WSSU student wins $10k

Jonathan Figgers, a student at Winston-Salem State University, is the winner of a $10,000 scholarship from the 105 Voices of History HBCU National Concert Choir.

Figgers, a bass from Charlotte, was one of two students who represented WSSU at the event in September at the Andrew Mellon Stage in Washington. He started participating in rehearsals around the country in April and continued those efforts until the week before the concert. Students who attended all of the rehearsals had their names placed in a drawing that was held on the night of the concert. Figgers’ name was selected. read more…

HBCUs’ success hinges on financial aid

Morgan State’s president says lack of resources thwarts many African-American students

Low graduation rates among African-Americans at Maryland’s historically black colleges and universities present a major issue deserving of systematic analysis for solutions. This problem has been well documented by countless media outlets in HBCU communities nationwide, including in a recent Sun editorial.

That editorial also challenged Maryland’s HBCUs on the efforts of their faculty and administration to create and maintain cultural changes that can reverse the systemic trend of underachievement, which begins well in advance of any student’s arrival at any HBCU.  read more…

Howard University Homecoming preview: Drake, Diddy, Meek Mill and 2 Chainz

One week from today, thousands of students, alumni and curious hip-hop fans will pack Howard University’s main quad for Yardfest, the free day-long concert that has become a centerpiece of Howard Homecoming celebrations. Yardfest has become a rite of passage for aspiring music stars: P. Diddy, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nelly, Ludacris, Shaggy, Wale and Young Jeezy have all appeared there.

This weekend-long celebration of culture, from the step show and the pre-game parade to the numerous nightclub parties headlined by some of the biggest artists around, is a must. Just remember that last-minute updates are inevitable, and if you go to Ibiza, for example, you may or may not ever see Diddy, even though he’s the “host.” Also, it really pays to buy tickets in advance, as prices can skyrocket at the door on the night of an event. read more…

Supreme Court Case ruling may inspire HBCUs to recruit more black students

Wednesday’s oral arguments in the Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin case has suggested a notion of potentially overruling the admission policies for universities and colleges to be race-conscious in achieving a “critical mass” for diversity, as envisioned in the 2003 landmark case Grutter v. Bollinger. The Supreme Court ruling holds stakes higher than ever for black students, as the abolishment of affirmative action could lessen their chances of admission into selective colleges and universities. Yet, for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, admission rates could by default be on the threshold, as the black student proportion at traditional schools are expected to decline without the legally appointed system that accounted for the rising efforts of diversity at most colleges and universities. During this post-segregation era, the regression of affirmative action has provided a glimpse of hope for HBCUs to retain its most marketable niche, high-achieving black students. read more…

ELECTION 2012: HBCU leadership is endorsed

On Thursday, Oct. 18th, One Stop Early Voting begins in North Carolina. That means unless you plan to cast your ballots on Election Day, Nov.6th, you’ll have between the 18thof October and the third of November to do so early.

As always, this newspaper will make recommendations about the candidates we endorse for public office. Of course, we hope that our readers and community are closely following all of the candidates on the ballot, and make their ultimate choices based on competence and record, not party.

This is a pivotal election in so many ways, not just for the state, but also for our nation, and ultimately our children. Our community made history in 2008. read more…

NCCU Band members deserving of support

In a society where one is considered innocent until proven guilty; for 36 young men and women it was the opposite a few weeks ago. I saw news reports for four days on allegations of hazing against the North Carolina Central University Marching Sound Machine drum line, but only one evening report once they were reinstated. They were innocent victims and convicted before evidence was investigated and allegations examined. What happens to the honor students or those that may be considering applying to grad schools? The negative impact of a long investigation or even allegations getting out the media without all the facts can impact them.

While I applaud the administration of North Carolina Central University for taking the allegations of such a serious manner and acting on them promptly, I do feel more could have been done to protect all the students to keep a cloud from hanging over their heads. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did just that with the nine reported hazing allegations on campus. They made a simple statement that they could not provide any details of the reports, including the chapters involved, because the investigation is ongoing.
 read more…

Jackson State at Alabama State

Joseph LeBeau doesn’t need to glance at the SWAC standings to know the importance of Jackson State’s Saturday game at Alabama State.

And he also warns anyone who might be judging the Tigers (2-4, 2-2 SWAC) solely by their record could be in for a rude awakening. Throughout the highs and lows JSU’s 2-4 start have provided, LeBeau and the Tigers know a win on Saturday at Alabama State (4-2, 4-1 SWAC) in their first Eastern Division game of the season would go a long way towards curing what has ailed them.

So that’s just what they plan on doing.

“Our record shows we’re 2-4, but ain’t no 2-4 team,” LeBeau said. “That first (Eastern Division) game … we have to have this one. Our coaches are stressing it to us … we just got to go get it, plain and simple.”

Saturday’s game has long been circled on the Jackson State schedule. read more…

Grambling State University featured in Yahoo video; TV show

Grambling State University is getting national attention thanks to Yahoo and CBS Sports’ online videos highlighting the football team, bands and various other groups.

The four-minute videos went online shortly before midnight Monday and can be viewed at http://sports.yahoo.com/featured/roadtosaturday/

A 30-minute television show, “Road to Saturday,” about Grambling going to last Saturday’s State Fair Classic in Dallas will be shown at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday on CBS Sports. read more…

Fort Valley State announces layoffs

Fort Valley State University’s cost-cutting measures will mean about 100 mostly temporary and part-time employees will lose their jobs.

After getting approval of its plan from the Board of Regents last week, the university notified the impacted employees Friday, said FVSU Vice President Canter Brown.

Most of those affected are part-time professors, and that exact number is uncertain because there are accreditation questions surrounding the elimination of some of those positions, Brown said. Because the part-time professor positions are under contract, the cuts won’t become effective until the spring semester starts. read more…

Dr. Blevins reflects on 41 years at BSC

When the Bluefield State College Presidential Selection Committee announced the selection of Dr. Marsha Krotseng to serve as BSC president,  slipped off the local radar screen for a while. At the time, Blevins was serving his second hitch as interim president at BSC, but he was also one of three candidates in the running for the presidency.

“We’re always really lucky to be here,” Blevins, 63, said of his 41-year relationship with his college alma mater. “It isn’t like the college doesn’t have detractors at the state level.”

Indeed, BSC has never really had an easy row to hoe from 1895 when it was founded to meet the educational needs of African-American students from the southern West Virginia coalfields. BSC’s first President Hamilton Hatter, had to deal with extreme economic hardships during the Jim Crow era, when the state enjoyed tax revenues from the coalfields, but very little of that trickled back to help the families of the coal miners. read more…

UMES Baseball Announces 2013 Schedule

New University of Maryland Eastern Shore head coach Pedro Swannhas announced the 2013 schedule. The Hawks will play 52 regular season games with a full conference slate and contests against local rivals.

UMES will play 26 games at home at Hawks Stadium, including four Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference series and a home tournament in March. Along with their MEAC North opponents, the Hawks will play Georgetown, Navy, Cornell among others in Princess Anne this season.

First pitch for the Hawks will be on Friday, February 15th when UMES heads to Rock Hill, South Carolina to take on Winthrop for a three-game set. The Friday game starts at 4:00 p.m., followed by a 3:00 p.m. Saturday contest and a 1:00 p.m. Sunday matinee. read more…

Obama fails to provide aid to victims of Hurricane Isaac, despite 2007 anti-Bush rhetoric on Katrina relief

President Barack Obama has refused to extend to victims of Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana the same relief he criticized former President George W. Bush for withholding from New Orleans residents in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The move has frustrated state and local politicians and contradicts his own campaign rhetoric about disaster relief from just one election cycle ago.

In a fiery 2007 speech at Hampton University unveiled last week exclusively by The Daily Caller, Obama excoriated the Bush administration for supposedly refusing to waive requirements of the Stafford Act, which requires disaster victims to repay the federal government for emergency assistance, after Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. read more…

Across the Line: AL.com’s Nick Birdsong on Alabama State

With Saturday’s game drawing closer, we check in today with al.com’s HBCU reporter, Nick Birdsong, who not only has one of the better Twitter handles around (@birds_word), but also does a great job covering my home state’s SWAC schools.

Birdsong was nice enough to answer a few questions regarding the Hornets’ season and how they managed to arrive at this week’s game at 4-1 in SWAC play. If you want see my reponses to his questions, read more.

Regions launching partnership with HBCUs

Regions Financial Corp. will partner with Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University and four other historically black colleges and universities on a wide-ranging program beginning this fall.

The program will support financial education, academics, athletics and alumni engagement at six schools, with plans to expand the program to additional HBCUs in the future.

In addition to the Alabama schools, the program also includes Florida A&M University, Jackson State University, Spelman College and Tennessee State University. read more…

Rep. Hubbard: ‘Slavery was a blessing for blacks’

Most of us recognize that the racist climate and sex-based discrimination of the past is exactly that: the past. But there is always that one bad apple that steers masses off a cliff.

With the exception of few persons who I dare not judge, Americans have gradually moved forward from the prejudice times of yesteryear. Though some are ill-informed of this new belief system, the rest of us are happy in unity and pleased with life—it is the 21st century, you know.

In most recent news, the bad apple behind the latest wheel of delusion is Republican Rep. Jon Hubbard of Jonesboro, Arkansas.

“… the institution of slavery that the black race has long believed to be an abomination upon its people may actually have been a blessing in disguise,” says Mr. Hubbard.

Ah…to be or not to be, that angry black man…

Well, I’ll take the “angry black man” for 300, please.

Three-hundred years of torment, agony, and cruelty is what blacks in America have to showcase today because of slavery. While blacks was busy thinking of a master’s plan for freedom (among severer things), whites were chillin’, busy doing whatever was presumed as hard work at the time.

Sure, slavery was a blessing in disguise; I doubt if America, who Mr. Hubbard calls the “greatest nation ever established upon the face of the Earth, would exist if slavery did not happen here.

But I digress.

Running for a seat in the House, and from fire for statements in the book Letters to the Editor: Confessions of a Frustrated Conservative, should be the least of his worries.

He says, in offense, “They attacked me because I’m a conservative, and they’ve taken small portions of my book out of context, and distorted what was said to make it appear that I am racist, which is totally and completely false.”

I personally don’t know Mr. Hubbard, but his statements suggest he is nearly a know-it-all, and someone ought of knock him off his pedestal, before the car crashes.

Tennessee State Remains No. 1 in HBCU Football

The Tennessee State Tigers are the real deal.

The Tigers came from 10 points behind in the fourth quarter to defeat Eastern Kentucky 23-20 to retain the top spot in both the Boxtorow national media and coaches polls.

The Tigers remain undefeated and are now 2-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). Redshirt sophomore quarterback Michael German’s one-yard touchdown run with eight seconds remaining was the difference in the game.

The Tigers received 18 of 20 first place votes from the media and for the third-straight week were a unanimous selection of the coaches.

In the coaches’ poll, spots No. 1 – 4 remained the same with Alabama A&M, Bethune-Cookman and Howard all winning.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Alabama State both won this week, but the two traded spots as the Golden Lions are No. 5 this week and the Hornets No. 6. UAPB defeated ASU 24-21 two weeks ago.

The North Carolina Central Eagles entered the coaches’ poll for the first time this year after defeating South Carolina State 40-10 in the Circle City Classic. The Delaware State Hornets reentered the poll after a 20-17 victory over Norfolk State. read more…