Ebony Announces TOP 10 HBCU Campus Queens 2012

From Ebony.com

We tallied more than 1.8 million votes cast by EBONY.com visitors for the Queen of their choice. The results? The 10 Queens with the most votes not only represent their colleges and universities well, they also serve as great role models who are conscious of their communities, resolute in their beliefs, dedicated to their goals and committed to the importance of education. For the third year, we’ve taken these representatives of the HBCU royalty and transformed them into the Ultimate Queens, courtesy of our fabulous “glam squads,” including stylist to the stars, Oscar James. Take a look at these exceptional young women. We think you will agree: They definitely can rule the world–and probably will!
MEET OUR EBONY CAMPUS QUEENS WINNERS! (in no particular order):

Mea Ashley, Miss Jackson State University, Mass Communications/Spanish, 21

Janae Roberts, Miss Tougaloo College, Chemistry, 22

Eyden Thomas, Miss Hampton University, Sociology, 22

Mia Holmes, Miss Xavier University of Louisiana, Biology/Pre-Denistry, 21

NaKena Cromartie, Miss Florida A&M University (FAMU), Accounting, 23

Alexandria Wilson, Miss Tuskegee University, Political Science,  21

Erika Grant, Miss Delaware State University, Accounting, 21

Harmony Cross, Miss North Carolina Central University, Public Administration, 21

Kea’ya Reeves, Miss Fort Valley State University, Criminal Justice, 22

Barbara Henry, Miss Fayetteville University, Criminal Justice/Accounting,  21

CONGRATULATIONS LADIES!!!

Paine College Student Receives National McDonald’s Scholarship

Arthur Williams, a senior, business major with a marketing concentration from Atlanta, Ga. is a 2012 recipient of The National Black McDonald’s Operators Association scholarship. Dr. Christine Crawford, director of operations/owner of seven McDonald’s franchises presented Williams with thescholarship at reception held at the 1831 Georgia Avenue location in North Augusta, SC on Tuesday.

Williams is the first employee from any of Crawford’s franchises to be awarded the $1,000 scholarship.

“This scholarship will be really helpful towards my collegiate education,” he said. Williams is a full-time student, full-time employee and a commuter student.

Crawford attests to his hard working character and business prowess.

“Arthur is great. He’s very much a gentleman and a scholar,” said Crawford. “He started with us in February 2010 and within six months he was promoted to the position of shift manager.”

Williams is actively involved at Paine College as a member of the Marketing Club, Business Club, Rotaract Club, International Students Association and Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). He aspires to one day become an entertainment lawyer.

His experience at McDonald’s and knowledge acquisition from Paine has come full circle.

“As a business major, I’m able to apply what I learn at Paine to the work I perform here at McDonald’s,” Williams said.

Williams is preparing for his final semester at Paine College.

About the National Black McDonald’s Operators Association
The National Black McDonald’s Operators Association (NBMOA) is a self-help organization, established for the purpose of working together for the improvement and betterment of each and every African American McDonald’s franchise owner, supplier, and African American society as a whole. It is the largest and most successful organization for African American franchisees in the country. Today, members of the NBMOA own nearly 1,300 McDonald’s restaurants throughout the United States, South Africa and the Caribbean with annual sales of membership exceeding $3 billion.

For more information about the National Black McDonald’s Operators Association (NBMOA) visit http://www.nbmoa.org.

For more information, please contact the Office of Communications and Marketing at 706.396.7591 or 678.215.8576 or Ncarter@paine.edu.

Photo caption: From Left to Right: Delores Crawford, Arthur Williams and Christine Crawford

NSU’s Chris Brown Representing the Bahamas to race in 400m finals Summer Olympics.

LONDON (AP/WAVY) – Former Norfolk State University sprinter Chris Brown placed second in his semifinal heat of the men’s 400 meters Sunday to earn a spot in Monday’s final at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Brown is running in his third Olympics.

Brown, , ran a season-best time of 44.67 seconds. He was just edged out by defending world champion Kirani James (44.59) for the top spot in heat 2. Brown had the third-fastest time of the eight runners who qualified for Monday’s final, trailing only James and Lalonde Gordon of Trinidad & Tobago (44.58 in heat 1).

This is the second straight Olympic 400m final for Brown. He finished fourth in 2008 in Beijing (44.84). He was just edged out for a medal by David Neville of the USA (44.80), whose head-first dive at the finish line dropped Brown from bronze medal position to fourth. Brown, who earned All-America honors at NSU in 2000 and 2001, did go on to anchor the silver medal-winning Bahamian 4×400 relay team.

Monday’s final is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. ET (9:30 p.m. London time). It will air on WAVY-TV Monday evening. from WAVY-TV

3 NCCU Students Join Project to Look Deep Inside the Earth

Three North Carolina Central University students are participating this summer in the EarthScope project, a vast nationwide effort aimed at developing a broad understanding of the formation and structure of the North American continent.

The NCCU students — Philip Martin, James Howard and Thomas Horne — are seeking suitable locations in North Carolina and southern Virginia for 25 USArray seismic stations. The USArray component of EarthScope consists of 400 seismic stations that are deployed in a grid about 75 kilometers apart and transmit data for two years before moving to the next location.

The project began a decade ago in the West, and is now reaching the East Coast. Gordana Vlahovic, associate professor in the NCCU Department of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences, and post-doctoral associate Pierre Arroucau are overseeing the NCCU portion of the project, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. Last year, EarthScope was named “the most epic project in the universe” by Popular Science magazine’s website www.popsci.com

“We think of EarthScope as being like a telescope, only instead of looking up we’re looking down,” Vlahovic said. “We’re looking very deep into the earth to understand more about it.” Each USArray station includes instruments to continuously sense, record, and transmit ground motions from a wide range of seismic sources — local and distant earthquakes, artificial explosions, volcanic eruptions and other natural and human-induced activities.

“Distant earthquakes are like X-rays of the earth,” Vlahovic said. They transmit a wide frequency range of seismic waves through the Earth, and differences in arrival time tell us about the structure.”

The ideal sites for the stations are far from roads, railroads and other sources of noise that can interfere with seismic signals. They must have good cell phone reception so that data can be transmitted in real time, and the sites must belong to landowners willing to host the station for two years. Each station is about the size of a large refrigerator, containing instruments locked inside a vault and powered by solar panels.

“We look for sites in the middle of nowhere, but with good access,” said Vlahovic. Martin, one of the three students, said finding ideal sites has been a challenge. “There’s less middle-of-nowhere in North Carolina than you’d think,” he said. “We like to be at least 3 kilometers from a big highway and at least 1 kilometer from a local two-lane road. It’s hard to find a site without multiple crisscrossing highways.

“The golden ticket is a private landowner with enough land that you can get away from houses, trees and roads,” said Martin, a master’s student in earth science specializing in seismology. The general approach to finding a site said, was to first scan aerial and satellite photos of a given region to locate large roadless areas — usually on farms — and then use tax records to identify the owner.

More often than not, though, large tracts of farmland turned out to be owned by corporations, not local families. “There’s a lot of red tape involved in getting permission to use the site for two years or more,” Martin he said.

Martin, Howard and Horne prepared for the project by attending four days of training in May at the University of Pittsburgh, where they learned criteria for site selection, how to use GPS and GIS software and how to talk to landowners about hosting the stations. Since then, they have been driving 1,000 or more miles each week searching for the sites.

The information gathered from the seismic stations will have practical applications, Vlahovic said. “The geology of the Eastern and Central U.S. is very complicated,” she said, “and there is little understanding of big earthquakes in the region. They’re infrequent but they can be big.” An 1886 earthquake caused widespread damage and killed dozens of people in Charleston, S.C., and a series of earthquakes in southeastern Missouri in late 1811 and early 1812 were the strongest ever recorded anywhere in the East or Midwest. from NCCU

Alabama State’s Mighty Marching Hornet Band to Star in Mini-Series

ASU’s marching band will showcase their road to the Magic City Classic in October with a partnership with NBTV Live Media Network with the mini series “Magic Before the Classic.”

Filming, which started August 5, 2012, will begin their journey at the start of the band’s preseason camp and run all the way to the first “Battle of the Bands” between ASU and Alabama A&M at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Friday, October 26, the night before the Magic City Classic football game.

“I am truly excited about this deal,” says band director James Oliver. “It is a major accomplishment for the band program and our great university.”

The agreement will net the ASU program $125,000 over a five-year period, in addition to royalties from online sales.

Funds from the show will be used to support the Marching Band program.

About NBTV
NBTV is an online news and information delivery service, headquartered in Atlanta. With worldwide bureaus, NBTV is promoted as the first 24-hour online broadcasting network in the world.

Source

Spelman College Sets out to Recruit Olympic Champion Gabby Douglas

Gabby Douglas has caught the attention of the top HBCU (Historically Black College & Univ.) in the nation: Spelman College!

The all-girls school has spoken very highly of our high-flying Gabby, and sent the 16-year-old Olympic Champion well wishes on her two gold medals in gymnastics.

BLOG: Yes, Black People Are To Blame For The Gabby Douglas Controversy

Spelman’s President, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, released a statement regarding Ms. Douglas:

“A young woman who has demonstrated the drive and discipline needed to achieve world-class excellence is likely to have what it takes to be successful at Spelman, and we would welcome her interest in the college.”

Spelman wastes no time! Also included with their statement was a special gift bag; so they obviously know that swag always sways your mind!

DETAILS: Gabby Douglas Opens Up About Her Deadbeat Dad

Many notable people have graduated from the illustrious Atlanta-based institution and Gabby would be joining that long list of successful collegiate women! It looks like she already fits right in. Congratulations Gabby.  Read more:

History Maker: 1st Female NFL Referee from the MEAC

Ms. Shannon Eastin, a referee from the HBCU’s MEAC, is making history as the first female to referee in an NFL game when she serves as line judge in the Green Bay Packers preseason game against the Chargers in San Diego.

Eastin, a 17-year veteran as a football referee, has spent the last four working in the MEAC amongst Norfolk State, Hampton, Howard, Florida A&M, South Carolina State, and North Carolina A&T to name a few.

”I believe I am ready,” said Eastin. ”I’m a realistic person and I know what is realistic for me. I am not going to play football. I feel it is realistic for me to officiate. I make myself ready for any opportunity that comes my way. I will come in with my eyes wide open.”

Packer’s players, many whom were surprised, seemed to not mind the change in the tradition of referees.

“Female, male, dog, cat, as long as they’re calling the right calls and they know what they’re doing out there, it really doesn’t matter,” tight end Jermichael Finley told FOXSportsWisconsin.com in an exclusive interview. “It’s a person. She’ll see the same things as a man. She knows how to blow the whistle the same way. It’s going to be something weird to see, but you deal with it and just roll.”

“I think it’s pretty cool,” Packers running back Brandon Saine said. “I grew up in a predominantly female household. I was raised by my grandmother and my mother and I have two sisters. Women have always been a huge part of my life and I’m always going to be supportive of anything like that.”

To see Eastin in action catch the game Thursday August 9, 2012 at 8pm on ESPN.

Read More

 

Brian Cash, senior at American Baptist College

Have you heard seen or read about the great, grand and gracious history of American Baptist College? Since 1924, ABC has trained leaders for Christian service and social justice leadership in the world through experiential and interdisciplinary education. ABC facilitated students that were prolific apparatuses in the civil rights movement in the 1960’s.  ABC has graduated the most persons from any college that are active in social justice.

Brian Cash, is the senior class representative of SGA at American Baptist College, last year’s Baptist Student Union President, and an assistant to the Director of Library services. His also the college Pastor at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, a church that has been instrumental in the lives of many Tennessee State University students in many ways. The church provides students with financial help, spiritual guidance, nourishment, counseling and help in many other areas. He is from Cleveland, Ohio and there he is a part of “Preachers with Purpose”, an organization that promotes spiritual, communal, and economic development. He is also a part of the transportation team of the National Baptist Convention Inc.

He says, “American Baptist College transforms my capacity to think critically about life and the society I live in. It has transformed me into a critical thinker.” It is evident that he is glad to be a student at an HBCU and he applauds the service that HBCU’s give to students every year despite economic challenges. He also said, “When comparing an HBCU to a regular college, I believe that HBCU’s enhance a four year experience. I wish HBCU’s had funds to make my superior experiences even better.”

Since he is a sought after Counselor, I asked him if he had any advice to HBCU students. He profoundly stated, “Embrace the newness of life. Keep your mind open to new things, meet new people and embrace diversity. Never participate in exclusion, which leads marginalization and oppression.”

He is finishing up his degree in Pastoral Studies as a senior and will continue on to study to earn a Master’s of Divinity at Vanderbilt, Yale or Duke. You can view one of his sermons here: Brian Cash preaching at American Baptist College

Portia Shields helps to promote healthy living

 During her tenure at Tennessee State University a focus that Dr. Portia Shileds has been adament about is her dedication to physical activity and the well being of her students, whether it’s in running in the mornings with incoming freshmen or walking the indoor track. Earlier this year when Tennessee State commited to rennovating Hale stadium for the 2012 football season Dr. Shields ran into a slight problem once construction begun- she no longer had a place to do her daily walking exercise.

To remedy this problem the ever innovative Dr. Shields took to walking around the campus along a specific path. In order to help promote awarness of a new way to temporarily workout until the Hole was completed, activity signs were erected announcing “Portia Shields Walking Trail” to draw attention to the trail that she had begun walking, in hopes of getting students to join in on the exercise so she could interact with her students  in the midst of working out.

Since the trail has came into existence many students have understandably been confused about the meaning of the trail and  it’s purpose  throughout the campus. Some students thought that the trail was a way for Dr. Shields to “leave her mark” on TSU before her term as interm president comes to a close. Others simply were at a loss to the multipule signs having any purpose at all. In the end though the signs do serve a purpose, as well a way for Madame President to leave her mark; one  decreasesd waist line at a time.

Brian Louis, Co-Founder of IPO

Brian Louis, right, with his IPO partner, Jason Coles

Ever had the privilege of stepping a stiletto or sneaker on Howard University, better known as the “Black Mecca’s,” campus? Arriving in D.C. and on Howard’s pristine grass isn’t a much different experience than visiting other historical black colleges and universities, most of which are located in rough neighborhoods or in unpopulated country sides throughout the South and the DMV. But it isn’t the historic buildings or storied alumni that separate the “real” HU from other HBCUs and elevates them to national ranking lists. It’s their legion of students, who exit that campus with a confidence that is almost unparalleled. Most of them believe that with Howard’s symbol on their degrees, they can conquer the world.

Brian Louis, Howard University School of Business alum, has secured a fashion cape around his neck and descended on the DMV with IPO Lifestyle, a fashion brand created in 2009. Sitting in his business courses with other future leaders and shakers, Louis knew one thing was certain: He never wanted to be limited in what he was capable of accomplishing with his degree.

In a voice filled with strength and wisdom he explains, “I had the mindset in school that I didn’t want a cap to be put on my income. When you work for others, there’s a cap on what you can make. I wanted to go into a field where there wasn’t that cap while also making a difference in my community and the people I represent.”

In an effort to reach the intellectual, creative and innovative college crowd who “make a bold statement when walking out of the door,” Louis partnered with another student, Jason Coles, to launch IPO with a grassroots movement, reminiscent of President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. Their preliminary goal was to saturate the college clothing market with a unique product that their target demographic would be interested in.

“From our models to the way our websites look to our designs in general, we really wanted to be different. One thing that we noticed was that other brands targeted toward college students were very gaudy and logo-driven. So, we wanted to give the consumer another option with IPO.”

Determined to think outside-the-box, Louis and Coles sat in an office together and analyzed their competition until they figured out how to be different in their lane. Then, the duo focused their attention on propelling IPO from an idea into a profitable venture. This required sacrifice, dedication and lots of business savvy.

Professional models dressed in IPO Lifestyle

“I gained the capital by seeking out small investments with a lot of my peers,” Louis explains. “I received short-term funding from a lot of people we went to school with and we were working age, so we put up a lot of our capital ourselves.”

But there are hundreds of clothing lines targeted toward college students. From popular Abercrombie to expensive Billionaire Boys Club, these brands are established and frequented among students. Realizing this, Louis and Coles chose to brand IPO by relating themselves to a charitable cause and remaining true to their unique path.

“We did an all-black everything campaign where we brought attention to the nonprofit, Invisible Children,” he says. “We’ve been paying homage to our stories with IPO. All of our pieces tell a story of where we come from. For instance, the D.C. Flag collection that we’re promoting right now … we were founded in the D.C. Our motto is “Birds of a feather flock together,” so we have shirts with some semblance of that. The feather is our logo. We take it as a sign of intelligence. Early thinkers, like Thomas Jefferson, always used a feather in writing laws to lead the country.”

Though Louis credits the entrepreneurial spirits of himself and his partner for IPO’s success – the brand is in the black – he owes some of his victory to Howard. And he doesn’t cower from admitting that truth.

“[Those classes were] very important because they really showed me how to be thorough in terms of how I research things, the company I keep in terms of my business and how to pay attention to detail, which is important.”

Howard, like most HBCUs, provides a nest of black intellectual leaders and progressive thinkers to nurture students and provide them with the essentials to survive in a tumultuous economic climate. Louis is one of those successful products and he hopes to continue excelling.

“One day, I want to own a Hollywood studio and I also want to start a non-profit that teaches entrepreneurship to inner city kids,” he says. “I want to start a charity that can give kids the tools to succeed.”

But right now, in this moment, Brian Louis’ focus is on growing IPO into the number one clothing brand in the DMV through grassroots efforts and branding. He is well on the correct path to accomplish this goal.

So, his three words of advice to other entrepreneurs reside on solid foundation that is testimonial to what Brian Louis and Jason Coles have been able to accomplish:

“Never give up.”

You can contact IPO through social media and their website.

Website: www.ipolifestyle.com

Twitter: @IPOLifestyle

Facebook: IPO Lifestyle

Racist Tweets To Obamas Land Puerto Rican Official in Hot Water

Seemingly racist tweets by an employee of the Puerto-Rican government have stirred controversy across the nation. According to the Associated Press, Heidi Wys sent tweets to President Obama regarding the first lady’s birthday: “Who cares” and “Take her to Burger King buy her a sundae with double banana, take her to your homeland, Kenya.”

Wys, who currently serves as the main advisor to House of Representatives President Jennifer Gonzalez, has since demonstrated regret that her tweets were perceived racist and again turned to twitter to apologize to those whom she offended. Wys declared that she is a not racist, stating that her favorite nieces are black.

Several legislators, including Sen. Juan Eugenio Hernandez have demanded Wys resign from her current advisor position.

 

Penn State could learn from FAMU

Earlier this week, the NCAA imposed sweeping penalties on the Penn State football program. The penalties, which were in response to the heinous findings in the now-infamous Freeh Report, will likely cripple the Nittany Lions for years, if not decades.

The Freeh Report confirmed everyone’s worst nightmares. High-level officials at Penn State, including former President, Graham Spanier and venerated Head Football Coach Joe Paterno, showed a “total disregard for the safety and welfare” of the boys molested by former Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky. Given the nature of the abhorrent behavior among Penn State officials at the highest levels, the death penalty is the only appropriate penalty. The NCAA opted not to impose it. So Penn State itself should. Given the nature of the abhorrent behavior among Penn State officials at the highest levels, the death penalty is the only appropriate penalty. The NCAA opted not to impose it. So Penn State itself should.

This is where Penn State can learn something from FAMU. Around the same time the horrible details surrounding Sandusky’s actions were beginning to surface, Robert Champion, a drum major in FAMU’s renowned Marching 100, was killed during a hazing ritual.

Like the Nittany Lions, the Marching 100 is FAMU’s grandest and most beloved symbol. The band is regularly called to perform at events all over the country, from NFL halftime shows to presidential inaugurations. The Marching 100 is so popular that, at FAMU football games, it is often a bigger draw than the football team.

But to the disappointment of many, the band will not be around next fall, suspended by former President James Ammons through spring 2013. Ammons gave the Marching 100 the death penalty. And while hundreds of innocent student-musicians will suffer due to the bad acts of a relative few, the self-imposed suspension was undoubtedly the right decision.

Penn State should take a cue from FAMU. Referenced from South Florida Sun-Sentinel

 

 

Drake Plans On Finishing High School

Drake has been making headlines lately for his loyalty to Young Money and his appreciation for Aaliyah, but he’s about to cap off his summer with an academic achievement.

Drizzy is scheduled to appear at the the third annual OVO Festival which will feature A$AP Rocky, 2 ChainzThe Weeknd, and more. But according to a recent interview with NOW Toronto, he plans to bring his focus his efforts on his life outside of music.

“I’m actually spending my summer graduating high school,” he said. “That’s my main focus after OVO Fest. I only have one credit left, and I’m really excited about that.”

During Drake’s high school years, he was filming the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation, on which he played a character named Jimmy. Drake has said in the past that he hopes to one day show his mom a high school diploma.

[via NOW Toronto]

JSU sophomore track athlete to make 2012 Olympic debut

Anaso Jobodwanna, a 19-year-old Eastern Cape, South African native will be representing Jackson State University in the 200 meter dash during the 2012 London Olympics.
This is Jobodwanna’s first trip to the Olympic games and his main goal is to place in the semi-finals. In an interview with the Mail and Guardian, he said that his goal was to bring his time down but that he was really hoping to make it to the semi-finals

“I haven’t set any real targets for the games and I haven’t written anything down, so I’m not putting pressure on myself” said Jobodwanna.
Jobodwanna returns to Jackson State in the fall as a sophomore. This past May he set an indoor SWAC record in the 200 meter dash finishing with a time of 21.15. He also earned titles for the 100 and 200 meter dash during the SWAC Outdoor Conference Championship.
Jobodwanna makes his big debut, Tuesday, August 7th on NBC.

 

Source

 

Allstate and the Tom Joyner Foundation Partnering to Raise $150,000 for HBCUs

Allstate and the Tom Joyner Foundation are asking alumni, students and supporters of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country to do their part to raise scholarship funds as part of the fourth annual Allstate Quotes for Education program.

For every person who receives an insurance quote from an Allstate agent and mentions Quotes for Education between August 1 and Dec. 31, 2012, Allstate will donate $10, up to a total donation of $150,000. The funds will be donated to the Tom Joyner Foundation and earmarked for general scholarship funds to assist students attending HBCUs.

For the first time ever, participants in this program will also have a chance to vote for the HBCU of their choice to receive a separate $50,000 donation for scholarships specifically at that school.

“Each year, hundreds of students will be forced to drop out of college due to financial hardship,” said Cheryl Harris, senior vice president at Allstate. “The Quotes for Education program brings to life a vision shared by Allstate and the Tom Joyner Foundation, which is to support programs for HBCUs that create educational opportunities for the next generation.”

According to a 2012 study by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, only four out of 37 HBCUs surveyed has a black student graduation rate of more than fifty percent within six years. The study also noted a declining trend in graduation rates since 2006, likely driven by recent economic conditions which have limited financial aid from public and private sources.

“This scholarship shows me that I’m worthy of the investment being made in my education, and it makes me grateful and hopeful for my future,” said Desharee Williams, a student at Bethune-Cookman University and a past recipient of the Allstate and Tom Joyner Foundation scholarship. “This scholarship has allowed me to focus on class work and on pursuing extracurricular activities to build my professional portfolio.”

A 2009 study by the non-profit research group Public Agenda found that most young adults who started but did not complete higher education cited the need to work more as a major reason that forced them to drop out of school.

This marks the second year that Allstate has partnered with the Tom Joyner Foundation for the Quotes for Education program. Additionally, for the past eight years, Allstate has title-sponsored the Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion. Both programs are part of Allstate’s year-round commitment to create, support and sponsor programs that empower the African-American community.

“This is a big help to these students,” said Tom Joyner, chairman and founder of the 14-year-old foundation bearing his name. “Given this tough economy these days, every single dollar we can provide to help a student finish their education will make a difference.”

To participate in the Quotes for Education program, HBCU supporters should visitwww.allstate.com/represent to find a nearby participating agent or receive a quote online, or call 855-REP-HBCU at any time to receive a quote from an Allstate representative. Supporters can also join and follow the conversation on Twitter via the hashtag #RepHBCU to encourage the participation of friends and family.

About Allstate®

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, serving approximately 16 million households through its Allstate, Encompass, Esurance and Answer Financial brand names. Widely known by its slogan “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate®,” Allstate offers insurance products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives, as well as via www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate®. As part of Allstate’s commitment to strengthen local communities, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate employees, agency owners and the corporation provided $28 million in 2011 to thousands of nonprofit organizations and important causes across the United States.

About The Tom Joyner Foundation

The Tom Joyner Foundation’s primary mission is helping to keep students enrolled in Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs.) Since 1998, the foundation, chaired by nationally syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner, has raised more than $60 million to help keep students enrolled in black colleges, has assisted more than 14,000 students and worked with more than 100 HBCUs. Throughout the week, the Foundation announces scholarship winners on the nationally syndicated radio show hosted by its founder, Tom Joyner. Each week, separate financial awards are focused on students who are single parents and distinguished male students at each ‘School of the Month’. The organization’s largest annual fundraiser is its “Fantastic Voyage“™, which is a seven-day, six-night cruise that has raised millions of dollars to help keep students in school.

 

VUU top contender for Redskins, site visit planned Sunday

The field has narrowed for potential  football fields that could be training sites for the Washington Redskins.

For now it looks like Virginia Union University has shaped up as a top contender for the job.

CBS 6 has learned from a source close to the selection process that Redskins team officials will be visiting the VUU campus Sunday to tour the facility.

The University in the heart of downtown Richmond has two side by side playing fields that would likely be an attractive attribute to Redskins team officials.

One high ranking official at the university said the Redskins would be a welcomed addition to campus, but also that the renovations to get Redskins ready would be expensive.

Fields and gym facilities would likely have to be entirely replaced. Even so, officials feel the improvements made for an NFL training camp would be lasting ones for the students of the Division 2 football school.

Still, in the mix for possible locations are City Stadium, Sportsbackers Stadium and two adjoining fields behind the Science Museum on Leigh St.  With many of these sites requiring extensive renovations, it’s expected that conversations will soon become decisions Referenced