ATLANTA, GA (WALB) – WALB is taking a deeper look at a bill that could greatly impact Albany’s only state university.
WALB News 10′s Asia Wilson has been tracking the controversial legislation and the withdrawn senate bill (SB 273) along with a new bill (SB 278) that has been proposed.
Senate Bill 273 indicates the names of three historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, would change to a uniform name. They would be called the Georgia Agricultural and Mechanical University System (Georgia A & M).’ Now, under the new version, Albany State, Savannah State and Fort Valley State universities would keep their names but operate under the new system.
You may remember us telling you Tuesday about five senators withdrawing the bill, including Freddie Powell Sims, because they did not want the schools’ names changed.
The new bill states the Georgia A & M System will still stand and include a government-appointed team to make annual visits to the schools and inspect them regularly.
We’re working to get clarification from the bill’s author on who will make up that team.
Georgia A & M will have the power to appoint and remove professors, consolidate or suspend institutions, merge departments and more.
Why the HBCU bills were created
The bill’s author, Senator Lester Jackson, said that right now, the Board of Regents has lobbyists from schools in the University System of Georgia, voicing issues at the Capitol every day, but not for HBCUs.
Senator Jackson said the Board of Regents and the University System of Georgia currently have one African-American out of 19 people on the board.
Jackson said this led him to drafting the bill to bring more attention and conversation about the needs of Albany State, Fort Valley State and Savannah State universities. He wants to form the Georgia Agricultural and Mechanical University System.
Senator Jackson said the five drivers pushing this proposal are decline in enrollment, historical under-funding, low endowment, lack of student and alumni involvement with the selection of presidents and lack of equity compared to other universities.
“Our main avenue is to work with the university system. We want to be included in the university system but we want equity. We want the same things that the other institutions are getting. We want help in recruiting the best and brightest,” said Jackson.
Jackson said the schools combined only have a little over 12,000 students, which is why he wants a board of trustees for the state historically black college system that models after other states like North Carolina A & T and Florida A & M.
According to Pew, Morgan State University in Baltimore recently organized a daylong hemp informational event, where more than 100 people attended.
Pew:
“More than 100 people attended the recent daylong hemp informational event organized by Morgan State University, a historically black university in Baltimore, Maryland. A handful of the attendees were black. Among them, few were farmers. Instead, most were entrepreneurs or academics connected to Morgan State.
Willie May, vice president of research and economic development for Morgan State, touted its vision for an industrial hemp program, including education, applied and academic research and quality control services. The school plans to offer bachelor’s and master’s programs in medicinal plant science and a certificate program in hemp and cannabis.
Hemp is providing an opportunity for historically black colleges and universities, known as HBCUs, to tap into a convergence of interest among farmers, legislators and consumers.”
HOUSTON (April 5, 2019) –A new tradition was born at Texas Southern University, as students who have reached or exceeded
90+ credit hours attended the “Be Ready and Graduate” (B.R.A.G.) event on Tuesday, April 2, in the H&PE Arena. Speakers included representatives from the Office of the Provost and Student Services. During the event, students spoke with representatives from
their college/school regarding their degree path and degree audit. They also received a B.R.A.G. pin, which they will turn in for an alumni pin upon graduation.
“We are excited to start this new tradition for our future TSU grads,” said President Austin A. Lane. “TSU wants to ensure our students make it to the finish line. As part of our Project Graduation initiative, we want to celebrate the students
who have reached this critical 90-hour milestone.”
The initiative is an effort to increase the University’s graduation rates and help students on their pathway to success and completion at TSU.
“Our students are one of a kind; they are so different and unique,” said Provost Kendall Harris. “They have worked so hard to make it this far. We want them to know we are rooting for their success, one hundred percent, and are ready to
see them across the finish line.”
To engage the students and incorporate social media, attendees were encouraged to post a #TXSUBRAG and talk about why reaching this milestone was important to them. To follow their stories, search the event’s official hashtag, #TXSUBRAG.
TSU plans to make this event a new tradition, giving students another milestone to look forward to along with their upcoming graduation.
ABOUT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY
Texas Southern University (TSU) honors our designation as a special-purpose institution for urban programming and research. TSU is a comprehensive university providing higher education
access to the nation’s underserved communities. TSU’s academic and research programs address critical urban issues, and prepares its diverse student population to become a force for positive change in a global society. TSU offers more than 100 undergraduate
and graduate programs and concentrations – bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees – organized into 10 colleges and schools on a 150-acre campus nestled in the heart of Houston’s historic Third Ward. The University’s enrollment has a population
of more than 9,700 undergraduate and graduate-school academic candidates. Texas Southern has been a distinguished educational pioneer since 1927, and the University has become one of the most diverse and respected institutions in Texas. TSU has positioned
itself as a proactive leader in educating underserved students and many who are the first in their family to attend college.
TMCF offers four types of unique scholarships that are merit, plus need-based designed to address the financial needs of students attending TMCF member-schools. The awards process is highly competitive and the awards are given to outstanding and qualified students who plan to earn a baccalaureate, graduate or law degree from an accredited college or university. Occasionally, we may offer scholarships to students not attending one of our member-schools.
TMCF | 19th Annual Leadership Institute
The Apple HBCU Scholars Program is just one element of the $40 million partnership between Apple and Thurgood Marshall College Fund announced earlier this year. (Photo Courtesy of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund) (PRNewsFoto/Thurgood Marshall College Fund)
Application Deadline: April 30, 2019 The award-winning Leadership Institute is a national program intended to develop students’ leadership skills, create a community of scholars, provide companies access to a talented and diverse student population, and help students make connections that lead to careers. The 2019 Leadership Institute will take place on October 16-20, 2019 in Washington, DC. Apply
TMCF | Ford Blue Oval Scholarship
Application Deadline: April 7, 2019 Selected scholars will receive a one-year scholarship of $6,200 for the 2018-2019 academic school year.TMCF and Ford Motor Company Fund are proud to offer financial assistance to graduating high school seniors who plan to attend one of the 47 publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) within the TMCF member-school network. The TMCF | Ford Blue Oval Scholarship is open only to African American male students with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Apply
TMCF | Keybank Scholarship
Application Deadline: April 7, 2019 Selected scholars will receive a one-year scholarship of up to $7,500 for the 2018-2019 academic school year. TMCF and Keybank are proud to offer financial assistance to outstanding students attending one of the 47 publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs)within the TMCF member-school network. The TMCF | Keybank Scholarship is open to students with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Apply
TMCF | Teacher Quality and Retention Program
Application Deadline: April 5, 2019 From its first Summer Institute in 2009, the Teacher Quality and Retention Program (TQRP) has provided high-caliber training and mentoring to aspiring, pre-service and new teachers from publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country. The result of lessons learned from a 2006 Gates School Reform grant, as well as the Teacher Prep Program Pilot in 2008, TQRP has emerged into a robust, research-based program that has impacted over 600 Program Fellows over the last 10 years across 20 different states and 45 TMCF Member Schools. Apply
TMCF | MillerCoors Scholarship
Application Deadline: April 7, 2019 One-year scholarship of up to $6,700 for the 2019-2020 academic school year. TMCF and MillerCoors are proud to offer financial assistance to outstanding students attending one of the 47 publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) within the TMCF member-school network. The TMCF | MillerCoors Scholarship is open to students with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Apply
TMCF | USDA-NRCS Scholarship Program
Application Deadline: April 7, 2019 Selected Scholars will receive up to $15,000 in scholarship funding based on individual financial needs that will be applied to their junior and senior years of study.The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are proud to offer financial assistance to outstanding students attending one of the 47 public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) within the TMCF member-school network. Apply
HOUSTON (April 2, 2019) –Longtime Texas Southern University Photographer Earlie Hudnall, Jr. was selected by the Texas State
Legislature as one of the Texas State Artists for 2020 in the two-dimensional category. During each Legislative Session, the Texas State Legislature designates Texas State Artists for the following positions: state poet laureate, state musician, state two-dimensional
artist, and state three-dimensional artist. Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) manages the TCA nomination process.
“I am grateful for the honor and recognition but my joy comes from carrying this camera, finding a subject that is interesting and “clicking,” said Hudnall.
As a Texas State Artist, Hudnall will serve a one-year-term and represent the state’s artistic legacy. He will be widely recognized for his contributions to the state and advancement of his art form, he will also have the opportunity to
be included on TCA’s Texas Touring Roster.
“Earlie Hudnall is a true Tiger institution. He has left an incredible legacy at TSU,” said TSU President Austin A. Lane, “Not only has he perfected his craft of photography, he has mentored and inspired so many TSU students along the way.
This is a well-deserved honor.”
Nominations for Texas State Artists are reviewed by the TCA and a final list is provided to the selection committee, composed of members appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, who
designates the Texas State Artists during the Legislative session.
“The great talents of the 2019-2020 State Artists, along with all of those who were nominated, help contribute to a distinctive cultural identity that makes Texas
a great place to live, work and visit,” said State Representative John Cyrier, Chairman of the House Committee on Culture, Recreation, & Tourism. “It is important that we celebrate the distinguished career achievements of these artists that have enhanced the
lives of so many.”
Texas Southern University (TSU) honors our designation as a special-purpose institution for urban programming and research. TSU is a comprehensive university providing higher education
access to the nation’s underserved communities. TSU’s academic and research programs address critical urban issues, and prepares its diverse student population to become a force for positive change in a global society. TSU offers more than 100 undergraduate
and graduate programs and concentrations – bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees – organized into 10 colleges and schools on a 150-acre campus nestled in the heart of Houston’s historic Third Ward. The University’s enrollment has a population
of more than 9,700 undergraduate and graduate-school academic candidates. Texas Southern has been a distinguished educational pioneer since 1927, and the University has become one of the most diverse and respected institutions in Texas. TSU has positioned
itself as a proactive leader in educating underserved students and many who are the first in their family to attend college.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Morgan State University President David Wilson has been appointed to the NCAA Board of Governors and Division I Board of Directors, as announced by the NCAA. Dr. Wilson’s term of service on the committees will begin in August 2019, at the close of the Board of Governors and Board of Directors meetings and continue through the close of the August 2023 board meetings.
“Dr. Wilson has a wealth of experience and is a proven leader on the Division I level,” MEAC Commissioner Dr. Dennis Thomas said. “He will be a tremendous asset to the NCAA Division I Board of Governors and Directors.”
Dr. Wilson calls his appointment to the committees “a unique opportunity.”
“It is a great honor to be appointed to the NCAA’s highest governing body and presented the unique opportunity to enhance the quality of the student-athlete experience while working to expand the understanding of the challenges faced by those in higher education with limited resources,” Dr. Wilson said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Board of Governors to ensure that our student-athletes are students first. I humbly accept this worthy opportunity to represent the best interests of our amateur athletes with integrity and fairness.”
Dr. Wilson has served as president at Morgan State since July 1, 2010 and is the 10th president in the university’s history. He has more than 30 years of experience in higher education administration and holds four academic degrees: a B.S. in political science and an M.S. in education from Tuskegee University; an Ed.M. in educational planning and administration from Harvard University; and an Ed.D. in administration, planning and social policy, also from Harvard.
Dr. Wilson’s achievements as a leader of Maryland’s preeminent public urban research university have clearly been strong, but it is the character he brings to the presidency, a character shaped by the intangibles of his background, that is perhaps most impressive of all.
Dr. Wilson’s educational philosophy is to put the students’ experience first. As a leader, he is a consensus builder and a strong believer in transparency of process. His goal is to make Morgan State a leader in producing the next wave of innovators in the U.S. Under his guiding leadership, Morgan has experienced record growth in campus development, research and development, enrollment, retention and graduation, academic progress and University fundraising, including the successful completion of an historic $250 million Sesquicentennial Anniversary Campaign.
Dr. Wilson has also been honored and recognized as a leader in higher education. Most recently, he received the national Boy Scouts of America’s 2018 Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award presented by Baltimore Area Council, BSA, and he was named to the Maryland Daily Record newspaper’s Circle of Influence for being selected as an “Influential Marylander” on three separate occasions (2018, 2016 and 2011). He was also named to the Baltimore Business Journal’s 2019 Power 10.
No stranger to service, Dr. Wilson has served as the Chair of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Council of Chief Executive Officers (CCEOs) for the past two years, and he currently serves on the NCAA Division I Presidential Forum in a term that lasts until August 2021. Additionally, he was elected to the Lumina Foundation’s Board of Directors in January 2018. Prior to that election, the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology had appointed him to serve a three-year term as a member of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST’s) Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology.
Dr. Wilson is a former chairman of the HBCU/China Network, a member of the Maryland Cybersecurity Council and the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Governing Board and he serves on the Boards of Directors of the Greater Baltimore Committee, the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and the Association of American Colleges and Universities. In 2010, President Barack Obama appointed him to his 11-member Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). He also served on the Board of the United Way of Central Maryland.
As a member of the NCAA Board of Governors and Division I Board of Directors, Dr. Wilson will sustain and advance the Association’s mission, traditions, values and reputation.
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) begins its 48th year of intercollegiate competition heading into the 2018-19 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of 12 outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Savannah State University and South Carolina State University.
Morgan State University (MSU) President David Wilson announced today that Congressman Elijah E. Cummings will be the keynote speaker for the University’s 143rd Spring Commencement ceremony, on May 18, 2019 at Hughes Memorial Stadium. Cummings, a member of Morgan’s Board of Regents, will deliver his address before a diverse graduating class of nearly 800 undergraduate students. Morgan alumnus and journalist William C. Rhoden will also be in attendance to receive an honorary doctorate during the exercises.
The occasion marks the second time that Congressman Cummings will address a group of graduating Morgan students. He also served as Morgan’s commencement speaker in 2006 and was presented with an honorary Doctor of Laws.
“It is a great honor to have Congressman Cummings, an iconic civic leader of our time, share his perspective, experience and wisdom with our graduates on this grand occasion,” said President Wilson. “Having an opportunity to work closely with Congressman Cummings in his invaluable service to our Board of Regents, and witnessing his contributions to this nation and his community, I am certain there is not a voice that could make a greater impact on students as they embark on the next stage of their journey.”
A native son and current resident of Baltimore, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings proudly represents Maryland’s Seventh Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Since beginning his career of public service in the Maryland House of Delegates, where he served for 14 years and became the first African American in Maryland’s history to be named speaker pro tem, Congressman Cummings has remained committed to uplifting and empowering his constituency.
“An ardent advocate for Morgan, and a longtime supporter of our institution, Congressman Cummings brings an ethos that mirrors that of our institution,” added President Wilson. His career accomplishments and passion as a representative of the people cement his connection to the city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland.”
Congressman Cummings is chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. As the main investigative arm for the House of Representatives, the committee has jurisdiction to closely examine any federal program and any matter with federal policy implications. In addition to Oversight and Reform, Congressman Cummings is also a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, serving on both the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation and the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
In keeping with his commitment to championing the progress of our next generation and widening their access to opportunity, Congressman Cummings is active on numerous boards and commissions dedicated to youth, including the Morgan State University Board of Regents and the SEED School of Maryland Board of Directors, and he is an honorary board member of KIPP Baltimore Schools and the Baltimore School for the Arts.
The lone honorary degree conferred during Morgan’s Spring Commencement Exercises will be bestowed on accomplished sports writer and journalist William C. Rhoden, MSU Class of 1973.
Before making his mark as a journalist and author, Bill Rhoden honed his craft as an undergraduate at Morgan, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in speech communication. A former Morgan State football player, Rhoden played on the victorious 1968 Bears team that defeated the Grambling State Tigers in the “Whitney Young Classic.”
Rhoden, who grew up during the civil rights movement, took great pride in his African-American heritage, which fostered his growing political consciousness about racism and his expanding belief in the importance of black institutions. It was this awareness that led him to Morgan when his athletic talents may have provided him opportunities at a predominantly white university.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree, Rhoden worked for the Baltimore Afro-American, serving as the newspaper’s sports editor, followed by several years writing at The Baltimore Sun and as a columnist at Ebony Magazine. However, Rhoden cemented his career as a sports writer while penning the widely popular column “Sports of The Times” for The New York Times, from which he retired in 2016. In 2006, he published his first book, “Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete,” an analysis of prejudice and intolerance in American professional sports. He was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Hall of Fame in 2018.
Rhoden is now a writer and editor-at-large for ESPN’s The Undefeated. In addition to his work at The Undefeated, Rhoden is giving back to his community by assisting the next generation of journalists as the head of a fellowship program named in his honor. Established in 2017 and sponsored by ESPN, the Rhoden Fellowship is a two-year program that identifies and trains aspiring African-American journalists from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, providing these students with a unique opportunity to report news stories on their campuses through the production of multimedia content.
Morgan’s Spring Commencement ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2019, beginning at 10 a.m., at Hughes Memorial Stadium on the University’s campus.
About Morgan State University
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 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.
Roughly four months into the spring semester, Howard University students finally caught a glimpse of the most anticipated season of the year: darty season.
The sunny Washington weekend weather invited the annual return of on and off-campus springtime festivities with two back-to-back darties Friday and Saturday. Beginning in late-March, the season brings sunshine, sundresses, sandals and smiles.
At Howard, darty season is much more than a single event marked by weather patterns and daylight hours. Like most things at the Mecca, the season symbolizes a culture and experience ingrained into the student body.
Senior Camille Neal has immersed herself into this culture and continues to enjoy the pre-summertime celebration.
Camille Neal poses for a photo before arriving at the first darty of the semester Friday afternoon in Northeast D.C.
“Howard is a vibe within itself. If you throw in a day party, some music and liquor, it’s unmatched. Darty season means that spring is here and spring at Howard is like your annual block party or family reunion. Once it’s hot out, you start seeing everybody especially those you haven’t seen since freshman year,” said Neal.
DJ Noble, also known as Kelechi Ononiwu, shared similar sentiments as a senior.
“Springtime at Howard is very special. This is one of the many times where everyone is able to enjoy our school. The spring semester is always rough academically which is why darty season is highly anticipated. This one month of consistent sunlight is the best time to be at Howard.”
By eagerly capitalizing on every 75-degree day, the season is welcomed with open arms. Students look noticeably happier, El Rey or Pure usually turn into an after move and social media is typically filled with sunkissed photos matched with clever captions.
For women in particular, the pop-out event features an array of trendy yet comfortable looks that usually give birth to a full set of Pinterest fashion boards. After months of hibernation, the time finally comes to ditch the oversized coats and baseball caps for a neck-turning outfit planned days in advance.
A self-described fashionista, sophomore Deja Davenport said she enjoys dressing up for darties–specifically so her entire outfit can be seen.
Deja Davenport (middle) and her friends attended a darty hosted by promotional groups 237, F-Squad and Noble Nation Friday afternoon in Northeast D.C.
Credit: Mikael (@ethio.mike)
“If you look good, you feel good. Many students love fashion and will use any event to make anything into a look. There are so many different combinations that we want to make and create and so many different ways to dress ourselves.”
With the high demand for darties, the season comes with its own challenges for various party promotional groups. F-Squad, one of Howard’s newest groups to emerge into the party scene, says many townhouses in D.C. do not have adequate backyard space to accommodate everyone.
“It’s difficult finding a space that is both close in proximity to Howard and owned by someone willing to let us throw darties. There is also a chance that police will eventually shut it down due to noise complaints from neighbors,” said F-Squad founder Zaire Johnson.
These issues have not stopped F-Squad from showing students a good time. The group hosted the first darty of the semester with promo groups 237 and Noble Nation Friday afternoon.
F-Squad attended All Things Go Fall Classic, an annual D.C. music festival, in October 2017. Pictured left to right: Myles Youngblood, Darien Mercado, Abudullah Muhammed, Zaire Johnson, Owens Vil and Kalonji McCauley.
Credit: Judayah Murray
“It’s great that we are able to leave a legacy and help students create long-lasting memories. As a promoter, when the weather gets above 70 degrees, it’s go time! Everybody on campus is looking for you to provide an event and if you don’t, you have failed them,” said Johnson.
Although most students may not understand the concept of reading a dance floor or mastering transitions and spontaneous improvised set structures, the season puts a big spotlight on Howard DJs. Spinning for at least seven darties, Noble says his role “is slightly undervalued but a very humbling experience.”
DJ Noble is a senior, political science major at Howard University from Sacramento, California. His says hosting a great darty includes having a great theme, flyer, DJ lineup and location.
“As a DJ, I enjoy making people happy by creating a care-free and welcoming environment through music. Since darties last longer throughout the day and students are not pressed to hear the hottest tracks, I can be more unconventional because the crowd wants to hear good music and good transitions.”
“The music hits differently when you’re outside–like a summer vibe. It’s sad that once I graduate, I’ll be too grown to be popping up at darties. My Howard darty days are almost over,” Neal said.
The power of vitamin D should not to be underestimated. During darty season, the sun contributes to what Neal, Davenport and Noble describe as peace, joy and a happier spirit. According to the three, the seasonal change brings a more inclusive environment.
“The best thing about darty season is the unity amongst everyone. The communal environment puts everyone in a good mood. At house parties it’s too hot to speak, people are bothered, but at darties it’s the complete opposite. Everyone is excited to be there and talk to each other. The fact that we’re outside changes everybody’s vibe,” Davenport said.
Darty season is the taste of Howard students feen for. Students describe it as a magical oasis filled with memorable events including Springfest, LaTex and Daycation. The season will continue to have a lasting impact on Howard’s culture and help define the HBCU experience.
The experience would not be complete without these 10 must-have songs compiled by Neal, Davenport and Noble for your perfect darty playlist.
Many graduates of HBCU institutions are either planning to publish a book or have and working on multiple titles. This information is for those in and near Jacksonville, Florida.
A paradigm of digital innovation and literary craftsmanship is happening on the Northwest quadrant of Jacksonville. Empowering authors with the knowledge to adapt diverse technologies to the writing process. It is not enough to just write and publish a book, authors must manage their Brand, find their Niche and manage their content on Social Media platforms using tools and Apps to bring awareness to their works.
Integration of Social Media platforms, tools, and resources to build Brands and create Niches is a tool-set many authors are learning and integrating. It is not enough to just write a book, authors need to market their Brand.
Building Authors and Integrating Tech
Since its inception Authors RoundTable has been providing guest speakers the opportunity to share their knowledge, tips/tricks and innovative literary creativity to empower and motivate others.
The growing fellowship of men and women, boys and girls of diverse cultural backgrounds share in a brother and sisterhood of literary accomplishment. The goal of writing a book or books that expresses their passions, interests, desires and excitement for reading.
Held at the Jacksonville Public Library – Highlands Branch on the third Tuesday of each month. The gatherings are informative, energetic, inspiring, friendly and fun.
The building of personal and professional self-esteem and providing help in writing, publishing, graphic design, promotion, e-books, technology and other areas that make the writing and publishing process daunting. Every author is unique, the common thread of being a published author is shared as a common goal.
Events like the Jax Book Fest show the fun and engagement of writing and the community it has built in Jacksonville. Blogging as well has been accepted and welcomed into the publishing arena because many people do not have the time to sit down with a book, but will read blogs, e-books and listen online from the free resources that the library has to offer with interactive literature.
The Jacksonville Public Library has 21 library locations across the city, this shows the respect for literature and understanding for a growing community that sees education as the means for improvement and economic elevation and stability. Students in the schools have access to state of the art resources to help them graduate and obtain higher educational degrees with learning outside of the classroom to supplement classroom instruction.
Jacksonville Public Library is one of the largest library systems nationally and each branch caters to youth, teens and young adults.
Resources like the Authors RoundTable is just one of many resources that encourage writers to express their talents on diverse platforms and come out to learn from each other.
The bonding and fellowship gained continues to help the goal of writers to accomplish the goal of being published and embracing the chore of promoting themselves, building their Brands and creating a Niche.
All are invited that have a dream and a goal of being published and need help with tech. Social Media assistance provide by Aida Correa, LoveBuilt Life LLC, Twitter @lovebuiltlife, AC Vasquez, Indie Author Instagram: @author_acvazquez William Jackson, My Quest to Teach, Twitter @wmjackson is a graduate of South Carolina State University 1987
Howard University student, Nick Cannon has plans to carry the torch by offering to help finish Dr. Sebi documentary that Nipsey Hussle was working on amongst his death. On Sunday afternoon, Hussle was shot and killed in front of his store The Marathon in California. We are still mourning from the loss of the Crenshaw rapper.
Dr. Sebi helped cure AIDS and many people didn’t know his story, so the Victory Lap rapper wanted to share to his community and provide to his people about the information. We will always remember the Grammy-nominated artist as a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and motivation to his fans that you can do anything to set your mind to.
Cannon post small clips of Sebi documentary that needed to be attended to. Nick remembered Nipsey smiling from ear to ear. When he posted a photo of himself and Nipsey, he promised he would help out with the documentary
“And the Lord said, “Job well done my son. @nipseyhussle,” Cannon began the caption.
“King this is how I want to remember you! Laughing! Smiling! I ain’t slept yet, thinking about our conversations! Real ones from a real one! And I’m gonna say this only for the real ones to recognize. Where you left off, we gonna carry one! It’s a MARATHON, so I’m picking up the baton! Because they can’t kill us all.” Cannon continued.
What if I told you I had a cure for AIDS? Would you believe me? What about cancer? Or diabetes?
There are those who believe that Dr. Sebi, born Alfredo Bowman—a world-renowned vegetarian herbalist, healer, pathologist and biochemist—had the cure for all of them, all the diseases that bring devastation and an altered existence before snatching the lives of those who don’t break free.
There are many who believe that Dr. Sebi, who was not a licensed physician, became a threat to a multibillion-dollar medical industry that not only relies on continued sickness but also needs it; it profits from it.
On May 28, 2016, Dr. Sebi was arrested at Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport in Honduras for carrying some $37,000 in cash. He was released pending a court hearing, only to be rearrested June 3 by the Ministerio Público, Honduras’ version of the FBI, and charged with money laundering. Dr. Sebi remained in custody until Aug. 6, when he was rushed to a local hospital reportedly suffering from complications of pneumonia. Dr. Sebi died en route. He was 82.
Below are five mysteries surrounding his life and his death.
1. Dr. Sebi Cures AIDS?
Dr. Sebi rose to cultlike fame pushing a simple dietary premise: that food is alkaline for the body, and dead foods kill your body’s natural ability to heal and regenerate healing. By eliminating what Dr. Sebi considered toxic foods—like meat, poultry, seafood, all processed or synthetic items, alcohol, sugar, fried food and iodized salt—the body could begin detoxing. Replacing those foods with plain ripe fruit; nonstarchy vegetables, especially leafy greens; raw nuts and nut butters; and grains like quinoa, rye and kamut promotes the body’s natural healing properties. In doing so, he claimed to have cured several patients of AIDS, cancer, diabetes and blindness.
2. Dr. Sebi’s Court Case
The myth of Dr. Sebi grew stronger in 1988 after the self-taught herbalist ran ads in the Amsterdam News, the Village Voice and the New York Post noting that “AIDS has been cured.” The story goes that the New York State attorney general and New York City Department of Consumer Affairs told Dr. Sebi to remove the ads; he refused and was arrested. The charges leveled against him included practicing medicine without a license, selling products not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and fraudulently claiming that he could cure AIDS and other diseases. The judge asked Dr. Sebi to bring in one patient who could testify that he had cured him or her of these potentially fatal diseases. He reportedly provided 70 patients and won the case. And the legend of Dr. Sebi was born.
3. Dr. Sebi’s Arrest
Dr. Sebi’s arrest records have not been released, so it remains unclear as to why he was arrested, released and then rearrested for carrying so much cash, since it wouldn’t have been unusual for a healer who had treated several high-profile clients—who reportedly included Michael Jackson, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, John Travolta and Eddie Murphy—to have a large amount of money on him. Lopes was actually in Honduras visiting Dr. Sebi when she died.
4. Dr. Sebi’s Family Couldn’t Get Him Out of Jail
Dr. Sebi was born in 1933 in Honduras and spent his life there. He had 17 children. Dr. Sebi’s family was reportedly trying to get him released from custody, but to no avail. He was held for over a month with no court date, although no serious crime had been committed. Because he had no court date after his second arrest, bail was never set.
5. Dr. Sebi Never Received Major Acclaim
Major newspapers didn’t cover his death; in fact, major newspapers barely covered his life. Surely a man who not only claims to have cured cancer but also beat a lawsuit alleging that he was a quack by bringing in apparently healed patients into the courtroom would be someone the world would want to hear more from? Newspapers didn’t even invest energy in debunking his claims.
Conspiracy theorists believe that the lack of attention paid to Dr. Sebi’s teachings, the lack of publicity surrounding his reported successes, and the mystery surrounding his arrest and death are because, as any street hustler can tell you, there’s no money in the cure—the money is in the sickness. The pharmaceutical business not only needs you sick but doesn’t make money if you’re well.
It’s easy to write off conspiracy theorists as loons who invest too much time in “internet thinking,” but I wonder if some of us are too connected to conventional thinking just because it’s what we know. Conventional thinking has me questioning why prescription medications have commercials if you have to have a prescription to obtain them. Drugs are big business in this country, and Dr. Sebi was pushing a healthy lifestyle that moved people toward better eating and, in turn, less medication. I don’t know if I’m ready to choose between the red and the blue pill, but it does lead me back to my original question: If I told you I had a cure for AIDS, would you believe me?
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker started a spirited conversation this week after his commentary about historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) during his town hall on CNN. The Democratic presidential hopeful, who is one of three Black people seeking the White House, was asked about his plan to protect HBCUs.
HBCUs are not just for African Americans. HBCUs make America stronger. #BookerTownHall
Booker, looking at ease and smiling broadly at the question, unleashed a spiel about his family’s personal connection to HBCUs (both parents and grandparents are alumni) and how he would prioritize Black colleges if he gets elected president.
Mandatory Credit: Photo by David Buchan/Variety/REX/Shutterstock (10181057be)
Cory Booker
2019 HRC LA Dinner, Show, JW Marriott L.A. Live, Los Angeles, USA – 30 Mar 2019
The audience in South Carolina, home to eight HBCUs, offered a rousing round of applause for his answer. But there were seven little words tucked into Booker’s response that left a big impact across social media. In case you missed them, he tweeted the same words shortly after the town hall ended late Wednesday night.
Beyond his family ties, Booker is no stranger to HBCUs. He, along with other senators including Kamala Harris, who is also running for the 2020 presidency, introduced the HBCU Capital Financing Improvement Act in January 2018, which is a bill that aims to help improve the financial health of HBCUs.
Booker, who announced his campaign for the presidency during Black History Month, also covered a wide array of other topics during the town hall. He slammed the controversial 90s crime bill that was signed into law by former president Bill Clinton and the bill’s supporters, fellow presidential hopeful Berney Sanders and former vice president Joe Biden. Booker also expressed frustration with the whole conversation around reparations for descendants of enslaved Africans, as he said the conversation has been minimized.
The Board approved a 25-year lease agreement with DEF. The partnership will provide a new, long-term revenue source at FAMU’s Brooksville Agricultural and Environmental Research Station (BAERS) for the University along with training and educational opportunities for students and members of the local community.
Duke Energy’s Rattler Solar Power Plant could add 74.9 megawatts of clean, renewable power to the grid at BAERS and help further the development and research of solar technologies, plant operations and workforce expansion.
“FAMU strives to be a good neighbor at all times, and like residents of Brooksville and Hernando County, we are concerned about the sustainability of the planet,” said Fred Gainous, Ed.D., who leads the FAMU Brooksville project. “This initiative allows us to use the natural energy source of the sun to power homes, instead of using resources that can be depleted.”
The solar facility would occupy between 600 and 800 acres of property and feature approximately 270,000 tracking solar panels that will follow the sun’s movement throughout the day, maximizing energy production for customers.
“Making this land available to Duke Energy allows FAMU to accomplish two central objectives: generating revenue for student education and offering the county an alternative source of clean energy,” said FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D. “We look forward to a long and healthy partnership with Duke Energy.”
Once operational, the facility can provide electricity for approximately 23,000 average-sized homes at peak production. All the electricity created from the project will be fed onto the DEF electric grid and delivered to homes, businesses, schools, places of worship and other customers in the area.
The partnership would bring financial and academic benefits to FAMU with a new revenue source by means of lease-payments and through the creation of hands-on experiences for students researching and working with a fully-operational, utility-scale solar power plant connected to the grid.
“Duke Energy is pleased with the Board of Trustees’ decision,” said Tamara Waldmann, Duke Energy Florida Director of Distributed Generation Strategy. She added, “This specific vote will allow Duke Energy to perform a critical next step, which is the evaluation of the FAMU property to determine if the conditions are indeed suitable for solar energy. Meanwhile, Duke Energy is engaging with Hernando County, and we will be engaging community leaders and residents in the coming weeks.”
This investment would also allow DEF the ability to continue exploring innovative, clean energy opportunities with various community partners and expand cost effective, flexible, and dependable utility owned solar for the benefit of all our customers.
Waldmann said the Brooksville solar power plant is part of Duke Energy’s strategic, long-range plan to build or acquire 700 megawatts of solar energy in Florida through 2022.
“Equally important, it supports FAMU and their commitment to renewables, agriculture and sustainability. Building solar power plants in support of our customers and communities is part of our ongoing work to diversify our Company’s resources to offer dependable, emission-free, and smarter energy solutions that our customers value,” said Waldmann.
The agreement will include a due diligence period for site investigation and permitting prior to building a solar project at BAERS.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. founded at Howard University in 1911, has issued an announcement for a moratorium, effective immediately. The announcement was made by the Grand Basileus, David E. Marion, Ph.D.
Brothers,
I once again greet you in the matchless name of the Supreme Basileus of the Universe. With as much as you have entrusted me to do as your 41st Grand Basileus, I am most appreciative of the support of the Supreme Council including each of the District Representatives in carrying out the duties of Omega. Those duties include her protection at any cost.
After consulting with your Supreme Council and under the advisement of the Grand Counselor, I am announcing the following moratorium, effective immediately, on MSP and social activities with the following exceptions:
MSP processes that are already in process or MSP applications currently in the hands of the district representatives may continue.
Get Right Programs can continue.
No individuals from the time period of this moratorium can apply to the Get Right Program.
Mandated programs may be planned and held.
Milestone chapter anniversaries may be planned and held if events are submitted and approved on SEC forms.
Events for which an SEC has been submitted prior to this moratorium and is pending approval may be considered if all SEC requirements have been timely met and the event is subsequently approved.
No workarounds attempting to circumvent this moratorium, including, but not limited to underground processes, hosting Omega events in the names of other individuals or entities, or purchasing private insurance, will be approved or tolerated. Sanctions will be issued up to expulsion and chapter revocation. This moratorium is indefinite. I thank you in advance for governing yourselves accordingly.
ATLANTA ( March 27, 2019) – A Spelman College student has been selected as one of 10 students across the country to earn the prestigious Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship. As a Frederick Douglass Global Fellow, Briya Malia Todd, C’2021, has received a full scholarship to study abroad program in London this summer.
“We congratulate Briya Malia Todd for being the first Spelman student to win the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship that will provide her the opportunity to participate in a Council on International Educational Exchange four-week course on leadership and intercultural engagement in London. We are proud of her,” said ‘Dimeji R. Togunde, Ph.D., associate provost for global education and professor of international studies at Spelman, where 75 percent of the class of 2018 participated in study abroad.
Of the 332,727 U.S. college students who studied abroad in 2017, less than 30 percent were students of color — 0.4 percent American Indian/Alaskan Native, 4.3 percent multiracial, 6.1 percent African American, 8.2 percent Asian/Pacific Islander and 10 percent Hispanic Americans, according to data from the Institute of International Education. The data shows that students of color largely miss out on international education experiences that can play a critical role in their personal growth, as well as academic and career success.
The Frederick Douglass Fellowship, which launched in 2017, is representative of efforts by the Council on International Educational Exchange, the nation’s largest non-profit facilitator of studying abroad, and the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions, to increase diversity in study abroad by breaking down the barriers of cost, curriculum, and culture that prevent students from participating in international education experiences.
A native of LaGrange, Georgia, Todd said the Fellowship will allow her to accomplish many of her personal goals, such as exploring communities across the globe outside of her small hometown. Passionate about social justice, Todd has a long-term goal to be an attorney and challenge issues that impact communities of color like mass incarceration and the school-to-prison pipeline.
“I also aspire to be an ambassador in my lifetime,” said Todd, a political science major. “This career is not easy to obtain. But the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship will put me on a fast track towards that goal. I’m proud that the Fellowship seeks out students who excel and believes in us enough to invest in our future and believes in furthering the dreams of students like myself.”
The Fellows are nominated by the presidents of their respective institutions and selected during a national competition. The winners demonstrate high academic achievement, possess exemplary communication skills, display the hallmarks of self-determination, exhibit characteristics of bold leadership, and have a history of service to others.
“The students selected for the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship are 10 exemplary student leaders who demonstrate the iconic leadership, keen intellect, and natural change-agent attributes of Frederick Douglass,” said James P. Pellow, president and CEO of CIEE. “These students will be the next generation of leaders and I know that the intercultural competence and global perspective they will gain during the London program will benefit them throughout their lives.”
Todd said she looks forward to returning to Spelman after her summer abroad and sharing the knowledge she gains, noting that she takes pride in being a mentor and a student leader. “Spelman encourages its students to become global citizens,” she said. “It is important to acknowledge your own footprint in this world. Through this opportunity, I will become a better global citizen and I will create a larger footprint.”
About The Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions The Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions brings together researchers and practitioners from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions. The Center’s goals include: elevating the educational contributions of MSIs; ensuring that they are a part of national conversations; bringing awareness to the vital role MSIs play in the nation’s economic development; increasing the rigorous scholarship of MSIs; connecting MSIs’ academic and administrative leadership to promote reform initiatives; and strengthening efforts to close educational achievement gaps among disadvantaged communities. For further information about the Center, please visit www.gse.upenn.edu/cmsi
About CIEE CIEE, the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization, transforms lives and builds bridges by promoting the exchange of ideas and experiences. To help people develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world, CIEE sponsors a wide variety of opportunities for cultural exchange, including work exchange programs, teach abroad programs, and a worldwide portfolio of study abroad and internship programs for college and high school students. Visit www.ciee.org.
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. 51 among all liberal arts colleges and No. 1 among historically Black colleges and universities. The Wall Street Journal ranked the College No. 3, nationally, in terms of student satisfaction. Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman, Starbucks Group President and COO Rosalind Brewer, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna President Audrey Forbes Manley, global bioinformatics geneticist Janina Jeff and authors Pearl Cleage and Tayari Jones. For more information, visit www.spelman.edu.
Driving around the Atlanta University Center one sunny afternoon, Dr. Kevin E. James, Morris Brown College’s interim president, had a lot on his mind. Only hired a few months ago, James has a laundry list of media requests, meet-and-greets, public meetings, and administrative duties on his schedule. He is the latest to take on the task of restoring Morris Brown’s accreditation, which among other benefits would give students the crucial ability to receive financial aid. It’s quite the task, but James, the former interim CEO of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc., feels he’s up to it.
Morris Brown College, the first Georgia higher learning institution founded by black people, for black people, was once famous for being a place where African American students from all over the country could go to get a quality education, most of whom would be the first in their families to attend and graduate from college. The school once housed over 2,700 full-time students and Division I basketball and football programs, not to mention one of the most famous bands in all of collegiate sports in the Marching Wolverines. But massive debt lead to the school losing its accreditation status in 2002—and most of its students and faculty. But Morris Brown remains focused on its mission, despite having just 42 full-time students and working adults on campus at the moment.
James took time to answer a few questions on his vision for the historically black college, which is located just blocks from Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena.
What’s so great about Morris Brown College? Our history, legacy, tradition and alumni. This is the first HBCU in Georgia founded by black Americans, and it would be a travesty to lose Morris Brown College. This institution has had an economic and social impact on Georgia, and in Atlanta in particular.
How are you approaching your new role? In the same way I approach leadership in general—you have to connect to people, and I go where the people are. They don’t have to come to me.
How important is it to personally connect with the alumni, especially those living in Atlanta? I want to build trust with the alumni and let them know I am leading from a place of integrity, so it’s very important to be very transparent with them in order to properly tell the Morris Brown College story. So far the alumni have been very receptive, I recently met with an alumnus that dropped off a $3,000 donation check. When I connect with alumni and tell the our story, both good and bad, they are more likely to respond in that way.
What’s the current plan to restore Morris Brown’s full accreditation? We have switched accreditation agencies and are now in the process of working with the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS). Our ties to the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) tradition makes us a perfect candidate to be affiliated with TRACS, which focuses on getting Christian colleges and universities their accreditation. I will be making a trip to TRACS headquarters in Forest, Virginia early next month to begin the orientation process.
