This Nike campaign #JustDoIt features the dance team of Alabama State University the Honeybeez. Dream Crazy campaign has been highlighting stories of people who achieve things that began as a highly improbable thought.
“Any dream is possible. If you just want this crazy dream to happen, you just have to put the work in.” You know what some people consider a crazy dream? A body positive world. One that’s full of confidence. A world that’s dripping in self-love. But that’s the “crazy” world that Montgomery’s Honeybeez are fighting for. #justdoit
Morehouse students impressed the judges with their sales skills and won four top prizes.
The winners were: Kristopher Mathis, a senior in business marketing major, who won $1,000 for first place; Darnell Braxton, a junior business finance major, who won $500 for second place; Omar Smith, a sophomore business administration major, who won $250 for third place; and James Jones, II, a senior business finance major, who won a trophy for fourth place.
All winners selected by judges from Rocket Mortgage.
HOUSTON – Texas Southern University’s Board of Regents has opted to remove the interim label from Vice President of Athletics Kevin Granger on Friday.Granger
At their meeting on Friday, the Board approved a 3-year contract for Granger, who had been serving as the interim Vice President of Athletics for most of the academic year.
“It’s a great honor for me to get this opportunity,” Granger said in a statement. “This is a school where I grew up, a school I love, and shed blood, sweat and tears for.”
Granger took over the position from Dr. Charles McClelland, who left to become the commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
“To gain the trust of [TSU President] Dr. Austin Lane, and for him to have the confidence in me to continue the program that Dr. McClelland left behind means a lot to me,” Granger said.
A TSU alumnus, Granger led the Tigers basketball team to two SWAC championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1994 and 1995. His No. 10 jersey was later retired by the program.
At Sunday night’s Oscars, Morehouse College Alum, Spike Lee won his first competitive Academy Award and landed a full-circle moment, giving a shoutout to his famously snubbed 1985 film Do the Right Thing. The director, who won best adapted screenplay for BlacKkKlansman (an award he shared with Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, and Kevin Willmott), delivered a rousing speech that ended with him urging viewers to get active in the next presidential election.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTo3XYm33WU
“Let’s all mobilize. Let’s all be on the right side of history . . . let’s do the right thing!” he said, capping a speech that began with a bold declaration: “Do not turn that motherfucking clock on!”
The category was announced by Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson, a frequent Lee collaborator who made sure to let the director know that the Knicks, his beloved basketball team, also won their game that night. After his win was announced, Lee quickly made his way to the stage and leapt into Jackson’s arms.
He began his speech by thanking his family, including kids Satchel and Jackson, and shouting out Black History Month (and pointedly noting that February is the shortest month of the year). Lee also brought the speech back around to his family, thanking his grandmother “who was a Spelman College graduate, even though her mother was a slave” and who helped put him through Morehouse College and New York University. “I give praise to our ancestors who built this country,” he added.
Lee’s Do the Right Thing mention at the end of his speech arrives 30 years after his landmark film was snubbed in the best-picture category (and Lee, too, was snubbed in the best-director category). The director was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2015, but the Do the Right Thing snub has gone down as one of the most notable missteps in Oscar history. This year’s ceremony marks the director’s first win in a competitive category. BlacKkKlansman, based on the true story of a black detective infiltrating the K.K.K., was nominated for six Oscars overall.
Bennett senior and Student Government Association President Alexis Branch started the petition to evoke change in the school’s administration to avoid falling into the same financial pitfalls.
She says Summers has failed to properly manage the school’s money according to the standards of the college’s accrediting board, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
“He also announced to the student body that he was using funds for what he was counting as unrestricted funds,” Branch said. “They were not unrestricted funds. SACS coded them as restricted funds.”
According to Branch, she feels as if the school money was mismanaged.
“He should have to be made aware of the policy. He should have known the policy as our financial expert at our school and known that those funds could not be used as unrestricted dollars,” Branch said.
The school is aware of the online petition and is now conducting an investigation.
“I think that he’s been putting money into accounts to show the public and the accrediting body or even just the students and alums that we are stable when in reality we were not stable,” said Branch.
The court’s decision reflects an agreement reached between the college and the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to preserve the college’s accreditation during legal proceedings, according to a press release from the school.
The college has filed a lawsuit against the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to make sure the school can remain open.
Accreditation is important because, among other things, it allows schools to accept federal grants and student loans.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on College issued the announcement on Friday that Bennett College lost its accreditation, despite a massive fundraising effort that surpassed its initial goal.
Despite the news, Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan said she’s confident the college’s doors will stay open. She says there is a “plan B” possibly involving another accreditation board and even a potential lawsuit.
The SACSCOC Board of Trustees voted to pull Bennett’s accreditation on Dec. 9, but the college appealed the decision, telling the board that the decision was “arbitrary and unreasonable and not based on, or consistent with, the published Principles of Accreditation of SACSCOC policies.”
The Appeals Committee reaffirmed the board’s initial decision.
The SACSCOC reported that the committee made the call “with no remand for consideration of additional financial information made available after December 9, 2018,” meaning that they did not recognize the over $9 million the college was able to raise after the board’s decision.
Bennett College leaders were notified that the college lost its accreditation on Feb. 18.
Bennett College’s Student Government Association is calling for the removal of the LeRoy Summers Jr., Vice President of Business & Finance, in light of what’s happened.
The school said it is aware that the students want to remove Summers Jr. and the school is conducting an investigation.
Betsy DeVos the U.S. Education Secretary just made an annual donation of her nearly $200,000 salary to four nonprofits. A portion of that annual gift will go to public historically black colleges and universities by way of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
When she began her tenure as Secretary of Education, Mrs. DeVos pledged to donate her yearly salary to charity. Last year, Mrs. DeVos donated the remainder of her salary to charities focusing on education and special needs. This year, TMCF is honored to be a recipient of a charitable donation from Mrs. DeVos, which will help TMCF to continue its work of educating the next generation of leaders from our nation’s publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs).
“Out of all the higher education organizations in the country she could have selected, we can’t thank Mrs. DeVos enough for her trust, belief in and support for TMCF, the mission and our 47 member-schools,” said Dr. Harry L. Williams, TMCF president & CEO. “Mrs. DeVos has taken the time to consistently meet, listen and work with TMCF, learning more about the needs and value of our schools throughout her time at the Department of Education. We have had a productive and impactful working relationship with Mrs. DeVos and her entire team.”
TMCF distributes 98% of its awards exclusively to HBCUs and PBIs, which is more than any other organization that supports the Black College Community. Additionally, TMCF has received the highest ratings from Charity Navigator (4-stars) and Guide Star (Platinum Level Participant). Since 1987, TMCF has raised more than $300 million to support HBCUs, PBIs, and the nearly 300,000 students attending our member-schools.
For more information on TMCF, please visit: www.tmcf.org
HAMPTON, Va. (July 3, 2018) — Dr. and Mrs. William R. Harvey are donating an unexpected and unprecedented gift of $553,000 to their “Home by the Sea.” Hampton‘s first couple is no stranger to giving and giving back to the university they have led for 40 years.
This latest gift was given to the faculty and staff in the form of a 1% additional raise on top of the optional annual increase that is given at the start of each fiscal year. For an example, if the supervisor’s recommendation was a raise of 3%, Dr. Harvey’s gift will increase that raise to 4%. The Harvey’s personal generosity to Hampton University now totals nearly $4.2 million.
This offering truly displays Dr. and Mrs. Harvey’s heartfelt commitment to giving back to the university community they serve. There is no question that in the four decades of service, the Harvey’s have upheld THE standard of excellence that is Hampton University. The Harvey’s are more than President and First Lady of Hampton University, they are truly admired for being the heart and soul of this prestigious institution.
As a result of Dr. Harvey’s guidance, generosity, direction and service, Hampton University is an internationally renowned world-class leader in higher education. Dr. Harvey, with his wife of 52 years at his side, has transformed Hampton University from a small college to a world-class university. The students attending Hampton are destined for success as they join alumni who are leaders in some of the highest offices across a multitude of industries. Many alumni who were influenced by Dr. Harvey’s leadership will tell you how their alma mater excels above the rest.
The first couple’s history of giving includes covering salary increases during the lean financial periods. In 2011, Dr. and Mrs. Harvey gave a gift of $1 million to be utilized as incentives to increase faculty salaries. In 2011 and again in 2014, the Harvey’s gave donations of $166,000 and $108,403 respectively, to support wage increases for full-time permanent HU staff.
The Harvey’s also made a generous donation to scholarships in 2001. That year they gave a gift of $1 million to fund scholarships for students interested in becoming K-12 teachers.
In 2016, Dr. and Mrs. Harvey gave a $100,000 gift to the William R. Harvey Leadership Institute, which increased their endowment to over $3 million in scholarships for students to attend the William R. Harvey Leadership Institute (WRHLI). The students become “Harvey Scholars” after a rigorous selection process. Upon completion of the program, the fellows receive an 18-hour-minor in leadership studies and also attend a service learning initiative trip abroad.
The WRHLI was the brainchild of Dr. Harvey who convened several of his closest academic advisors with the clear purpose of creating an institute with a curriculum focused on character development, critical thinking, leadership theory and application, ethics and policy development.
As it relates to their latest gift, Dr. Harvey said, “Our Hampton community is a family. Ensuring each faculty and staff member receives what they are due is extremely important to me. We all work very hard to make Hampton University a dynamic and respected leader in higher education. With the help of everyone who gives so much to the campus, we have been able to become one of the top modest sized institutions in the world.”
The Harvey’s most recent contribution brings the personal donations to the university from its first family to $4,153,000.
As a visionary, Dr. Harvey has embraced HU founder General Samuel Chapman Armstrong’s mission to have every aspect at Hampton University excel. And excel it has under Dr. Harvey’s leadership. The William R. Harvey years, 40 and counting, will grace the record books as an unparalleled accounting of mega success, not just for the HU students, faculty and staff whose lives give testimony to the results of his labor, but for the global community of stakeholders who will continually reap the benefits of his astute leadership for generations to come.
Dr. Harvey has introduced innovations, which have solidified Hampton University’s stellar position among the nation’s colleges and universities. Ninety-two new academic programs, an endowment that has increased 866%, satellites on active missions in space, the largest free-standing proton therapy cancer treatment center in the world, speaks to his desire to leave the world better than he found it.
The Brewton, Alabama native is a servant leader who faces each day determined to enrich the lives of others. His blessed path led him from a small town to the coveted classrooms of Harvard University. With his Ivy League degree in hand, Dr. Harvey could have taken any one of so many prestigious university offers. However, he, the true educator, chose to lead at an HBCU where he could make a real difference in the academic worlds of young people who yearned for better lives. Dr. Harvey, the businessman, put his acumen to work placing Hampton on the fast track for growth and development as a world-class university.
Dr. and Mrs. Harvey continue to support Hampton University’s institutional vision and mission by ensuring high quality faculty and staff continue to thrive, to build character, and to help prepare promising students for successful futures. Hampton University truly thanks Dr. and Mrs. Harvey for their kindness, their faithful support, and their selfless generosity.
Ouleye Ndoye Warnock, C’2007, is a pioneer. As the inaugural senior human trafficking fellow for the City of Atlanta, she was recently featured in the “Atlanta Voice” for her work in helping Atlanta combat human trafficking.
Appointed by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Warnock reports to the mayor’s chief staff and is considered a member of the mayor’s executive team. Her role, made possible by the Partnership for Freedom, is to develop a citywide response to preventing human trafficking and provide support for survivors.
Prepared to Lead. Destined to Change the World.
Using insight acquired as an undergraduate student at Spelman College and as a graduate student at Columbia University and Oxford University, Warnock is well-suited for the opportunities and challenges the position will present. She holds a M.Sc. in Migration Studies from Oxford’s Department of International Development and School of Anthropology, and a Masters in History from Columbia University where she is currently pursuing her Ph.D. She graduated from Spelman with honors, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude, in the top 1% of her class with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, with a concentration on francophone Africa.
Warnock, who led the first group of Spelman and Morehouse students to Senegal in 2007 through her service as president of the Student Government Association, began advocating for individuals impacted by sex trafficking as a result of scholarships and fellowships that afforded her opportunities to work in the field of human rights in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. She found her niche in human rights by working with African asylum seekers, and advocating for improved education and health of young girls in rural Senegal through the Women’s Health Education and Prevention Strategies Alliance’s 10,000 Girls Program.
Working to Put an End to Human Trafficking
With over a decade of experience working to support the rights of women and children throughout the world, Warnock continues to advocate for human rights — access to health care, education, prevention of sexual violence, and a safe place to call home — for all people. She has already made a significant impact in the city of Atlanta as a result of her work which first included making sure officials and the general public truly understood what human trafficking is.
“Human trafficking is modern-day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to lure their victims and force them into labor or commercial sexual exploitation,” according to the United States Department of Homeland Security.
Warnock, during her first eight months in her role as human trafficking fellow, developed a “comprehensive blueprint” to provide insight on the current state of sex trafficking, including analysis on survivor services, current anti-trafficking programs, policy recommendations and much more, as reported in an Atlanta Voice article by Martel Sharpe.
Educating and Empowering Government and Private Sectors
Committed to educating and empowering, Warnock created a human trafficking training guide that can be used by agencies and organizations. Specifically, the training has been requested by the Atlanta Police Department and the Super Bowl Host Committee and it’s over 10,000 volunteers.
In October 2018, Warnock organized the city of Atlanta’s first Human Trafficking Policy Roundtable which brought together more than 50 community leaders and 15 organizations from the public and private sectors to talk with experts on issues such as new policy trends and the evolution of the healthcare delivery system. Participants learned about current labor and sex trafficking practices. They also discussed factors such as signage in schools, hotels and convenience stores; parents’ roles in prevention and reporting; and ways to bridge the generational gap to better educate communities on human trafficking.
WASHINGTON – Since 1867 many college sweethearts have found the love of their life at Howard University. One Valentine’s Day, Imani Pope-Johns and Misha Cornelius highlighted a few love stories that add to the “Howard mystique” turned life-long love that many know. Share your Howard love story online this February and tag #HowardLoveStory.
A Rankin Chapel Wedding in the 90s:
During the spring of 1988, Vernon Lee Jr., and Kellie Rodriguez-Lee (pictured), had a friendship that quickly grew, as they love to frame it. It all started the day Vernon pushed open the elevator doors at the East Towers, just to get Kellie’s name. By 1991, they were college sweethearts.
“Over the years at Howard, we enjoyed many study dates and classic college meals like hamburger helper. It was because of our deep Bison love we decided to get married at Rankin Chapel in 1995,” said Kellie.
The young couple felt it was only fitting to get married on Howard’s campus since that’s where they fell in love. Throughout 25 years of marriage, The Lees have lived in three states and are the proud parents of a college senior named Alexis.
“We are forever thankful for all that Howard has given us,” said Kellie.
Their wedding didn’t have a theme, yet embodied that Bison love they always cherished.
Cooking Up Love in Business and the Community:
The love story of Janet and Ted Cook developed within two weeks of Janet arriving on campus. She was working toward a degree in business and Ted was in law school. It wasn’t long after they met that they decided to get married. And although they were students with little money, they committed themselves to a lifetime together and moved into a Washington D.C. basement apartment together. Janet affectionately reminisced on the story of how the two had very little in those early days but found themselves surrounded by an abundance of love and community.
Eventually, the Cooks went on to become serial entrepreneurs, opening a successful staffing agency in the D.C. area that notably staffed the development of a terminal in Union Station. The Howard couple raised two children – Quinn Cook, a successful basketball player for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, and Kelsey Cook, who is pursuing a music career in New York.
When Ted passed in 2010, Janet and her family felt a sense of tremendous loss, but nevertheless remained strong and connected. Today, Janet runs the Cook’s businesses and remains tightly connected to the Howard community.
“We were able to pass down the fortitude and determination that Howard instilled in us as parents so that in the face of tragedy, both our children were able to stay focused. We were only able to do it because of the community,” said Janet. “In the Howard community, we adopt each other’s kids, so the community adopted my two and were there every step of the way. But also, we’ve been passing on the determination and supreme confidence that Howard instilled in us since the day our children were born. I owe everything to Howard.”
Déjà vu For Two:
If you ask Jon Murphy and Dana Hall (pictured), when they first met, you may get a range of answers. As Dana recalls, “it’s possible that our first interaction was at a random homecoming function, at a protest for Troy Davis, or a Swahili class.” However, they both remember the night when he interrupted her conversation with a friend and introduced himself as her waiter at the restaurant Uniontown Bar and Grille.
“He proceeded to give me a hug and asked ‘Didn’t you go to Howard?” She later told her friend that the waiter was cute and hoped that they would exchange numbers before the end of the night.
For Jon, the memory was sort of déjà vu. He felt that this had occurred before, and remembered that she was an alumna of Howard. “I came from around the bar and told the waitress that I’d take the first high top table where Dana and her friend were sitting. After Dana finished eating, he walked to the table to pick up the check.
“I came up with the master plan, but before I could execute it, her friend said, ‘So are you going to ask her for her number?’ As I stood there awkwardly, I couldn’t do anything else but get those digits and the rest is history.”
As a nod to Howard University’s role in their lives, the couple took baby announcement photos on The Yard. Last year, they welcomed a baby girl named Zora after the illustrious alumna Zora Neale Hurston.
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About Howard University
Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwarzman Scholar, over 70 Fulbright Scholars and 22 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University visit www.howard.edu
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Hampton University Lady Pirates indoor track and field team made it a sweep on Saturday as they took their first-ever Big South Conference Indoor Championship in the meet held at Liberty University.
Hampton scored 162.50 points to edge out High Point with 159, while Charleston Southern took third with 95 points. Campbell finished in the fourth spot with 77 points, Radford finished in fifth with 52, and USC Upstate is sixth with 44 points. Gardner-Webb finished in seventh with 32 points, while Winthrop stands eighth with 21 points and UNC Asheville rounds out the standings at ninth with 18.5 points.
The Lady Pirates got on the board on Saturday with a 1-3-6 finish in the 60 hurdles as Autumn Smith won the race in 8.55 with Mallory Pitchford coming in third (8.71) and Kaitiln Scott in sixth (9.01).for a total of 19 points.
In the 400 meters, Sashana Hinds took second in 57.25 and Smith came in fourth in 57.68 to give Hampton 13 points. The 60 meters gave Hampton another nine points as Pitchford took second in 7.59 and Isis Brooks was seventh in 7.65.
DeVonya Brown took seventh in the 800 (2:23.66) and Shakeira Johnson was eighth in 2:26.90 for three points. The 200 meters gave Hampton 20 points with Pitchford (24.51) edging out Brooks (24.52) for first while Asha Copeland was seventh in 25.56.
The field events saw Hampton set a couple school marks. In the weight throw, Hampton went 1-2 and set a school record as Corneisha Mitchell won it in 18.68 meters with Ayana Culhane taking second in 18.27. Culhane set a school record on Friday in the shot put with a toss of 14.58 meters.
Kameryn Trussell was fourth in the triple jump (11.47 meters) and Smith was sixth (11.30) for eight more points. In the 4×400 relay, Jaelen Leonard, Smith, Alysha Evans and Hinds took second in 3:51.71 to ice the team win finishing ahead of High Point who was third.
Head Coach Maurice Pierce was named Coach of the Year for the first time in the Big South and has a share of a Coach of the Year title now 15 times. The Lady Pirates won the MEAC title 2001, 2003-07, a share in 2008, 2009, 2011-16. Culhane was named to the Big South Conference All-Academic team at the conclusion of the meet.
For more information on Hampton University women’s indoor track and field, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com
Atlanta, GA – The Black College Football Hall of Fame has announced that Bowie State senior quarterback Amir Hall has once again won the Deacon Jones Trophy, being named the 2018 Black College Football Player of the Year.
Black College Football Hall of Fame Trustees James “Shack” Harris and Doug Williams made the announcement during the 2019 Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Atlanta on Saturday night. The Award recognizes the most outstanding football player from a Historically Black College & University (HBCU) that embodies the rich tradition of athletic excellence and integrity associated with HBCUs.
Hall led the Bulldogs to a second consecutive berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs and a first-round win, in what was the most successful season Bulldogs Football history. He threw for 4,152 yards, 38 total touchdowns, and set the CIAA all-time leading passing record in yards and touchdowns along the way. Hall was named the CIAA Offensive Player of the Year and was invited to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
After three years as the Bulldogs starting quarterback, Hall owns nearly every school passing record, including passing yards, touchdowns and passing efficiency. Additionally, he is a two-time winner of the SBN Doug Williams Offensive Player of the Year Award.
“The four finalists this year had outstanding seasons,” said Harris. “Amir had one of the most prolific seasons for a quarterback in Black College Football history, and we congratulate him on winning this prestigious award for the second time.”
The Player of the Year was voted on by a five-member Selection Committee, which is composed of Black College Football Hall of Fame Co-Founders James “Shack” Harris and Doug Williams, Sheridan Broadcast Network’s Director of Sports Ty Miller, former USA Today sports writer Roscoe Nance and ESPN College Football Analyst Jay Walker.
Hall was also the recipient of the Deacon Jones Trophy for the 2017 season. The inaugural winner in 2016 was Tarik Cohen of North Carolina A&T State University, who is now a star on the Chicago Bears. Tarik was named First Team All-Pro and selected to the NFL Pro Bowl after this past season.
Other Black College Football Player of the Year Award Finalists included DE Darryl Johnson(North Carolina A&T State University), QB Noah Johnson (Alcorn State University) and QBCaylin Newton (Howard University).C
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) – With the goal of driving diversity among U.S. doctors, FAMU and Ross University School of Medicine have announced a new agreement to help more African-Americans attend medical school.
The two universities have agreed to establish an educational pathway program, making it easier for FAMU graduate school students to study medicine at RUSM.
Qualified FAMU students who earn full acceptance into the medical school will receive a scholarship covering full tuition for the first semester. Those FAMU students would then spend the first two years of medical school at the RUSM campus in Barbados.
“This is an exciting opportunity to partner with the Ross University School of Medicine,” said FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D. He added, “For 131 years, FAMU has produced outstanding graduates who are making an impact on society. The University is already noted for being a leading institution of origin for African Americans pursuing degrees in the natural sciences. This partnership will allow us to play an even greater role in the production and development of African-American physicians who will positively change the healthcare outcomes for people from all aspects of society.”
ATLANTA (February 13, 2019) – The Black College Football Hall of Fame announced today that Chicago Bears running back and return man Tarik Cohen and Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard have been named the Black College Football Pro Player of the Year Award, Presented by the NFLPA. The Award recognizes the most outstanding professional football player from a Historically Black College and University. Arizona Cardinals safety Antoine Bethea was selected as the inaugural recipient in 2017.
Cohen attended North Carolina A&T State University, from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 2017. During the 2018 season, Cohen rushed for 444 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He also had 71 catches for 725 yards and five touchdowns, along with a league-leading 411 punt return yards. He was named to the 2019 Pro Bowl roster and first-team All-Pro as a return specialist.
The 6-foot-2, 234-pound Leonard played for Coach Buddy Pough at South Carolina State University, and was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie season with 163 combined tackles (111 solo), eight pass deflections, seven sacks and one interception. His 163 tackles led the NFL and broke the Colts’ franchise record. Leonard was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, first-team All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl.
The formal presentation of the Black College Football Pro Player of the Year Award will be made at the Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on February 16, 2019.
“This award was established to shine a light on the immense talent of current Black College Football players at the highest level,” said James “Shack” Harris, BCFHOF Co-Founder and 2012 inductee.
The Black College Football Pro Player of the Year Award was voted on by a Selection Committee, composed of media members D. Orlando Ledbetter (Atlanta Journal Constitution), Jay Walker (ESPN), John Williams (The Undefeated) and Steve Wyche (NFL Network); NFL front office members Doug Williams (Washington Redskins Senior Vice President of Player Personnel) and former NFL scout Charles Bailey.
“Today, there are about 30 players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities on active NFL rosters,” said DeMaurice Smith, NFLPA Executive Director. “Some of the best players in NFL history are from HBCUs, and it’s exciting to honor today’s stars.”
The 2019 Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by the Atlanta Falcons, takes place at the College Football Hall of Fame on February 16. The 2018 Black College Football Player of the Year will also be announced during the Ceremony. Tickets and sponsorships are still available at www.BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org.
“On behalf of the Black College Football Hall of Fame Trustees and Selection Committee, we congratulate Tarik and Darius on this historic accomplishment,” said Doug Williams, BCFHOF Co-Founder and 2011 Inductee. “These men are great role models and an inspiration for youth across the country.”
HOUSTON (February 15, 2019) – Texas Southern University students have a new voice – The Voice – with the launch of KTSU2, a student-run, streaming radio station that officially launches on Tuesday, February 19.
“This will be a landmark day for TSU,” said TSU President Dr. Austin A. Lane. “KTSU2 meets students where they are – online and mobile. This project gives our students greater access to gain experience in the quickly-changing media landscape, and it will be another form of communication for the Tiger community.”
The operation of KTSU2, also known as “The Voice,” is embedded in the School of Communication, with faculty and staff working directly with students.
“This is a true collaborative effort,” said Dr. Rockell Brown Burton, interim dean of the School of Communications. “Our journalism and communications faculty are working hand in hand with the KTSU team and our students to make this a robust learning laboratory. Our students will gain real-world experience on a daily basis with the launch of KTSU2.”
Additionally, staff of KTSU 90.9 FM, TSU’s public broadcast station of almost 50 years, will provide the student station with additional support.
“It’s an honor for us to work with the students and the School of Communication faculty and staff to make an impact in the minds of our future broadcasters,” said Ernest Walker, KTSU 90.9 FM general manager.
The 24-hour operation is the first of its kind at TSU. It features music geared toward current TSU students. Programming also includes hourly news and sports updates and public affairs programs highlighting TSU, Third Ward and the greater Houston community.
“This is innovation at its best,” said Serbino Sandifer-Walker, interim assistant dean in the School of Communication. “There is no other operation in Houston that features the kind of content we have on KTSU2. The internet and mobiles are going to drive our content to have a global influence.”
Students have trained for over a year on how to independently run the operation.
“This is a labor of love and true voice for our students and the community,” said Val Wilson, KTSU2 coordinator and Radio, Television, Film Department professor in the School of Communication.
During the Feb. 19 launch day, the community is invited to tour the KTSU2 facilities inside the KTSU Building (3100 Cleburne St.) as part of an open house from 12:30-3:30 p.m.
The KTSU2 website and live stream can be accessed at www.tsu.edu/ktsu2, as well as on social media: KTSU_2 (Facebook); @KTSU_2 and @KTSUNews (Instagram and Twitter).
North Carolina A&T State University’s track star, Kayla White just broke a world record. According to NCA&T Athletics; the senior out of Miami ran against some of the best athletes in the country in the 200m fastest race at the prestigious Tyson Invitational hosted by the University of Arkansas at the Randal Tyson Track Center on Saturday during the second day of competition.
“She’s special,” Duane Ross, N.C. A&T’s director of track and field programs shared with media. “She was due to drop something fast. Her training has been going well and she’s hungry to be the best. I knew the race was won once she stepped into the blocks. Her focus and preparation were great this weekend.”
White blew away the field with the fastest time in the world this year, a 22.82 sprint to finish ahead of Alabama’s Tamara Clark who finished her race in 23.07.
The rest of the top-5 included LSU’s Sha’Carri Richardson in third (23.074), LSU’s Kortnei Johnson in fourth (23.077) and Arkansas’ Payton Chadwick in fifth (23.15). White is now No. 1 in the world, the nation and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) while also ranking nationally in the top-10 in two other events – the 60-meter hurdles and the 60m.
On Friday, White ran a personal-best 8.04 in the 60mh moving her into fourth place nationally in the event. White’s accomplishments at N.C. A&T are numerous. She earned NCAA indoor All-American honors last season in the 60mh. She earned second-team All-American honors in the 4×100-meter relay and the 100mh during the outdoor season in 2017.
Last season at the MEAC outdoor championships, she won gold in the 100m, 200m, 100mh and the 4×100. At least season’s MEAC indoor championships, White finished first in the 60m and 60mh.
White’s teammate and freshman Cambrea Sturgis finished ninth in 23.53.
The men’s 200m fastest race was led by junior Akeem Sirleaf for the Aggies. Sirleaf finished second in 20.76 to break his personal record. He is now ranked 11thin the nation in the 200. Senior All-American Rodney Rowe placed eighth in 21.13. Rowe ranked eighth in the nation thanks to the 20.70 he ran last week at the Carolina Challenge.
N.C. A&T has one more meet before both the men and the women both go after their respective third straight MEAC indoor titles. The Aggies will head to Virginia Tech for the third time this season as they will compete in the Virginia Tech Challenge, Feb. 15-16. The following week, Feb. 21-23, the Aggies will head back to Landover, Md., in search of making more history.
