Savannah State University Celebrates 125th Anniversary

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Savannah_State_UniversitySavannah State University will celebrate 125th Anniversary beginning Thursday, November 12 with the Founders’ Day Ceremony at 10am in Tiger Arena.

Each year Savannah State University takes a day to recognize those who have served the school and made its foundation stronger.

The annual observance celebrates the history of the institution and those who have contributed to its success. The ceremony includes a guest speaker and the presentation of awards to members of the community. Edna B. Jackson, mayor of the city of Savannah, will be the guest speaker. As an alumna and SSU retiree, she will share her memories and express her thoughts on SSU’s importance in the area.

Additionally, awards will be given to four alumni and retirees. The Richard R. Wright Excellence Award, named for the first president, honors corporate or individual citizens, alumni and outstanding leaders, who have distinguished themselves through their expertise in social, educational and civic arenas.
This year’s recipients are Annette K. Brock, Ph.D., and Charles Elmore, Ph.D. Brock worked at Savannah State for 33 years as professor and administrator, including as interim president of SSU. Elmore taught at Savannah State for more than 35 years, leading the Journalism and Mass Communication program to accreditation.

The Cyrus G. Wiley Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes outstanding alumni who exemplify the lofty ideals of SSU and demonstrate extraordinary support and loyalty to the university.

This year’s recipients are Percy Mack, Ph.D., and Dorothy Wilson, each lifelong educators. Mack has served as the superintendent of schools in Columbia, South Carolina; Dayton, Ohio; and as an assistant superintendent of the DeKalb County School System.

Wilson is a retired public school teacher. She also volunteered with Greenbriar Children’s Center, the Department of Family and Children Services and served as the president of the Georgia Retired Educators Association.

On Friday, November 13, at 9 a.m. in the Student Union ballroom, Cheryl D. Dozier, DSW, President of Savannah State University (SSU), will give the annual State-of-the-University address.

Dr. Dozier will report on the 2014-2015 academic and fiscal year. She will highlight significant faculty and student achievements; report on the progress of the strategic plan implementation; and address future efforts coming to the Savannah State campus.

Following the address, at 2 p.m., will be a discussion featuring past Savannah State presidents. The panel will be themed “Building Savannah State University’s 125-Year Legacy.

On Saturday, November 14, the Anniversary Gala will be held at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center beginning at 7:30 p.m. Governor Nathan Deal will be the speaker for the gala, which is the hallmark event of the university’s quasquicentennial celebration.

Net proceeds from the university’s premier fundraiser, silent auction and acclaimed community event will support student scholarships. During the black-tie affair, the university will present Awards of Excellence in service, leadership, scholarship and philanthropy.

The gala co-chairs are Charles F. McMillan, president and owner of Mc- Millan and Associates, and David E. Paddison, president of Seacrest Partners, Inc. The title sponsor is SSU Foundation, Inc. and the presenting sponsor for this year’s gala is Thompson Hospitality, SSU’s foodservice provider. Individual seats are $125 and a reserved table for 10 with a sponsorship ranging from $2,500-$25,000.

To reserve seats online, visit http://www.savannahstate.edu/gala. For more information, contact the Division of University Advancement at 912-358- 3059.

Tuskegee University Awarded 1.1 million for Cancer Diagnosis

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HNGreenTuskegee, Ala. (November 3, 2015) – The National Institutes of Health reports that of the estimated 1,658,370 new cases of cancer that will be diagnosed this year, nearly half of those people will lose their battle against the disease. For many cancer patients, early detection and proper treatment are the deciding factors between life and death, but Tuskegee University is working on revolutionary research to swing the odds in their favor.

“The broader impact (on the community) of this research may include shorter treatment times, cheaper costs, and decreased side effects, leading to improved patient prognosis, quality of life, and life span for many cancer patients,” said Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics.

The Veterans Administration HBCU-Research Scientist Training Program Career Development Award has awarded Green a $1.1 million grant to work on a patent-pending 3-in-1-platform technology to target, image, and treat cancer. Utilizing laser-activated and tumor-targeted nanoparticles to treat tumors in a manner that is more localized and less devastating than chemotherapy and radiation, the project could give doctors a more efficient weapon in their arsenal to fight the disease. Part of the pending patent is a nanoparticle-enabled 10-minute laser treatment that results in ~100 percent tumor shrinkage.

“Most current treatments do not result in 100 percent elimination of a tumor after one treatment or even after several treatments that can last for hours over the course of months,” Green said.

Green is the principal investigator for the grant and she will collaborate with the Birmingham VA Medical Center and the VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Services. She has been at Tuskegee since 2013 and holds adjunct appointments in the Department of Materials Science in the College of Engineering and the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health. Her project will provide the opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to engage in interdisciplinary research.

“Dr. Green is one of our many fine STEM research faculty members whose engagement with our students is not limited to the classroom but extends into many different facets of campus life,” said Dr. Brian L. Johnson, Tuskegee University president. “I heartily applaud Dr. Green on this well-deserved award.”

Green graduated with honors from Alabama A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in physics and a minor in mathematics in 2003. She received her doctorate in physics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has more than 10 years of training and research experience, initially in optics and nanotechnology and subsequently in the applications of nano-bio-photonics to cancer researc

Founded in 1881 by Booker T. Washington, Tuskegee University is home to approximately 3,000 students from the U.S. and 30 foreign countries. The academic programs are organized into seven colleges and schools: 1.) Andrew F. Brimmer College of Business and Information Science, 2.) College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences, 3.) College of Arts and Sciences, 4.) College of Engineering, 5.) College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health, 6.) Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science, and 7.) School of Education.

To learn more about Tuskegee University, go to: www.tuskegee.edu.

College Application Fees Temporarily Waived in NC

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Colleges and universities across the state are waiving application fees or accepting fee waivers this week through the College Board as part of a statewide promotional event, North Carolina College Application Week. The event ends at 5 p.m. Friday.

College Application Week is intended to encourage high school seniors to apply early to state colleges and universities.

This week, all state colleges and universities will accept College Board or ACT fee waivers instead of application fees for students who qualify, according to the College Foundation of North Carolina website.

The colleges and universities waiving application fees for all North Carolina high school seniors include the following local schools: GTCC, Bennett College, Greensboro College, Guilford College, N.C. A&T. read more

Howard University Graduate Rachel Dolezal: ‘I Was Biologically Born White’

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Rachel Dolezal, the former NAACP leader and also a Howard University graduate who pretended for years to be black, recently admitted that, in fact, she is “biologically born white to white parents.”

“But I identify as black,” Dolezal said.

Dolezal made an appearance on the daytime television show The Real on Monday where she told all what, and really, we already knew. During her talk with the hosts of the talk show Dolezal received a standing ovation when she “finally admitted that she is a white person,” says reports.

From MSN.com:

Rachel Dolezal has finally admitted to being “born white.” On Monday’s “The Real,” the former president of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP received a standing ovation when she said, “I acknowledge I was biologically born white to white parents… but I identify as black.”

As Gossip Cop previously reported, Dolezal was thrust into the spotlight earlier this year when it was revealed she had been lying for years about her race. Dolezal had been living as a self-identifying black woman for years, working as a civil rights leader and teaching African studies before her parents publicly outed her as white. Dolezal came under further scrutiny when it was revealed she claimed over the year to be the victim of nine hate crimes on the basis of race.

Dolezal was immediately called out by the public for appropriating black culture, but has remained steadfast in identifying as a black woman. During her first public appearance after the controversy on the “Today Show,” Dolezal said she was “transracial,” but would not comment on being white.

Read more here.

Former WSSU Student Charged in Deadly On-campus Shooting

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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. —A former Winston-Salem State University student has been charged in connection with the shooting death of a student on campus early Sunday morning. Another student was injured.

Jarrett Jerome Moore, 21, was arrested in Charlotte early Monday and charged with murder and possession of a weapon on school grounds in connection with the death of Anthony White Jr. Moore was arrested after a short foot chase, Winston-Salem police said.

White, 19, died at the scene of the shooting around 1:20 a.m. Sunday in a parking lot between Wilson Hall and Gleason-Hairston Terrace. An unidentified student was treated for non life-threatening injuries at a hospital and released.

Winston-Salem police said no other suspects are wanted in connection with the shooting, and the incident was isolated to only the suspect and the two victims. Police and WSSU officials released no other information, including an arrest photo of Moore, citing an ongoing investigation. read more

Hampton University Student, Joseph Bose, Killed in Shooting in Norfolk

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Joseph Bose
NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) — A Hampton University student died Saturday morning after a shooting at West 35th Street and Killam Avenue.

Police found 20-year-old Joseph Bose with a gunshot wound around 3:15 a.m. Bose died at the scene.

The Alexandria, Virginia native was a junior at Hampton University where he was majoring in Communications.

“Joe was just a great person, inside and out,” said La Shawnn Edwards, II, who is a junior. “He’s a mediator. He never really was one to have any enemies or anything, so this is surprising. It’s probably just wrong place at the wrong time.”

Norfolk Police Chief Michael Goldsmith called on the community to help investigators find the person or people responsible for killing Bose.

“We all have a social responsibility to guide our youth and prevent these senseless acts from becoming a permanent fixture in our society,” Goldsmith said during a specially-called news conference Saturday to address the shooting that killed Bose as well as another shooting that took place earlier in the morning.

That shooting happened on East Princess Anne Road at Hemlock Street. One person died and two other people were hurt as a result.

This article was originally published via News 13

Black Lives Matter Protesters Disrupt Hillary Clinton’s Speech at Historically Black Clark Atlanta University

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A group of Black Lives Matter, a millennial activist movement “that campaigns against violence toward black people,” protesters interrupted Hillary Clinton’s speech “for over ten minutes” at historically black Clark Atlanta University on Friday.

“Hillary Clinton’s campaign speech at a historically black university in Atlanta was drowned out for over ten minutes by protesters from the Black Lives Matter movement Friday, with Clinton yelling over loud chanting and singing,” writes Brandon Bordelon at National Review. All the while, Bordelon says, “Atlanta’s mayor and another Democratic lawmaker struggled to quell the clamor.”

Clinton, the overwhelming favorite to win the Democratic presidential nomination, can be heard responding “Yes they do, and I’m gonna talk a lot about that in a minute,” when the protesters started shouting “Black Lives Matter!” during her speech with hundreds of supporters jam-packed in Clark Atlanta’s auditorium. “Now, my friends, I am going to get to some very important points that actually prove that black lives do matter and we have to take action together. And I hope that we’ll have a chance to talk more as I have been meeting with activists from the Black Lives Matter movement,” Clinton said.

After Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed, a notable member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and congressman John Lewis managed to help the protesters exit the auditorium, Clinton thanked them both for their assistance in the matter.

“I appreciate [the protesters’] passion,” she said on the interruption that dragged on for entirely too long at the university—where were Clinton’s, or the school security to defuse the issue before it turned into a disaster? Clinton continued, “But I’m sorry they weren’t listening, because some of what they’re demanding I am offering and will fight for as president!” Read more here.

Shooting at WSSU Kills 1 and Injures Another

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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. —Winston-Salem State University officials said one person was killed, and another was injured during an early-morning shooting on campus.

The shooting was reported about 1:20 a.m. Sunday near Wilson Hall and Gleason-Hairston Terrace.

The university said both victims are believed to be students.

Police are still looking for the suspect, who the university identified as Jarrett Jerome Moore. The school said he is not believed to be a current student.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call campus police at 336-750-2900.

The school was put under lock down soon after the shooting. The lock down was lifted before 5 a.m. read more

Grads of Historically Black Colleges Have Well-Being Edge vs Non-HBCU Grads

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Gallup.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the U.S. are battling a number of challenges, including declining enrollment numbers and lower-than-average graduation and retention rates. Despite these challenges, a new Gallup study reveals that black graduates of HBCUs are more likely than black graduates of other institutions to be thriving — strong, consistent and progressing — in a number of areas of their lives, particularly in their financial and purpose well-being.

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These findings are among those featured in the new Gallup-USA Funds Minority College Graduates Report. This report is based on the results from Gallup-Purdue Index studies in 2014 and 2015 with 55,812 college graduates aged 18 and older, with Internet access, who received bachelor’s degrees between 1940 and 2015. The study included 520 black graduates of HBCUs and 1,758 black graduates of other colleges. These results are based on a Gallup model that accounts for factors such as decade of graduation, student loan debt and parents’ education.

The thriving gap between black graduates of HBCUs and black graduates of other schools is largest in financial well-being, which gauges how effectively people are managing their economic lives to reduce stress and increase security. Four in 10 black HBCU graduates (40%) are thriving in this area, compared with fewer than three in 10 (29%) black graduates of other schools.

Of the five elements of well-being that Gallup measures, black graduates of HBCUs are most likely to be thriving in social (54%) and purpose (51%) well-being, which means the majority of them have strong social relationships and they like what they do each day and are motivated to achieve goals. While statistically similar percentages of black HBCU graduates and black non-HBCU graduates are thriving in social well-being, HBCU graduates lead non-HBCU graduates in purpose well-being — less than half of non-HBCU graduates (43%) are thriving in this area.

College Experiences Linked to Thriving After College

Black graduates of HBCUs are more likely than black graduates of other colleges to strongly agree they had the support and experiential learning opportunities in college that Gallup finds are strongly related to graduates’ well-being later in life. In turn, these experiences may also contribute to black HBCU graduates being more likely to strongly agree that their colleges prepared them for life after graduation (55%) than black graduates of other institutions (29%).

More than one in three black HBCU graduates (35%) strongly agree that they had a professor who cared about them as a person, a professor who made them excited about learning and a mentor who encouraged them to pursue their goals and dreams; only 12% of black non-HBCU graduates strongly agree they had all three experiences.

In fact, black graduates of HBCUs are more likely to strongly agree they had each of these experiences, with the gap between HBCU and non-HBCU black graduates widest when recalling having professors who cared about them as people (58% vs. 25%).

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A similar positive relationship exists with experiential learning opportunities — black graduates of HBCUs are more likely to report involvement in applied internships, long-term projects and extracurricular activities. read more

HBCU Grad, Corrie Brown Introduces Bill to Boost HBCU Funding

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080514-politics-Corrine-Brown-1U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, an alumnus of Florida A & M, has a clear understanding of the importance of historically black colleges and universities, and to that end, her Land Grant Opportunity Act, introduced on Monday, is intended to redress funding inequities.

Her news media office asserted on Wednesday that “the “Land Grant Opportunity Act … amends the National Agriculture and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA) to address inequities in state funding for historically black, land-grant colleges and universities, [requiring] states to provide a full, one-to-one match for 1862 and 1890 land grants. It also requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to disburse federal funds in a manner that is equitable in the event that a state fails to comply with the match requirement.”

The Morrill Act of 1862 established that each state should have at least one land-grant institution. In the aftermath of Reconstruction, rather than integrate such schools, states opted to create land grant colleges for African-Americans (an act that allowed them to keep segregated colleges and not lose federal funding.)

“Year after year, states have fulfilled their obligation to meet the one-to-one match requirements for their 1862 schools, which are predominantly white. Yet, many states continue to underfund their 1890 schools, forcing them to apply for a waiver, which allows them to retain federal funds when the states fail to match funds disbursed by USDA,” Brown asserts, an action that “has caused them to lose millions of dollars in research and extension funding each year. This is lack of funding is discriminatory in nature and unacceptable!”

Equal funding, Brown asserts, is the key to true equal education opportunity.

Howard University’s Dance Arts Program to Present Two Works with Washington Ballet

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29B6A4562-D25B-DB41-7C204DD9CA6E3CDEThe Washington Ballet (TWB) is pleased to announce that Howard University’s Dance Arts Program will present two works in its upcoming studio company performance, theNEWmovement: Balanchine & Beyond. This energetic exploration of works by George Balanchine explores the dance legend’s influence on generations of choreographers. The program will include Balanchine’s classic Serenade; Septime Webre’s Fluctuating Hemlines and his first ballet, D-Construction; TWB Company dancer Tamás Krizsa’s piece Resonance; and two works by Howard University’s Dance Arts Program: Keuchen and SHOOK.

“It’s wonderful to collaborate with Howard University’s Dance Arts Program and work with new artists who lend fresh perspectives,” says The Washington Ballet’s Artistic Director Septime Webre. “This collaboration is also an opportunity to further the mission of our Diversity Initiative, Let’s Dance Together, to present diverse repertoire, dancers and choreographers throughout the season.”

Howard University’s Dance Arts Program will present Keuchen, set to the music of J.S. Bach played by Glenn Gould, Goldberg Variations and choreographed by Royce Zackery; as well as SHOOK, set to the music of Nills Sheker with a voice-over by Tupac Shakur and choreographed by Jennifer Archibald.

Tamás Krizsa’s work, Resonance is set to the music of several artists and explores the effects of environmental surroundings on humans. Read Full

Hillary Clinton to Visit Clark Atlanta University

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Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton is just days away from her stop in Atlanta. Clinton will visit the campus of the historically black university (HBCU) Clark Atlanta on Friday.

Clinton’s visit to Atlanta is not only important for her campaign, but also for one of her most powerful supporters in Georgia, Congressman John Lewis.

Lewis has compared his support of Clinton to his fight for civil rights 50 years ago in Selma, Alabama. In his announcement of “African-Americans for Hillary” Lewis noted Clinton’s promise to expand voting rights for all Americans and promise to advocate for HBCUs if she becomes president.

This event is hosted by the African-Americans for Hillary Grassroots Organization. The event starts at 2:30 p.m and will be held in the Epps Gynamsium. Doors open at 1:00 p.m. Read Full via CBS46.com

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Shooting at NCCU, 5 Suspects at Large

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North Carolina Central University was on lockdown for almost an hour after a student was shot on Sunday night, as reported by HNGN.

The victim remains unnamed, but one of the witnesses said his group had a disagreement with an unidentified suspect who left and returned with a pistol.

“The guy reached for his pants and started shooting,” said 19-year-old Kenneth White, a NCCU freshman, according to the New York Daily News. “He shot one of my friends in the butt cheek and we went inside to take shelter.”

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White and his friends carried their wounded friend to a bench and called out to police as they saw them arriving at the scene.

“We waved the cops to come to us instead of the shooter because we had someone down,” he said. However, he says that the officers took the victim into custody and took off his pants despite his wound.

“They just put him in handcuffs without logical reason … I don’t think a strip search should be done in public,” the Brooklyn-born White said. He took a video of the encounter with the police, but deleted it after gaining negative comments, Daily News added.

“Many people are mad,” White added, since a lot of people the video gave a negative impression about the school. “They don’t understand the struggle we went through to get our friend to that seat to make sure he was OK.”

The authorities announced that they are on the hunt for five suspects that are connected with the shooting at NCCU, read more

Former Tennessee State Guard Patrick Miller Heads to 2015 NBA D-League Draft

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SB Nation

While on assignment by the Rockets, Robert Covington emerged as the 2014 NBA D-League Rookie of the Year and All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. And though he was released by Houston not long after, the forward’s reputation in the minor league helped him become the first pick of the 2014 D-League Draft later that fall. Ironically enough, he was called-up by the 76ers before he even had a chance to step up on the NBADL hardwood again. Clearly, it wasn’t necessary.

One could argue that Covington’s continued success and the path he took to the NBA should be inspiration for plenty of other aspiring athletes. Having played alongside him for three years at the collegiate level with Tennessee State, one would also have to believe Patrick Miller feels that way, anyway.

Miller was Covington’s college teammate, and now believes the path that Covington followed could also potentially work for him. read more

Spelman Student 1 of 17 on Committee for “It’s On Us” White House Campaign

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Her name is Venkayla Haynes, and she is the sole HBCU student representing for historically black colleges and universities amongst an important group of decision makers.

Today, the It’s On Us campaign announced its Student Advisory Committee, an new initiative to provide exemplary student leaders with a larger role in bringing the It’s On Us message to campuses and communities across the country. The 17 members selected to be a part of the committee will not only play an integral role in activating new students on campuses nationwide, but will also serve as student thought leaders and help shape both national and local outreach strategy.

“We’re thrilled to have these outstanding young leaders working alongside the It’s On Us campaign to develop innovative ways of reaching more people at both the local and national levels,” said Kristin Avery, “It’s On Us” campaign manager. “The growth of this movement depends on individuals like the ones in this group organizing on a grassroots level, and we’re excited to see them empower their peers to step up and end campus sexual assault.”

The students were selected after a month long application process through which over 100 students applied. The following students are the inaugural group selected for the Student Advisory Committee: read more