It’s the little things that make a big difference. Watch Big Brother Joseph teach Little Brother Freddie how to tie a tie above.
They make it look so easy!
The 2013 Tennessee Green Industry Field Day will take place Tuesday, June 4 at Tennessee State University’s Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Co-sponsored by the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association, the event is free and open to the public, with no pre-registration required. Events include exhibits, education and tours.
The following lectures will take place:
· Pruning nursery trees for structural integrity
8 a.m.
· Tennessee Department of Transportation OW/OD Rules and Regulations
9 a.m.
· Turf pests and care in Tennessee – an update
10 a.m.
· Pesticide Safety
11 a.m.
· Bold, bright and pest resistant plants for the landscape
1:30 p.m.
· Fire ants, Japanese beetles, borers and other nursery pest issues
2:30 p.m.
For those individuals needing pesticide points, the day will offer six points. Lunch is not provided, but vendors will be on site for lunch purchase. According to TSU officials, the field day is a great opportunity to learn about the NRC and the nursery industry.
The Nursery Research Center is located at 472 Cadillac Lane in McMinnville, Tenn. For more information, call 931.815.5140 or visittnstate.edu/agriculture/nrc.
On a rainy afternoon this spring when President Barack Obama gave the commencement speech at Morehouse College in Atlanta, he called valedictorian Betsegaw Tadele the “skinny guy with a funny name” – a nickname Obama has often called himself.
So, who is that other “skinny guy?”
Tadele’s journey to sharing a stage with the president began in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the youngest of Tadele Alemu and Almaz Ayalew’s two children. Tadele’s first name, Betsegaw, means “by God’s grace” in Amharic, his native language.
In the summer of 2009, Tadele came to the United States in pursuit of a higher education.
Morehouse College, a historically black college, was not Tadele’s first choice; he was initially interested in more technical schools. Morehouse only awarded him enough scholarship funds to pay for tuition, not room and board. But Tadele’s brother happened to be living and working in Atlanta. Tadele saw this as an opportunity to spend time with his brother while taking advantage of what the university had to offer. Morehouse became his new destination.
After four years at Morehouse, Tadele had a 3.99 GPA. He graduated with a degree in computer science and a minor in mathematics. He won departmental awards in math and the school’s computer science leadership and scholarship award, led Morehouse’s Computer Science Club and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
“There is no impossible. There is no unbelievable. There is no unachievable, if you have the audacity to hope,” Tadele said during his speech, paraphrasing the name of the president’s 2006 book, “The Audacity of Hope.”
During a recent visit with Morehouse graduate Leland Shelton at his home in Baltimore, I noticed a trophy on a bookshelf honoring him as the top political science student in his class. What would he ask President Obama about politics if given the chance?
“I would ask him what he thinks about the future of the war on drugs and the war on poverty,” said Leland, 21. “I’d ask how he deals with having to concede a lot of the legislation he’s pushing; how do you negotiate so you can actually get things passed?”
Obama had singled Leland out for special recognition while giving a “no excuse for failure” commencement address at Morehouse last week. The president noted that he was graduating Phi Beta Kappa and headed for Harvard Law. Moreover, Obama added, the young man had succeeded despite the fact that, at age 4, “social services took him away from his mama” and placed him in foster care.
Leland Shelton became an instant sensation.
Just to give some idea about how much the shout-out resonated, Washington-based writer A’Lelia Bundles posted a story about it that same day on her Facebook page, “Helping Ourselves.”
Most of her postings garner about a thousand views. As of Tuesday, the one about Leland had received nearly 750,000.
Who is this young man?
He’s passionate about politics, that’s for sure. Morehouse, a historically black, all-male college in Atlanta, is noted for producing first-rate political theorists and tacticians — the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. among them.
Oddly, Obama did not mention politics at all.
“I was taking civics in elementary school, and I remember being very interested in how laws were passed,” Leland said. “What made people want to obey laws? How could laws be used to make communities better?”
Leland has an open, expressive face, a broad smile and eyes that light up when he talks politics. His build is compact, athletic and recently toned by a marathon of bear hugs he’s been giving to well-wishers.
Recently there has been an uproar concerning a“whites-only” scholarship offered by Columbia University. The Lydia C. Roberts Graduate Fellowship requires the recipient to be “a person of the Caucasian race.” The school is currently undergoing legal proceedings to eliminate this clause from the scholarship.
In light of this situation, there has been talk surrounding the elimination of all scholarships that are racially based in an attempted movement toward a society that is colorblind in all scenarios — including college processes.
These same discussions often depict minority scholarships as a form of reverse racism by claiming that they are a politically correct form of discrimination — which is clearly inaccurate.
Historically, people of color have been marginalized and barred from social, economic and political advancement opportunities. Minority scholarships are, simply put, an attempt to level the playing field for disenfranchised groups.
While this progress is being highlighted as discriminatory against another group, the benefits provided to collegiate-level education by minority scholarships are being neglected.
Scholarships explicitly for people of color are only making U.S. colleges and the subsequent workforce a more equally opportunistic place.
Cleveland hero Charles Ramsey declined several offers from a series of Ohio-area restaurants that will give him free burgers for life.
“I never told these people they could use my name for this,” Ramsey said in a written statement on local restaurants promoting his name on burgers and selling it to the community.
Hodge’s Restaurant was among the first to jump on the promotional bandwagon when it created the “Ramsey Burger” in the local hero’s honor.
Over a dozen more restaurants began to follow suit, according to Complex.
“We are saddened to hear that Chuck did not take this–or the offer of so many Cleveland restaurants to give him free meals–in the spirit we intended,” said Scott Kuhn of the Driftwood Restaurant Group.
Charles Ramsey is most notably known for helping rescue three woman and a girl from captivity in Cleveland, Ohio.
For one semester, Ramsey once attended Central State University, a historically black university in Wilberforce, Ohio, in the fall of 1989 where he took classes like health, mathematics and student orientation as a freshman student.
Though not interested in free lunch, Ramsey is accepting $10,000 per motivational speech with the talent agency Bruce Merrin’s Celebrity Speakers & Entertainment Bureau.
“I believe that Charles has a story that will impact audiences lives! His spirit moves me,” Merrin said in the release.
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If you thought grad school would guarantee a great job and a solid pathway to paying off your student loans, think again.
The unemployment rate in 2012 was 4.5 % for undergraduate degree holders and 3.5% for those with graduate degrees, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But beyond employment stats, here are three other reasons grad school may not be worth the price.
1. You could be limited yourself by focusing on one subject matter
You went through undergraduate school for four years, maybe even five or six. You changed your major a couple of times before figuring out the course of study that fit you best. Grad school seems like the next logical step to deepening your knowledge of that subject.
Of course, if you’re studying to be a doctor or lawyer, it’d be beneficial
to you and your future clients to hone in on your specialty. But for other fields, could be limiting yourself by investing all your resources into one area of expertise.
The U.S. Census Bureau shows that 73% of graduates have jobs unrelated to their major, while almost 40% of recent grads have jobs that don’t require a degree at all.
St. Paul’s College to shut down in June
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St. Paul’s College in Lawrenceville is closing for good on June 30.
The historically black school ran into a number of problems in the last few years, including declining enrollment, lost accreditation and financial troubles.
The college was supposed to be bought by another university in North Carolina, but that sale fell through.
The mayor of Lawrenceville said the closure will not only affect students, but will impact the entire community.
“This is tough for a small town like ours, because as you know, we lost that prison with 400 jobs about three of four years ago…,” said Lawrenceville Mayor Doug Pond. “And now we’re looking at this other blow with the college closing down, with at least 70 or 80 jobs.”
The school just had a graduation.
Officials said some of the underclassmen’s credits will be transferable to other universities.
A TALLADEGA BREEZE SWEEPS THE WINDY CITY TALLADEGA COLLEGE HOSTS EXHIBITION RECEPTION IN CHICAGO
Talladega, Alabama— Chicago is the third most populous city in the U.S., and it’s also a premier world city noted for its worldwide economic and cultural influence. A 70+ year-old treasure was on display Thursday night for many to see in this influential city.
Dr. Billy C. Hawkins, president; the Talladega College Board of Trustees, and the Talladega College Alumni Association Midwest Region welcomed guests to a special celebration of the Talladega College Hale Woodruff Murals Exhibition at the Chicago Cultural Center.
The Talladega College Murals were originally constructed between 1939-1942. They are six, vibrant, colorful, awe-inspiring renditions of American history. The murals depict the mutiny on La Amistad, the Spanish ship carrying the Mende slaves; the ensuing historical first civil rights case in the United States and more. The panels are entitled: “The Mutiny on the Amistad, The Trial of the Amistad Captives, The Repatriation of the Freed Captives, The Underground Railroad, The Building of Savery Library and Opening Day at Talladega College. These murals and 30 other works of famed Harlem Renaissance artist, Hale A. Woodruff, are on display at the center. Woodruff was commissioned in 1938 by Talladega College to create art for the opening of its library and to commemorate the 100th centennial anniversary of the Amistad mutiny, the trial and freeing of the Mende slaves in America.
Last year, the national tour of the exhibit, “Rising Up: Hale Woodruff’s Murals at Talladega College,” began in June at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to the tour opening, the murals had undergone a twelve-month conservation and restoration process as a result of the collaborative project agreement between Talladega College and the High Museum. The six panel murals are considered to be the greatest works of Hale Woodruff. Talladega College and the High Museum entered an agreement to restore, research and exhibit the murals.
Following the stop in Atlanta, the tour proceeded to the African American Museum in Dallas, Texas. The murals were displayed through February 2013 at the museum located in Fair Park. These celebrated Woodruff works were a highlight during the Texas State Fair. Woodruff’s artwork was exhibited in the 30’s at the Hall of Negro Life in 1936 during the Texas Centennial. Seventy-six years later, his works were again displayed for Texans and visitors to behold.
Talladega College president, Dr. Billy C. Hawkins and the Board of Trustees are proud to share this treasure with the world which depicts monumental moments in America’s past. “This is a historic time for Talladega College. As the nation celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement, it’s an added milestone to have our murals on a national tour in major museums across the country. We are grateful to the city of Chicago for welcoming us,” remarks Dr. Hawkins.
The Rising Up exhibit will be on display at The Chicago Cultural Center through June 16. Following this visit, the murals will proceed to NYU in New York City. For more information on the tour, go to AmistadMurals.com or www.talladega.edu.
Did we forget to mention that she is enterting into Spelman as a Junior!!
Chelsea Fearce is a shining example of a student that didn’t let obstacles get in her way when it came to her education. You see, during most of Chelesa’s high school career she was homeless and living in her mother’s car. Chelesa, a senior at Charles Drew High School in Clayton County, Georgia, knew that her hard work would pay off, despite the obstacles presented to her.
“I just told myself to keep working, because the future will not be like this anymore,” Fearce said. “You’re worried about your home life and then worried at school. Worry about being a little hungry sometimes, go hungry sometimes. You just have to deal with is. You eat what you can, when you can.”
Although her family occasionally lived in an apartment, because of her mother’s lay-offs, they took refuge in shelters.
“Ended up back in another shelter because I got laid off from my job maybe about four or five times,” Fearce’s mother, Reenita Shephard said.
“I just did what I had to do,” Fearce said.
None of that stopped Chelesa from achieving a 4.466 GPA and a 1900 SAT score. On top of her regular high school course load, Chelesa was able to enroll in college courses during her last two years of high school. When she enters Spelman in the fall, she will do so as a college junior.
Brains apparently run in the family. Chelesa’s sister is graduating from George Washington Carver High School as a salutatorian.
“I read to them a lot. Everything was a learning experience,” Shephard said.
“Don’t give up. Do what you have to do right now so that you can have the future that you want,” Chelesa said.
When Mecala Holmes was a freshman at Howard University in 2008, she recalls seeing a t-shirt in the school’s book store that read “Howard University, the best four or five years of your life.”
Holmes recalled, “I saw that and thought ‘I’m not going to be here for five years. And then I finished my freshman year and I thought ‘I’m about to finish in five years.”
Holmes, a computer engineering major, decided to take 12 credits every semester to better balance her challenging curriculum with the social opportunities Howard had to offer—from events, to social and service organizations such as Jewels, Inc. a mentoring program she was an active member of throughout college.
Twelve credits per semester, however, wouldn’t help her accrue the 126 she needed to graduate within four years.
Although Holmes had realized she wouldn’t be graduating with the class, watching her friends and peers prepare for their long-awaited commencement without her was emotional for her.
“Last year, I cried on graduation day,” Holmes said. “But if I had graduated last year I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have now. Looking back, I wouldn’t have done it differently.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=AHitulGaS9k
The Southern University marching band dubbed as the “Human Jukebox” is featured in the Jonas Brothers’ latest music video “Pom Poms.”
Check out the video above
About the Human Jukebox:
From performing high-volume rhythm and blues, to playing flawless, show-stopping classics, from popular hip hop dance moves to precision drill steps, the Southern University Marching Band is without question a spectacular force.
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NCCU opens arms to LGBT students
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April 9 commemorated the opening of N.C. Central University’s first LGBT Student Resource Center. The LGBT Center is located in G-64 of the Alphonso Elder Student Union. The center is supported by Creating Open Lives For Real Success (C.O.L.O.R.S.) and Dominating Overly Motivated Studs (D.O.M.S.).
The opening of the center marked NCCU as the first HBCU in North Carolina and the second among all HBCUs to have a center dedicated to the LGBT community.
The center is designed for students to connect with other members of the LGBT community and learn about their culture and identity. The research center contains an array of resources such as an LGBT support network, the LGBT lecture series, educational and social programming and a library of LGBT materials.
According to Special Projects Coordinator and co-advisor of C.O.L.O.R.S. Morris Barrier, the organization began as a small group of individuals meeting in Chidley, originally called Brothers and Sisters, who connected with each other to make NCCU visible.
“When I was at NCCU as un-undergrad, I was actually in colors, and worked with them to become president,” said Barrier.
He said that his main concern now is to work towards an active membership and maintain it to have a larger community that is visible on campus.
Black Girls RUN! will sponsor the DC Metro HBCU Alumni Alliance 5K run and 2K walk on the campus of Howard University on June 29 in Washington D.C.
The event will benefit high school students who choose to attend a HBCU, according to BlackGirlsRun.com
Did you attend a HBCU? Support the @dchbcu 5K and 2K! Sign up with Team Black Girls RUN! blackgirlsrun.com/run-give-and-s…
— blackgirlsrun (@blackgirlsrun) May 24, 2013
To register for the 5k run and the 2k walk click here.
About Black Girls RUN!:
Created by Toni Carey and Ashley Hicks in an effort to tackle the growing obesity epidemic in the African-American community, Black Girls RUN! encourages African-American women to make fitness and healthy living a priority.
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Olivia Moody, 21, from Chicago graduated from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Six days later she went to jail to begin a 30-year prison sentence for second-degree murder.
Life changed in an instant for the honor student who worked her way out of Chicago’s crime-ridden Roseland neighborhood to become the first in her immediate family to graduate from college.
In May, less than a week after she received a degree in criminal justice from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, a jury convicted her of killing a 21-year-old mother of two after a senseless altercation over a young man.
Moody claims that she had been bullied by a group of women from the neighborhood and that the shooting was self-defense. The jury decided it was second-degree murder.
Now the young woman born to a prostitute and crack addict who abandoned her at the hospital after birth, a young woman who believed that education would be her ticket “out of the ghetto,” is serving a 30-year sentence in an Arkansas prison.
Melvin Cox spent more than $1,400 in airfare and accommodations to attend his daughter’s graduation at Spelman College, which took place on Sunday at 3 p.m, but was denied entry and missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Now he vows to stop financially supporting the University.
Watch the video above
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