Curtis Turney, Delaware State Alum, Tells Students to “Keep Chasing Your Dreams”

Posted by LaTavia McQueen
Posted on
Curtis Turney III is a 22-year-old rising entrepreneur from Queens, New York. A Delaware State alum, Curtis first realized his talents as a graphic design artist during his tenure at the university. He has now decided to pay homage by embarking on an HBCU tour. The Buzz recently talked with Curtis about his plans and what inspired him. Here’s how the conversation went…

LaTavia: Can you tell me a little bit about how you first got started designing and what exactly is the HBCU tour?

Curtis Turney: My senior year I started CT3 designs and from there after I graduated I started making my own clothes. I designed my own clothes because I was making apparel for Del State. A lot of students didn’t like the apparel that was at the book store, they said it was too plain, more old people style, so I decided to make more urban, more stylish apparel for the school. I use to sell out all the time – lines looking like Jordan releases and stuff like that. So people told me I should take it further. Once I graduated I took my passion and my dream of clothing designing even further. I got a degree in Information Technology and I was like, “Man I don’t really want to do this, I want to chase my dreams.” So I did that. I opened up my own website and started working with different companies on printing my shirts and printing different pieces of clothing and I was selling out still. So to keep myself relevant and to build my clientele I thought, “I started at an HBCU, so why not bless and share my knowledge and share my designs with other HBCUs.” If Del State thinks, “Oh, their apparel at their school is not up to par,” or it’s not stylish enough, why not do it for other HBCUs?

I started with Bowie State. I made their 150th anniversary long sleeve t-shirt and their “I Love Bowie Week” shirt. From there I started the HBCU tour. The HBCU tour is just me designing apparel for HBCUs, different HBCUs on the east coast. And if they love it or if they like it, I’ll sell it to them for a decent price and I will visit that school if I have time. I’m going back to the Delaware State to drop the newest shirt. And it’s called the “Turn up or Transfer” Shirt. And I’m also thinking about visiting Howard in DC because I’ll be in DC the day after.

I entered the Morgan State University T-shirt contest and I designed about 16-17 different designs and they hit me back like “Oh my God, you’re designs are fire.” They weren’t expecting 16 different designs but the way I am is I design a shirt and I love criticism so I’ll send it out it to different people to see if they would wear it. And they’ll say “Yea I’ll wear that,” or “I feel like the MSU should be here…” and so forth. So I thought I would do 16 different styles in 16 different ways and it shocked them.

When people see a college tour they’re like “Curtis, you’re gone go to all these schools?” I plan to travel but some of it is me just traveling from my laptop with doing different designs. It’s still an HBCU tour throughout the east coast just designing their apparel from my laptop. I won’t make appearances to certain colleges.

LaTavia: Well that sounds interesting! You said you sent Morgan State 16 different shirts. Is that how you always design?

Curtis: Yea I like to design different varieties to hear people’s thoughts and criticisms and before I even drop anything I send it to my biggest criticizers in my phone book. And I also sent them to some people from Morgan State to see their opinion of it as well. Actually the 16-17 shirts I sent were the most I ever did for any school, any company or any person. I usually do five to six but every time I made one shirt I’m like, “I think I can make it better.” I made the next shirt and thought I could make that one even better. So I ended up with 16 different styles of 16 different shirts.

LaTavia: So tell me how you think Delaware State actually helped you get to where you are now?

Curtis: I started my freshman year, I was from New York and I was only hanging with the New York crew but I knew I was different so I decided I had to do something to separate myself from them. So I started an organization called Future Leaders in Progress (FLIP) on campus and from there I became the president. I left that and became secretary for the Campus Activity Board (CAB). With FLIP and CAB I was designing flyers and logos. I was new to graphic design but I was taught by different marketing directors at my school who were teaching me how to use Photoshop. They taught me so much that I implemented in with FLIP and CAB that people told me I was getting better and I should start getting paid. I never thought of it like that, I just figured it was just a service because nobody else wanted to do it. So I started making a list of things to charge like $20 a flyer and $15 for a logo and stuff like that. Once junior year came I started making actual apparel. The first shirt was for SGA 2013-2014, they wanted an “I Love DSU” shirt but wanted to use the Magna Carta album cover with a cross and a line going across the “I Love” and it really sold well. People still ask for it to this day. I tried to get my clothes to the bookstore and they denied me so I said I would do it my own way. I started working with SGA and they paid for my designs and they bought like 2,000 extra shirts and we gave them out to the students and they were happy. But other than that, Del State helped me grow as a leader, and definitely as a student.

LaTavia: Are you still a vital part of the FLIP program?

Curtis: Yea, now I’m a founder and FLIP is in it’s third term. I’m one of the five founders.

LaTavia: So what are some of the things that FLIP has done?

Curtis: We started a Sunday Campus Clean-Up of Delaware State campus. Every Sunday after a Saturday party or get together we would go around and clean the campus. We knew that this (Delaware State) was our campus and we love for our campus to be beautiful and we did not want to see the maintenance workers or custodians always working. So we let them know that we appreciate it and we were out there with them. We had gloves and trash bags and we’d go around campus. We also started entrepreneurial expos where different people that are entrepreneurs could showcase anything such as make up, make up artists, different designers and clothes, basically anything. Those are two big programs that we started.

LaTavia: That’s great! My next question is other than just designing the shirts for the HBCUs do you have another clothing line in the works, or are you just collaborating with people right now?

Curtis: I myself, am my own clothing line. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a clothing line, I call it merchandise and apparel. I have a website called ct3clothing.weebly.com and I have a list of different designs that I have until maybe next year. What I do is I drop one piece one by one. I think all my pieces are too exclusive to just put all of them together on one webpage so I drop my clothes piece-by-piece, one-by-one and I sell out like crazy. I’ll probably get 100 pieces and I’ll probably sell out in two days. And that piece will be the only one up on my website. So when you go up there a lot of times you’ll only see one t-shirt, or a hat or sweater there. That’s my own tactic, to drop my shirts one-by-one. I build the anticipation using social media, proper promotion, I use my support systems and my fan base.

LaTavia: Are there any other additional projects that you are working on other than the merchandise and your HBCU tour?

Curtis: I’m trying to actually work my way back into Del State to get a marketing design position so I can be able to actually officially design clothes, apparel, flyers, logos and I’m still waiting to here back on that. Other than that, I’m just going to continue to work on my business and the HBCU college tour.

LaTavia: What advice do you have for any college students who are trying to go into business for themselves and become their own brand?

Curtis: The first thing is don’t give up. You’re going to have your up and downs- I started directly after I graduated and things are great and smooth but I know there are going to be ups and downs. There are going to be trials and tribulations that come towards me so I already know that I have to stay strong, stay positive and continue to chase my dreams. Strive to take your passion to the next level and take your talents above – People say the sky’s the limit but we have stars and a galaxy above that so you have to reach to the highest level you can and just keep chasing your dream.

FAMU Alumna EBONY Magazine Top Editor Mitzi Miller Resigns

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
PRESS RELEASE – Mitzi Miller, editor-in-chief of Ebony Magazine, announced today that she will step down from her current role to pursue new ventures that include creating stories for television and film. This announcement comes on the heels of the success of With This Ring, the Lifetime movie starring Regina Hall, Jill Scott and Eve, based on the 2006 bestselling book The Vow which she co-authored.

[quote_box_center]“I’ve always subscribed to the principle of living in the present and remaining open to all of life’s opportunities, says Miller. So I believe that now is an exciting time to start a new chapter in my life. It will always be an honor to have been a part of the Johnson Publishing Company legacy. Having served as the editor-in-chief for two of the oldest and most successful African American publications, I take pride in the issues the team was able to explore and expose to the readers. And now, I look forward to continuing to tell our dynamic stories in a new way with my next venture.”[/quote_box_center]

imageLast April, Johnson Publishing Company appointed Miller to editor-in-chief of Ebony Magazine following the departure of Amy DuBois Barnett. Prior to her role at Ebony, Miller spent over three years as the editor-in-chief of Jet Magazine where she revamped the iconic 63-year-old brand with a successful cover-to-cover redesign, re-launched the Jet website and increased social media presence. Miller exits the company after a historic four-year run, making her the only individual to hold both prestigious editor-in-chief positions since company founder John H. Johnson.

In addition to a successful editorial career spanning almost fifteen years, Miller is a skilled public speaker and bestselling author. She has co-authored five popular books over the past decade: The Vow: A Novel; The Angry Black Woman’s Guide to Life; and the three-title Hotlanta young adult series. Last year, she ranked No.16 on The Root 100’s list of most influential African Americans and has been a featured guest on several national television programs, including ABC’s Good Morning America, TV One’s News One Now with Roland Martin, MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry and CNN’s CNN Newsroom.

For more on Mitzi Miller and her upcoming projects, visit www.mitzimiller.com.

Howard University Students Update Wikipedia

Posted by
Posted on
Most of us use Wikipedia whenever we need our memories refreshed or some quick information on various people and topics. So much can be discovered while you’re on there too, because one click always leads into another. However, there are still flaws and missing pages from this massive online textbook and many a Black legacy has been wrongfully absent –until now. The Wikimedia D.C. foundation, based out of Howard University, is aiming to add more Black history-themed content to Wikipedia’s pages, to highlight the other great achievements of lesser known heroes, events, and places.

As a Black History Month project, it’s both a personal and public outpour of gratitude for the HBCU foundation. For every Thursday this month, they meet at a Howard University research center to gather a list of who and what they’ll like to add to Wikipedia, also collaborating with prominent historical institution the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York and the respected NPR. read more…

Saint Augustine’s Chaplain Reverend Nita Byrd Appointed Commission on Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
(Saint Augustine’s University) University Chaplain Reverend Nita Byrd has been appointed to the Commission on Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. This appointment was made by the Right Reverend Michael B. Curry, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina.

The Commission on Ministry for The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina assists the bishop in the selection of persons for the ministry and in the pastoral care of all candidates for Holy Orders. The Commission also assists with the continuing education of the ministry and interviews each candidate for the diaconate and priesthood to ascertain personal readiness for that ordination.

The Rev. Byrd will also be the guest homilist at Saint Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, N.C. on February 22, 2015.

Article Originally Appeared on Inside Saint Aug

Rasheem King, Former Bowie State Basketball Player Battling Stage 3 Cancer

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
(HBCU Sports) – Rasheem King vows to play basketball at Bowie State even though he’s battling stage 3 cancer.

King, 24, has overcome the death of his mother as a child and both grandparents as an adult.

Now, he’s fighting for his own life after being diagnosed with sarcoma.

“I’m going to keep fighting,” King told  FOX 5 Washington D.C. “This is just temporary. It’s going to make me stronger. I love you guys. Go Bulldogs.”

The university has rallied around King and is raising money to assist with daily expenses and other needs.

King is currently undergoing simultaneous chemotherapy and radiation treatments at a New York hospital and is expected to have a cancerous tumor surgically removed from his shoulder.

“Rasheem cares for himself. He picks up his own medications. He takes himself to appointments. He cleans up after himself when he gets sick from the chemo. He has cousins who do what they can but caring for a cancer patient is a full time job,” according to a statement written on the GiveForward online donation website.

Donations can be made on the “Rasheem’s Sarcoma Battle” page

Read Full Story here at HBCU Sports 

First Female Police Chief Talks Campus Safety at Morehouse College

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on

(ELISE DURHAM/ Morehouse College) Earlier this year Valerie Dalton, a former major with the Atlanta Police Department, made history.

Dalton is the first female police chief of Morehouse College, a historically black college for men here in Atlanta.

wabe_atlanta_npr_station_large-300x281She is also the associate vice president for public safety at the college.

Before accepting her new post, Dalton served for 27 years with the Atlanta Police Department–starting as a patrol officer and eventually becoming the head of the Office of Professional Standards.

Chief Dalton joined Rose Scott and Denis O’Hayer on “A Closer Look” to talk about safety issues on the campus, how to educate students about sexual assault and campus police training.

Click here to hear the interview: WABE/Dalton Referenced from Morehouse College

Knoxville College Alum and MLK’s Successor Passes

Posted by Robert Hoggard
Posted on
Rev. Dr. Joseph Roberts Jr., 79, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s successor, died Sunday of congestive heart failure. They will hold his funeral Saturday at 12 noon at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

Rev. Roberts graduated from cum laude Knoxville College, an HBCU located in Knoxville,Tennessee; in 1956.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Roberts was “Hand picked by the Rev. Martin Luther King Sr.” and has led “Ebenezer Baptist Church as its pastor for 30 years.”

Rev. Roberts leaves behind a wife named Esther Jean Roberts, a son, Carlyle, two daughters, Cheryl Richmond and Cynthia Roberts-Emory, and six grandchildren.

Report: Workers’ Retirement Savings Can’t Escape Racial Disparities

Posted by Stefan Weathers
Posted on
The National Bureau of Economic Research released a report in February that reveals racial disparities in the 401(k) retirement accounts. It also reveals the continued widening of the racial wealth gap that was enhanced by the great recession.

National Bureau of Economic Research: The wealth gap has reached record highs. At the same time there has been substantial proliferation of 401(k) savings accounts as the dominant vehicle, and these accounts make up an increasing proportion of overall wealth.

“Stanford University’s Kai Yuan Kuan, Mark Cullen, and Sepideh Modrek looked through the anonymous retirement accounts of about 9,600 Alcoa workers between 2003 and 2010. . . and found that Black and Hispanic employees’ accounts were in rougher shape than those of their White co-workers,” says Quartz.

A graphic on page 22 of the 35 page document by the Bureau shows that Blacks and Hispanics had lower balances than their White counterparts.

Additionally, they were less likely to participate in the plans (pg. 19), but of those who did the percentage was higher for early withdraws from it or loans taken against it (pg. 23).

Furthermore, African-Americans and Hispanic, Asian, and Native Americans were less likely to invest or place their 401(k) savings in stocks or bonds, which can have higher returns, but invested in lower returning ventures.

National Bureau of Economic Research: Together these differences substantially impact the level of 401(k) balances accumulated and therefore overall wealth accumulation.

The unfortunate reality that many families of color, in particular, African-Americans, face in terms of income and employment discrimination is well documented. The harsh reality that has befallen these communities is that the disparities and inequality does not end there.

This report reveals that workers of communities of color and White workers do not even save the same. The better way to phrase it would be to say that they do not have the opportunity to save the same. The great recession economic downturn that began in 2007 surely had an impact on this reality, but it further displays how in the United States there is an economic justice problem.

There is an income gap, an employment gap, and now a savings gap that threatens to hold African-Americans and other communities of color in economic bondage while their White co-workers enjoy an uptick in the economy and greater assurance of their stability once they retire. That is a consequence of these findings.

The findings further allude to the fact that African-Americans and workers of color will be working longer and not retiring when they would like to, or that when they retire they will still have to find some sort of employment to make ends meet. That is a pitiful commentary on the economic disparities faced in this country. The only question remains is what are African-Americans and other communities of color to do in the face of this crisis? What type of community response is needed, and how, if at all, can the government (local, state, federal) assist these communities in a continuous political/governmental environment that is hostile to these communities of Americans.

#KillTheBillSCState

Posted by Tommy G. Meade Jr.
Posted on
Last week troubling news that South Carolina State University, a historically black college or university (HBCU) and also the state’s only public Black college, would have to force some 3,000 students to transfer to another institution if they wished not to have classes interrupted when state legislators suggested to close the university for two years while the state paid its bills. As of today, state budget writers has abandoned the plan, reports say.

The proposed bill caused an uproar as soon HBCU supporters nationwide heard about the news mostly by social media using the hastag #KillTheBillSCState on Twitter and joined together to rally against it.

We asked our followers on Twitter and Facebook about their views on the bill to close S.C. State, and most were not too happy at all just by the thought of the idea:

“If one HBCU closes, they’ll feel as if they can come after all HBCUs,” Kelli wrote on Facebook. “I don’t believe there’s any truth in that they’re saying the school will only be closed for one year.”

Kelli added: “These are the last vestiges of a space where we can be free to learn and mold and shape minds. We must protect all of our HBCUs. We still have a historical mission to carry out.”

This would be a “nail in the coffin” if bill passes to close S.C. State for two years, one Twitter user said.

An overwhelming amount of students and supporters of S.C. State and the country’s other 106 HBCUs believes that the school should not be closed for even one year, one student wrote on Twitter.

“South Carolina State University will not close.” – Thomas Elzey

SC State University President Thomas Elzey spoke passionately, almost shedding tears about the state of the school during an address to the State’s House Ways and Means subcommittee, saying, “I want to make one thing clear: South Carolina State University will not close.”

“This university has had its share challenges,” said Elzey. “…This board and this administration have remained relentless in our charge to turn the university around.”

According to reports, S.C. State’s financial woes continues to cause a deep and bothersome burden, and currently the school owes $17. 5 million. Governor Nikki Haley told News19‘s Steven Dial Wednesday that lawmakers are simply frustrated with the administration of S.C. State.

[quote_box_center]”It just calls to question why won’t they turn over the information?” Haley said. “What is the reason they won’t turn it over? This is not about blame. We’re not blaming anyone. We’re saying let’s fix it. So they need to not be defensive and realize this is a state that’s trying to help them and they’re not helping themselves.”[/quote_box_center]

In spite of the fact, people like John Matthews, a state Senator and alum of SCSU, says the vote to close operations was a bad move:

[quote_box_center]”I think it’s the most irresponsible vote that I’ve ever seen come out of the House,” said Matthew. “They know they’re not going to be able to close that institution, the Senate’s not going to support that position, and so all they’re doing is damage to the institution.”[/quote_box_center]

Elzey insists that he does not have to “defend the values” of the university to Gov. Haley, or anybody for that matter, “All you have to do is look at us,” he said.

[pull_quote_center]”…19 U.S. Generals have walked these halls, state Supreme Court justices have graduated from South Carolina State University, professional athletes have attended this great university…the list goes on.”[/pull_quote_center]

“It’s unreasonable and unthinkable to fathom that the governor or anyone of our lawmakers would want to do away with 119 years of success,” Elzey said.

Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter calls the abandoned bill by state budget writers a “victory for everyone if we choose to see it,” and says that the priority remains to keep S.C. State open for another 119 years, and then some.

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @MeadeReport

Defense Wins Championships: NCCU To The Ship?

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
Under the leadership of sixth-year head coach LeVelle Moton, the North Carolina Central University men’s basketball program believes it’s identity is rooted in playing defense.

As evidence, the Eagles rank among the NCAA Division I top-5 in three key defensive categories:
– second in field goal percentage defense (35.2%), trailing only Kentucky;
– fourth in three-point percentage defense (26.5%);
– fifth in scoring defense (54.8 points allowed per game).

A closer look shows that NCCU is shooting a better percentage from behind the three-point line (35.9%), than its opponents are shooting from the field (35.2%).

At the end of NCCU’s historic 2013-14 season (28 wins, MEAC Championship, trip to NCAA Tournament), NCCU ranked fifth in field goal percentage defense (38.1%) and 10th in scoring defense (59.5 points allowed per game).

A version of this article originally appeared on NCCUEaglePride.com

Florida BOG Approves Over $49 Million for FAMU & FSU

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
The Florida Board of Governors has approved over $49.93 million in requests for building and improvement projects at Florida State University and Florida A&M University.

The funding requests for 2015-2016 are part of an overall request by the BOG for $416.42 million, some of which have not yet been approved by the group. Included is more than $95 million in PECO funds for maintenance and renovation and repairs.

The FAMU and FSU projects were approved at the BOG’s January meeting.

The projects need approval from the Legislature and if that happens will be included in the state’s annual budget.

The requests include:

$1.4 million for phase two of the FAMU Pharmacy building

$36.1 million for a new FSU Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences building

$6.15 million for FAMU Student Affairs building.

Read more at The Tallahassee Democrat

BSU Bulldogs Lands Big Overtime Win at Virginia State

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
ETTRICK, Va. – Forty minutes was not enough, but Bowie State junior Andre Jackson scored five points in overtime to help lift the Bulldogs to an exciting 80-79 overtime win at Virginia State on Wednesday night. The win sets the Bowie State record at 20-7 overall (12-3 CIAA, 7-2 North) and in a tie for first place on the CIAA Northern Division with Virginia State. However, Bowie State holds the tie breaker advantage over Virginia State with one regular season game remaining.

Senior Cameron Knox (Baltimore, Md.) poured in a game-high 24 points and junior Justin Beck (Ellicott City, Md.) added 16 points. Jackson ended the night with 10 points to round out Bowie State’s double digit scorers. Senior Joel Clemmons grabbed a career-high eight rebounds to lead the Bulldogs on the glass.

“We knew tonight’s game was going to be a dog fight and thought our guys showed a tremendous amount of toughness and heart”, stated an elated Bowie State head coach Darrell Brooks. “Even after falling behind by 10 late in the first half, the team never panicked or lost confidence”!

Virginia State’s size really gave Bowie State a fit in the first half and the Trojans used their size advantage and hot field goal shooting (51.9 percent) to take a 40-36 lead into halftime.

The Trojans were paced in the first half by Alphonso Leary (Norfolk, Va.) with 10 points. Virginia State (17-7, 11-4 CIAA, 7-2 North) led the entire first half, holding a 10 point cushion four times.

Read Full via Bowie State Bulldogs

Winston-Salem State Moves Past Johnson C. Smith

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
Winston-Salem State raced out to a six point halftime lead, and converted some big free throws down the stretch, as the Rams held off he Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith, 98-93 on Senior Day at WSSU’s CE Gaines Center.

With the win, WSSU improves is record to 16-8 overall, 9-6 in the CIAA and 7-2 in the Southern Division, and clinches at least a share of the CIAA’s southern Division title.  Johnson C. Smith falls to 13-13 overall, 7-8 in the CIAA and 4-5 in the Southern Division.

The Rams scored first in the contest, as William Peay got WSSU going early with a three pointer, but it was the Golden Bulls who would answer right back and would take the lead that they would maintain for the first 10 minutes of the half.

With 10:19 to go before the half, Donta Harper would tie the game at 22-22 on an inside layup, and WyKevin Bazemore would give WSSU the lead on a follow up basket as the Rams would go out in front 24-22.

Johnson C. Smith would surge back ahead and go out in front by five points on two different occasions, before Winston-Salem State would use an 18-3 run to erase the deficit and go ahead by 10, at 55-45, before going into the locker room at the half with a six point lead, 57-51.

Read Full via RAMS

Fayetteville State Receives Grant to Support Students With Learning Differences

Posted by Fayetteville State University
Posted on
Students who learn differently will have access to an array of academic supports through a new program at Fayetteville State University (FSU) called Bronco STAR (Supporting Transition, Access and Retention). The program has been made possible through a three-year $1 million grant from the N.C. GlaxoSmithKline Foundation.

Bronco STAR will build on programs that already have earned Fayetteville State recognition as an Exemplar Institute for Access and Success by the Washington-DC-based Institute for Higher Education Policy. Through the Bronco STAR initiative, Fayetteville State will join the College STAR program which already has been implemented at East Carolina University, the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and Appalachian State University. All College STAR programs are focused on providing support for students who, in the past, have slipped through the cracks of the education system even though they are capable of college success.

Each participating UNC campus has designed a model that weaves together direct student-support targeted to specific populations as well as instructional support for faculty members interested in teaching methods that can facilitate student achievement. While each campus model is unique, common elements of the programs thread throughout all participating campuses to maximize opportunities for collaboration and shared learning. The overall program is funded by the Oak Foundation of Geneva, Switzerland.

“Fayetteville State will expand the College STAR network to include an historically Black institution, one of four in the UNC system,” said Marilyn Foote-Hudson, Executive Director of the N.C. GlaxoSmithKline Foundation. “Fayetteville State serves military-affiliated students, and perhaps most importantly, has a focus on identifying learning differences in a broad population that is diverse in terms of age, ethnicity and previous experience with college, many of who may not be officially or legally labeled for a learning disability.”

Dr. James A. Anderson, Chancellor at Fayetteville State, said the funding will assist the university in addressing one of its key priorities—retention and graduation. “With Bronco STAR we are pleased to expand FSU’s institutional capacity and leadership to students who learn differently and whose talent, skills, and unique perspectives are critically needed in our state and our world,” he said.

Dr. D. Jason DeSousa, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Retention at Fayetteville State, will serve as Project Director for Bronco STAR. Applications for the program will be open to all students. Potential participants will be identified from two primary populations: traditional college students who are in their late teens and recent high school graduates and transfer students who often are older, more experienced and have significant life experience.

“Transfer students may bring a broad range of adaptive skills to college that have worked more or less well in their lives so far,” DeSousa said, “but these skills may break down in the college environment because of differences in the way they learn.” Student support available through Bronco STAR is expected to include dedicated study space, tutoring services, success coaches, psychosocial services, high impact practices, and personalized academic success plans. Assistive technology is another essential feature of Bronco STAR.

The faculty component of Bronco STAR will be designed to infuse the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) throughout a variety of educational environments. Fayetteville State will be providing a range of professional development opportunities for faculty and staff and supporting learning communities focused on the implementation and evaluation of instructional approaches that align with UDL.

Founded in 1867, FSU is the second-oldest public institution in North Carolina. It offers nearly 60 degrees in the arts, sciences, business, and education at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. It serves a student body of nearly 5,000 students and has a faculty and staff of approximately 800.

The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation is an independent self-funding 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supporting activities that help meet the educational and health needs of today’s society and future generations. Since its creation in 1986, the Foundation has granted over $61 million to support North Carolina projects and programs that emphasize the understanding and application of health, science and education at all academic and professional levels. Visit the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation at NCGSKFoundation.org and follow it @ncgskfound.

For more information, call (910) 672-1474.

Spelman College Hosts ‘When Sorrows Come: A Symposium on Death and Dying in African-American Culture’

Posted by Spelman College
Posted on
ATLANTA (Feb. 17, 2015) — Exactly 50 years since the assassination of Malcolm X, Spelman College will host “When Sorrows Come: A Symposium on Death and Dying in African-American Culture.” The program is sponsored by the Spelman College Department of English. According to Michelle Hite, assistant English professor, the forum will address the contemptuous and deadly disregard for Black life across the social, political, and cultural landscapes in the United States since 1965.

Featured symposium speakers include Karla F.C. Holloway, James B. Duke Professor of English, Duke University; novelist Ravi Howard; filmmaker Christine Turner; and Winifred Watts Hemphill, president, South-View Cemetery Association.

The symposium is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit www.spelman.edu or call (404) 270-5576.

WHY:
The program is supported by the Spelman College Social Justice Fellows Program, the Office of the Provost, the Division of College Relations, and the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. Noted Hite, “‘When Sorrows Come: A Symposium on Death and Dying in African-American Culture’ will reflect upon the 50-year timeline of state-sanctioned and prosaic forms of deadly contempt for Black life in the United States.”

WHEN:
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

WHERE:
Spelman College
Albro-Falconer-Manley Science Center, NASA Auditorium
GPS Address: 440 Westview Drive, Atlanta 30310

Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a highly selective, liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent.  Located in Atlanta, Georgia, the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students. Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman; Sam’s Club CEO Rosalind Brewer, Broadway producer Alia Jones, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna President Audrey Forbes Manley, Harvard University Professor Evelynn Hammonds, author Pearl Cleage and actress LaTanya Richardson Jackson.  For more information, visitwww.spelman.edu.

Media Contact:
Audrey Arthur
Spelman College
(404) 270-5892
aarthur3@spelman.edu
Twitter: @spelmanmedia

Darlene Giradeau Wins NCCU Student Athlete of the Month

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
(NCCU Eagle Pride)

North Carolina Central University women’s track & field sophomore Darlene Girardeau has been named the NCCU Student-Athlete of the Month for January 2015 in recognition of her outstanding accomplishments in competition and in the classroom.

A native of Hope Mills, North Carolina, Girardeau posted nine top-10 performances in four indoor track & field meets during the month of January.

Girardeau opened the first month in 2015 as the top collegiate finisher in both the 60-meter dash (7.77 seconds) and the 200m dash (26.02) at the Joe Hilton Invitational, hosted by the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill on Jan. 10.

The following week at the Virginia Tech Invitational (Jan. 16-17), she placed sixth in the long jump with a leap of 5.84 meters, while also running in the 60-meter dash (16th, 7.78) and 200m dash (12th, 25.00).

The next Sunday (Jan. 25) at the UNCG Spartan Team Challenge, Girardeau won the 60m dash with a time of 7.73 seconds.

Read more here.