Wilberforce, OH – Central State University is hosting the first Ohio FFA State Biotechnology Contest on Friday, January 24, 2020 from 9 a.m. – noon, located in the Joshua I. Smith Center for Education & Natural Sciences. The university is expecting 80 High School FFA Students to be on campus to compete in the contest. Each student will complete a series of Lab Practicums including Micro-Pipetting, Gel Reading, SDS Questions, Equipment ID, and present research findings from a provided scenario/problem.
The locations of each Lab Practicum are as follows:
Presentations – AGED Conference Room and Conference Room 138.
Team Presentations Prep – Room 117 and College of Education Student Lounge
Equipment ID – Room 103 Student Lounge
Gel Reading – Lab Room 147
Micro-pipetting, Making a Solution and Label – Lab 157
SDS Questions – Auditorium
Any news organization planning to attend should notify Public Relations in advance.
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Central State University, located in Wilberforce, Ohio, is a regionally accredited 1890 Land-Grant University with a 133-year tradition of preparing students from diverse backgrounds and experiences for leadership, research and service. The university fosters academic excellence within a nurturing environment and provides a strong liberal arts foundation and STEM-Ag curriculum leading to professional careers and advanced studies globally.
Oprah’s #Oprahs2020VisionTour made an unplanned stop to celebrate a graduate of Florida A&M University.
Rattler Nation shares: On Friday, Media Mogul Oprah Winfrey made a surprise visit to FAMU graduate Martez Prince’s Premier Pharmacy and Wellness Center in Charlotte, NC. Winfrey was in Charlotte on her nine-city Vision 2020 Wellness Tour promoting the importance of being healthy when it come to their mind, body, and soul.
Prince’s pharmacy, which opened five years ago, educates customers about their medication and assist them on acquiring the necessary medication. He has a one on one relationship with each of his customers. His customers say the doctor’s advice has made a difference in their lives. His work got Oprah’s attention and she wanted to tell him job well done.
“I could actually cry about the kind of courage and perseverance and determination it takes for a young brother to be working in a big box pharmacy,” Oprah said. “And say something doesn’t feel right about this – I think I am going to start my own business and I am going to do that for my community. I could weep.
Former presidential candidate Herman Cain appeared on Saturday night’s “Watters World” to discuss the latest Project Veritas video.
The undercover video, released Tuesday, showed a Bernie Sanders campaign organizer talking about cities burning and Soviet gulag-style reeducation camps for Trump supporters. As he introduced the segment, Fox News host Jesse Watters pointed out that if a “Trump campaign staffer talking about burning down cities and beating up cops, it would be all over the nightly news.”
“It says desperation and ignorance,” Cain responded. “I believe that this field guy knows Bernie is not going to get the nomination, not only because Republicans don’t want him to get the nomination, but Democrats don’t want him to get the nomination because he’s a devout Communist, period. Some people try to sweeten and call it socialist. Desperation. Secondly, ignorance of what the real American people believe. They are not buying this socialist message. And this guy knows it. So they are already planning violence and destruction.”
While Watters had earlier acknowledged the fact that this was only one low-level staffer, the former Godfather’s CEO later contended that such talk is par for the course considering “some of the other statements that Bernie has made.”
“So his staff is in a desperate mode, and they are planning violence because he is not going to win,” he said.
After Watters played a clip from the video, both discussed how difficult it would be to “reeducate” people in the U.S.
“The people of this country, the real people, not the wackos that are following Bernie or supporting Bernie, they know better,” said Cain. “They are not going to buy the socialist ideas, and I believe that that’s what his staff members are beginning to realize, so they are planning the next phase which is violence and destruction, and that is a sad commentary.”
“Imagine if they try to put Herman and Watters in a gulag,” Watters quipped. “Not going to go so well.”
WASHINGTON D.C.[January 22, 2020] –Howard University proudly announces a generous $10 million gift from the Karsh Family Foundation to endow its prestigious and highly competitive STEM program, which will be renamed the Karsh STEM Scholars Program (KSSP). Founded in 2017, the program is designed to increase the number of underrepresented minorities earning a Ph.D. or combined M.D./Ph.D. in a STEM discipline. This is the largest gift in Howard University history.
The gift also creates the Lomax KIPP Scholarships, a
unique, debt-free financial aid program for graduates of KIPP, the
Knowledge is Power Program, a nationwide network of high performing
public schools in underserved communities. Lomax KIPP Scholarships are
named in honor of Michael L. Lomax, CEO and President of United Negro
College Fund (UNCF), and a longtime distinguished advocate and
inspiration for African American students seeking higher education.
“We are grateful to Martha and Bruce Karsh for their transformative
investment and support of our students and our vision to create a
diverse workforce of highly-skilled scholars equipped to take on careers
in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math,” said President Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA.
“When we created this program, with the support of the Board of
Trustees, we envisioned building a model program to demonstrate how
higher education can serve as a pipeline to diversify STEM fields
nationally, but we knew it wouldn’t be sustainable without external
resources. This gift will ensure that Howard can train the nation’s
brightest students who desire to obtain their Ph.D. or combined
M.D./Ph.D. for generations to come.”
The Karshes’ gift will support the overall KSSP graduate scholarship
and ensure its future viability to fund cohorts of approximately 30
scholars per year. The announcement arrives just as applications for the
fourth cohort are streaming in prior to the Jan. 30 application
deadline.
“We are excited to endow this visionary program at Howard,” said Martha and Bruce Karsh.
“Simply put, we believe education, expertise and research in STEM fields will define mankind’s future, and we are proud to be able to help Howard attract and support the best and brightest students for its already renowned program.”
According to the National Center for Science and Engineering
Statistics, Howard University is the No. 1 baccalaureate institution of
African American science and engineering doctorate recipients.
Each year, the STEM program attracts hundreds of competitive high
school students who are interested in careers as research scientists,
surgeons, policy makers and corporate leaders. Scholars selected for the
program receive a scholarship that covers 100 percent of the tuition
and fees associated with attendance. The program provides an inclusive
learning environment to challenge students, through rigorous coursework,
mentorship and immersion experiences.
“Thanks to this generous gift, the Karsh STEM Scholars Program will
realize its full potential to cultivate a workforce pipeline of talented
students from underrepresented communities who are well equipped to
become leaders in the global STEM community,” said KSSP Program Director Ronald Smith.
The Karsh Family Foundation was founded in 1998 by Bruce A. Karsh,
Oaktree Capital Management co-founder and co-chairman, and his wife
Martha L. Karsh, an attorney and designer. The Foundation’s
philanthropic focus and mission is educational equity and opportunity;
to date, it has made gifts and pledges of approximately $250 million to
support education and scholarship at all levels.
“We are inspired by Dr. Lomax’s passion to remove all obstacles for
underserved students, and his relentless passion to advocate for
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs),” said Martha and Bruce Karsh.
“We share his vision of creating a more equitable and affordable
education system from preschool to graduate school, and we are proud to
honor his name with this scholarship at an institution as prestigious
and historically significant as Howard University.”
Martha Karsh serves on the board of the KIPP Foundation along with
Dr. Lomax, where together, they have collaborated to secure scholarships
and other educational support for KIPP graduates and African American
students. The Lomax KIPP Scholarships help make college more accessible
to deserving students and is unique in that it promises a debt-free
education for its recipients.
“Thank you, Martha and Bruce for helping to build a pipeline of KIPP
students to HBCUs and for believing as I do that ‘a mind is a terrible
thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in,’®”said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, President and CEO of UNCF.
Two Lomax KIPP Scholarships will be awarded each year. Each
scholarship will cover the gap between financial aid and the cost of
attendance, ensuring students have full coverage to graduate debt-free
in four years. The first recipients will be selected this spring,
entering Howard University in fall 2020. The gift also designates on
campus support for all KIPP alumni at the Uuniversity. Currently, 53 KIPP graduates are enrolled at Howard University.
“We are filled with gratitude for the continuous support the Karsh
family, Dr. Lomax and Howard University have given to our KIPP
students,” said Richard Barth, CEO of the KIPP Foundation.
“This scholarship and our partnership with Howard will ensure more KIPP
students have access to a phenomenal college education and the
opportunity to pursue their passions.”
KIPP surveys show that, at HBCUs like Howard, KIPP alumni report a
stronger sense of belonging and stronger health outcomes, and are more
likely to have a mentor and to seek out academic supports than students
at non-HBCUs. And, KIPP’s early data indicates that KIPP alumni enrolled
in HBCUs experience higher 1st to 2nd year persistence rates than peers
with similar academic backgrounds enrolled in other colleges. The Karsh
gift will fund a shared on-campus persistence advisor for KIPP
students; a program that makes a significant difference in the success
of first-generation college students. In addition, this donation
establishes Howard University as one of almost 100 college partners for
KIPP.
Applications are currently being accepted for the fourth cohort of
the Karsh STEM Scholars Program at Howard University. The deadline to
apply is Jan. 30. Interested and qualified applicants are encouraged to
apply. For more information, visit the Karsh STEM Scholars
Program website: karshstemscholars.howard.edu.
# # #
About Howard University
Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university
that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in
more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional
degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in
Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three
Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, 25
Pickering Fellows and more than 70 Fulbright Scholars. Howard also
produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other
university in the United States. For more information on Howard
University, visit www.howard.edu.
About UNCF and Dr. Lomax
Founded in 1944, UNCF, which is
the nation’s largest scholarship provider to students of color and was
founded on the principle of providing equal access to higher education,
has always held true to its motto—A mind is a terrible thing to waste®—over
time, raising $5 billion to help more than half a million students
graduate from college. UNCF annually awards 10,000 scholarships—$100
million a year—to deserving, students, often the first in their families
to go to college. Since 2004, under the leadership of Dr. Lomax, UNCF
has raised more than $3 billion and fought for college readiness and
education reform through partnerships with reform-focused leaders and
organizations and worked to further advance HBCUs with Congress, the
administration and the Department of Education. Before joining UNCF,
Dr. Lomax was president of Dillard University in New Orleans and a
literature professor at Morehouse and Spelman Colleges. He serves on the
boards of the KIPP Foundation, America’s Promise, the Smithsonian
Institution’s Museum of African American History and Culture and the
Studio Museum in Harlem.
About KIPP
KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power
Program, is a national network of 242 public charter schools dedicated
to preparing students in educationally underserved communities for
success in college and life. KIPP schools are part of the free public
school system and enrollment is open to all students. Started in 1994 as
a middle school program, KIPP has since expanded to enroll 100,000
students in all grades from Pre-K through high school. Nationwide, KIPP
students complete their bachelor’s degree at a rate comparable to the
national average for all students and approximately three times higher
than the average for students from low-income families.
Being a black small-business owner is tough. It does not matter how many years of experience in your field that you have, you just cannot shake the negative stereotypes. It is even worse when some of us buy into those stereotypes of expecting less than excellence when dealing with our own people, race and culture.
Many young black entrepreneurs are smashing these stereotypes though, including this HBCU graduate who recently launched Cole & Company Clothing, a brand that focuses on making you look great at an affordable price.
The mind behind Cole & Company is LaMarr Timothy Cole, a graduate of historically black Central State University in Wilberforce and founder of BowsByCole Bowties, Cole Creative Concepts, a creative consulting and artistic direction brand, and Cole Landscaping.
His latest achievement was making well over $1,000 on Black Friday in one day to achieve the goal he had set. “Not only did I meet that goal I surpassed it and flipped it in the process,” he told HBCU Buzz in an email. “I said to myself “Wow, if I can make that in a day then imagine what I could make tomorrow or the day after that if I kept it up.””
The significance of the barcode stems from everything in existence having its own value or worth and the current collection is easy to understand and yet strikes the eyes of the onlooker. “I love the simplicity of my collection because it makes you pay more attention to the individual wearing it. I have been told my brand at first glance looks like a luxery athletic apparel company. My font is modern, simple, and clean,” Cole said.
“I chose a holographic vinyl to add that futuristic pop that begs the question “What is fashion really supposed to look like in 2020?” Customers are attracted to the holographic and metallic fonts because it gives them the look of a superstar but at an affordable price.”
With the exception of a Collectors Edition Sweatshirt with the Metallic Gold barcode that comes in a metallic gold collectors box, Cole keeps the pricing in his online store under $50.
“It was important for me to keep prices in a range customers can afford but also have a profit model or breakdown that ensures the financial security of my businesses,” he said.
“There is no doubt I would not be the LaMarr I am today without my beloved Central State. The friendships I forged there have cemented themselves as lifelong,” Cole said.
His experiences that he had with CSU’s marching band Invincible Marching Marauders took Cole to places that he had never been before like Chicago, which has become one of his favorites cities to visit.
“I have also perfromed for Earth Wind and Fire, I have performed in front of thousands of people in NFL stadiums, I have recorded a soundtrack for a black college football game and I have developed a deeper love an appreciation for black culture through homecomings, step shows, yard shows — then involving myself in various organizations that contributes, celebrates, and manifests the black college experience in America.”
Back in 2011 when CSU President Dr. Cynthia Jackson-Hammond had interviewed for the position, it was Cole who gave the leader who is stepping down at the end of the school year her first tour of the black college.
“I have assisted hundreds of high school students who eventually became college bound young men and women and decided to have Central State University as their HBCU of choice. That has been the highlight of my tenure at Central State other than my experiences with the band and my close friends.”
‘Are you in good company?’
Who knows how far Cole & Company will go but Cole sees his brand at every major retail store like Macy’s and Nordstrom in 10 years with his merchandise on a full display.
“Hopefully the concept of my current collection is timeless enough that it will drive the identity and the true meaning of value, worth and being mindful of the company you keep,” he said.
“With all good things I know I cannot do it forever. I have already developed business models for more companies I want to develop in the future. I am confident Cole & Company Clothing is here to stay and will be force to reckoned with in the eCommerce world.”
Cole’s current collection consists of the Holographic Branded Logo on sweat tops, hoodies, baby onsies, baby caps and bibs, T-shirts, long sleeve crews, and branded coffee mugs and it is exclusive so it is only going to be avalible until February in preparation for the brand’s Spring Collection launch.
“Not to give too much away but expect a pop of color, some neons, some camouflage and the quality of the merchandise improve. It is important as an individual to recognize your worth,” Cole said.
Comedian Gary Owen is one proud papa as he just announced that his daughter Kennedy was accepted to an HBCU.
Taking to his Instagram account, he wrote, “Ok it’s official my daughter has been accepted to go to NC A&T next year.” He captioned under a post of him holding her acceptance letter, “She told me her freshman year of high school she wanted to attend an HBCU. A&T was her first choice. So get ready @terrencej @frederickwjr @willpowerpacker that loud white guy at the homecoming game will be me for the next 4 years. #ProudDad #AggiePride #HBCU.”
Many in his comment section were also happy about Kennedy’s acceptance. “That is awesome. Great school!!!” one person wrote. “Congratulations…. this is an awesome accomplishment,” another commented.
According to a new Washington Post-Ipsos poll published on Jan. 17, 2020, more than 8 in 10 black Americans believe that President Donald Trump is a racist. The poll also finds that black Americans believe the president has made racism a bigger issue in the country.
The poll, which was conducted Jan. 2 to Jan. 8, found former Vice President Joe Biden is currently black Democrats’ candidate of choice with the election 10 months away. Biden had the support of 48% of survey respondents, Bernie Sanders had 20% and Elizabeth Warren had 9%.
Nine in 10 blacks disapprove of the president’s job performance. Trump campaigns on having the lowest unemployment rate for black Americans in the history of the country, but 77% of respondents of the poll give him “only some” or “hardly any” credit for the 5.5% black unemployment rate.
“I don’t think [Trump] has anything to do with unemployment among African Americans,” said Ethel Smith, a 72-year-old nanny who lives in Lithonia, Georgia, told The Washington Post. “I’ve always been a working poor person. That’s just who I am.”
Sixty-five percent of blacks surveyed said they feel optimistic about their lives “all” or “most of the time” but another 65% say it’s a bad time to be black in America. Only 16% think that a black child born in the U.S. today has “a good opportunity to achieve a comfortable standard of living.”
Dana Clark, a black father of 11 in Ontario, California, tells all his children it’s possible to succeed in America.
“I tell them we’re going to set this plan up. Whatever you want to do you’re going to be able to do it,” he said. “But it ain’t going to be easy, especially if [you] want to make some money because you’re going to be in a world where they’re not going to expect you to be there. You can get what you want, but you’ve got to work harder, faster and stronger.”
This post was written by Justin Barton, a writer at Black Enterprise, where it was originally published. It is published here with permission.
Morgan State University alum Mo’Nique got her own comedy special with Showtime!
According to Madame Noire, this news comes a few days after Netflix asked that the lawsuit she filed against them back in November be dismissed.
(Remember Mo had accused the streaming giant of basically lowballing her when Netflix offered her $500,000 to film her own comedy special? She had argued that her resume is just as good as the white and male comedians that they gave millions to in the past for their specials. And, she is right. But that is neither here nor there.)
The black college alum and Academy-award winning actress just broke the news on social media, gushing about her starring in her comedy special.
In a profile with InStyle, soul legend Erykah Badu revealed that she had something up her sleeve — an online clothing store. Partially inspired by Chinatown Market’s “bootlegged” approach, Badu is cultivating a wide-ranging online space for her dedicated fans. It’ll be complete with knick-knacks Badu has seen during her travels around the globe. Her brand will be aptly titled, Badu World Market.
Badu World Market will mix the concept of a traditional merch store with highly intentional curation. Back in late October, Badu worked with Chinatown Market on a now sold-out shirt to give a glimpse into what their collaborative relationship is like. The collaboration, which happened via Instagram live, also showed one of the types of pieces that buyers will be able to cop once the store goes live.
She confirmed via Instagram that the store will have a section dedicated to sacred metals. One item that will be sold through this portion of the site is the chakra-balancing, metal baby hairs. “I challenged my fave classmate on earth, artist [Soull Kehinde Fundsworth] OGUN to conjure me up some enchanted baby hairs and edges that I can’t sweat out at the club, yet, will also keep me grounded and focused on balancing my ‘Dougie’ chakra,” she wrote. “Only at Badu World Market,” the singer added.
The store is set to launch on February 20, 2020, six days before Badu’s birthday.
Students at Ohio’s only public HBCU, Central State University in Wilberforce, and sister college Wilberforce University, the nation’s oldest private historically black college, are ready to come together for the annual march to honor the late Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday (Jan. 20).
The event commemorates the “Civil Rights Movement: The Power of Community” and is sponsored by the Delta Xi Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. King was a member of the fraternity, pledging as a young graduate student at Boston University and was pursuing his Doctorate of Philosophy degree. He also graduated from HBCU Morehouse College in Atlanta.
Students will meet at the Sunken Garden at 9:30 am on the yard at Central State and then trek to downtown Xenia at the courthouse.
At the end of the march Bro. Rev. JD Covington will speak at the courtyard gathering.
Following the event will be a community service celebrating King’s life.
It seems as though Pharrell will be producing a few songs on the album. In a post on Instagram, she wrote “Cooking up with the mf legend himself @pharrell. We been going in for 3 days straight he calling me meg thee machine ! #SUGA.”
According to the black college student, “B.*.T.C.H” serves as the opening track on Suga. It definitely will set the tone for one of the most anticipated albums of 2020.
I understand that I am a little bias when it comes to historically black colleges and universities. But if you ever attended a black college then you know that there is nothing quite like the HBCU experience. With that being said, I hope that future young sports stars like Zaire Wade, a 6’2 senior point guard and son of former NBA star Dwyane Wade, decides to attend an HBCU.
Just two weeks ago, North Carolina Central University offered Lebron James’ eldest son and namesake a.k.a. “Bronny” a basketball scholarship. Now the black college’s rival, North Carolina A&T, is trying to one-up NCCU, offering Wade’s son and his teammate Shy Odom basketball scholarships. According to CBS17.com, Odom is a 6’6 forward with multiple offers including Georgetown, Boston University, and Tulane. And while many critics would say that the pair, along with Bronny, will never choose to attend an HBCU for whatever given reason, I have got to ask: What if these young men and student-athletes do decide to go HBCU?
North Carolina A&T (@NCATAGGIES) offers basketball scholarships to teammates Bronny James & Zaire Wade, sons of LeBron James & Dwyane Wadehttps://t.co/r7bTUgas6B
Soca Caribbean Yacht Charters is a new boutique travel agency founded by a Hampton University and Howard Law School graduate Shelia Ruffin. Growing up on the eastern shore of Virginia, Ruffin always had an affinity for boats. Her grandfather was an avid boater and this allowed her the opportunity to spend her childhood on the water.
Ruffin eventually attended law school but failed to pass the bar on the first try. This led her to land a job on the island of St. Thomas where she decided to practice law. While there, Ruffin decided to become a certified travel associate, but she wanted to do more than just be a travel agent.
“I googled yacht agencies that were one-stop-shops, but I couldn’t find any,” Ruffin told Travel Noire. “This gave me an idea of what I could do. Plus, I couldn’t find any people of color within the industry. Therefore, I set out to start my own company.”
From there, Soca Caribbean Yacht Charters (SCYC) was born.
“We offer a door to dock-to-door service,” Ruffin said. “The minute you step out of your home, there is a luxury car waiting to take you to the airport. Once you arrive in your Caribbean destination, we provide transfers to the dock where you board your yacht. After your trip, we also provide all services in reverse.”
SCYC works with yacht companies in the Bahamas, Grenada, St. Lucia, the British Virgin Islands, St. Vincent and St. Martin. The company provides access to yachts featuring a private chef and captain.
“To be the anchor between the yacht industry and millennials and people of color is amazing,” Ruffin said. “It’s not easy. I’m entering into space where black women aren’t normally present. It’s an amazing feeling.”
SCYC also wants to encourage people of color to experience the high-end luxury yacht experience. Ruffin told the Miami Times, in 2018 black people “contributed $63 billion to America’s travel and tourism industry and Hispanic Americans contributed $56 billion.”
With that type of tourism purchasing power, this black-owned company looks to gain increased market share in the Caribbean.
This post was written by Justin Barton, a writer at Black Enterprise, where it was originally published. It is published here with permission.
Howard University has received a collection of African American art valued at more than $2.5 million in honor of the former dean of the school’s political science department, Ronald W. Walters.
Walters’ wife, Patricia Turner Walters, gifted her collection to the school.
“It is an incredible honor to receive this generous gift of precious art from the Walters family,” said President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “This collection of sculptures and portraits and paintings will be an excellent complement to our gallery and a beneficial focus of training in our art history courses.”
Howard University will also establish the Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics.
The art collection includes 152 pieces of African American art in various forms. It includes original pieces, sculptures, rare prints, photographs and pieces from notable eras, including the Harlem Renaissance.
Patricia Walters began her collection in the late 1980s with most of her pieces acquired after 2002.
“I could not be more delighted about the decision to give my art collection to Howard, the institution that my husband cared so deeply about,” said Walters. “I always knew I wanted to do something like this to honor my husband’s legacy, but I never imagined that I would get to see it happen in my lifetime.”
Ronald W. Walters was a Howard professor from 1971 to 1996. He died in 2010.
Flight General Manager Brandon Harper is urging fans to give the new team in the Gem City a chance, insisting that they have talent produced right here.
“We’ve got the NBA, and you have a level right under that you can enjoy right here in your backyard,” Harper said. “We have homegrown talent. Instead of going overseas, they’re right here making a name for themselves and competing for a championship. They’re going to put on a show and take flight in the city’s backyard. This is monumental. We have professionals. Just like the Dayton Dragons have done it for 20 years, we’re looking to start our own legacy here in the city.”
According to Dayton Daily News, the new Dayton minor league basketball team starts its season with two home games, playing the Columbus Condors at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 and play the Jamestown (N.Y.) Jackals a day later at the same time.
Flight starts a 10-day training camp on Friday. In total, 26 players will be attending the event. Only half of that number will remain by the start of the season.
“The competition is going to be crazy,” Harper said. “I’m feeling bad for guys we’re going to have to send home because we’re going to send some talented guys home who won’t make our roster.”
Events like this help UNCF change the narrative of HBCUs across the nation by helping more students get to and through college
Columbus, GA, Jan. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — COLUMBUS, GA —UNCF (United Negro College Fund) will host the 15th annual UNCF Columbus Mayor’s Masked Ball at 6 p.m., Saturday, March 21 at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center. More than 600 guests will attend the major fundraising event, including honorary host Mayor B.H. “Skip” and Mrs. Karon Henderson; U.S. Rep. Calvin Smyre (D-GA); and business, civic and education leaders who support UNCF’s mission.
Benefitting historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), UNCF is striving to change the HBCU narrative across the nation by equipping more minority students with the resources necessary to transition into college, graduate and ultimately expand and diversify America’s highly educated workforce.
“A college education is more important than ever, but it is more expensive than ever. We are living in a time when official support for getting a college education—state support for state colleges and universities, federal support for Pell Grants and other student aid—is under attack and losing purchasing power,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF. “So that means that more students of color than ever before are looking to UNCF to invest in them. Events like the Columbus UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball helps us meet their needs.”
With the help of the Columbus community, more than $10 million was awarded last year in scholarships and programs for UNCF’s Georgia member institutions, including Spelman College, Morehouse College, Interdenominational Theological Center, Clark Atlanta University and Paine College. In addition, students received UNCF support at Columbus State University, Albany State University, Georgia State University, Emory University, and other Georgia HBCUs, colleges and universities. UNCF’s publication, HBCUs Make America Strong: The Positive Economic Impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, proved that Georgia’s HBCUs contributed $1.3 billion in total economic impact and generated more than 12,000 jobs across the state last year.
“The UNCF fundraising campaign in Columbus continues, year over year, to show itself in support of UNCF’s mission,” says Justine Boyd, regional development director, UNCF Atlanta. With the growing support of our friends and supporters in Columbus, along with Mayor and Mrs. Henderson, a multitude of deserving students will have will their financial burdens lifted so they may focus on their education.
