The Power of the Statement Blazer

Posted by Robert Hoggard
Posted on
Celebrities embrace the power of the statement blazer

The purpose of a solid professional wardrobe is to have numerous pieces to choose from, all carefully designed and selected to make you more marketable and memorable to a potential employer. Some students wear colorful bowties while others opt for intricately designed stockings, but one of the most powerful messages that will convey your personality to an employer is the statement blazer.

Your goal is to be the standout in the crowd so the recruiter will be able to connect the outfit to the resume, so choose the blazer wisely. Whether it is black, blue, brown or forest green, be sure the blazer is a neutral color, but has amazing details such as a ruffled sleeve or a peplum hem to capture the recruiter’s attention. If the recruiter happens to be a fashionista, a conversation about the blazer might be sparked – another point towards being remembered and thus hired.

Statement blazers also signify confidence which is a characteristic that most companies are attracted. Pair a fitted statement blazer with two pieces of bold jewelry such as a large ring or a fierce necklace. If you need inspiration, check out Tracee Ellis Ross on Reed Between the Lines or pre-mom Beyonce – and hit the racks with a vengeance.

Tuskegee’s Joshua Eichelberger Among Those Recognized In SIAC Basketball Honors

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
ATLANTA—Tuskegee University senior Joshua Eichelberger has been named SIAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week while Kentucky State University sophomore Brandon Darrett was named SIAC Men’s Basketball Newcomer of the Week. Stillman College senior Jamila McKinnis and Albany State University freshman April Thomas have been named SIAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week, respectively.

Eichelberger, a native of Detroit, MI, averaged 15 points and 11.5 rebounds in two games, including a 16-point, 13-rebound performance in a 79-69 win over LeMoyne-Owen. Defensively, the 6-5, 195-pound forward also averaged two steals and a block along with an assist while helping lead the Golden Tigers to a 2-0 record, including a win over in-state conference rival Miles. Eichelberger, who has recorded four double-doubles in seven games, is one of three players that currently ranks in the top seven of the SIAC in scoring (15.3 ppg, 7th), rebounding ( 8.9 rpg, 2nd), and blocks (1.9 bpg, 4th).

McKinnis, a native of Mobile, AL, averaged 13 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in two games this past week to earn her second player of the week honor this season. The 5-11 forward was a force on defensive end for the Lady Tigers, averaging two steals and five blocks per game, including an impressive eight blocks against Claflin, while helping her team to a 2-0 record for the week. Averaging 15 points and eight rebounds per game this season, McKinnis, who also averages a conference-leading 3.1 blocks per game, is currently the only player that ranks in the top four of the SIAC in all three aforementioned categories.

Darrett, a 6-7 forward from Evansville, IN, earns his second weekly honor this season, averaging 10.3 points, including a season-high 12 points against Fort Valley State, and 7.3 rebounds in three games. The Vincennes University transfer also averaged 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks on defense while helping the Thorobreds to a 3-0 record for the week with victories over conference-foes Albany State, Fort Valley State, and Paine. Darrett leads the Thorobreds with 1.6 blocks per game and a .556 shooting percentage from the field, ranking fifth and sixth in the SIAC, respectively, in those categories.

Thomas, a 5-1 guard from Bainbridge, GA, averaged 13.7 points and three rebounds in three games. The Bainbridge High graduate also averaged 2.7 steals and 1.3 assists in those three games, helping the Lady Rams to wins over Lane, Kentucky State, and Fort Valley State. Thomas leads all SIAC freshmen with 26 three-point field goals made, which ranks second in the SIAC, as well as scoring at 14.8 points per game, ranking fourth among conference leaders in that category.

For more information regarding SIAC men’s and women’s basketball, visit www.thesiac.com.

Ben Baxter
Assistant Commissioner for Communications & New Media
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC)

Twenty-Five SIAC Football Standouts Named to 2011 Don Hansen All-Region Team

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
ATLANTA—The 2011 Don Hansen All-Super Region Two Team was recently released and 25 football standouts from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) were selected to this year’s team.

The SIAC had eight first team selections, including on two on offense, five on defense, and one on special teams, led by Morehouse running back David Carter and Albany State linebacker Jamarkus Gaskins. Other first team selections include Kentucky State wide receiver Rapahel Amey on offense as well as Clark Atlanta defensive linemen Darel Strong, Stillman defensive lineman Jeremy Hall, Albany State defensive back Rashad McRae, and Morehouse defensive back Justin Oliver on defense along with Fort Valley State punter Marquette King.

Carter, a junior from Marietta, GA, led the SIAC with 1,495 rushing yards and scoring with 19 touchdowns while finishing fourth in Division II at 149.5 yards per game. The 2011 SIAC Player of the Year set an NCAA Division II record for most rushing yards in a half with 251 yards in the first half against Fort Valley State.

Gaskins, a senior from Tifton, GA, was a key anchor of the Golden Rams’ “Dirty Blue” defense, recording 73 tackles (42 solo) with 17.5 tackles for loss (75 yards) in 12 games. The 2011 SIAC Defensive Player of the Year finished with a league-leading 11 sacks, finishing 19th in the nation in sacks per game. He also had five pass breakups, three fumble recoveries for 67 yards, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

Amey finished the 2011 season with 68 catches and 1,038 yards, both of which led the SIAC while catching seven touchdowns. Strong and Hall both ranked among the league leaders in tackles for loss with 17.5 and 15.5, respectively. McRae led the SIAC with 14 pass breakups, including five interceptions, while Oliver, who also had five interceptions, tied for third with 11. With 60 punts for 2,582 yards, King led the SIAC with a 43.0 yard punting average, which ranked fifth in Division II.

The SIAC placed ten players on the second team and seven players on the third team. Nine of the 10 SIAC football-playing institutions were represented on this year’s team led by Fort Valley State with six selections. Albany State and Morehouse both had four selections while Kentucky State and Lane each had three. Stillman had two selections while Benedict, Clark Atlanta, and Miles each had one.

The Don Hansen team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Ill., started and published Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988.  Don Hansen’s Football Gazette began selecting Division II All-Region squads in 2003.

The first-team and second-team All-Region selections advance to a national ballot from which the 2011 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team will be named later this month. A total of 106 players earned some form of Don Hansen All-Super Region Two honors.

 

2011 Don Hansen All-Super Region Two Team

 

First Team Offense

POS     NAME                                HT    WT     YR     SCHOOL                               HOMETOWN

QB       Micah Davis                       6-2    200    SR     Delta State                            Wesson, Miss.

FB        Isaiah Whitaker                   5-10  195    FR-RS Lenoir-Rhyne                         Salisbury, N.C.

RB        David Carter                      5-10  225    JR      Morehouse                           Marietta, Ga.

RB        Jonas Randolph                 5-10  185    SR     Mars Hill                                Daleville, Ala.

WR       Raphael Amey                   6-1    185    SR     Kentucky State                     Dumfries, Va.

WR       Chris Bowden                     6-2    190    JR      Wingate                                Forsyth, Ga.

WR       Mo William                         5-7    144    JR      North Alabama                      Atlanta, Ga.

TE        Josh Crumpton                  6-3    245    SR     Mars Hill                                Pickens, S.C.

AP        Denarius Appling                5-7    140    SO     West Georgia                        Griffin, Ga.

C          Darrell Leopold                  6-2    305    SR     Delta State                            Laurel, Miss.

OG       Edmund Kugbila                6-4    368    JR      Valdosta State                      Lawrenceville, Ga.

OG       Kyle Thornton                     6-4    345    SR     North Alabama                      Dallas, Texas

OT        Tyler Hodgson                   6-6    275    SR     Mars Hill                                Woodstock, Ga.

OT        Chandler Rearden               6-1    265    SR     Lenoir-Rhyne                         Greenwood, S.C.

PK        Colin Corpe                        6-2    180    SR     Lenoir-Rhyne                         Ocala, Fla.

 

First Team Defense

POS     NAME                                HT    WT     YR     SCHOOL                               HOMETOWN

DE       Zeke Andrews                    6-0    260    SR     Carson-Newman                    Eastman, Ga.

DE       Terrence Smith                   6-6    240    SR     Tusculum                              Riverdale, Ga.

DE        Darel Strong                      6-4    250    SR     Clark Atlanta                         Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

DG/DT  Jeremy Hall                       6-0    269    SO     Stillman                               Montgomery, Ala.

DG/DT  Robbie Mayers                   6-3    285    SR     Delta State                            Laurel, Miss.

LB        Marcus Dowtin                   6-2    226    SR     North Alabama                      Upper Marlboro, Md.

LB        Jamarkus Gaskins             6-2    217    SR     Albany State                         Tifton, Ga.

LB        Deon Lacey                       6-2    208    JR      West Alabama                       Brighton, Ala.

LB        Prince Simunyu                  6-1    230    SR     Brevard                                 Wake Forest, N.C.

S          Harrison Dreiling                 5-11  193    SR     Valdosta State                      Augusta, Ga.

S          Rashad McRae                  5-10  195    SR     Albany State                         Douglas, Ga.

CB        Dominique Davenport         5-10  180    SR     Delta State                            Baldwyn, Miss.

CB        Justin Oliver                     6-1    190    JR      Morehouse                           Pennsauken, N.J.

P          Marquette King                  6-1    191    SR     Fort Valley State                   Macon, Ga.

RS        Janoris Jenkins                  5-10  183    SR     North Alabama                      Pahokee, Fla.

 

Second Team Offense

POS     NAME                                HT    WT     YR     SCHOOL                               HOMETOWN

QB       Lee Chapple                       6-1    190    SR     North Alabama                      Alpharetta, Ga.

QB       Willy Korn                          6-2    201    SR     North Greenville                     Lyman, S.C.

FB        Jake Woerner                     6-1    220    FR     Brevard                                 Tiger, Ga.

RB        Travis Daniels                    5-10  205    SR     North Carolina-Pembroke       Washington, N.C.

RB        Matthew Willis                    5-8    205    JR      West Alabama                       Collins, Miss.

WR       Rashaad Carter                  6-3    205    SR     Tusculum                              Stone Mountain, Ga.

WR       Chance Dennis                   6-3    200    SR     Delta State                            Houston, Texas

WR       Deonte Gist                       5-9    175    SR     Tusculum                              Wellford, S.C.

WR       Christopher Slaughter       6-3    170    JR      Fort Valley State                   Fort Valley, Ga.

TE        Brandon Ellington               6-5    235    SO     Wingate                                Wilmington, N.C.

TE        Jovan Washington            6-1    211    SR     Kentucky State                     Cleveland, Ohio

AP        Brandon Lucas                   5-8    181    JR      Delta State                            Covington, Ga.

C          Jamie Dixon                       6-1    265    SR     North Alabama                      Muscle Shoals, Ala.

OG       Nick Allison                        6-4    290    FR-RS Mars Hill                                Asheville, N.C.

OG       Jessie Mitchell                  6-3    345    SR     Kentucky State                     East St. Louis, Ill.

OT        Mike Arndt                         6-4    290    SR     Wingate                                Matthews, N.C.

OT        Ryan Schraeder                  6-7    319    JR      Valdosta State                      Wichita, Kan.

OT        Mesh Wokomaty                6-6    308    JR      Valdosta State                      Dallas, Ga.

PK        Davis Brackett                   6-9    172    JR      West Georgia                        Marietta, Ga.

Second Team Defense

POS     NAME                                HT    WT     YR     SCHOOL                               HOMETOWN

DE        Kyle Hurt                           6-4    265    SR     Lane                                     Memphis, Tenn.

DE       Mark Hoskins                     6-2    280    SR     Delta State                            Louisville, Miss.

DE       Kevin Johnson                   6-3    215    SR     Mars Hill                                Valdosta, Ga.

DG/DT  Chigbo Anunoby               6-6    300    SR     Morehouse                           Jefferson City, Mo.

DG/DT  CJ Barksdale                     6-2    250    FR     Catawba                                Simpsonville, S.C.

DG/DT  Lawrence Virgil                   6-3    286    SO     Valdosta State                      Quitman, Ga.

LB        Courtney Daniels               6-0    227    SR     Fort Valley State                   Eatonton, Ga.

LB        Apollo Stretch                    6-2    245    JR      Newberry                               Columbia, S.C.

LB        Ixavier Triplett                     6-1    225    SO     Delta State                            Hillsboro, Miss.

LB        Fred Williams                     6-3    230    JR      North Carolina-Pembroke       Fayetteville, N.C.

S          Tyren Futch                       6-0    200    JR      Lane                                     Indianapolis, Ind.

S          Michael Green                    6-0    175    SO     Lenoir-Rhyne                         Kingsland, Ga.

S          Tyrell Kinder                     5-10  162    FR     Miles                                    Jackson, Ala.

S          Jamarius Robinson             5-11  194    SR     North Greenville                     Edgemoor, S.C.

CB        Marvin James                     5-9    175    FR-RS Mars Hill                                Macon, Ga.

CB        Janoris Jenkins                  5-10  183    SR     North Alabama                      Pahokee, Fla.

CB        Dwight Tillman                    5-11  190    SR     Delta State                            Baltimore, Md.

P          Andrew Jones                    6-0    185    JR      Delta State                            Madison, Miss.

P          Eric Watts                          6-4    220    SR     Brevard                                 Powhatan, Va.

P          Jack Fulford                      5-10  226    SR     Valdosta State                      Waycross, Ga.

P          Ronnie Partridge               5-10  180    SR     Stillman                               Ridge Spring, S.C.

RS        DeMario Barber                 5-9    185    SR     Fort Valley State                   Ashburn, Ga.

Third Team Offense

POS     NAME                                HT    WT     YR     SCHOOL                               HOMETOWN

QB       Luke Charles                      6-1    205    SO     North Carolina-Pembroke       Murphy, N.C.

RB        Nate Inman                         5-10  215    SR     Carson-Newman                    Fitzgerald, Ga.

RB        Teryan Rucker                    5-8    180    SO     North Greenville                     Gainsville, Ga.

WR       Dimitri Holmes                   5-10  165    FR     Mars Hill                                Athens, Ga.

WR       Tristan Purifoy                    6-0    185    SR     North Alabama                      Hanceville, Ala.

WR       Ronnie Tubbs                   6-3    180    JR      Albany State                         Yazoo City, Miss.

WR       Gerald Worsham                5-9    186    SR     West Alabama                       Birmingham, Ala.

WR       Freddie Martino, Jr.            6-0    193    SO     North Greenville                     North, S.C.

TE        Cody Harrington                 6-5    250    SR     North Carolina-Pembroke       Garner, N.C.

AP        Kelvin Jeter                        5-7    155    SO     Brevard                                 Gastonia, N.C.

C          Chase Gamble                   6-3    280    SR     Newberry                               Dallas, N.C.

C          Marlon Jones                    5-11  300    JR      Morehouse                           Powder Springs, Ga.

OG       Andy Nations                     6-6    347    JR      West Alabama                       Pascagoula, Miss.

OG       Chase Sherman                  6-4    285    SR     Delta State                            D’Iberville, Miss.

OT        Kendall Hunter                    6-6    338    JR      Delta State                            Mound Bayou, Miss.

OT        Lamar Young                     6-5    305    JR      Delta State                            Jonesboro, Ga.

PK        Taylor Baskett                    5-11  205    SR     North Carolina-Pembroke       Fayetteville, N.C.

Third Team Defense

POS     NAME                                HT    WT     YR     SCHOOL                               HOMETOWN

DE        Justin Blash                      6-5    300    JR      Albany State                         Alma, Ga.

DE       Anthony Daniels                 6-3    295    SR     Delta State                            Detroit, Mich.

DE       Josh Lewis                         6-5    234    SR     West Alabama                       Northport, Ala.

DE        Emanuel Williams             6-3    230    SR     Fort Valley State                   Baxley, Ga.

DG/DT  Cedric Hall                         6-4    250    SR     North Alabama                      Carthage, Miss.

DG/DT  Jamaa Massaline               6-0    260    SR     Benedict                               Sebring, Fla.

DG/DT  Mark Smith                        6-2    290    SR     North Greenville                     Greer, S.C.

LB        Demetrius Green                5-11  190    JR      Lenoir-Rhyne                         Cedartown, Ga.

LB        Cory Jones                        6-2    240    JR      Lane                                     Compton, Calif.

LB        Lakeem Perry                     6-0    225    SR     Catawba                                Louisburg, N.C.

LB        Rudy Cabral                       6-3    230    JR      Mars Hill                                Fairview, N.C.

S          Ricky Johnson                  6-1    200    SR     Fort Valley State                   Atlanta, Ga.

S          Nick Rosamonda                6-1    212    SR     North Greenville                     Debary, Fla.

CB        Jereme Green                     5-10  190    SR     North Greenville                     Charleston, S.C.

CB        Isaiah Johnson                   5-11  210    JR      North Greenville                     Fort Lawn, S.C.

CB        Matt Pierce                        5-10  198    JR      Valdosta State                      New Orleans, La.

CB        Jumal Rolle                        6-0    185    JR      Catawba                                Wilson, N.C.

RS        Michael Green                    6-0    175    SO     Lenoir-Rhyne                         Kingsland, Ga.

Ben Baxter
Assistant Commissioner for Communications & New Media
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC)

The CIAA Announces 16 Finalists for the 2012 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) announces the finalists for the fourth annual CIAA Division of the highly regarded Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award program.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the award program focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages those leaders to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact on their circle of influence.

“The CIAA is excited to highlight the contributions of our student-athletes in their community and the leadership skills they display in the classroom and on the court through this outstanding program by Lowe’s,” stated Dr. Mickey Burnim, chairman of the CIAA.

The 2011-12 women’s finalists are: Juliette Turner (Bowie State University), Ransheda Jennings (Chowan University), SheQuita Manning (Fayetteville State University), LaQwesha Gamble (Johnson C. Smith University), Elicia Gilliam-Washington (Livingstone College), Keyona Bryant (Saint Augustine’s College), Allyssa Lane (Shaw University), Marquilla Evans (Virginia State University), Dashia Chandler (Virginia Union University) and Courtney Medley (Winston-Salem State University).

The 2011-12 men’s finalists are: Darren Clark (Bowie State University), Lee Branscombe (Chowan University), Paul Goldsmith (Elizabeth City State University), James Otey (Johnson C. Smith University), Darrell Glass (Saint Augustine’s College) and James Shambley (Virginia State University)

“Lowe’s is proud to celebrate with the CIAA the superior contributions of its senior student-athletes in men’s and women’s basketball,” said Tom Lamb, Lowe’s senior vice president of marketing and advertising. “We want to congratulate all of the finalists from the CIAA’s member schools and commend them for their great character and for making an impact both on and off the court.”

The men’s and women’s winners will be determined through a voting process that runs concurrent with the basketball season and is divided into three categories: 1) online fan voting, 2) coaches, and 3) media. Each category accounts for one-third of the total vote. To vote: visit www.seniorCLASSaward.com/ciaa.

Lowe’s, a sponsor of the CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament, will recognize the men’s and women’s basketball winners on Lowe’s Day at the CIAA Thursday, March 1, 2012, between the 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. games

ABOUT THE AWARD:

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: classroom, community, character and competition.

The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards that a senior season can bring. For more information, visit www.seniorCLASSaward.com/ciaa.

 

The UNCF Gives Hope to HBCU Students with Their Invaluable Efforts

Posted by Tommy G. Meade Jr.
Posted on
The United Negro College Fund’s (UNCF) Annual Mayor’s Masked Ball is a premier fundraising and social affair, and last year’s event was a spectacle. This great cause of humanity is described to incorporate celebrities, dignitaries, civic leaders, public officials, volunteers, and others in the annual local fundraising activities of UNCF.

Hosted on December 17, 2011 at the luxurious Marriott Marquis Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia by the sitting Mayor of the city and local corporate sponsors, the annual event gave minority students of the Atlanta University School system hope towards matriculation in the final coursework for their college degree.

Living up to their motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” the UNCF annually provides 10,000 students with 400 scholarship and internship programs in order for low to moderate income families to afford the luxury of attending college. Last year’s Annual Masked Ball event dedicated $1.2 million dollars for these very efforts.

“We generally give back to a whole array of educational initiatives,” said Bill Hawthorne, Macy’s chief diversity officer whose company donated $50,000 to the cause. “In the course of that giving though, we want to make sure that we are specifically supporting those institutions that were devoted to the [Black, minority, underserved] or lower- income community. The UNCF is one such organization.”

Representatives of other donors who attended the event were Anheuser-Busch Inc., UPS, Coca-Cola, and Delta Air Lines, who all donated a total of $225,000 respectfully.

“Students at our Atlanta UNCF member colleges and universities, and Atlanta students attending other UNCF institutions, look to UNCF for help getting the education they need and deserve,” said Maurice E. Jenkins Jr., UNCF executive vice president stated about the organization.

It is clear that historically black colleges and universities still have major significance and importance within the black community that is invaluable toward preparing this along with the next generation to success and happiness.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, who credits attending a historically black university for helping him become the city’s Mayor, said, “I strongly believe HBCUs are vital in preparing the next generation of African-American business owners, attorneys, doctors, artists and civic leaders. I am a proud Howard University alumnus, and I believe I am the 59th mayor of Atlanta in large part because of my experiences there as both an undergraduate and law school student.”

With men and women required to wear black ties and long dresses to the event, the ball was celebrated for a great cause, to ensure the future of the black leaders of tomorrow.

NAACP Attorney and Howard University School of Law graduate Robert L Carter Has Died

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
Robert L. Carter, second left (AP Photo/Courtesy of the NAACP)

Robert L. Carter, who as an NAACP civil rights attorney was an architect of the legal strategy used in the cases that led to Brown vs. Board of Education, the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision that declared school segregation unconstitutional, has died. He was 94.

Carter, a former U.S. district judge for the southern district of New York, died Tuesday in a hospital in Manhattan after suffering a stroke last week, said his son David.

With law degrees from Howard University School of Law and Columbia Law School, where he wrote his master’s thesis on the 1st Amendment, Carter initially considered an academic career.

Instead, fired up by the racism he experienced while serving as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Forces during World War II, he went to work at the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People’s Legal Defense and Education Fund in 1944.

His Army experience, he wrote in “A Matter of Law,” his 2005 memoir, “made a militant of me, and instilled in me a fierce determination to fight against racism with all my intellectual and physical strength.”

As chief legal assistant to general counsel Thurgood Marshall, Carter worked closely with the future U.S. Supreme Court justice.

An associate in their office later likened the charismatic Marshall to being “the wind,” while the more intellectual Carter was “the keel.”

“Carter was a vigorous, careful, devoted attorney fighting for black equality in the courts,” said Richard Kluger, author of “Simple Justice: The History of Brown v. Board of Education and Black America’s Struggle for Equality.”

For more information, visit The Los Angeles Times

Stewart Fulbright, 1st Dean of NCCU School of Business, Dies at 92

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
Dr. Stwart B. Fulbright (NCCU)

DURHAM, NC— Stewart Fulbright, a trailblazing black educator who piloted a bomber during World War II as one of the Tuskegee Airmen and later served as the first dean of the North Carolina Central University School of Business, has died, He was 92.

His son, Edward, says Fulbright died in Durham, N.C., on New Year’s Day after a short illness. A funeral is planned for Saturday at Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Born in Springfield, Mo., in 1919, Fulbright enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943. He was one of about 1,000 men trained in Tuskegee, Ala., as the first black pilots, navigators and bombardiers in the U.S. military.

Fulbright worked at NCCU from 1947 until his retirement in 1982, becoming the first dean of the business school in 1972.

Courtesy of the Associated Press

Grambling State Defeats Alabama A&M for the Tigers’ First Victory

Posted by Kev Keise
Posted on
Former Big East star Quincy Roberts led Grambling State to victory over Alabama A&M.

Quincy Roberts finished with 21 points and eight rebounds to lead the Grambling State Tigers to their first win of the season as they edged out Alabama A&M 60-55.

The game came down to the wire and clutch free throws by the Tigers (1-11) secured their victory. In the final minute collectively, Roberts, Brandon Dorsett, Bryant Purvis and David Copeland  hit 7 of 8 foul shots.

The Tigers trailed 4-0 early in the game but scored 11 straight points that gave them an 11-4 lead at the 11:42 mark. Tigers didn’t trail since; at halftime they lead 36-28.

The Bulldogs (2-9) opened the second half with a 8-2 run making the score 38-34 at the 15:13 mark, they then went score for score until a 3-pointer by Xavier Rogers that pushed the Tiger lead to 47-40 with 9:57 left. Alabama A&M wouldn’t go away but there was too much Quincy Roberts. Down the stretch Roberts scored seven consecutive points for the Tigers. Casey Canty scored 24 points for Alabama A&M and Jeremy Crutcher pitched in 14.

Florida Memorial’s President Henry Lewis Wants Stronger Connection Between College & Community

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
FMU President Henry Lewis III has a vision for his HBCU. (eleutheranews.com)

Florida Memorial University, the only historically black college or university in South Florida, moved from St. Augustine to Miami in 1968. Nearly forty-five years later, one of the objectives of the new president, Henry Lewis III, is to connect the university, formerly known as Florida Memorial College, to the Miami-Dade County community.

Since Lewis was named president in 2010 he has travelled frequently from FMU’s campus in Miami Gardens to speak in Overtown, with future speaking engagements planned for Liberty City, North Miami, Opa-locka and Miami Lakes. Throughout Miami-Dade County, his message is the same: Florida Memorial University has unlimited potential. Community involvement will help FMU become a more powerful, educational and social force throughout south Florida.” His vision is to make FMU a “world class university,” moving it from good to great.

In a recent interview, Lewis gave me examples of the traditional “town and gown” model where colleges and universities are separated from the local community. Once enrolled, even local students become isolated from what goes on off-campus. Item No. 8 on his Vision 2020 Plan is to “implement community service-learning for all FMU students.”

Community service-learning is not a new concept. In 1985 Campus Compact was created by then presidents of Brown, Georgetown and Stanford universities and the president of the Education Commission of the States, to coordinate community engagement of students and faculty. Now Campus Compact is a national coalition of more than 1,100 college and university presidents in 34 states, and 6 million students are participating.

Campus Compact members in the state of Florida include Barry University, Bethune-Cookman University, Florida A&M University, Florida State University, Miami Dade College, the University of Florida, and the University of Miami. Each institution develops its own program. FMU will begin with service-learning experiences that are beneficial for both students and the community.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/05/2575186_fmus-new-president-wants-stronger.html#storylink=addthis#storylink=cpy

Bowie State Alum Issac Redman Overcomes the Odds to Play in the NFL

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
Issac Redman of Bowie State University

The lawyers cost money but they could keep her son out of jail, so Leslie Redman kept paying them until there was nothing left and she had to declare bankruptcy. Soon came the creditors to collect for the various unpaid bills, and they took the car and the house. Her husband vanished, leaving her with just her daughter and her son, Isaac, who prosecutors threatened to send to prison for 20 years.  There was no way she’d let that happen.

“We can always get another house,” she told her children.

So if you think the Pittsburgh Steelers lost something big when running back Rashard Mendenhall went down with a knee injury, that they won’t be able to replace him with someone as driven, as relentless, then you don’t know about Isaac Redman, the man who will line up in his place against the Denver Broncos in Sunday’s AFC wild-card contest. Redman once had everything – big colleges knocking at his door, the promise of a bright career, a smooth ride to the NFL. Then, the schools, the house, his reputation and everything else were all gone. And building it all back has been a far longer process.

“My mom stood by me,” he says. “She sacrificed everything.”

He was a high school star in Paulsboro, N.J., a town just outside Camden in the Philadelphia suburbs, a running back who was impossible to stop. Big schools called. There were scholarship offers and recruiting visits. Iowa was persistent. Temple was close to home and it seemed right. Then came April 17, 2003, and a party in a nearby town. He and another young man were accused of first-degree sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl in a car outside the house. He was 18 and about to finish high school.

Redman declines to elaborate on the details of that evening, but he eventually took a plea deal (resulting in three years of probation and no jail time) that convicted him of fourth-degree sexual contact (humiliating or degrading intimate touching). Leslie Redman says there were family pressures that led to the complaint and that someone familiar with the charges eventually apologized to Isaac for the fact they were brought.

But before the case was resolved, he faced 20 years in prison. Suddenly the colleges stopped calling. A low SAT score gave Temple reason to put his scholarship on hold, his once-gleaming future clouded. He spent months in a legal haze, with no college, no football, nothing but the fear he had lost it all.

When Isaac was arrested, Leslie cried for a week. “I knew he wanted to do so much with his life and it might not happen,” she says. “But I have faith in God and I keep praying and if you do that, God will take care of everything.”

A friend who rents houses called and said she had a house they could have free of charge. It was small, with no closets and barely enough room for Leslie, Isaac and his sister, but it was a house. It was a new start and what else could they be but grateful? With Temple stalling and nothing else looming for him, there came another surprise. It was something small, not much, but what choice did he have? Bowie State, a Division II school in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. was willing to take a chance.

Again, Isaac Redman could be nothing but grateful.

Read the rest of the story at Yahoo! Sports

Kappa Alpha Psi Helping HBCUs Reach a New Level of ‘Achievement’

Posted by Michael Livingston II
Posted on
What does achievement mean to you? For the ten men who founded Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University, it meant staying on the path to greatness despite the environment of racial discrimination that surrounded them. Indiana University was heavily supporting the Jim Crow laws, so there was a small number of African Americans students attending the university. The racist locals who opposed black students learning in their institutions did little to lift the few African-American students’ morale.

Ten African-American men- Elder Watson Diggs ‘The Dreamer’, Dr. Ezra D. Alexander, Dr. Byron Kenneth Armstrong, Atty. Henry Tourner Asher, Dr. Marcus Peter Blakemore, Paul Waymond Caine, George Wesley Edmonds, Dr. Guy Levis Grant, Edward Giles Irvin, and Sgt. John Milton Lee- persevered through the hate and discrimination to found Kappa Alpha Psi. Even though Kappa Alpha Psi was founded at a predominantly white institution, the Kappas do have a strong presence, as do all of the Divine Nine, at HBCUs.

‘The Dreamer’ Diggs, the fraternity’s first Grand Polemarch, originally studied at Howard University before transferring to Indiana University. It was at Howard University where he met founder Byron Kenneth Armstrong. The Kappas would return to Howard to charter the Xi chapter in 1920.

The Gamma Gamma chapter plot at Talladega College.

After Indiana, the fraternity went on to charter several of its first chapters on HBCU campuses: Delta chapter at Wilberforce University, Epsilon chapter at Lincoln University, Xi chapter at Howard University, Pi chapter at Morehouse College, and Tau chapter at West Virginia State University. HBCU graduates have excelled in every category one can name: science, law, politics, entertainment, etc. Surely, Kappa Alpha Psi has produced members from HBCUs who have achieved in every human endeavor.

Johnson C. Smith Wins Convincingly over Chowan University 95-69

Posted by Robert Hoggard
Posted on
Philip Wood scored 24 points in the blowout against Chowan University. (Durane Byrd)

On Wednesday January 4th the Chowan Hawks went to Brayboy Gymnasium (Charlotte, NC) to face their CIAA opponent, the Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith. Both teams needed a win and were at .500 in the standings before the game. The score of the game was 27-24 then JCSU took advantage with 3:43 remaining before halftime and that’s when JCSU took full control of Chowan’s defense. The Golden Bulls went on a 10-2 run to close out the first half.

JCSU head coach Stephen Joyner, Sr. said after the game: “The level of competition at the tournament in Illinois forced us to examine our own talents. I was pleased to see how we have responded and gelled in some areas. I still have some concerns about our rebounding and team defense, but ultimately we’re positively progressing.”
Midway through the 2nd half, JCSU used a 16-3 spurt to take an 83-49 lead and seized control of the game.  Chowan would score the final 11 points of the game, and held JCSU scoreless over the final 3:28. Four Golden Bulls finished the game in  double-digits for points, led by Phillip Wood. Wood concluded the evening with a game-high 24 points and eight rebounds. Rickey Lamb for Chowan led his team with a career high 16 points. The final score of the game was 95-69. The Hawks fall to 6-7 overall, and 0-1 in CIAA play.  JCSU is now 6-5 (1-0 CIAA).

Fayetteville State Alum Jamel Austin Making a Name as Pro Basketball Trainer

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
Jamel Austin and Nuggets forward Gary Forbes after a great session of Above Average Training. (Above Average)

Jamel Austin knows basketball. He also knows Gary Ervin.

Some might say that’s where the similarities end for the two men. But there is more. There’s the fact that they are around the same age. They were teammates in high school. OK, so maybe there’s not so much depth there. Find a roster from the 2002 squad at Brooklyn’s Paul Robeson High, and there will be about 10 other names on there with the same things in common with Austin and Ervin. But while Austin knows the game and his friend Ervin, there is another way to look at these two men.

Gary Ervin knows basketball. He also knows Jamel Austin. And that’s what has helped Jamel Austin see things he never thought were possible. Jamel Austin came to Fayetteville State after starring at the junior college level in New York. By his final season in 2007-08, Austin was a reliable guard, averaging nearly 11 points per game in over 32 minutes a game. He started 24 of 25 games, was among the CIAA’s leaders in assists per game with 5.1 and even added 3.5 rebounds a game. A year earlier, Austin started all 28 games.

Jamel Austin was a good player for the Broncos. But when the games were done, and a Mass Communications degree in hand, Austin still found himself searching for an edge. He compiled film for the NBA, but that left him a little cold. Watching guys play ball was a lot different, Austin found, than actually having the ball in his hand.

He hung around Felton J. Capel Arena some, looking for a game. As anyone with a Broncos background knows, games are pretty easy to come by in Capel for a guy like Austin. Guys like to play with someone they know will get them the ball. Austin can do that. Before long, he realized he could do even more.

Gary Ervin is a baller. High-major. When he left Robeson, he landed at Mississippi State. After a couple of seasons there, Ervin transferred to Arkansas. In two seasons at Arkansas, Ervin was a key player, averaging nearly 10 ppg in those two seasons, playing more than 30 minutes a game. Ervin wasn’t drafted into the NBA, but there are other leagues that will pay you to play.

Ervin found them. A year ago, he was named the MVP of the National Basketball League in Australia after putting up 20.1 ppg, 4.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds. He then moved on to the Ukraine, hooking on with BC Kyiv. This is Gary Ervin’s life. He may not be in an NBA uniform, but he’s gathering paychecks for his game. But even a guy like Gary Ervin needs help. And he knew just who to call.

Jamel Austin found his niche in the same place he found a home for his game. Capel Arena. He began running former teammates through drills. He led impromptu individual workouts. He began teaching. “I realized then I wanted to do something with basketball,” Austin says now, just days after returning home to Brooklyn, still fighting off the jet lag. “I wanted to stay around basketball.” At night, he began studying. Basketball videos. Drills. Books. Game film. Anything he could get his hands on.

“I looked at film and studied everything I could,”he says. “I’d study eight hours a day – game film, video, whatever. I didn’t always need to go to the gym.” The epiphany began to wash over him. Austin found the drills that clicked. He even began studying mental exercises. “You have to be elite mentally first,” he says now. “You have to be mentally strong, and then you have the tools necessary to keep working on your skills, to do all of the extra work that it takes.” With former FSU teammate (and current Broncos assistant coach) Mike Moses, Austin organized Above Average Training (www.AboveAverageTraining.com), putting his vision in place. All he needed now were clients. So he went home.

Who you know and what you know. Jamel Austin has turned the old cliché upside down. He uses both parts equally. Austin played AAU basketball with Gary Forbes, who had signed with the Denver Nuggets in 2010 after bouncing around basketball’s various professional leagues after playing at the University of Massachusetts. Back home in Brooklyn, Forbes needed a gym to work out in during the offseason. Word got out to Austin. He had a gym. Therefore, he had Forbes.

“I just jumped on it. I could get into a gym, and so I had him come down,” Austin says.

Austin worked Forbes out. The former teammates got along well. A series of workouts followed, some of which included Forbes’teammate from the Nuggets, former North Carolina star Ty Lawson. The word was getting out. Forbes and his game stayed in shape, and he was able to sign a contract with the Toronto Raptors. J.J. Hickson, a former N.C. State standout now with the Sacramento Kings, hooked up with Austin. “It all happened so quickly,” Austin says of his training career. “My dream came true. All of a sudden I was training NBA players.”

Jamel Austin heard from his good friend. Seven time zones away, Ervin felt like his game could be sharper. He offered Austin a trip of a lifetime – come to Kiev, Ukraine, for the league’s 2 ½-month season and work with Ervin for the duration. Austin packed his bags and headed to the former Eastern Bloc. “It wasn’t easy adjusting from the U.S. to Europe, that’s for sure,” Austin says.

But he did refine Ervin’s game. Working around the team’s laborious practice and game schedule, Ervin had a strong season at the point, ranking among the league’s best in assist-to-turnover ratio.

A successful season concluded, Austin returned home to Brooklyn, where more opportunities await. Austin recently signed with RBA Sports Agency, and will move his training into the Basketball City center in New York. His career is in full swing.

But Austin had to take the necessary steps to get there. His first one was on the Capel Arena hardwood. “I just have to thank God,” he says. “Just going to North Carolina and to Fayetteville State changed everything for me. It helped me mature so quickly. Lord knows where I’d be if I didn’t go to Fayetteville State.”

“The schoolwork, basketball – all of the experiences at Fayetteville State prepared me for my life afterwards.

“I love FSU. I mean, you’ve got to love FSU.”

Courtesy of CIAA

The Culture Examined: The Air Jordan Phenomenon

Posted by Michael Livingston II
Posted on
How far are you willing to go for a pair of Jordans?

Every year, different groups of people make a special journey to a hollowed ground or location to pay homage to or worship. Muslims are required by the 5 Pillars of Islam to go on Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca to unite in worship of Allah. Families of soldiers visit memorials with their lost one’s name inscribed in them, as an eternal homage to their bravery and sacrifice.

Every year, young men and women travel in packs to Foot Lockers and DTLRs across the county for the newest release of the Air Jordan Retro shoes. This year, it was the Jordan XI Concords, sold at retailers for $180. Though not a holy place, these outlets hold the Holy Grail for shoe collectors: Retro Jordans.

The Air Jordans’ phenomenon is found in their exclusiveness and their mystique. They are proud to own shoes that have been released before—and will undoubtedly be rereleased again in the future. The same Jordan XI that were released in 1995 are the same as the ones released in 2001 and 2011; only difference is the color. What doesn’t differ is the color of the people stampeding, stabbing and shooting each other for the sneakers.

Another reason for the brand’s popularity is the popularity of the name: Michael Jordan. Each Retro Jordan shoe released tells a story related to the career of Michael Jordan. Jordan wore the XI during the Chicago Bulls’ 72-win championship season of 1995-1996. He has shoes dedicated to significant moments in his career: The Shot in Cleveland, the 1984 playoffs where he scored a playoff record 63 points against Larry Bird’s Celtics, and 6 NBA Championships. Everyone wanted to be like Mike, and to be like Mike meant buying his shoes. It didn’t matter if the shoes didn’t help one jump higher or play better. You just had to have them.

It did not take long for the Air Jordan brand to gain notoriety. The Air Jordan I debuted in 1985 in a red, black and white colorway that was revolutionary for sneakers and costly for Jordan. The NBA banned the shoes and Jordan was fined $5,000 a game for wearing the shoes, but he defiantly wore them still. That controversial genesis of the brand has carried over to its future releases. People are being robbed at bus stops, mothers are leaving children behind cars—for sneakers.

Since then, the Jordan Retro shoes have become a staple in the shoe collector subculture. Collectors buy every shoe in the series to add to their collection. Some people buy the shoes on their release and sell them for twice or triple what they paid for. It is an indication of the power of the Jordan brand, and a poignant display of how materialism is still driving a wedge between African Americans and everyone else.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqwg1KE2-xQ&w=610&h=340]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDjb63GZyHY&w=610&h=340]

The Quintessential Black Pump

Posted by Robert Hoggard
Posted on
Black pumps are essential for a college woman's wardrobe.

An elegant pair of closed-toe black pumps should have been all college women’s gift list this past Christmas. These classic shoes, which seem to be a staple for most politicians’ wives, are timeless and will polish up the simplest professional skirt suit or casual button-down and slacks. Regardless of how you define your personal style, a simple pair of black pumps is essential for every woman’s wardrobe.

Black pumps are no longer reserved for first ladies; these are the perfect go-to shoes for a major interview or a business brunch. Of course, black pumps (unless they are platforms) aren’t something that most college women reach for on a daily basis, but a woman can never go wrong with these ageless beauties.

Consider classic black pumps an investment. If worn with care, most should last two to three years. For an added twist, purchase a pair of black pumps with a jeweled point or a funky heel. Having an alternative to the traditional pump might be more appealing for those who consider their fashion sense to be out-of-the-box.

Here are five sophisticated pumps worthy of your dollars:

Snake platform pump ($36.20, Urban Original)

Snake Platform Pump - Urban Original

 

Pointed toe pump ($18, Go Jane)

Pointed Toe Pump - Go Jane

Python-back velvet pump ($32.50, Charlotte Russe)

Python-back Velvet Pump - Charlotte Russe

Qupid Neutral-126 pump ($44.95, DSW)

Qupid Neutral-126 Pump - DSW

Steve Madden’s traisie platform pumps ($89.00, Macys)

Steve Madden's Traisie Platform Pump - Macy's

FAMU Students Bring Holiday Cheer to Families in the ‘Big Easy’

Posted by HBCU Editors
Posted on
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – More than 100 Florida A&M University students visited New Orleans, La., for three days and two nights during the holiday season helping families affected by Hurricane Katrina.

It has been six years since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, yet there is still a need for assistance. The purpose of the trip was to bring toys for the children affected by the hurricane, and volunteer at the local community centers.

“It honestly was extremely heart breaking to see that six years later, New Orleans looks as if Katrina was just yesterday,” said Jasmine Louis, a junior English education student from Orlando, Fla. “I immediately wanted to cry for all the families put out of their homes. It’s sad to see that people are still struggling.” Upon their arrival to New Orleans, rather than checking into their hotel, FAMU students immediately began a tour of the Lower Ninth Ward, an area that was hit hardest by the storm.

“It was truly an incredible experience going to the Lower Ninth Ward,” said Antonio Hairston, a senior public relations student from Miami, Fla. “It reminds you that there are people out there who still need help. The tour was not only touching, but it also taught me about the area as well.”

The following morning, students woke up bright and early for a day of service. FAMU students were split into groups, with students visiting the Gretna Boys and Girls Club, Lower Ninth Ward Boys and Girls Club and the Iberville Boys and Girls Club.

“We painted, mopped, performed carpentry and interacted with as many children as we could,” said Mike Woodward, a senior business administration student from Georgia. “Overall, we gave back to others as much as we could.”

At the Boys and Girls Club, the students gave away hundreds of toys that were donated by FAMU’s student body. “It was a rewarding experience,” said Matthew Holte, a junior political science student from Tampa, Fla. “It was pretty neat to put a smile on a child’s face.”