FAMU Grad Dr. Martez Prince Is Black Owned Premier Pharmacy And Wellness Center CEO

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FAMU graduate Martez Prince’s long-time dedication to educating and caring for patients paid off as he became the CEO of  African American owned and staffed growing pharmacy, Premier Pharmacy and Wellness Center, in October of 2015 located in Charlotte.

The Wellness Center is dedicated to guiding patients around the world to great health. The center is an independent pharmacy that specializes in improving patient outcomes. They achieve this goal by using proper medication utilization, monitoring, educational seminars, and coaching.

Prince explained that the Well Center is different from any other pharmacy nationally because they always put passion before profits.

The pharmacist told he2magazine.com in an interview that “Our true and sole purpose is wellness. Wellness is important to us; we search for resources to help patients obtain their goals. Our work goes beyond the pharmacy; we bring wellness to the community through our foundation (The Premier Foundation).”

The Premier Foundation defines wellness in a holistic way. Prince and his staff believe wellness goes beyond the physical being.

“Our definition of wellness includes, physical, mental, financial and more,” he said.

“The foundation believes everyone is equal and should have access to the same resources.”

The Premier Foundation was created as a mean to serve the community by providing resources to the communities in need. Our resources are provided in the form of materials, services, and education.

The creation of the Wellness Center nor the foundation was an overnight job or success for Prince and his team, he began his pharmacy career as a cashier for The Medicine Shoppe when he was just 16 before attending Florida A&M University, where he received his Doctorate of Pharmacy degree.

He explained to Official Black Wall Street that he transitioned from working at a Rite Aid corporation to opening his own business because the corporation he was working for at that time was, unfortunately, changing their platform. Prince felt like they didn’t really serve the patients the way they needed to be serviced anymore and it became more financial-driven versus healthcare-driven.

“I felt like it drained my creativity and I didn’t have any control or power even though I was the pharmacy manager for four of the five years I worked for them,” he said.

“I didn’t feel fulfilled or connected to the Charlotte community where I relocated after graduation.”

The fairly new business owner said he would talk to the patients when they would come into the pharmacy and really try to educate them on the medications they were taking.

“Those were the only moments I felt like I was really being a pharmacist,” he told OBWS.

“Doing what I went to school for.”

The process wasn’t always easy, he was falling out of love with Rite Aid’s platform, so he decided to create his own. Prince knew that this was something that he really wanted. He knew he would need some finances to get the wellness center off the ground, so he saved. He eventually had enough to finance the pharmacy from his personal savings and with the help of friends.

“I think a lot of times as African Americans we don’t realize the power we have in our own personal network,” he said.

“Everyone is born with a dream already inside of them,” he told he2magazine.com.

“It’s up to each of us to make that dream a reality; it’s our sole purpose for existing. If you don’t follow your dream, you are destined to leave this earth without fulfilling your one and only true mission.”

In the future, he plans to create an operations manual that he hopes will allow other Black people to “franchise from the blueprint of the pharmacy.”

In addition to that, in 10 years Prince envisions his company being a blueprint for pharmacy practices around the world, where wellness is once again the first priority. Prince hasn’t done this alone, he could not have done it without his family and his amazing staff.

Solely he has been recognized and awarded as a 2016 CMBCC 30 Under 30 Honoree, 2016 Award of Heroes in Health Care, Emerging Leaders Award, and 2009 Presidential Award from the Florida Pharmacy Association.

The accomplishments keep rolling in for Prince, but many of these included help and work from his staff members and teammates. He posted on social media that with only 10 months in business Premier Pharmacy and Wellness Center, and The Premier Foundation returned over 17K back into the community in the form of scholarships, charitable contributions, and resources. #YouAreThePeople that made this possible. He went on to say that their efforts are far from over!

The Wellness Center staff includes Dr. Brittney Cobb Dayne, a native of Memphis, TN and earned her Doctorate of Pharmacy with honors from Florida A&M University, Jason Glenn, who grew up in the Charlotte area and earned his degree from UNC Charlotte, and Racquel Williams, a native of Philadelphia with 8 years’ experience as a pharmacy technician. 

“I think every community deserves to have a pharmacy that offers the resources that Premier Pharmacy and Wellness Center offers.”

You can find Dr. Martez Prince: Facebook: @Dr. Martez

Rep. Alma Adams: Historically Black Colleges And Universities Take ‘Devastating Hit’ In Trump’s Budget

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President Donald Trump previewed a budget plan “that could have a severe impact on black colleges” earlier last week, according to HBCU advocates. Briana Thomas writes at Capital News Service that Trump’s “America First” proposal “decreases Department of Education funding by 13 percent, leaving some programs that support minority students unfunded.”

From Delmarva Now:

“President Donald Trump’s so-called “skinny budget” proposes spending cuts that could have a severe impact on black colleges, according to advocates for those institutions.

The budget blueprint titled “America First” decreases Department of Education funding by 13 percent, leaving some programs that support minority students unfunded.

The $9 billion budget cut to the Department of Education includes a “devastating hit” for black colleges, said Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C., co-chairman of the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus.”

Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Rep. Cedric Richmond said in a statement that Trump’s “skinny budget” does more harm than good for the Black community.

“Trump’s budget proposes to maintain $492 million funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions, but drastically cuts the federal programs that serve these institutions and their students.

“This budget proposal is not a new deal for African Americans. It’s a raw deal that robs the poor and the middle-class to pay the richest of the rich,” Richmond said.”

“Our students need access to financial aid so they are not burdened by crushing debt after graduation,” University of Maryland Eastern Shore President Juliette Bell explained.

Bell added: “Infrastructure enhancements, support for research and innovation, and year-round Pell Grants are some of the needs.”

Read more here.

Morgan State Bears: ‘Morgan State To Open New Softball Facility On Saturday Against Rival Howard’

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Kevin C. Paige writes at morganstatebears.com that the Morgan State Bears finally will open a new softball facility on Saturday when they face off against rival and fellow HBCU Howard University. “The project cost $80,000 and consisted of the infield being completely dug up and redone,” Paige writes.

Per morganstatebears.com:

“After more than a decade of talks and planning for an upgraded softball facility for Morgan State, the dream will finally become a reality, when the Lady Bears host rival Howard for a three-game Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) this weekend.

Morgan State will open up the newly refurbished Lois T. Murray Field on Saturday, April 1 when it takes on the Howard Lady Bison in a MEAC doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. The two teams will close out the weekend series with a single game on Sunday at noon. The three-game series will be the 2017 home, as well as MEAC opener for the Lady Bears.

“The new field has really generated a sense of pride in the program, because we didn’t have a field last year,” said Morgan State head coach Larry Hineline. “I think all of the girls are feeling it, as far as Morgan State pride and that’s a great thing. We believe it will help us a little bit. We still have to play the games and do well, but it certainly is an advantage for us over last year.”

“I’m extremely excited for the ladies to have a field they are proud of and call their own,” said Morgan State Director of Athletics Edward Scott. “From the time I interviewed until its completion, this was my top priority for me.”

Head over to morganstatebears.com to read more.

Wiley’s President Attends First Higher Education Joint Summit In Mexico

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(Marshall, Texas) — As Wiley College prepares to observe International Week April 4-10 on its increasingly diverse campus, the institution’s President, Dr. Haywood L. Strickland, has traveled abroad to take part in the first Higher Education Summit of the United States and Mexico.

Strickland is one of 24 member Presidents of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and one of just three Presidents of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) who are in Guadalajara, Mexico, for meetings today and tomorrow with Rectors (Presidents) of Mexican colleges and universities.

According to the CIC and the Mexican Federation of Private Higher Education Institutions (FIMPES), the organizers of the summit, the purpose of the meetings is to explore partnership opportunities between Mexican and U.S. colleges and universities. The outcomes they’d like to see include greater access to internships for students from both countries, as well as more exchange opportunities and research partnerships for students and faculty of the two countries.

Organizers wrote that the summit “will emphasize the importance of international exchange in today’s ‘America First’ political climate.”

While in Mexico, Dr. Strickland, along with  U.S. and Mexican college and university leaders, will visit and meet with campus leaders of three Mexican higher education institutions: Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Universidad Panamericana, and Universidad del Valle de Atemajac.

The college and university leaders will also meet with the U.S. Consul General in Guadalajara, Tanya C. Anderson, and with local, state, and national Mexican officials, as well as additional university rectors.

In each of the three years prior to this week’s summit, rectors of private Mexican colleges and universities traveled to the U.S. to take part in CIC’s Presidents Institute, the largest annual gathering of college and university presidents in the U.S.

About Wiley College:

Wiley College, founded in 1873 in Marshall, Texas, is a historically black, primarily liberal arts, residential, co-educational, Baccalaureate degree-granting institution affiliated with The United Methodist Church and the United Negro College Fund.

About the CIC:

The Council of Independent Colleges is an association of 765 nonprofit independent colleges and universities and higher education affiliates and organizations that has worked since 1956 to excellence, and enhance public understanding of private higher education’s contributions to society. CIC is the major national organization that focuses on providing services to leaders of independent colleges and universities as well as conferences, seminars, and other programs that help institutions to improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, and institutional visibility.

CIC conducts the largest annual conferences of college and university presidents and 5 of chief academic officers. CIC also provides support to state associations that organize programs and generate contributions for private colleges and universities. The Council is headquartered at One Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. www.cic.edu<http://www.cic.edu/>

About the FIMPES:

FIMPES is the largest network of private universities in Mexico. It was created in 1982 and hosts 108 prestigious universities that serve different socioeconomic sectors in all areas of Mexico. They enroll more than 650,000 students. FIMPES seeks to support institutional quality, in terms of the academic program that its members offer, and to encourage collaboration between affiliated universities and higher education institutions from other countries.

NPHC Releases Statement On Hazing In Response To ‘Burning Sands’ Movie

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The National Panhellenic Council (NPHC) Council of Presidents (CoP) released a statement on hazing in response to Netflix’s Burning Sands Wednesday, wherein they spoke out against hazing, as well as their elimination of pledging in 1990.

“NPHC and its member organizations have developed and instituted policies against hazing and have taken steps to reinforce and strengthen their stand against this prohibited conduct,” the statement reads.

The NPHC and its nine member organizations also stated they stand against all forms, support, and encouragement of hazing.

“Equally important NPHC and its member organizations do not condone, support, or encourage the production of movies, books, or any type of social media that promote hazing.”

The NPHC’s full statement reads:

“NPHC is comprised of local councils drawn from the ranks of 1.5 million college and professional members of the nine historically African-American fraternities and sororities, namely: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., and the Council of Presidents of these member organizations who come together on issues that promote the common purposes and general good for which these organizations exist.

In 1990, the NPHC organizations issued a joint statement announcing the elimination of pledging and each has instituted within its respective organization, a revised membership development, and intake process.

Each NPHC organization has instituted strong policies against hazing and has taken steps to reinforce and strengthen its stand against prohibited conduct whether it is displayed through movies, books, or any type of social media.

NPHC and its member organizations have developed and instituted policies against hazing and have taken steps to reinforce and strengthen their stand against this prohibited conduct. Equally important NPHC and its member organizations do not condone, support, or encourage the production of movies, books, or any type of social media that promote hazing.”

Netflix’s newest movie Burning Sands delves into HBCU fraternities, and how pledges are treated in today’s society.

Grambling Alum Randy Huggins Executive Produces New BET Drama Series ‘Rebel’

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‘Rebel’ is an extraordinary take on the seminal police drama that portrays the unique and conflicted relationship officers of color have with their jobs – at a time when police forces are rife with brutality and misconduct.

According to The New York Times, the series as a straightforward attempt to mix a little Black Lives Matter seriousness with a lot of nostalgic blaxploitation entertainment value.

While BET describes the series as hard-hitting, gritty, complicated and morally ambiguous, featuring many issues ripped from the headlines.

The series follows Rebel (Danielle Moné Truitt), a police officer who leaves the force after being under intense internal affairs/criminal investigation for shooting her partner in the hopes of stopping him from gunning down her little brother. Continuing to fight crime as a P.I. (private investigator), Rebel struggles with her brother’s murder while defending herself from the dirty cops who are out for revenge.

Earlier this week the GSU alum told Rollingout how proud he was to be apart of this production and that the only reason he became a writer was because of his experience at his alma mater Grambling State University.

During his time at the university he took theatre courses as electives and one of his classmates, Erica Wright, now known as singer and entertainer, Erykah Badu, told him he should start writing down his thoughts and ideas because she’d never heard such crazy stories.

“Twenty-five years later, here I am,” Huggins said. “She was the first person to encourage me to write.”

Huggins is a native of Detroit, where he attended St. Martin DePorres High School and later went on to receive his B.A. in History from GSU. After graduating he taught third grade and fifth grade in the Detroit public school system prior to relocating to Los Angeles, where he currently lives with his wife, Korin.

He has had the opportunity to write and produce for hit shows such as  “The Shield”, “Crash”, “The Unit”, “Trauma”, “Criminal Minds”, and “Prime Suspect” before landing on STARZ hit drama series “Power,” starring Omari Hardwick.

“How I became a part of ‘Rebel’ was, during a business meeting I was asked to pitch my idea of the series, which meant I had to come up with a story on the fly,” Huggins said. “I did and they approved me, then we all walked into BET to do the same. We were blessed to get the green light.”

Huggins is now the executive producer for the new BET series “Rebel” which made it’s debut March 28 at 9 p.m. EST. Along with Huggins, Dallas Jackson is also an executive producer with music for the pilot composed by soulful artist Jill Scott.

Rebel is a John Singleton drama series, (his first-ever TV series) which stars Danielle Moné Truitt as Rebecca “Rebel” Cole, Brandon Quinn as Michael “Mack” McIntyre, Angela Ko as Cheena Lin, Mykelti Williamson as Mr. Rene Knight, Cliff “Method Man” Smith as Terrance “TJ” Jenkins, Giancarlo Esposito as Charles Gold, Mikelen Walker as Malik Knight, LaTanya Richardson as Detective Jones, Lauren London as Kim, and Tamala Jones as Jackie.

Rebel discusses a relevant subject matter right now in our country that is constantly being addressed. The subject matter is police brutality, the killing of unarmed men.

The infamous Wall of Blue is all over the news and the backdrop for the main character’s daily life.

Rebel joins the conversation along with shows like Shots Fired, which recently premiered and seemed to be very well received.

Do you think Rebel will do well and get the same response? Let us know and leave your comments below.

http://https://youtu.be/r2ST8XGeqEQ

U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris to Deliver Howard University 2017 Commencement Address

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WASHINGTON (MARCH 28, 2017) – Howard University announced today that Senator Kamala D. Harris will deliver the keynote address during Howard University’s 149th Commencement Convocation on Saturday, May 13, 2017. Senator Harris will address members of the Class of 2017 along with their families, university trustees, officers, faculty, staff, and alumni.

“Throughout her trailblazing career, Senator Harris has demonstrated her commitment to youth in a variety of ways,” said Dr. Frederick. “She is a leader in mentorship programs, has authored legislation to fight child exploitation and unashamedly shattered both racial and gender barriers. As we exclaim the necessity of Howard University’s legacy—now more than ever before—and focus our vision toward the future, I have no doubt that our graduates will find Senator Harris thought-provoking and inspiring.” 

Senator Harris is both the first African-American and first woman to serve as Attorney General for the State of California. She is also the second African-American woman in history to be elected to the United States Senate.

Throughout her career, Harris—a lifelong public safety and civil rights leader—has worked diligently to advocate for children and students. She established California’s Bureau of Children’s Justice and fought to reduce elementary school truancy so that every California student can exercise his or her constitutional right to an education.  As Attorney General, Harris successfully sued predatory for-profit colleges that scam students and veterans.

“Howard shaped, nurtured, and challenged me to soar on my chosen path, and I’m honored to speak to the class of 2017 to encourage them to pursue their own dreams and live up to the promise of Howard,” said Senator Harris. “Howard University has instilled in generations of students the drive to serve others, and to truly believe that anything is possible.”

On commencement day, Howard University will award Bachelor’s Degrees, Master’s Degrees, and PhDs to the graduating class. Professional degrees will be issued in Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry.  Howard University has the only Dental and Pharmacy colleges in the District of Columbia.

ABOUT HOWARD

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. Since 1998, the University has produced four Rhodes Scholars, nine Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, over 60 Fulbright Scholars, 22 Pickering Fellows and one Schwarzman Scholar. Howard also produces more on campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, call 202-238-2330, or visit the University’s Web site at www.howard.edu.

 

Daymond John To Deliver 1st Chancellor’s Speaker Series Talk at NCAT

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Greensboro, N.C. (March 28, 2017) – Retail clothing entrepreneur and TV personality Daymond John of ABC’s wildly popular “Shark Tank” series will kick off The Harold L. Martin Sr. Chancellor’s Speaker Series at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with a talk at 6 p.m., Thursday, April 27, in Harrison Auditorium.

As part of John’s appearance at A&T, three students will be selected to present their business plans to him, Chancellor Martin and Board of Trustee member Janice Bryant Howroyd in a Shark Tank-like review.

The Chancellor’s Speaker Series is the second major lecture and discussion initiative launched by N.C. A&T this spring. The speaker series is a high-profile lecture initiative, featuring speakers of national and global recognition who reflect preeminence in their respective fields. Areas of interest will include leadership, entrepreneurship, culture, politics and social awareness, although not limited to those topics. John will be of particular interest to the campus, which has both a prominent College of Business and Economics and a Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation that focuses on student start-ups.

From humble beginnings in Queens, New York, John revolutionized the sportswear industry in the 1990s through the creation of his iconic brand, FUBU (“For Us, By Us”), an apparel and accessories line that he launched with a small inventory of hats that he made himself.

By 1998, FUBU was generating $350 million a year in revenues and was well on its way to more than $6 billion in global retail sales. John was recognized as a visionary who understood the potential for sportswear with broad appeal to urban youth, suburban teens and more – an industry valued today at $20 billion.

John joined “Shark Tank” in 2009, and is one of the hit show’s most recognizable figures, affectionately known as “The People’s Shark.” The series has won three Emmy Awards and multiple Critic’s Choice Awards and has seen millions of dollars of investments made in business ideas presented on the show.

He has expanded into books and is a best-selling author (“Display of Power: How FUBU Changed a World of Fashion, Branding & Lifestyle,” “The Brand Within”), public speaker and consultant. His latest New York Times Best-Selling book, “The Power of Broke,” takes an insightful look at individuals who’ve launched their own powerful brands and careers from a place of desperation, harnessing the “power of broke” to think creatively, alternatively and aggressively. “The Power of Broke” won the 2017 NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional.”

Over the course of his fast-paced career, John has won numerous awards, including Ernst & Young’s Master Entrepreneur of the Year and Brandweek Marketer of the Year. He is also the CEO of the brand consultancy, The Shark Group, which has worked with a long list of businesses and brands, including Gillette, Miller Lite, HSN and Capital One, and celebrities such as the Kardashians, Pitbull and Stan Lee.

For more information, visit the Chancellor’s Speaker Series and Town Hall web page. 

 

About North Carolina A&T State University 

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is the nation’s largest historically black university. It is a land-grant, higher-research classified university by the Carnegie Foundation and constituent member of the University of North Carolina system. A&T is known for its leadership in producing graduates in engineering, agriculture and other STEM fields. The university was founded in 1891 and is located in Greensboro, North Carolina.  

 

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Meet Howard University’s DJ Kheeez

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Khalia Russell aka DJ Kheeez is a senior, Public Relations major, Graphic Design minor from Brooklyn, NY. She is also one of the dope DJs on Howard’s campus! As a half-Trinidadian and half-American girl growing up in Brooklyn, music was, of course, always a part of her life (especially Hip Hop and Reggae/Soca). She also attended performing arts schools which aided in her love and passion for music. Before she finally decided to become a DJ (in her Junior year of college), she would make different playlists for herself as well as friends and family, they covered a range of themes, occasions and emotions. 

“I would say my DJ style is eclectic. I love to incorporate various genres of music, but I will always make sure that I represent who I am and incorporate my tinge of hip-hop and reggae/soca.”

DJ Kheeez

DJ Kheeez has a wide range of playlists and mixes on her Soundcloud, check them out here!

https://soundcloud.com/djkheeez

 Catch a VIBE!

(Commentary by DJ Kheeez) 

“Girls Bite Back” Mix – This mix was done to salute girls in hip-hop who can rap just like men, and say whatever they want. I made this mix with the intention of every girl feeling empowered after they listened to it. 
 
“Feels” Mix – This mix is my favorite, and most listened to. It’s a mix to listen to when you’re “in your feelings” or heartbroken. 
 

“Lit” Mix – This is my most recent project, and is a mix of my favorite songs to listen to when I’m about to go turn up, or just feeling like having fun. 

Essentially, the purpose of all of my mixes is to generate a specific mood, or “vibe”. 

Make sure to stay updated on all of the latest news and projects by following Khalia on her social media sites @Kheeezus.

NCCU Alumna Starts Non-Profit to Prepare Young Ladies for College

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Chosen Productions, Inc. was created and founded by NCCU alumna, Lynn Douglass to serve as a program for adolescent girls where they can receive a hands-on college readiness experience that will prepare them for success beyond the halls of their respective high schools. With a desire to specifically impact the lives of underrepresented, college bound girls in the Triad region of North Carolina, Chosen Productions, Inc. was founded in 2016 and has been making strides since it’s inception.

In a HBCU exclusive interview, Lynn, a first-generation college student discusses how difficult it was for her to prepare for college having no prior knowledge of the process. Despite the barriers, she faced, Lynn prevailed and went on to obtain both her Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees from North Carolina Central University. During her time as a student , Lynn was a member of the Marching Sound Machine Marching Band, a member of Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority and a Miss Black & Gold Queen. She was most recently crowned Miss Black North Carolina 2015-2016. As for her career, Lynn decided to become a high school counselor so that she could impact the lives of students just like herself. She currently serves in this capacity at Carver high School in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

“Often, girls are expected to perform well in the classroom, but it tends to go unnoticed when they don’t” says Lynn. “More attention and encouragement is needed for female students to be successful but unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to meet, let alone reach every single child during the school day” With this in mind, Lynn decided to act in her own community to break the cycle for girls who “fly below the radar.” “Education is the cure to poverty and if armed with the proper tools, girls just like me can succeed and go on to become anything that they want to become” explained Lynn.

Chosen Production Inc.’s name is derived from the literal action of being “Chosen” by colleges for admission and/or college scholarships; but mainly through the belief system of Executive Director Douglass. “We believe that every human on the face of the planet was born for a specific purpose, to solve a specific issue that will ultimately bring about change to the world.” says Lynn. “No matter how great or small one might think their purpose is, we live in an interdependent society where everybody needs somebody!”

Chosen Productions Inc. is set to launch it’s “Visionary Institute Summer Camp for Girls” beginning on June 19th. This institute is a week-long college access summer camp that will empower young ladies to set and achieve the goals that they have for themselves post-graduation. For more information please visit chosen Production’s IG page @chosenproinc or on Facebook @Chosen Productions Inc.!

Hampton, Central State and PVAMU Tops Peace Corps Volunteer-Producing HBCUs

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WASHINGTON, March 28, 2017 – Today, the Peace Corps announced its 2017 rankings of the top volunteer-producing Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Hampton University, Central State University and Prairie View A&M University all appeared on the agency’s annual ranking for the first time. Hampton debuted at No. 4 with four alumni currently serving abroad as Peace Corps volunteers. Central State and Prairie View both rank No. 5, earning a three-way tie with Morehouse College. 

For the second year in a row, Howard University, Spelman College and Florida A&M University hold the top three spots on the list. This is the sixth-consecutive year that Howard University produced the most Peace Corps volunteers among HBCUs, with 18 undergraduate alumni currently serving overseas in 14 countries. Spelman College and Florida A&M University earned the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively.

 

“Historically Black Colleges and Universities cultivate a commitment to community-oriented education that inspires their graduates to pursue international service and make an impact abroad with the Peace Corps,” Acting Peace Corps Director Sheila Crowley said. “Each year, a growing number of HBCU alumni join the Peace Corps with important experiences and perspectives that give communities overseas a better understanding of the diversity of the United States.”

Both Howard and Spelman also appeared on Peace Corps’ national list of top volunteer-producing colleges and universities this year, with Howard ranking No. 14 among medium-sized undergraduate schools and Spelman ranking No. 7 among small schools. Since 1961, 242 Howard alumni and 94 Spelman alumnae have served with the Peace Corps.

Service in the Peace Corps is a life-defining, hands-on leadership experience that offers volunteers the opportunity to travel to a community overseas and make a lasting difference in the lives of others. College graduates with Peace Corps volunteer experience gain cross-cultural, language and community development skills that build upon their education and give them a competitive edge for career and advanced education opportunities.

Hampton University alumna Devon Howard is currently serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Eastern Caribbean. She works at a primary school to improve students’ early literacy skills and show them that reading is fun. Howard also teaches an after-school arts club and works on enhancing the school’s library.

“I am a proud alumna of Hampton University,” Howard said. “HU taught me the value of an open mind and a curious spirit that has translated into easier integration in my host community and a deeper appreciation for their culture.”

 The Peace Corps has recruiters across the country that visit HBCUs and work closely with prospective volunteers. By hiring dedicated diversity recruiters and hosting diversity-focused recruitment events, the agency aims to build an inclusive volunteer force and ensure that all Americans know about service opportunities with the Peace Corps.

Peace Corps’ 2017 top volunteer-producing Historically Black Colleges and Universities are:

1.      Howard University: 18 currently serving volunteers

2.      Spelman College: 11 currently serving volunteers

3.      Florida A&M University: 7 currently serving volunteers

4.      Hampton University: 4 currently serving volunteers

5.      Central State University: 3 currently serving volunteers       

5.   Morehouse College: 3 currently serving volunteers

5.   Prairie View A&M University: 3 currently serving volunteers

A simple and personal Peace Corps application process can be completed online in about one hour. Applicants can learn more about service opportunities by visiting the Peace Corps website and connecting with a recruiter.

*Rankings are calculated based on fiscal year 2016 data as of September 30, 2016, as self-reported by Peace Corps volunteers.

About the Peace Corps: The Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad on behalf of the United States to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in education, health, economic development, agriculture, environment and youth development. Through their Peace Corps experience, Volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a life-long commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today’s global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 225,000 Americans of all ages have served in 141 countries worldwide. For more information, visit peacecorps.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

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Virginia Union University Women’s Basketball Finished Ranked #2 In The Nation

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The Virginia Union University women’s basketball team has finished the 2016-17 season ranked #2 in the final Women’s Basketball Coaches Association poll of the season, released on Saturday, March 25.

The Lady Panthers moved up from #18 due to a miraculous run through the NCAA Tournament, culminating in an appearance in the 2017 National Championship game against Ashland University on Friday, March 24.

The #2 ranking is the highest finish ever for a VUU women’s team in the WBCA poll.

VUU finished the 2016-17 with a 28-5 record.

Rank School (record) Points First-place
votes		 Previous

rank
1 Ashland (37-0) 600 24 1
2 Virginia Union (28-5) 548 0 18
3 California Baptist (35-3) 547 0 3
4 Harding (31-4) 509 0 10
5 Columbus State (31-2) 493 0 4
6 Drury (30-4) 420 0 5
7 Queens, NY (25-4) 414 0 15
8 Emporia State (29-5) 380 0 6
9 California, PA (30-4) 379 0 7
10 Alaska-Anchorage (29-2) 374 0 2
11 Colorado State-Pueblo (28-4) 320 0 9
12 West Florida (28-7) 309 0 NR
13 Lincoln Memorial (26-5) 289 0 13
14 Adelphi (27-5) 283 0 8
15 West Texas A&M (26-9) 261 0 NR
16 Pittsburg State (25-6) 247 0 11
17 Eckerd (27-5) 196 0 12
18 Western Washington (26-6) 185 0 16
19 Bentley (26-5) 176 0 14
20 Angelo State (26-6) 153 0 20
21 Minnesota State-Moorhead (24-5) 125 0 17
22 Central Missouri (24-7) 121 0 19
23 Simon Fraser (26-8) 84 0 NR
24 Wingate (25-5) 78 0 21
25 Central Oklahoma (25-8) 38 0 25

Former Child Genius Graduates Clark Atlanta University Two Years Early

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ATLANTA    Ronald McCullough Jr. is one exceptional soon-to-be-alumnus of Clark Atlanta University.  At commencement May 22, the former child genius will graduate with honors with a B.A. in biology a full two years ahead of his classmates, at the youthful age of 19.  Along the way, he earned membership in Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society.  How did the CAU legacy student (his mother graduated from the former Clark College) do it?  Well, it began years before he arrived at CAU at just 16 years old.

Turns out McCullough, then 15, also graduated early from Maynard Jackson High School in Atlanta, after his genius-level intelligence allowed him to skip the second grade.  His parents and teachers recognized early McCullough far outpaced his classmates in science and mathematics.  His university friends, though, had trouble believing he was so much younger than them until he showed his driver license. McCullough has always possessed an extraordinary ability to understand and retain information about very complex subjects.  Yet, the real life “Doogie Howser” has always considered himself to be an average teenager.

“I would not consider myself a genius,” McCullough said.  “I was placed in a setting for my love of learning to manifest.  Much was expected of me and there was little room for disappointment.”

McCullough is one of nearly 200 students who are members of the Isabella T. Jenkins Honors and Scholars Program at CAU, led by Dr. Teri Platt.  The program seeks to provide students with the ultimate learning experience while enrolled at CAU.  Some of its goals are to nurture and foster intellectual independence and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence.

“Ronald embodies the best and the brightest we have here at CAU,” Platt explained. “He definitely represents black excellence and its many manifestations. Not only is he brilliant, he has unimpeachable character. He has contagious drive and ambition, but remains grounded,” she continued.

McCullough’s brainpower has not gone unnoticed.  Post-graduate engineering programs are heavily recruiting him, including N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University (A&T) and University of Hawaii.  The future astronaut plans to enroll in the biological/agricultural engineering program at A&T.

“I just wake up in the morning and do the right thing,” he said when asked how he has been so successful at such a young age.  “Just by doing what I believe is the right thing for my future, I’ve been rewarded greatly.”

To learn more about academic scholarships available through the Honors and Scholars Program visit CAU.edu.

Google Launches Howard West Campus To Develop Future Black Engineers

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Howard University announced the opening of a new west coast campus today at the GooglePlex in Mountain View, Calif. Spurred on by a mission to increase diversity in the tech industry, Vice President of  Global Partnerships at Google and Howard alum, Bonita Stewart, expressed excited to share the news in a release that went out Thursday, Ebony.

In a press release, Howard University President Dr. Wayne Frederick said:

Howard West will produce hundreds of industry-ready Black computer science graduates, future leaders with the power to transform the global technology space into a stronger, more accurate reflection of the world around us. We envisioned this program with bold outcomes in mind — to advance a strategy that leverages Howard’s high quality faculty and Google’s expertise, while also rallying the tech industry and other thought leaders around the importance of diversity in business and the communities they serve.

As technology giants face mounting criticism over the lack of diversity in their organizations, companies from across Silicon Valley and beyond have been releasing annual diversity reports to chart changes in their internal makeup according to Venture Beat. But a lack of real development has also led some companies to delay subsequent reports as they reevaluate their strategies. Google has released diversity reports since 2014, but the first couple of years garnered little in the way of real progress. This is why the internet giant is now expanding its relationship with D.C.’s Howard University — a historically black educational institution.

Read more about this announcement here, Howard University

Meet Howard University DJ Morgan KTA

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Morgan Williams aka Morgan KTA is a sophomore, African American Studies major, History minor from Los Angeles, CA. She is also one of the rising DJs on campus! Although she’s always had a solid ear for good music, she began her craft in 2013. She got inspired after traveling to parties with her friend, who was a DJ. After seeing the way he controlled the vibe of the party, she set her sights on becoming a DJ herself.

I wanted that interaction between the crowd and the dj and I literally wanted to be the reason why everyone’s night was “so lit”

Morgan KTA

Morgan’s music style ranges from Hip Hop to EDM and everything in between. Her goal is to be the kind of DJ that anyone can hire, and the one that any crowd can vibe to. Her most recent project is Sorry For the Wait, a mix dedicated to her supporters who have stuck around despite her creative hiatus. 

A Message from Morgan KTA

 Being a female DJ isn’t an easy job. When I walk into a party and people see me setting up they are really surprised to see a female DJ and I live for moments like that. I take that as a new opportunity to shock someone with all the hard work I put into my craft. By the end of the party the same people that were looking at me with doubt were the same ones that would come up to me shaking my hand telling me that I’m a good DJ and asking for my information and that makes me so happy. At the end of the day I always remain humble because I haven’t made it yet nor am I close to where I want to be and I am forever grateful for people that see my hard work and help me get better in any way!

Make sure to stay updated on all of the latest news and projects by following Morgan on her social media sites @MorganKTA.

Terrence Jenkins Named Ambassador Of ABFF Greenlighters Academy

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New York, New York, March 17, 2017 – The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) has announced the first annual ABFF Greenlighters Academy, a new educational and career development initiative targeted to African American college students with an interest in pursuing executive careers in film and television.

This is a pipeline program that inspires its participants to become heads of various divisions within the Hollywood studio system and nurtures future film and television executives who will be leaders of this industry.  The inaugural Greenlighters Academy will launch in Los Angeles this April. 

As the first official program under the new ABFF INSPIRES umbrella, the ABFF Greenlighters Academy will educate students on the inner workings of the film and television business while granting them access to leading industry experts who will share valuable career building tips, along with guidance based on their own career trajectories.

Actor and producer Terrence Jenkins will serve as the ambassador to the Greenlighters Academy. Terrence recognizes the importance of giving back and helping African American students understand the corporate side of the film and television industry.  Through his company, Jenkins Entertainment Group, Terrence has been optioned to develop and executive produce original content for both MTV and VH1. Terrence also took his talents to the silver screen and starred in such films as Stomp the Yard: Homecoming, Think Like A Man, Baggage Claim, The Perfect Match, and more.  Past television hosting jobs have included BET’s popular music countdown show, 106 & Park and E! News’ daily entertainment news show.

“The ABFF Greenlighters Academy is an expansion of our 20-year legacy of identifying young African American talent.  We firmly believe that we have to lift as we climb. This unprecedented incubator program will give African American college students the opportunity to jump-start their corporate entertainment careers through the information and access they will receive. The ABFF Greenlighters Academy is a pipeline to corporate positions that will inspire these diverse young people to become executives who are an integral part of greenlighting film and television projects in Hollywood,” states Jeff Friday, CEO of ABFF Ventures, LLC. 

Terrence will host the two-day intensive boot camp in Los Angeles where students will attend sessions with top corporate entertainment executives, agents, department heads, and production company owners. The speakers will describe their career trajectory, conduct “Day in the Life” seminars, and engage the students in “Ask Me Anything” roundtable discussions. The boot camp will also include outings to various Hollywood offices, studio lots and/or set locations, which will give the students a look into the day-to-day of working within a corporate entertainment company. The program will also assist students throughout the year to secure internship opportunities at production companies, television networks and movie studios. 

“I am happy to partner with the ABFF on the Greenlighters Academy. While in college, I always searched for information on how to break into Hollywood. This program is the answer and I look forward to being a part of the next generation of entertainment business executives,” says Terrence Jenkins.

Participants will leave the ABFF Greenlighters Academy with a clear understanding of what it takes to “green light” a project and the knowledge and understanding of the steps they need to pursue a career in the corporate entertainment executive path. 

The application submission rules for the ABFF Greenlighters Academy are available online now at http://www.abff.com/abff-greenlighters-academy/ and the submission deadline is March 31, 2017. The academy is open to African American students pursuing all majors, who are sophomores or above matriculated in a four-year bachelor degree program at an accredited college or university, with a current GPA of 3.0 or above. 

FOLLOW ABFF ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Twitter                  @ABFF

Facebook              American Black Film Festival

Instagram             @AmericanBlackFilmFestival

YouTube                American Black Film Festival

Website:               http://www.abff.com/abff-greenlighters-academy/

 

ABOUT ABFF:

The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event dedicated to showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. It supports emerging artists to foster a wider range of images, stories and storytellers represented in the entertainment industry. The festival is committed to the belief that Black artists and content creators deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts. ABFF founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to promote diversity in the motion picture industry, and strengthen the Black filmmaking community through resource sharing, education, artistic collaboration and career development. Today, the ABFF is recognized as the preeminent pipeline to new Black talent, both in front of and behind the camera, and is regarded as one of the leading film festivals in the world. The ABFF is a property of ABFF Ventures, a multifaceted entertainment company specializing in the production of live events, television and digital content targeted to upscale African American audiences.