The Story Behind Beyoncé’s Black National Anthem Performance Revealed, One Of Her Twins Is Involved

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(HBCU Buzz)—Saying that she originally had the melody to the Black National Anthem wrong, one of the most influential people in the country revealed on Monday the deeply personal story behind the star’s performance at Coachella.

“One day I was randomly singing the black national anthem to Rumi while putting her to sleep,” Beyoncé said in an interview with Vogue. “I started humming it to her every day. In the show at the time I was working on a version of the anthem with these dark minor chords and stomps and belts and screams. After a few days of humming the anthem, I realized I had the melody wrong.”

“I was singing the wrong anthem,” she admitted. “One of the most rewarding parts of the show was making that change. I swear I felt pure joy shining down on us. I know that most of the young people on the stage and in the audience did not know the history of the black national anthem before Coachella. But they understood the feeling it gave them.”

According to Bazar, the song originated as a poem written by a school principal named James Weldon Johnson in 1899, who was asked to deliver a speech on the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, but he decided to pen a poem instead with a call to action. His brother, John Rosamond Johnson, put the words to music, writes Eileen Reslen of Bazar.

“Lift ev’ry voice and sing,” and thank God for the country’s 107 black colleges, the last cultural jewel black people have left in this country.

Texas Southern Welcomes New Business Dean

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HOUSTON (July 31, 2018) – Texas Southern University announces the selection of Dr. Peter Aghimien as the new dean of the Jesse H. Jones School of Business. Dr. Aghimien assumed his duties on July 16 to lead a cutting-edge, innovative program designed to provide students with the cognitive and social skills to enter the corporate world.

Dr. Aghimien, a Fulbright Scholar, was a professor and chair of the accounting program at Indiana University-South Bend for 16 years and was a faculty member at Grambling State University in Louisiana. He holds a baccalaureate degree in accounting and economics from Ohio State University, a master’s and doctorate in accounting, economics and finance from Louisiana Tech University. Dr. Aghimien is a certified public accountant (CPA), a member of the American Accounting Association and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He has been inducted into Beta Alpha Psi (accounting honor fraternity), Beta Gamma Sigma (business honor society) and Omicron Delta Epsilon (economics honor society).

“Texas Southern welcomes Dr. Aghimien and his stellar experience to bolster the University’s academic community,” said TSU Provost Dr. Kendall Harris. “We are expecting our School of Business and its graduates to make another great leap in serving our nation and the corporate world.”

“I am delighted to join the JHJ School of Business family and I look forward to contributing to the School’s continued success,” said Dr. Aghimien. “I plan to increase the quality of teaching and research, developing first-class students to compete in the workforce and ensuring that our entire team experiences a quality work environment.”

JHJ received reaffirmation of accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) in June. The peer-review process requires excellence in strategic management and innovation as well as academic and professional engagement. The AACSB accreditation remains in force for five years. TSU was one of the first Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs) to achieve the standard set by the organization that confirms more than 800 business schools worldwide.

The School of Business, founded in 1955, offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, and an executive MBA program. The curriculum focuses on academic rigor and research in accounting, finance, management, marketing and other professional-related studies, such as internships and corporate partnerships.

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 10,000 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.

See Group of High School Students Visit Jackson State

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Over 200 Dallas high school students and 40 chaperones filled the auditorium inside Jackson State University’s College of Business on Tuesday, July 31. The group was part of the Legacy Tour – “Standing on the Shoulders of Greatness” hosted by Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway, who has ties to the JSU community.

“At the end of the day, I love Jackson State University, but I want y’all to know that I went to Texas Southern,” he said then laughs. “Jackson State has a strong alumni presence in Dallas. I’m telling you when it comes to football, education, Walter Payton – I have a great appreciation for Jackson State.”

The visitors were treated to a dynamic and informative presentation by the Department of Undergraduate Recruitment, the Office of Enrollment Management, JSU student ambassadors and members of the MADDRAMA theatre troupe.

“It’s all about building bridges and building connections especially when it comes to recruitment,” said Keiona Miller, assistant director of Undergraduate Recruitment.

She explained the importance of the University capitalizing on the contacts that alumni and others have outside of the capital city. “We’re always going to reach out and try to develop that relationship. We have to stay on the minds of these young people. It is an investment in the future,” she said.

The group spent several days touring places like Selma, Alabama; Alabama State University, Tuskegee University, and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. Jackson State served as their last stop before returning to Texas.

It is Caraway’s ninth year heading the tour. He explained that the idea came to him while driving through the streets of Dallas. “I had a 16-year-old young man with me, and he had never seen downtown Dallas. That disturbed me,” he said.

According to the mayor, the teenager had yet to venture beyond his crime-ridden neighborhood, which prompted Caraway to create a program that would enhance and elevate African-American youth.

“I wanted to show them that there is something greater in the world for them,” he said.

Caraway, who changes the theme of the tour each year, chose “Standing on the Shoulders of Greatness” as the latest motif because he wanted students to learn and understand the efforts of those who paved the way for the liberties experienced today.

“They died. They got beat. They were bitten by dogs and sprayed with water hoses just for us to be able to be here at Jackson State.” He said, “You had folks like Medgar Evers and others who took all the hits so that we can have an education. How are we going to pay them back?”

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First-ever Air Force ACE Program Held at Delaware State

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The U.S. Air Force and Delaware State University have successfully completed an experimental aviation program that has provided training, motivation and mentorship to high school and college students who have a strong interest in a career in airway science.

The three-week Air Force Aviation-Character-Education (ACE)  Program was held from July 16 to Aug. 4 at the Delaware Airpark – where the DSU Aviation Program bases its flight training and maintains its flight of planes.

Twenty-four aspiring pilots from across the country participated in the ACE Program, receiving 15 hours of dual flight instruction, 5-10 hours of flight simulator work, as well as ground training aviation science, technology engineering and mathematics. The ground training took place at the Bank of America Building on the DSU campus, and the students utilized DSU planes and the Delaware Airpark for their flight training.

Lt. Col Kenyatta Ruffin, Division Chief of Outreach and Engagement for the Air Force Aircrew Crisis Task Force, said the ACE Flight Program is centered on aviation, character and education and is designed to reach people from all across America, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or background.

 “It’s so that you have a tangible feel of what it’s like to be in the United States Air Force,” said Lt. Col. Kenyatta. “The unique opportunity we have to showcase through our role models and mentors – this is what it’s like to be an airman, this is how you go through pilot training, this is how you go through college and get a commission.”

A highlight of the ACE Program took place July 27 when Lt. Gen. Stayce D. Harris, the highest-ranking African American female in the U.S. Air Force, paid a visit and spoke to the students.

To see slideshow images of Lt. Gen. Harris’ visit, click on the below link:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/48216028@N03/sets/72157694085593630/show

Lt. Gen, Harris is currently the Inspector General of the Air Force under the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force in Washington, D.C. During her visit, she was introduced to each student as well as each Air Force and DSU instructor, and she shared some of her Air Force career experiences.

When asked which characteristic that the students should most cultivate, she said she most looks for military members to be team players, while at the same time developing oneself in ways to be highly valued as a career-long outcome. She noted that military females have a role to play to ensure that they are treated with respect.

“You need to find your own voice to keep the proper climate of dignity and respect,” Lt. Gen. Harris said.

The 24 ACE Program students included 11 high school students, eight college Air Force ROTC cadets, two U.S. Air Force Academy cadets and three Air Force second lieutenants.

During the program, 22 of the 24 participants were able to take their first-ever solo flight. Upon completing their individual solo flight, each pilot was then doused in a gauntlet of water buckets as a show of fun camaraderie among the group of participants.

Because many commercial airlines are attracting and hiring pilots away from active duty service, there is currently a shortage of military pilots. In addition, there is a shortage of minority pilots in the Air Force and commercial airlines.

According to the Air Force, only 5.7 percent of its pilots are women, 1.7 percent are African-American and 2 percent are Asian. The Federal Aviation Administration reports that only 4.4 percent of commercial airline pilots are women, 2.7 percent are African-American and 2.5 percent are Asian

READ FULL via DSU

Kevin Hart Joins UNCF In Launching a New $600,000 Scholarship Program

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Following on his generous $100,000 scholarship gift made in 2015 through UNCF (the United Negro College Fund) to four deserving college students, actor and comedian Kevin Hart has joined forces with UNCF and KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) to help 18 more KIPP students earn a college degree. Through a new UNCF scholarship program launched in partnership with Kevin Hart’s Help From The Hart Charity and KIPP Public Schools, the $600,000 scholarship will provide funding to support KIPP students from eight different cities who are attending 11 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

UNCF is the largest provider of college scholarships for students of color in the U.S., awarding more than $100 million in college scholarships annually to deserving students. The 18 Help From The Hart Charity Scholarship recipients have been selected based on their academic and personal accomplishments and may receive substantive renewable awards based on need.

“TheHelp From The Hart Charity Scholarship will not only support students, but will also demonstrate support for HBCUs,” said UNCF CEO and President Michael L. Lomax. “Research shows that HBCUs matter,and that HBCU students are having a positive college experience, but they also have an unmet financial need. Together, Kevin and KIPP have made an investment that will have a significant impact. We can’t thank them enough for their support.”

“Education and knowledge are powerful,” said Hart. “I just wanted to do my part in providing opportunities for our future leaders, especially from my Philly hometown, and show support for HBCUs. This is just the beginning; trust me when I tell you there are a lot more kids who want to go to college who don’t have the money to make it happen.”

The 18 students receiving college scholarships are high school graduates who attended KIPP public charter schools in eight different communities: the Arkansas Delta, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. A recent survey of KIPP alumni across the countryshowed that the KIPP graduates who attend HBCUs reported a stronger sense of belonging, better mental health, and were more likely to have a mentor than those attending non-HBCUs.

“Nothing brings me greater joy than to see the hard work of these 18 KIPP students recognized by Kevin Hart and UNCF through this generous scholarship program,” said John Fisher, chair of the KIPP Foundation Board of Directors. “Michael Lomax has been a longtime KIPP supporter and friend and a tireless champion for young people. We are incredibly grateful to both UNCF and Kevin Hart for their partnership and support to help our students thrive in college and achieve their dreams.”

Hart’s gift to fund this new scholarship program puts him in line with many other renowned celebrities—like Lou Rawls, Ella Fitzgerald, Clifton Davis, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Anthony Anderson, Beyoncé, Chris Rock, Usher, Pharrell Williams, Ray Charles, John Lennon, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis who, realizing the value of a quality education, have supported UNCF over the years. “Giving back to build better futures is the name of the game, and we hope that others like Kevin will understand why educational investments are so important, especially now, and step up to help more deserving students,” said Lomax.

Lomax also added, “Over the last decade, UNCF has been building a relationship with the KIPP public school network, and we are so excited that KIPP’s board of directors and Chairman John Fisher are behind this outstanding new venture. There are nearly 1,300 KIPPsters currently enrolled at HBCUs, and together, we are bringing resources and shining a spotlight on these students who are doing all they can to get a college education. This unique partnership will help UNCF continue to bridge the gap from high school success to college achievement and enables UNCF to help more students get to and through college.”

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About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF awards more than $100 million in scholarships annually and administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at more than 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”®Learn more at UNCF.org, or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.

 

About KIPP Public Schools

KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of 224 public charter schools dedicated to preparing students in educationally underserved communities for success in college and life. KIPP schools are part of the free public school system and enrollment is open to all students. Started in 1994 as a middle school program, KIPP has since expanded to enroll 96,000 students in all grades from pre-K through high school. Nationwide, KIPP students complete four-year college at a rate of 36 percent, comparable to the national average for all students and approximately three times higher than the average for students from low-income families.

Former Tuskegee Student Collette Smith, Talks Coaching Experience With New York Jets

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In this addition of the Golden Tiger Podcast, former Tuskegee University student Collette Smith joined in as a guest. In 2017, she became just the third female coach ever hired by an NFL team (New York Jets). Smith was a preseason intern whose job expired when the regular season got underway a year ago.

Here, she talks about being an addition to the small but growing group of female NFL coaches.

Famed Artist Deborah Willis to Lecture Students Fayetteville State

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Renowned African-American artist, photographer, photographic historian, author, curator and scholar, Dr. Deborah Willis, will make a lecture presentation to Fayetteville State University (FSU) art students and attend a reception to kick-off FSU’s 2018-19 Fine Art Series season with an exhibit featuring a collection of her work on Sept. 7.

The student lecture will be 1 p.m. in the Rosenthal Gallery (225 Rosenthal Building) on the FSU campus.  Later that day at 6 p.m., in the same location, Willis, professor and chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University (NYU), will present a public lecture at a reception sponsored by FSU’s Department of Performing and Fine Arts (PFA). The reception will officially kick-off the PFA 2018-19 Fine Arts Series. Both the exhibit and the reception presentation are free and open to the public.  The exhibit will run August 25 to September 30.

Call It Black, is an exhibition of works visualizing Images of the black subject, whether artistic, documentary, or anthropological from the 1930s to present, presented in black and white prints. It is one of an extensive collection of photography work composed, curated, or published by Willis, who at NYU also has an affiliated appointment with the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Social & Cultural, Africana Studies, where she teaches courses on Photography & Imaging, iconicity, and cultural histories visualizing the Black body, women, and gender.

“From the medium’s (photography) beginning, race and gender have shaped and controlled the reception of photographic portraits, both politically and aesthetically. Black American photographers responded to their own lives and their communities in similar ways since the 1840s. Some evoked an emotional message that went beyond the self-representation but connected in the re-characterization of the African American experience,” Willis said, elaborating on the exhibit.

Willis was a 2014 Richard D. Cohen Fellow of African and African American Art History at Harvard University’s Hutchins Center; a 2005 Guggenheim Fellow; a Fletcher Fellow, and a 2000 MacArthur Fellow.

Willis has received the NAACP Image Award in 2014 for her co-authored book Envisioning Emancipation.  Other notable projects include The Black Female Body A Photographic History; Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers – 1840 to the Present; Posing Beauty: African American Images from the 1890s to the Present; Michelle Obama: The First Lady in Photographs, a NAACP Image Award Literature Winner, and Black Venus 2010: They Called Her “Hottentot.”

Willis has served as a consultant to museums, archives, and educational centers. She has appeared and consulted on media projects including documentary films such as Through A Lens Darkly and Question Bridge: Black Males, a transmedia project, which received the International Center for Photography (ICP) Infinity Award for 2015, and American Photography, PBS Documentary. Since 2006 she has co-organized thematic conferences exploring imaging the black body in the West.

Fayetteville State University is a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina and the second-oldest public institution of higher education in the state, having been founded in 1867. FSU offers degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels. With more than 6,200 students, Fayetteville State University is among the most diverse institutions in the nation. Chancellor James A. Anderson is the 11th chief executive officer.

Fired Tennis Coach Feels Clark Atlanta Scapegoated Him

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A tennis coach fired by Clark Atlanta University last month after a sexual harassment investigation prompted by a student complaint believes he is being scapegoated by the university to divert attention from other complaints that its athletics department has treated some women unfairly.

Will Riley was dismissed on July 13, the day The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a report about the complaint against him and the larger concerns about the department. A 19-year-old female player said he sent her what she said were unwanted sexually suggestive messages, such as not to eat too much to maintain her figure, and followed her on social media.

In interviews with the AJC, Riley said the student and university officials misconstrued the intent of the text message exchanges.

“That was never my intention,” Riley said. “I would never make it to be sexual.”

Riley said he followed all of his players on social media to monitor whether they posted anything inappropriate and to discuss the situation if they did.

Riley said he didn’t use sound judgment by exchanging messages with the student at night. The text messages were exchanged after 11 p.m. “That was inappropriate,” he said.

Clark Atlanta University official Ramona Roman wrote in a termination letter that Riley “behaved in a manner that is inappropriate in the Scholar Athlete/Coach relationship.”

Riley, though, does not believe his actions constituted sexual harassment. He said he wanted to explain his actions.

“I feel like I was wrongfully accused of certain things. I feel like I was pulled into certain things going on in the (athletics) department,” he said.

The university declined comment, a spokesman said Friday.

The university has faced some criticism in recent months that its athletics department is hostile to women.

Three female coaches filed a complaint on June 27, according to a letter obtained by the AJC, with the university’s human resources department alleging that they’ve been “subjected to harsh and unwanted criticism, physical and psychological intimidation tactics as well as gender and equity issues.” The complaints include alleged tantrums by athletics director J. Lin Dawson, derogatory remarks about women, and scholarship cuts to various women’s sports programs. About 75 percent of the university’s students are women.

Division I athletic departments spend on average about twice as much on their men’s programs than their women’s programs, though schools without football spend nearly the same on each (about $5 million), according to a 2017 report by the NCAA. Dawson said he’s tried to improve the ratio at Clark Atlanta, which was 2-to-1 in favor of men’s athletics when he was hired. Clark Atlanta is a Division II athletics program.

The student said she brought forward her complaint because she said Riley stopped speaking to her and didn’t respond to messages from her family. Riley disputed that. The coach believes the student complained because she didn’t get to play in a championship tournament in mid-April. The student denied that.

“My intentions were not to get him fired nor was that my request. The other coaches & trainer in the department felt like the situation was not handled correctly … I am sorry that this has happened to him,” she said.

Grambling’s Bring it Home 2018 Kicks Off with $218,000 in Raised

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This July, Grambling State University’s Bring it Home kicked off with a number of major donations from alumni, staff, and corporate donors raising $218,000 in one month.

“It’s amazing to see the strong surge in initial support,” said Marc Newman, Grambling State University’s Vice President for Advancement, Economic Development, and Research. “The impact of every gift helps grow our campus and we’re grateful for partners who support that growth.”

This year’s campaign kicked off with the first donation of $10,000 from Grambling State’s President Rick Gallot who joined by five of the University’s community partners and alumni at this year’s kick-off event. The campaign’s lead partners include Coca-Cola, AT&T, Origin Bank, First National Bank, Primary Health Services, True Care Dental and Super One Food.

In addition to the corporate partners, notable Alumni including former baseball Coach Wilbert Ellis, Grambling University Foundation board members, and Grambling University Alumni Association President, Russell Le’Day showed their support at the campaign’s launch event.

Why Bring it Home?
The results of every gift and contribution to the Bring it Home campaign helps create real change on the campus of Grambling State.

Student Financial Help
Last Year’s Bring It Home campaign helped provide more than $300,000 in direct support for students in need. This impacted the balances of hundreds of students through a variety of scholarships; including GAP which is designed solely to support students in reaching the academic finish line.

Research & Grants
To date, Grambling State’s Bring it Home campaign has helped bring more than $250,000 in grants to campus. Our supporters offer more than a donation, but you also ignite powerful conversations, investments, and help from our alumni and community members. Those contributions help fund cutting-edge research in robotics, biomedical research, technology, and more right here on campus.

Increased Alumni Engagement
Students are the lifeblood of our campus and as they transition to alumni, they become the anchor of our legacy. In 2017, each of our active alumni chapters did an amazing job spreading the word and growing the investment our past graduates make in Grambling. That investment showed up, not only in the dollars on the balance sheet; it resulted in an eight percent increase in alumni giving.

Join this Year’s Success
You can be a part of creating even more positive change this year at Grambling State. Give today at www.gram.edu/giving and share the hashtag #BringItHome2018.

Funding Surges Over $64 Million for N.C. A&T Research, Second Consecutive Record Year

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EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (August 1, 2018) – Faculty researchers at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University earned $64.26 million in contracts and grants in 2017-18, an increase of nearly $2 million over the previous year, school leaders revealed today.

The university has been on a steady trajectory of growth over the past two decades, adding nearly $46 million in annual research funding since 2001. Those contract and grant monies – which come largely from the highly competitive federal funding sector – support a wide range of projects in areas ranging from food security to bioenergy to computer science and many points in between.

“Our faculty continued to demonstrate a high level of curiosity and innovation during the past year as they explored solutions to a variety of complex problems impacting society, creating new technologies, building new financial models, or developing new techniques to improve food production and safety or human health” said North Carolina A&T Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr.  “Our continued growth as a research university is a testament to their outstanding work.”

As a land-grant, doctoral university, N.C. A&T is one of 107 U.S. universities ranked as having “higher research activity” in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. That second-highest designation among research universities is determined by measuring the aggregate level of research activity and the amount of activity divided by the number of full-time faculty.

A&T is one of the state’s three most productive public research campuses, along with North Carolina State and UNC-Chapel Hill.

Researchers across the university’s eight colleges and its Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering made significant contributions to the university’s record year, among them:

  • Lauren Davis, Ph.D., College of Engineering. Davis’s “Improving Strategies for Hunger Relief and Food Security through Computational Data Science” project was awarded $3 million from the National Science Foundation. The study will develop a better understanding of food supply, distribution and need issues and an innovative, interdisciplinary training model in data science to help grow the workforce to meet those needs.
  • Shengmin Sang, Ph.D., College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, Center for Post-Harvest Technologies. Sang’s “Nutrimetabolomics Approach to Identify the Biomarkers of Whole Grain Intake” project was awarded $2.8 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The research will identify novel bioactive natural products that can be used in functional foods and dietary supplements to prevent chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
  • Abolghasem Shahbazi, Ph.D., College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences. Shabazi’s CREST Center for BioEnergy received $2.1 million from NSF. The center aims to make biomass a more viable source of renewable energy, conducting fundamental research toward the development of advanced thermochemical biomass conversion technology for the efficient, economic production of liquid transportation fuels and hydrogen.
  • Sameer Hamoush, Ph.D., College of Engineering. Hamoush’s “Pipeline Development of Skilled Workforce through Research in Advanced Manufacturing” project was awarded $2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. The funds will be used to fabricate metal test parts and determine material properties using a metal 3D printing machine, train students in the use of 3D printing, collaborate with other research hubs on fabrication and metal properties and develop a workforce pipeline by offering outreach and education workshops targeting secondary education students.
  • Maranda McBride, Ph.D., College of Business and Economics. McBride is director of the Transportation Institute and was awarded $1.4 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The institute educates students and professionals from diverse populations to provide qualified transportation professionals in the workforce. Institute activities are designed to provide ongoing initiatives in the areas of education, research, and workforce development. It serves as a national, regional and local clearinghouse for transportation education, research and outreach.

Norfolk State On the Hunt for a New President

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The Board of Visitors (governing body) invites applications and nominations for the seventh President of Norfolk State University (NSU). The board seeks a dynamic, entrepreneurial, innovative and creative leader with strong academic, administrative, development and business acumen. The successful candidate will be a visionary, advancing the university’s reputation while increasing resources through private and public partnerships.

Norfolk State University is a comprehensive, urban public institution committed to transforming the lives of its students through high-impact educational experiences that prepare its graduates for success in the 21st century.  The next president will appreciate the distinctiveness of NSU’s mission as a historically black institution and be able to interpret that mission for the changing environment of higher education.  He or she will also have a demonstrated track record of problem solving in a complex organization, with a deep commitment to shared governance and with integrity beyond reproach.

To direct the search process, the Board of Visitors has established a 21-member Presidential Search Committee representative of the University’s multiple stakeholders. It has also retained Greenwood/Asher & Associates, Inc., a highly respected search firm that has successfully completed more than 2,000 searches, and consulting and training projects, to work with the committee. The committee is co-chaired by board members Deborah M. DiCroce and Larry A. Griffith.

Over the next couple of months, the Presidential Search Committee will provide multiple public listening sessions for members of the NSU external and internal constituencies to share their ideas about what qualities and characteristics they would like to see in the university’s next president. That input will inform the search process and help the search committee develop the presidential profile. These sessions are set for July 16-17 and August 9-10. Specific meeting times and locations for these listening sessions will be posted to the NSU Presidential Search website at www.nsu.edu/PresidentialSearch. All sessions are open to the public.

Additional listening sessions for the university’s faculty, staff, and students will be held in September.

For those individuals who prefer to provide their input online, survey and comment opportunities are available on the search website.

The NSU Board of Visitors recognizes that its most important work is the selection of the university’s next president. Within that context, the board views the input from the multiple stakeholders of the university as essential to a successful outcome.

Contact:  Office of Communications & Marketing

Phone: 757-823-8655

Bowie State Alum, Actor Nominated for an Emmy Award

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BOWIE, Md.) – A Bowie State University alumnus and professional actor – best known for his portrayal of rapper Kurtis Blow on BET’s “The New Edition Story” – received his first Emmy nomination for his performance in his YouTube series, “This Eddie Murphy Role is Mine, Not Yours.”

Melvin Jackson Jr. (’05) is one of five actors nominated for a 2018 Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series, including CBS’s “The Late Late Show” host James Corden. The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards will air live on September 17 on NBC.

Jackson plays himself and actor/comedian Eddie Murphy in the six-part YouTube series, which he produced and co-wrote with his wife, actress Kelly Jenrette, also a first-time 2018 Emmy Award acting nominee for her guest role in Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” The YouTube series begins with Jackson receiving a call from his agent about an audition for the role of Eddie Murphy in his biopic. Jackson and his friend come up with a scheme to make sure he gets the role.

A Washington, DC, native, Jackson began his professional acting career as a fine arts major at Bowie State, when he landed small roles on the TV series “America’s Most Wanted” in 2003 and the HBO series “The Wire” in 2004. After graduation, he scored a recurring role on The CW’s “Everybody Hates Chris” from 2005-2006. Since then, Jackson has added writer, stand-up comedian, director and producer credits to his resume. He played Kurtis Blow in the NAACP Image Award-winning “The New Edition Story” mini-series in 2017.

Bethune Nursing Instructor’s Dissertation Unveils Strategies to Address Drowning Among Blacks

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Instructor Lorna Wilson successfully defended her dissertation on July 19, 2018, and has completed the requirements for her Ph.D. in nursing from Barry University.

Her dissertation was titled, The Decision Making Process of Afro-Caribbean Parents Towards Swimming Competency for the Family. Wilson’s research was undertaken in response to a community need.

“Broward County’s aquatic environment provides many recreational activities for both residents and visitors seeking fun in the sun and water, but the county has one of the highest rates of drowning in Florida, claiming the lives of Black children disproportionally according to the Florida Department of Health Bureau Vital Statistics, from 2013- 2015,” said Wilson.

Her study produced evidence that has unveiled a significant strategy to reverse the history of mistreatment and racial discrimination of Blacks at beaches and pools, which contributed to limited access to water and swimming for this population. This may be accomplished through community swim centers that has programs inclusive of all its community members.

“Nurses have a professional commitment to be active participants in identifying and working to eliminate health disparities,” said Wilson. “Understanding and addressing the drowning and swimming disparities in the black population is important to the theme that Black Lives Matter.”

Wilson received her nursing diploma in Jamaica; and Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Science in Nursing from Barry University. She has been an instructor at Bethune-Cookman University for three years.

ECSU Will Receive $2.3 Million for Campus Renovation and Repairs

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Elizabeth City State University will receive a $2.3 million allocation for campus repairs and renovations following the University of North Carolina Board of Governors meeting last week.

Officials note that this amount is the largest disbursement within its school system to ECSU in the last seven years. “This is great news for the University,” said interim ECSU Chancellor Karrie Dixon. “This is the largest percentage of the UNC System’s repair and renovation funding pool that ECSU has ever received, and the largest increase since 2007.”

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The $2.3 million figure is 7.2 percent of the total repair and renovation budget for the University of North Carolina System of nearly $32.4 million.

“This funding will go a long way toward the future of ECSU,” said Smith. “The Board of Governors has confidence in the University’s new direction, and in its leadership under the guidance of Dr. Dixon.”

ECSU has an assessed $15 million in repair and renovation needs.

 

FAMU Picks First Female Drum Major, Cori Bostic

Posted by Brittany Ireland
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Can she get a drumroll please? This week in HBCU, black girl magic, we celebrate Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University’s (FAMU) first female drum major, Cori Renee Bostic.

The 72-year-old year old FAMU band, The Marching 100, just began it’s 2018 band camp but has already broken barriers, made history, and now has the whole internet celebrating a first for the historically black college and university.

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Atlanta native Bostic is a junior studying in FAMU’s School of Journalism and Graphic Communication. In addition to her new leadership role, Bostic is already a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority.

Did you know this is her second time vying for The Marching 100’s top spot? Last year after not being selected, Cori didn’t let that stop her dreams, and its a good thing, because she is now memorialized in the history of 131-year-old FAMU.

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We are not the same country we were in 1918 and this holds especially true when you take a look at those breaking barriers like Cori, then remember that African-American women are more educated than ANY OTHER GENDER/SEX combination in the country. Just a few weeks ago we celebrated another FAMU woman, Mareena Robinson Snowden, who became the very first woman to graduate from MIT earning a doctorate in nuclear engineering. Congratulations Cori!