Bowie State University, an HBCU in Maryland, opened its new food pantry where students can shop for food for free. The food pantry and nutrition lounge was made possible through a new partnership with Capital Area Food Bank and Food Lion. The Food Lion Feeds program donated $10,000 to Maryland’s first HBCU to launch the pantry, according to WJLA. Students will be able to grab food items for free and Capital Area Food Bank will ensure that the pantry stays stocked. The university stated that many of its students only eat one meal per day, so having a food pantry with fresh produce will allow them to get a healthy alternative whenever they want one. The food pantry also includes a lounge with sofas and a television.
“When we talked about this concept with Food Lion we really wanted to attack the stigma and breakdown the stigma of people feeling like they didn’t want to come and get food because of the thought that there is something wrong with suffering from food insecurity,” Brent Swinton, Bowie State vice president for Institutional Advancement said in a statement sent to WJLA. “That’s a growing trend across the country and colleges are attacking that and Bowie State University is at the cutting edge. So we want people to feel welcome, to come in and realize that this is all about making sure nutrition is available so our students can achieve in the classroom.”
The stigma that college students mostly eat frozen pizza and ramen noodles stems from the fact that paying for food could be very costly. The average cost for an 8-month meal plan for an undergrad is roughly $4,500, although this number can vary greatly depending upon the school, according to edmit.me. An individual college-aged student will spend approximately $163–$367 monthly, according to a report. BSU started a great initiative and Swinton said this is just the beginning. He hopes to eventually stock the lounge with free toiletries for students, as well as food
Many college athletes want to make it to the NFL, but a few younger athletes in Texas, remind them that they have already achieved something great — playing at the collegiate level for a historically black college or university… which is indeed, an honor.
Jerry Rice… Michael Strahan… Douglass McNeil III… and most recently, a 2019 South Carolina State University graduate, Alex Brown, are all shining examples of how you can have an amazing black college experience then matriculate to the National Football League to have a successful career.
Tennessee State University, FAMU, North Carolina A&T State University, PVAMU, Alcorn State University, and Mississippi Valley State University, you have some new fans!
A team of young Texas football players in the Battle National Youth Sports League have decided to trade in their typical team jerseys, and rock the jerseys of some black college sports teams. How cute are they!
Texas youth football teams wearing HBCU Uniforms for the season. Now that's lit🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥….. pic.twitter.com/60gRakd0qU
This type of exposure for HBCU sports teams is paramount, as the conversation about more athletes attending black colleges grows. You CAN attend an HBCU and be well-prepared to play for the NFL.
“Maybe by our efforts, we can bring the school back together because in order to go forward in life, we believe that you have to know about your past first. We wouldn’t mind if Coppin State set a trend for HBCUs with this project because this is dope!” that is what TCR said, regarding current Coppin State University students recreating a photo from back in the day to honor former students.
TSR Black History: The pride at HBCUs runs decades deep. During this Black History Month, a group of current students from Coppin State University in Baltimore decided to pay tribute to their alumni by recreating vintage pictures from the 70s.
The decades-old photos were recently found on campus, according to The Coppin Room. The group named the series, Coppin Flash Forward.
It was important for students to honor the school’s rich history because they noticed a gap between the school’s alumni and current students. Then a student named Starr had the idea to recreate the historic photos to display the past and present life of their university.
Throughout history there have been some remarkable black people who have left their mark on the world, be it Civil Rights Movement leader Martin Luther King, boxing legend Muhammad Ali or Maya Angelou and her various achievements. They have, without a doubt, left a legacy behind.
In today’s world, many of us look to various influencers from the African American community for inspiration and the like. These influencers certainly can’t be compared to legendary figures in the form of Ali and Angelou, but they do influence the community in a positive light. Their views and opinions tend to hold some weight too, especially if they have such a large following behind them.
The types of influencers can range from models – who tend to promote various products or give fashion tips, to athletes – who spread the word about healthy living and share various views around that, to gamers – who stream live gaming sessions, push various games from the likes of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare to casino creations such as a 3D roulette game online, or give advice on certain levels gamers can’t crack. There’s plenty more to it than that, though, as the influencer world continues to grow and the variety of messages out there expands with it.
With African American influencers rising to prominence, we thought we’d go through some of the most influential figures around today who continue to fly the black flag high.
Issa Rae
An African American influencer behind the popular comedy show on HBO “Insecure”, Issa Rae has a band of loyal followers who keep up to date with her career developments and her comical creations. Her web-based comedy series, “Awkward Black Girl”, is another huge hit as she continues to make people laugh.
LeBron James
Basketball player LeBron James is a household name, so his inclusion probably comes as no surprise, but he does a lot more than just playing ball. James was good friends with the iconic Kobe Bryant, and he uses his social media profile to create awareness around certain issues and raise money for several charities he supports. He also shares inspirational quotes, much like his buddy Kobe did too. LeBron James is one of the top African American influencers; that’s for sure.
King Bach
An actor and director, King Bach rose to fame after drumming up huge interest on Vine. Since then, he’s gone on to acquire just over 19 million followers on Instagram and entertain people for hours on end.
Coco Cozy
Coco Cozy is one of Forbes’ top 10 home design influencers for 2017, with the decor and lifestyle blogger sharing excellent tips to improve your home. Incredibly active on both Instagram and Twitter, Coco Cozy is well worth a follow if you need some interior design inspiration.
Angela Davis/The Kitchenista
Everyone likes food, right? Well, Angela Davis is clearly fully aware of this and has left people salivating at her various recipes over the years. A self-taught cook, Davis turned what essentially was a hobby into a thriving business. With just over 117,000 followers on Twitter, she’s done pretty damn well for herself.
Kitty Cash
A hugely popular DJ in and around New York, Kitty Cash keeps her followers up to date on her various shows in some of America’s top clubs, while also sharing setlists and tracks so her fans can stay in the know.
Jessamyn Stanley
People can find Yoga daunting, but Jessamyn Stanley aims to put the stereotypical image of someone who does yoga to rest by making it fun and inclusive for all. She’s also an advocate of body positivity.
Social media maven Karen Civil will host Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer College Town Hall at historically black Claflin University in South Carolina.
Hip-hop social-media maven Karen Civil is headed to the ‘First in the South’ state to vote to speak with college students on behalf of presidential candidate Tom Steyer. Civil will host the Tom Steyer #HBCU2030 College Town Hall on the campus of Claflin University. Highlighting Steyer’s commitment to creating pathways of opportunity for African American students, Civil will lead an empowering discussion on the tools needed for unlocking your potential and living on purpose. The conversation will also address increasing access to higher education for black students, college affordability, the student loan debt crisis, and HBCU innovation.
Civil’s voice has been influential at impacting views and perceptions in the political arena. She served as a guest speaker for President Obama’s ‘Champions of Change’ event honoring young women and worked with Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential run.
“It is important to build a space where students can gather to talk about the pressing issues of today and tomorrow and see the role that they have to play in those issues,” Civil said in regards to hosting the college town hall event. “Education should be a right for all Americans. Also, as we celebrate Black History Month, I believe it is equally important to honor the legacy and contributions of our ancestors who fought for this civil liberty.”
“As the old saying goes, ‘It takes a village.’ I am thrilled to have Karen lead this empowering discussion and join the village we are creating of students, entrepreneurs, teachers, and legislators who are advocating for educational opportunity and equality,” said Steyer. “Karen’s life story is one that reflects the kind of America that I am committed to building. As we move Gen Z forward, It’s going to take a genuine spirit of humanity and hustle to transform the world and empower our youth to achieve what can sometimes feel impossible.”
In December, we received word about Footaction’s exclusive HBCU competition in partnership with black-owned design academies FAAS and PENSOLE. We traveled to Portland, Oregon, to get a behind-the-scenes look at the program as five HBCU students worked diligently to learn about and create functional apparel as a part of the NO 1 Way Design Program under the tutelage of fashion industry veterans Angela Medlin and D’Wayne Edwards.
There, we met five brilliant designers Brianna Thomas of Dillard University; Chakierrah Stinson of Tuskegee University; Le’Nora Gray, Nachae Davis, and Sharonda Richardson who are students and graduates of Clark Atlanta University.
The NO 1 Way Design Program challenge was to design functional apparel for the chance to win cash prizes, the opportunity to have their designs showcased at New York Fashion Week in February 2020, and the opportunity to have their designs sold at Footaction stores nationwide and online.
For Footaction, the NO 1 Way Design Program is a way to position students who might not typically have access to the fashion and design industries.
A MOMENT IN TIME
Some designers work their entire careers without being able to ever see their creations worn on the runway during New York Fashion Week. That truth is pervasive for black designers who often don’t have access to the prestigious design schools or mentors and sponsors within the fashion industry.
“They (the student designers) took a chance in joining the competition, stepping out of their comfort zone, sticking it out through the competition, and the class which is pretty intense. And they learned so much about themselves and how the industry really works,” says Medlin.
And if you ask her, she will tell you that FAAS and PENSOLE are two of the industry’s best-kept secrets.
“I tell them (the students) all the time that they skipped the line! There are people who wait a decade to get to Fashion Week and be on the runway, or to have their own show, or to get the exposure that they’ve gotten. But they put their heart into this. They’ve really worked hard to get to this. They didn’t take anything for granted. They realize this is one of the closest programs they will ever get to the industry, says Medlin.
With all of the excitement in the room, Medlin said that she felt like a proud parent!
“I feel like I just gave birth to five phenomenal designers who are going to take it to the next level. I couldn’t be happier!”
AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Each of the contestants won big given their experience within the program and the level of exposure they received.
During the presentation, Footaction announced Nachae Davis, as the first place winner of the NO 1 Way Design Program, as part of Style360’s Fall/Winter 2020 New York Fashion Week event. Davis was awarded $15,000 and a retail launch in select Footaction stores and online at Footaction.com beginning in Fall 2020.
Second place winner, Chakierrah Stinson and third place winner Brianna Thomas were awarded $10,000 and $5,000, respectively.
For Davis, winning first place was beyond rewarding.
“Honestly, it feels so surreal that my work is being appreciated. I’ve been designing for a while—and to finally have something that other people believe in is truly unbelievable!”
The Footaction team shared what made Davis’ designs the grand-prize winner, “With a focus on athleisure dressing, Nachae’s designs are on-trend, sustainable and inclusive [and] made for real women of all shapes and sizes. Her unique design solutions include body control functionality in the pants and versatility/personalization of styles in the jackets which help mold to each women’s unique body type.”
Davis is grateful for the NO 1 Way Design Program and FAAS.
“My time at the Functional Apparel and Accessories Studio was truly eye-opening. I came into this competition not really knowing what to expect. And thanks to Miss Angela, I came out of it with [a level of] education that I didn’t have prior. I learned so much throughout this competition and I’m taking more away from this than I could have ever hoped for,” said Davis.
And to other young black designers, she offers this advice, “Take a leap of faith and step out on faith. You may not know what the outcome may be, but, when you’re in a situation where you have everything to gain—be open and take a risk. I never applied to a competition before, and here I am. I can’t believe I won!”
But, she did.
In the next five years, Medlin plans to create access for underrepresented designers into the fashion industry and build FAAS.
This post was written by Lydia Blanco, a writer at Black Enterprise, where it was originally published. It is published here with permission.
In a town used to inauguration days, the dawn of a new beginning for professional football’s attempt at a spring league kicked off at Audi Field. Unlike the predecessors in the NFL, who 100 years ago wouldn’t consider Black players as their fledgling league started, the D.C. Defenders opened the second incarnation of the XFL by fielding a team where from the sidelines to the quarterback position the stereotypes that plague the senior circuit were put to rest in the nation’s capital, as former local HBCU players were in the center of the action.
The Defenders marched onto the field with a head coach and starting quarterback that are African American which was inconceivable just over a quarter century ago. Demographics of the moment had no significance on the game’s outcome, but it was an irony that couldn’t be underscored. It was magnified even more since their head coach was a former quarterback at the signature HBCU of the city at the close of the first week of Black History Month. The game’s biggest play was also made by a former CIAA star from Maryland’s oldest HBCU.
D.C. beat the Seattle Dragons 31-19 six days after Super Bowl 54 was won by the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who joined local legend Doug Williams as the only Black quarterbacks to lead their team’s NFL world championships. Defenders head coach Pep Hamilton was an understudy for Maryland State Delegate Jay Walker in 1993 when Howard University won its first Black College national championship. The team he built from scratch and the fruits of his labor came together on a crystal clear football day in Southeast, D.C.
The NFL recently announced that it will conduct its Combine Series from March 27-29, featuring the Regional Combine Invitational (RCI) and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCU, Combine, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Rapoport was the first to report the news:
The NFL announced that it will conduct its Combine Series from March 27-29, featuring the Regional Combine Invitational and Universities (HBCU) Combine. Details 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/j4EvlBIyv3
According to Rapoport, the RCI and the HBCU Combine will provide an evaluation opportunity and exposure for Draft-eligible athletes with no remaining eligibility who were not invited to the National Invitational Combine (NIC).
This event will also highlight some stars from black colleges who probably had not played on a national stage, which is great news for HBCU student-athletes everywhere!
Brittani and Jared dated in high school and in college where they both attended Howard University.
Since 2012, they studied, pledged Kappa Alpha Psi & Delta Sigma Theta and grew together and now their love story will continue forever. Congratulations to the future McCains.
As the WNBA continues to prove its superiority worldwide, it also continues to show that it is one of the most competitive to reach. According to a 2018 NCAA report, less than one percent of women make it to the WNBA. The level of competition, home and abroad, for 144 roster spots across 12 teams makes this an exciting time for the league and its fans. But players at smaller schools will consistently find it more difficult to make the giant leap up to the pros, especially those from historically black colleges and universities (HBCU).
The historic 2002 WNBA Draft that saw Swin Cash and Sue Bird drafted out of Connecticut was the last time we saw significant representation of HBCU players on the draft board: Howard’s Andrea Gardner, the 27th pick by the Utah Starzz; North Carolina Central’s Amba Kongolo, the 56th pick by the Phoenix Mercury; and Southern’s Jacklyn Winfield, the 59th pick by the Starzz.
Gardner is the highest-drafted HBCU product to play in the WNBA. Kongolo was the first player from the CIAA ever drafted into the league. And Winfield was the first player to be drafted into the WNBA out of the SWAC. But the excitement of draft night gave way to WNBA realities. Winfield was waived after averaging 1.5 points and 6.3 minutes in three preseason games. Kongolo doesn’t appear to have competed with the Mercury. And after being let go by the Starzz after her rookie season, Gardner tried out for other teams but ultimately landed overseas.
She later had brief stints with the Seattle Storm and San Antonio Silver Stars before finishing in 2008 at her old stomping ground, D.C., with the Washington Mystics.
Are there any players at HBCUs in 2020 who could defy the same odds Gardner did? Ciani Cryor out of the SWAC and Chelsea Mitchell from the MEAC could catch the eyes of league scouts this draft season.
In a recent visit to his alma mater, Morehouse College, a student journalist asked Lee how it felt to be back, and his response was classic:
“Back?” Lee asked the student. “I never left Morehouse.” said Lee.
Lee is an Atlanta native and a third-generation man of Morehouse. The Atlanta University Center which includes his alma mater, Clark Atlanta University and Spelman College, from which his mother and grandmother graduated, has been a heavy influence on Lee’s career.
He recalls his time at Morehouse, “My grandmother worked for 50 years and saved her Social Security checks for her grandchildren’s college educations…I was able to see my grandmother every day, and that meant I got a good meal every day. And on Sunday I was able to bring a group of guys.”
The film School Daze was inspired by Lee’s time at Morehouse from 1975-1979.
Morehouse College
School Daze was released February 12, 1988 and is an American musicalcomedy-drama film, written and directed by Lee. The film stars Larry Fishburne, Tisha Campbell-Martin and Giancarlo Esposito. The film is about members of fraternities and sororities clashing with their classmates on campus at a historically black college. Other topics explored in Lee’s second feature film include self-esteem, classism, colorism, elitism, hazing, social mobility, hair texture bias, and activism.
Outsourcing IT solutions have helped many companies upgrade their automation efforts. It is not only a financially sound decision, but there are also many benefits to trusting a third-party provider in implementing IT-related services. A growing company, for instance, should consider outsourcing a helpdesk provider, especially if the following needs are present:
Lacks technical aptitude
No internal customer support dedicated to IT concerns
Pain points in IT management
Impractical cost of setting up an in-house service desk
Lacks diversity
These needs, along with the desire to guarantee high-quality output, are excellent reasons to look for a provider that offers the best IT solution.
Different features of a help desk software Service desk solutions are the umbrella category that includes all kinds of help desk software. Although it is common to use these terms interchangeably, help desk software pertains to the system that primarily resolves customer concerns. At the very least, the primary task of a help desk software provides a point of contact for users. When you are outsourcing a help desk solution, you need to ensure that the following basic features are present.
Ticketing system. A core function of a help desk system is the ticketing software. It tracks, sort, manage, and search logged issues. The system often includes some type of tracker that assigns a unique code for each concern. The two objectives of a good ticketing system are – meeting service delivery timelines and making sure that all queries are addressed.
Multiple contact points. Users should have various ways to contact the help desk team such as through phone, email, and chat. Multiple contact points provide the flexibility needed to increase productivity and efficiency within the team.
Different levels for escalation. When escalating IT issues, there is usually a hierarchy followed. But, there are help desk software solutions that provide the capability to escalate directly to a manager when the need arises.
User-friendly dashboard. The dashboard gives each IT agent seamless visibility into the entire system. User dashboards are typically equipped with quick-access tools and a summary of pending requests tabulated according to urgency.
Built-in analytics. It is essential for a help desk software to have tools for analytics. These tickets provide excellent insight into how the company can improve external and internal processes. The feature should not only have convenient tools for visualization but be able to make a meaningful interpretation of large amounts of data.
Automation. Repetitive issues and other simple tasks may be automated to increase resolution speed. Instead of having these simple tasks included in the general roster of tickets, the user can get assistance from an autoresponder. Similarly, administrative functions such as routing tickets from one agent to another may be done automatically to enhance efficiency.
In choosing a help desk software to outsource, it is possible that these features are already included. But there are also instances when individual features are added on depending on the client’s needs. So, which help desk software feature should your company outsource? The answer here depends on your organization’s current requirements. If possible, look for a scalable solution that allows for seamless integration of new features so that your company can scale up as the organization expands.
Congratulations are in order for the Rattlers of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). The Office of the Provost is pleased to announce: the graduate students in the School of Nursing have ALL passed their certification exams. Read the full announcement:
Last week, the School of Nursing at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) was notified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) Certification Board that all of FAMU’s May 2019 Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) graduates passed the certification exam.
FAMU Nursing, Class of 2019
This unprecedented pass rate further establishes FAMU’s School of Nursing as a top-tier provider of nursing practitioners. According to the School of Nursing’s Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Uloma Onubogu, Ph.D., MSN, this illustrates “we have met and exceeded a crucial nursing program accreditation standard.”
Additionally, the 100 percent pass rate further demonstrates FAMU’s graduates are well prepared to deliver services in the primary care setting with expected competency, quality, safety and attitude.
Althoug there are multiple advantages for producing advanced nurse practitioners, Onubogu said FAMU is filling an immediate need by training and providing high-functioning practitioners during a time when the healthcare industry is experiencing a shortage of providers.
“Our graduates are able to fully credential with numerous agencies and enter the workforce at a very critical time,” she said. As detailed on its website, AANP Certification Board’s nurse practitioner certification provides a “valid and reliable program for nurse practitioners to recognize their education, knowledge and professional expertise.” It also provides a process for “validation of an advanced practice registered nurse’s qualifications and knowledge for practice as a nurse practitioner.
The FAMU School of Nursing was “established in 1904 as a hospital based program, it became the first baccalaureate program in Florida in 1936. The Florida Board of Nursing approved the program and its graduates were permitted to write the licensure examination in 1941” and “The forty-two credit hour full-time curriculum can be completed in two years or five semesters, while the part-time curriculum plan can be completed in seven semesters,” shares the university website.
Congratulations to this talented group of future nurses!
A study determined graduates of historically Black colleges and universities pay more for personal loans compared to their counterparts from largely white educational institutions.
Student Borrower Protection Center, a nonprofit watchdog group, published its findings on Wednesday. The organization posed as a 24-year-old man making $50,000 per year as a financial analyst in New York. The hypothetical applicant attempted to refinance a $30,000 loan from online lender Upstart. When he told the company he graduated from Howard University, he was quoted a rate of $3,500 more in interest than he would have been as an NYU alum. The hypothetical Howard graduate also saw quotes of $729 more in loan origination fees and his annual percentage rate (APR) was five percentage points higher than the NYU alum’s rate.
“The only difference was where he went to school,” Kat Welbeck, civil rights counsel to the Student Borrower Protection Center, told NPR.
“There’s no other explanation that we can really come to terms with other than the fact that where this borrower went to school mattered in terms of how Upstart measured their creditworthiness.”
Wells Fargo was also found to have discriminatory practices. The bank charged an ostensible community college student $1,134 more for a private student loan than a hypothetical student attending a four-year school. The community college student got a shorter loan term, but the interest rate is almost three percent higher. Research conducted by The College Board shows a plurality of Black undergraduates attended two-year institutions in 2014.
“Similar to banks’ history of redlining in the housing sector, the use of education criteria in credit underwriting could result in borrowers of color receiving more expensive loans simply because of lenders’ assumptions and prejudices regarding those who sit next to them in the classroom,” Welbeck said to The Washington Post. “What we found raises serious alarms and warrants immediate attention by lawmakers.”
Upstart chief executive and co-founder Dave Girouard said the data was “misguided.”
“We’ve tested for bias over millions of applicants, not two or three, which can be very anecdotal,” Girouard said of the Student Borrower Protection Center report. “A system like ours uses 1,500 data points to assess creditworthiness. Education represents a few of them. [The report] was contrived and not statistically valid.”
Wells Fargo also disputed the report’s findings.
“Wells Fargo has a long-standing commitment to providing access to financing for students attending community colleges,” said spokeswoman Vickee Adams. “We follow responsible lending practices that take into account expected performance outcomes and are confident that our loan programs conform with fair lending expectations and principles.”
“My summer at HU had already laid the foundation for more progressive thoughts,” wrote Kandice Guice in her piece called “How My HBCU Experience Taught Me To Be Unapologetically Black.” Guice said that she was impressed with some students who attended Howard University while interacting with them during a congressional internship in the nation’s capital. She was in her senior year of undergraduate at a PWI and ultimately decided to enroll at an HBCU for her masters following the encounter.
As I headed into my senior year of college, I took a congressional internship in D.C.
It was the beginning of a shift in perspective about what it meant to be young, intelligent, and black.
My roommates were three beauties from Howard University. Two were finishing up in Finance and Accounting, while one was on the road to law school. They took me in, introducing me to the mecca of HBCU culture.
I sat in on deep analytical discussions regarding politics and social issues – falling in love with their confidence to speak their thoughts firmly from a black perspective. These women were not intimidated by the stark perceptions that might formulate from their confidence. Nor did they bother to worry about fitting into the small box I was squirming within. They stood tall in their glory and even seemed to flourish in it.
I watched as afros, melanin, and magic erupted into a special type of synergy I’d never knew I longed for. I saw much of the same as I hung out with other HU students who used their perspective to create the type of opportunities for themselves that we all dream of.
Mass communication majors discussed their ideas of unique niches geared toward people of color. Up and coming fashion designers hosted impeccable shows thoughtfully choreographed and marketed for Black audiences. Models planned New York Fashion Week takeovers that would dip the city in brown hues. Students from different regions and socioeconomic backgrounds formed connections with thought leaders who were on the cusp of greatness.
These students won a national network of folks who’d forever be connected to them through a shared HBCU experience. It was priceless.
I watched all of this, a little envious of their ability to walk upright in the coexistence of their ambitions and their culture. Although impressed, I still wasn’t fully confident in my ability to do the same.
I went back to my own school, wanting to disappear as everyone waited on my response to cultural conversations or politically charged issues affecting minorities. There was still this thought that I’d be miscategorized based on some action that was foreign to those in my work and social circles – thus I was silent in instances when I had something of value to say.
I was still struggling through how to lean into my confidence as an intelligent black woman. In my mind, one wrong move would label me a stupid misfit and set the entire culture back five decades.
Somehow, I held on to this eerie feeling that the work I did in this world would never amount to anything if I couldn’t get people who didn’t look like me to feel comfortable with my blackness. And so I shrunk myself – until I enrolled at Southern University for my Masters and Law Degree.
Jackson State University president William Bynum Jr. resigned from his role leading the 142-year-old institution yesterday, Monday, February 10th, following his arrest in a prostitution sting.
Bynum was apprehended by Clinton Police Department at a Mississippi hotel and is accused procuring services of a prostitute, false statement of identity and simple possession of marijuana.
The City of Clinton also shares, “The two day operation resulted in seventeen (17) arrests with eight felony charges. The arrests spanned multiple charges including prostitution, procuring the services of a prostitute, promoting prostitution, conspiracy to promote prostitution, and various controlled substance violations.”
The former president posted a $3,000 bond and his scheduled court appearance date is to be determined. By a unanimous vote, Bynum became the 11th JSU president and would’ve celebrated his third year in office in May. The Jackson State University website shares that “Bynum’s personal and professional motto is: “Look back and thank God. Look forward and trust God. Look around and serve God. Look within and find God.”
Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learningreports, “Dr. William B. Bynum has tendered his resignation as President of Jackson State University to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, effective immediately.” The Board will convene to decide how the university will move forward.
Throughout his career, Bynum also had roles at Mississippi Valley State University, Winston-Salem State University, Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University and Lincoln University of Pennsylvania.
