The university band has been praised by several media outlets like, Mashable, The Huffington Post, USA Today and Billboard for their cover of the number one song in the country.
(Click the link to watch the video)
“It has never been my goal to be viewed as “perfect.” I’m much more interested in being viewed as resilient, fearless, HUMAN. Flaws and all. Get into it,” Martin wrote on Instagram along with a video of her and the Alabama State Stingettes at a football game.
Hampton University has forged a new and exciting partnership with Lexus by way of the 2015 Lexus Verses and Flow Scholarship, awarded to students ZaMari Love and Malikah Saafir on Nov. 10, 2015. Both scholarship recipients will receive awards of $5,000 each in recognition of their community leadership and academic excellence.
The Lexus Verses and Flow Scholarship was established in conjunction with the television show Lexus Verses and Flow, now entering its fifth season with TV One, featuring poetry and R&B performances. In addition to the $5,000 reward, winners received a special video announcement of their selection by famed actor and Howard University graduate, Laz Alonso. Two deserving students of preselected HBCUs are eligible to receive the award.
Saafir, a sophomore pre-nursing major, worked within the community of the Moreno Valley School District in California to plan a leadership summit for principals, assistant principals, leading educators, and district office personnel. Attendees took back what they learned and implemented it in their classrooms and work environments. Saafir also worked as an Upward Bound mentor for low-income students. The program was dedicated to math and science, but Saafir’s main responsibility was to educate and prepare kids for what comes after high school, including; college and financial planning.
Describing what motivates her Saafir quoted Les Brown, “Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way.”
Love, a junior international studies major, Spanish minor and a member of the HU Honors College, took on her leadership role as co-founder of Young Adults Advocating Change (YAAC), a community outreach organization aimed at providing education and resources to underserved communities.
“I always tell people that I do not seek recognition for my service and leadership for my own personal gain. But rather, to garner public support that will give me a larger platform in which to serve my community. That is what this scholarship is for me, and I am more than grateful for it,” said Love.
For more information regarding the Lexus Verses and Flow Scholarship, or to view host Laz Alonso’s announcement of award, please visit the links below:
HOUSTON, Texas – There was a six-season stretch from 2007- 2012 when the best record Alcorn State posted was 5-6.
“Everybody knows we started at rock bottom,” said Braves coach Jay Hopson, who took over the program in 2012.
It’s only been three years since those rough times, but Alcorn State couldn’t be any further from them.
The Braves claimed the SWAC title for the second consecutive season when they defeated Grambling, 49-21, in the SWAC Championship in front of an announced attendance of 40,352 at NRG Stadium on Saturday night.
With the victory, Alcorn State (9-3) will move onto the inaugural Celebration Bowl against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion North Carolina A&T on Dec. 19 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
The Braves became the first SWAC team to repeat as conference champion since Grambling won three consecutive titles from 2000-2002. And it was the first time since Alcorn State won outright SWAC titles in 1969 and 1970, that it has repeated as SWAC champion.
Hopson brought in the man who coached the Braves to those previous championships, Marino Casem, to speak to his team on Friday night.
“It was an unbelievable speech,” running back Darryan Ragsdale said. “We love Coach Casem. He just told us to finish. That’s the main thing he preached.”
When the Braves played Grambling (9-3) earlier this season, “finish” is what they didn’t do. Alcorn State let a 28-14 halftime lead slip away and lost 35-34 in overtime.
Thanks to an 84-yard touchdown from Ragsdale and the playmaking ability of receiver Marquis Warford, who had two first-half touchdowns, the Braves found themselves with another 28-14 halftime lead.
Except this time they finished. Alcorn State took advantage of three third-quarter turnovers by Grambling and ran the ball with authority to run away with a victory.
Lenorris Footman started at quarterback and rushed for a 9-yard touchdown to push the lead to 35-14 with 2:41 left in the third. Considering how well the Braves’ defense was playing, that score sealed the game. read full via clarionledger
So what is Bae?
Bae stands for Before Anyone Else. We are a mobile social/dating app for OUR community. It’s FREE for iPhone and Android, and a great way to meet new people around you as the new school year starts and to connect with fellow HBCU grads.
What is the Bae HBCU College Tour all about?
The Bae tour is all about making it easier and fun to meet new people! Whether you want to find out who the new girls/guys are before anyone else, or want to find out who is feeling you on campus, Bae is the app to make it happen.
We’ll be touring a bunch of HBCUs this year, so if you are a student who is interested in entrepreneurship, hosting parties/events on campus, and turning up with the Bae Team, just email our CMO at justin@baeapp.co to apply to be an ambassador. Make sure you include your Name/School/Class year in the email.
What made the founders decide to make the app?
There really just wasn’t any app out there for Black people to connect. We talked to guys and girls across ten’s of HBCUs, and they all said they would definitely use an app to meet new people at their campus and the neighboring schools. Thanks to Bae, we had a lot of guys/girls matching and meeting people ahead of the classics and homecomings!
How does graduating from an HBCU play a part in your life?
Graduating from an HBCU puts me in a network of people unlike any other. So far Howard has made me feel support in everything I do from academics to internships. This support system has presented me the tools to become the best at what I want to be and accomplish more than I imagined. Going to an HBCU creates many experiences and opportunities for you that most PWIs could never offer and for that, I am extremely grateful for my HBCU.
What was your favorite experience while at Howard?
One of my favorite experiences at Howard so far was experiencing my first Howard Homecoming. It may not have been the same as previous years’ yardfest and other organized events, but I enjoyed it and truly felt the presence of the community Howard is and creates. I felt at home and instantly knew that I would enjoy the rest of my years here at the Mecca.
FAMU – Widson Charlemont and Javonni Hampton explore how media negatively portrays Black women.
Lately cases involving race and police brutality have been in the forefront in mainstream media, with millions of people watching at home, and abroad. A “vocal” advocate against racism, Darnell’s debut documentary takes an in depth look at race issues in the United States, and explores the concept of many, if not all, of the black Americans in the country, trying to seek protection from the brunt of American racism, leaving to sovereign territories. The 45 minute film follows Walker and friends embarking on a journey to Norway, London, Amsterdam, and Paris to interview natives on their views about America’s intolerance for Blacks.
The film also showcases current race crimes, and cases like Sandra Bland, and Martese Johnson.
[vimeo 145091644 w=500 h=281]
The most difficult thing for Walker dealing with the documentary he says, was knowing when to stop. “Every time I wanted to come to a stop with it, more and more kept happening,” Walker said.
“I wish I could put everything in it.”
A native of Charlottesville Virginia, Walker grew a love for writing at a very young age.
Poetry and short stories were his first creative outlet. His first story was about a boy running away from home, and when his parents found it and read it, they mistook the fiction for truth—they thought that their son had actually ran away from home. In that moment, Walker knew he was on to something. Once in high school he took a trip to Los Angeles that he says expanded his horizons from the small hometown he’d grown to know, and caused him to look toward other locations to hone and practice his craft.
After graduating high school Walker then called Bethune-Cookman University home. He said his experience at the university had prepared him for life and for his career, “I always tell people my experience was just like A Different World,” Walker said, “I was Ron most of the time but every once in a while I was Dwayne Wayne.”
Going on to attend Howard University for graduate school, Walker said he chose HBCUs because their environments felt like family, “HBCUs help us find out who we are as people,” he said. Majoring in Speech Communication originally, Walker switched majors to Mass Communication because of his early love of writing, theatre, and art, he said.
Knowing that it would ultimately help him grow into his media driven professions, the decision has landed him into the position he’s in today.
The Seeking Asylum creator is a man who wears many hats. Filmmaker, writer, photographer, playwright, and a painter, and anything else that feels right to him in the moment. With award winning plays, and other achievements under his belt, Seeking Asylum is his current focus.
Eager to get the word out about the film, Seeking Asylum is currently being entered as a hopeful in film festivals across the nation. Though no word back yet on submission statuses, Walker continues to screen the film in different areas.
The first screening ever for the documentary was at his Alma mater Bethune-Cookman. Walker described the experience as heartwarming and touching.
Unsure of his next move, Walker does knows for sure he wants to help other writers pursue their own passion. “Just do whatever feels good to you,” said Walker.
Stillman College in Tuscaloosa has dropped their football program and all other athletic programs except for men and women’s basketball due to financial challenges, the school’s president announced on Thursday.
The Spring 2016 sports will continue, but will discontinue starting in Fall 2016, according to Stillman President Dr. Peter Millet. The band and cheerleading programs will continue.
Millet said he and his staff reached this decision after approximately eight months of research.
Stillman will move to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference in NAIA.
Stillman’s president said more sports could come back after the 2016-2017 school year if the money is available.
The president said this is a pivotal moment in the college’s history and they want to get back on solid financial ground. Millet feared if they didn’t cut their sports programs, except for men’s and women’s basketball, the school could go under financially.
Millet said he will not allow Stillman to close because of the continuing budget woes. He said “enough is enough.” read more
The HBCU Buzz team allowed the black college community to choose the HBCU Buzz Top 5 Campus Newspapers—our annual list that highlights student newspapers at black colleges and the student journalists who reports and writes for them. We wanted readers to support their favorite HBCU campus newspaper. Thousands have casted their vote for the HBCU campus newspaper they think informed the black college community best last year. Voting is now closed, check out the results from the readers’ poll below:
FAMU’s student-ran campus newspaper has news, opinion, lifestyles and sports sections and has recently become a digital, multimedia outlet, which FAMU students update daily with new university and Tallahassee community news.
Website: www.thefamuanonline.com
In 2003 and 2010, Jackson State’s campus newspaper hosted the HBCU Newspaper Conference and Job Fair on campus and has received numerous awards and honors from the Mississippi Press Association, Black College Communications Association and the Southern Regional Press Institute.
Website: www.jsums.edu/jsuflash/
Since the school’s founding in 1910, students attending North Carolina Central University has publish the campus newspaper and in just the last 15 years the print and online editions have won over 250 national and regional awards from the Black College Communication Association, the Society for Professional Journalists, the Associated Collegiate Press and the North Carolina College Media Association.
Website: www.campusecho.com
The student newspaper of Howard University was co-founded by Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurtson and Louis Eugene King and produces a 12-16 page newspaper twice a week.
Website: The Hilltop
Since 1928, the Hampton student-produced and award winning HBCU newspaper has been the weekly news source of Hampton University and has campus, local & world, opinion, lifestyle, arts & entertainment, sports and features sections on its online version.
Website: www.hamptonscript.com
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ST. THOMAS, V.I. — The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) was chartered on March 16, 1962, as the College of the Virgin Islands — a publicly funded, coeducational, liberal arts institution — by Act No. 862 of the Fourth Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to that law, UVI’s cornerstone objective is to provide for “…the stimulation and utilization of the intellectual resources of the people of the Virgin Islands and the development of a center of higher learning whereby and wherefrom the benefits of culture and education may be extended throughout the Virgin Islands.”
The enabling legislation was the result of at least two years of preparation and planning. In 1960, the V.I. Legislature create
d a temporary body called the Virgin Islands College Commission, comprised of interested island residents, to survey the need for a territorial college. In April 1961, Governor Ralph M. Paiewonsky pledged to establish such a college in his inaugural address. And in July 1961, Governor Paiewonsky hosted a Governor’s Conference on Higher Education, at which twenty educators observed and analyzed the Virgin Islands’ educational scene, and made recommendations for the creation of the College of the Virgin Islands (CVI). read more
Years of litigation and mediation appear to have killed off the joint Towson-University of Baltimore MBA program that helped spark a lawsuit by supporters of Maryland’s four historically black colleges and universities — but not to have brought the two sides any closer together. If the HBCU advocates are “not the slightest bit impressed” with a $10 million plan to increase ties between those schools and the state’s traditionally white institutions, as an attorney for the plaintiffs put it, the HBCUs’ plan — a Morgan State University takeover of UB and the wholesale transfer of plum academic programs from the TWIs — isn’t workable either.
Lost in legal firestorm of Maryland’s legacy of segregation and historic disinvestment in the HBCUs is an appreciation of what would really represent a positive outcome for the students whose interests should really be at the heart of the matter. Maryland has a limited amount of resources to allocate to higher education, and the question should be how to deploy those funds to produce the best educated workforce possible for the 21st century.
The glory and prestige of any particular institution — whether an HBCU or a TWI — is not the issue U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake should be focused on. What should be at the heart of the matter is ensuring the state provides the right array of options to further the academic and professional interests of as many students as possible, regardless of their race. We can ill afford either to maintain a set of institutions that are underperforming their potential or to eviscerate some of the most highly successful programs in Maryland higher education, but the former is what’s happening now and the latter is what would happen if the HBCU advocates get their way. read more
GRAMBLING – A Grambling State University student has been awarded a one-year college scholarship and a summer internship at Apple’s headquarters in California as part of a new initiative by Apple to invest in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Darnel Williams is one of 30 students who are members of the first cohort of the Apple HBCU Scholars Program. Apple made a $40-million, multi-year commitment, the largest and most comprehensive corporate investment ever given exclusively for students and faculty of four-year HBCUs.
“I don’t know how to relate how I feel,” Williams said. “I am very excited because it is Apple. This is a company where they have a lot of great minds, and I hope to bring my knowledge to what they are doing and to learn a lot from the people who already work there.”
The scholarship includes up to $25,000 for the student’s senior year of college; a summer internship in Cupertino, California; participation in a year-round program to prepare for post-graduation careers; pairing with an Apple mentor during their senior year; the opportunity to serve as ambassadors on their campuses to build awareness about the Apple and TMCF Diversity Initiative; an invitation to attend TMCF’s Annual Leadership Institute; and participation in the Apple HBCU Immersion Experience in Cupertino.
Denise Young-Smith, vice president for worldwide human resources at Apple and a graduate of Grambling State University, announced the winners at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 14-15. read more
Hampton, VA – Ivana Thomas, a senior at Hampton University, has something extra, and very special, to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. On Nov. 24, 2015, Thomas was awarded the Schwarzman Scholarship, the newest and most ambitious international scholarship of the 21st century.
“Congratulations to Ms. Ivana Thomas on winning the prestigious Schwarzman Scholarship,” said HU President Dr. William R. Harvey. “Ivana is a true example of the ‘Standard of Excellence’ and as she takes on this inaugural international scholarship we are certain she will represent the Hampton University community well with her grace and genius.”
Founded and largely funded by American billionaire Stephen A. Schwarzman, the new international scholarship recognizes academic excellence, leadership accomplishment as well as promise. Schwarzman endowed the scholarship with $100 million of his own, and then raised an additional $200 million to help fund the scholarship in perpetuity. As a Schwarzman Scholar, Thomas will pursue, all expenses paid, a one-year Master’s at Schwarzman College of Tsinghua University, in Beijing, China.
Exactly 3,054 candidates applied for the Schwarzman Scholarship award, more than 300 semi-finalists were interviewed, and Thomas will be one of approximately 100 Schwarzman Scholars in the first class to undertake the unparalleled program.
“Without a doubt, Ivana’s accomplishment is a beautiful acknowledgement of her talent and promise. It also lends a great deal of validation toward our efforts of reaching Dr. Harvey’s goal of grooming prestigious scholarship winners. In Ivana, we have a splendid representative of our university,” said Dr. Sabin P. Duncan, Director, Freddye T. Davy Honors College.
Schwarzman Scholarship recipients come from around the globe. In the 2016-17 academic year, the inaugural year of the scholarship, Thomas will be among the 45 U.S. recipients of the Schwarzman Scholarship; an additional 35 winners will hail from China, and 20 additional recipients will hail from other countries around the world.
“I’m very excited to be a part of the inaugural class. To be chosen out of over 3,054 other people attests to the standard of excellence that Hampton University has instilled in me to compete on a global level,” said Thomas.
Hailed by its founder as the “Rhodes East”, the Schwarzman Scholarship intentionally seeks, per the directives of its founder, to become for China and Tsinghua University what the Rhodes Scholarship has been for England, Oxford University, and the world. In a congratulatory video sent to Thomas and the other Schwarzman Scholars-elect, Stephen A. Schwarzman commends the winners and tells them in no uncertain terms that he expects them to become “world leaders.”
Thomas, will join her fellow Schwarzman Scholars in Beijing in July 2016 and will, after a brief orientation period, embark upon a year of study, at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University, Beijing. Thomas’ Master’s from Tsinghua University will be in the field of International Studies. All coursework will be taught in English by leading professors from around the world, many from Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Yale.
For more information contact Mariah Baylor at 757-727-5253 or mariah.baylor@hamptonu.edu.
The most important number from the Bayou Classic may not be the 34 points Grambling State scored to defeat rival Southern 34-23 Saturday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
That number just might be 62,907 — the largest Bayou Classic crowd on hand since the game returned to New Orleans in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina forced the game to move to Houston in 2005.
The previous post-Katrina high mark was 59,87
4 at the 2008 classic.
Saturday’s attendance number was 5,055 more than last year’s game attendance of 57,852. This year’s game marked the fourth-straight year of increased attendance for the game.
The attendance was also 22,192 more than the 2011 low-water mark of 40,715.
2015 attendance: 62,907
2014 attendance: 57,852
2013 attendance: 47,385
2012 attendance: 45,980
2011 attendance: 40,715
2010 attendance: 43,494
2009 attendance: 53,618
2008 attendance: 59,874
2007 attendance: 53,297
2006 attendance: 47,136 (1st game back in Superdome)
2005 attendance: 53,214 (Hurricane Katrina: Reliant/NRG Stadium, Houston)
This article was orginally published on HBCU Sports.com
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Jackson State will head to Minneapolis to take on two seed University of Minnesota in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament. The match is set for Friday, December 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Sports Pavilion, the NCAA released on Sunday.
No. 4 Minnesota (26-4) heads into the first-ever match-up between the squads after claiming the Big Ten Conference Championship over Indiana on November 28.
The 2015 SWAC Tournament Champion Tigers (15-21) were last in the national postseason tournament after winning the 2012 conference title. Jackson State fell in straight sets to Stanford, but have Jenna Siddiqui, Mikayla Rolle, Alexsis Ford leading the Tigers with experience in the big dance this year.
Siddiqui, 2015 SWAC Setter of the Year, added an SWAC All-Tournament honor after leading the Tigers to a 3-1 victory over Alabama State on November 22 in Baton Rouge, La. Siddiqui averaged 7.30 assists-per-set, 1.01 kills-per-set and 1.52 digs-per-set for the season. Rolle, SWAC Tournament MVP, was named to the All-SWAC second team as well after collecting 274 total kills to average 2.17 kills-per-set. Ford averaged 2.66 kills-per-set, but it was Taija Thomas, also an All-SWAC and All-Tournament selection for the Tigers, who led the squad offensively this season with 3.37 kills-per-set, 0.71 digs-per-set and 0.54 blocks-per-set. SWAC
NEW ORLEANS — Grambling State football coach Broderick Fobbs describes The Bayou Classic between the Tigers and Southern Jaguars as “the game everyone wants to play in.” GSU not only played but dominated much of it and rolled to a 34-23 win before an announced crowd of 62,470. The win allows Grambling to finish off its SWAC run undefeated and into the championship game next week on Houston against Alcorn State. Grambling State overcame a 20-3 second quarter deficit and ran away with it in the second half thanks to a defensive effort that forced two fumbles and and interception in the end zone.
Quarterback Jonathan Williams had a big day for the Tigers with four touchdown passes and one rushing. Williams began to rally the Tigers with w touchdown pass to Ka’Janre Domino in the second quarter.
Nick Peoples then intercepted Southern quarterback Austin Howard in the end zone and returned it near midfield. It was part of 28 unanswered points by GSU.
“Jonathan (Williams) never ceases to amaze me,” Fobbs said. “He is a coach on the field and we need that. He is a heck of a football player.”
Read Full – The News Star
