Doug Williams says he’s been fired by Grambling

Posted by Tommy G. Meade Jr.
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Grambling football coach Doug Williams was fired Wednesday morning.

Williams, 58, said he received a call around 8 a.m. and was summoned to school President Frank Pogue’s office. Pogue handed a letter to Williams and told him the school was going in another direction.

A school news release said the remainder of Williams’ contract was bought out. He had agreed to a new three-year contract in June 2012 that paid him $250,000 a year.

“There wasn’t a lot of conversation. I told him ‘OK’ and I was gone,” Williams said.

The school said running backs coach George Ragsdale will become interim head coach.

“We recognize Doug Williams’ many contributions to our football legacy and we express our deep appreciation for his service to Grambling State University and we wish him well in the future,” Pogue said.

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FAMU experiences steep drop in enrollment

Posted by Mike Hamilton
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Florida A&M University continues to cope with a drastic decline in enrollment numbers for the second consecutive academic year.

Though unofficial, the preliminary enrollment for the Fall 2013 semester is 10,786, which is down more than 1,250 from the previous year (2012-2013) and about 2,500 fewer from two years ago (2011-2012).

FAMU, which receives more revenue from tuition than it does from the state of Florida, is preparing for a second straight $6 million loss as a result of the decline in enrollment, interim President Larry Robinson said.

The University’s athletic department, which has been losing approximately $1 million per year for the last six years, is also affected by the decrease in enrollment because student fees are a primary source of monetary support for FAMU’s intercollegiate sports programs.  “Every dime we get is important, and there are a whole lot of things we could do with those monies if we had them,” Robinson said.

Click here to read the full story.

Stillman College fires president one day after fall convocation

Posted by Mike Hamilton
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IMG_0212_t620x620_c620x620Only one day after he welcomed students, faculty, and staff back to campus for the 2013-2014 academic year during the annual fall convocation, Stillman College president Ernest McNealey was fired by the college’s Board of Trustees.

On Thursday, McNealey delivered an address of preparing Stillman for personal success in the face of adversity during the ceremony. He reported the state of the private college, with an operating budget of $27 million, as good, but made remarks which highlighted the national decline in student enrollment and financial difficulties.

Additionally, he mentioned an increase in denials in student loan requests. “While certainly there are storm clouds on the horizon, we can see silver linings in those clouds,” he told students and faculty.

McNealey called the national statistics depressing, but said Stillman will continue to pursue its goals despite adverse conditions.

“We will continue to search for the next new thing that circumstances say we cannot do and do it,” McNealey said.

On Friday afternoon, the college released a brief statement naming Peter Millet, provost and vice president for academic affairs, as interim president.

Click here to read the full story.

Howard University students call for boycott of upcoming Tonéx concert

Posted by Mike Hamilton
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tonexAward-winning gospel artist Tonéx has been the subject of much controversy within the church community for many years, due to his music and image, then for coming out of the closet on Christian-based cable channel The Word Network in 2009.

Now, students at Howard University in Washington, D.C. are calling for a boycott of Tonéx’s upcoming September 15 concert at the Howard Theatre (which is located less than ten blocks from the University’s main campus).

Angela Powell said, “He’s confused. One second he says he’s not gay then does a tour and says he is. He said he quit gospel but then comes out and says he’s not finished with Christian music yet. He needs to sit down somewhere.”

”As a Christian, homosexuality is wrong. I don’t support it and I’m glad so many students are standing up and rejecting this concert also,” says Curtis Montgomery, a sophomore biology major.

Click here to read the full story.

UPDATE wife of Zimmermann not planning to press charges

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UPDATE: The estranged wife of George Zimmerman is not planning to press charges after police were called to a domestic dispute in central Florida on Monday, said Lake Mary police chief Steve Bracknell.

Zimmerman, the Florida man who was acquitted of murder in the shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012, was being questioned on Monday by police after his wife called 911 saying he threatened her and her father with a gun, police said.

No one had been arrested and police officers were at the scene at a house belonging to Shellie Zimmerman’s father, police added. read more…

Zimmerman’s wife: ‘He threatened with gun’

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Zman copyGeorge Zimmerman’s wife says on a 911 call that her estranged husband punched her father in the nose, grabbed an iPad out of her hand and smashed it and threatened them both with a gun.

Shellie Zimmerman said Monday on the 911 call that she was scared because she didn’t know what George Zimmerman is capable of doing.

She says he had his hand on his gun while he was in his car. read more…

Buzzing News: 5 things to know on Monday

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1. President Barack Obama seeks support for military intervention in Syria

POTUS Barack Obama is trying to persuade Congress and the American public to support military strikes on Syria after President Bashar al-Assad allegedly used chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war. Nearly six in ten Americans oppose military intervention in Syria, according to the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll.

2. NAACP President Ben Jealous resigns

Ben Jealous, who took over the NAACP five years ago as president and CEO, announced yesterday his plan to resign, effective Dec. 31. During his presidency the NAACP has won state and local battles to abolish the death penalty, shrink prison systems, and outlaw racial profiling.

1377892307000-RCStamp3. Ray Charles ‘Forever’ stamp to unveil at Morehouse

The late giant of R&B, blues, gospel and pop Ray Charles will be honored on a ‘Music Icons Forever’ stamp by the United States Postal Service starting Sept. 23. One of three launch events is planned at Morehouse College.

4. Marc Lamont Hill to mediate 4th Annual NPHC Greek President’s Forum

Members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council are invited to a discussion on civil rights at the 4th Annual NPHC Greek President’s Forum September 18 in the US Capitol Visitor Center Auditorium in Washington D.C.—presented by the Honorable Marcia L. Fudge. Kappa man Marc Lamont Hill will moderate the event.

5. N.C. A&T beats Appalachian State  

In case you missed it, the North Carolina A&T Bulldogs stunned the Appalachian State Mountaineers 24-21 on Saturday evening at Kidd Brewer Stadium. The win over FCS power Appalachian State was A&T’s first over a ranked opponent since the 2003 season.

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Ray Charles on ‘Music Icons Forever’ stamp, launch event planned at Morehouse

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A Ray Charles postal stamp that will live forever is planned to launch at Morehouse College, the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles and the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center starting September 23, which would have been the late giant of R&B, blues, gospel and pop 83rd birthday.

The new stamps, called “Music Icons Forever”, were revealed earlier this year by the U.S. postal service to commemorate three American original artists.

“No matter how many awards and accolades he received, Mr. Charles was genuinely humbled by each and every honor,” Valerie Ervin, president of the Ray Charles Foundation and executive producer of the compilation, said in a statement. “To him, it meant people appreciated what he loved doing so much — his music.”

Music greats Lydia Mendoza, a pioneer of Tejano music, and country superstar Johnny Cash are the other two artists included in the series.

Read more here

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Bethune-Cookman alum Harold Lucas gives $100,000 gift to university

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130822_dt_community01When he was nine years old Harold V. Lucas Jr. use to sleep in the house of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, the founding president of Bethune-Cookman University, while his father worked late into the night as her corresponding secretary.

“Daddy set up the first accounting system for the school,” Lucas said. The Lucas family has a 75-year history with the historically black university in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Continuing the ‘lasting example of philanthropy’ that his father instilled in him Lucas is giving a six-figure trust of $100,000 to his Alma mater as a gift.

“My father always talked about service to school, church and the community and that helped me develop pride in being able to help others. Bethune-Cookman was [my father’s] life and I knew I was expected to be just as generous with such a fine institution,” Lucas said.

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Gospel artist Smokie Norful to perform at Jackson State

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Grammy award winning artist Smokie Norful, best known for his 2002 album I Need You Now, and his 2004 release Nothing Without You, will perform with the Jackson State University choir on campus Monday October 14 at the Athletics Assembly Center in Jackson, Mississippi.

Tickets on sale now. Click here for more information or contact Box Office at 601-979-2420.

About Smokie Norful:

Gospel recording artist Smokie Norful is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff with a bachelor’s degree in history. His 2004 album Nothing Without You won a Grammy at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album in 2004.

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Marc Lamont Hill to mediate 4th Annual NPHC Greek President’s Forum

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QqqwHuffPost Live Host Marc Lamont Hill, a journalist, activist and member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. will be the mediator over a discussion on civil rights issues at the 4th Annual NPHC Greek President’s Forum Wednesday, September 18 in the US Capitol Visitor Center Auditorium in Washington D.C.

Presented by the Honorable Marcia L. Fudge, who is a past president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., serving from 1996 to 2000, the event is open to all of the nine members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.

Doors open at 1:00 p.m. To reserve your seat please visit mlf2013nphcforum.eventbrite.com. For more information contact Bridgett Simmons at 202-225-7032.

About the NPHC

The National Pan-Hellenic Council, Incorporated promotes interaction through forums, meetings and other mediums for the exchange of information and engages in cooperative programming and initiatives through various activities and functions.

Benedict College Student Found Dead on Campus by ‘Unfortunate Incident’

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23330664_BG1 The Richland County Coroner’s Office says they don’t believe there was any foul play involved in the death of a Benedict student.

According to the Coroner’s Office, the unidentified student’s body was found on campus Tuesday evening.

Officials have not released any details on how the student died.

Benedict released a statement confirming the student went to school there, but stopped short of how the student died other than calling it an “unfortunate incident.”

The Coroner’s Office plans to release more details on the student’s death sometime Wednesday morning.

 

More information coming soon.

15-year-old Courtney Lewis lands scholarship, admission to Clark Atlanta University

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CKXG_WALKER_STUDENT_LEWIS_01Since she was a little girl, 15-year-old Courtney Lewis has know that she would forge a career in science. Now the Walker School student has a full scholarship to an Atlanta university after participating in a summer cancer research internship with graduate and post-doctorate students nearly twice her age.

“At first, I was a little cautious because there is a lot of equipment in the lab, but at the same time I was very confident because I just felt like I was in the right place,” Courtney said. “Even when I was little, I could see myself in a laboratory, so it was the realization of my dreams coming true.”

The 11th-grader, who has attended Walker since her freshman year and is the daughter of Kennesaw residents Raymond and Diana Lewis, was invited to work at Clark Atlanta University’s Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development conducting cancer research with graduate and post-doctoral students over the summer.

During her time there, between June 26 and July 29, she performed many experiments alongside her colleagues. One of her favorites, Western blot, studies how proteins in cells can affect cancer treatments.

“We were determining if a cancer treatment was working,” Courtney said. “I really enjoyed that because I loved that someone realized how effective proteins can be studied efficiently in a way that is useful.”

Courtney learned about the opportunity at Clark Atlanta from a postal worker whose child attends the school.

The good news came after she learned it would be too expensive to attend various medical conferences she was interested in.

“I’m just really thankful to God that this happened because I was so discouraged about how things ended up with the medical conference and very devastated,” she said. “I’m just very ecstatic that this opportunity opened up for me.”

This won’t be the end of Courtney’s work with the college.

Read more: The Marietta Daily Journal – 15 year old Walker student lands scholarship admission to Clark U

ULM’s Berry and Grambling’s Williams share different views of I-20 Classic

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bildeThe past two ULM home openers had a turnout that rank in the Top 4 all-time attendances inside Malone Stadium.

The Warhawks opened last season against Baylor, which topped an all-time high 31,175 fans and poured over into standing room only.

It surpassed the 2007 mark of 30,101 when ULM hosted Grambling for the first time in school history, and the event seemed to be just as popular in 2011 when the Warhawks opened their home slate against GSU in front of 26,532, which is fourth all-time in stadium history.

It all seems like a win-win, but Grambling coach Doug Williams is not a fan of what has been dubbed the I-20 Classic.

The current head coach was not around when the contract for the two-time match up was signed in January 2011, but he was back within a week once former coach Rod Broadway resigned.

“It still doesn’t make me a fan of the game,” Williams said at his weekly press conference Monday. “This game was scheduled before I got here. But at the end of the day, it’s the schedule and we’ve got to play it and we’ve got to look at it for what it’s worth.”

ULM head coach Todd Berry thinks the game is worth a lot.

For starters, the contract is pretty favorable for Grambling. When the contract was signed in 2011, then-ULM athletic director Bobby Staub said Grambling would receive around $300,000 from each game with a combination of tickets and financial guarantees.

As of Tuesday, current ULM athletic director Brian Wickstrom said Grambling had sold out of its allotment of 1,200 tickets and members of the ULM ticket office anticipated about 15,000 tickets sold so far, including season tickets.

“In relation to proximity, I think it’s a good thing,” Berry said. “I’ve seen the financial contract. It’s a very, very good contract, more than we do with any other FCS program. I’ve been in this thing for 31 years and at a lot of different places. I can’t imagine that we could be more accommodating than we’ve already been, where basically this game and last game we really tried to bend over backwards to make sure to give them their own tailgating spots. That generally doesn’t happen and those other kinds of things. We’ve tried to be good hosts.”

3 ways to create inner transformation

Posted by Robert Hoggard
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martin-luther-king-memorial-barack-obama-washington-mall-101611jpg-30890990aeb3f677While in Washington, D.C. last week for the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington with a few American Baptist College classmates–and students from Morehouse, Alabama State and Howard–I found a new understanding of the ‘little things.’ This is because of something my colleague Jacques Boyd said in mid-conversation.

“I am thankful and appreciative of these moments,” he said. “When one is thankful they are glad of what they have. I am thankful because I am glad of what we Blacks have. When one is appreciative they do something with what they have. As we go back to our communities, we must continue the fight and do something with what we already have.”

Feeling good feels good; when you feel it you know. Here are 3 things you can use to create your own happiness:

1. Fun

Our call seems to be to live out life in many different arenas. Many times life is about having fun and enjoying what the world has to offer. (The chili dog from the classic and Ben’s chili bowl are perfect examples.) Having fun seems to temporarily soothe all the hurt, pain and injustice of world. Let’s face it, what college student doesn’t like to have fun? Just be sure that “fun” does not consume you so much that daily tasks become impossible. Having fun is what revives you to live and fight another day.

2. Faith

In “Across that Bridge” Congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis said “There is one question people ask me more than any other: How did you do it? How did you hold to nonviolence when a pounding wall of vicious hate was pushing through you like waves of fire during the protests and sit-ins of the Civil Rights Movement?…The answer is simple. Faith. Faith has the power to deliver us all, even from the greatest harm.”

The call to faith is a call that, on the outset, lasts and makes lasting impression on ourselves and the people we come in contact with. Life is the gift God gives to you. What you do with it, however, is your gift to God.

3. Freedom

Having freedom is the part of the call that will take the most work and effort. Freedom has never been handed on a silver platter to anyone in history. It has always been earned. If we want to vote freely, go to universities with financial help freely, be able to walk to the corner store to buy skittles and iced tea freely we must demand it in ways that show our resilience, and our intestinal fortitude to conjure “Yes, I’ll give you what you deserve in the first place.”

Robert Hoggard is a HBCU Buzz Staff Writer. Follow him on Twitter @mindofRKH