Grambling State University has been an ambitious institution, earning a name for itself with coveted academic opportunities and world-renowned sports programs. Over the years Grambling has racked up debts to get to where it is today. Yet a new decision means the school will not be under such a heavy financial burden in the new year. Read the full statement below for details on this landmark decision.
Grambling State University will see a direct financial benefit from passage of the Omnibus Appropriations and Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act, which includes the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Capital Finance Debt Relief Act.
Approximately $87 million in debt relief will come to Grambling State from this congressional action. The total includes $80 million for student housing and $7 million for the natatorium and intramural facilities.
The Grambling State University campus, courtesy of Grambling
Debt relief through the Coronavirus Act is another milestone in Grambling State’s continuous fiscal improvement. Over the past four years, GSU leaders have played a significant role in lobbying for debt relief by presenting to congressional leaders and working with national advocacy partners. The strategy started in 2016 with refinancing its debt through the HBCU Capital Financing Program that yielded annual savings of $1.2 million. This action, supported by an intentional focus on revenue diversification and cost containment, fueled a 100% improvement in the fiscal health score of the institution. Combined with recent news of its 10-year reaffirmation by SACSCOC, this additional financial achievement places Grambling State on a sustainable path for continued growth and development.
“We are grateful to Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the members of our congressional delegation for their advocacy,” said Grambling State University President Rick Gallot. “The relief package will be a great benefit for institutions like Grambling State and many others who work daily to develop the next generation of game-changers.”
“Retirement of this debt opens the door to a new financial future for HBCUs,” said Martin Lemelle, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Grambling State University. “It will enable us to sustain our operations and invest in the next generation of student success.”
Grambling State University technology students, courtesy of ABC’s KTBS3
In addition to congressional support, the Omnibus Appropriations and Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act was endorsed by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), United Negro College Fund (UNCF), and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO).
“The HBCU community has celebrated many legislative victories over the past few years and this is the biggest victory yet,” said Dr. Harry L. Williams, President and CEO of TMCF. “The allocation of $1.7 billion in direct aid to HBCUs, PBIs (Predominantly Black Institutions) and other MSIs (Minority Serving Institutions) discharging of over $1 billion in HBCU Capital Finance Program debt, increase in Title III aid and Pell is Congress demonstrating once again its bipartisan support for our institutions and their students. After this challenging year on so many fronts, this infusion of resources and relief sends a clear signal that the future is bright for HBCUs and PBIs.”
The legislation also includes the largest expansion of the Pell Grant program in a decade; simplifies the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to ensure students get the support they need; and restores Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated persons. The expanded Pell Grant program will result in hundreds of thousands of students becoming newly qualified and millions of current recipients receiving larger awards. Additionally, the bill restores Pell Grant eligibility for students defrauded by their institutions.
Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina has just established a new program to directly lend a hand to incarcerated individuals with dreams of higher education. The promising Pathways from Prison Program is the result of a historic partnership between Claflin and the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC). In a move that will offset the difficulty of being hired with a record, soon inmates will be able to earn their bachelor’s degrees at no cost!
Beginning sometime in early 2021, inmates will have three different bachelor’s programs to choose from through Claflin’s Center for Professional and Continuing Studies. The two B.A. programs include a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. The single B.S. program is a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management. The inmates will also be able to add a minor to their degree program, and earn certificate credentials.
South Carolina Department of Corrections Inmates, courtesy of Compassionate Criminal Justice
This ground-breaking partnership is part of a larger drive to educate incarcerated people. As part of a initiative under President Barack Obama to get the incarcerated university credentials, Claflin University was selected as a U.S. Department of Education Second Chance Pell Experimental Site in April 2020. The Columbia, S.C. non-profit Healthy Routines will also be assisting the program by offering non-credit college preparation courses to the students.
Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack, President of Claflin University shared how this partnership plays into Claflin’s larger mission of service.
“Claflin’s Pathways from Prison Program, Second Chance Pell Grant, and our Center for Social Justice all reflect Claflin’s deep and abiding commitment to expanding access to exceptional educational opportunities that can change the trajectory of people’s lives,” said Dr. Warmack. “It’s in our DNA. Claflin was founded as the first HBCU in South Carolina and the first institution of higher education in the state that welcomed all students regardless of ethnic origin, gender, race, or religion. A quality education is the gateway to empowerment and plays a critical role in the successful reentry of formerly incarcerated people into their respective communities.”
Claflin University, courtesy of Boston University
Although the program hasn’t launched yet, there is already an opportunity for inmates to apply through the South Carolina Department of Corrections. The SCDC’s Director, Bryan Stirling, is excited at the chance the Pathways from Prison Program provides for rehabilitation.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for our inmates to better themselves and receive an education,” Stirling said. “Our goal is to return citizens to the community with skills to succeed, and a college degree can put them on that path. We appreciate this important partnership. This program will give inmates the opportunity to leave prison with a college degree, something that can transform not only their life but the lives of their family members as well.”
Jay Holder, Director of Public Affairs at Healthy Routines, went through a personal transformation when he was able to get an education during his incarceration. He now also serves on Columbia University’s National Executive Council at its Center for Justice.
“I took advantage of school while inside and I’m in college now that I’m home,” Holder said.
“In less than 20 months after being released, I was able to use the college in prison experience to not only establish new pathways to the university for currently incarcerated people, the returning citizen, and myself – I have also been able to use education to build meaningful relationships with conglomerates who are making a clear effort to improve our communities. Education is real. It takes you places you never knew you could go. The university is the cornerstone to both mobility and public safety,” Holder said.
The need for sanitized surfaces can’t possibly be overstated amid a pandemic. Now, Alabama State University is taking an unprecedented step to keep its campus healthy. ASU was recently chosen as the inaugural site to implement Draganfly’s high-tech Varigard Drone-Applied COVID-19 Sanitizer.
Alabama State University President Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr. announced at a news conference in mid-December that the school would be using drone technology on campus to combat COVID-19.
Draganfly, Inc., has patented the drone technology which will spray Varigard, a patented bio-based organic sanitizer. In fact, Draganfly has been named Varigard’s “exclusive flight services provider” to disseminate the pathogen and virus spray. Although they are organic, both Varigard’s surface spray and hand sanitizing gel are strong enough to kill the COVID-19 virus, staphylococcal (staph) bacteria, and E. coli pathogens. They work by sequestering the pathogens for a period of time that is long enough to prevent them from spreading.
Alabama State University staff watch a Dragonfly drone, courtesy of ASU
Following the news conference, Draganfly staged a high-tech demonstration of the drone spraying down the school’s stadium and other surfaces. Moving forward, large areas such as the ASU stadium and Dunn-Oliver Acadome will be able to get sanitized quickly and thoroughly with the drones.
“We are the first University in the country to use this cutting-edge technology,” Dr. Ross said. “Because of our overall safety protocols, which includes sentinel testing, we have been able to keep COVID-19 cases to around two percent of our entire campus population. Draganfly’s technology is a part of our being able to keep those numbers down. Today, we continue our partnership with Draganfly by using its Varigard product. We are excited about this new sanitizer and its innovative delivery method.”
The Alabama State University Stadium, courtesy of Yellowhammer News
The University began its partnership with Draganfly earlier this year with the installation of the company’s Smart Vital Technology and social distancing units. The technology kept faculty, students and staff safe by providing a quick and contactless measurement of elevated body temperatures. With further consent, the technology could also check the person’s heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation level.
Cameron Chell, the CEO of Draganfly, is proud to be bringing the ground-breaking technology to the Alabama State University campus.
“Alabama State University has been a true partner, utilizing our Smart Vital and social distancing units,” said Chell. “We are thrilled to continue working with Dr. Ross and his team’s amazing vision and leadership in keeping this campus safe by implementing safety protocols, including Draganfly’s Varigard spraying program.”
Tennessee State University‘s athletics department has gotten a brand new look! The Nashville HBCU rolled out the news today, giving their TSU Tigers a refreshing way to enter the new year. The university features men’s basketball, football, cross country, golf, tennis, and track & field. The women’s teams include basketball, cross country, golf, softball, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.
Courtesy of Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University athletics is renowned for its sports programs and has notable alums like Joe Gilliam, who went on to one of the first African American quarterbacks to start a regular season game in the NFL. Read the full statement on the rebranding below!
The Tennessee State University athletics department introduced today its new brand identity. The refreshed designs provide updates on a brand rich in history and tradition.
The work was developed through a partnership with Nike-BSN Sports and Varsity Brand’s design division, VIP Branding.
Courtesy of Tennessee State University
The refreshed branding process included soliciting feedback from various stakeholders, including university faculty, alumni, athletic administrative staff, coaches, student-athletes and students.
The goal for the finalized logos and marks, was to develop cohesiveness and consistency in the branding for TSU Athletics. The new branding identity includes updates to the “classic” Tiger logo, a modernized Tiger logo and typography for the athletics department.
“We are very excited to launch the new brand identity for TSU athletics,” said Dr. Mikki Allen, Director of Athletics. “This initiative was a huge step towards streamlining our branding while preserving tradition. I’m extremely pleased with our new customized marks, as they are fierce and truly complement the strength, power and history of this storied program.”
The new graphics and marks will be showcased and incorporated in a phased approach on the athletics website, social media, select uniforms, apparel, merchandise, publications and throughout athletic facilities on campus.
The new athletics branding comes a month after TSU launched a new website design for TSUTigers.com.
Versions of the new logos and TSU Athletics word marks can be previewed by clicking the brand guide.
9 students at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania had a weight lifted off their shoulders when Brooklyn Nets player Kyrie Irving recently paid their tuition. The foundation chose to target student tuition relief for graduating seniors, which is especially important amid the ongoing pandemic.
The philanthropic gesture was done on behalf of his foundation’s holiday season of giving. According to Bleacher Report, the KAI Family Foundation (K.A.I.F.F.) paid off the tuition of nine Lincoln University students as part of their 11 days of giving in December. On its website, the foundation shared that it was designed to “support and equip young people, their families, and communities with resources they need to thrive.” In particular, educational support is one of the targeted goals.
Kyrie Irving, courtesy of Bleacher Report
Tyki Irving, the Executive Director for the Kyrie Irving KAI Family Foundation, shared the great news with the students on a zoom call.
“We’re here today to honor you for your commitment to your education. We hope that we’re able to serve you today,” she began.
“And moving forward, with just a small gratitude of your resilience, and your pursuit of being professional young Black men and women, kings and queens,” she explained, “so if we could just help lift a burden and help facilitate that transition to be as smooth as possible, that is what we’re here to do.”
“And thank you for your service and for for yourself. For standing up and showing up for yourself. So on behalf of Mr. Kyrie Irving and the foundation, we are honoring you with paying your tuition for next season. So that way you guys can graduate and have one less burden to worry about. And we look forward to seeing your leadership, your liberation, and your learning experience to change the world,” said the executive director.
Kyrie Irving, who was also on the call, looked admirably at the students.
“I’m grateful for all you young leaders,” shared Kyrie. “You know, I wouldn’t be sitting in my position and embracing who I am without knowing where I come from and people helping me along the way. Just paying it forward.”
“Servitude is something that we all have a choice in. You know, and I’ve committed to my service a long time ago. I’m walking the steps right now and I want the same for others,” Irving encouraged.
As an HBCU nestled in the state North Carolina, Winston-Salem State University is surrounded by car racing enthusiasts. Now, the school is teaching their students the skills of the industry after becoming the first public university or HBCU with a motorsports management program.
Originally created in 2007, the WSSU Motorsports Management program allows students to earn a bachelors of science degree in motorsports management, and experience on the track as well. According to the Winston-Salem Journal, the program runs out of Bowman Gray Stadium, where racing events have been held consistently for over 70 years. There are 10 students in the program now, and students can take classes like “Finance and Economics of Sport” and “Facility Design and Crowd Management.”
“We are strictly the business side — operations, sponsorship, hospitality, general management, and marketing — in the motorsport industry,” said Clay Harshaw, Ph.D., who has run the program at WSSU since 2012.
Sakieo Williams, courtesy of the Winston-Salem Journal
The program gives any interested students the opportunity to live out their motorsports dreams.
“We’ve got a diverse group of students,” he says. “It’s men, women, anybody that’s interested in it. At one point, I kind of laughed and I said, ‘We’ve got the most diverse program of any university program,’” said Harshaw.
Derrick Rice experienced the program first-hand working with Harshaw in the WSSU motorsports program before graduating in 2017. He also raced at Bowman Gray, and in 2016 won the Street Stock Division title. He’s now a sports marketing teacher at Mount Tabor High School, and looks toward a more diverse future for motorsports.
“Here in the last year it has become more diverse. A lot of people of different ethnicities other than white are starting to pay attention,” says Rice. “I feel like it’s going to become more of a kind of gem toward the institution because it’s a gateway for kids to get in there and to understand, A) what the product is, which will be the car and the racing, and then, B) how to run it, how to utilize your resources, have the right business model, and things like that.”
WSSU students in the Motorsports Management program, courtesy of WSSU
NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program is currently working with WSSU in an initiative that supports minorities and women at higher levels of motorsports. Then there’s William Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr., the only Black driver in NASCAR, who will have a particularly important impact on the perception of a diverse motorsports world.
“I’m hoping there could be some positive effects for us,” Harshaw says. “I’m hoping that we can connect our students with their team for field experiences and internships.”
The motorsports program also values outreach. For example, the Diversity in Motion Initiative camp is held at the Ken Carlson Boys & Girls Club to give the young kids an introduction to the motorsports industry. With the expansion of the program and the popularity of motorsports, there will be more resources for students and the WSSU community at large.
Maurice Mander is using comic books to shine a light on his New Jersey community and HBCU education. The Morehouse College and Morgan State University alumnus is even working on a feature film showing how characters like a teacher and social worker can change the world as HBCU Superheroes. Read the full story from Trenton Daily below.
Writer, educator and Trenton-native Maurice “Raheem” Mander has dedicated the past two decades of his life marrying his love for history, creativity and his hometown of Trenton, NJ into a comic book titled ‘Surian Seed:HBCU Superheroes.’ The comic, and soon to be animated film, follows a group of superhuman Trentonians that graduated from HBCU’s (historically black colleges and universities), like Mander himself. Through his storytelling, Mander meshes together the fictitious elements of aliens and superpowers with the unique experience of community members in Trenton.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my city,” said Mander. “We are the summation of our experiences, and while my experiences haven’t always been positive, I’m still here. So you take lemons and turn it into lemonade.”
Mander grew up in the Donnelly Homes area of the city in the early 80s playing football for Trenton Central High School (TCHS). According to Mander, as a teen, residents of Donnelly Homes and Miller Homes had a hostile relationship towards one another. However, because he was an academically inclined athlete from TCHS, he was able to stay out of trouble.
Maurice “Raheem” Mander, courtesy of Trenton Daily
“If you’re from our projects, and you walked pass Miller Homes, and you were identified as being from Donnelly Homes, the fight was on, but when they saw me wearing a football jersey, I got a pass, and that’s kind of how it was back in the day,” said Mander.
Throughout his high school years, Mander thrived academically and athletically, so much so that he received an academic scholarship to attend Lawrenceville Preparatory School in the ninth grade. However, Mander begged his mother to attend TCHS.
“I wanted to go to Trenton High because I wanted to play sports at Trenton High, so we broke a deal,” said Mander. “The deal was real simple. If you got there and your grades maintained, you could stay in Trenton High. If they dropped off, you had to go.”
Wanting to to stay in the city, Mander spent his four years at TCHS exceeding expectations. With unconditional support from his teachers, he was able to take part in opportunities uncommon for a young Black man at the time.
In his junior year, Mander was sent to Northfield Mount Hermon boarding school for the summer to take a chemistry course on a scholarship offered by his teacher. “It was kind of unheard of,” said Mander. “I was one of two Black people in a class on a campus that was 99.9 percent White.”
Mander graduated number 10 in his class rank out of 535 students. According to Mander, he would have been in the top five if it hadn’t been for his bad mouth as a student. Either way, the achievements he made throughout his high school experience paved way for many options when it came time to graduate. Although he succeeded academically, all Mander dreamed to do after high school was to play football. However, with such innate intelligence, his teachers, guidance councilors and mother gave him an ultimatum.
“[They] would not let me sign anything pertaining to football until I visited Morehouse College,” said Mander. “Literally, every phone call, any letters, I could not talk to anyone.”
He continued, “They got the money together, they sent me down to Morehouse College to visit Morehouse in Atlanta, Georgia, and once I got to Morehouse, I decide I wasn’t going to play football anymore.”
That encouragement and financial support given by the community at TCHS is a memory Mander holds strongly to this day. Even after graduating with a degree in history from Morehouse College in 1991 and continuing grad school at Morgan State University, he values his hometown of Trenton and its important role in shaping who he is as an individual.
“Essentially, my school was paid for. Anything academic was paid for by the community and later on by scholarships, and it’s so important to understand that even in this environment, as tumultuous as it was growing up, the academic support was so strong with the teachers,” said Mander. “They were highly invested in making sure that those students who they identified that want to do better, had the opportunity to do better. So, I can honestly tell you, anything that was academically enhancing to me as a student, my teachers got to me, and specifically it was Mrs. Quinn and Mrs. Morrison.”
After excelling in one of the toughest technical writing courses he had ever taken at Morgan State University, Mander realized he had the talent to produce detailed stories. With strong roots in the Trenton community, it was natural for him to channel his childhood upbringing and experiences into his creative works.
Courtesy of Matthew Seel
“I think, for me, growing up in poverty increased my ability to be creative,” he said. “Even thinking about making mayonnaise sandwiches and being creative with toasting the bread and adding the butter and sugar…you got to adapt.”
He continued, “As your mind starts to become more efficient at adapting, the easier it becomes for you to start building out a platform where you can tell a story.”
Once Mander became comfortable in his own storytelling abilities, he took a hiatus from 2000 to 2011 to produce the first encyclopedia version of his detailed comic called the ‘Surian Seed Universal Guide.’ Mander invested those 11 years into creating well-rounded, in-depth characters inspired by real individuals from the Trenton community. Unlike any comic book before his, he wanted to highlight the Black experience of Trenton and the multifaceted elements that make up its community.
Each character and personality within ‘Surian Seed:HBCU Superheroes’ reflects a concept relatable to Black culture in the city, starting off with the main character Isaiah Kemet, or in his alter-ego form, Infinite (pronounced infi-night). Isaiah is a 24 year-old honors history teacher at TCHS who has the relatability and fashion of youth culture, but the maturity and intellect of wise man. Through Isaiah, the class in his narrative learn about real historical accounts from this “cool teacher” icon.
“Teachers shape the world for children and I chose Isaiah as a being a teacher because through him, could come so much of what people need to learn,” said Mander. “He represents the academic energy that comes from HBCUs in the Black community.”
Another popular character to come out of ‘Surian Seed: HBCU Superheroes’ is Isaiah’s sister, Monique Kemet (Jaden in her alter-ego form). A social worker by day and leader of the superhero group called the ‘Order of Lights’ by night, Monique represents the spiritual guidance figure within the Black community.
“She’s that passion that flows through the Black community; that understanding that we can save every child, if given the right circumstances,” said Mander. “But she’s also conflicted about how you go about that process because she knows that there’s heroes around her that don’t mind killing to get the point across.”
According to Mander, the way ‘Surian Seed: HBCU Superheroes’ approaches death in the comic is another aspect that sets his story apart from common mainstream comic series’.
Courtesy of Matthew Seel
“When somebody dies in a DC or Marvel comic book, it’s a big deal. In my book, this is the norm, because people die and you can’t have superheroes or villains that live forever. It doesn’t work that way,” said Mander. “So it opens up with [Monique] being in conflict with, ‘how do we go about doing this without becoming what we detest?’ So, that’s kind of what Monique embodies.”
‘Surian Seed: HBCU Superheroes’ has a a variety of characters with comprehensive backstories and representative personalities, from Range, the worlds greatest assassin, that, according to Mander, is the, “embodiment of Black anger” and Architec, the 16 year old intelligent high schooler with an immature side. ‘Surian Seed: HBCU Superheroes’ has characters that embody the versatility of the Black experience Mander grew up immersed in.
Since ‘Surian Seed: HBCU Superheroes’ release back in 2011, Mander has been pushing his creativity far beyond the binding of a comic book. As of right now, ‘Surian Seed: HBCU Superheroes’ the comic is on hold to make way for ‘Surian Seed: HBCU Superheroes’ the animated movie.
“It’s going to be ‘The Incredibles’ big,” said Mander. “This is not a minor production. This is over the top with everything involved with the bells and whistles. It’s top-of-the-line.”
According to Mander, his team has a Grammy award-winning producer in line to score the soundtrack of the film. In addition, the animation studio (that is remaining anonymous at this time) has animations set that are, according to Mander, “on par with DreamWorks, Pixar and anybody else.”
Back in the summer of this year, Mander was offered a multimillion dollar contract for the ‘Surian Seed: HBCU Superheroes’ script. Being that it was his first offer, Mander turned it down. After taking his time to understand the intense production process he was getting into, Mander realized he wanted to command the creative control over ‘Surian Seed: HBCU Superheroes’ and has been working to produce this film under his own terms with his team of experts.
Although Mander and his ‘Surian Seed: HBCU Superheroes’ is expecting to reach great heights and anticipated to reach nation-wide attention, he is admit on keeping the connection he has with his hometown of Trenton, N.J.
That being said, Mander is in the process of planning a red carpet premier for ‘Surian Seed: HBCU Superheroes’ right here in the city of Trenton along with a book signing and a party. The one day line-up will be called ‘Surian Seed Day.’
With 2021 just around the corner, Mander is anticipating ‘Surian Seed: HBCU Superheroes’ to only grow from here, and he plans on taking his Trenton community with him all the way to the top.
“I put my city on my back wherever I go,” said Mander. “In all this national attention that I’m garnering… those people, they’re writing about ‘Surian Seed’ and ‘HBCU superheroes,’ but you’re writing about “Raheem” Mandar, Trenton, New Jersey, and the process that got me here and it’s important that people understand that part of the story.”
He continued, “People see that you’re from Trenton and it’s hard for them to believe sometimes that you’re actually doing this, but it’s okay. We’ll let them see.”
Hampton University‘s Division 1 men’s basketball team is off to a great start. For the first time ever, the team has taken a lead in the Big South Conference with a lead of 3 wins and no loses. The conference’s unique schedule has featured back-to-back games in order to limit reoccurring travel due to the pandemic. Read more details about the winning streak from WTKR below.
Hampton player Mark Sutton, courtesy of Hampton University Athletics
Behind career-highs from Davion Warren with 31 points and Chris Shelton adding 22, Hampton opened Big South Conference play 3-0 for the first time on Wednesday with an 80-69 win over Gardner-Webb.
Deuce Dean also joined the career-high group dishing out 14 assists as Hampton evened its record at 4-4 and 3-0 in the Big South Conference. The Pirates are 3-0 for the first time in league since the 2015-16 team started 6-0 in MEAC play.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs started the game with the first seven points to lead 7-0 on a Lance Terry 3-pointer with 17:06 left in the half. A 3-ball from Shelton got Hampton on the board 63 seconds later and started a 14-0 run by the Pirates. Warren scored the last five points of that run to lead 14-7 following a 3-pointer at the 11:28 mark.
After a 3-pointer by Jaheam Cornwall brought the guests to 37-35 with 18:19 left in the game, Hampton doused any hopes with a 15-3 run to take a 52-38 advantage on another 3-pointer by Shelton with 13:22 remaining. Saheem Anthony drained a 3-ball to give Hampton its largest lead of the night at 65-49 with 6:55 left.
Hampton University Coach Buck Joyner, courtesy of WTKR
Hampton matched its season high of 10 3-pointers and hit a season-best 45.5% from behind the arc. Shelton going 6-for-7 matched the school record for highest 3-point percentage in a game (85.7%) last done by Lysander Bracey on Feb. 3, 2018 against N.C. A&T.
Anthony joined Shelton and Warren in double figures with 10 points, while Daniel Banister just missed with a career-high eight points.
The same two teams will tangle on Thursday at noon inside the Hampton University Convocation Center.
Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina is at the forefront of an impactful partnership with several other HBCUs. Recently, the school received a sizable grant to help give HBCU students more access to the data science field. Find out how those funds will be put to good use with the details from The Charlotte Post below.
Charlotte’s historically Black college will collaborate with five other HBCUs on an HBCU Data Science Consortium. They received a seed grant of $100,000 from the National Science Foundation funded South Big Data Innovation Hub for development and implementation of the consortium. JCSU assistant professor of computer science Felesia Stukes will work with faculty from Alabama A&M University, Bowie State University, Florida A&M University, Morehouse College and Norfolk State University.
Professor Felesia Stukes, courtesy of US Black Engineer
An inaugural workshop titled “HBCU Data Science Consortium—Building Data Science Pillars” is scheduled to take place virtually Feb. 19-20.
“African American and Hispanic or Latino professionals are underrepresented in the field of data science,” Stukes said. “Johnson C. Smith University and several other HBCUs have been working to address this need by providing students across the nation with high-demand data skills. The HBCU Data Science Consortium is an exciting way to build a diverse community of practice that could help accelerate and expand our reach.”
The HBCU-DSC will serve as a space to inspire and expand on a culture of academic development and research collaborative opportunities by establishing a consortium of analytics researchers, scholars and industry partners. It is designed to allow for increased collaboration between HBCUs in terms of sharing data analysis tools, data and innovative ideas.
John C. Smith University, courtesy of the university.
JCSU also announced earlier this month a partnership with Apple to become a community center for coding and creativity as part of Computer Science Education Week. It is part of the Apple community education and Tennessee State University HBCU C2 initiatives.
North Carolina HBCUs Shaw University and Saint Augustine’s University also joined the initiative.
The end of 2020 has been an especially tough time for journalist and activist Marc Lamont Hill. The Morehouse College alumnus just recently shared that not only has his father recently passed away, but his sister as well.
Marc Lamont Hill
Hill opened up about the terrible news Wednesday morning with a somber tweet.
“My sister died this morning. We just buried our father yesterday. This is the cruelest year that I’ve ever experienced,” he shared.
My sister died this morning. We just buried our father yesterday. This is the cruelest year that I’ve ever experienced.
The sad news comes at the end of a year that hasn’t been very positive for most people. As an activist Hill was had much to handle during the tumultuous 2020 U.S. presidential election 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has halted plans and become a dangerous challenge as well.
Hill announced his father had passed on December 11, just a few days before his birthday on December 17.
My father passed away early this morning. 92 years old. I’m grateful that I got to see his face yesterday and make him laugh one last time. Although I’ve lost a great deal of my joy, I’m trying to find comfort in the fact that he has lost all of his pain. Rest Well, Dad.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Hill’s father, Leon Melvin Hill Jr. was a pioneering educator in Philadelphia. As reflected in his son, Hill was known to be patient, but disciplined.
“While he enjoyed the classroom, he saw children whose needs weren’t being met, and knew it was important to pursue higher education to help meet their needs,” said Marc Lamont Hill of his father.
Leon Melvin Hill Jr., courtesy of The Philadelphia Inquirer
The senior hill had a lengthy career with the School District of Philadelphia, which lasted from 1954 to 1990. He started as a fifth-grade teacher and eventually came a school counselor. Like his son, he was also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated.
“He was a proud Kappa and one of the city’s most widely regarded and known Black educators,” said the younger Hill.
According to Shondaland, before his father’s passing, Hill shared how said he was that his father was alone and could not receive any visitors due to the virus. He shared this in an opening essay as part of his new book “We Still Here: Pandemic, Policing, Protest, & Possibility,” which Hill wrote will he actually was battling COVID. Considering Hill’s father struggled with dementia, the book reflects the challenging state of black health disparities and how the pandemic has affected people in that demographic.
“In the United States, being poor and Black makes you more likely to get sick. Being poor, Black, and sick makes you more likely to die. Your proximity to death makes you disposable,” he shares in the book.
It is unclear what led to the passing of Hill’s sister just this morning, but we will keep his family in our prayers.
North Carolina Central University is doing its part to secure COVID-19 information and treatment for its community. The school recently partnered with a state health agency to have even more reach. See below for the full story from NCCU.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is partnering with the North Carolina Central University’s Advanced Center for COVID-19 Related Disparities (NCCU ACCORD) to ensure comprehensive COVID-19 information is effective in reaching underserved communities in North Carolina. The partnership aims to help everyone make informed decisions about the COVID-19 vaccines.
“As the pandemic continues to disproportionately affect historically marginalized communities, it is essential that we reach those most impacted,” said NCDHHS Deputy Secretary and co-lead of the Historically Marginalized Population Working Group, E. Benjamin Money, Jr., MPH. “By partnering with ACCORD, we are able to better ensure that we engage American Indian, African American and Latinx populations, as well as those without internet access, to build confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines.”
NCDHHS and ACCORD have partnered on a joint survey to complement the state’s existing consumer research data and support ongoing communications efforts. The data will help inform materials and outreach efforts to provide accurate and reliable information that aligns with the needs and concerns of different communities.
“As a two-way exchange of information, this resource-sharing platform will greatly benefit all North Carolinians and help us better serve the state and its communities of color,” said Deepak Kumar, Ph.D., director of the Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute (BBRI) and founder of the ACCORD program. “The partnership will support our efforts to serve as a resource for underserved communities through our network of community leaders and health partners.”
Today, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced a partnership with #NCCU's ACCORD program to provide comprehensive COVID-19 outreach in underserved communities across the state.
Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D., chancellor of NCCU, stated, “NCCU’s cornerstones of ‘Truth and Service’ are demonstrated by our work in communities across the state and our leadership in health disparities research. This partnership with the NC Department of Health and Human Services will reach individuals in areas where the impact of COVID has hit hardest and hopefully contribute to bending the pandemic’s curve in North Carolina.”
The NCCU’s ACCORD program is a multidisciplinary project that aims to facilitate COVID-19 testing in underserved communities and conduct research on attitudes about vaccine hesitancy and the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is supported by the NC Policy Collaboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with funding from the North Carolina Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the North Carolina General Assembly.
President-elect Kamala Harris received her COVID-19 vaccine this week in Washington D.C. this Tuesday. The move was a step to help Americans feel more comfortable with being vaccinated.
According to CNN, Harris was quick to give positive feedback after the shot was over. She received a dose of the new Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Kamala Harris, courtesy of Gulf News
“That was easy,” Harris said after receiving the shot. “Thank you. I barely felt it.”
“I want to encourage everyone to get the vaccine. It is relatively painless. It happens really quickly. It is safe,” Harris said.
Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff received the vaccine with his wife. According to WUSA 9, the particular hospital they went to has its own significance. The two received their vaccinations at the United Medical Center in Southeast Washington, D.C. As a pillar in its community, United Medical Center is city’s only public hospital and serves D.C.’s majority Black neighborhoods on the east side of the river.
“I want to remind people that right in your community is where you can take the vaccine, where you will receive the vaccine, by folks you may know, folks who are otherwise working in the same hospital where your children were born. Folks who are working in the same hospital where an elderly relative received the kind of care that they needed,” Harris said.
Today I got the COVID-19 vaccine. I am incredibly grateful to our frontline health care workers, scientists, and researchers who made this moment possible.
United Medical Center clinical nurse manager Patricia Cummings administered the vaccine to Harris. Vice President-elect Harris’ vaccination was an important step in the struggle to get Americans to trust the vaccine. President-elect Biden received his vaccine last week, and other lawmakers have gotten vaccinated as well.
“I want to remind people that they have trusted sources of help and that’s where they will be available to go to get the vaccine. So I encourage them to do that,” Harris said.
“It’s literally about saving lives. I trust the scientists. And it is the scientists who created and approved this vaccine. So I urge everyone, when it is your turn, get vaccinated,” Harris said to encourage others.
As one of the few HBCU medical schools in the country, Meharry Medical College has been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic. The school has been especially involved in frontline treatment and vaccine research. Yet, when it came time for the state government to distribute the vaccine to the first groups in most need, somehow Meharry did not make the list.
The fallout from Meharry being left out of vaccine distribution has been swift. According to a recent article from The Tennessee Tribune, the omission from Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s list has been especially surprising because Meharry has partnered with the city of Nashville to administer COVID-19 testing at several local sites. The school has been nationally recognized as one of the nation’s HBCUs most involved in leading COVID-19 research and early testing.
Instead of support from the state government, Meharry actually had to outsource to get its hands on the new vaccine. According to Meharry’s President Dr. James Hildreth, the private Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) actually gave the school its vaccines.
Dr. James Hildreth, courtesy of The Tennessee Tribune
“Thanks to my colleagues at HCA for helping me get Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for Meharry front line healthcare providers,” Hildreth said. “Somehow Meharry did not make the list. I am so proud of Meharrians who have done their part in the fight against COVID-19.”
Legislators like Rep. G.A Hardway, chairman of the Tennessee Black Caucus of Legislators was stern in her rebuke of Meharry being left out of the state government’s plans.
“It is inexcusable that Meharry’s frontline workers, who are interacting with COVID-19 positive people every day, were not considered a top priority in Gov. Bill Lee’s vaccine distribution plan,” Rep. Hardaway said. “It is bad enough that a medical college on the front lines fighting the pandemic was overlooked in the vaccine distribution process. Add in the fact that this institution is an HBCU and it’s no wonder why Black Tennesseans all too often feel ignored and left behind by our state government. Equity and fairness never happen by accident. Whether you’re black, white or brown, we have to be intentional and committed to justice every step of the way.”
Sen. Brenda Gilmore was another leader to take a stand on the issue.
“I am both sad and disappointed that Meharry and General Hospital were not included in the first batch of vaccine. Again, whether known or not, it is politics and systemic racism,” Sen. Brenda Gilmore said. “Dr. James Hildreth is nationally known and played a prominent role in the approval of the vaccine. How could Meharry have been overlooked? He is one of the smartest immunologists out there and he knows the science. This is also sad because Nashville General Hospital at Meharry serves some of our most marginalized people, who are likely the sickest patients. This puts their hospital and testing staff at far greater risk. They should have been some of the first to receive the vaccine.”
Some background as to why Meharry was overlooked came from state health director Dr. Lisa Piercy, according to a story from Nashville station Fox 17. She said Meharry’s initial vaccine request wasn’t high enough to be considered.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, courtesy of The Tennessee Tribune
“The reason they didn’t get Pfizer to begin with is because their staff is not large enough to have used an entire case so they didn’t meet the order requirements,” said Dr. Piercy.
After President Dr. Hildreth called Gov. Lee and state health leaders to share his concerns on not receiving the vaccine, suddenly there were some changes. Dr. Piercy announced they would be sending Meharry some doses from the inventory they set aside in their reserves. There was no acknowledgement of Meharry’s work being a foundation for receiving vaccines regardless of the amount needed.
The situation highlights a history of disregard for health of those in the Black community. Dr. Shindana Faegins, head of the Metro Hospital Authority, framed the impact of the oversight well.
“It has amplified the fact that there are disparities in our healthcare system and its magnified the distrust that exist today with that system,” said Dr. Faegins.
Known for his tough love, New Jersey principal Joe Clark has passed away at the age of 82. He often went further than many would to set his students straight, and the impact of his legacy will be just as far-reaching. Read the touching release from Joe Clark’s family on his life below.
Joe Louis Clark, the baseball bat and bullhorn-wielding Principal whose unwavering commitment to his students and uncompromising disciplinary methods at Paterson, New Jersey’s Eastside High School inspired the 1989 film Lean on Me, has passed away. A longtime resident of South Orange, NJ, Clark (82) retired to Gainesville, Florida. He was at home and surrounded by his family when he succumbed to his long battle with illness on December 29, 2020.
Born in Rochelle, Georgia, on May 8, 1938, Clark’s family moved north to Newark, New Jersey, when he was six years old. It was in the Garden State that Clark built his legacy through both his accomplished career in education and his children: Olympian and businesswoman Joetta Clark Diggs, Olympic Athlete and Director of Sports Business Development for the Bermuda Tourism Authority Hazel Clark, and accomplished athlete and Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at Stanford University Joe Clark, Jr.
Joe Clark, courtesy of CNN
A Legacy of Laying Down the Law
After graduating from Newark Central High School, Clark continued on to achieve his bachelor’s degree from William Paterson College (now William Paterson University), a master’s degree from Seton Hall University, and an honorary doctorate from the U.S. Sports Academy.
Clark’s post-collegiate career as a U.S. Army Reserve Sergeant and Drill Instructor engrained in him a respect for order and achievement, which came to define his more than three-decade career in education.
First serving as a Paterson grade school teacher and the Director of Camps and Playgrounds in Essex County, NJ, Clark soon found his calling in administration as Principal of PS 6 Grammar School. Under Clark’s command, the once failing school was transformed into the “Miracle of Carroll Street.”
Committed to the pursuit of excellence, Clark greeted the challenges presented to him following his appointment as the Principal of crime and drug-ridden Eastside High School with eager optimism. In one day, he expelled 300 students for fighting, vandalism, abusing teachers, and drug possession and lifted the expectations of those that remained, continually challenging them to perform better. Roaming the hallways with a bullhorn and a baseball bat, Clark’s unorthodox methods won him both admirers and critics nationwide. Steadfast in his approach, Clark explained that the bat was not a weapon but a symbol of choice: a student could either strike out or hit a home run.
Actor Morgan Freeman (left) and Joe Clark (right), courtesy of Pinterest
Impressed by the expeditious changes imparted on the troubled school, President Reagan offered Clark a White House policy advisor position. Clark’s dedication to his students and community led him to decline the prestigious honor, and his larger-than-life career continued to spark conversations across the country. Clark appeared on programs including 60 Minutes and The Arsenio Hall Show and was featured on the cover of Time Magazine before the motion picture Lean on Me starring Morgan Freeman memorialized his work.
After he retired from Eastside in 1989, Clark worked for six years as the Director of Essex County Detention House, a juvenile detention center in Newark. He also wrote Laying Down the Law: Joe Clark’s Strategy for Saving Our Schools, detailing his methods for turning around Eastside High School and how they can be applied to combat crime, permissiveness, and academic decline in schools nationwide. Nearly thirty years after his retirement, Clark’s captivating career offered inspiration to executive directors John Legend and LeBron James for a television series, reflecting his philosophies’ generational transcendence.
Predeceased by his wife, Gloria, Clark’s legacy as an influential educator and father of New Jersey’s most storied track and field family lives on through his children, Joetta, Hazel, and JJ, and grandchildren, Talitha, Jorell, and Hazel.
The economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have left many unemployed and unable to feed their families. Yet through her life-saving ministry, one Tennessee State University employee is making sure her community doesn’t go hungry. See below for the heartwarming story from The Tennessee Tribune.
As thousands of families struggle to put food on the table during the holidays amid the pandemic, a Tennessee State University employee and her private ministry are helping to make sure no one in the community goes hungry.
Antoinette Hargrove Duke is founder of “But God Nette Working For You,” a ministry of volunteers and community partners started in 2014 to provide food for those in need across Davidson and Rutherford counties in Tennessee. So far this year, the ministry has distributed more than 140,000 pounds of food, or about 55,000 meals to needy families.
Antoinette Hargrove Duke, courtesy of The Tennessee Tribune
“We are able to serve so many families by networking with other agencies,” says Duke, who is interim director of TSU’s Career Development Center. “We partner with organizations within our community to serve families in need of food, clothing and other resources.”
Duke and But God – for short – volunteers do not get paid for their work. They get support from local churches and individuals who donate equipment and make financial contributions to the organization. Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is the group’s biggest partner and provider. Along with Second Harvest, the group distributes food the fourth Friday of every month at locations across Davidson and Rutherford counties.
A recent report in The Washington Post shows that more Americans are going hungry now than at any point during the deadly coronavirus pandemic — a problem created by an economic downturn that has tightened its grip on millions of Americans. In Middle Tennessee, the problem is even steeper, especially among children. Reports show that the number of children at risk of hunger has jumped from one in seven to more than one in five as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Second Harvest.
“And this is why we keep doing what we are doing, to give people hope,” says Duke.
On Friday, with food delivered by Second Harvest, Duke and her group, including nearly 100 volunteers from local organizations, served more than 300 families in a drive-thru, contact-free food distribution at Meharry Boulevard Church of God. According to Duke, the church and its pastor, the Rev. Vernon Ray McGuire, Jr., have adopted But God as a community partner that provides volunteers and financial donation to the group.
Volunteers, courtesy of The But God Ministry
Donna Hobbs, of Nashville, was one of those in line Friday to receive help at the food distribution. After working in the hospitality industry for many years, Hobbs was furloughed from her job in March. Although she landed a new job recently, Hobbs says she is glad she heard about Duke and But God ministry and their food distribution, “because it is still difficult to make ends meet.”
“I have never done anything like this before. I have never had to reach out,” says Hobbs. “I am the one that’s always volunteering and giving. I am really humbled to be able to see this going on and to be able to get help.”
Pastor McGuire, who was formerly part of a food giveaway program in Franklin, Tennessee, where he pastored another church before relocating to Meharry Boulevard Church of God, says he was drawn to Duke and But God ministry because of the group’s mission to meet the needs of others.
“Sister Antoinette (Duke) has been a blessing to the community,” says McGuire. “There is a lot of people in need during this pandemic. We became a partner because we love and agree with what they do and their concern for others.”
Duke says she’s thankful to the many “wonderful” people and organizations that are willing to work day or night to help “touch the many lives we try to reach.”
What is the true cost of diversity, or the lack thereof? For students of color, their experiences in school can be affected by the obstacles of racism, colorism, and classism among other factors. Recently, staff at Spectrum 1 created a safe space for a deeper conversation about education, and heard from real students about their unique experiences. Learn more about the Spectrum conversation below.
Systemic racism has been a topic of conversation throughout 2020, as has the changes in education made due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Spectrum News 1 is hosting a half-hour special looking into the systemic issues Black students face on college campuses and the strategies universities are employing to bring fairness to higher education.
Courtesy of Spectrum 1
Glass Walls: Black Experiences in Higher Education will air Monday, Dec. 28 at 8 p.m. on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News App.
Spectrum News 1 education reporter Tonisha Johnson will host a conversation with students at Ohio State University, as well as Ohio State professors and researchers and the president of Wilberforce University, a historical black college or university.
Wilberforce University, courtesy of WOSU Radio
Students involved in the conversation include:
Navo Emmanual – an honor student-athlete who grew up in a mostly white community and attended a school for gifted students
Brenda Pearl – a native of Cleveland who grew up in a racially diverse neighborhood and attended schools that reflected the diversity of her community
Mohamed Camara – a native of Guinea, West Africa who moved to the U.S. at a young age and grew up in a predominantly Black neighborhood
The mini-documentary will focus on the largest university in Ohio and will discuss what HBCUs can teach their non-HBCU counterparts regarding inclusion.
