As the popularity of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) soars, credit for that surge in enrollment has typically been directed to school presidents and other top-ranking faculty and staff members on campus. But while those positions have traditionally skewed older, a closer look at the changing face of HBCU leadership revealed that trend has been decidedly reversing in favor of younger campus chiefs.
Zachary Faison Jr., the 39-year-old president of Edward Waters College in Florida, said being closer to his students’ age and not farther from it gave him at least one benefit that many of his counterparts haven’t been able to enjoy.
“As a millennial born in the 1980s, my generation and now the post-millennials that are our current students are largely defined by a desire to ‘be heard’ and feel ‘understood’ in terms of their expectations from the collegiate experience,” he told the United Negro College Fund this past summer.
Faison went on to say that his relative youth shouldn’t dismiss what in some cases are decades of a head start in experience for many other HBCU leadership elder statesmen. That included Hampton University’s president William R. Harvey, the longest-tenured HBCU president who has been successfully serving in that position since 1978. (Harvey was also in his 30s when he took Hampton’s helm.) But overall, Faison said, his age places him at an advantage over his older fellow HBCU presidents that hasn’t been seen in quite a while.
“With that said, I do believe that new and innovative delivery and implementation models being offered by new, young presidents to support student success can prove to be highly effective in translating to greater student retention and enrollment outcomes,” Faison added.
Not only were HBCU presidents getting younger, but they were also increasingly women, another break in a longstanding, unofficial tradition that has made its mark especially in emerging technologies that have an increasing presence on college campuses.
“They are going to make some differences for us,” Dr. Lezli Baskerville, president of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, told Diverse Issues of Higher Education, an organization that represents HBCU presidents. “They are primed and ready to use the full force of social media to employ entrepreneurship.”
This youthful HBCU leadership movement has not taken place overnight, however. It was only five years ago when researchers studying “The Characteristics of Historically Black College and University Presidents and Their Role in Grooming the Next Generation of Leaders” concluded thatHBCUs had “a recycling of presidents at HBCUs as well as the disproportionate presence of long-term presidencies.”
But that tide seemed to be changing. And it was for the better, Faison, of Edward Waters College, said.
“In general terms, ascertaining those student desires and expectations may very well be an easier lift for a younger president and again may lead to heightened retention and enrollment outcomes assuming that the attendant cultural competencies and connectedness filter through to shape a student culture of responsiveness and receptivity to student expectations at the institution on the whole,” Faison noted.
One long-shot tech entrepreneur has even promised a $1,000 “freedom dividend” to every American, often citing Martin Luther King Jr. on the stump as his source of policy inspiration. Voters are paying attention: More people Googled the phrase “racial wealth gap” in the previous 12 months than in any year prior. And many of those casually researching the racial wealth gap for the first time would likely find mounting evidence of a crisis that requires our immediate attention.
The wealth gap is everywhere. Activists, academics, journalists, and well-meaning pundits have raised the issue through both polite conversation and silent protest. But like the familiar wail of a car alarm in a city center, it is mostly ignored by those with the ability to drive legislative action. The most recent piece of legislation to even acknowledge the wealth gap was the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977. And, of course, like any tragedy or injustice that consistently assaults our consciousness, we risk becoming numb to the horror these numbers represent.
But a significant part of the problem is how we frame the issue itself, as the phrase “wealth gap” doesn’t inspire action. A gap is an empty space. A break between two things. The absence of a thing. It is simultaneously nothing and something. We don’t fear gaps. We mind gaps. And this is the difficulty in speaking about the wealth gap.
Most importantly, the phrase “wealth gap” does not inspire shame. It does not communicate what Martin Luther King described as “the fierce urgency of now.” It does not capture the violence that poverty inflicts on those molested by its seemingly unending grope. And we can’t wait 228 years to undo the entrenched systematic oppression of people of color so ensconced in the American Dream. So, let’s call it what it is—the Pustulant Cavity of Economic Apartheid.
Now if reading or saying that fills you with disgust; that is the point. This framing effect is meant to jolt enablers or silent witnesses to economic oppression into action.
Despite what some in the public eye would have you believe, we know that we have not “solved” racism, and white supremacy is not a hoax. We know that white families hold 10 times the amount of wealth as black families, with $171,000 and $17,000 holding steady as the most cited and reliable figures for white and black family wealth respectively. We know that the accumulated wealth of the average black American descendant of a slave has not yet reached the average cost of a slave at the time the emancipation proclamation was signed.
More than 150 years later, we are still working to buy our freedom.
But for many, this will be new knowledge. A 2017 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that most white Americans severely underestimated the country’s level of racial inequality, pegging black wealth at 80% of white wealth when it’s closer to a paltry 7%.
The gap in both wealth and income between black and white Americans has daunting durability. In 1994, median black household income (by far the most significant contributor to the wealth gap) lagged white household income by about $26,000. At that time, the phrase “racial wealth gap” was not a part of public discourse around economic inequality between the races. My own quick desktop analysis of 2,636 articles from Dow Jones international news database, Factiva, found no published usage of the phrase “racial wealth gap” in any major publications that year.
By 2014, the median household income gap between blacks and whites had grown to roughly $28,000, with this growth occurring alongside a massive increase in print and digital media attention to the racial wealth gap, as so named.
Skilled communications practitioners understand the importance of being able to re-frame issues. To adequately communicate the damage man is inflicting on our environment, we have moved from discussions of “global warming” to “global heating,” and from “climate change” to the “climate emergency.” Republican operatives famously adopted the phrase “death tax” when describing taxes on inheritances. Unsurprisingly, focus group data showed more public opposition to a “death tax” than technically correct “estate taxes.” No issue screams more for this treatment more than the Pustulant Cavity of Economic Apartheid.
Like the climate emergency, a person’s inability to achieve financial security is not a passive thing. Economic disparities manifest themselves in poorer mental and physical health outcomes and typically reduce the life expectancy of those on the lower end of the economic spectrum. A 2016 study out of MIT showed the wealthiest 1% of men in the United States live an average of 14.6 years longer than the poorest 1% of men. With 36% of U.S. citizens living in poverty being either black or Hispanic, the still Pustulant Cavity of Economic Apartheid is killing us.
Much in the way The Guardian changed and communicated the new language it was using around the climate crisis, more editorial boards should adapt their editorial and style guides to suit the gravity of the racial wealth gap crisis.
Words matter. The fourth estate must embrace their role in determining the nomenclature that so often impacts policy. And if my chosen label strikes you as a little too on the nose, feel free to replace it with one of your own. As long as your choice reflects the true nature of the fight ahead. This fight requires each of us to stand up and correct names diluted by niceties when so many lives are at stake.
This is more than a gap. Call it by its name.
This post was written by Yemi Rose, a writer at Black Enterprise, where it was originally published. It is published here with permission.
Morehouse College is among six Division II schools in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) that will now offer a men’s volleyball team beginning in the 2020-21 school year.
“This is a very exciting time for the college in many, many aspects,” said Morehouse interim athletic director Javarro Edwards. “For athletics, by us being an academically driven institution for many years, athletics has always sat in the backdrop, but now we have a seat at the table. It will be fantastic.”
Morehouse will recruit 18 student-athletes and will offer three full-ride scholarships. Adding the nontraditional sport, Morehouse College president David A. Thomas said, will help attract a more diverse (especially international) student population. Its alumni primarily consist of corporate executives, diplomats, investment bankers, writers and scientists.
“We develop scholar-athletes,” Thomas said. “Volleyball represents a sport where we become even more attractive to an even broader group of individuals. It will help us to attract individuals that want to play at a high level but also want to invest deeply in their experience as scholars.
“What students often do when they’re thinking about a college is not just look at the activities that they might be attracted to but they look at the portfolio of activities a school has,” added Thomas. “From that, they make some assumptions about the school. We’re hoping this projects Morehouse as a global institution in its mindset.”
Volleyball is America’s fastest-growing team sport for boys and young men, with most competitors being female. The game’s popularity among men has soared by 22% over the past five years, according to USAV. In the NCAA, Division I and Division II programs compete together in championship tournaments. One reason the SIAC is starting with six teams is that a conference with six squads is an automatic qualifier for the season-ending NCAA tournament. That will allow SIAC schools to compete at the highest levels of the intercollegiate sport, according to Kenny Rogers, First Point Volleyball Foundation’s Director of Strategic Initiatives.
“It’s a complete misconception that we’re only a sport for affluent white girls,” said USAV CEO Jamie Davis. “Volleyball is a sport for people of all ages, races, genders and socioeconomic backgrounds. This will surely increase the participation of African American men playing volleyball and leading to new athletic and academic opportunities for young boys.”
John Speraw, head men’s volleyball coach for both UCLA and the U.S. national team, said fewer institutions provide young men the platform to play volleyball despite exponential growth in engagement and participation. Speraw, the record-breaking NCAA champion and co-founder of First Point Volleyball Foundation, began talks with SIAC and USAV last December to develop the volleyball program with Division II colleges specifically targeting young men of color. The foundation concentrates on increasing male participation in volleyball.
“Volleyball isn’t yet very well-known within African American culture and communities,” Speraw said. “Kids grow up watching basketball, and there’s a huge impact of African Americans playing successfully at the highest level in all sports. You don’t see that. Young boys [of color] probably don’t know that’s an avenue for them to take.
“We talk at USA Volleyball about the Path to the Podium. It is not outlandish to think that a young man playing in the SIAC conference in 2021 could be an Olympian in 2028 or 2032. Our work at First Point Volleyball Foundation is providing more opportunities for young people, and it is also building our pipeline for more success at the international level for Team USA for decades to come.”
First Point Volleyball Foundation has given 68 full scholarships to young men and spearheaded 17 college programs since its launch in 2016. Speraw says collaborating with Division II schools gives those interested in volleyball an opportunity to play. Sustaining the programs requires ongoing marketing, recruitment and collaboration between the universities and community partners.
“I’m so proud that we’re at a point when we’re actually going out there now doing it,” Speraw said. “It is a progressive, outside-of-the-box opportunity. It took a lot of courage, bold leadership, to actually go forward and do this. It’s an incredible first step.”
Olympic gold medalist and Morehouse alumnus Edwin Moses enrolled in the 1970s when the school had no track team. Four years after he graduated, the track and field Hall of Famer qualified for the Olympics.
“Morehouse will have to start from the bottom and grind its way to the top,” Moses said. “We slip time when it comes to recruiting men of color — Hispanic, Asian and African American — to get into the game, so we’re going to begin to make that possible. We lead in different ways, so we have to offer diverse opportunities for the mentality the kids aspire to. It will serve us and our students well to have another avenue for leadership.”
“This will serve as a new path to the podium for these young men as they strive to join our national teams,” Davis said. “There’s no reason to believe that one of them can’t join John and his team to represent Team USA and wear ‘USA’ across their chest as we compete around the globe.”
With the men’s volleyball teams in place, the plan is to begin coaching clinics and exhibition matches in Atlanta. Morehouse, the SIAC, USAV and First Point Volleyball Foundation are equally excited and confident that student participation will be organic and ongoing. Morehouse especially envisions that adding volleyball to its slate of activities will expand the pedigree it’s known to produce.
“Volleyball will help us make a contribution to the world,” Thomas said. “We should expand the areas in which African American men should show up, participate and excel, and volleyball presents one of those opportunities. This is a great moment for us.”
“Our goal is someday a man from Morehouse steps out on that court and represents Team USA,” Speraw said.
DURHAM, N.C. –Trei Oliver celebrated his first victory as a head coach at his alma mater, as North Carolina Central University cruised to a 45-7 triumph over Elizabeth City State University in the Eagles’ home-opener inside O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium on Saturday night.
NCCU amassed 391 yards of total offense, paced by rookie quarterback Davius Richard, who completed 17 of 24 passes for 208 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 34 yards. Running back Isaiah Tottenaccumulated 74 rushing yards, including a 43-yard touchdown run, while Jordan Freeman added 68 ground yards and a score on just five carries. Receiver Ryan McDaniel collected four catches for 74 yards, including a spectacular one-handed grab resulting in a 45-yard touchdown.
The Eagles held the visiting Vikings to just 91 total yards, recording 14 tackles for a loss with seven sacks, three fumble recoveries and an interception returned for a touchdown. Senior defensive end Darius Roysteramassed eight takedowns, including 3.0 stops in the backfield with 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble. Defensive tackle Cyrus Stanback also tallied a pair of sacks, and linebacker Jerome Foster posted four tackles with a fumble recovery and a pick-six.
NCCU (1-3) begins conference play next Saturday (Sept. 28) at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.
ATLANTA, Georgia – The Central State University defense came up with two fourth quarter interceptions while the offense executed a crucial fourth down conversion late to propel the Marauders to a 26-19 road win over Clark Atlanta on Saturday night.
With the win, CSU improved to 2-1 overall with a 1-0 mark in SIAC play. CAU falls to 0-3 on the year with a 0-1 ledger in the SIAC.
CAU struck on its first drive with a 3-play, 62 yard drive capped off by a Charles Stafford pass to Darrell Nichols for a 29-yard score (CAU 7-0)
CSU responded on the next possession as running back Terraris Saffoldended an 87-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown to tie the game at the 9:29 mark of the first quarter (6-6)
Appearing in his first game of 2019, CSU linebacker Kailen Abramsintercepted a Stafford pass at midfield. CSU later settled for a Joshua Nunes field goal to take the lead (CSU 9-6)
In the second quarter the Marauders went on a 8-play drive spanning 72 yard touchdown drive as Saffold scored his second rushing touchdown of the half from 10-yards out to give CSU a 10-point lead with 13:39 left in the first half (CSU 16-6)
With 1:40 remaining in the half, CAU marched 52 yards to the end zone to narrow the deficit to four at halftime (CSU 16-12)
The only points of the fourth quarter came at the 14:50 mark as Nunes knocked the ball through the uprights for his second field goal of the night (CSU 26-19)
The CAU offense went 68 yards on its first possession of the fourth quarter. A pass from Stafford to Caleeb Roberson took the ball down to the 1-yard line. After failing to score on their first two attempts, the Panthers were penalized and moved back 15-yards for a personal foul. CAU opted to throw the ball on third and fourth down without success as CSU took over on down with 9:38 remaining (CSU 26-19)
Facing a short yardage situation on fourth down from their own 24-yard line, CSU opted to go for it as fullback Darius Meadors fought for two yards and a CSU first down to allow more time to run off the clock.
CAU managed to get into CSU territory again with just under five minutes to play before a heavily pressured Stafford was picked off again by Abrams to end the Panther threat (CSU 26-19)
Clark Atlanta got one more possession with 1:01 left. Stafford completed passes to Drakar and Roberson to get the Panthers down to the CSU 42-yard line. Stafford’s next pass inside the Central State 10-yard line was picked off by CSU’s Devon Cunningham to put the game away (CSU 26-19)
Florida A&M University (FAMU) maintains its ranking as the No.2 public Historically Black College and University (HBCU).
FAMU was also ranked as No.7 of all public and private HBCUs, moving the university up two slots, keeping it among the top 10 HBCUs within the nation according to the 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings.
In a recent statement, Dr. Larry Robinson, president of FAMU, says that these rankings reflect what the university has to offer. “These rankings are an indication of the excellent work of faculty, staff, administrators and, most importantly, our students themselves,” said Robinson. “We continue to implement innovative and time-proven strategies to ensure the success of our students in every aspect of their lives.”
FAMU ranked just below North Carolina A&T University (No.6) and just above Tuskegee University (No.8).
The university also placed higher than any other public HBCU on the list of national universities.
Indicators used to measure the academic quality of these HBCU rankings included: outcome measures, assessment by administrators at peer HBCUs, faculty resources, financial resources, student excellence and alumni giving, according to the 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings.
Such indicators reflect the student body, faculty, and overall atmosphere of the HBCU, aiding it to become a top pick in prospective student’s college decision making process.
Former Miss 112th FAMU, Imani Cooper believes that because students typically research schools before making a final decision, FAMU being ranked No. 2 will aid prospective students in choosing the university.
“I believe this does wonders for our university, especially considering that ranking is one of the many important factors that play into a student making their college decision,” said Cooper. “To see FAMU at the top of those lists gives great hope that our institution is at least in many students’ top 5-10 picks.”
In a statement released by FAMU, the university also recently recorded the highest GPA ever (3.58) for entering freshman in an attempt to aid the university’s four-year graduation rate, by attracting more high-achieving students.
These rankings not only provide a great impression for prospective students and their families, but it also benefits alumni of the university as well.
“As an alumna who now works full time in the education field, it is a privilege and true honor to say that I went to such an esteemed university,” said Cooper. “I can use those rankings as one of the top HBCU’s to help promote and recruit the students that I work with to attend FAMU.”
Choosing FAMU will remain a decision for prospective students and their families, however such rankings are an indication of what is in store for a student who chooses to attend FAMU.
Recent graduate, Devin Harrison, says that coming to FAMU has prepared him for the future and that he believes the university will do the same for others.
“If you want to save money, cultivate life-long friendships, and gain a quality education, attend FAMU. The diversity in people, [inclusiveness], community, and strong Alumni network is incomparable,” said Harrison.
WILBERFORCE — Wilberforce University will get a new vice president of academic affairs and a vice president of institutional advancement.
Edward Louis Hill Jr. as the vice president for academic affairs and strategic initiatives while Natalie R. Coles will become Wilberforce’s vice president of institutional advancement and chief development officer, accroding to the school. The two new hires were announced Tuesday by the university.
Hill previously served as dean of the college of education at Texas A&M University-Central Texas, according to Wilberforce. He has also served as a leader for education accreditation agencies and on a diversity commission for the University of Georgia system.
“I am committed to working collaboratively with our faculty, deans, staff, and students in shaping the university’s future direction,” Hill said in a prepared statement.
Coles has served as the area development director for the United Negro College Fund and as the chief develpment officer for Flying Horse Farms, according to the university. She is also a certified funding professional.
Wilberforce built the foundational legacy of higher education for people of color in Ohio and beyond and I consider it a great honor to serve her and our many students in pursuit of their educational dreams.” Coles said in a prepared statement.
Wilberforce University, the oldest private historically black college in the country, has suffered financial issues in recent years.
The school ran an operating deficit of more than $19 million in fiscal year 2017 and was placed on probation by the Higher Learning Commission. The HLC is a regional accrediting body and is responsible for accrediting colleges in 19 states.
The HLC is scheduled to conduct a “comprehensive evaluation” of the university on Nov. 4, according to the commission’s website.
WASHINGTON – Following a House vote Tuesday to extend $255 million in spending for minority-serving colleges and universities, advocacy groups are urging the Senate to take action before the funding expires Sept. 30.
“We’ve had over a dozen in-person Senate meetings, and there is some momentum on the Senate side,” said Lodriguez Murray, vice president for public policy and government affairs at the United Negro College Fund. “But it’s up to their leadership to make sure [historically black colleges] and other [minority-serving institutions] don’t fall off this fiscal cliff.”
Harry Williams, president of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which supports public historically black colleges, called on the Senate “to follow the House’s lead and take swift action to prevent this critical funding from elapsing. We can’t allow these life-changing institutions of higher learning to go unfunded.”
The funding, established in 2008, is dedicated for schools that primarily educate minority students: tribal colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions, and historically black colleges and universities. Many schools use the money for STEM programs – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – and for scholarships and to improve facilities.
Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., introduced legislation, dubbed the FUTURE Act, that would pay for a two-year, $255 million extension of the funding by eliminating a subsidy for guaranty agencies. Those nonprofit and state agencies insure student loans under the old bank-based federal lending program, known as the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, and are paid by the federal government to maintain remaining accounts and collect on defaulted debt. The legislation would put an end to those account maintenance fees, redirecting the money to the schools over the next two years.
Industry lobbyists have panned the legislation for eliminating account maintenance fees they say guaranty agencies need so they can fund programs that help with loan rehabilitation and college access. The National Council of Higher Education Resources, a trade group that represents private lenders, loan servicers, debt collectors and loan guaranty agencies, wrote the House Education Committee this week opposing the bill.
Council president James Bergeron wrote: “If [the account maintenance fee] is eliminated . . . guaranty agencies will be unable to perform critical functions that assist borrowers in avoiding default and protect federal taxpayers as the federal legacy program continues to wind down its operations.”
Groups advocating for the minority-serving schools argue that providing money to colleges and universities with minimal resources is far more important than propping up a vestige of a defunct federal program.
“The optics of trying to defend an administrative payment to vestigial parts of a dead loan system at the expense of the most under-resourced colleges in this country is a bad look,” said Ben Miller, senior director for post-secondary education at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.
On Tuesday evening, the House approved the chamber’s version of the bipartisan bill, sponsored by Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C., and Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., on a voice vote. It is up to the Senate to move on the legislation, but Republican leadership so far is unwilling.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has not taken a position on the legislation.
Senate Education Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., has no plans to hold a vote on the bill. He prefers a long-term solution to be created through reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, the federal law governing the sector, according to his spokesman, Taylor Haulsee.
Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act has endured fits and starts in a divided Congress, and there is no certainty Senate Republicans and Democrats can come to an agreement before Alexander is expected to retire in 2021. Advocates say the schools cannot afford to wait or to offset the funding if it dries up.
“The bottom line is they have no safety net,” Jones said in a speech on the Senate floor last week. “If they have no safety net, neither do the students that they serve.”
An estimated 20,000 letters and phone calls have been sent or made this month to spur Congress into action, through a joint campaign of the United Negro College Fund and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Williams, of the Marshall Fund, has urged President Trump to leverage his influence with Congress to pass the two-year extension bill.
Trump made no mention of the looming deadline in his speech at the HBCU Week Conference in Washington last week, much to the disappointment of some historically black college advocates. A White House spokesman said Tuesday the president “prioritizes supporting HBCUs, and we don’t want funding for them to be interrupted at all.”
The question is whether those sentiments will translate into legislative action in the Republican-controlled Senate.
One of the most stunning reversals in higher education is happening right now in Pennsylvania. And it could be a blueprint for other struggling universities and colleges both here and across the nation.
Founded in 1837 as one of the nation’s first black colleges, Cheyney University was in serious trouble as recently as four years ago.
According to a story published by Inside Higher Ed in September of 2015, Cheyney was facing a deficit of $19 million. It reported that enrollment at the university had declined from 1,470 in 2008 to about 700 by 2015.
With many of Cheyney’s facilities reportedly outdated and in disrepair, its six-year graduation rate was 26 percent, far below the 55 percent average for historically black colleges as reported by the National Student Clearinghouse.
It was reported in the article, that Cheyney, which had no financial reserves and no endowment, may have to repay as much as $30 million in federal aid funds because it didn’t properly administer or track them. During one recent admissions cycle, scores of forgotten and unreviewed applications were reportedly lost and then rediscovered too late.
“There are lots and lots of factors at play that make Cheyney really messy,” Marybeth Gasman, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Minority-Serving Institutions, told Inside Higher Ed at the time. “It really does look like a shadow of itself.”
There was even talk of closing Cheyney, which has been owned by Pennsylvania since 1922. Located about 30 miles west of Philadelphia, it was a founding member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, which was created in 1983.
“There is widespread concern about where we are headed and how we’re going to progress through this period,” Norma George, who chaired the university’s English, Languages and Communication Arts Department, told the website HBCUForever in 2014.
Furthermore, despite going more than four years with interim presidents, there was no search underway for a new president.
However, all that changed with the November of 2017 hiring of Aaron Walton, a retired corporate executive, as the university’s permanent president. The turnaround has been quick and stunning.
From that $19 million deficit back in 2015, Walton said the university had a surplus of $2.1 million this year, outperforming the planned surplus of $261,000, according to an Aug. 19 story by the Daily Local News, a Chester County newspaper.
“Beginning two years ago under the leadership of Walton ― a retired and highly experienced corporate executive ― Cheyney University undertook a broad range of efforts to ensure the long-term financial stability of the university and to ensure the university’s resources were prioritized and sufficient to provide robust academic programs and student support,” Cheyney University Council of Trustees Chairman, Robert Bogle, told the newspaper. “We are well on our way to restoring Cheyney to its rightful position among elite Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).”
The story reported that In addition to cutting $9 million in expenditures, Walton also started a successful fund-raising campaign led by university alumni. It raised over $4.4 million as of June 30, which exceeded its goal by $400,000. A second campaign hopes to raise another $5.6 million by June of 2020.
Best of all, after enrollment plummeted to 498 it rebounded to 722 this fall. The university anticipates retaining 72 percent of its fall 2018 freshman class ― Cheyney’s highest rate of retention for a freshman class in over 25 years.
Cheyney’s turnaround offers hope for other struggling schools, especially for those in the state system, which includes Bloomsburg, California, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester universities.
“God has been so good to us both. It just felt right.” That’s what Pinky Cole, the creator of the plant-based burger restaurant Slutty Vegan, said about her and fellow entrepreneur Stacey Lee giving back to 30 Clark Atlanta University students in need at the black university, paying off their debt, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Lee is the owner of Harlem Hops.
Both Cole and Lee are graduates of CAU, and also members of Delta Sigma Theta. After discussing their matriculation in college and its ups and downs the pair decided to join together to give back and surprise these CAU seniors.
“Growing up in a single-family household, and being the first to go to college, I know what it feels like to not know where the money is coming from,” Cole said. “But there were people who believed in me despite my circumstances and I wanted to be that person for someone else.”
As they approached the subject around an article written by Jemele Hill (called It’s Time for Black Athletes to Leave White Colleges), Fox News host Laura Ingraham asked Watson his opinion on the matter. What Ingraham didn’t expect was Watson agreeing with the sentiments of Hill. At this juncture, a commercial break was warranted as the host was visibly shocked when Watson gave an opposing view.
Watson and Ingraham spent the majority of the discussion talking about New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees’ involvement with anti-LGBTQ group Focus on the Family, as well as the Christian initiative for kids to “Bring Your Bible to School Day.” When that subject ended, Ingraham, anticipating Watson’s agreeance, then broaches the article by Hill stating her preference for college-bound black athletes attending HBCUsinstead of the white universities they help stay rich.
Ingraham asks Watson, “What’s your reaction to this?” Watson’s response? ” What [Hill] was saying was simply, if we are trying to pump money and revenue into some of these communities that there is still this big disparity, this may be a way to do it. Obviously, that’s in a vacuum, there are other factors that figure into that, but when you read her argument, she lays it out very cleanly and it’s actually something that I agree with.”
“Well I think Duke would have not been thrilled about you’re not being there, but we will leave it at that,” Ingraham says. “College sports would certainly be a lot different today if we went down a color-coded way of figuring out college admissions. That’s like re-segregating the country! Why do we want that?!”
Segregation, as you know, is government-mandated. This is not segregation. If you read the article…” as Watson was trying to emphasize, she cuts him off and ends the segment.
“I read the article. I read the article. All right, we have to go.” was Ingraham’s response before Fox News cut to commercial.
Jemele Hill, not known to shy away from anything, offered this on her Twitter feed, “What’s so hilarious about this is that on an almost nightly basis Laura Ingraham bitches and complains about how white people are being replaced, and how diversity is bad for America.”
This post was written by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton, a writer at Black Enterprise, where it was originally published. It is published here with permission.
“It’s like poetry on TV,” says Oprah Winfrey ofDavid Makes Man. The show’s principal writer, Tarell Alvin McCraney has to know he’s spun gold but is still taken by surprise. Executive produced by Michael B. Jordan and Oprah Winfrey, the show is about David, a 14-year-old black prodigy torn between two worlds. Played by Akili McDowell, David attends a prestigious magnet school while living in the “Ville,” a hood in South Florida.
DMM takes viewers on a journey filled with moments of humanity, rawness, and the masks worn to navigate between two worlds. Historically, many students at HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges & Universities) can relate. HBCUs are so different from students’ home environment due to the educational programs, bands, events, celebrity visits and more. This change is especially true for Greek fraternity members, who must combine school with structure and community service. The journey to manhood can add yet another layer of growth. Read below to see how all this makes David Makes Man so relatable to HBCU fraternity members.
DMM Captures That Need to Work Twice As Hard
David knows he must excel, but there aren’t many people in his community to show him how. Wearing his uniform, he takes a long bus ride to his magnet school across town. He struggles at school to feel like he is good enough as a black boy. Secretly, he also deals with personal struggles at home. When his mixed best friend is doing better in class, David moves quickly to sabotage him. While he later sees the error in his ways, it highlights the length David is willing to go to be that example of a “good” black boy.
DMM Explores the Experience of Black Boyhood
Although David must be strong for his single mother and young trouble-making brother, he is still just a kid himself. He is constantly thrown into new problems. Nevertheless, he must still make very defining choices. Does he stay on course at his magnet school, or hang out with the drug-dealing boys in his neighborhood? Should he imitate the white students at his school or stand out in his blackness? Like the lines of David is truly as resilient as INVICTUS reads… In the fell clutch of circumstance/I have not winced nor cried aloud./Under the bludgeonings of chance/My head is bloody, but unbowed.
We all have that person that made us want to do better, be better, and even join Greek life. For David, that first mentor is Sky, an encouraging man in the Ville. Sky gives sound advice because he has a unique view into David’s vulnerability. He pushes David not to give up, and also to focus on himself. There is also his principal. She sees promise in David and decides to give him another chance after a fight. Through small and large gestures, people surrounding David help reign him in and keep him on track.
Greek life is about lifting a hand to others, and ensuring your community does not slip through the cracks. For David, where he lives is a haven of people with needs. He and his brother are raised by a single mother, and the other young boys are heading toward a life of crime. The surrounding community around his Ville is full of disdain and racial tension. David Makes Man is powerful because it truly reflects young boys that are around us. These children desperately need the programs and initiatives kept alive by the D9. For many, they are one young decision away from life-changing consequences.
DMM Has Successfully Found a Way to Tell a Difficult Story
The show has been met with great reviews by critics and HBCU students. David Makes Man has even scored a rare 100% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. On Friday, September 13th, a special screening of the pilot episode was held at Howard University. Students enjoyed watching all the twists and turns that the show offers. Afterwards, a Q&A panel was held to discuss the show and the struggles of manhood. Actors and the show’s head writer Tarell Alvin McCraney were all there to lend an ear and their personal experiences. It’s important that we continue to support shows like David Makes Man to ensure that the black experience is a story that’s authentically told.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is seeking to raise $1 million in 24 hours to make an impact on the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities on Monday.
The Chicago-based sorority is celebrating its second AKA HBCU Impact Day on Sept. 16 by raising the money for the AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund. The fundraising drive comes as some HBCUs are reportedly facing risk of accreditation loss and budget challenges.
“With our 111-year history, our sorority has always emphasized education and today we are raising money for HBCUs,” said Candace Jackson, vice president of Xi Zeta Omega chapter in Washington, D.C.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump last week said that HBCUs with religious affiliations would no longer be barred from receiving federal funding for construction projects. The shift, based on a recent Justice Department legal opinion, affects more than 40 faith-based HBCUs and seminaries, The Associated Press reported.
Trump told HBCU leaders that “no one has done more for you than me” during his remarks to leaders and attendees at the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities conference last week in Washington, D.C.
Trump also used the speech to review assistance he’s provided to HBCUs since taking office, including signing a farm bill that included more than $100 million for scholarships and research at certain historically black colleges and universities.
Trump said federal law had restricted more than 40 faith-based HBCUs and seminaries from fully tapping a program that provides federal loan guarantees for their construction projects.
“This meant that your faith-based institutions, which have made such extraordinary contributions to America, were unfairly punished for their religious beliefs,” the president said.
Trump announced that a recent Justice Department legal opinion declared such “discriminatory restrictions” to be unconstitutional.
September 13, 2019 Howard University presents “Forward” as the theme for the 2019 Howard Homecoming festivities, scheduled Oct. 5-13, 2019.
WASHINGTON – Howard University presents “Forward” as the theme for the 2019 Howard Homecoming festivities, scheduled Oct. 5-13, 2019. The full calendar of events is available online at https://homecoming.howard.edu/ including the highly anticipated 2019 homecoming football game. Howard Bison will compete against the Norfolk State Spartans on Saturday, October 12.
“Forward” is a concept that Howard University and all Bison embody. Howard’s community of scholars and leaders are tenacious, constantly driving progress at the University, within local communities and across the globe. Howard’s recently unveiled strategic plan, Howard Forward: 2024, outlines the University’s vision to advance the mission over the next five years. As the Bison community returns to campus with fond memories and proud reflections of the rich Howard legacy, Homecoming is also an opportunity to look ahead toward future accomplishments and milestones to come. This year’s theme reflects this sentiment.
“In alignment with our Howard Forward: 2024 strategic plan, the essence of Howard’s approach to a contemporary education can be captured in five pillars: to enhance academic excellence, inspire new knowledge, serve the community, improve efficiency and effectiveness and achieve financial sustainability,” says President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “Forward describes the energy, passion and goals of the faculty, staff, students and alumni, and is a perfect reflection of the current attitude across campus. We are firing on all cylinders, across all areas, to aggressively advance Howard forward.”
The week of festivities will begin with the annual Howard University Day of Service on Saturday, October 5, a continuation of the volunteer spirit connecting Bison to the surrounding community. Service will segue into a day of praise at Howard’s legendary “Call to Chapel” on Sunday, October 6. Howard University’s Department of Athletics and its student athletes will host a campus-wide pep rally on Monday, October 7.
“Howard is fortunate to have an engaged alumni base, talented faculty and staff and a student body who are passionate about purpose. We invite everyone to experience the energy of Howard Homecoming first-hand,” says Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations David P. Bennett. “This is an incredible time to be a Bison and Homecoming is a wonderful opportunity to come to campus see how Howard is, indeed, leading and moving forward.”
Homecoming Week will feature many time-honored, fan favorite activities designed for Bison of all ages, including the Student Fashion Show, the Greek Step Show, and President Frederick’s State of the University Address. The week-long festivities will close out with the Alumni Jazz Brunch and the Gospel Concert on Sunday, October 13.
“As we welcome alumni and friends back to campus, we invite the entire Howard community to get in the Homecoming spirit, fellowship and collaborate on ways to move the institution forward,” says President Frederick.
For a complete list of events, visit https://homecoming.howard.edu/. To follow the latest homecoming news on social media, use the hashtags #HUHC19 and #HowardHomecoming
Day of Service
Date: Saturday, October 5
Location: Various communities surrounding Howard University
Start time: 9 a.m.
Continuing in the tradition of Truth and Service, volunteers will serve Howard’s local community and celebrate the University’s rich legacy. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, Bison families and friends of the University are all welcome to join us and volunteer.
Service opportunities throughout the D.C. Metropolitan area coming soon.
Call to Chapel
Date: Sunday, October 6
Location: Cramton Auditorium
Start time: 11 a.m.
Join us at the Homecoming edition of the weekly Chapel service to worship with the University community. The incomparable Reverend Al. Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network is the guest speaker. #SundaysAreForChapel
Bison Madness: The Trilogy (Pep Rally)
Date: Monday, October 7
Location: Burr Gymnasium
Start time: 7 p.m.
Join us as the Howard University Basketball and Football teams join forces to host “Bison Madness,” a joint pep rally in Burr Gymnasium. In honor of the start of Homecoming week and the basketball seasons, the rally will include music, entertainment, giveaways and more. The event will be open to all and will include an opportunity to win tickets to Saturday’s game.
LGBTQ+ Lavender Reception
Date: Wednesday, October 9
Location: Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library Atrium and Lobby
Start time: 8 p.m.
The Lavender Reception is an evening focused on inclusion, scholarship and activism. The reception honors Howard University undergraduates driving change in local and global communities. Honorees are awarded a scholarship from the Lavender Fund that celebrates their engagement, commitment to raising awareness of LGBTQIA+ issues and dedication to activism in the larger community. Donations raised contribute to the Lavender Fund.
Student Fashion Show
Date: Thursday, October 10
Location: Cramton Auditorium
Start time: 8 p.m.
Howard University’s Annual Homecoming Student Fashion Show never fails to electrify the masses! Year after year, it proves to be a staple Homecoming event – don’t miss out! Howard is regularly cited as one of the most fashionable universities in the nation, and that style radiates at the fashion show. Powered by HU talent, student models and stylists will define chic in their presentation. Missing the fashion show will be a fashion faux pas!
Tickets can be purchased at the Cramton Auditorium Box Office.
State of the University Address
Date: Friday, October 11
Location: School of Business (SOB) Auditorium
Start time: 10 a.m.
President Wayne A. I. Frederick will engage the entire University community at his annual State of the University. During this address, President Frederick will provide key updates on academics, University finances, Howard University Hospital, enrollment, student initiatives and much more! He will share what continues to drive the progress of the University and what’s in store for Howard. You will leave this session ready to educate the world about Howard’s continued success and bright future. So, don’t miss this!
HU Ideas Symposium
Date: Friday, October 11
Location: School of Business (SOB) Auditorium
Start time: Noon
The HU Ideas Symposium is back for a second year! Like last year, it will feature dynamic and provocative discussions led by leading industry experts on topics that matter most to the African-American community. The HU Ideas Symposium is a forum for presenters and attendees alike to discuss their ideas, opinions and issues facing Howard University’s local and global community. You won’t want to miss any of these important discussions!
Schools & Colleges Open Houses
Date: Friday, October 11
Location: Various schools and colleges
The Yardfest
Date: Friday, October 11
Location: The Yard (Upper Quadrangle)
Start time: Noon
A cherished tradition, Yardfest will continue to reinvigorate Homecoming with a live stage, featuring a diverse range of top tier artists and entertainment that reflects the Howard diaspora. In addition to the celebrity musical appearances, Yardfest attendees will delight in a mainstay of food and merchandise vendors.
Greek Step Show
Date: Friday, October 11
Location: Burr Gymnasium
Start time: 8 p.m.
The Annual Greek Step Show features the University’s Divine Nine and other student organizations showing off their creativity and showmanship through step. Steeped in Howard tradition, the step show signifies brotherhood and sisterhood throughout the University community. Expect nothing less than a live, high-stepping event, one of the most exciting of the weekend! Tickets can be purchased at the Cramton Auditorium Box Office.
Homecoming Tailgate
Date: Saturday, October 12
Location: Howard Center Parking Lot
Start time: 10 a.m.
A time-honored tradition of Homecoming weekend, the tailgate is an engagement experience for alumni of all ages. Recapture your Bison experience by coming together for food, fun, and music. Held in the Howard Center parking lot, this event is a traditional outdoor gathering before, during and after the Homecoming football game.
Please check back for the official registration link.
The Yardfest: Day 2
Date: Saturday, October 12
Location: The Yard (Upper Quadrangle)
Stop by the Office of Development and Alumni Relations tent for an afternoon of fun, fellowship and giveaways.
The Parade
Date: Saturday, October 12
Location: Howard University and surrounding communities
Start time: 10 a.m.
The Howard Homecoming Parade is a community staple led by the Howard University Showtime Marching Band and showcases bands, student organizations and community partners. Join us in your most festive Howard University gear and come together for the prelude of the Homecoming game.
HUPAC Welcome
Date: Saturday, October 12
Location: Front Courtyard of Cramton Auditorium
Time: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The Howard University Parent Advisory Council (HUPAC) is committed to engaging the parents and family members of current HU students as partners in supporting student success through the provision of information, resources, tools, intentional programming as well as leadership and volunteer opportunities. HUPAC serves as Howard University’s parent and family member liaison office, connecting parents to campus departments and student services and advocating the needs and concerns of parents and family members to the institution.
Stop by and learn more about how parents can get involved in the Bison Community.
Homecoming Football Game
Date: Saturday, October 12
Location: Greene Stadium
Start time: 1 p.m.
Howard Bison will take on the Norfolk State University Spartans in one of the signature games of this football season. Always a sell-out, don’t miss the special performance by the illustrious Showtime Marching Band. Tickets can be purchased at www.BisonTickets.com
Call to Chapel
Date: Sunday, October 13
Location: Cramton Auditorium
Start time: 11 a.m.
Join us to close out the homecoming week with a thoughtful oration by Senior Pastor of Friendship -West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, Reverend Dr. Frederick D. Hayes, III. #SundaysAreForChapel
Wrap up Homecoming weekend at the Alumni Jazz Brunch, where fellowship, style and music all come together for a delightful time for alumni and friends to share in the rhythmic expressions of Step Afrika! plus a showcase of Jazz artists and performers. WHUR-FM radio hosts Allison Seymour & Marc Clarke will emcee the event. Purchase tickets at https://alum.howard.edu/homecomingjazzbrunch
Gospel Concert
Date: Sunday, October 13
Location: Cramton Auditorium
Start Time: 7 p.m.
Rankin Chapel presents a foot-stomping, spirit-filled evening of Gospel melodies to culminate the Homecoming weekend engage in fellowship all around.
# # #Celebrations / Milestones Student Life & Activities Homecoming Press Release Howard Newsroom Staff
Nearly two and a half decades after Howard University was established, collegiate football came to life. The university then welcomed a new type of student to this “Mecca.” Over a century later, Howard football is boasting a legacy of historic wins and several exceptional football alumni.
According to Howard University Athletics Director Kerry Davis, the team had an exciting season in 2017. That followed their incredible opening under the leadership of Head Coach Mike London, defeating the UNLV with a 45-point favorite in their first match. That was the biggest upset in the history of college football by the point spread. The Howard Bison football team then finished the season with 7-4, 6-2 during the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) play, finishing in second place.
The 2018 season represented Howard University football’s 125thanniversary, showcasing not only the football team’s rich tradition but also the athletics and the entire university. As such, Howard named the 2018 football season as the year of legends and legacies in celebration of this illustrious football year. Howard University athletics also showcased a couple of outstanding teams and alumni throughout the year. Just like most online casino bonuses, this was another great season for the team.
During the 2018 season, the team released multiple comments from head coach Mike London and athletics director Kery Davis. The team also embarked on their extended early bird sale for tickets and a major campaign to get funds for their athletic needs and a new press box.
Over the last century, the Howard University football team has won five national Championships in 1920, 1925, 1926, 1993 and 1996. They also boast of three conference championships won in 1912, 1914 and 1993. More recently, their first winning season after 2012 was guided by the historic 43-40 victory over the UNLV in the 2017 season opening.
Aside from the team’s accomplishments, there is a host of expectation football alums. Today, Hall of Fame member Doug Porter and Willie Jeffries, among over 20 other Howard Alumni are currently playing in the NFL and have already retired from the professional league.
In 1983, Howard University launched its first football squad under the leadership of director Charles Cook. This program remained independent until 1911, and it was dissolved in 1912 when Virginia Union University, Hampton University, Shaw University, Lincoln University, and HU launched the central Collegiate Association. The last conference move saw Bison join the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) as one of the founding members alongside Maryland Eastern Shore, North Carolina Central, Morgan State, and South Carolina State.
As a college student, have you found yourself randomly needing a study partner for your next exam, or a carpool? Maybe you need someone new to roast in NBA 2K20? Now with a new app, it just got a lot easier to connect with other students on campus.
JoinMi is the new college tasking-sharing app created by Hampton University junior Carlos Mayers. On campus, there’s so much out there to collab on. So JoinMi has interest categories like sports, food, health, transportation, and shopping. You can easily be someone’s partner to go for a run, or find a new friend to split the cost of a pizza.
The app is refreshing and fun because it’s run for and by students, not administrators. JoinMi is user friendly as well. To post an activity you want others to join, just pick a category, location, then the date and time. Students looking to join the fun just need to browse categories and select a task. There’s even direct messaging to make connecting even easier.
What sets JoinMi apart from other apps is it replaces the awkwardness of searching for a partner on a college bulletin board or virtual chatroom, where there is little to no personal connections, and in some cases little to no controls. It also initiates these one-to-one contacts based on a common goal, in a space that is student controlled and comfortable for a generation in which technology is central and essential.
As a freshman, Mayers recognized how hard it was get things done when he needed help. Now with JoinMi, setting things up doesn’t have to be so awkward and time consuming.
Download JoinMi on the App Store and Google Play today for a smoother semester.
