Tax season is upon us, and students from Virginia State University are putting their education to good use for their community. Accounting majors at VSU are working with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to provide income taxes and filing assistance for 2020 tax returns.
The service is especially helpful because low-income filers are often susceptible to scams, surprise and/or excessive fees, and fraud. As a result, the VSU students are providing a safe and trustworthy way to file taxes in their community. The service is available to individual and joint parties filing within the Tri-Cities area. They just must have an income below $58,000. Read more about the program from VSU’s release below!
VSU Accounting Students, courtesy of Virginia State University
For the past 34 years, VSU accounting majors have provided this service, which is coordinated by Prof. Mary Scott, CPA, CFE, Assistant Professor of Accounting at VSU; and Dr. Hari Sharma, Chairman of the Accounting and Finance Department in the Reginald F. Lewis College of Business. The students’ participation is among the requirements of the federal income tax course.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site will accept tax information in 102 Singleton Hall, on the campus of Virginia State University and is being staffed three (3) days a week, beginning on Tuesday, February 16, 2021. The days and times are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from noon to 7:00 p.m. through April 8, 2021. The service will not be available on March 2nd and March 24th due to no classes at the University.
Courtesy of the Houston Defender
Those desiring help in preparing and filing their tax returns should bring with them all essential records – W2 forms, SSA – 1099, if appropriate, etc. Due to COVID-19, tax information and valid identification will be dropped-off and taxes will be picked-up after completion. A VITA worker will call those utilizing the VITA services to review the tax return. Once return is picked up and approved by the taxpayer, the return will be filed electronically. IRS E-File for individuals is the easy alternative to filing paper returns.
Efforts to diversify the education field have just gotten much easier with the creation of a new teachers fair! It’s only right for there to be a concentrated effort for teacher recruitment and retention, considering HBCU graduates make up large percentages of other top-earning professions in healthcare, law, and more. Read the story below to see how a new initiative by the Educate Me Foundation and its Tennessee State University alum founder is making sure that COVID-19 won’t further dampen any aspiring teacher’s chances of being hired.
Courtesy of Urban Teachers
As the country combats a teacher shortage, diversifying the classroom has become a priority for many districts around the state.
The first-ever Educate Me Foundation’s HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) teacher fair aims to recruit a diverse pool of teachers to help with that.
The teacher fair will be streamed online on Wednesday starting at 11 a.m., but people who want to participate need to register here.
Data shows although Black and brown students make up a large percentage of student population, in many districts, just a fraction of teachers mirror those same ethnic backgrounds. And many say the value of having educators who look like you is priceless.
There are more than 100 historically Black colleges and universities around the country. The Hoosier state is where the Educate Me Foundation is kicking off its HBCU teacher job fair.
“We are definitely looking for those students who have the Circle City in their heart and want to come back home and make a big difference,” said Educate Me Foundation founder Blake Nathan.
Educate Me Founder Blake Nathan, courtesy of The Seattle Medium
HBCUs were founded when Black students had little to no access to higher education. The benefits of having teachers with similar cultural backgrounds still holds value today: About 50% of Black educators are HBCU grads.
“We’re just happy to be mixing the perfect storm with the perfect opportunity,” Nathan said.
With teacher shortage concerns growing as a result of the pandemic, the HBCU teacher fair is another way to tap into a pool of diverse educators. Indianapolis Public Schools has taken steps to improve diversity in the classroom.
“There is research that shows when students of color share the racial identity of their teachers, they perform better academically,” said Alex Moseman, head of talent acquisition at IPS.
Kendra Randle is a Kentucky State University grade and a product of Lawrence Township schools. Randle chose to come back home to teach eight years ago.
“I can count on about one hand how many African American or Black and brown teachers that I have had,” Randle said.
In the last few years she’s moved on to administrative work at Emma Donnan Elementary school, but said every day she sees the value diverse teachers bring to students from all backgrounds.
“They are able to see the impact that their teacher makes and it encourages them to make the same impact.”
Led by an award-winning coach, the North Carolina State A&T University men’s track team is getting closer and closer to the top spot. In the latest update, the NCAT Aggies Division 1 track and field indoor team has been ranked No. 2 in the nation. In addition to creating a winning team, many of the runners are among the best in the nation just by themselves. Learn how the Aggies have been relentlessly representing HBCU excellence with the details from a recent NCAT release below.
NCAT Aggie Akeem Sirleaf, courtesy of Erin E. Mizelle
The United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released its first installment of the NCAA Division I Men’s Indoor National Track and Field Ranking Index on Monday, with the Aggies sitting as the second-ranked team in the country by the University of Arkansas.
Joining the Aggies in the top-5 are No. 3 LSU, No. 4 BYU and No. 5 Tennessee. The Aggies have their highest ranking in the index’s history and the highest-ranking ever of any Division I historically black college or university in history.
“To quote the great Ricky Bobby, if you ain’t first, you’re last,” said Duane Ross, the Aggies director of track and field programs. “That’s what I told them today when they came into practice all excited. Our goal is to be No. 1.”
Coach Duane Ross (middle) with NCAT recruits, courtesy of NCAT
N.C. A&T is a close second behind Arkansas, according to the USTFCCCA, after an impressive start to the season that includes 14 first-place finishes over two the span of two meets – the McCravy Green Invitational at the University of Kentucky and the Carolina Challenge at the University of South Carolina.
The Aggies 4×400-meter relay team – sophomore Randolph Ross, seniors Trevor Stewart and Elijah Young and junior Daniel Stokes – moved to No. 1 in the nation this past weekend after running a 3:04.62 at USC.
In total, N.C. A&T owns seven top-10 marks nationally, including two top-3 rankings by Randolph Ross. Randolph Ross is ranked No. 3 nationally in the 200 (20.69) and 400 (46.20) meters. Freshman Javonte Harding is tied with Randolph Ross nationally in the 200 after both men broke the USC’s Indoor Track and Complex facility record in the 200 last week.
Junior Rasheem Brown is 2-0 this season in the 60-meter hurdles. He won at Kentucky in 7.84 before moving up to the fourth in the nation by running a 7.77 at USC. Senior Tavarius Wright is sixth in the country in the 60 after running a 6.65 at USC.
Not all of the success is on the track, however. Junior Brandon Hicklin is seventh in the nation in the long jump after leaping 25-feet, 3/4-inches at USC.
N.C. A&T is off this weekend before returning to action at the South Carolina Invitational on Feb. 6.
The Saint Augustine’s University Cycling Team is getting the recognition it deserves as the first established cycling team at an HBCU. Within that accomplishment will hopefully come more HBCU cycling teams, more collegiate support from the greatest in the industry, and an increase of Black representation in cycling as a sport. Get the story below of how SAU’s cycling is changing the sports scene in a recent story and video profile from Canyon Bicycles.
As the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to establish a formal cycling team, the “Falcons” are forging new ground in athletics.
“I see my role as a trailblazer,” says Lavar Stubbs, an SAU cyclist originally from the Bahamas. “This team plays a strong role in the racial justice movement.”
Courtesy of Joshua Steadman
Episode #2 of the Chasing History series “The Road Rarely Taken” highlights SAU following in the tire tracks of the first, and most recent, Black cyclists to win world cycling championships—Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor (1899) and Nelson “The Cheetah” Vails (1985), respectively.
Since Vails, no other Black cyclist has come close to replicating elite-level success. Currently, there is not a single African American rider in any of the seven U.S. Continental teams and none on any ProTeam, WorldTeam or Women’s WorldTeam.
“As a Black athlete, as a kid, you’re thinking: I want to play basketball. I want to play football. Or track,’” says Landon Bishop, an SAU cycling team member. “You didn’t hear a lot of people say: I want to do cycling. Until we had those pioneers start something.”
How professional cycling becomes the road not taken for Black athletes is a complicated issue—after all, all kids start out riding bikes.
Courtesy of Probal Rashid
“Cycling has always been a rite of passage for young people,” says Umar Muhammad, a professor at SAU and cycling team leader. “When you get your bike, it’s your first sense of freedom.”
“Black kids, white kids, all kids grew up riding bikes,” continues Mark Janas, SAU faculty member and cycling team leader. “For some reason, the separation seems to happen somewhere around early adulthood where lots of white riders continue to ride bikes, where not as many African Americans [do].”
They might see themselves as chasing history, but Vails has one last word of advice for them:
“The kids at St. Augustine’s, when I see them riding, it brings such a smile to my face,” Vails says. “I would tell them what I was told: ‘Always keep it fun.’” This series chronicles the SAU Cycling Team’s first year as a team—check out “Chasing History: Episode 1.”
HBCUs have a legacy of bringing top football talent to the NFL. Although its contributions have been at times overlooked, Mississippi Valley State University has produced multiple Pro Football Hall-of-Famers! Read below for the recent NFL profile that delved more into the histories of the 2 great players, and how they have put respect on their alma mater’s name.
Below, Pioli discusses the history of Mississippi Valley State, from which Pro Football Hall of Famers Deacon Jones and Jerry Rice hail.
Jerry Rice, Courtesy of AP Photo/Greg Trott
No football series about HBCUs would be complete without discussing Mississippi Valley State, which produced two of the NFL’s greatest and most celebrated players: Deacon Jones and Jerry Rice. And as a football history buff, I found myself in Itta Bena, Mississippi, in 1990 during my coaching days at Murray State.
I went on a lot of recruiting trips, with one being to all the Mississippi community colleges. And on this particular trip, I was scheduled to go to Mississippi Delta Community College. I’ve mentioned before how I often wandered to indulge my fascination for football history, and I was always interested in the influence HBCU football had on the AFL and NFL. So naturally, having heard so much about Itta Bena — Rice, who’d become an NFL star by that time, really put the little town on the map — I drove the extra 15 miles to see the university. To learn and see the place where Rice, Jones and so many others had played prior to their great NFL careers was a highlight of that trip.
The reason for the school’s existence derives from our country’s sad history when it comes to civil rights. Renamed Mississippi Valley State University in 1974, Mississippi Vocational College was originally opened by the state in 1950 in an attempt to deter Black students from applying to public schools (Mississippi State, University of Mississippi and University of Southern Mississippi), as the Mississippi legislature expected that legal segregation of public schools was in danger.
Jones’ story is particularly interesting. He started his college career at South Carolina State, but left after his scholarship was revoked by the university for participating in a civil rights protest. He then spent one year out of college before enrolling at Mississippi Vocational College in 1960, joining one of his former South Carolina State coaches. He played just one season with the Delta Devils and was discovered by accident by the Los Angeles Rams, who were scouting the school’s opponents. The Rams ended up drafting Jones in the 14th round of the 1961 NFL Draft. A way into the league was all Jones needed, as he quickly became a dominant defensive player and eventually would be considered the top pass rusher of his era. In fact, he is credited with coining the phrase “sack” because that’s what he called his tackles of the quarterback. Jones was also known for his violent — and highly effective — hand usage on the field. He mastered the head slap, a pass-rush move that has since been banned.
Deacon Jones, courtesy of Famous African Americans
An eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time first-team All-Pro, Jones was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility. He also earned a spot on the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
While some may not be as familiar with Jones’ illustrious NFL tenure, Rice’s storied career is quite well-known, as he was the star wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers during their dynastic years with Bill Walsh, Joe Montana and Steve Young. However, Rice’s college career at Mississippi Valley State was legendary on its own.
Rice played for head coach Archie “The Gunslinger” Cooley, who played under HBCU coaching legend John Merritt at Jackson State in the late 1950s before going on to become the winningest coach in Mississippi Valley State history. Rice and his QB, Willie Totten, were known as “The Satellite Express” in Cooley’s innovative pass offense that featured five-receiver sets and the no-huddle offense. The pair rewrote the NCAA passing and receiving record books.
Although Mississippi Valley State University may not boast as high a volume of NFL draft picks as some other HBCUs, it provided two of the greatest players to ever come through the league.
The sports world is mourning the loss NBA sports writer and analyst Sekou Smith, who unfortunately passed of COVID-19 complications. Read more about how Smith got his start at Jackson State University and grew his career to work amongst the greatest in the NBA in the story below.
Courtesy of The Athletic
There was tremendous outpouring from around the league as they reacted to the news. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Chris Paul among many other former and current players reacted to his passing.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement today regarding the passing of Sekou Smith pic.twitter.com/QyII7bcuXZ
“Man today just got a little heavier… My condolences to Sekou’s wife, family, friends, and extended NBA family. What a kind and compassionate man we just lost 🙏🏾🕊,” tweeted Chris Paul.
After getting his Bachelor’s Degree in communications from JSU in 1997, Smith was a Mississippi State beat writer for The Clarion-Ledger. He went on to the Indianapolis Star and the Atlanta Journal Constitution before joining Turner Broadcasting.
With Turner Sports, Sekou was an NBA senior analyst. He appeared on NBA TV frequently, wrote for NBA.com and was the host of the Hang Time Podcast.
Marshal Ramsey, editor-at-large for Mississippi Now, was Smith’s friend for more than two decades. They worked together at The Clarion-Ledger.
Kevin Durant (left) and Sekou Smith (right). Courtesy of Instagram
“He had a big smile that just filled the room,” Ramsey said.
Ramsey said the news of his friend’s death hit him hard.
“I went to bed feeling like garbage, and then I woke up this morning feeling like garbage. Then I was like, ‘No, I don’t think Sekou would want that. I think he would want us to keep moving,'” Ramsey said.
Wednesday morning, Ramsey shared memories of Smith on his Facebook page. Ramsey said he was planning a visit to Smith when the pandemic was over.
Smith spent over 20 years in sports media. He leaves a wife and three children. He was 48 years old.
The Turner Sports family mourns the loss of our very own, Sekou Smith.
Spelman College alumna and trustee Rosalind Brewer is bringing her leadership skills to Walgreens as its new CEO! The outgoing Starbucks Chief Operating Officer has had years of exemplary leadership experience at companies like Amazon and Lockheed Martin. Now with her leading Walgreens, she will be the only Black woman leading a Fortune 500 company. Learn more about her new role in the breakdown from CNBC below.
Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Rosalind Brewer will replace Stefano Pessina as CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, the drugstore chain confirmed in a statement Tuesday evening.
Starbucks had announced Brewer’s departure earlier in the day, saying she is leaving at the end of February for a CEO position at an undisclosed publicly traded company.
Courtesy of Spelman College
As CEO of Walgreens, Brewer will be the only Black woman leading a Fortune 500 company.
Her departure from Starbucks comes as investors, regulators and activists push for more diversity in corporate America. Nasdaq has proposed changes that would push for greater racial and gender diversity on the boards of publicly traded companies listed on its exchange.
Walgreens shares rose nearly 8% in extended trading on the news. The stock is down 5% over the past 12 months, bringing its market value to $42.50 billion.
Pessina’s plans to step down
Pessina announced his plans to step down as CEO in July. He is one of the drugstore chain’s largest individual investors and plans to continue to serve on the board as executive chairman.
Brewer joined Starbucks’ board in 2017 and became its chief operating officer later that year after serving as CEO of Sam’s Club, which is owned by Walmart. She was the first Black woman to be COO of Starbucks and to head a division at the big-box retailer. Prior to her time at Walmart, she worked for consumer packaged goods giant Kimberly-Clark.
In her current role, Brewer deals with a wide range of responsibilities, from technology initiatives to the creation of new coffee drinks. She was widely expected to be the successor to current CEO Kevin Johnson. After she leaves, her responsibilities will be split between CMO Brady Brewer and Rossann Williams, who serves as president of company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada.
Challenges ahead at Walgreens
Courtesy of Jason Redmond/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
At Walgreens, Brewer will face and create new revenue streams. The drugstore chain struggled in the early months of the pandemic as foot traffic dropped, particularly at its Boots stores in the United Kingdom. The company reported earlier this month that sales were picking up but reiterated its outlook for low single-digit earnings growth.
The drugstore chain has been cutting costs in some areas and investing in others. It closed hundreds of Walgreens and Boots stores last year and cut the size of its workforce.
Walgreens’ bigger rival, CVS Health, acquired health insurer Aetna and was quicker to expand in health-care services. CVS opened Minute Clinics, and Walgreens has been playing catch-up.
Brewer also sits on the board of Amazon, a company that’s been cutting into drugstore sales both in the front of the store as well as behind the pharmacy counter as more customers buy toothpaste and refill prescriptions online.
Starbucks has also recently announced the retirement of its CFO, Pat Grismer. He will be replaced by Rachel Ruggeri, who serves as senior vice president of finance for the Americas division, starting Feb. 1.
Shares of Starbucks fell more than 1% in extended trading on Tuesday after the chain reported its fiscal first-quarter results. It beat analyst estimates for its earnings, but its sales recovery in the U.S. faltered as Covid-19 cases increased during the quarter.
Coppin State University alumna Nikki Jones has found a way to combine her love of media with her love for HBCUs. As a current vice president at NPR, Jones has used her platform to ensure HBCUs are visible, elevated, and appreciated. Read more about how she does it in the story from Beverly Richards of Coppin State University below!
National Public Radio (NPR) executive and alumna Nikki Jones ’96, is a huge advocate for HBCUs and the role they play in the development of tomorrow’s leaders. She and her 14-year-old talk about her love of HBCUs and why they are important. “There is a different level that is brought to you when you go to an HBCU. HBCUs prepare students to raise their voices. It prepares them to be heard,” said Nikki. “Coming out of Coppin and going into the corporate world, I was prepared to have respectful discussions. Coppin showed me what collaboration meant. It prepared me to listen to all sides of the debate,” she continued.
Nikki Jones, courtesy of Twitter
Coppin, shared Nikki, is where she learned how to have grace. “Coppin taught me how to be peaceful. Being around like-minded students and trying to achieve goals that a lot of people didn’t think that I would, growing up in Baltimore, growing up in “the hood.” So, it showed me grace when I spoke to other people outside of school. And that took me to the corporate world. Coppin taught me so much.” Nikki has built her career as a servant-leader with a deep commitment to helping colleagues, particularly people of color and women, confront and embrace challenges.
Nikki’s education and expertness at Coppin primed this executive for her newly expanded role of Vice President of Change Management and Transformation. What does that mean? “The long and short of it, that means that NPR is equitable, diverse and inclusive. Our CEO lives by, “we’re one NPR.” And my goals for my team and me are to carry those aspirations throughout all the divisions. So, we will re-evaluate processes to make sure they are fair and inclusive. Empower the voices within the organization to bring all these diverse people, perspectives and opinions to the table to be consistently one NPR.
Prior to joining NPR, Nikki was the Director of Program Management with SiriusXM Radio. She was also Senior Technical Program Manager with National Geographic Digital Media. She served on the board of the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications in 2015 and is currently serving on the Technology and Innovation Committee for the Emma Bowen Foundation, an organization that provides internships, for students of color, at various media companies across the nation.
Nikki Jones, courtesy of NPR
The lighter side of Nikki is an avid gamer. One of her favorite games is Call of Duty. “I’m an avid gamer. I play every chance I get. Tossing a grenade here and there is a stress reliever.” She has been gaming since the age of nine. “And I don’t think that love will ever die,” she admitted.
Nikki is also a self-proclaimed chef. “I’m also a really big cook. I love to cook. I love to eat.” And though her distaste for exercise matches her love of cooking and eating, Nikki does admit to working out every day, but “angrily.”
“I love being an Eagle,” she concluded. “My love for Coppin will be carried to my grave. Being part of the Eagle Nation helped me become the woman that I am today. It gives me hope for the next generation.”
The HBCU go-getter attitude is highly sought-after, from the corporate world to the sports world. For Daronte Jones, his education at Morgan State University and his experience on the field as a defensive back has led to a plethora of opportunities. After years of working at schools like Bowie State University and in the NFL, Daronte Jones is now bringing his expertise to Louisiana State University. See the impressive list of Jones of accomplishments that Jones will bring to LSU in the story below from New Orleans station ABC WGNO.
Daronte Jones, courtesy of Tiger Bait
LSU reached into pro football for its offensive coordinator and is reportedly doing the same on defense.
The Athletic said Vikings assistant Daronte Jones interviewed with LSU and accepted the position Monday.
The Tigers were historically bad on defense in 2020. LSU was 124th out of 127th in total defense. LSU allowed almost 500 yards per game.
Here’s Jones’ bio from the Minnesota Vikings website, Vikings.com
Daronte Jones (duh-RAHN-tay) enters his fifth season in the NFL after most recently spending two years with the Cincinnati Bengals as the secondary/cornerbacks coach from 2018-19. In 2018 Jones aided in the development of rookie CBs Davontae Harris and Darius Phillips, both late-round draft picks who saw game action throughout the season due to injuries to Cincinnati’s defense.
Jones previously worked two seasons with the Miami Dolphins as an assistant defensive backs coach. In 2017, Jones helped S Reshad Jones to a team-high 122 tackles and a berth in the Pro Bowl. In his first season as a professional coach in 2016, Jones helped coach a Dolphins defense that recorded 16 interceptions, third-most in the NFL. Miami also ranked fourth in the league in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert on only 36.15 percent of attempts.
Courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings
Prior to the NFL, Jones served as defensive backs coach at the University of Wisconsin in 2015, as the Badgers led the nation with just seven passing touchdowns allowed. Wisconsin’s passing defense ranked second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally, allowing 173.2 pass yards per game. From 2012-14, Jones served as the secondary coach at the University of Hawaii, adding the title of assistant head coach in 2014. Jones helped improve Hawaii’s passing defense by 62.1 yards per game, as the Rainbow Warriors went from 85th nationally in 2011 to the 11th-best passing defense in 2012.
The Capital Heights, Maryland, native also had earlier coaching stops with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League in 2011 as the defensive backs coach and with UCLA in 2010 as the cornerbacks coach. Jones was named assistant head coach/defensive coordinator at Bowie State from 2005-09. His defense finished in the top three nationally in three of his five seasons.
Prior to his time at Bowie State, Jones served as defensive coordinator at two Louisiana high schools — Jeanerette (2004) and Franklin (2003). He also spent the 2002 season coaching safeties at Nicholls State after beginning his coaching career in 2001 as a graduate assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne University in North Carolina. Jones played four seasons as a defensive back at Morgan State before earning his bachelor’s degree in 2001.
Especially during a pandemic, now is the time to prioritize mental health! Hampton University is doing its part to ensure students and alumni can receive well-timed advice on self-esteem, self-care, and more. They’ve even brought in a very special guest to help everyone get into the zone! Read the statement from Hampton below for more details!
The Hampton University Student Counseling Center and Student Support Services will be holding their second virtual event, Deeply Rooted: The Power of Your Authenticity, with guest speaker Michael Rainey Jr. The virtual event, designed for Hampton University students, takes place on Wednesday, January 27, starting at 5:45 pm.
Courtesy of Allstarbio
“The inaugural Deeply Rooted virtual event that the Student Counseling Center hosted last year was very successful. We are happy that Mr. Michael Rainey Jr. will be able to converse with our Hampton students about how important mental health is, especially in the Black community,” said Hampton University President, Dr. William R. Harvey.
The Student Counseling Center will be speaking to Rainey about the power of authenticity and learning to live out our authentic lives. Rainey is an actor, best known for his role as Tariq St. Patrick on the Starz series “Power.” Most recently, he has starred in “Power Book II: Ghost,” in which he learns how to navigate the pressures of multiple worlds.
“We are particularly excited about this event, as it will offer an opportunity for our students reflect upon how authenticity can positively impact your mental wellness. During this event, we anticipate exploring topics such as vulnerability, navigating various social settings, and developing healthy ways to be authentic with ourselves and other” said Dr. Kristie Norwood, Director of the Hampton University Student Counseling Center.
“This ongoing partnership between The Student Support Services program and The Student Counseling Center is particularly special, as we have continued to provide student centered programming that promotes mental wholeness, but also the academic success and retention of our Hampton University students” added Dean Mikael Davis, Dean of Student Achievement.
Legacy Builders Insurance and Financial Services has graciously agreed to serve as a corporate sponsor for this event. As such, this company will be giving away over $500 in gift cards and giveaways. In addition, several Hampton University students will be afforded an opportunity to to win a virtual VIP Meet and Greet with Rainey after the event is over.
COVID-19 has spread us all apart, but that doesn’t mean that HBCU students or even staff should have to feel alone. That is something that Larry Callahan, the associate vice president and chief human resources officer at Howard University, has made sure to emphasize. Check out how he has creatively made his mark on the Howard community in his recent spotlight in Profile Magazine.
Larry Callahan, courtesy of Howard University
A young Howard University student paused, surprised by the voice on the other end of the line. Although the caller was not in her contacts list, she answered anyway. The voice that greeted her belonged to university president Wayne A. I. Frederick. While it’s unusual for university leadership to call students directly, 2020 was no ordinary year. After discussing the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with his cabinet, Frederick joined provosts, chancellors, and others in calling to check in on the mental and physical health of students, faculty, and staff.
Larry Callahan, associate vice president and chief human resources officer, helped birth this idea and matched each name in the directory with a volunteer caller. “If the president is calling, we’re all calling,” he laughs. Callahan remembers speaking to an incoming student council president before leaving a message for one of the university’s football coaches. When the coach returned the call, the two spoke for forty-five minutes. “It was meaningful just to connect with another person and let them know they are cared for,” Callahan says. “Everyone was overwhelmed and grateful.”
No one who has worked with Callahan during his long and distinguished career in HR would be surprised to discover he encouraged Howard University (HU) to weave a personal element into its pandemic response. Church and community were centerpieces of his life in Tennessee, where Callahan was born, and West Virginia, where he was raised.
Larry Callahan, courtesy of Howard University
“I always had people to look up to and that was never in doubt,” Callahan says. “They showed me the right path in life.” He learned to value community while singing in choir, attending Sunday school, playing sports, and serving in the Key Club and National Honor Society.
After starting his undergraduate studies at Marshall University, Callahan was drafted into the US military, where he became a policeman. Although Callahan’s service wasn’t voluntary, he decided to make the most of the opportunity and surround himself with positive influences. “Where you go in life is not an accident. You can often choose to put yourself around good, bad, or indifferent people,” he says. “Your values guide you toward or away from certain people and certain things.” While serving in Germany, Callahan was soldier of the month many times; he received an honorable discharge after two years of service.
During his time in Germany, Callahan transferred from Marshall to West Virginia State University, one of the nation’s most well-known historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), where he also tutored other students for $2 an hour while studying political science. He then graduated in and immediately started an advanced degree program back at Marshall, where he also served as a graduate assistant.
As Callahan entered the workforce, he began to execute what would become a key strategy in both his life and his career. “If you put yourself close to good people doing good things, you’ll find the right opportunity,” he says. When his sister introduced him to a recruiter, Callahan earned a spot as one of six people in a training program for the company that is now Sprint Corporation.
When his friends and colleagues at Sprint started interviewing with Siemens, a German manufacturing company, Callahan did the same. In 1983, he moved to Boca Raton, Florida, to implement digital business telephone systems for Siemens. This started a twenty-three-year phase that would take him across the eastern United States, and into the world of HR, where he had a wide variety of responsibilities, including serving on global teams and traveling internationally.
“WHERE YOU GO IN LIFE IS NOT AN ACCIDENT. YOU CAN OFTEN CHOOSE TO PUT YOURSELF AROUND GOOD, BAD, OR INDIFFERENT PEOPLE. YOUR VALUES GUIDE YOU TOWARD OR AWAY FROM CERTAIN PEOPLE AND CERTAIN THINGS.”
At first, Callahan was in support and training roles, but when a manager became aware of his skills and experience in working with people, he was offered a position as a regional HR manager. Callahan was soon in the field working as a true HR generalist during an important time of rapid growth for the company. Promotions came every few years, and along the way to his role as senior vice president of human resources, Callahan developed global programs, led mergers and acquisitions, and created emerging leaders’ workshops.
In 2006, Callahan left Siemens for the medical field, where he helped university hospitals and other healthcare systems modernize HR functions that were lagging behind other industries. During those years, Callahan developed a reputation for driving change as he revamped executive compensation and benefits packages, created diversity programs, and helped hospitals make dramatic increases in patient satisfaction scores.
After stacking up accomplishments year after year, Callahan jumped at the chance to join Howard University in 2018. “This place is special and fits who I am perfectly,” he says. “Howard serves a certain constituency, including the underserved, and it needed someone to elevate HR.”
Callahan has been busy at Howard. He leads all HR functions, advises on organization development, and serves in the president’s cabinet.
In his first year, he helped migrate Howard’s retirement savings plan, taking $800 million in assets from five vendors and uniting them in a single TIAA plan. “The success of Howard University’s retirement programs are attributed to Larry’s innovative leadership,” says John Doyle, associate partner, at Aon Investments. “He understands how important benefits are to improving retirement outcomes.”
“IF YOU PUT YOURSELF CLOSE TO GOOD PEOPLE DOING GOOD THINGS, YOU’LL FIND THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY.”
He also helped Howard increase its minimum wage. In early 2020, nonunion employees earning less than $35,000 saw their pay increase to $34,999—one cent below the amount where expensive healthcare premium payments are required.
The move illustrates Howard’s countercultural style, which was on full display during the coronavirus pandemic. As other institutions suffered layoffs, Howard, led by President Wayne A. I. Frederick, maintained all staff and faculty benefits and did not lay off or furlough any employees. The leaders of the university moved to a teleworking environment, implemented robust COVID-19 testing, took students to a temporary pass/fail system, and promoted an on-campus food bank for students struggling with food insecurity.
Callahan sees serving at one of the nation’s top HBCUs as a privilege, especially given Howard’s commitment to diversity, both in its leadership and its academic offerings. Nine of HU’s thirteen deans are women. Howard offers more than 120 degree programs and is the top provider of African American undergraduates in the STEM fields. Its College of Medicine produces more minority graduates than all other HBCUs combined. Some of the nation’s top legislators, attorneys, entrepreneurs, and entertainers have studied their craft at its campus. Alumni of the influential and prominent institution include the newly elected Vice President Kamala Harris, Chadwick Boseman, Toni Morrison, Thurgood Marshall, Debbie Allen, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
By helping produce graduates of this caliber, Howard is changing the world and developing the next generation of leaders.
Prairie View A&M University has taken a big step to show its commitment for reducing toxic environmental waste. This also coincides with attitudes towards the new presidential administration’s support for the environment, and reinstating previously rolled back protections. Read below on how PVAMU will support sustainable science studies by signing the GCC!
The newly inaugurated Biden Administration has made it clear – combatting climate change and protecting the environment are among top priorities. Now, Prairie View A&M University’s (PVAMU) Department of Chemistry will also be a bit greener after signing on to the Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC), a program spearheaded by sustainable-science consortium Beyond Benign. The pilot project aims to provide students with skills they will need to reduce environmental hazards and promote sustainability in a way that crosses scientific disciplines.
Beyond Benign defines green chemistry as “the design of chemical products and processes that generate the least amount of harm and waste possible while maintaining excellent quality.”
PVAMU joins the ranks of recent academic cosigners such as the University of Minnesota, University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Santa Barbara, and Michigan State University. However, PVAMU is the first historically black college/university (HBCU) to join the effort. Since GCC’s inception, the program has attracted 70 institutions, reaching more than 1,300 faculty members.
Building on Top of a PVAMU Foundation
“Before the Commitment, we already had people who were invested in doing green chemistry from the get-go,” said PVAMU Assistant Chemistry Professor Andrea Ashley-Oyewole, Ph.D. “Many of our faculty members were already doing sustainable chemistry-based types of research even before that,” she added. Ashley-Oyewole is leading the GCC effort as a university liaison with Beyond Benign.
Andrea Ashley-Oyewole, Ph.D.
“Now, becoming official partners with Beyond Benign helps us as a department to broadcast that we believe in and promote multidisciplinary areas of study.”
Ashley-Oyewole also sees the program as an opportunity to recruit students who might not otherwise be attracted to conventional chemistry majors.
“It makes them visualize chemistry in terms of tangible areas where their degrees can lead to jobs that will pay well,” she said. “I always like to tell them chemistry is the foundation of science – everything is central to [chemistry].”
She added that, as a graduate of PVAMU, she holds a special affinity for the program since she studied chemistry and worked on environmental science-based projects more than 20 years ago when there was no official environmental chemistry major in her field.
“Even though we didn’t have any [official program], I’ve always wanted to do this,” said Ashley-Oyewole, who graduated from PVAMU in 1993 and 1996 with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemistry.
GCC Objectives
The GCC launched through a partnership between Beyond Benign and Dow in early 2020. The corporation pledged to provide financial and volunteer support.
Prairie View A & M University
“Our chemistry department is a signer of the Green Chemistry Commitment,” a departmental statement noted. “This aligns with our partner Dow and their ‘Safe Materials for a Sustainable Planet’ goal and ensures the incoming workforce is prepared to design sustainable materials for the marketplace.”
PVAMU’s green commitment is part of a deeper outreach across departmental lines. The chemistry and chemical engineering departments at the university collaborate to promote green chemistry education and related coursework. Ashley-Oyewole has already created a pilot course, and she will work with Beyond Benign to develop a core curriculum.
“I want to create a curriculum that’s going to be applicable for our students and, at the same time, open doors to our department,” she said. “[Green chemistry] is basically capitalizing upon a foundation that we already had, but now it’s making that more visible.”
Under the program, PVAMU’s chemistry department will continue to drive a robust pursuit of research projects focused on green chemistry topics, as well as transitioning the name of the Chemistry Club to the Green Chemistry Club.
Plans are also in the works to develop new courses in cosmetic, environmental, and polymer chemistry. Established courses, such as general inorganic and organic chemistry, will incorporate other GCC green student learning objectives.
‘Off and Running’
Beyond Benign commended PVAMU’s chemistry department for implementing the program despite COVID-related obstacles:
Prairie View A & M University
“PVAMU joined the Commitment in June 2020, and despite the ever-changing and challenging times in higher education due to the ongoing pandemic, they are off and running with their Commitment to green chemistry education.”
Several PVAMU professors are already conducting research across an array of green topics, including:
Anada Amarasekara, Ph.D., Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Renewable Fuels and Plastics
Marco Giles, Ph.D., Redox-active and Bio-Reducible Dendrimers and Natural Products
Yuemin Liu, Ph.D., Quantum Mechanical Calculations for Covid-19 Related Interactions between Monoclonal Antibodies and Spec-glycoproteins
Matthew Minus, Ph.D., Addressing Plastic Pollution Crisis with Dynamic Covalent Plastics (DCPLs)
Ashley-Oyewole is looking into Trace Metal Remediation from Wastewater Using Spent Coffee Grounds.
“The work is exciting because it is interesting first and foremost,” Ashley-Oyewole said of her research. “Secondly, it has the potential to provide actual data and impact the lives of real people. Water scarcity is a significant problem for many communities worldwide. This research can make the difference between life and death for many of the world’s poor,” she added. “The additional benefit is that this project is perfectly aligned with our Green Chemistry transform here on campus. For the most part, green chemistry prevents harm to the environment and uses renewable feedstocks like spent coffee grounds that are widely available and degrade easily.”
Making the Connection
As the green chemistry program blossoms at PVAMU, Ashley-Oyewole sees the program bridging the gap between biology and chemistry while helping some students become more comfortable with the more daunting aspects of chemistry.
“By offering alternatives to just the ordinary chemistry degree, we show students that chemistry doesn’t have to be so frightening. Green chemistry allows them to feel that comfort and still persevere,” she said.
Gun violence is an epidemic that plagues that Black community, and it has continued to persist for many reasons. Some may say it can be contributed to poverty, gangs, musical influence, or even a toxic need to prove oneself. A new study involving HBCUs like Coppin State University will now delve into how and why young Black men are particularly susceptible to being victims or perpetrators of gun violence.
Coppin State University, courtesy of The Blue Book
Coppin State University (CSU) has received a two-year, $100,290 grant, to study the attitudes and reasons that spark young African-American males in urban areas pick up and carry guns, in an effort to reduce the problem.
Lead investigator at CSU, Dr. Johnny Rice, II, assistant professor of criminal justice, and a selected team of CSU students will investigate the contemporary causes of gun violence, specifically exploring why Black males ages 15-24 in marginalized urban communities possess and carry guns. The team will also explore factors that influence the impulse to carry a gun and what serve as triggers for gun use, based on the perceptions of African-American men interviewed, who live in affected communities in Baltimore city.
Dr. Johnny Rice, II
The grant was awarded to CSU by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), who received a $1 million grant by the National Collaborative for Gun Violence Research. To implement the study, TMCF brought together leading HBCU Criminal Justice researchers in Houston, TX, Wilmington, DE, Jackson, MS and Baltimore – leveraging the experience, knowledge and status of HBCUs in the African-American community to conduct research on attitudes toward guns ownership, possession, and usage by urban youth; the dynamics of social transmission of gun ownership and possession, carrying a gun, using a gun to threaten someone; and escalation to gun violence.
“This scientific study will allow our research team to engage and interview African-American men in affected Baltimore communities and acquire their unique perspectives on factors that influence gun possession and use,” said Rice, noting that he hopes the study can lead to ways to lessen the problem.
“We envision that the information gathered from this study will support community-based violence prevention efforts as well as criminal justice crime plans aimed at reducing gun violence. I am excited to work with our student researchers to address a systemic problem that continues to negatively impact the Black quality of life,” Rice said.
In 2020, there was a reported 335 homicide victims in Baltimore, which reflected a high rate of deaths due to gun violence. As such, African-American males often are the main perpetrators of such violence as well as the majority of gun violence victims.
Other HBCU’s participating in the research project are: Texas Southern, Jackson State and Delaware State Universities.
HBCUs have left a legacy of Black excellence. They produce a large percentage of the nation’s Black lawyers, doctors, and more. In a recent story from Elle, different HBCU students and alumni have been chronicled, weaving stories of trouble and triumph.
The route to work is always the same. Leave the highway and turn right on Sandra Bland Parkway. Follow it to its end, past the location where a state trooper stopped Bland’s car—the confrontation that would lead to her arrest and ultimately her death—and drive onto the campus of Texas’s Prairie View A&M University, one of 101 historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs. Once there, I see what Bland must have seen on her first day of college, and what I saw on the first day of mine nearly 30 years ago: a beautiful campus with lush oaks and stately buildings that tell the story of a people whose freedom has been forged in the face of injustice and whose joy is political resistance.
Every time I make this drive, now as a professor, I am reminded that the first thing our ancestors did when they were emancipated was erect institutions of higher learning. These campuses house and nurture their most important legacy—the committed pursuit of knowledge and freedom, first imagined and then made real for our children. HBCUs remind us all that Black ingenuity is more resilient than white supremacy.
But today, many of these colleges are woefully under-resourced, having experienced the steepest declines in federal funding per student between 2003 and 2015. They are often ignored by the big philanthropic donors; their endowments are 70 percent smaller than those of non-HBCUs. All of this, despite the work they do to change the intellectual and financial trajectory of their students, who are often underserved in K–12 schools. HBCUs represent 3 percent of the nation’s colleges, but graduate about 20 percent of all Black undergrads, and 25 percent of those with STEM degrees. Nearly 75 percent of HBCU students are eligible for Pell Grants, and over half are first-generation college students—yet HBCUs are better at retaining this population than non-HBCUs.
Stacey Abrams at Spelman College in 1992, courtesy of Nick Arroyo
In recent months, the nation has finally turned its attention to HBCUs and their critical importance in society. In part, that is because of the role HBCU graduates played in the 2020 election. Kamala Harris is now the nation’s first Black vice president. She also ticks a lot of other boxes as the first woman, first South Asian, and first graduate of an HBCU—Howard University—to serve in the role. In a moment where we are renegotiating the meaning of race in our society, HBCU graduates, particularly Black women, have emerged with the answers and as the answers.
Fair Fight founder and Spelman College alum Stacey Abrams’s strategic efforts to turn Georgia blue challenged the Republicans’ stranglehold on the Senate. Keisha Lance Bottoms, mayor of Atlanta and a graduate of Florida A&M University, played a key part in the Biden-Harris victory with an early endorsement of Biden and her role as a campaign surrogate. Additionally, if former president Donald Trump is brought to justice in any form, it will likely be under the leadership of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who, like Vice President Harris, earned a degree from Howard.
Indeed, one of the most important political stories of 2020 is how Black women who graduated from Black colleges are changing everyone’s understanding of innovative political leadership. These women committed their time, money, and talent to resoundingly rebuke the Trump administration and affirm their value as candidates and in the rooms where campaign strategy is decided. And there are more of them who will emerge as leaders. I know, because I teach them every day.
Praire View A&M University graduate Jayla Allen advocated for fair election policy as a student, courtesy of Elle
Prairie View A&M University is an HBCU that sits on the site of a former plantation northwest of Houston. Like many land grant institutions that were created in the shadow of enslavement and segregation, Prairie View was established to educate Black students in the agricultural and mechanical trades. Today, it is one of the top producers of Black engineers and architects, and it supplies the state with a large number of Black nurses, teachers, and future medical doctors. It has outlived Jim Crow and two world wars, and it is now weathering a global pandemic, financial hardship, and a season of protest simultaneously.
The students here have also spent the last five decades organizing, demonstrating, and litigating against persistent efforts by local county officials to suppress their vote. There has been a Supreme Court case, false indictments, and miles of protest marches, and still, the county refuses to accept the students as legitimate residents, despite the fact that the college has been here for 145 years.
At the center of our current protests and court cases are Jayla Allen and Maia Young, two recent alums who allow us to witness the future impact that women from HBCUs will have. While most students were enjoying their first semester of college and excited about registering to vote, Jayla Allen was becoming a precinct chair and advocating for fair election policy for her fellow students. When the county decided to severely restrict access to early voting, the students sued, and Jayla became the lead litigant in Allen v. Waller. She testified at a Congressional hearing and in court about how she and her classmates were treated. Maia Young also became a student political leader early in her time on campus. She was testifying in court while serving as campaign cochair for her classmate Nathan Alexander III, who made a successful bid for Prairie View City Council. Jayla and Maia are both 21. Knowing them makes me hopeful about the future.
Maia Young also became a student political leader early in her time on campus at Prairie View A&M, courtesy of Elle
It has become quite commonplace to discount young people as apathetic and HBCUs as relics of a different era, but Kamala, Stacey, Keisha, Letitia, Jayla, and Maia remind us all that the legacy of HBCUs is to teach our nation what it means to expand the meaning of the values enshrined in the Constitution. They are the inheritors of the work of Ida B. Wells, Johnetta B. Cole, Ella Baker, and Diane Nash. They are living proof that HBCU students’ dreams of freedom did not die when the civil rights movement waned. HBCUs kept educating the sons and daughters of former slaves and encouraging their patriotic right to challenge institutions that did not include them.
HBCUs are incubators for Black leaders because they give students spaces to explore all aspects of themselves, away from racial judgments and stereotypes. Here, Black students can make mistakes and challenge authority while pledging sororities and working in student government, and no one questions the role of race in their success, because there is no doubt that Blacks can be high-achieving. There are no accusations of affirmative action and tokenism in admissions. And if we want to continue to rely on Black women to save America from its worst impulses, we must be committed to sustaining the HBCUs that serve as their training ground.
Monique Kelley is a flourishing businesswoman who has turned her pain into progress and a profession. She made the life-changing trip to LA after graduating from Hampton University with a degree in Performing Arts, and spending time studying Shakespearean Theatre in London.
A painful divorce brought the budding dating guru from a career in the film industry to becoming a dating expert on shows like Access Live on NBC, and Good Day L.A. on FOX. She gives empowering dating advice to “The Tamron Hall Show” and “The Talk,” and has been featured in Essence Magazine, L.A. Confidential Magazine, and on TV One. Importantly, she lets women in the dating scene know that they aren’t alone.
Always a creative spirit, Kelley first began writing about her of her post-divorce dating life through her anonymous blog “Confessions of a Serial Dater In LA.” She would talk about not only dates, but her first impressions, her disappointments, and her pick-me-ups.
Her latest project,Reality in Chaos, is being called the modern day Waiting To Exhale. Released in January 2021, the novel highlights the value of true friendship. The story follows best friends Simone, Taylor, and Jackie, who all met at Hampton University, Kelley’s alma mater. Now approaching their fabulous forties, the women experience the turbulence of careers, family, marriage, caregiving, and more. It is a complex and intriguing story filled with reality checks and situations relatable to readers’ own lives. It was written to ultimately remind readers that in the end, love and friendship endure all things. It is Kelley’s first novel.
Monique Kelley continues to explore her talents for creatively helping others. Twice a year, she holds her Cocktails and Confessions. Before the pandemic, the intimate conversations about dating and relationships were held at Hollywood hot spots. No matter what people are going through, whether they are married, divorced, or single, Monique Kelley has advice for everyone. She continues to help both men and women be able to talk about experiences that can be tough, and help them look forward to a brighter day.
Morgan State University has been incredible economic driver in its Baltimore community. For years, students and staff have boosted local sales in nearby restaurants and shops. In addition, tourists such as parents and those visiting for commencements have also boosted revenues in the area. However, a recent study has shown that Morgan’s economic impact has grown and is spread across new areas. In fact, a recent study has shown that MSU has generated about $1.1 billion in annual financial impact on Maryland. Get the full details on the eye-opening fiscal report from Patch below.
Courtesy of Tyler Hall/Morgan State University
Morgan State University President David K. Wilson announced today the results of an independent analysis of impact indicators and fiscal contributions affirming that Morgan remains a key economic driver in the region, generating $1.1 billion in annual financial impact on Maryland and $640 million within Baltimore City. The new findingsreveal an 11.1% increase in statewide impact and an 11.5% increase in citywide impact since the University’s last commissioned study in 2018. The FY21 study, conducted by Econsult Solutions, Inc. (ESI), a national economic consulting firm, also found that Morgan is responsible for supporting 6,900 jobs statewide, nearly 4,200 within the City, accounting for $558 million in Maryland wages and $188 million in Baltimore.
As with Morgan’s previous ESI-produced economic impact report, the methodology of this study and its findings focused on an in-depth examination of seven key areas: operations, capital investments, student and visitor spending, wage premium, commitment to community, innovation and economic opportunities to diverse populations, local and statewide.
Courtesy of Morgan State University
“The findings of this latest Economic Impact Update Report validate what we here at Morgan know all too well, that our university is, without question, unrivaled in its ability to impact lives, transform communities and spur economic progress that elevates not only the individual but our society as a whole,” said President David Wilson. “We look forward to continuing to uphold our mission by producing results that make a difference, while offering tangible and measurable return on the investment that has been made into Morgan.”
