Professor Gets U.S. Patent for Drug Discovery treating infections commonly found in HIV/AIDS

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Cryptolepine will help combat infection in AIDS, chemotherapy and organ transplant patients.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Seth Ablordeppey, a Florida A&M University (FAMU) professor in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, has received a United States patent (No. 8,158,646) for extensive modifications to the drug Cryptolepine. Preliminary tests indicate the drug will be effective at treating infections commonly found in HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy, and organ transplant patients. In addition, it has fewer side effects than several currently used drugs.

“This research has been in the works for more than a decade and I am grateful to FAMU for providing the environment and opportunity for this discovery,” said Ablordeppey. “With the discovery of these new agents we hope to deal one more blow to the opportunistic infections that continue to wreak havoc in our communities.”

Cryptolepine is a series of compounds derived from a native plant of Ghana, West Africa. According to the Center for Disease Control, opportunistic infections that attack weakened immune systems have become increasing problematic in the United States. When compared to drugs currently on the market, the high potency and fewer side affects associated with
Cryptolepine could ultimately combat this problem.

“I am so very proud of Dr. Ablordeppey and the contribution he has made to FAMU’s patent portfolio. Because of his work, FAMU now has a diverse portfolio of pharmaceutical compounds that treat various diseases that disproportionately affect African Americans,” said Tanaga Boozer, director for FAMU Office of Technology Transfer, Licensing and Commercialization. “His patent demonstrates the talent and commitment among FAMU researchers to develop novel drugs, methods, and medical devices that address health disparities in underrepresented populations.”

This is the Ablordeppey’s second patent in two years. In 2010, he received a patent for developing the “Haloperidol Analog,” a method for treating mammals suffering from psychosis.

Elvis Robinson named Mississippi Valley State women’s basketball coach

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Jackson native Elvis Robinson is the new women’s basketball coach at Mississippi Valley State, the school announced today.

Robinson, a 1999 Callaway High School graduate, is a 2004 MVSU graduate. He played four years for the Delta Devils’ men’s team and has spent the last eight years as an assistant coach at various levels, most recently at Jackson State.

Robinson replaces Nate Kilbert, who left to take the women’s coaching position at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

“We did a thorough search and Robinson presented himself as a top candidate,” said MVSU interim athletic director Donald Sims in a statement released by the school. “We have faith that he will keep the program going in the right direction.”

Referenced from clarionledger

Are we still living in a Rodney King era? Victim of Notorious Police Beating Dead at 47

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Rodney King was reportedly found dead in his swimming pool by police officers Sunday morning. King, the man who famously said “Can we all get along,”  and who triggered thousands of people in Los Angeles to riot over injustice, died at the age of 47.

Rodney King became the poster child of police brutality in the ’90s after a videotape of LAPD officers using excessive force to control him gained national attention. Newly branded as the symbol for civil rights, whether he liked it or not, King led many people to advocate against racial discrimination and question the ethics of law enforcement.

On March 2, 1991 in Los Angeles, King and two passengers fled by car from LAPD officers after being spotted speeding. LA police, who were accompanied by a helicopter on the scene, eventually cornered King and the passengers.

After attempting to escape on foot, King later complied to lie on the ground but physically resisted once LA police made an effort to handcuff him. Unable to control him, officers resorted to striking King numerous times with batons and kicks. The use of a Taser was also seen on camera during the altercation. The two passengers in King’s car were taken into custody without incident.

Videotaped by a neighboring resident, the beating caused an immense uproar within the African American community as it gained national media coverage overnight. The officers involved, Stacey Koon, Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, and Theodore Briseno, were brought to trial afterwards.

Many believed that the videotape, which began recording once King complied to lie on the ground, was more than enough provable evidence for guilt, but it was not. The four officers escaped imprisonment as a jury cleared all four of the men from their charges. Later, the officers were indicted on federal civil rights charges, and two of the four were convicted and sentenced to prison.

In a statement on King’s death, Rev. Al Sharpton said, “History will record that it was Rodney King’s beating and his actions that made America deal with the excessive misconduct of law enforcement.”

Two decades has passed and it still seem as if little has been done to stop such events from repeating. Racial discrimination remains a prevalent issue today, making Rodney Kings hopes of everyone getting along seem out of hand.

In 2005, former Chicago police officer Howard Morgan, an African American, was hospitalized after suffering 28 bullet shots from four white police officers. The altercation came when Morgan was stopped for a traffic violation, and resulted to none of the officers being charged with wrongdoing.

More recently, the fatal shooting of a Trayvon Martin, a 17 year-old black American, gained national media coverage when a white male name George Zimmerman, the self-proclaimed neighborhood watchman, shot and killed Martin due to “suspicious” activity. Zimmerman pleaded not guilty to the case, claiming that the act was in “self-defense.”

 

Chris Brown – Drake Beef Sends Horrible Message

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Unless you’re a prisoner in Lunar Max, which doesn’t exist – except in the fictitious Men in Black III world – it has been impossible to escape the Chris Brown versus Drake fiasco. It has been running rampant through news headlines and on our Twitter timelines, much to the dislike of cultural critics attempting to focus on important matters – like President Obama’s new campaign ads.

For those who are still puzzled about this outrageous turn of events, here’s the recap: on Wednesday night, Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group hosted a listening session for their new collaborative album, Self Made Volume II. After the event, Drake and Chris Brown were both in attendance at W.I.P., a popular NYC night club. Apparently, the club served as a battleground for the two to wage war according to the Associated Press. Words were exchanged after the R&B crooner sent a bottle of alcohol to the “Best I Ever Had” MC. Bottles were thrown, mayhem ensued, and the nightclub resembled Joplin, Missouri after the 2011 tornado according to the gossip holy grail TMZ. Brown tweeted a photo of a horrid gash on his chin (that has since been deleted); Global Grind, a hip-hop news website run by Russell Simmons reports that several members of the “Look at Me Now” singer’s entourage were injured, including Karreuche Tan, his girlfriend. Drake’s camp has denied that the musical titan was involved in the melee.

All of this animosity stems from allegations that Drake and MMG rapper, Meek Mill, have both been intimate with Barbadian-singer, Rihanna, who happens to be Brown’s infamous ex. For weeks, subliminal tweets have been exchanged between the three parties, which caused this minor conflict to simmer, eventually escalating into unbridled violence.

This is a classic case of drunken craziness, Hollywood egos, and miscommunication.

Though the blogs are releasing constant updates on the altercation and Twitter is ablaze with trending topics, in actuality, who cares?

If all three or none of these men slept in Rihanna’s California King Bed, it doesn’t matter because violent behavior is inexcusable. Brown should know this after his career almost derailed behind a brutal altercation between him and the Talk that Talk singer. Drake and Chris exchanging words, bottles, and fists not only speaks to their affinity for bad decision making, but sets a terrible example for the legion of fans that worship them, purchase their albums in droves, and sell out arenas from Los Angeles to London.

Once Chris Brown and Drake crossed the thin threshold from aspiring musicians to beloved superstars, the “role model” stamp was placed on their foreheads –whether they choose to accept the label or not. When teenagers view you as a role model, it makes you accountable for your actions and places you on a pedestal that most of us are never burdened with. But that is one of the responsibilities that come with the hunger for super-stardom.

Role models have shaped generations for centuries. Most of us can recall our first role model and what it was about this person’s character and presence that made us admire him or her. My father’s first role model was Joe Louis, a heavyweight boxing champion who was from Detroit, Michigan as he was. Even in his fifties, my father fondly recalls his memories of Louis and what attracted him to this dynamic figure. My first role model was talk show host Ricki Lake. She commanded applause from her audience with the simplest gesture and she always seemed authentically concerned for her guests, which was a trait that struck me, even at four-years-old. I was so impressed with Ricki; I stopped watching Barney and started tuning into her show every afternoon.

Our role models are special to us because there is something within them that is identifiable and relatable to us. Most of us emulate our role models; this explains why so many millennials have memories of moon walking in the kitchen and why I started hosting my own TV show in my bedroom; my Barbies were my audience.

Now with instant access to our role models at our fingertips through social media sites, underage teenagers who idolize Drake and Chris Brown are witnessing their horrible behavior without a filter. So, though their 10 million Twitter followers might not go out and smash their rival with a Ciroc bottle at lunch tomorrow, their behavior is still impacting these children who look to them for guidance.

By no means am I suggesting that Drake and Chris Brown are responsible for parenting their fans, but when impressionable teens are the ones supporting their albums and concerts, the least they can do is attempt to set a positive example. They don’t have to adopt the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophies or follow Gandhi’s example, but being conscious of their choices is as simple as using their platform for positivity. Instead of attempting to destroy an ex-girlfriend’s reputation and pouring gasoline on open fires, they should visit a local school and encourage students to pursue higher education instead.

Regardless of where Chris Brown and Drake go in the world, both music powerhouses are recognizable, so being cognizant of the impact of their behavior is essential. They are role models. Their images are important.

Ask Beyoncé Knowles-Carter for tips on this. Though she might have agreed with Kanye West’s outburst at MTV’s 2010 Video Music Awards, she still forewent an awards acceptance speech to give Taylor Swift her time to shine. A polite gesture stretches further than negative antics.

So role models Drake and Chris, get over it! Apologize, release statements admonishing your behavior, and continue to make music that ripples throughout the world. Y.O.L.O., true, but too many young people are depending on you for you to let your influence go to waste.

N.C. Senate kills WSSU request to buy Bowman Gray; Childress is a potential buyer

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Winston-Salem State University’s effort to buy Bowman Gray Stadium from the city was snuffed out today when state lawmakers killed the university’s request for permission to borrow $7.5 million to buy the stadium.

The legislative move – sponsored by Sen. Don East, R-Surry, and pushed by Winston-Salem entrepreneur Harold Day – opens the door wider to another potential bidder: Richard Childress, the NASCAR icon from Winston-Salem who sold peanuts as a child at Bowman Gray and started his racing career there in the 1950s.

Bill Patterson, an executive vice president at Richard Childress Racing, met with Martha Wheelock, an assistant city manager, recently to talk about costs related to the stadium, he said. Bowman Gray has sentimental value for Childress. It’s a landmark stock-car racing stadium and more could be done with it, Patterson said, though he declined to provide further information about what else could be done.

“We do have an interest in it,” he said.

Day, who attended the meeting with Patterson and Wheelock, said he lobbied to have the university’s request pulled, asking business associates in as many as 12 counties to call their state representatives and senators.

“I think we’ve done it,” Day said. “We got enough calls in.”

Selling the stadium to someone such as Childress would preserve the stadium’s status as a landmark venue in the history of stock-car racing, he said.

“I’ve been going to Bowman Gray since I was a kid. It’s one of the few places in the country where a man can take his family, spend $10, and spend four hours having a good time and be home by midnight,” Day said, referring to the spring and summer stock-car races.

Efforts to contact East about his amendment striking Winston-Salem State’s request were unsuccessful because he was in session meetings. Rep. Dale Folwell, R-Forsyth, was also in meetings, but in interviews this week he said that he opposed the university’s request.

Officials at Winston-Salem State University were in disbelief that their request for permission to borrow money, which they say would have been paid back by raising student fees, was denied in the Senate.

University officials said that they tried earnestly to address any concerns raised — one of them being that the racing schedule would somehow be affected by a change in ownership from the city to WSSU. University officials have said they would have honored the long-term lease already in effect related to racing.

“We are still not sure what the issues were that created such a controversy since we had agreed to all of what we were told were the sticking points with the other lessee. We will, however, continue to discuss what steps we can take to ensure the best outcome for our students and for this university,” Chancellor Donald Reaves said in an email.

‘It’s home’

Winston-Salem State’s ties to Bowman Gray Stadium go back to the 1940s.

The university campus is a block from the stadium, making it convenient for students to attend games. That has created a decided home-field advantage, especially during the past two seasons, when the combined 9-2 at Bowman Gray and 21-3 overall.

Athletics Director Bill Hayes of WSSU also has a long history with Bowman Gray. He was WSSU’s head football coach from 1976 to 1987.

“It’s home,” Hayes said of what the stadium means to the school. “That’s all there really is to say.”

Current Coach Connell Maynor, who played one season at quarterback for the Rams in the late 1980s before transferring, said that WSSU has one of the best atmospheres in the CIAA because of the support from students, alumni and fans.

Bowman Gray “is a tough place for visiting teams to get a win,” Maynor said. “The atmosphere is electric, and it has been as far back as when I was playing here.”

Vic Johnson, 77, the vice president of WSSU’s board of trustees, said that the university has played home games at Bowman Gray since the football program was started. And the high schools in the area played there, said Johnson, who also played football for the Rams from 1957 to 1961.

Johnson said that Bowman Gray Stadium is a part of WSSU even though the school has never owned it. (Most major state universities own their own football stadium.)

“That stadium is part of our history in so many ways,” he said.

The historically black university had asked the state for permission to borrow $7.5 million, a loan that the university had planned to repay by raising student fees by $110.

Now that the request has died in the Senate, the university could try to have the state House put the request back into the corresponding House bill, but that is unlikely to succeed since it was just killed in the Senate. In all likelihood, school officials said, the university could try again during the long session of the General Assembly in January – if the stadium is still available at that time.

Bowman breakdown

The stadium is owned by the city of Winston-Salem. For years, members of the Winston-Salem City Council have been trying to reduce overall costs by selling some of its property, including Bowman Gray.

The stadium opened in 1937. In 1954, it was expanded to its current seating capacity of 17,000, according to the city. The stadium site has 42 acres, including 690 paved parking spaces. Civitan Park and three other tracts of land related to the stadium used for parking hold an additional 50 acres, according to the city.

Direct expenses related to Bowman Gray Stadium have led to a net loss in four of the past five fiscal years. But a comparatively good year – fiscal 2009-10 – lifted the average annual net cost over the five-year period to $6,600, according to Wheelock, the assistant city manager.

That number includes a net profit of as much as $68,896 in fiscal 2009-10 and a net loss of as much as $59,646 in fiscal 2007-08. However, that number does not include the city’s indirect expenses, such as the general management positions for the city’s overall public facilities, or payments on debt related to Bowman Gray Stadium.

Over the next five years, the debt payments are expected to average $334,000 annually.

Selling the stadium would save the city over the next five years a total of nearly $1.7 million in debt payments alone – not counting the average annual net direct cost of $6,600 or the general management positions.

bgutierrez@wsjournal.com (336) 727-7278 jdell@wsjournal.com (336) 727-4081

Racism? White teenager returns African-American Scholarship

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There was laughter during the awards night at the Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California last month when a white student, Jeffrey Warren, 17, was called up on stage and handed an African-American scholarship.

Warren, who received the $1,000 cheque donated by the Martiin Luther Senior Citizen’s Club, did not realize that it was intended only for black students, but when he did, he returned the check. It was then given to an African-American girl.

 Riverside Press Enterprise reports that Warren did not see the cover letter for the award sent to the high school counselor that said the scholarship was exclusively for blacks.

Warren said everyone in the hall was surprised when he appeared to collect the award and there was laughter. According to Riverside Press Enterprise, a hush fell over the School gym when Jeffrey was announced winner of an African-American student scholarship. Then laughter erupted when he got up to receive his $1,000 dollar award.

 MSNBC reports he said: “People were surprised. Laughter started to come up from crowd. They still shook my hand, they still said ‘thank you.’”
He said that although the presentation was awkward, he is now laughing about it with his friends. He told Riverside PE: “Now it’s kind of a joke.”

Etta Brown, chairwoman of the local Martin Luther King Senior Citizens Club’s scholarship committee, said: “We just couldn’t believe it at the outset. It was really something.There was a mixed feeling in the crowd.”

Daily Mail reports that although it was announced at the ceremony that the scholarship was only for black students, the application had only said that African-Americans were “encouraged to apply.”

 Daily Mail reports that Warren, who graduated last week, said he applied for a total of 27 scholarships and won three others. He said it was his father Rod Warren, who encouraged him to apply for all scholarships he was eligible for. According to Riverside PE, Rod Warren said his son applied for 27 scholarships and won three besides the African-American scholarship. He won two scholarships for $2,000 each and another $500 scholarship. MSNBC reports that some teachers also showed up at his graduation party and awarded him $351.

Warren said he returned the scholarship because he thought “it was the right thing to do.” MSNBC reports that he is receiving praises for his decision and even offers of alternate financial help. School principal Darel Hanses, said: “I think it says a lot for his character and it says a lot of the character for the family. This was not something the school or school district asked him to do. He in our opinion won the award in good faith though there was a mix-up.”

Warren said the Martin Luther King Senior Citizens Club accepted the scholarship back when he returned it. He said: “They were very nice about it. They thanked me for being generous and for being a great kid.

Jeffrey’s father Rod, who teaches language arts at the high school, said: “Jeffrey and I wanted them to be happy. The ladies were trying to do something really nice.”

 According to MSNBC, some club members felt Jeffrey should be allowed to keep the scholarship. But Brown said: “It was a very thoughtful decision between his family and himself that they would not accept it.”

Riverside PE reports that attorneys from a Sacramento-based group, the Pacific Legal Foundation, that supports banning affirmative action in public agencies, said organizations may use private money to give scholarship to any group or class of persons or use any eligibility criteria they choose.

 “Affirmative action” was introduced in the 1970s to address perceived inbalances in access of minority groups to higher education. According to Riverside PE, statistics available from the California Department of Education shows that college-going rates are lower among African-American and Hispanic students than whites and that minorities are more likely to go to community colleges than to state universities.

Daily Mail reports Warren, who had a cumulative grade-point average of 4.25, plans to go to San Diego State University to double major in English and business. Read more:

Judge Set To Announce Charges In FAMU Hazing Death

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A judge has set an October trial date for 11 marching band members charged with felony hazing in the death of a Florida A&M drum major.

An attorney for one of the former band members said Thursday the trial likely won’t start until next year, though, because of the number of defendants and witnesses who need to be interviewed.

“Given the amount of discovery, and everything that needs to be done in this case, and the number of defendants, it will be difficult for the case to be ready for trial at that date,” said Craig Brown, an attorney for defendant Aaron Golson. “There is a lot that has to be gone through.”

A list filed by prosecutors last month shows almost 85 potential witnesses for the trial.

Circuit Judge Marc Lubet set the Oct. 8 date during an arraignment hearing. Only defendant Shawn Turner was in court because he had not hired an attorney. He was appointed a public defender.

Most of the other defendants waived their appearances.

Champion died in November following what authorities have said was hazing on a bus after FAMU’s football game in Orlando.

Champion’s death exposed a wide culture of hazing at the school, specifically in the famed marching band. Critics say FAMU president James Ammons and other administrators ignored the hazing.

Ammons suspended the band in November and last month announced the group would be off the field for the coming school year as well. The trustees of the university in Tallahassee gave Ammons a no confidence vote earlier this month. Referenced

New dean appointed At FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

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Florida A&M University and Florida State University have named Pennsylvania State University engineering Professor Yaw D. Yeboah as the new dean of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. The appointment will take effect July 1.

After a national, five-month search, Yeboah was selected to succeed Ching-Jen “Marty” Chen, the college’s dean from 1992 to 2011. Engineering Professor John R. Collier has served as interim dean since Chen stepped down in February 2011.

“I am truly ecstatic to join Florida State University Provost Garnett Stokes in announcing the new dean for the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Dr. Yaw Yeboah,” said FAMU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Cynthia Hughes Harris. “I am confident that with Dr. Yeboah’s level of experience, research expertise and professionalism, he will ensure that the college remains one of the top producers of baccalaureate minority engineers in the nation. We are very fortunate to have him join our team of academic leaders.”

“Dr. Yeboah is an accomplished scholar who blends a genuine concern for students with the leadership skills that will propel the College of Engineering toward greater distinction,” said Stokes, Florida State’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “He is a consensus builder with a track record of success in higher education administration.”

Yeboah will be the fifth leader of the jointly operated engineering college, which enrolls approximately 2,250 undergraduate and 300 graduate students annually.

“I look forward to joining the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering family, and to continuing the tradition of excellence by upholding the motto ‘Quality, Growth and Diversity,’ Yeboah said. “The potential of the college, through its uniqueness, advantages and the opportunities it offers, is incredible, and I anticipate us working together on a shared vision to move it to the next level.”

Yeboah began his illustrious career in industry conducting research and development at the General Electric Corporate Research and Development Center in Schenectady, N.Y. He then joined Clark Atlanta University, building an engineering program as associate dean for science and engineering. In addition, he served as technical director of the Research Center for Science and Technology at Clark Atlanta University from 1995 to 2004.

At Penn State, Yeboah was the department head of the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, where he administered the engineering degree programs in energy, environmental systems, mining, and petroleum and natural gas. He also continued his research in catalysis, bioenergy, fuel cells and combustion, and emission control.

In 2008, Yeboah received the Black Achiever in Chemical Engineering Award for extraordinary contributions to chemical engineering and the engineering profession from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

In 1975, Yeboah was the first Massachusetts Institute of Technology student to ever earn four degrees in four years — bachelor’s degrees in management, chemistry and chemical engineering, and a master’s degree in chemical engineering practice. He earned a doctorate in chemical engineering in 1979, also from MIT.

The search committee that selected Yeboah was headed by Bishop Holifield, retired FAMU general counsel, and Lawrence G. Abele, director of the FSU Institute for Academic Leadership and former FSU provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. The committee consisted of representatives from both Florida A&M and Florida State.

For more information, contact:

  • Cynthia Hughes Harris, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Florida A&M, (850) 599-3276,cindy.hughesharris@famu.edu
  • Pamela Tolson of Florida A&M’s Office of Communications and Media Relations, (850) 412-5211,pamela.tolson@famu.edu
  • Garnett S. Stokes, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at Florida State, (850) 644-1816,gstokes@fsu.edu
  • Jeffery Seay of FSU University Communications, (850) 644-0277, jseay@admin.fsu.edu

Alabama State to offer B.F.A. degree in dance

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Students who wish to pursue a dance major now will be able to earn the Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance at Alabama State University, one of only two public universities in the state to offer the degree. The degree program, which will begin in fall 2013, was recently authorized by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

Unlike a Bachelor of Arts degree, which involves a broad liberal arts curriculum, the B.F.A. is a professional degree program which places a more intensive focus on the study of fine arts.

“It is very exciting to be able to offer our new degree program in dance,” said Dr. Tommie H. Stewart, dean of ASU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. “It will give credentials to our students who want to pursue professional careers in dance.”

Currently, dance is offered as a concentration in the Theatre Arts program. Student applications for the new degree program are now being accepted through the Department of Theatre Arts. Department chair Dr. Wendy Coleman said the groundwork for recruiting students for the program already has started.

“We have several students now that are in the dance concentration who will transfer over to the B.F.A.,” Coleman said. “We have several freshmen students that are coming in that will be going into the program once it formally launches. We also will spend this year continuing to recruit students from performing arts high schools statewide and nationwide.” Coleman said additional faculty will be hired for the program, which will be housed in the Department of Theatre Arts.

For more information on the new B.F.A. degree program in dance, contact ASU’s Department of Theatre Arts at 229-6929.

Two Alabama State Thursday football games added to live TV schedule on ESPNU

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The 89th Turkey Day Classic is one of two Thursday Alabama State football games that will be televised live on ESPNU.

The Hornets’ September 22 home game vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff has been moved to Thursday, Sept. 20, and will kick off at 6:30 p.m. at Cramton Bowl.

The Turkey Day Classic, opening game at the new ASU Stadium against Tuskegee, will kick off at 3 p.m. and will also be shown live on ESPNU.

Currently, Alabama State will have three live nationally televised games on the ESPN family of networks. The Hornets’ season-opening game in the 8th MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney Sept. 2 vs. Bethune-Cookman in Orlando, Fla., will be shown live at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN.

“When we recruit players, we tell them we will play at least one nationally televised game,” head coach Reggie Barlow said. “To have three games shown live is great notoriety and great opportunity for our guys to be seen around the country, as well as our program and Alabama State University. We’re excited about that and looking forward to the opportunity to show our brand of football nationwide.” Referenced from Al

Hampton council supports Harvey’s downtown revitalization plan

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City Council members will support a request by Hampton University President William Harvey to hire a consultant to create a plan to revitalize the downtown area.

Harvey outlined his proposal to the council on Wednesday night, his first public comments about the project since taking a lead role in the effort last fall.

“I don’t just want to get a report about another part of our city,” he said. “I thought the thing to do was to look at this in a holistic approach and that is what we’ll do. Harvey has spent about nine months assembling a 24-member board, Hampton First, that will lead the project. The board includes pastors, real estate developers, bankers, artists and small business owners.

HU’s president said the group will take community input and use those ideas to help guide consultant Sasaki Associates. He’s asking for $280,000 from the city to hire the Boston-based planner to create a new master plan for downtown.

City Council member were overwhelmingly in favor of Harvey’s proposal.

“If we are going to be successful, then we need to hitch our wagon to the things he’s doing,” Councilman Donnie Tuck said.

Tuck said that even though he aims to closely watch the city’s funds, he is excited about Harvey’s proposal.

Harvey agreed last fall to lead the downtown redevelopment project after Steiner+Associates, of Columbus, Ohio, published a report outlining challenges Hampton will need to overcome and goals it will need to achieve to increase tourism and business development.

Harvey said he wanted to use the Steiner report as a springboard for the Hampton First board, whose members are participating as volunteers.

Sasaki is already creating a master plan for Fort Monroe, and has been hired by the city to update the Phoebus and Buckroe master plans. Revamping those neighborhood plans is expected to cost the city about $250,000 each. City Manager Mary Bunting said the money to hire Sasaki will come from money from an account originally earmarked for a private development that never materialized.

A report distributed by Harvey outlines Hampton First’s vision for downtown that includes opening the waterfront to the public by relocating buildings, developing an aquatic theme and hosting more water-based events such as sailing regattas and boat shows.

Public transportation could also take downtown visitors to neighboring communities such as Coliseum Central, Phoebus, Fort Monroe and Buckroe. Read full

Congratulations Black America, We’ve Made The KKK Very Proud – Letter from the KKK

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In early 2011, the Ku Klux Klan released a letter applauding young black males for their efforts, and thanking them for their contribution to African American communities.

EXCLUSIVE BLOG: 53 WHITE People Shot! 10 Dead! One Weekend!

Here’s the letter:

“The KU KLUX KLAN would like to take this time to salute and congratulate all gang bangers for the slaughter of over 4,000 Black people since 1975. You are doing a marvelous job. Keep killing each other for nothing. The streets are still not yours nigger…it is ours. You are killing each other for our property. You are killing what could be future black doctors, lawyers, and businessmen that we wont have to compete with. And the good thing about it is that you are killing the youth. So we won’t have to worry about niggers in generations to come. We would further like to thank all the judges who have over sentenced those niggers to prison. We are winning. Pretty soon, we will be able to go back to raping your women because all the men will be gone. So you gang bangers…Keep up the good work. We love to read about drive-by shootings. We love to hear how many niggers get killed over the weekends. We can tolerate the nigger’s jungle fever (for now)… because that further breaks down the race. To all gang bangers across the world: we don’t love you niggers, but we can appreciate you gang bangers. You are doing a wonderful job in eliminating the black race. Without the men…your women cannot reproduce…unless of course, we do it for them. Then we will have successfully eliminated a race thanks to your help and commitment to killing each other. If most of you nigger gang bangers cannot read this letter, it is ok. Go pull a trigger and kill a nigger.”

As shameful as this is to say, they are absolutely right.

In Chicago alone; 49 were shot over St. Patrick’s Day weekend, 53 were shot over Memorial Day weekend, and this past weekend, 43 were shot. That’s three times in the past SIX weeks that at least 40 plus people were shot over a weekend in Chicago alone.

We are destroying ourselves with guns more effectively then they ever could with a rope. Over the past 86 years, the Ku Klux Klan has murdered approximately 3,440 blacks. Blacks are killing about the same amount of blacks every six months.

The saddest part about those lives that have been lost is that every time someone is murdered, two lives are ended. The victim who lost the most precious gift that can be bestowed to anyone, and the shooter, who will likely spend the majority if not the rest of his/her life inside of a prison cell. They both had the potential to be the next Barack Obama, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr, or Russell Simmons.

Instead they were buried six feet beneath the dirt, or placed behind six inches of bulletproof glass as they watch their loved ones shed tears for a man who they will never be able to embrace again, unless of course they end up in the penitentiary as well.

While my Editor-In-Chief Michael Skolink is in Sanford consoling the family of Trayvon Martin, there are 43 grieving families in Chicago whose loved one’s names will appear on a tombstone – not trending topics, or international news headlines.

We have all expressed our outrage over the tragic death of Trayvon, and rightfully so. He could’ve easily been any one of us. He was killed in cold blood for no justifiable reason. Well, there are literally thousands of young brothers who look just like Trayvon, who just as well could be anyone of us being slaughtered on a daily basis. Not by men who look nothing like George Zimmerman, but men who look just like you and me.

If we were able to unite and rally for justice for Trayvon, but are unable to band together to end this intraracial genocide, the message being sent is clear. It’s okay to murder young black men for trivial reasons as long as blacks are the ones doing the killing.

That’s similar to the stance that some of us use in defense of the word nigger. While I find this to be asinine in defense of a word, it as an utterly unacceptable when it comes to the destruction of a race of people.

If we can voice our opposition to cops killing us, whites killing us, and dictators killing their citizens in different countries, we are obligated to do the same for our own self-destruction. Read more: 

Georgia State ranked Top University for graduating African-Americans

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Georgia State University was ranked No. 1 in the nation for awarding the most bachelor’s degrees to African-Americans, according to a report from Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

Georgia State awarded 1,262 degrees to African-Americans this year, a one-year increase of 17 percent. That pushed the college past Florida A&M and North Carolina A&T State universities.

The college has also received national recognition for its success with Asian and Latino students.  More than half of the school’s nearly 32,000 students are minority. Referenced from AJC

New Partnership Establishes Confucius Institute at Texas Southern University

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Dr. John Rudley, President of Texas Southern University, is in Beijing China signing an agreement with the Chinese government to establish an international Confucius Institute at Texas Southern University. By establishing the only Confucius Institute in the greater Houston area, TSU will have the opportunity to develop academic and cultural programs related to Chinese language and cultures.

The Confucius Institute is a partnership between Texas Southern University and Beijing Jiaotong University, the premiere technology university in China.  TSU’s Confucius Institute is one only of 226 centers worldwide and one of 42 in the United States authorized through Hanban, the Chinese Language and Cultural Institute.

“Texas Southern students will be able to access and engage in many unique opportunities and activities provided by the Confucius Institute, and students will be able to access the international experience opportunities of its partner institution in China,” President Rudley explained.

Already one of the most diverse universities in the nation, TSU is proactively expanding efforts in Asian studies in a number of areas. “We are seeing an increased Asian enrollment at the university, and more importantly, there is an increased interest in all of our students for more academic opportunities in international programs,” the president expressed.

According to Dr. Rudley, TSU has created new partnerships with Chinese universities, including Bejing Jiaotong University, and has been working to expand relationships across China. Rudley further stressed, “This partnership is just one component of this multi-faceted endeavor, allowing us to build our Chinese Language Program and an Asian Cultural Study Center.”

The partnership between the Confucius Institute and Texas Southern has the full support of TSU’s Board of Regents; Dr. Danille Taylor, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences; who along with Wendy Adair, Vice President for University Advancement, traveled to China last summer to discuss the particulars of the Institute and partnership and the benefits of locating the Institute at TSU; as well as the support of Dr. Sunny E. Ohia, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research.

TSU offers many options for the study of Chinese culture in its College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences (COLABS), which houses the study of Chinese language and culture. The primary tasks for COLABS, in which the new Chinese program and Asian Studies are housed, is to equip TSU with multicultural and transnational experiences for students locally and abroad, thereby strengthening its language and culture programs.

TSU’s COLABS has been developing the following courses or course studies related to Chinese study: Asian/Chinese History, Chinese Literature in Translation, Study of Houstonian International Communities, The Chinese Community in Texas, and Chinese Language.

Dr. Taylor explains, “At the base of Chinese language study, are plans to establish courses on Chinese Civilization, to organize summer camps for local schools with Chinese themes, and allow students the opportunity to participate in local multi-cultural activities before visiting China.”

Taylor adds that,”the plan also calls for the promotion of short-term overseas study and student scholarship programs to provide better opportunities for our students to learn Chinese language and culture. Simultaneously, we will work in cooperation with the other colleges at TSU, such as the College of Science and Technology and the Jesse H. Jones School of Business. Both TSU schools have ongoing communication with programs and universities in China, Taylor stated”.

With the cooperation of departments and colleges of both TSU and BJTU, the Confucius Institute will greatly enhance Asian studies and enrich the humanities curriculum at TSU, thereby fostering a broader global perspective. Ultimately, the Confucius Institute will strengthen academic cooperation on a global level.

Through the Confucius Institute, COLABS will also conduct outreach activities into the global spectrum of the Houston communities in an effort to bolster and enhance the liberal arts in the entire university. By becoming a resource-rich cultural center for the Houston community, COLABS will further facilitate cooperation between Texas Southern University and Houston’s Asian community.  Ultimately, the Confucius Institute will provide a broad array of educational opportunities for elementary through college-age students as well as language and cultural continuing education courses, business preparation studies and general cultural awareness programs.

The Confucius Institute will be located in the Martin Luther King Jr., Center of Humanities, on its 3rd floor. The building is fully equipped with computer labs, language labs, multi-functional auditoriums, and classrooms that support teaching with new technologies in fields of liberal arts and communication.

Police seek gunman in deadly shooting near Johnson C. Smith University.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police are searching for the gunman in a shooting that killed a man Saturday night just northwest of Charlotte’s uptown.

The shooting happened around 9:10 p.m. on Coxe Avenue in a neighborhood off Rozzelles Ferry Road and not far from Johnson C. Smith University.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said officers were called to the area after receiving reports of gunshots. When they arrived, police found an adult man lying on the ground.

Gregory Lamont Kilgo, 32, had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police continued searching for the gunman late Saturday. Police said the suspect was described as a black man in his mid-20s who wore all black and had short dreadlocks.

Howard University names Wayne Frederick new Provost

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Howard University has named a new Provost and Chief Academic Officer.

Howard alumnus Wayne A.I. Frederick will take his post starting on June 18, 2012.

“A trusted leader, a revered expert in his field and a champion in his community, Dr. Frederick embodies Howard’s unwavering pursuit of ‘Truth and Service.’ With his appointment, we reaffirm our commitment to the vision of a University prominent in research and education across all disciplines,” said Howard University President Sidney A. Ribeau.

Frederick is originally from Port of Spain, Trinidad. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology, his medical degree from the College of Medicine, and his Masters in Business Administration from the School of Business at Howard.