Legendary Jackson State Football Coach Bob Hill Passes Away At 81

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Former Jackson State head football coach Bob Hill died Tuesday morning, according to a JSU spokesperson. The cause of his death wasn’t immediately known.

Hill, 81, served as JSU’s coach from 1971-76 and won 44 of his 60 games as head coach. His 74 percent winning percentage is the best of any coach in program history.

He led the Tigers to SWAC co-championships in 1972-73. Hill also coached baseball at JSU and was the first Tiger to sign an NFL contract when he was drafted by the Baltimore Colts as a running back in 1956.

He was inducted into the Tigers’ Sports Hall of Fame in 1979.

When Hill took over JSU’s football program, it was coming off three consecutive losing seasons during which the Tigers won a total of nine games. Hill posted a 9-1-1 record in his first season.

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“Being an alumnus, you’re already in love with your school, having the opportunity to come back and be a coach there, I thought was an enormous opportunity,” Hill told The Clarion-Ledger in January. “I was an assistant first. Then I became a head coach and it was like a dream come true.”

Added Payton: “He turned it around. We had a couple of seasons of 3-6 and (4-7) … but he took the same players that were 3-6 and 9-1-1 the next year. As a motivator, I never played for a guy who knew how to get the most out of an athlete like Bob Hill.”

Payton described Hill as a compassionate and private person. Former JSU and NFL standout receiver Harold Jackson played for Hill at Rowan High School in Hattiesburg and that relationship continued when Jackson played receiver for the Tigers while Hill was an assistant. “Coach Hill always told everybody I was like a son he never had,” Jackson said. “He and I stayed in touch with each other all the time. If it weren’t for him, I don’t know where I’d be today. I owe a lot to him and that man means a lot to me, my life and my family. He’s going to be missed.”

This is the second notable loss for the JSU football community this year. In February, receiver Willie Richardson, who was also a JSU icon, died of natural causes.

“Our university and this state has lost another great ambassador,” Payton said. “I’m going to miss him as a coach, I’m going to miss him as a friend and I’m going to miss him as a legend.”

(Source: SWAC.org)

HBCU News: What You Need To Know Tuesday

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  • Three scholars honored at Morehouse.

Morehouse College held its 132nd commencement ceremony and selected three valedictorians on Sunday.

It was the first time the renowned black college honored three valedictorians in the school’s history.

Graduating seniors Ian Niemeyer, 22, Willie J. Thompson, 22, and Liam R. Davis, 22, each earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average and shared valedictorian honors. “We celebrate these graduating seniors and their successes and will continue to prepare men who demonstrate principles such as acuity and integrity,” said President of Morehouse College John Silvanus Wilson Jr. in a statement.

  • Lady Rattlers win again.

For the third consecutive time, the FAMU softball team won the 2016 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Tournament championship and bragging rights as the best team in the conference.

The Lady Rattlers beat Bethune-Cookman in a double elimination game and FAMU player Veronica Burse won Most Outstanding Player while Veronica Wiggins won Most Outstanding Coach in the conference. Next up for the Lady Rattlers will be the NCAA Division Regionals.

  • ASU softball team wins first title.

The Alabama State softball team returned back to the diamond in the SWAC Championship, this time taking a win against their rivals the Lady Tigers. In last season’s championship, the team lost against Texas Southern 9-0.

SWAC-softball

“The taste of last year’s loss in the championship never left us,” said Brittney Wilson, ASU’s right fielder.

The Lady Hornets now move on to the NCAA Regional Tournament.

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  • Mistake 2: Under-communicating with your team or coworkers.

Our partners over at Black Enterprise gives us four mistakes recent grades make on the job.

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Make sure to vote for the Top 5 HBCU DJs 2016.

Morehouse College Honors Not One Valedictorian, Not Two, But Three In Historic Commencement

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On Sunday, historically black Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga. recognized not one valedictorian, not two, but three for the first time during its 132nd commencement on campus at the black college.

As the Morehouse NewsCenter reported, Morehouse seniors Liam R. Davis, Ian Niemeyer and Willie J. Thompson each graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade point average and thus shared valedictorian honors. In a statement, President of Morehouse College John Silvanus Wilson Jr. said the historic commencement at the school “serves as one proud and significant example of Morehouse College’s commitment to academic excellence — which also ties to one of the College’s strategic focuses of acuity.”

He added, “Acuity means striving for the best — both intellectual and personal excellence. These are just a pair of the qualities that embody Morehouse men such as our three valedictorians and salutatorian, and countless scholars who have performed at the highest levels in their respective disciplines. We celebrate these graduating seniors and their successes and will continue to prepare men who demonstrate principles such as acuity and integrity.”

Ian Niemeyer, a 22-year-old native of Durham, N.C, was an economics major and finished his studies in December. He’s getting a lot of attention from the media because he’s White and said he decided to follow his childhood best friend and go to Morehouse. In the future, he plans to start his own investment firm.

According to the NewsCenter, Willie J. Thompson also was an economics major and he minored in Chinese studies. The 22-year-old Griffin, Ga. native is a Fulbright scholar and is departing for Taiwan to study for 11 months.

Liam R. Davis, a 22-year-old native of Nassau, Bahamas, was a business administration major with a concentration in accounting. Next, he plans to earn a master’s in accounting from Wake Forest University.

Congrats to the trio of valedictorians at Morehouse!

4 Mistakes Young Professionals Make On The Job

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While a college degree, an impressive resume and a strong handshake may land you a spot at your first dream job, these things won’t guarantee longevity and success in your budding career. According to a recent study conducted by Leadership IQ, a global leadership training and research company, 46% of new hires fail within their first 18 months of employment due to lack of motivation, communication issues and other pitfalls. Here are four common mistakes seasoned professionals recommend recent grads avoid as they embark on their career.

Mistake 1: Taking an amazing job, but not properly prepping financially.

It is imperative to understand your financial situation before packing your belongings and whisking away to your new job across the country. This is one major mistake that Delores Dean, Ph.D, director of the Career Center at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University has witnessed. “Students are not doing their homework when it comes to taking a job and not comparing the cost of living to their salaries. They must take into account their loans and other financial obligations,” she says. “These expenses have to be considered when negotiating salaries.” Be sure to research the company, employees and the environment where you’ll be living before making the big move.

Mistake 1: Taking an amazing job, but not properly prepping financially. It is imperative to understand your financial situation before packing your belongings and whisking away to your new job across the country. This is one major mistake that Delores Dean, Ph.D, director of the Career Center at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University has witnessed. “Students are not doing their homework when it comes to taking a job and not comparing the cost of living to their salaries. They must take into account their loans and other financial obligations,” she says. “These expenses have to be considered when negotiating salaries.” Be sure to research the company, employees and the environment where you'll be living before making the big move.

Mistake 2: Under-communicating with your team or coworkers.

Allison Winters, assistant account executive at Hope-Beckham Inc., a public relations firm in Atlanta, urged the importance of keeping your colleagues updated on your projects, workload and schedule. “If you’re going to miss work, let someone know ASAP, preferably your supervisor,” she says. “In college, if you got the flu and missed a class or two, you could e-mail your professor later in the day and straighten everything out. At work, your coworkers will wonder where you are and why no one has heard from you.” Depending on the employer, if you fall off the grid for a certain length of time, you won’t have a job to return to. If you can’t call or e-mail, have a roommate or family member do it for you.

Mistake 3: Having a negative or arrogant attitude.

Seldom in life does anyone rise to the top without paying their dues first. No matter what level you’re at in your career, your job will probably include some form of menial tasks. “Chances are many of the tasks that make you mutter, ‘Why do I have to do this?’ won’t go away with your first (or second, or third) promotion,” Winters says. “Suck it up and realize that everything is a learning opportunity. Then, look forward to the parts of your job that you enjoy.”

Mistake 4: Being a Mr. or Ms. Know-It-All.

After four years of college, work experience and tons of internships, college graduates can develop a false sense of entitlement when it comes to their first entry-level job. “Sometimes they aren’t physically or mentally prepared for the job and they come in with a ‘I-know-everything’ attitude,” says Talitha Vickers, reporter at NBC WESH 2 News in Orlando. “They’re able to rock the interview, but then are clueless when it comes to what is expected of them at the job.” Recent grads are advised to be observant about workplace culture and learn the best way to navigate it. “Be an attentive listener and absorb all of the information that is given to you. This will show humility and can carry you throughout your career,” she said.

Jamie Harrison is a writer at Black Enterprise. This article was written by Jamie Harrison and originally posted on Black Enterprise. It is reprinted here with permission.

HBCU News: What You Need To Know Monday

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  • WVSU Board of Governors names new leader.

After a national search to find its next leader, the West Virginia State University Board of Governors selected seasoned higher-education leader Dr. Anthony Jenkins as the school’s 11th president.

The Board chairman says the university is “eager to start a new chapter of opportunity” under Jenkins’ leadership. Jenkins is a United States Army veteran, and also a graduate of historically black Fayetteville State University.

  • Central State agrees to go online.

The expenses of the only public historically black university in the state of Ohio will soon be available to search online. Central State University, and other schools in the state of Ohio, have committed to put their expenses online at ohiocheckbook.com.

Photo credit: The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel says taxpayers in Ohio “have a right to know how money is being spent on university campuses.”

Central State is among the first Ohio universities to go online.

  • Dillard leader Walter Kimbrough honored.

Dillard University President Walter Kimbrough has become the first leader of a historically black college or university (HBCU) to receive the 2016 Advocate for Higher Education Award by the Counselors to Higher Education section of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA CHE), which honors individuals who has done the most to advocate on behalf of the country’s higher education system. The event was sponsored by Merit.

Amy Mengel, Merit’s vice president of marketing a member of the PRSA CHE national executive committee that selected Kimbrough for the award, pointed out Kimbrough’s popularity on social media and says his Twitter account “makes him a relatable figure that helps audiences connect with him in a personal way.”

Noteworthy
  • “You are the hope and the dream of a slave.”

Check out 2016’s best commencement speeches at HBCUs.

Dillard University’s Leader Honored With 2016 Advocate for Higher Education Award

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NEW ORLEANS – Walter Kimbrough, president of Dillard University, was honored with the 2016 Advocate for Higher Education Award by the Counselors to Higher Education section of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA CHE) at a dinner in New Orleans on Wednesday evening.

Kimbrough then delivered the Patrick Jackson Lecture to an audience of more than 175 university communications and marketing professionals. In his remarks, Kimbrough emphasized the need for universities to articulate a clear and bold mission, and he encouraged university presidents to take a stand on the important issues of the day in higher education and in society.

The lecture was sponsored by Merit, whose platform connects the dots from high school to college to career for nearly 1.4 million students at 250 colleges by sharing the unique stories of their personal collegiate experiences with Merit’s network of legislators, high schools, local newspapers, and families. Amy Mengel, Merit’s vice president of marketing and a member of the PRSA CHE national executive committee that selected Kimbrough for the award, introduced Kimbrough.

kimbroughaward

“Walter is the embodiment of higher education advocacy,” said Mengel in her introductory remarks. “His larger-than-life presence on Twitter makes him a relatable figure that helps audiences connect with him in a personal way, and allows him to deliver important messages about equity and access in our higher education system today.”

Kimbrough is the first leader of a historically black college or university to receive the award, which was created in 2009 to recognize an individual who has done the most to advocate on behalf of America’s higher education system. Previous winners have included Teresa Sullivan, president of the University of Virginia; Mary Sue Coleman, president emerita of the University of Michigan and now president of the Association of American Universities; Rebecca Chopp, chancellor of the University of Denver; Hunter Rawlings, interim president of Cornell University; and Mark Yudof, former president of the University of California system, among others.

Mengel noted that Kimbrough was unanimously selected by PRSA CHE’s national executive committee, made up of senior communications leaders at more than a dozen top colleges and universities in the US.

“Walter is not afraid to advocate for students and institutions that have often been ignored or marginalized,” Mengel said. “Last summer, he penned a compelling piece in InsideHigherEd questioning the value of mega-gifts to already wealthy institutions, and drawing stark comparisons to how much more impactful that money could be at institutions that are serving higher percentages of Pell-eligible students, first-generation students, and students from low-income families. Walter is a powerful voice in higher education.”

Kimbrough was named the seventh president of Dillard University in 2012, after previously serving as president of Philander Smith College in Arkansas for seven years. In 2014, he was named by HBCU Digest magazine as the Male HBCU President of the Year.

(Source: Dillard.edu)

FAMU Wins Third Consecutive MEAC Softball Tournament Championship

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FAMU-softballORMOND BEACH, Fla. – The Florida A&M University softball team won the 2016 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Tournament championship on Saturday afternoon at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

This is the third consecutive title for the Lady Rattlers (27-28) and 12th overall.

Head coach Veronica Wiggins was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Coach for the 10th time. Veronica Burse was also named Most Outstanding Performer.

“I have two new coaches this year, so this championship was really special,” Wiggins said. “We have a great pitching staff and she (Burse) knew her role and she did exactly what she was supposed to do.”

In the double-elimination championship, Bethune-Cookman took the first game, 8-3, to force a deciding game.

In the deciding game, Florida A&M got a solo home run by Kieffi Myrick in the second inning and broke the game open in the third with six runs on seven hits and took advantage of one Lady Wildcat error to grab a 7-0 lead.

Bethune-Cookman (22-31) plated one run in the fifth, but it wasn’t enough as Florida A&M captured its third straight MEAC Tournament crown.

The Lady Rattlers pounded out 12 hits. Jessica Nathan, Tashayla Irvis, Kieffi Myrick, Toni Anderson and Whitney Farris each had two hits.

Burse (10-14) scattered three hits and gave up one run, with three strikeouts and four walks, in seven innings to lift Florida A&M to the win. During the tournament, Burse dominated batters as she worked 15.0 innings and fanned nine. Also, she gave up only three hits and two runs (one earned).

In the opener, Florida A&M jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a two-run homer to left center by Alexis Day in the first inning.

Bethune-Cookman loaded the bases with one out in the top of the second and came away empty handed after a pair of strikeouts by Kenya Pereira. However, the Lady Wildcats loaded the bases in the third and grabbed a 4-2 advantage after a grand slam homer by Brianna Sanders.

The Lady Wildcats added to the lead with four runs in the fourth and cruised to an 8-3 win.

Sanders paced the Bethune-Cookman offense with two hits and four RBIs. Sabrina Anguiano went the distance as she surrendered three runs on eight hits to earn the win.

Pereira took the loss as she gave up seven runs on six hits, with four strikeouts and three walks, in 3.1 innings.

Florida A&M earns the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division Regionals awaits their opponent that will be announced during the NCAA Softball Selection Show Sunday, May 16 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

2016 MEAC All-Tournament Team

Most Outstanding Player: Veronica Burse, Florida A&M

Most Outstanding Coach: Veronica Wiggins, Florida A&M

All-Tournament Team

Sabrina Anguiano, Bethune-Cookman

Annie Bakenhus, Bethune-Cookman

Sophia Ortega, Bethune-Cookman

Iesha Waters, Bethune-Cookman

Veronica Burse, Florida A&M

Alexis Day, Florida A&M

Jessica Nathan, Florida A&M

Kenya Pereira, Florida A&M

Sandy Hawthorne, Delaware State

Nicole Gazolla, Delaware State

Torrian Wright, Savannah State

(Source: MEAC.com)

Lady Hornets Beat Texas Southern To Win First SWAC Championship

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IRONDALE, AL – From nearly 365 days to the exact day, the Alabama State softball team thought about it, prepared for it and meditated on it.

From last season’s championship loss and through all the practices, games and hours spent getting better, the Lady Hornets returned back to SWAC Championship Saturday and found vindication by hammering Texas Southern 18-8 in redemptive style.

Alabama State pounded out a SWAC Championship game record 19 hits and had an unforgettable second inning in which the team sent 14 batters to the plate as part of a nine-run inning.

Even more remarkable, all nine runs were scored with two outs.

SWAC-softball

It was the Lady Hornets’ moment as the team combined to hit five home runs with a pair of two-run shots by Kendall Core to set the tone, back-to-back homers by Alexia Boggess and Brittney Wilson to pad the lead and another by Aleesa Yanez for good measure.

Alabama State (28-25) bolted out to an 11-1 advantage and got into a slugfest that they were happy to oblige with the Lady Tigers (27-18).

Six ASU players had multiple hits on the team’s way to securing its first SWAC softball championship in Alabama State history.

The game will re-air on ESPNU at 9 a.m. central time on Sunday. 

Throughout the season, Alabama State players wore bracelets on their wrists that said “Ring chasin'” and didn’t take them off all season.

On their backs, they wore t-shirts that read “unfinished business” in reference to last season’s championship, in which it lost to Texas Southern 9-0.

“The taste of last year’s loss in the championship never left us,” said Wilson, ASU’s right fielder.

“From the fall to when the season began all the way to today, it never left.  That taste was behind our “rings chasin'” bracelets and our unfinished business t-shirts.  It feels awesome to finish it!”

Ring chasing no more, the Lady Hornets have finished their business.

Well, not entirely.

Now, it’s onto the NCAA Regional Tournament where ASU will enter a four-team grouping against a site to be determined starting on Friday and running through next Sunday.

The NCAA Selection Show will reveal where the Lady Hornets are headed next 

It will be televised on ESPNU at 9 p.m. central time

This post originally appeared on BamaStateSports.com.

2016’s Best Commencement Speeches At Historically Black Colleges

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The best commencement speeches and speakers offer graduating students advice and guidance for the post-college times ahead. For graduates, excited but nervous and confused about their future, the motivating words said by a speaker on graduation day will be the last lesson taught. Here are some of the best commencement speeches at black colleges this year.

President Barack Obama, Howard University


“And the good news is, you’re ready. And when your journey seems too hard, and when you run into a chorus of cynics who tell you that you’re being foolish to keep believing or that you can’t do something, or that you should just give up, or you should just settle — you might say to yourself a little phrase that I’ve found handy these last eight years: Yes, we can.”

Steve Harvey, Alabama State University


“You got your degree; that’s successful. So far, this has been about yourself … but great people change other people’s lives. Great people put other people’s needs in front of theirs. Great people go back to their communities and change lives.”

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Cheyney University

Sheryl Lee Ralph and interim president Frank G. Pogue speak at Cheyney University’s graduation ceremony on Saturday.
“You are the hope and the dream of a slave!”

First Lady Michelle Obama, Jackson State University


“Excellence is the most powerful thing you can give to the doubters and the haters. And also the most powerful thing you can do for yourself”

Vice President Joe Biden, Delaware State University


“Progress is never easy, but it is always possible.”

Tyler Perry, Tuskegee University


“Remember that you are enough and your gift is enough.”

What Purpose Do Historically Black Colleges And Universities Serve Today?

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In Mrs. McKeever’s third grade class, I remember reciting one of Malcolm X’s famous quotes: “We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on us!” I’m not sure anybody in my classroom had an idea what he was talking about, not even Mrs. McKeever.

As a culturally-exposed black student, I had a questions: How could I become fully educated if the history books and curriculum presents only one perspective of the world? My answer was to choose to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA.

Eight years after graduation, this February I had the opportunity to speak at a White House panel celebrating Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). But it was not without its soul-searching: What is so special about the HBCU experience? Why turn down Ivies and other top ranked institutions for HBCUs? Why don’t HBCU alum give back like other alumni? What purpose do HBCUs serve today?

An overview

HBCUs were created in the mid-1800s during segregation—a time when racism was explicit and educating students of color was neither a priority nor encouraged. Since that time, HBCUs have played a pivotal role in transforming the landscape of higher education in the U.S. Today, there are 100 HBCUs in 19 states plus D.C. and the Caribbean and enrollment stands at over 300,000.

Things could be going better. HBCU attendance by black students has fallen from 18% in 1976 to 8% in 2013. Schools are under-funded (more than half of HBCUs are public institutions) with low endowments and tepid support from private donors, including alumni. Students are experiencing increased student/family debt and depressed graduation rates, mainly due to financial pressures. But their core challenges are tightly related to access to capital and quality of resources, not a lack of talent, ability or intellectual prowess of its students or faculty.

Just 22% of black young adults had a bachelor’s or higher degree in 2014 compared with 61% of Asians and 41% of whites (15% for Hispanics and 31% for two or more races). The rebound of HBCUs may be the single most important fix to the educational attainment gap and its wide ripple effect in the economy and lives of black and all Americans. Here’s how.

Read more here.

You Will Soon Be Able To Search The Expenses Of Ohio Universities, Central State Online

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You will soon be able to search the millions of dollars spent by five of Ohio’s public universities, including historically black Central State University online at ohiocheckbook.com.

In a news conference on Tuesday, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel said Ohio citizens “have a right to know how money is being spent on university campuses,” reported The Columbus Dispatch. He also made a comparison between Blockbuster and Netflix, and Taxi services and Uber—basically saying the internet age is among us and here to stay while advocating for transparency.

From Dayton Daily News:

“Since Mandel, a Republican, launched the checkbook project in December 2014 more than 530,000 searches have been conducted. Users can quickly search and sort through aggregate and granular data on $517 billion in state, school district and local spending. All told, there are 155.3 million transactions in the checkbook.”

The leader’s of Bowling Green State University, Central State University, Ohio University, Miami University and Wright State University all agreed to go online, with one notable exception being Ohio State University.

Central State University held its 129th commencement ceremony on Saturday and awarded more than 265 graduating students degrees. The black college is the state of Ohio’s only public historically black college or university (HBCU), and is also rank the most affordable four-year college in the state.

Dr. Anthony Jenkins Named President Of Historically Black West Virginia State University

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The West Virginia State University Board of Governors named Dr. Anthony L. Jenkins, a seasoned higher-education leader, and a United States Army veteran, as its 11th president today following a national search. Next, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission will have to approve the contract.

“I am humbled to be selected as the 11th President of West Virginia State University,” Dr. Anthony Jenkins said in a statement, according to the school’s website. “Throughout my career, I have focused my efforts and energy on students and ensuring their path to earning a college education is accessible and, most of all, challenging and rewarding.” 

He added, “I am truly honored to join a family—the State family—which is as dedicated to student-centeredness and access. On behalf of my wife, Toinette and our daughters, Ashley and Alicia, thank you for welcoming us, and we look forward to serving and leading all Yellow Jackets in the Kanawha Valley, state and region to a prosperous future.”

A Washington, D.C. native, Jenkins served in the specialist air defense artillery position in the United States Army and is a graduate of Fayetteville State University, the news release read. According to his LinkedIn page, Jenkins served as Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at University of Maryland Eastern Shore from 2011-2015, and as Sr. Associate Vice Present at University of Central Florida prior to becoming president of WVSU.

“This is an exciting day for West Virginia State as we continue our momentum of student-centered growth, passion for community service and continued quest to provide access to higher education for all people under the leadership of Dr. Jenkins,” said Dr. Ann Brothers Smith, Chair of the WVSU BOG. “On behalf of the entire State family, I extend a warm West Virginia State welcome to Dr. Jenkins, Toinette, Ashley, and Alicia, as we are eager to advance to the next chapter of opportunity for the University and its students.”

Dillard University Alumna To Head Casting For ABC

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A graduate of Dillard University, who served as interim head of talent and casting for ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios since November, has been promoted.

The Hollywood Reporter reported that Ayo Davis had been moved up to head ABC’s talent and casting department and she has already made some big moves. Davis has hired WME’s Jonathan Bluman as VP talent and casting for ABC.

“Jonathan’s reputation for finding and developing talent precedes him,” Davis said. “We’re excited for him to join our team and bring his exceptional skill set to ABC.”

The black college grad and 13-year veteran at ABC was praised by executives for her leadership and creativity in her many roles at the network. Davis spearheaded ABC Discovers and supervised popular TV shows on the network, including “black-ish,” “Scandal,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” and “Modern Family.”

“Ayo has done an amazing job identifying and bringing new talent into the fold for both the studio and network,” ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said. “Her keen eye and track record make her perfect for this position.”

Morgan State Graduate Catherine Pugh Poised To Become Next Mayor Of Baltimore

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timthumbBaltimore’s Board of Elections formally certified Monday that Morgan State graduate, state Sen. Catherine E. Pugh won the Democratic primary for mayor. The official tally came after last week’s count of absentee and provisional ballots did not change the unofficial result in any race according to the Baltimore Sun

Pugh defeated former Mayor Sheila Dixon — who has questioned the integrity of the April 26 primary and is mulling legal options — 36.6 percent to 34.7 percent. Dixon has three days to ask for a recount, which she would need to pay for with campaign funds. A court challenge would have to be filed within seven days.

Martha McKenna, a spokeswoman for Dixon, said the former mayor’s team has yet to analyze precinct-level data to make an informed decision about a recount. “While Sheila Dixon picked up votes from the provisional ballot count, we will analyze the precinct-level data before making decisions about the next steps,” McKenna said.

Morehouse Professor Marc Lamont Hill’s Book Is Available For Pre-Order

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Marc Lamont Hill, one of the leading intellectual voices in the country, has a new book titled “Nobody” now available for pre-order on Amazon. The upcoming book on vulnerable citizens shows the dangers of racism and inequality in the country. It is scheduled for an August 2 release.

“Protests in Ferguson, Missouri and across the U.S. following the death of Michael Brown revealed something far deeper than a passionate display of racial frustrations,” the product description reads. “Unveiled was an America that had consistently denied significant parts of its population access to full freedom and prosperity.”

The distinguished professor of African American Studies at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia will deliver the keynote address at historically black Harris-Stowe University on Saturday, May 14. In the 2016-17 academic year, Hill will also discuss with the Harris-Stowe community his “must-read” book, according to The St. Louis American.