Rep. John Lewis to Speak at N.C. A&T Commencement

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NC A &T Newsroom

Civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis will deliver the spring commencement address at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the school announced today.

Lewis also will be awarded the 2015 Human Rights Medal presented by N.C. A&T. The medal is awarded annually to an individual who has strived to correct social injustice and has contributed significantly to the betterment of the world.

It is awarded to courageous men and women whose actions reflect those demonstrated by the four A&T freshmen – Ezell Blair Jr. (Jibreel Khazan), Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David Richmond Jr. – whose peaceful sit-in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter ignited the national sit-in movement in 1960. Lewis himself organized lunch-counter sit-ins as a student at Fisk University in Nashville.

Commencement will be held Saturday, May 9, beginning at 8:30 a.m., in the Greensboro Coliseum.

First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986, Lewis has been called “the conscience of the U.S. Congress.”

He is recognized as one of the most courageous and effective leaders of the civil rights movement. He was one of the original Freedom Riders in 1961 at the age of 21. Two years later, he became nationally known as a leader of the civil rights movement as an organizer and speaker at the March on Washington.

John LewisLewis served as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee from 1963-66. He was an organizer of the Selma-to-Montgomery march for voting rights on March 7, 1965. Leading 600 marchers, he suffered a broken skull when police attacked the group on the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

He continued his activism on voting rights into the 1970s. President Jimmy Carter named him director of ACTION, the federal volunteer agency, in 1977. His career as an elected official began in 1981 when hewas elected to the Atlanta City Council. Today, he represents Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District, which covers much of Atlanta.

Lewis holds a B.A. in religion and philosophy from Fisk, and he is a graduate of the American Baptist Theological Seminary, also in Nashville. He has received many national and international honors, including the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor; the Capital Award of the National Council of La Raza; and the only John F. Kennedy “Profile in Courage Award” for Lifetime Achievement ever granted by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

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‘Terrence J Day’ Declared At N.C. A&T

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High-profile alumnus Terrence Jenkins – known on television and in the movies as Terrence J – returned to North Carolina A&T State University today for events with students, administrators and donors.

The department of journalism and mass communications has declared it “Terrence J Day.”

B5Qp2dBCYAAgfhoJenkins will start his day by attending the annual breakfast for scholarship donors and recipients in the College of Arts and Sciences. Jenkins will meet more students in a networking session moderated by Anzio Williams, an A&T alum and vice president of news at NBC10 Philadelphia.

A highlight of the day will be Jenkins’ announcement of a gift to the university. Jenkins will make a $100,000 gift to support the journalism department and A&T’s WNAA 90.1 FM

For the latest on HBCU news, stay tuned to The Buzz.

Senate Confirms Loretta Lynch as Attorney General After Long Delay

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New York Times

After one of the nation’s most protracted cabinet-level confirmation delays, the Senate Thursday approved Loretta E. Lynch to be attorney general. She is the first African-American woman to hold the position.24Cong-web-master675

Ms. Lynch, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York, was confirmed 56 to 43, with 10 Republicans voting for her.

Her confirmation took longer than that for all but two other nominees for the office: Edwin Meese III, who was nominated by President Ronald Reagan, and A. Mitchell Palmer, who was picked by President Woodrow Wilson, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Republicans have found themselves in a quandary for months. They longed to replace Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., and they agreed that Ms. Lynch was qualified for the job. But they opposed her because Ms. Lynch defended President Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

What’s more, Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and majority leader, had held up the nomination until the Senate voted on a human trafficking bill, a process that dragged on for weeks. The measure passed on Wednesday by a vote of 99 to 0.

And some Republicans continued to strongly oppose Ms. Lynch. “We do not have to confirm someone to the highest law enforcement position in America if that someone has committed to denigrating Congress,” Senator Jeff Sessions, Republican of Alabama, said on the Senate floor Thursday. “We don’t need to be apologetic about it, colleagues.”

In the end several Republicans — to the surprise of many of their own colleagues — voted aye for Ms. Lynch, including Mr. McConnell.

Some conservative groups had called on Senate Republicans to block a vote on Ms. Lynch altogether because of her stance on the president’s immigration policies. Many Senate Republicans feared the party would face serious political repercussions if it blocked an African-American woman with strong credentials and enthusiastic support from many in law enforcement.

Opponents still forced a procedural vote before her final confirmation, an unusual requirement for such a high position. The nomination moved along easily, by a vote of 66 to 34.

“She is a historic nominee, but also Senate Republicans are making history,” said Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont. “And I would say for the wrong reasons.” He added: “I can only hope that Senate Republicans will show her more respect as the attorney general of the United States than they did as a nominee. She has earned this respect. Her story is one of perseverance, of grace and grit.”The vote also served as a lens on the 2016 elections. “The Republican majority if it so chose could defeat this confirmation,” said Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a Republican presidential candidate, who called Ms. Lynch “lawless.”

Mr. Cruz’s comments were immediately answered by several Democrats, who came to the floor to defend Ms. Lynch, recall her personal and professional accomplishments, and assail Mr. Cruz and his colleagues who opposed her.

Read more here. 

Knoxville College Suspends Fall Classes

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WBIR 

Troubled Knoxville College is suspending classes for the fall semester.

The 1875-era historically black college has only 11 students currently enrolled, according to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.hqdefault

THEC confirmed Monday that Knoxville College wanted to re-organize and restructure.

It decided the best way to do that is to refrain from offering classes in the fall. The school won’t offer instruction or enroll or recruit students.

Enrollment has steadily declined through the decades at the Mechanicsville school. It is struggling to pay routine bills as well as debts, including an outstanding loan.

Much of the campus is shuttered or in sagging disrepair.

Last summer federal environment officials intervened to clear out what they deemed hazardous chemicals that were left in an unused science building. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) arrived on campus to inspect thousands of bottles in the A. K. Stewart Science Building. The building has been abandoned for several years, but many of the materials used for college-level science classes were never removed.

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Creflo Dollar Says the ‘Devil’ Blocked His Dreams of a $65,000,000 Jet

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The Root

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get hundreds, or even thousands, of people you don’t even know to donate to your worthy cause? Even if that cause was a $65 million private jet, all in the name of God, because it’s a dream of yours? In the mind of Creflo Dollar, you can’t stop him from dreaming.

Dollar (Dollar Bill) blasted critics of his recent jet fundraising endeavors during a recent church sermon. Dollar took issue with those who felt it was wrong for him to reach deep into the pockets of his congregation and ask them to donate to his $65 million dream jet, because a pastor can’t travel coach, apparently. His critics were compared to the devil, and he doesn’t appreciate them trying to discredit him and his dreams of flying high in a G650.

“I can dream as long as I want to. I can believe God as long as I want to. If I want to believe God for a $65 million plane, you cannot stop me. You cannot stop me from dreaming. You can’t stop me from dreaming. I’m gon’ dream until Jesus comes,” Dollar preached.

Yeah, see, the thing is, you can dream all you want. But don’t expect people to pay for your dreams out of the kindness of their hearts and Social Security checks. When Jesus turned water into wine, he didn’t charge the masses for that wine. Jesus also didn’t expect them to buy him a cart pulled by seven donkeys in return. I’m quite sure that would have been the equivalent to a G650 back then.

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Confirmation Vote on Loretta Lynch Expected Today

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The Root

After 166 days of waiting, longer than the last seven nominees for U.S. attorney general combined, Loretta Lynch is expected to finally receive a confirmation vote by the U.S. Senate this afternoon.

If she is confirmed, Lynch, 55, would be the first female African-American attorney general in history, and only the second woman to serve as head of the Department of Justice. President Barack Obama nominated Lynch Nov. 8, 2014. Lynch is currently serving as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. If confirmed, she would be America’s 83rd attorney general.

The confirmation vote is expected to be close. There are 51 senators who have publicly stated they will vote to confirm Lynch. However, the Senate is unpredictable. Seven senators have not declared whether they will vote to confirm Lynch.

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Michael Eric Dyson Deems His Public Critique Of Cornel West ‘Vital And Necessary’

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Huffington Post

Michael Eric Dyson joined HuffPost Live on Tuesday and explained why his public takedown of Cornel West, published this week in The New Republic, was “necessary,” despite the “sense of hurt” that came with his break with the Princeton professor.

Although the academics have been friends for years — West even wrote a letter of recommendation for Dyson’s Princeton University graduate school application back in 1984 — the two have parted ways over West’s harsh critique of Obama and other black intellectuals.

Dyson defended his choice of venue to air his grievances, telling host Marc Lamont Hill he hopes others can learn from the debate. He explained:

[quote_box_center]You know what the old people used to say? “Where you did it is where you get it.” So people say, “Why don’t you do it in private?” Because [West’s comments were] done in public. And the public character of what we’re doing here is vital and necessary because the lessons that can be learned, either from my mistakes, either from my flaws, either from my failures and professor West’s are instructive to other people, who will then learn. I’m not saying that therefore we have to mess up in order to clean up, so that we can have object lessons. I’m saying that in the engagement of these ideas, whether it’s Langston Hughes, whether it’s W.E.B. Du Bois, there’s a long tradition.[/quote_box_center]

 Dyson also acknowledged that the rocky relationship between himself and his mentor has not been easy.

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Documents: SC State Owes Money to 334 Vendors

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WLTX

Columbia, SC (WLTX) – As South Carolina State University officials continue to meet with a special appointed working group to resolve their financial problems, the university still finds itself under a mountain debt.635653351102998047-sc-state

News 19 obtained documents showing that they owe money to 334 vendors. For example, Sodexho, the university’s food provider, is owed more than $5 million. UGL Unicco, who maintains the facilitieson campuss, is owed close to $4 million.

The total amount owed to all vendors is $12 million.

Last year, the university was given two loans to help pay off its debt. In April, SCSU was given six million dollars from the Budget and Control Board, and in December, the school received a $12 million loan to be given out over the next 3 years.

The state also created a Blue Ribbon Panel to oversea the funds. So far this year, university officials say they have only received one part of the loan in the amount of $1.5 million.

Acting President Franklin Evans says this year the university has already cut more than $1 million by laying off employees and implemented furlough days. The board of trustees recently adopted a plan that would cut two million from the school’s budget starting July 1st. This is the same plan that now fired President Thomas Elzey presented to the board but was voted down.

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Plan To Fire SC State Trustees Passes House and Senate

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WSFA

Members of the South Carolina Senate have passed a measure that would fire the entire South Carolina State University Board of Trustees.

The bill passed both chambers of the state legislature, but it must be ratified before it goes to Governor Nikki Haley. The Senate passed a third reading of the bill Tuesday with no objections.

The bill will now head back to the House where representatives can choose to accept the amended bill or send it back to the Senate.

State legislators have been working on a bill regarding the beleaguered university for several months. At one point, a subcommittee recommended shutting down the school for one fiscal year while SC State got its finances in order.

Under provisions of the bill, the Board of Trustees would be sacked and an interim CEO would be appointed who would answer to the Budget and Control Board. Also, a new board would have to be selected within a week. The Senate Pro Tem, the Speaker of the House, the head of the Senate Education Committee, the head of the House Education and Public Works Committee, and Gov. Haley would each select one person to serve on the new board.

The board wouldbe responsible for creating policies to keep SC State functioning within its budget, but they would not have any spending power.

If these changes are approved by the House, it will head to a conference committee to iron out any wrinkles that may be left. After that, both chambers would ratify the bill and send it to Gov. Haley’s desk.

If the changes are not approved, a line within the State budget would still remove the board putting it under control of the Budget and Control Board. However, the Senate still has to approve the budget next week.

Legislators began investigating SC State’s finances after university asked the state for millions of dollars to deal with a fiscal crisis.

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Ursula Burns Is Howard’s 2015 Commencement Speaker

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The Hilltop

Howard University has announced that Ursula Burns will be this year’s graduation commencement speaker. Burns, the chairman and chief executive officer of Xerox, will deliver her speech May 9, 2015 at Howard University’s 147th commencement convocation, beginning at 10 a.m.

Burns is the first African-American woman to lead a major U.S. corporation and one of the most influential black women in the world, ranking 22nd in most powerful women in the world by Forbes last year.

“We are excited to have Ursula Burns as this year’s commencement speaker,” said Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “Ms. Burns’ fascinating career and life story have made her a champion of the power of diversity, leadership and women in corporate America. She not only shattered the glass ceiling, she earned her place as leader of one of the most notable companies in the world and inspires women and people of color to aspire for that which may have once seemed unattainable.”

Joining Xerox in 1980 as a summer intern, Burns has yet to leave. She has been aboard for Xerox’s transition from the global leader in photocopying towards a diverse array of business services and technology investments, making her way up the ranks to become CEO in 2009 and chairman in 2010.

Burns, a native of New York’s Lower East Side, holds degrees from both New York University and Columbia.

The announcement of Burns as the 2015 commencement speaker follows last year’s high-profile decision to honor Sean Combs. The Howard dropout-turned-mogul who gave an emotional appeal to the class of 2014. The energy from that speech has carried over, making Howard’s graduating class of 2015 anxious to find out who their speaker is.

Speculation was at a high on Tuesday night as fake commencement flyers appeared on social media, falsely announcing actor Idris Elba, among others, as one of this year’s honorees.

Burns, who will be be honored with a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, has made a career of proving herself to be an astute businesswoman. Wasting no time after being named CEO, Burns got the the ball rolling on the company’s expansion, making the largest acquisition in Xerox company history with a $6.4 billion purchase of a services firm.

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NBA’s 1st Game in Africa Will Take Place in South Africa

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The Root

The NBA announced Wednesday that its first game in Africa will take place Aug. 1 in Johannesburg. The game, which will benefit various charities, will pit Team Africa against Team World and will feature the Miami Heat’s Luol Deng and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul, according to the Huffington Post.

Deng, who was born in what is now South Sudan, will be the captain of Team Africa, and Team World will be led by Paul. Deng’s team will consist of players from 460472622-luol-deng-of-the-miami-heat-catches-a-pass-during-a.jpg.CROP.rtstoryvar-mediumvarious African countries as well as second-generation African players. Paul’s team will consist of players from the NBA and non-African nations around the world, according to CBS Sports.

Both Deng and Paul expressed excitement about the upcoming game.

“I am extremely proud to be a part of the NBA’s first game in Africa,” said Deng in a statement.

“I cannot wait to contribute to the growth of the game on and off the court,” Paul said.

 Read more here.
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‘Justice For Freddie’: Hundreds Protest Death Of Man After Arrest By Baltimore Police

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Huffington Post 

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Baltimore on Tuesday to protest the death of a 27-year-old black man who died after being arrested by local police.

The U.S. Justice Department is looking into the case of Freddie Gray, who was arrested on April 12 and a week later in a hospital after slipping into a coma, a spokeswoman said.

A preliminary autopsy showed Gray died from a spinal injury.

Baltimore police have identified six officers who have been suspended over the death, which sparked outrage in the largely black city and renewed concern about law enforcement treatment of minorities in the United States.

The crowd of protesters gathered on Tuesday evening outside the city’s Western District police headquarters and marched to the spot a few blocks away where Gray was arrested, according to aerial footage on local television.

The protest was peaceful and was winding down at about 9 p.m., CNN reported.

Officers arrested Gray because he fled when they approached him on a street, an incident captured by bystanders’ video recordings.

They found a switchblade knife in his pocket and put him in a police van for transport to a station. When Gray was taken from the van, he was unresponsive and transported to a hospital.

Demanding “Justice for Freddie,” the protesters were calling for the six officers to be charged with first-degree murder, according to CNN.

They could be seen raising their hands in the air, in what has become a protest sign since the August 2014 death of Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.

Some witnesses said Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black man, had put his hands in the air and said “Don’t shoot” before he was killed. The U.S. Justice Department in a report later said it could not confirm those accounts and said they were not credible.

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Jackson State University To Create First School of Public Health in Mississippi

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Jackson State Newsroom

Jackson State University is embarking on creating a School of Public Health — the first of its kind in Mississippi.

The Mississippi Legislature approved $2 million this past legislative session to establish the school. Last week, the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning authorized the school to be created at JSU.

“This is a tremendous achievement for Mississippi, and we are grateful to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives and all of our Mississippi legislators for ushering this through,” said JSU President Carolyn W. Meyers.

MeyersMug-298x300“The action is groundbreaking. There currently is no School of Public Health in the state of Mississippi,” Meyers said. “Not only will it solidify the Capital City as a premier health care provider for the state and region, but it will provide a national model for meeting professional health care needs.”

“Health care in Mississippi is an industry of necessity. Not only can our state benefit from more health care providers and professionals, our economy can benefit from growth in the health care sector,” Gov. Phil Bryant said. “In my Executive Budget Recommendation, I recommended that the Legislature appropriate $2 million for the JSU School of Public Health, and I am very pleased that we secured this funding. This program will be a very important part of the health care landscape in Mississippi.”

“Healthcare is one of the most important issues we deal with day to day and will drive the economy and jobs into the future,” said Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn. “Creating a School of Public Health at Jackson State University will produce students who can work in the public health arena.  Representative Angela Cockerham worked closely with me to achieve the required funding and we are all proud that we got this done for our state.”

“Mississippi’s health challenges are well documented,” said Aubrey Patterson, president of the Board of Trustees. “All of our universities share the task of addressing these issues, and Jackson State University’s new School of Public Health is an excellent example of this. Through education, research and treatment, our universities are helping to improve the health and quality of life of all Mississippians.”

Creating a School of Public Health was identified in the Jake Ayers settlement as a program to be established at Jackson State.

Read more here.

For the latest on HBCU news, stay tuned to The Buzz.

Marauders Defense Earns Praise At Spring Game

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Xenia Gazette

WILBERFORCE — The Central State University defense took center stage on Saturday in the Maroon vs. GoldSpring Game at McPherson Stadium.

Returning nearly all of its starters from last season, the defensive unit grabbed two interceptions and gave up just two scores on the afternoon. Clim Robbins recorded the first pick of the day, earning praise from the coaching staff after the game.

“Clim has made at least one big play in every practice this spring,” CSU coach Cedric Pearl said. “We are confident in his ability to be a key player for us next season.”

The defensive line, which led the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in sacks last season, unofficially recorded 10 tackles for a loss and seven sacks.

Lineman Darrin McGee highlighted the afternoon with a interception and return for 60 yards before being chased down by DeAndre Grant at the 10-yard line. Pearl commended both on the play.

“Darrin made a tremendous play on the ball and nearly took it to the house,” Pearl said. “What was more impressive was DeAndre’s effort to chase down the play and avoid giving up the touchdown. Grant’s effort is a prime example of what Marauder football is all about.”

The Marauder offense was led by junior college transferMarquis Wells who unofficially scrambled for 50 yards and completed 7 of 13 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown torunning back Byron Moore. Martell Clark also scored on a pass from Julian Walker.

“I thought Marquis played well today. He continues to improve each and every practice and we look to him to be our starter come next fall,” Pearl said. “As an entire team, we are well ahead of where we were last year at this time and are excited about this upcoming year.”

The Marauders open the 2015 season Sept. 5 when they travel to Alderson Broaddus in Philippi, W.Va.

For more information on Marauder football, please visit www.maraudersports.com.

John Legend Launches Campaign to End Mass Incarceration

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The Associated Press

NEW YORK — John Legend has launched a campaign to end mass incarceration.

The Grammy-winning singer announced the multiyear initiative, FREE AMERICA, on Monday. He will visit and perform at a correctional facility on Thursday in Austin, Texas, where he also will be part of a press conference with state legislators to discuss Texas’ criminal justice system.

“We have a serious problem with incarceration in this country,” Legend said in an interview. “It’s destroying families, it’s destroying communities and we’re the most incarcerated country in the world, and when you look deeper and look at the reasons we got to this place, we as a society made some choices politically and legislatively, culturally to deal with poverty, deal with mental illness in a certain way and that way usually involves using incarceration.”

Legend, 36, will also visit a California state prison and co-host a criminal justice event with Politico in Washington, D.C., later this month. The campaign will include help from other artists — to be announced — and organizations committed to ending mass incarceration.

“I’m just trying to create some more awareness to this issue and trying to make some real change legislatively,” he said. “And we’re not the only ones. There are senators that are looking at this, like Rand Paul and Cory Booker, there are other nonprofits that are looking at this, and I just wanted to add my voice to that.”

Legend’s speech at the Academy Awards this year struck a chord when he spoke about mass incarceration. He won the Oscar for best original song with rapper Common for “Glory” from the film “Selma.”

The singer said an early victory for his campaign was the approval of Proposition 47 in California in November, which calls for treating shoplifting, forgery, fraud, petty theft and possession of small amounts of drugs — including cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines — as misdemeanors instead of felonies.

“Once you have that tag of a felony on your name, it’s hard for you to do anything,” Legend said. “Getting those reduced to misdemeanors really impacted a lot of lives and we hope to launch more initiatives like that around the country.”