The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women’s basketball team played last week’s Tuesday night game with heavy hearts, mourning the death of freshman ROTC cadet and student-athlete Sierra’li Wade, who died after being shot in her hometown of Lake Village.
UAPB stated on a Facebook post that Wade was shot while playing basketball.
It is the black university’s 5th student death this semester.
“It’s a sad day for all of us,” Wade’s advisor Cedric Jackson said, adding that “She was the person who loved life and she was going to live it to the fullest.”
“Miss Wade would always come into the office [and] she demanded attention,” Jackson said.
“She maximized her life. I mean, she was the type of person that, she wasn’t going to, you know, neglect whatever she had to do. She was going to always be, you know, on top of everything.”
School counselors said that they have set up support for students mourning the death of their colleague(s).
“I’ve been in higher ed for over 40 years and I’ve never experienced this number of tragedies in one semester,” UAPB’s Director of Counseling, Joyce Bracy Vaughan, told KARK.com.
Our sympathy is with the UAPB community in their time of grieving.
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for failing to give her seat in the front of a public bus to a white man, which led to a protest and boycott of the Montgomery, Alabama bus system, ending December 21, 1956.
A city ordinance stated that all persons of color must sit in the back half of the bus, and in the instance the back half of the bus was full, they must give up their seats to white people if they wanted to sit down.
For more than a year —381 days— Martin Luther King Jr. organized people of color in Montgomery, Alabama in a city rebellion, raising awareness across the globe about the unfair treatment of African Americans in that city and across the nation.
Rosa Parks sat in jail for 4 days. But she shouldn’t have had to. Yes, there was a city ordinance in place, but was it just? The answer is no. On November 13, 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the segregation laws in Montgomery were unconstitutional. Here, Rosa Parks can be sitting on the front of the bus in the days following that ruling.
This year the country celebrated the second annual Rosa Parks Day. On Sunday, December 1, a statue was revealed in her honor in Montgomery, Alabama.
“Today, on the second official Rosa Parks Day, we honor a seamstress and a servant, one whose courage ran counter to her physical stature,” said Mayor Steven Reed, the city’s first African American mayor. “She was a consummate contributor to equality and did so with a quiet humility that is an example for all of us,” shares CNN.
Bobby Beers of Tech Ballard shares, Megan Thee Stallion has had a whole year and every feat is well deserved. Between each studio session, photo shoot, red carpet event or festival performance, Megan hits the books since she’s a student at Texas Southern University. The rapper “Cash Shit” is studying the health administration in order to open an assisted living center.
“Just looking [my grandmother] taking care of my [great-grandmother] has made me want to create a facility for older people and ask someone to look at it.” Help her as part of her end-of-life care, “Megan told Vulture.
Megan recently spoke of a small conflict that has now earned her a household name and having to make her celebrity life easier while remaining a student. “I have a 6-page research report to come out tonight and a multi-functional photo shoot today … let’s see how that goes,” she wrote on Twitter.
A fan jokingly replied, mocking Megan, stressing on just six pages. “Lol whore I would like to be perfect like you,” she replied.
“I’m trying not to make me a rapper a big problem,” Megan once told Rolling Stone about her student life. “Just as I sometimes miss classes because I have to do a show, someone [if not] has missed a class because they do not want to be there. They can not treat either of us. I’m just trying to finish all my work and make it as soon as I can. Read more.
Yesterday, on Sunday, December 1, 2019, outside of typical practice and policy, the following article was re-published minus proper attribution to the original journalist, Candice Dixson of Grambling State University Athletics. We apologize for the error. Click here to view the full, original story.
NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Grambling State University football team led by as much as 18 points but a turnaround second quarter for Southern University left the G-Men ending their season with a 30-28 loss at the 46th Annual Bayou Classic.
“Our kids showed the heart of a champion. My hat’s off to Southern University. They played an awesome game; both teams played awesome… A really good and clean ball game” said Grambling State head coach Broderick Fobbs.
With an attendance of 68,314 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Southern received the ball after Grambling State’s decision to defer in the second half.
ATLANTA (November 26, 2019) — Spelman and Morehouse Colleges will usher in the holiday season with the 93rd annual Spelman-Morehouse Christmas Carol Concert series.
This festive choral presentation brings together the mellifluous tones of the Spelman College Glee Club and the Morehouse College Glee Club, two historically Black college choirs that have performed for national and international audiences.
Mashaun D. Simon Spelman College 404-270-5893 msimon5@spelman.edu Twitter:@SpelmanMedia
The combined choirs of more than 100 talented students will perform a variety of traditional carols, contemporary interpretations of holiday music, and other signature songs for audiences from across the city of Atlanta and the country.
“The annual Spelman and Morehouse Christmas Carol Concert marks the official entry into the holiday season here at Spelman and throughout the metro Atlanta community,” said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman. “Each year, this joyous occasion affords our students and faculty the opportunity to showcase their talents in celebration of the unforgettable music of the season. The Christmas Carol Concert is a gift we all look forward to giving every year.”
The opening night performance will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, on the campus of Morehouse. Spelman will host the second performance at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, in Sisters Chapel. A third concert will take place at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, at Morehouse’s King Chapel. Performances are free and open to the public.
This year’s concert includes the return of an audience favorite, the majestic hymn “Glory to God,” arranged by Kevin Johnson, who is in his 21st year as director of the Spelman Glee Club. The angelic “Ave Maria” by Cesár Alejandro Carillo will be showcased, and the glee clubs will also perform favorites, including Morehouse’s popular rendition of “Betelehemu” and Spelman’s “We Are Christmas.” Songbooks will be provided so that audience members can sing along with the combined choir.
“Excellence abounds at the Atlanta University Center,” said David A. Thomas, Ph.D., president of Morehouse. “The annual Christmas Carol Concert shows the music mastery that students at Morehouse and Spelman possess. The concert has attracted thousands of people over the years. It is our gift to Atlanta to show our appreciation for the city and its residents who visit our colleges and support our programs.”
The Christmas Carol Concert dates back nearly a century. It began in December 1927—two years before Morehouse graduate Martin Luther King Jr. was born, and a year before the founding of the venerable African American newspaper; the Atlanta Daily World. The idea for the concert was developed by Florence Matilda Read, former Spelman president, and John Hope, then president of Morehouse. The first concert was held in Spelman’s Sisters Chapel, which at that time was the largest venue on the two college campuses. The tradition grew as crowds grew, with the concert becoming a three-night affair. When Morehouse’s King Chapel was built in 1978, the concert partially moved into the larger venue. For the last 41-years the colleges have maintained the tradition of ushering in the holiday by performing two nights at Morehouse and one at Spelman.
About Morehouse College Morehouse College is the nation’s largest liberal arts institution for men. Founded in 1867, the College enrolls approximately 2,200 students and is the nation’s top producer of Black men who go on to receive doctorates. Morehouse is also the top producer of Rhodes Scholars among HBCUs with five Morehouse Men receiving the honor. Historically, Morehouse has conferred more bachelor’s degrees on Black men than any other institution in the world. Prominent alumni include: Martin Luther King Jr., Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Dr. David Satcher, former U.S. Surgeon General; Shelton “Spike” Lee, award-winning American filmmaker; Maynard H. Jackson, the first African American mayor of Atlanta; and Jeh Johnson, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. Morehouse currently has more than 17,000 alumni in 40 states and 14 countries. For more information visit www.morehouse.com
About Spelman College Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a leading liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students. Spelman is the country’s leading producer of Black women who complete Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The College’s status is confirmed by U.S. News and World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 57 among all liberal arts colleges, No. 22 for undergraduate teaching and No. 6 for both innovation and social mobility among liberal arts colleges, and No. 1 for the 13th year among historically Black colleges and universities. The Wall Street Journal ranked the College No. 3, nationally, in terms of student satisfaction. Recent initiatives include a designation by the Department of Defense as a Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM, a Gender and Sexuality Studies Institute, the first endowed queer studies chair at an HBCU, and a program to increase the number of Black women Ph.D.s in economics. New majors have been added, including documentary filmmaking and photography, and partnerships have been established with MIT’s Media Lab, the Broad Institute and the Army Research Lab for artificial intelligence and machine learning. Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman, Starbucks Group President and COO Rosalind Brewer, political leader Stacey Abrams, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna president Audrey Forbes Manley, actress and producer Latanya Richardson Jackson, global bioinformatics geneticist Janina Jeff and authors Pearl Cleage and Tayari Jones. For more information, visit www.spelman.edu.
In the true spirit of Thanksgiving, PVAMU’s Media Relations Team shared the following release: As the Houston Food Bank (HFB) continues to recover from being forced to toss 1.8 million pounds of food last week due to an ammonia leak, a group of Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) students has jumped into action.
Sophomore agriculture major Lenaye Palmer is a member of the College
of Agriculture and Human Sciences’ (CAHS) Garden Club. She helped
organize a donation to the HFB that consisted of vegetables from PVAMU’s
Governor Bill and Vara Daniel Farm, along with canned goods.
“Our school was founded on agriculture, so it’s part of our mission to give back to the community,” said Palmer.
So far, the students’ donations, along with donations from PVAMU’s
partners, has resulted in a contribution that exceeds 1,800 pounds of
food, which is enough to feed 1,000 families over the next three days.
CAHS Dean and Director of Land-Grant Programs Gerard D’Souza, Ph.D.,
said the combined effort aligns perfectly with the university’s
land-grant mission.
“As the only Houston area agricultural university with a farm, it was
our duty to step up and help the food bank provide for families in
need. We are fulfilling the part of our mission that focuses on helping the underserved.”
The initiative also follows the growing emphasis in the college on food security, one of its signature areas.
“In the end, we want to make sure everyone has access to healthy food,” Palmer added.
Donations from PVAMU partners included Eden Green Technology’s
vertical greenhouse in Cleburne, Texas, which donated 1,400 pounds of
food from its warehouse in Dallas. Area Congressional Representative Dan
Crenshaw (R-TX 2nd District) arranged to cover transportation costs.
In Prairie View, CAHS Cooperative Extension Program Specialist Angela
Moore organized a canned food drive, which included students from
nearby H.T. Jones Elementary School. The drive was coordinated by The
Garden Club’s Research Assistant, Debra Bradford.
“Once [PVAMU Research Scientist] Dr. Laura Carson sent out the email
for help, CAHS Program Assistant Chandra Adams helped secure a pallet
for the produce, and our Greenhouse Manager, Mr. Rafash Brew, organized
the students to harvest the produce,” said Bradford.
An initial drop-off to the HFB took place Nov. 22, followed by another delivery on Nov. 26, just in time for Thanksgiving.
“It warms my heart. It goes back to agriculture and our mission to make sure people have the food they need,” Palmer said.
ATLANTA (AP) — Three historically Black colleges are each getting $1 million grants to aid faculty development.
Atlanta’s all-male Morehouse College is getting $1 million from the Carnegie Corp. of New York, while neighboring all-female Spelman College is getting $500,000 from Carnegie and $500,000 from the Rockefeller Foundation. Prairie View A&M University in Texas is getting $1 million from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
The schools say they face increasing competition for teachers from other universities.
Spelman says it will develop new curriculum areas, provide research grants and help young faculty complete scholarly and creative works.
Morehouse says will provide start-up funding for new professors, reduce teaching loads and provide research money.
Prairie View says it will identify better ways to recruit and retain faculty and create a center to track scholarly output.
The Celebration Bowl, in its fifth year, will be televised live on ABC for the fifth consecutive year, kicking off at noon ET, on Saturday, Dec. 21, from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The Celebration Bowl, which showcases the heritage, legacy, pageantry and tradition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), features the conference champions from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The MEAC leads the series 3-1 with all three wins coming from North Carolina A&T, who held off Alcorn State to win the 2018 Celebration Bowl 24-22. The Aggies also captured their last minute 21-14 win over Grambling State in 2017 capping the first unbeaten season in MEAC history. Grambling won the SWAC’s first title in 2016 with a thrilling 10-9 victory over North Carolina Central.
Tickets for the game, a full ancillary
event schedule and discounted rates at downtown Atlanta hotels will be
available this summer. To stay up to date on Celebration Bowl
announcements, sign up for updates on www.TheCelebrationBowl.com and follow the event on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, also
manages the season-opening MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Labor Day weekend,
another game that showcases these two conferences. The 2019 Challenge
will be played in Atlanta, featuring Bethune Cookman from the MEAC and
Jackson State from the SWAC. The game is set for Sunday, Sept. 1, at
Georgia State Stadium, at 3 p.m.
The Celebration Bowl is one of this year’s 14 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events.
ESPN Events ESPN Events,
a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 34
collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor
Day weekend college football games, the FCS opening-weekend game, 15
college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball
event, an esports event and two college award shows, which accounts for
approximately 375-plus hours of live programming, reaches almost 64
million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With
satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise,
Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and Tampa, ESPN
Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local
communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
More honors for North Carolina A&T State University as the U.S. News and World Report said the school is the nation’s number one public historically black school for “Best Colleges 2020.”
WXII reports: Money magazine’s “Best Colleges for Your Money” ranked N.C. A&T as the most affordable and the school remains the nation’s largest HBCU for the sixth consecutive year with more than 12,000 enrolled.
N.C.
A&T State University is a public institution that was founded in
1891 and is located in Greensboro. It’s #281 in the National
Universities ranking in the 2020 edition of Best Colleges.
Monique Judge of The Root shares a very eye-grabbing story for every college student who has loans:
As you struggle to make that outlandish student loan payment this month, here is something for you to chew on: In August, Sallie Mae flew more than 100 employees on its sales team to Maui to celebrate them making more than $5 billion in sales.
NBC News reports that 1 in 5 adults in the United States owes a combined total of $1.6 trillion in student loan debt. This was a cause for celebration for Sallie Mae executives and their teams, who sold $5 billion worth of student loans to just 374,000 borrowers.
The
employees stayed at the upscale Fairmont Hotel in Maui for a 5-day
all-expenses-paid trip, but don’t despair; the company didn’t pay for
their spouses and families to attend as well—the employees had to bear
that cost for themselves.
“We said,
‘Hey, look, Maui is a pretty nice spot.’ And so if you wanted to stay a
few days or want to bring family, that’s up to you,” Ray Quinlan, CEO of
Sallie Mae, told NBC News.
Quinlan
also claimed that the trip was not an incentive for his sales team, but
rather “a sales get-together for all of our salespeople” that the
company has been sponsoring since the company started in the 1970s.
Whew, what a relief.
According to NBC, the company was started to service federal student loans, but since its inception:
the lender’s trajectory has changed, now offering private loans. But in 2014, the company split into two: Sallie Mae Bank, which offers private loans, and Navient, a newly formed offshoot which services and collects loans, including those that Sallie Mae sold. Sallie Mae’s borrowers, however, have said the company doesn’t treat them nearly as well as it does its sales team.
NBC reports that student loan debt has “skyrocketed” in the last decade.
can prevent people from doing things such
as buying homes or starting small businesses. It can even have an impact
on the debtor’s children being able to afford college.
So what exactly was Sallie Mae celebrating in Hawaii? The spoils of their riches, I guess.
NBC
reports that in Sallie Mae’s eyes, the conference was a “recognition of
the hard work” of the sales team. They sat beachside and “planned and
strategized for the upcoming year, were awarded prizes, and soaked up
the sun.”
The Undefeated’s Martenzie Johnson@martenzieshares, U.S. senator and Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has a lot of enemies. From billionaires to Republicans to even members of her own party, Warren has ruffled a lot of feathers throughout her career as a public servant.
But what the senator from Massachusetts may not know is that there is an NBA executive who has a bone to pick with her as well.
When Sashi Brown, the chief planning and operations officer for
Monumental Basketball, part of Monumental Sports & Entertainment,
which owns the Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics and Washington
Capitals, was a first-year law student at Harvard University, Warren was
his contract law professor. Brown, 43, said that while Warren promoted
stimulating discussions in the classroom and was one of the top
professors he had before graduating in 2002, there’s still one nagging
thing that sticks out to him about the then-future presidential
candidate.
“All I saw of her was giving me a grade that I didn’t want at the
time,” Brown said with a slight grin. “Fortunately I got a grade that
was decent.”
Brown was hired by Monumental Sports in July after spending 12 years
in the NFL as both general counsel and a front-office executive for the
Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns. In 2016, Brown took over
player personnel decisions for the Browns as the team’s executive vice
president of football operations, freeing up tens of millions of dollars
in cap space and either making draft picks (pass rusher Myles Garrett)
or stockpiling picks that eventually became centerpieces of the current
roster (cornerback Denzel Ward, running back Nick Chubb and quarterback
Baker Mayfield). But at the same time, Brown passed on drafting quarterbacks Carson Wentz, Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes, and the team was a dreadful 1-27 during his two seasons at the helm.
The Hampton University alum recently sat down with The Undefeated at the Wizards’ practice facility in Washington to discuss his historically black college roots, the Wizards, and what the future holds for stars Bradley Beal and John Wall.
Growing up in Boston, what drew you to Hampton?
Family legacy. For my family, which comes from Kentucky and Ohio, there was a long legacy of success for folks going to HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities.
. I think just the quality
of [Hampton’s] program. They had a great broadcast journalism program
and that’s what I thought I wanted to do, is be on air at ESPN. So I got
to go down there and study and get a little bit out of the Northeast,
which was a good thing, see a different part of the country.
As an 18-year-old, what did it mean to go to the HBCU?
I think there’s stigmas attached to HBCUs, but I think for a large
swath of the community there’s a lot of pride in the institutions that
have been built and really been the catalyst for a lot of success within
the black community. I think people underestimate them still to this
day. So pride drove some of it, pride and what those institutions
represent, what Hampton represented.
Some are in precarious situations. I think there’s a lot of pressure
and a lot more competition across the industry in terms of the colleges
and universities across the country. My mom’s college that she taught at
for a long time, Wheelock College in Boston, just was acquired by
[Boston University]. When you look at what the history of a lot of these
schools have been, it’s a shame to see them wrap up.
But it’s also a call. I think it’s a call to the nation [and] in
particular, alumni of those schools. I sit on the board of trustees at
Hampton and we spend a lot of time focused on how we’re going to forge
forward. There are some schools that are really in a great financial
state. Hampton’s fortunate to be one of those. I do think there’s a
consciousness that’s awakening, but there’s a lot more to be done.
What do these schools need to do to get more students to want to
attend and make it more affordable for those who can’t afford to go?
First, one thing you will see is that HBCUs have had a greater consciousness about making sure that college remains affordable. And I think they’ve been a champion on that. This is obviously a big issue for the country, but a lot of colleges have priced the vast majority of students out. In particular, HBCUs had been … thoughtful about how they price themselves.
I think the other thing is continue — and I emphasize the word continue — providing high quality education. There is an assumption that the education is lesser, but if you really look at the leadership across this country coming out of the African American community, a significant, significant percentage of it is coming from HBCUs. And I think that there’s a lot of reasons for that. If you look at Xavier in New Orleans, for instance, where my sister went, on a per capita basis, there’s probably not a school in the country that’s more successful at preparing doctors, doesn’t matter the ethnicity, gender or what have you.
I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I have to ask: Which is the real HU?
You can look at the schools, the rankings, all the things you need to
do. But I don’t need to bother with that. I’m always between Harvard
and Hampton, I’m not quite sure, but it’s one of them, it’s one of them,
for sure.
What was that like for you to go from an HBCU to Harvard, which is kind of the antithesis of HBCUs?
In some ways, right? Harvard has got a tremendous legacy. Part of the reason HBCUs proliferated in the South and you didn’t see so many North is because a lot of the schools up North had begun to open their doors to African Americans far earlier than what you saw in the South. My dad couldn’t go to the University of Kentucky, period. My grandfather was a coach at Kentucky State across town from Kentucky when [basketball coach] Adolph Rupp was championing that he would never have black players. I think when you put everything in context there’s great opportunity for these schools to bring people together and provide a great education. Read the rest of the article.
WBAL-TV’s Theo Hayes writes: Herald Square is about to get a dose of the Magnificent Marching Machine. The Morgan State University band is heading to New York to showcase their talents at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Their excitement was hard to contain Tuesday morning as the marching band of over 100 members headed to the 93rd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
“I’ve always wanted to be in the Macy’s Day parade and when I got in. My mind was blown,” said trumpeter Arthur Crowner.
The
experience has been intense for the past few weeks. The band has been
practicing every day for three hours to get ready for the big show.
They’ll perform five songs, but they’re bound by contract not to reveal
which ones. However, they promise will be a hit.
The parade course is two and a half miles, so practice, which included plenty of physical endurance workouts, was crucial.
“What
we are doing now is just trying to spend some time marching around the
track so that we get used to just being in parade formation for that
amount of time,” said Melvin Miles, director of the Morgan State
University Band.
Morgan State University is the first historically black university in Maryland to play at the parade and the fifth in the country. It’s an honor that Miles, who has been a part of the group for 46 years, said they’ll cherish for a lifetime.
“At the end of the day, all you have is your memory, and this is one of those things that you should hold on to always, and they will,” Miles said. Read more.
When Democratic presidential candidates came to Atlanta for the latest debate this week, several of them made stops at the city’s HBCUs. The 2020 candidates are vying for young African American voters to win the nomination and these students are a key target.
Nearly 300,000 students attend the nation’s 101 accredited HBCUs, which graduate more than half of the nation’s black doctors, lawyers and judges, and 40% of its African American members of Congress. More than 8,000 are enrolled at the Atlanta University Center.
Here’s a sampling of what the major Democratic presidential candidates have said about historically black colleges and universities and what they’ve proposed to improve them:
Joe Biden: The former vice president’s overall plan calls for investing $70 billion into black colleges to make them more affordable through grants and to increase enrollment, retention, completion and employment rates.
The plan would also create research incubators and expand career pathways for HBCU graduates.
Cory Booker: Booker, whose father, Cary, attended North Carolina Central University, got into a bit of hot water in March when he tweeted that “HBCUs are not just for African Americans.”
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) speaks to the crowd at Paschal’s Restaurant during National Action Network’s (NAN) Southeast Regional Conference in Atlanta, Ga on Thursday, Nov 22, 2019.Photo: Elissa Benzie/Elissa Benzie
But in January 2018, the New Jersey senator introduced the HBCU Capital Financing Improvement Act, which is a bill that aims to help improve the financial health of HBCUs.
Pete Buttigieg: Earlier this week, at Morehouse College, Buttigieg proposed a $500 billion program that would make college more affordable for working and middle-income families. Part of that package would include $50 billion over the next decade to “level the uneven playing field” of historically black colleges and other institutions that serve minorities.
Morehouse College student Keron Campbell snaps a selfie with presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, as he greets students after speaking while launching a new effort to win over black voters during a conversation at Morehouse College on Monday, November 18, 2019, in Atlanta. CURTIS COMPTON/AJCPhoto: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Our economy is changing and it’s past time to grow the pathways to opportunity in America,” said Buttigieg. “That starts with making college affordable for every student from a working or middle-class family and making a historic investment in HBCUs.”
Kamala Harris: A 1986 graduate of Howard University, Harris is the only candidate to actually attend an HBCU.
November 21, 2019 – Atlanta – Presidential candidate Kamala Harris headlined a Black Women’s Power Breakfast co-hosted by Higher Heights and The Collective PAC at the Westin.Photo: Bob Andres/robert.andres@ajc.com
Amy Klobuchar gestures to an audience at a breakfast event on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, in Atlanta. Klobuchar, along with Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker, Andrew Yang and Tom Steyer, all presidential hopefuls, spoke at the event hosted by the Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.Photo: AP Photo/ Ron Harris
Participating HBCUs would receive federal funding to waive or significantly reduce the first two years of tuition for low-income students at four-year schools.
11/21/2019 — Atlanta, Georgia — U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders takes a selfie with supporters following his speech during a New Deal Democrats Rally at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Thursday, November 21, 2019. (Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal Constitution)Photo: Alyssa Pointer/alyssa.pointer@ajc.com
Elizabeth Warren: In April, Warren proposed a radical higher education reform package that would include $50 billion in aid for HBCUs. “For decades, black Americans were kept out of higher education by virtue of overtly discriminatory policies,” Warren said in April. “Even as the civil rights movement rolled back racially discriminatory admissions policies, the stratification of our higher education system kept students of color concentrated in under-resourced institutions and left them vulnerable to predatory actors.”
11/21/2019 — Atlanta, Georgia — U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., waves to her supporters during her campaign stop at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Thursday, November 21, 2019. (Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal Constitution)Photo: Alyssa Pointer/alyssa.pointer@ajc.com
Andrew Yang: Yang has promised $250 million in federal funds to provide training programs in grant writing for faculty and staff at HBCUs; to provide $7.5 billion in federal funding for general infrastructure improvements and $750 million for building out a fundraising infrastructure.
November 21, 2019 – Atlanta – Andrew Yang texts folks on his list along with his wife, Evelyn. Democratic presidential candidates including Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang and Pete Buttigieg, along with Stacey Abrahms, were calling and texting voters Thursday whose registrations could be canceled in Georgia at a Fair Fight phone bank at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. The phone bank was in response to Georgia election officials’ plan to cancel more than 313,000 voter registrations next month.Photo: Bob Andres/robert.andres@ajc.com
The plan also includes $6 billion in federal funding for scholarships and internships through the White House Initiative on HBCUs; and to end any practices that allow banks to charge HBCUs higher fees.
As the year draws to a close, high school students everywhere are looking ahead at what the new year will entail. Prom, senior trips and ditch days, and most importantly, college acceptances, become the focal points of the new year as a new graduate class steps onto the collegiate landscape. The choice in where to go to college comes with several factors, such as financial affordability, closeness to home and student resources. However, this choice becomes all the more complex for high school athletes looking to play on the collegiate level.
For a student-athlete, the name of the school and its ability to send players into professional athletics is just as important as the condition of its classroom facilities. This proves to be the main reason why top black college prospects are less inclined to go to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Top athletic colleges, such as Louisiana State University or Duke University, have solidified their marks as the go-to schools for the best athletes in the world. The alumni they boast also add to their extensive list of pros for high school athletes deciding where to take their talents.
For example, the University of Connecticut basketball jersey was once worn by the likes of NBA Legend Ray Allen and current NBA Stars, Kemba Walker and Rudy Gay. Peyton Manning and Reggie White were both members of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville football team before they were world-renowned greats. For any high school athlete with dreams of becoming a pro, going to these types of schools seems like the automatic choice; the line of thinking that if the school can produce greats like Peyton Manning or Ray Allen, then they too can be great there. However, I believe that this line of thinking only looks at a very small part of the whole picture.
Division 1 schools account for a majority of the profit revenue seen by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). In 2017, the NCAA reported $1.1 billion in revenue, with most of it coming from its March Madness Men’s Basketball Tournament. According to a Forbes study in March of 2019, the top five college basketball programs report an average of $30 million per year in revenue with Louisville reporting the most, over $50 million a year. This money stems from sponsorship from big name athletics companies like Nike and Under Armour as well as major network deals with CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting.
The amount of money and exposure poured into these schools’ athletic programs becomes all the more shocking when realized that almost all of these big-name schools are predominantly white institutions. This is especially jarring since, in the 65 schools that make up the top athletic conferences, only 2.4 percent of the undergraduate population are black men while they make up more than 50 percent of the athletic teams. We have seen this same plot again and again throughout history; the exploitation of black talent for white profit. I am not downplaying the statuses of these top institutions, however, it is imperative that we as a people look to preserve not only our talent, but our ownership of talent.
While Louisville, with its 10.2 percent black student enrollment, is able to bring in $30 million in profit yearly on the talents and dedication of its black athletes, HBCUs collectively only rake in a fraction of this amount. While these big-name schools definitely have set their names in stone, it is important to realize that the student-athlete is a student first and their experience while at school with ultimately help shape how they view themselves as players and people in the world. I believe the cultural incubation of Black society that is bred on every HBCU campus that would benefit greatly from the presence of major athletic sponsor and viewership.
Imagine if Xavier University of Louisiana was consumed with the same competitive fervor that graces University of Michigan’s football stadium every week. What if Howard’s and Hampton’s rivalry was on full display in nationally televised tournaments? Yes, HBCUs have their own woes, both financially and administratively, but we cannot ignore that these problems are also prevalent in predominantly white institutions. The same year that former Howard University student, Tyrone Hankerson Jr., allegedly embezzled over $400,000 from the financial aid accounts of fellow Bison, Columbia University former director of financial aid, Melanie Williams-Bethea, was accused of having received over $300,000 in kickbacks from over-compensated student stipends.
Additionally, in recent years, with the rise of public white supremacist sentiments, the predominantly white institution has become a place of debate and, oftentimes conflict, between white and non-black students. While they cheer on their black student shooting a jump shot, white students are either active or passive in racism and discrimination at their schools. The appreciation for Black students at predominantly white institutions too often starts and stops on the field, reason enough for top high school athletes to at least consider attending an HBCU. For a collection of higher education options that produce the highest number of black professionals, I believe it is also imperative that we produce the highest number of professional black athletes as well.
BALTIMORE, Md. – A new program at Morgan State University (MSU) aims to strengthen the on-campus relationship between athletics and academics by offering new insight into the student-athlete experience.
Morgan’s Athletics Department initiated and launched the Guest Coach Program, which presents select staff and faculty members with a unique opportunity to engage with student-athletes outside of the classroom while furthering a better, more comprehensive understanding of their day-to-day obligations and challenges. As a “guest coach,” the participating faculty or staff member becomes more familiar with the type of effort Morgan student-athletes put forth to be successful in and out of uniform.
In addition, through this exclusive first-hand experience, the program attempts to pull back the curtain for faculty members, providing more information on the breadth of athletic activities and programs being offered and its impact on student-athletes. Additionally, the Guest Coach Program offers gainful insights into the role coaches play in the student-athlete’s educational process. The select professor(s) will get to shadow a student for a complete day — watching them practice, workout, study and compete.
The inspiration behind the program was sparked at the Morgan State Athletic Department’s 2019 Summer Retreat, when members of the retreat’s Education Committee were challenged to develop an engaging and a thoughtful way to bridge the gap of understanding between academics and athletics. Their brainstorming resulted in the birth of the Guest Coach Program.
“Our guest coaching program enhances our student-athletes’ experience at Morgan State,” said Robert Anderson, director of External Operations for MSU Athletics. “As a committee, our main objectives are to enhance the bond between student-athlete and professor and strengthen the relationships with our on-campus partners and respective business units. Overall, this will continue the support our student-athletes needs on and off the field.”
The first participants of the Guest Coach Program were chosen by the Education Committee with input from select student-athletes. Multi-media Journalism professor Hamil Harris from the School of Global Journalism and Communication, and associate professors of Biology Gabrielle L. McLemore, Ph.D. and Ernest Steele, Ph.D. from the School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences were presented with the inaugural opportunity. All three began their new immersion into the student-athlete experience on the day that the Bears Football team would host a home game against the North Carolina A&T Aggies.
The faculty members opened their gameday in the morning with Athletics learning specialist Chad Allen. Allen provided the professors with a tour of the athletic academic centers, training room, and the strength and conditioning area inside Hill Field House. This candid gameday walkthrough experience showcased their student’s out of the classroom skills in a more direct and intimate way.
“The guest coach experience was designed to better illustrate to our on-campus faculty how equally invested Morgan’s athletic department is to the success of our student-athletes by providing additional learning resources, personal development and career readiness opportunities,” said Allen. “We also used the opportunity to showcase our GRIT (Growth, Resilience, Integrity & Teamwork) which gives us our competitive advantage.”
The professors were also taken to Legends Plaza where they saw the statues of Morgan’s legendary head coaches Edward P. Hurt and Earl C. Banks, followed by a walkthrough of Hughes Stadium. While there, they toured the press box and video control room, stopping to get a bird’s eye view of the newly renovated field, followed by a meeting with Morgan’s first-year head football coach Tyrone Wheatley on the sidelines. Prior to the kick-off of the game, they were escorted to the on-field V.I.P. hospitality tent where they enjoyed the rest of the football game.
“Our guest coaches gained an appreciation for what our student-athletes juggle, and make sacrifices for, on a daily basis,” said Director of Athletics Edward Scott, Ph.D. “This exercise is a demonstration of how much hard work and time they put into their sport in addition to their academic work.”
Overall, the launch of the program was a success and provided these members of Morgan’s faculty with a better knowledge of the type of well-rounded experience that Morgan student-athlete receives.
“This program is an excellent way for faculty to support our student-athletes,” said Dr. McLemore. “All faculty members must see them excel in their element to be reminded that these young people are performing in ways (outside of the classroom) that most faculty cannot comprehend. The Guest Coach Program will inspire in each faculty member deep-seated feelings of admiration for our Bears.”
About Morgan Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 125 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
Coppin State’s men’s basketball team picked up its second victory of the season with a 68-66 overtime victory over Cornell University on Saturday night at PEC Arena. This is the first time since the 2013-14 season that the Eagles have won a pair of non-conference Division I games.
The Basics Final Score: Coppin State 68, Cornell 66 (Overtime) Records: Coppin State (2-5), Cornell (1-5) Location: Baltimore, Md. (PEC Arena) Series History: Coppin State Leads, 2-0
Inside the Numbers
Three Coppin State players finished in double figures, led by Kamar McKnight who recorded 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 4-of-6 from 3-point range.
Koby Thomas added 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting to go with eight rebounds which matched Brendan Medley-Bacon for a team-high.
Andrew Robinson scored 15 points on 6-of-11 from the field with three 3-pointers. His final three with 43 seconds remaining in overtime sealed the victory.
Dejuan Clayton scored five points with three steals and Medley-Bacon finished with four points, eight rebounds and five blocks in just 23 minutes.
Reggie James provided a great spark off the bench with three points, three rebounds and an assist.
The Eagles outshot Cornell, 41.9% to 29.1% from the floor.
Cornell outrebounded Coppin, 54-43 and had 26 offensive rebounds which turned into 20 second-chance points.
The Big Red got 25 points and 17 rebounds from Jimmy Boeheim who scored 20 of his points after the first half.
How it Happened
Cornell got out to a 9-5 lead in the first 4:09 but Coppin got it going with a 15-0 run over the next 4:16 to go up 20-9 with 11:35 left in the first. Kamar McKnight and Koby Thomas combined for all 15 of the points as McKnight hit three 3-pointers.
The Eagles extended their lead to as many as 14 points twice in the first half after a jumper and a 3-pointer by Andrew Robinson.
The Big Red pulled to within 32-22 at the half and started the second period on a 15-5 run to tie the score at 37 with 12:02 left in regulation.
McKnight put CSU back on top with a three and the lead built back up to 48-44 on a pair of free throws by Thomas at the 5:59 mark.
The visitors then went on a 9-0 run to take its largest lead of the game at 53-48 with 2:41 remaining.
Following a miss, McKnight went to the hole and converted on a three-point play and Robinson hit a three to give the Eagles back the lead at 54-53.
CU hit a pair of free throws to go back on top, and after a layup by Thomas, and a three by Cornell, McKnight hit a jumper in the paint to tie the score at 58 with 30 ticks left to send the game into overtime.
Cornell opened the extra session on a 5-1 run as Jimmy Boeheim hit two free throws and a three, but McKnight hit a layup and Thomas drained a pair of free throws to tie the score at 63 with 2:05 to go.
After a Cornell miss, McKnight found Thomas with a great pass inside and Thomas tipped in his own miss to put Coppin up, 65-63.
At the other end, McKnight forced a turnover and fed Robinson for a three from the wing, giving Coppin a 68-63 lead with 43 seconds left.
Cornell made it interesting with a three at the other end and had a chance to tie the score after CSU missed a pair of free throws but came up short on a pair of jumpers in the closing seconds.
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