Walter Kimbrough Remembers College Prez Dream and Says ‘Do What You Love’

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This story is a part of the series “Presidents Corner” about the unique experiences, vision and leadership styles of each president at our nation’s 107 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs)

Many call him the “Hip Hop Prez” because he is still one of the youngest HBCU presidents in the country.

Walter M. Kimbrough is the 7th president of Dillard University, a historically black college or university in Gentilly Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana. He talks with the Buzz in this exclusive interview on his goals and achievements, advice for those of us wanting to be an HBCU president in the future, and new things happening at Dillard.

Here’s our conversation…

Robert: Anything new at Dillard?

Kimbrough: The main new thing at Dillard is our center for law and public policy. We had Benjamin Crump in December speak for our annual law and society lecture and then announced we would work to increase the number of students who go into the legal profession. With all the high profile issues (Mike Brown, Eric Garner) we have seen that the prosecuting attorney is a key person, and there are so few people of color in the pipeline we are at the mercy of whomever is in that role, and most of them have no real sense of diverse perspectives. Does not make them bad people, but that is a limitation.

Robert: Was it always your desire to become a college president?

Kimbrough: I ended up wanting to be a president after being an involved student at the University of Georgia and active in Alpha Phi Alpha. I met and got to interact with college presidents and it somehow became my goal. So I was about 21 when I made that my goal. Prior to that I always wanted to be a veterinarian, which is why I went to Georgia and even spent 2 quarters in vet school.

Robert: You have accomplished a lot over your time in Higher Ed. Your time has been full of many awards and high achievements. What has been the most important thing that you have learned over time?

Kimbrough: Not sure if there is one most important thing. I think in general it is to keep learning. See how other schools and leaders do things well and maybe adapt. Learn from people outside of higher education and try something in which you have no model for success- that is take risks. And probably most important, study failures. You can learn what not to do (and sadly, this is what so many people do not do so they repeat mistakes of the past).

Robert: A while ago, you wrote an article on Dr. Dre’s multi-million gift to USC, and your critique had a lot of attention.

Kimbrough: It really was not much of a critique but rather wondering why would he not look at an HBCU? I tried to argue that we could do some of the same things, and because HBCUs enroll students with backgrounds more comparable than students at USC, it makes sense. But in the end, it was his money and we have to learn how to reach out to entertainers differently.

I never heard from him (and did try to connect). A music publisher, also a USC grad, did reach out and connected us to receive a grant for our music industry program, plus connections for a music industry conference that our students could attend.

But I continue to connect with a range of people. MC Lyte co-taught with me in the fall, and she created a new scholarship program for black men to attend Dillard in the fall of 2015.

Robert: As the times are changing, what advice do you have for future HBCU presidents?

Kimbrough: My single recommendation is do jobs that you first love so much that if possible you would do for free, and then do the best job with the job you have now. There are 107 HBCUs (about 80 four year) so those jobs are not in excess. In addition, you have no control whether or not you will ever become a president. There are great people that will never get a presidency, and bad ones who get multiple ones. So be the best with the job you have.

4 Ways Sigmas Set The Bar High

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1. Seekers of Superior Scholarship

“The Dean”, Alain Leroy Locke, the First Black Rhodes Scholar in 1907, is an excellent member of our wondrous band. Enough said? I think so! Adding to that, Brother Rod Paige went on to be the first African-American US Secretary of Education from 2001-2005 under the George W. Bush administration. Sigma brothers show scholarship!

2. Changers of Public Policies

A Phillip Randolph was known to be a nonviolent and direct action strategist. In fact, he helped push President Franklin D. Roosevelt to issue an executive order banning racial degradation on government defense factories. He also pushed FDR to establish the Fair Employment Practices Committee. Furthermore, Randolph later challenged President Harry S. Truman to issue an order banning racial injustice in the U.S Armed forces.

Randolph helped changed many public policies as a Sigma man. Like Randolph, Sigma brother Rev. Al Sharpton is known today as one of the most efficient organizers in the country. Despite the naysayers, there are so many great things that Sharpton has done to help better the country and its citizens, in particular African-Americans.

On his show, Politics Nation he always talks about the policies that perpetuates injustices in this nation. Sharpton, Randolp and numerous other Sigma brothers, like John Lewis and Hosea Williams, have shed blood and tears for humanity. They purposely live our motto: “Culture for service, service to humanity.”

3. Quality Treatment To All Women 

When I meet Zetas, we share a deep bond that can never be trivialized.

Sigmas have always been known to have an unbreakable bond with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. Zeta and Sigma are the nay constitutional bonded Black Greek organizations. Sigmas treat Zetas well and it doesn’t stop there!

4. Mentoring Youth

One of the great things about Phi Beta Sigma is that we have a very powerful mentoring program: The “Sigma Beta Club”. This program is responsible for mentoring young people through the challenges that they face in life.

The Sigma Beta Club is all about investing in the young people, the future leaders of tomorrow, so that they are ready to lead and serve whenever called upon, and no matter the obstacles.

Sigmas sets the bar high, and always think and act on being a part of the DNA of the community rather than being separate from the community. This makes us who we are when we enter the world to serve humanity.

Happy Founders Day, frat!

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @mindofRKH

Obama Wants First Two Years of Community College Free

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Today, President Barack Obama is heading to the state of Tennessee to announce a huge proposal that will make sure the country’s 1,1000 community colleges is more accessible, and “free for everybody who is willing to work for it,” according to a statement by the Commander-in-chief.

The proposed two years of tuition free community college program will, according to the White House, make community college as universal as high school is today.

From USA Today, “Put simply, what I’d like to do is to see the first two years of community college free for anybody who’s willing to work for it,” said Obama aboard Air Force One amid a three-state tour to preview his State of the Union Address. “It’s something we can accomplish, and it’s something that will train our workforce so that we can compete with anyone in the world.”

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Post by The White House.

Breast Cancer Vaccine Developed by Tennessee State University Researcher and Colleagues Shows Promise in Preliminary Trial

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A Tennessee State University scientist and a group of researchers from Washington University School of Medicine at St. Louis have come up with an experimental vaccine for breast cancer that appears to be safe in a preliminary trial.

According to a study published in Clinical Cancer Research, Dr. Venkataswarup Tiriveedhi, assistant professor of Biological Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences, and his colleagues found that the experimental vaccine, Mammaglobin-A, was “overexpressed” in 40 to 80 percent of primary breast cancers.

Also known as MAM-A, the vaccine prompted CD8 T-cells to track and eliminate the MAM-A protein, noted Tiriveedhi. To determine the efficacy and safety of the experimental drug, he said they conducted a phase I trial involving 14 patients diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.

“The side effects from the vaccine after one year were minimal, and included rashes, tenderness, and mild flu-like symptoms,” added Tiriveedhi, who specializes in cancer and immunology.

By the one-year mark, the study revealed, roughly 50 percent of the patients showed no sign of disease progression. By comparison, only 20 percent of a similar group of 12 patients showed no signs of disease progression one year out.

The researchers, however, stressed the need for a larger and longer study, to prove the current preliminary evidence prior to its use in all breast cancer patients. They theorized that “these promising results” from initial studies could be applied not only to prevent cancer progression but also to prevent the development of breast cancer in women.

“The current one (study) is a small Phase-I trial mainly aimed at testing the safety (does no harm). But we have also found this vaccine to be highly effective against the disease. The next step is to go for larger Phase II/III studies with a higher cohort of breast cancer patients and rigorously test for efficiency, dosing, clinical outcomes, cancer stage specificity, etc.,” noted Tiriveedhi, who holds MD and Ph.D. degrees.

He called the study a “promising move forward” that is not just restricted to breast cancer, but one that can be employed in “similar strategies” to treat other cancers such as lung and colon cancers.

“The MAM-A DNA vaccine is safe, capable of eliciting MAM-A–specific CD8 T-cell responses, and preliminary evidence suggests improved PF,” the researchers concluded.

Dr. Tiriveedhi, who came to Tennessee State University about a year and half ago, started the study, “Safety and Preliminary Evidence of Biologic Efficacy of a Mammaglobin-A DNA Vaccine in Patients with Stable Metastatic Breast Cancer,” with his colleagues at Washington University before leaving to join the faculty at TSU.

Lady Marauders Earn First Road Win

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The Central State Lady Marauders picked up their first road win of the season with a 73-66 victory over Alderson Broaddus.

From CSU’s athletic site, “The Battlers got off to a strong start, leading by as many as 5 midway through the 1st half. A 3 pointer from Sydney Shaffer gave the Battlers a 17-12 lead with 8:51 to go in the period. CSU responded with a 9-0 run en route to a 27-23 lead at half. CSU forward Kourtni Perry finished the half with 10 points to lead all scorers.”

Broaddus was ahead by as many as 5 points on two occurances. Iniquia Snell got hot and made two 3 pointers on back-to-back possessions to help CSU back in the game.

Forward Amanda Pierce capitalized on two free throws to give CSU their first lead since much earlier in the game. The game turned to be much more interesting because each teams were trading baskets, Broaddus led 60-59 with five minutes left.

With their backs against the wall, CSU responded with a 10-0 run. Snell made both free throws at two minutes to put the Lady Marauders up 69-60. CSU’s defense would kept the lead. With much determination, they held the Battlers to just one field goal and forced three turnovers.

Snell and Perry led all scorers with 18 points each. Perry snagged 13 rebounds to record her third-straight double double. Amanda Pierce dominated the game, she finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks.

“Kourtni and Amanda have been playing really well together as of late,” CSU Head Coach Sheba Harris said, according to the school’s website. “As a team, we had another 60 rebound performance, 33 on the offensive end. We still have to do a better job of finishing around the basket.”

CSU’s woman’s basketball will try to make it two in a row when it faces off against Davis & Elkins on Saturday at 2pm.

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Morehouse Grad Sets New Fashion Trend

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Anthony Moultry is a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia and has his own collegiate apparel line. Moultry, who has a B.A. degree in Political Science from Morehouse, together with his brother Amery and friend Winston Mathis recently started this new clothing company after witnessing what his HBCU had to offer at the college bookstore.

Moultry says he noticed how the apparel at his university’s bookstore gears toward athleticism, events for tailgating and sports games, and simply wanted to create a more classic and sophisticated gear.

“The motivation to start a collegiate apparel line came from a visit to Morehouse College bookstore,” said Moultry.

He added, “At that moment I decided there was a need for said apparel within the HBCU community. So my idea for the collegiate line, Chicer Collegiate, was born.”

“Chicer Collegiate” differs from other HBCU apparel. Although some pieces have panache and flair, the majority of the garments’ color schemes and silhouettes are minimalist.

Moultry says he has always been into fashion and immediately began to research licensing so that he could use the universities name on his apparel.

“The most difficult process was obtaining the license from Morehouse College,” Moultry said. “Morehouse was very particular about their brand and who was granted access to it, given that it is one of the top HBCUs in the country.”

The apparel line gives a nod to the 1950’s and 60’s, an era when such designs were prevalent. The clothing line includes polo shirts, cardigan sweaters, rugby pullovers and hoodies. Even though he originally wanted to create a more sophisticated apparel for his alma mater, Moultry plans to acquire licensing to make apparel for other HBCUs and non HBCU institutions.

Outside of Chicer Collegiate, Moultry also does photography and actually started his own photography business while in college, which is still up and active today.

“…My advice to young Black innovators is to keep pressing forward, there will be obstacles and detours, but stay focused and keep your eyes on the prize,” Moultry said on advice and motivation to other black innovators and entrepreneurs.

“Education is the key to unlock many doors,” he said. “The preservation of these institutions and their legacies is also very important, as they are quite significant in American History and should be maintained.”

Moultry said he wants to expand to retail stores in Atlanta where he currently lives.

Keshia Knight Pulliam Speaks Out On Cosby Allegations

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After months of being on the defensive, Bill Cosby’s longtime friend and actress Phylicia Rashad argued for him after she recently broken her silence about the many rape allegations associated with Cosby, calling the allegations an attack on his legacy.

“Forget these women … What you’re seeing is the destruction of a legacy,” Rashad said. “And I think it’s orchestrated. I don’t know why or who’s doing it, but it’s the legacy.”

“… Someone is determined to keep Bill Cosby off TV, and it’s worked. All his contracts have been cancelled,” she said.

Now Keshia Knight Pulliam, who played Cosby’s TV daughter “Rudy Huxtable” on the show, draws attention to the allegations, saying they are just that–allegations.

“I wasn’t there, no one was there except for the two people to know exactly what happened,” she said. “All I can speak to is the man that I know and I love.” She added, “It’s very much been played out in the court of public opinion. We’re still in America where ultimately you’re innocent until proven guilty.”

Cosby has yet to break his silence on the rape allegations surrounding him.

However, some historically black college and university leaders have made moves to protect their brands from the rape allegations linked to Cosby by distancing themselves from the matter altogether. Most notably Spelman College, who in 1988 was gifted a $20 million donation from Cosby and his wife Camille, broke ties with Cosby after indefinitely suspending the William and Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Endowed Professorship.

“The William and Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Endowed Professorship was established to bring positive attention and accomplished visiting scholars to Spelman College in order to enhance our intellectual, cultural and creative life,” according to a press release by Spelman officials. “The current context prevents us from continuing to meet these objectives fully.”

Several HBCUs currently still has strong ties with Cosby, and many buildings on Black college campuses nationwide are named after the famed star.

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @MeadeReport

Edward Waters College Biology Professor to Moderate at Florida Health Equity Research Institute Committee Summit

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20140131_112131JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An Edward Waters College Biology Professor continues to have a hand in helping state lawmakers improve the overall health care of Florida. Prabir K. Mandal, Ph.D. will moderate the first session of the Florida Health Disparities Summit held in Tampa, Florida January 9th and 10th.

Dr. Mandal will preside over ‘Session A: Research Infrastructure and Resources for Health Disparities” during the Florida Health Equity Research Institute’s Steering Committee annual summit. Dr. Mandal was appointed to the committee in 2014 and coordinates with the group to implement the Health Disparities Research Agenda for Florida.

The Health Equity Research Institute (HERI) was approved by the Board of Governors in 2013 to promote and foster collaborative efforts to address health disparities in Florida, especially in areas with limited health care resources.

Florida Rep. Joseph Gibbons (D) of Hallandale Beach created the HERI with the understanding that partnership with academic and research institutions, as well as community, is necessary to identify and eliminate health disparities.

Edward Waters College (EWC), accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges, and Schools (SACS) and member of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), is a private, historically black, urban college which offers a liberal arts education with a strong emphasis on the Christian principles of high moral and spiritual values. EWC was established in 1866 and is an African Methodist Episcopal Church-related institution of learning. It is the oldest private institution of higher education in the State of Florida.

Spring Hill College Gets First SIAC Win

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The Spring Hill College  men’s basketball team earned a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference  home victory versus the Fort Valley State University  Wildcats by a score of 70-67 on Wednesday night at the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center with freshman guard Jack Morrissey providing the heroics with a deep three ball off the right side with just 9 seconds remaining.

The Wildcats (0-10, 0-3 SIAC East) trailed 32-29 at intermission and by as much as 16 points at 49-33 with 11:32 left in the game, but rallied to tie the game at 59-59 at 4:02 when 7-foot, 300-pound FVSU center Ralph Wilson drained consecutive 3-point buckets from the top of the key in a 30 second time period.

Spring Hill rebuilt a 4-point lead at 2:39 and the score 66-62, but could not find a way to shake off a pesky Wildcat team who tied the game at 67-67 off 1-of-2 free throws by Jamall Garror with 45 seconds on the clock.

Senior Badger guard Robert Drummond then ran the shot clock down to less than 10 seconds before finding Morrissey three feet behind the arc for the winning points as two FVSU 3-pointers in the final eight seconds did not find their marks.

Morrissey finished with 12 points to lead the Badgers in scoring while freshman guard Matevz Rojc added 10 points and sophomore center Sam Hutcheson hauled in 10 rebounds. As a team, SHC shot 48.9% (23-47) from the floor and 50% (8-16) in 3-point attempts while suffering 13 turnovers versus six steals by the Wildcats.

FVSU was led by Wilson with 15 points and forward Tyrone Brinson with 12 rebounds as FVSU shot 41.8% (23-55) overall and 29.6% (8-27) from 3-point distance.  The Wildcats earned a slim 35-34 advantage in rebounds and lost eight turnovers to six SHC steals

AKA Cast Members of VH1’s Sorority Sisters Suspended Until 2016

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According to the organization’s website, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. has suspended Sorority Sisters cast member April McRae and Rwanda “Joy” Hammond who has been featured on the series.

In an earlier interview, the women all agreed that they would be devastated if they were suspended. April also said that before the show aired she believed she took the necessary precautions, by speaking to corporate, in order to make sure that the organization’s name was not “defamed” and that they knew she wasn’t trying to exploit them for “financial gain.”

It seems, though, that the sorority sister’s involvement with the show has taken a turn for the worst because according to April, all of the women have received death threats.

Read more here.

NCAT’s Gibbs Crowned Miss Black N.C.

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Madison Gibbs has never been what she calls, a “pageant girl.” In fact, she’s only ever participated in four. As it turns out, she’s pretty good at it. In December, she was crowned Miss Black North Carolina USA after competing in the scholarship pageant at the Garner Performing Arts Center.

“I didn’t think I was going to win,” she said. “I don’t like to pump myself up in my head. I try to remain calm and focus on what I am doing. I don’t like to focus on what anyone else is doing.”

Gibbs, 21, participated in the scholarship pageant after being crowned Miss Black Piedmont USA. Prior to that title, she participated in the first Mister and Miss A&T pageant where she was the first runner up and her senior year of high school, she was crowned Miss Dudley.

“In high school, when I competed, I cried so much and said I never wanted to do another pageant in my life,” she said.

Gibbs is now poised to represent her home state in the Miss Black USA scholarship pageant in August.

“Whether I win or not, I think the next one is going to be my last one,” she said.

In addition to winning it all, she also placed first in the categories of evening and athletic wear as well as talent, an area she struggled with in previous competitions.

“For my first pageant, I did a spoken word piece and that is really hard to pull off. Then I did a liturgical dance set to Maya Angelou’s ‘And Still I Rise’,” Gibbs said. “This time I said, ‘I need to do something I know how to do and that I’m good at’.”

Read Full at NCAT

Phylicia Rashad on Cosby Abuse Claims: ‘Forget These Women’

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(USA Today) Bill Cosby’s iconic TV wife is now speaking out about the sex abuse allegations that have dogged him since the end of 2014.

Actress Phylicia Rashad, who played the elegant, intelligent Claire Huxtable on The Cosby Show,spoke with Showbizz 411 during a special luncheon in honor of the film Selma on Tuesday and told a reporter that she thinks the controversy is a well-coordinated smear campaign and nothing more.

“Forget these women,” she said. “What you’re seeing is the destruction of a legacy. And I think it’s orchestrated. I don’t know why or who’s doing it, but it’s the legacy. And it’s a legacy that is so important to the culture … Someone is determined to keep Bill Cosby off TV, and it’s worked. All his contracts have been canceled.”

Read more at USAToday.com.

A Colorado NAACP Office Was Bombed Today

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In what appears to be an attack on a well-known civil rights organization, an “improvised explosive device” detonated on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Colorado Springs, Colorado NAACP, according to a statement by the FBI. No one was killed or injured in the explosion, and there was “only minimal surface charring to the exterior wall of the building,” which also includes a hair salon. The explosion could have been much worse, however, as the explosive device was placed next to a gasoline can in an apparent attempt to increase the force of the explosion. The gasoline did not ignite.

The FBI statement adds that a “potential person of interest in this investigation is a Caucasian male, approximately 40 years of age, and balding. He may be driving a 2000 or older model dirty, white pick-up truck with paneling, a dark colored bed liner, open tailgate, and a missing or covered license plate.”

Read more at ThinkProgress.org.