment of $5 million from the National Achievement Scholarship Program. The additional investment of $2.1 million is the remaining funds from the National Achievement Scholarship Program now that the obligations to the 2015 scholarship recipients have been fully met.
“UNCF is honored to continue the legacy of a program that has meant so much to Black college students who struggled to finance their higher education,” said Lomax. “I am proud of the work that UNCF has done with this program in helping ensure a college degree is not only a dream but a possibility.”
“NMSC is proud of our partnership with UNCF and their great work and stewardship to successfully carry on the name, mission, and important legacy of the National Achievement Scholarship Program which has recognized and honored so many talented Black American Scholars since the first awards were presented in 1965,” said McGuire. “We believe this further investment in the Achievement Capstone Program is proof of our great confidence in UNCF to carry on this important mission for many years to come.”
“The UNCF Achievement Capstone Program showed other grant organizations that I was capable of writing persuasive material and that I was a leader in my community,” said Alexis Carey, a UNCF Achievement Capstone recipient and third-year Ph.D. candidate currently enrolled in the cellular and molecular medicine program at Johns Hopkins University.
Carey is interested in the interface between aging, chronic inflammation and overall immune function. Her research allowed her to receive several prestigious awards including the Ford Predoctoral Fellowship Alternate/Honorable Mention in 2021 and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program Honorable Mention in 2020. She plans to investigate the role that age-related changes to bone marrow play in the progression of melanoma. A 2018 graduate of Clark Atlanta University, Carey actively encourages young students through her participation as a peer mentor to basic science institute and summer internship program students.
Tiqeece Brown, a UNCF Achievement Capstone recipient and second-year law student at Campbell University’s Norman A. Wiggins School of Law, says that the scholarship has inspired him to pay it forward.
“The UNCF Achievement Capstone Scholarship gave me the momentum to help achieve my dream of becoming an attorney and inspired me to give back to my community,” said Brown.
Brown provides leadership as the chief promotional officer for Campbell Law Reporter and the law student representative for the North Carolina Bar Association. He is an active member of the university’s Diversity and Student Life Committee and Student Bar Association. A 2017 graduate of Winston-Salem State University, Brown served as a teacher and football coach within Catawba County School system. Upon graduation, he has a strong desire to pursue a career in education or public interest law.
“Students like Alexis Carey and Tiqeece Brown are outstanding examples of the talent this particular scholarship empowers,” Lomax added. “And, this additional investment will allow UNCF to turn those dreams into realities for more students at HBCUs and PBIs. For that, we are extremely grateful to NMSC for entrusting us with such a prestigious program.”
What began as a relatively small training to teach HBCU faculty how to support distance learning, has now blossomed into something much bigger. The training, spearheaded by UNCF and an education partner, now training double the intended professionals, preparing them for education during and after a pandemic that shocked the world. Read about how HBCU educators are rolling up their sleeves for the future of education in an article by Brenda C. Siler at The Washington Informer.
Faculty skill building is part of UNCF’s commitment to HBCUs and PBIs. The scholarship organization has partnered with Strategic Education to elevate skills for delivering higher-education distance learning. (Courtesy of UNCF)
The pandemic forced educators into a largely uncharted world in which distance learning supplanted in-classroom instruction. To address the concerns of teachers, students and administrators, UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is collaborating with online learning specialist Strategic Education, Inc. to help instructors at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and predominately Black institutions (PBIs) deliver quality higher education in a hybrid environment of in-classroom instruction and remote teaching.
UNCF and SEI piloted this professional development training in Summer 2020 with 400 HBCU faculty members at 14 institutions enrolled. The formal rollout has begun for faculty. The training program was ready to offer the training to 500 faculty, but the response was overwhelming with more 1,200 faculty now enrolled. Enrollees train in a four-week program building proficiency for delivering online learning. Those that complete the training are eligible for a $200 stipend.
“We have facilitators from a variety of educational backgrounds who are available to support faculty in this training,” said Crystal Moore, vice president of Higher Education Partnerships at Strategic Education.
HBCUs and PBIs have been seen as a path for educating Black students. Operating within a digital environment will continue to grow for higher education. UNCF and Strategic Education are working to ensure faculty refine skills that today’s students require. To ensure faculty are supported in this program, Provosts and Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs at institutions receive guidance to support their newly trained educators.
“We set up a training program for administrators to understand this professional development scenario,” said Julian Thompson, a strategist in UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building (ICB). “We researched a curriculum that would help institutions learn how to pivot from a classroom environment to online space. Curriculum design scenarios looked at student engagement, evaluation and assessment tools and innovations.”
UNCF reached beyond its 37 member schools to offer this training program. The largest minority scholarship program in the U.S., UNCF turned to Strategic Education to craft a training program in the wake of SEI’s success in training programs for Strayer University and Capella University. The company uses Sophia Learning, a social education platform that provides free tools and resources to teachers.
Training for participating faculty will feature virtual small group interaction among educators to share best practices.
“There is a community-building aspect to this professional development initiative for participants,” said Moore.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are hubs of inclusion and diversity when it comes to education, sports, social action, and more. Yet the power of HBCUs are often times ignored, especially when it comes to the recruiting of top academic and sports talent. Now an increasing amount of people are opening their eyes towards these institutions, driving up applications and even high-profile athlete commitments. Below, read a recent ABC News piece by Abby Cruz, Kenneth Moton, and Sarah Herndon that is exploring why.
Students walk around the Florida A&M University campus in Tallahassee Fla., Sept. 16, 2020. (Credit: Joe Rondone/Democrat via USA Today Network)
It’s the time when high school graduates make that consequential decision: What’s next?
Curtis Lawrence has made his choice. Behind those braces and that megawatt smile is a gifted 16-year-old who recently made a tough choice for his future.
Curtis, a student at School Without Walls High School in Washington, D.C., was offered a total of $1.6 million in scholarships and was accepted into 14 schools, including Harvard and Yale, but he decided on Florida A&M University, a historically Black university also known as FAMU.
“They made sure to reach out to me,” he said, adding that he felt welcomed at the university. “I know FAMU is the right choice for me.”
“Throughout my life, my parents made sure to make me interested in HBCUs,” Curtis continued. “And that there was a place for me to be developed as a young Black man.”
Since the death of George Floyd, many students and athletes have taken it upon themselves to not only use their voices but also take action in a way they believe will make change.
As colleges overall saw a nearly 3% dip in enrollment this spring compared to last year, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, HBCUs are exploding in popularity both in classrooms and on the court.
Numbers show the impact. Morgan State University reported nearly 15,000 undergraduate applications — an all-time high and a 58.5% increase compared to 2019. Howard University said that for a third straight year, it experienced a double-digit increase in applications.
Last year, Makur Maker, one of the most elite basketball prospects in the country, shocked the nation when he turned down top basketball programs, including Kentucky and UCLA.
He became the highest-ranked player in the modern recruiting era to commit to an HBCU when he chose Howard University. Unfortunately, the 6-foot-11 forward played just two games before being injured last season, and has declared for the NBA draft.
“During a social unrest, the George Floyd killing, that was a tipping point of everything,” Maker told ABC News. “That really made me consider a HBCU seriously.”
Makur Maker (20) controls the ball against Sunrise Christian Academy during a high school basketball game at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., Jan. 19, 2020. (Credit: Gregory Payan/AP)
Maker said he wanted to give others the courage to go with their hearts.
“It’s always hard when you’re trying to pick the right college and the right fit style of play or, you know, the right culture,” Maker said. “But I feel like whenever I’m given an opportunity with a wide variety, whether to lead and learn at the same time, it’s a no-brainer for me.”
HBCUs started growing in the early 19th century to educate people of African descent including freed slaves and their descendants who were not allowed to attend white institutions.
Many HBCUs survived decades of racism-based challenges, such as Jim Crow laws, underfunding and accreditation issues.
Bowie State University, Maryland’s oldest HBCU, has seen a 70% increase in applicants from across the country, said university President Aminta Breaux, the first woman to lead the school.
“Our doors have been open to every race, every gender and orientation,” she said. “We are an open, diverse community, and we feel that there’s a greater benefit to us all.”
Students walk near the new Center for Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Nursing at Bowie State University, June 5, 2017. (Credit: The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Bowie State and Maryland’s other HBCUs are now preparing for a major infusion of cash to help with expansion plans. The state approved sending a total of $577 million dollars to HBCUs over 10 years.
“I believe this is a wrong that has been righted,” Breaux said. “So now we’re looking to the future to build up our programs, to create greater academic innovation, to provide the scholarships so sorely needed for our students as we see a growing gap across the country.”
As Curtis prepares to graduate from high school, the 16-year-old has already earned his associate degree from The George Washington University, which means he’ll join FAMU as a rising junior.
When asked what he wants other young people to know about HBCUs and why they should attend, Curtis’ face beamed with light.
“I would say that HBCUs are where you should go,” he said. “They have a specific culture to them that other schools don’t exactly have, that they can’t match.”
Student-athletes and many more at Alabama State University are welcoming the surprise news that the university will be establishing an athletic Hall Of Fame! Get the full details and learn will be among those considered for honors in the article from Janae Smith at Alabama News Network below!
Credit: Alabama State University Athletics
The Alabama State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced the establishment of an Athletics Hall of Fame today.
The purpose of the Hall of Fame is to recognize and pay tribute to former student-athletes and coaches who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments during their enrollment/career at the University, as well as individuals who have demonstrated significant support to the advancement of the Department of Athletics through dedicated service. A Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be scheduled to take place during the 2022 football season, with a date and location to be determined.
Nominations for the Hall of Fame may be submitted by any Alabama State University affiliate (employee, Hornet Club member, Board of Trustees member, alumnus, inducted Hall of Famer, and any Hall of Fame committee member). All nominations will begin being accepted June 7, 2021, and the nominations will close on August 30, 2021. Nomination forms will be available via BamaStateSports.com or by clicking here. The nominations will be received by the Selection Committee during the nominating period and will be verified upon receipt.
Nominees may include a former student-athlete, coach, administrator, a team, or an individual who has made significant contributions to the department. Each person may nominate only one individual or team for consideration per cycle.
The Selection Committee has been assembled and consists of the following: ex-officio, director, presidential designee, a member of the Board of Trustees, a community member at large, member of the Athletic Strategic Communications office, current student-athlete, person who has achieved Hall of Fame status via Alabama State and/or SWAC, and a member of the current SGA.
After the Hall of Fame selections have been confirmed, all honorees will be notified and announced as part of Homecoming Week festivities in October 2021.
The Alabama State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced the establishment of an Athletics Hall of Fame today.
Credit: Alabama State University Athletics
The purpose of the Hall of Fame is to recognize and pay tribute to former student-athletes and coaches who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments during their enrollment/career at the University, as well as individuals who have demonstrated significant support to the advancement of the Department of Athletics through dedicated service. A Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be scheduled to take place during the 2022 football season, with a date and location to be determined.
Nominations for the Hall of Fame may be submitted by any Alabama State University affiliate (employee, Hornet Club member, Board of Trustees member, alumnus, inducted Hall of Famer, and any Hall of Fame committee member). All nominations will begin being accepted June 7, 2021, and the nominations will close on August 30, 2021. Nomination forms will be available via BamaStateSports.com or by clicking here. The nominations will be received by the Selection Committee during the nominating period and will be verified upon receipt.
Nominees may include a former student-athlete, coach, administrator, a team, or an individual who has made significant contributions to the department. Each person may nominate only one individual or team for consideration per cycle.
The Selection Committee has been assembled and consists of the following: ex-officio, director, presidential designee, a member of the Board of Trustees, a community member at large, member of the Athletic Strategic Communications office, current student-athlete, person who has achieved Hall of Fame status via Alabama State and/or SWAC, and a member of the current SGA.
After the Hall of Fame selections have been confirmed, all honorees will be notified and announced as part of Homecoming Week festivities in October 2021.
