FAMU President James Ammons Resigns

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ON Wednesday July 11, 2012 FAMU President James Ammons resigned from the university which is currently facing scrutiny and investigation following the tragic death of FAMU band member Robert Champion earlier this year.

In a letter to the chairman of the university’s governing board, Ammons said his decision came after “considerable thought, introspection and conversations with my family.”

Ammons resignation, which takes effect October 11,2012,  is the same month that defendants will begin their trial in the hazing death of Champion. Eleven FAMU band members face felony hazing charges, while two others face misdemeanor counts for alleged roles in Champion’s hazing. They have pleaded not guilty. Hazing that involves bodily harm is a third-degree felony in Florida.

University trustees, who say the resignation came as a surprise, voted to hold an emergency meeting Monday to discuss a replacement and the specific terms of Ammons’ resignation.

The resignation is yet another blow to the University following the hazing death in November, which led to the suspension of its famed Marching 100 band until 2013 and the springtime resignation of the band’s veteran director.

Hours before Ammons’ announcement Wednesday, Champion’s parents added the university to a lawsuit they had brought against the bus driver, whom they alleged stood guard outside the bus while the hazing took place.

The Champions claim Florida A&M University officials did not take action to stop hazing even though a school dean proposed suspending the band because of hazing concerns three days before their son died.

 

 

Hometown Glory: The Story of a Town United

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On September 6, 2012 the Bowie State Bulldogs will face the Benedict Tigers in a regular season football game. The twist however is that this regular season conference game between two Historically Black institutions will be televised, nationally, on CBS sports. A right usually reserved for big time college football programs (see Navy, Alabama and Notre Dame) or conference championship games has been reserved for two of the smaller Division II football programs in the land. A great accomplishment for African American’s across  the U.S. but an even greater accomplishment for a small Maryland town where crime, poverty and corruption persists and destroys the dreams of many of its black men.

In order to fully understand the implications this game has for the town of Bladensburg in Prince Georges County Maryland we must start in the year 2007. Late August on a hot Saturday morning 20 seniors on a football team that were 2 years removed from a win less 2005 season now had hopes of making history, becoming the first football team from Bladensburg High School to qualify for the Maryland state football playoffs, to go to state, since 1991. One of the unquestioned leaders on that team was Beks Amadi, who had just come off an all state season as a junior.  Beks was primed for a breakout season and ready to become a football star. Everyone on the team had not had the pleasure of being all state selections the year before, some were going into their first Varsity football season, a freshman, who would come to be known as “Big Baby”, Joshua Wade headlined that group.  Young, brash and misunderstood (as many of the young men from Bladensburg are) Joshua Wade had trouble fitting into his role on the varsity football team (one he would eventually become quite comfortable in).  Despite huge expectations the Bladensburg High School Football team of 07 went 5-5 (two games won by forfeit).  The end of the season culminating in a 32-28 loss to a Suitland program which would be known for winning two championships in 5 years under coach Nick Lynch. A game well fought but also the realization of potential never fulfilled for a group of 20 young men who had just played their last game in the Maroon and White of Bladensburg High School. The most important part of that cold November day however was the fact that it marked the beginning of a new Era. Beks Amadi would go on to play in the county all star game (one of three players selected from Bladensburg for the first time in years) and with his subsequent graduation it was now “Big Baby’s” time.

From 2008-2010 there were two things that you would undoubtedly hear at a Bladensburg High School Football Game. The first AWWWWWWWWWWWW MUSTANGS… the rallying call for a community searching to find its place in the world.  The second was a saying you would hear often… “Yea Big Baby”.  You see for 2 seasons at Bladensburg High School Joshua Wade embodied the community he grew up in. Young and ready to take on the world, if only he could figure out how. Big Baby went on to lead the county in Sacks as both a sophomore and a junior and receive first team all county honors before transferring to McKinley Tech in the district his senior season. He would receive over 10 scholarship offers to play football for many top flight programs in America including Illinois, Louisville and West Virginia, An achievement not seen at Bladensburg in decades. Despite this success, For whatever reason, when it was time for signing day in the spring of 2011, these offers disappeared and left Joshua Wade searching for where he would attend school. At which point Benedict College stepped in and quite literally saved Wade’s life. You see Bladensburg has a hold on men, and if you don’t leave when you have the opportunity to, you may never. Luckily Joshua went to Benedict and starred in the team’s spring football game as a freshman. I remember the questions of “who dat boy” from the fans in the stands in their South Carolina Accent said in a way that we could barely decipher but was perfect to them… There would be no question of who Joshua Wade was after the game… Big Baby had arrived.

Bowie State had a defensive end last year by the Name of Delano Johnson who signed as a free agent to play for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. At 6’4 270 he has the make up to physically dominate the game and he will probably go down as one of the best players in school history. All that said, he finished second on the team in tackles… to Bladensburg’s own Bek’s Amadi. Standing at maybe 5’10 and pushing 215 pounds Amadi is the shining example of the fact that sometimes it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but rather, the fight in the dog. And believe me, fight is what Beks did in order to reach the summit he currently finds himself on. In the same time period that Wade starred on the High School level Bek’s had graduated from Bladensburg… played his freshman season at Division 3 Salisbury State university, transferred back home due to personal reasons, sat out a year and proceeded to star for Bowie state as a Junior.  You see a lot of kids don’t have the courage in themselves and their ability to pursue their dreams at all cost… Beks did however, and I would like to think a small part of that can be attributed to the lessons he, myself and many others learned through the trials and tribulations endured at 4200 57th Avenue Bladensburg Maryland, “Work aint hard, Boss man aint mean” coach E used to say. The saying epitomized the workman attitude present all over the town, in 13-18 year olds that played football at Bladensburg, an attitude that would always breed future success. I have never heard it put better than this…”When you endure so much for so long with so little, you truly believe that you are qualified to doing anything with nothing.”… And you know what, Dammit we are!

Before I depart the pages of your Computer screen, Magazine, Newspaper, etc I would like to close with this. Earlier I stated that Bladensburg has a way of holding onto a man, I in no way intend for you to take that as good or bad, but rather just the way things are. You see if not for the people who did stay around to coach or support these two young men, they may not be where they are now. I feel as though my town is capable of anything and this game is proof.

To be honest, When you first walk through the doors (or trailers) of Bladensburg High, In the words of Adele, the people you meet “truly are the wonders of your world.” The people.. the situations, are truly unforgettable. This is evidenced by the longstanding friendships and everlasting camaraderie we all share, something quite frankly you just have to be apart of to understand. So, on September 6th 2012 when Bowie State takes on Benedict College, There will be Bulldogs fans and There will be Tiger fans, and that is how things should be. As I said before, this is huge for HBCU football, but the one thing that will connect both sides, maybe the most important thing to anybody who has ever driven down 57th Avenue is… Bladensburg. And that, to us, is and will always be true… AWWWWWWWWW MUSTANGS!!!!!!!!!

This is dedicated to mustangs past, present and future… mustangs we lost to soon… in the memory and respect of Alphonso Thompson Jr.

Cornell Wade
Bladensburg High School C/O 2009

Pictures Courtesy of Gazette.Net, Bowie State University, Benedict College, Bladensburg High School and Antoine Wade

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Closing the Morrill Act Gap founders of many HBCU’s

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This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act, a law that set a foundation for our nation’s public university system by establishing the first set of land-grant universities. And while some of America’s greatest institutions of higher education were created by the act, it is worth reminding Americans that not one but two Morrill Acts were enacted in the last half of the 19th Century.

Twenty-eight years after the first Morrill Act, a second Morrill Act established many of the nation’s public historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including Alabama A&M University, Kentucky State University, and North Carolina A&T State University.  The states were given a choice to either admit African Americans, or create separate institutions. Eighteen HBCUs were created in response to that choice.

So this year, we indeed celebrate the first Morrill Act, signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on July 2, 1862. But we also recognize that it gave a head start of nearly three decades to 58 originally all-white universities and vestiges of the gap in resources continue today. This year’s celebration is a great time to look ahead. What will public higher education look like in the year 2040?  That will be the year when we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Second Morrill Act of 1890.  To what degree will the “Morrill gap” still exist?  Will we see any measurable institutional gap closure in what for most of 150 years has been a racially dual state university system? Will South Carolina State University grow in measurable ways toward the stability and agility of Clemson University? And will Tuskegee University achieve the dream of its founder Booker T. Washington and become an international research institution like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology?

Realizing the best answers to those questions will depend on the moves made by sharp HBCU trustees and presidents. It will depend on their ability to successfully pursue capital enlargement, campus enrichment, strategy development and perception enhancement locally and nationally for HBCUs. It will depend on state governments to correct funding imbalances that continue to perpetuate historical inequities.  And it may also require the federal government, led by the Department of Education, to continue to advance HBCUs in the most creative and innovative ways.

So, here’s to the hard work required to ensure that in 2040, the Morrill Act gap will finally be closed and HBCUs will be celebrated as truly world-class institutions.

John Silvanus Wilson, Jr. is Executive Director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs

ECSU Football Attracts Buzz with 2012 Lindy’s Sports College Football Preview

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With the release of the 2012 Lindy’s Sports College Football Preview magazine, Elizabeth City State University has two players grabbing some attention.

Seniors Brad Davis and DaRonte McNeill both were individually recognized on Lindy’s All-Division II preseason teams.

Davis, a defensive lineman and All-CIAA First team honoree in 2011, has been named to the All-Division II Defensive Second Team. All-American McNeill has been marked by Lindy as one of the top four players to watch in Division II in 2012 as their pick for Preseason Offensive Player of the Year

Lindy’s Sports has ranked ECSU at preseason #18 in their top 25.

 

About Lindy Sports: Lindy’s printed its premier edition (SEC Football) in 1982 and has been going strong ever since. Widely recognized as one of the top nation’s top preseason sports magazines, Lindy’s caters to a number of audiences with a network of over 200 writers.  More about Lindy Sports

 

Norfolk State Men’s Basketball Nominated in”Best Upset” Category for 2012 ESPY Awards

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And the award goes to…..

It was announced last Wednesday that the Norfolk State men’s basketball team’s NCAA Tournament upset of Missouri was one of four nominees in the “Best Upset” category for the 2012 ESPY Awards.

The 2012 ESPYS ( Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) will be handed out on Wednesday, July 11 at the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. The live show airs at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Spartan men’s basketball coach Anthony Evans and players Kyle O’ Quinn and Pendarvis Williams have been invited to attend the awards presentation.

There is still time to vote! Link here: ESPY Vote

Murdered Morehouse Alum Remembered & Honored by Beyonce

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The 4th of July is usually  filled with good food, great people, fun and fireworks. But tragically this past 4th of July holiday a Dennis Tillet’s life was taken by a senseless act of possible gang violence in Los Angeles, California.

Tillet, who graduated from Morehouse College in 2009, was standing outside with friends at a 4th of July house party waiting to watch fireworks when an unidentified man began shooting into a crowd. As everyone began running into the house, Tillet was one of the last ones to run in.

LAPD Detective Michael Applegate says investigators aren’t yet certain whether the shooting was a result of a gang feud. But as far as he knows, Tillet’s group of friends was “just out there lighting fireworks and trying to enjoy the Fourth of July.”

According to Tillet’s mother, Audrey Fletcher,  Morehouse was his dream school ever since he was a little boy. He had moved back to LA after graduating and had begun his career in business, while always staying close to his home church of Ward AME as well as volunteering at the Ward Villa Senior Complex. “You exhale when they graduate, like, we’ve done our job,” she says,  “Then, this. It’s heartbreaking.”

The school’s Greater Los Angeles Alumni Association released this statement  regarding Tillet’s untimely death:

“By all accounts, Dennis was an endearing young man. Never confrontational, always helpful, and a source of positive energy on campus and in the classroom is the motif when hearing about Dennis from his peers. There has been a heartfelt outcry of sadness / mourning for Dennis and his family from across the country. We in the Greater Los Angeles Morehouse Alumni Association, share the shock that such a kind spirit would be taken from us in a violent and unnecessary manner. We extend our sincerest condolences to Dennis’ family and friends and expect that this incident will be investigated with the full resources local law enforcement has at their disposal.”

On July 8th, Beyonce took to her website with a tribute to his accomplishments and his special place with her as a loyal fan and member of her Beyhive.  See Here

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Central State students enjoy benefits of summer school

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Some undergraduates could not bear the idea of spending their summer at college, but these students miss out on some great opportunities.

Students enrolled in summer courses at Central State University enjoyed the chance to take credits toward graduation at an accelerated pace. Computer Science Major Austin Oten says summer school provides a way to get things done a lot faster. “Five weeks of school is better than fifth-teen weeks,” Oten said. “Having the ability to spend more time with my professors is also convenient.”

University College Tutor Director Randy Nance says summer school is an efficient use of time and a good way to invest in your future. “Time waits for no one. The mindset of a summer school student is one who wants to utilize their time to become more scholarly and wholesome,” Nance said. “Summer school creates professional students.”

Students enrolled for summer school at Central State were offered a $1700 bundle that covered tuition and fees for 6-8 credit hours per term.  CSU’s summer deal also covered room and board. The bundle is a great deal compared to the amount students have to pay taking fixed semesters. In-state students paid $8,653 per semester while out-of-state students paid for $12,366 per semester during the 2011-2012 year.

Summer sessions at CSU are open to high school students, students enrolled at other institutions, community individuals interested in personal development or professional advancement and to teachers who need credit toward renewal of teacher certificates.

About Central State University: Located in Wilberforce, Ohio, Central State University is the only public historically black university in the state of Ohio. A university that embraces its motto “Change is Central,” Central State is celebrating 125 years of academic excellence.

Weekend Sports Recap: Serena Williams wins 5th Wimbledon title

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Whether you spent your Friday through Sunday evenings trying to stay cool from the heat wave that blanketed much of the United States or enjoyed an ice cold glass of lemonade watching the sunset on the beach, the last weekend of sports were too great to opt out on. In case you missed it, here is a quick update of some of the biggest news buzzing in sports.

Bryant’s new sidekick

Right before the weekend kicked off, news of the game’s premier passer teaming up with one of the league’s very best triggered faithful Lakers fans to have something bright to look up to. The two former Most Valuable Players, Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant, will pair up together this year with hopes of winning something that draws closer and closer toward being out of reach for them with their age – an NBA Championship. Once bitter rivals, 38 year old Nash and 33 year old Bryant will set aside their animosity for one another in order to become the excited new duo that places the Lakers as instant championship contenders.

But Bryant and Nash are not the only NBA stars eager for a sought after championship ring.

Why did you do it, Allen?

You know what they say, “All good things must come to an end,” and that is all too clear with former Boston Celtic Ray Allen who agreed Friday night to take his talents to South Beach. The future Hall of Fame sharpshooter caused uproar in the basketball community when he signed a three-year deal to play with his previous team’s arch rival, the 2012 NBA Champion Miami Heat. The decision left many in utter confusion on why he would commit such a crime when he owes Boston so much but that’s the thing – Allen does not owe Boston anything. Besides, not too long ago he was on the chopping block to be traded and now he’s content with winning another ring or two with the dark-side (Heat) before he retires.

What is so wrong with taking the easy road out?

The Comeback Queen

After spending a 10 month hiatus/vacation away from the game suffering from an over-dramatic foot injury and pulmonary embolism, Serena Williams overcame her obstacles Saturday and won her 5th Wimbledon title in two years by defeating Polish woman Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 in the final. At 30, Williams is the oldest (and still the most fashionable) player to win a Major since tennis great Martina Navratilova claimed Wimbledon back in 1990. Despite the fact that Williams is ranked 6th among the All-Time Women’s Grand Slam Singles Title Leaders with 14 Majors, she is unquestionably the most dominating woman to ever hold a tennis racket, fiercely striking winners from both wings with ease and equipped with an awe-inspiring serve that would put some men into early retirement.

To top off her incredible weekend, Williams also won the Wimbledon Doubles Final with her older sister Venus.

Stay updated with sports, entertainment, politics and other news daily with HBCUBuzz.com, the Most Influential Brand in the HBCU Community.

2012 MEAC/SWAC Challenge: Bethune-Cookman University vs. Alabama State

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The eighth installment of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney features Bethune-Cookman of the MEAC against Isaiah Crowell and his newest team Alabama State of the SWAC. The game will be held Sunday, Sept. 2, at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando (noon ET on ESPN).

The yearly event features teams from two prominent Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Conferences. The game marks the first time that one school, Bethune-Cookman, which beat Prairie View 63-14 in 2011, has appeared in back-to-back years. Alabama State (led by Coach Reggie Barlow) returns having last played in the event in 2005.

“It’s definitely a big game,” Barlow said. “Bethune-Cookman has a great team. They’ve played some good football in the MEAC over the last two years. With this being my sixth year, I’m looking to see how our guys measure up against a great team like Bethune-Cookman. I want to see if we can handle their speed. I’m also looking forward to our student-athletes getting to travel to a great city and get to experience playing in a great venue there.”

Since 2005 the MEAC has dominated the challenge, but with new hopeful Isaish Crowell at Alabama many are speculating a turn around for the SWAC. Referenced

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AlliedBarton Security Services Partners with HBCU’s for 13th Annual Conference at Norfolk State University

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AlliedBarton Security Services, the industry’s premier provider of highly trained security personnel, is partnering with esteem law enforcement officials representing the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Law Enforcement Executives Association for the 13th annual conference at Norfolk State University on July 9 – 13, 2012. This year’s conference theme is The HBCU Legacy: Preserving it through Partnerships.

“We are excited to help underwrite the HBCU-LEEA annual training program during this conference,” said Glenn Rosenberg, Vice President of Higher Education, AlliedBarton Security Services.

This forum will allow prestige attendees to address important issues concerning their various campuses as well as their community including hazing, threat assessment and sexual assault responses and investigations.

The opening panel discussion will be facilitated by Chief Leroy James of Howard University addressing hazing issues and how it influences our campuses as well as our communities.

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Oakwood University’s Aeolians Choir to Compete in World Choir Olympics

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The Aeolians Choir of Oakwood University has been invited to compete in the 7th World Choir Games, the world’s largest international choral competition. The 2012 competition will be held July 11-13th in Cincinnati, Ohio, making this the first time ever the World Choir Games will be held in North America. Previous locations were Austria, China, South Korea and Germany.

The Aeolians will serve as the only Seventh-day Adventist and/or the only Alabama choir to participate in this biennial event, known as the “Olympics of choral music.”

Oakwood will compete against 20,000 participants in 400 choir groups from 70 countries in 23 musical categories.

This is the  first-ever World Choir Games invitation/competition for Oakwood University.

About Oakwood (http://www.oakwood.edu/): Oakwood University, a historically Black Seventh-day Adventist institution of higher learning, provides quality Christian education that emphasizes academic excellence; promotes harmonious development of mind, body, and spirit; and prepares leaders in service for God and humanity. referenced

20-year-old, Isis Keturah Pitts, Alabama A&M Student Killed at Night Club

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iSIS kETURAH Alabama A&M

The woman shot and killed outside a Huntsville night club Wednesday night was an Alabama A&M student, the school confirmed late Thursday night.

Isis Keturah Pitts, a 20-year-old from St. Louis, died after being shot outside the Bench Warmer club at 1818 University Drive. Her companion, Deandre Goodlet, also 20 and from Huntsville, was injured in the shooting. No arrests have been made in the shooting and the case remains under investigation. Police said they will charge the offenders with murder and attempted murder charges. In a statement issued late last night, Alabama A&M President Andrew Hugine said counseling services were available to students.

“We are deeply saddened about last night’s tragic events that impacted the Alabama A&M University family,” Hugine said in the statement. “Our heart-felt condolences go out to the victim and family. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
“We are in constant contact with area authorities and will continue to assist in any way possible. Our attention is now focused on providing care and support to those touched by this tragedy.” referenced:

U.S. Army offers substance to 2012 Essence Music Festival

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As the 2012 Essence Music Festival kicked into full gear this past weekend, the U.S. Army made a huge contribution to this year’s event.

Among the multiple festivities the Army had throughout the festival the focal point will be on educating young Americans on learning to be more advanced with their knowledge on technology as the future will seem to incorporate more of it to every aspect of life. The Army has been involved in education by giving out more than $230 million in ROTC scholarships last year and $100 million of that went to HBCU students. Also, since 2009, the Army Research Laboratory HBCU/MI program has given more than $19 million to HBCU students for research and other things. With the Essence Music Festival being the largest yearly event for African-Americans to celebrate its culture and music, the platform is ideal for the U.S. Army talk to families and people of all ages about their concerns.

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USDA, EPA Sign 5 Year Commitment with 1890 Universities

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One hundred fifty years ago – just two months after the creation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture – President Lincoln signed the Morrill Act, a historic measure that created the land-grant university system. Twenty-eight years later, Congress enacted a second Morrill Act to establish African American land-grant universities.

Commonly referred to as 1890 Universities, these schools have remained the custodians of access to and opportunity for higher education in underserved communities, as well as leaders in agricultural, environmental and public health studies.

Understanding the special role 1890 Universities play in preparing the next generation of American leaders, on Friday, June 29, we signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between USDA, EPA and the Council of 1890 Universities, an organization comprised of presidents and chancellors of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU), to help build upon their rich history.

Originally, 1890 Universities taught agriculture, military tactics, and the mechanical arts, as well as classical studies. Over time, as those studies evolved to incorporate the breadth of college academics, HBCUs have proven to be a vital link between African Americans and higher education. HBCUs represent about 3 percent of colleges in the United States – but they enroll 12 percent of all African American college students, produce 23 percent of all African American college graduates, and confer 60 percent of all engineering degrees earned by African American students. HBCUs also educate half of the country’s African American teachers and 40 percent of all African American health professionals.

The MOU we signed today represents a five-year commitment to increase cooperation between EPA, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and all 1890 Universities. EPA and USDA will support internships, training, technical assistance, faculty exchange opportunities, increased mentoring and other collaborative environmental and public health activities.

In addition to career-building programs such as the USDA/1890 National Scholars Program, we believe this MOU will help to give students of the 1890 Universities the skills they need to succeed in a modern American economy that’s built to last. Affordable access to  our public colleges and universities is a key component of our nation’s future success. And that is why the Obama Administration believes we must reward hard work and responsibility by keeping interest rates on student loans low. When Americans get a fair shot at an affordable college education, they can obtain skills they need to find a good job and a clear path to the middle class.

This MOU will also assist in giving more Americans a fair shot by expanding the conversation on environmentalism. Too often, America’s lowest income communities are also the communities burdened by the most pollution. Illnesses like heart disease, cancer, and asthma are linked to air pollution and other environmental threats – and all have had a tragic impact on African Americans and other minority communities.  Removing the barriers poor environmental conditions can pose to overburdened communities is essential to providing all Americans with the opportunities they deserve. This MOU will help increase public engagement and listening sessions with the underserved and historically underrepresented communities so that we are better equipped to fight for environmental justice.

The benefits of expanding access to higher education are clear. For more than 100 years, federal scientists and university researchers have supported farmers and ranchers who produce a safe and abundant food supply for our families. This work has helped sustain an agricultural trade surplus since the 1960s and led to the record farm income we’re enjoying today. This research also helps preserve and protect our environment. Together, we have helped develop no-till farming practices and new crop rotation systems tailored to meet the needs of American farmers and increase their bottom line. At the same time, these practices – and other new techniques like using wood chips as part of a sub-surface drainage system – reduce runoff of soil and chemicals that can negatively impact our water supply.

Our work to protect human health and the environment, and to sustain and improve the incredible productivity of our farmers and ranchers relies heavily on America’s innovative leaders in scientific development. The strong partnerships between our federal agencies and our nation’s land-grant system are an essential part of training those leaders so our country can meet the challenges of today – and those of tomorrow.

Over the years, land-grant colleges and universities have had a tremendously positive impact on our nation, graduating more than 20 million students. In partnership with the federal government, more than 100 land-grant institutions and other research partners have helped conduct the groundbreaking research that remains the envy of the world. In the years and decades to come, science can – and must – do so much more. It can provide the keys to good health and nutrition for our families, lead to clean energy solutions to power our cars, trucks, homes and offices, and promote sustainable food production to feed the world.

USDA and EPA are proud to partner again with our nation’s 1890s Universities. Together, by bringing advancements in science and technology, we can make a positive difference in the lives of Americans and people around the world.

Tennessee State hires interim VP of University Relations & Development

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Alvin P. “Bun” Perkinson Jr, is the newly selected interim Vice President of University Relations & Development at Tennessee State University.

Perkinson will now be responsible for strategically and operationally for all fundraising at TSU. Other responsibilities include building on the continued success of the university’s current fundraising attempts.

In a press release sent out by the university on July 5, the current university interim President Portia H. Shields, commented on welcoming Perkinson.

“He brings energy, purpose and enthusiasm to a successful university that is making giant steps forward. His wealth of knowledge, resources and professional experience in a variety of areas of higher education will strongly support the advancement efforts at TSU and continue the tradition of academic excellence.”

Perkinson started his current position on July 2.

His professional career includes experience in both business and higher education. For 12 years Perkinson served as the President of St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, N.C. During his tenure yearly gift income and endowment levels nearly doubled, enrollment increased by 50 percent, and in 1978 the college received its first million-dollar gift.

Other positions held by Perkinson include chief advancement officer at Millsaps College and chief development officer at Rhodes College.

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to become the newest member of the TSU community and to join the dedicated team in the University Relations division,” said Perkinson in a TSU press release. “I also look forward to meeting and working with the friends of the University and alumni in expanding the impact the institution is having on its students and higher education.”

Recently, Perkinson is the fourth to be announced selected to hold an interim appointment for TSU under current interim President Shields.

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African American Gymnast to Compete for Team America at London Olympics

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In essence, African American athletes have for decades received standing ovation for their glorious accomplishments in almost every area of American sports. From basketball, football, to even collegiate sports like swimming and equestrian, black athletes have made excellent marks in society showing what hard work dedication can produce. One student that bestows such great talent is sixteen-year-old African American gymnast Gabrielle Douglas aka “Flying Squirrel.”

This high-energy 16-year-old gymnast from West Des Moines, Iowa, has been competing since she was four years old; and now she has made it one step further by representing the US Olympic team, qualifying at the National Gymnastics Olympic Trials in San Diego, CA last Sunday, with a score of .02. She started her career in 2003 where she competed for Chow’s Gymnastics. This international elite gymnast has worked all of her life to come to the point of becoming a top competitor for the London Olympics this July.

Douglas is the first African American since Dominique Dawes in 2000 to join the women’s U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team. Douglas hopes to be only the second African American woman (women’s gymnastics) to win an individual medal.

Will you be watching?