The second annual Staten Island Black College Fair will be held Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. inside McKee High School, St. George. (Staten Island advance photo)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The second annual Staten Island Black College Fair will be held Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. inside McKee High School, St. George.
The free program invites parents and potential college students to visit the school where representatives from over 16 historically black colleges and universities have already signed up to participate, said Tammy Greer-Brown, chairwoman of the Education Committee of the NAACP, which is sponsoring the event.
Among the schools confirmed to participate so far are Hampton University, Howard University, Shaw University, Florida A&M University, and Morehouse College, with many more to come, said Ms. Greer-Brown.
The event will also include workshops on financial aid as well as volunteers who can help students fill out college applications on site.
This year’s sponsors are Richmond County Savings Foundation and the Staten Island Foundation. Local partners include: Leadership Through Sports, One Way Youth Ministry, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the Staten Island Athletic Club, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and many otther churches, community-based organizations and volunteers.
Rudy Chestang, a former Alcorn State University (ASU) Braves basketball player, has filed a lawsuit against the university and Dr. Alvin T. Simpson, a psychology professor, for sexual harassment, according to WJTV.com.
Chicago-native Chestang arrived in Lorman, Miss., in 2005, after accepting an athletic scholarship to what is affectionately known as the “reservation.” Confident that he was finally on the road to providing financially for his family back in the Windy City, Chestang was living his “dream”:
I felt basketball was my way to the American dream to help my family, Chestang said. It was the grown-up brotherhood thing that I was looking for.
According to Chestang, the dream became a nightmare when a basketball game forced him to miss a psychology exam in 2008. Enter, Dr. Simpson, a tenured professor at Alcorn State and adored by students for his unique and innovative approach to psychology and his willingness to serve as mentor to students in his program.
Chestang is now accusing Dr. Simpson of sexually propositioning him in exchange for the opportunity to retake the test.
If I wanted to take the test, I [could], but it had to be at his house, Chestang said.
According to the 6’8″ ball player, what he discovered when he went to Simpson’s house with a friend shocked him to his core: Read Full Story
The 30-year-old alumnus is eager to return to his college alma mater for such a prestigious award.
“It’s a tremendous honor, and it’s something that I didn’t set out to achieve when I got to college,” said Burks. “I just wanted to go there and play the game the right way and I just felt I always had something to prove as far as basketball was concerned.”
He will be enshrined alongside eight others in the hall’s 18th class. Burks starred for the Panthers from 1998-2003 in men’s basketball.
For his career, Burks averaged 17.1 points, 4.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 117 games. He was twice named to the First Team All-SWAC squad and he led his group to a conference title in 2003.
He is currently Flint Southwestern’s boys varsity basketball assistant coach. This is his first season serving in that role.
The Knights are 4-9 overall.
“He’s been truly instrumental in helping us both offensively and defensively, and also as far as practices, he makes sure the guys are here and where they’re supposed to be,” Southwestern head coach Nathaniel Perry said. “I think it’s very easy for him to garner the kids’ respect on this team, because I try to make sure they know about his accomplishments.”
Southwestern’s sophomore point guard Malik Young may be benefiting from Burks’ direction more than anyone else.
He takes full advantage of having a former professional basketball player — who played the same position — to learn from on a daily basis. Read Full Article
The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office said Wednesday that the body of a woman found under a tree in south Atlanta has been identified as Stacey Nicole English, the Atlanta bank employee reported missing last month.
English’s Volvo S260 was discovered, with the engine running, on Dec. 27 less than a mile away from the wooded area where two men searching for scrap metal located the body Monday. The 36-year-old SunTrust instructional designer was reported missing by family members on Dec. 31.
Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos said authorities received a 911 call about the discovery shortly before 3 p.m. Monday. The body was located off St. Johns Avenue near Aaron’s Amphitheater at Lakewood “in an advanced state of decomposition,” Campos said.
English’s Volvo S260 was discovered, with the engine running, on Dec. 27 less than a mile away from the wooded area where two men searching for scrap metal located the body Monday. The 36-year-old SunTrust instructional designer was reported missing by family members on Dec. 31.
Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos said authorities received a 911 call about the discovery shortly before 3 p.m. Monday. The body was located off St. Johns Avenue near Aaron’s Amphitheater at Lakewood “in an advanced state of decomposition,” Campos said.
English’s family was notified of the discovery.
Atlanta police, with the assistance of Georgia State Patrol dive teams, had conducted massive searches of the area around Lakewood Fairgrounds in recent weeks but turned up no sign of English.
Monday, Campos could not say if police had canvassed St. Johns Avenue on Jan. 6, when K-9 units and officers on horseback combed the area.
Robert Kirk, of St. Louis, was the last person known to have seen English. He told detectives the woman began “acting peculiar” the night of Dec. 26, asking him if he was Satan. She told him to leave her apartment and Kirk told police he did, checking into a hotel, according to the incident report.
Police said there is no evidence linking Kirk to English’s disappearance.
Investigators have said there also was nothing to indicate English met with foul play, though they acknowledged “suspicious circumstances” in her disappearance.
According to the incident report, English’s mother, Cindy Jamison, told investigators her daughter, a Fayette CountyHigh School graduate, had attempted suicide nearly three years ago and said she was taking an undisclosed medication. Read Full Story
As men’s track and field head coach Wayne Angel strode away from the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on Sunday night, he described his team’s performance as a “huge breakthrough.”
Led by impressive performances across the board, Florida A&M secured one victory, 15 top-10 finishes and six Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Indoor Championship qualifiers during the Gator Invitational in Gainesville, Fla.
With the MEAC Indoor Championship right around the corner, according to Angel, the team display indicates that it has reached “conference shape” right on time.
“We had a huge breakthrough; I’m very proud of those guys,” Angel said after the meet. “The momentum was going. Those things that we knew we could do well, we did just that. We focused on the positive things, and now we’re rounding into conference shape.”
A major highlight for FAMU was the 4 x 400m relay. The team comprised of Derrick Morgan, Shelton Tarver, Charief Lewis and Elijah Owens, blazed to a first-place finish in a season-best time of 3:18.82 – edging Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rival Bethune-Cookman, who finished closely in second place.
Tarver later leapt to third place in the long jump (22-05.25) and fifth-place in the triple jump (43-03.00).
All-MEAC runner Lamere Buchanan put together a solid performance, finishing third in the 800m run in a time of 1:54.82. Owolabi Deji (1:56.02) and McDaniel Olivier (1:59.03) followed closely, finishing sixth and 12th respectively.
Buchanan said the team’s balanced performance in Gainesville was a product of Angel’s regular workout strategies.
“I’m excited to see that the workouts coach put us through this week paid off,” Buchanan said. “It helps us all see that the workouts we do actually are benefitting us week by week. When MEAC comes, we’ll be able to perform at our best.”
Willie Johnson soared to second place in the high jump with a leap of 6-06.00, matching distances of five other competitors and qualifying for a championship berth. Read Full article at THE FAMUAN
The Bowie State Bulldogs moved up two spots to # 19 in this week’s Division II NABC (Coaches) poll. The poll records reflect games played through January 21st. COMPLETE POLL
Last week, the Bulldogs defeated Johnson C. Smith and Chowan to improve their record to 13-3. Bowie State also beat Elizabeth City State on Monday (January 23rd), but this game did not factor into the latest poll.
The Bulldogs return to the hardwood on Saturday (January 28th) for a much anticipated rematch against Lincoln University of Pennsylvania in the Lions home court.
The Pirates of Hampton University snapped a four-game losing streak with a 78-66 win over South Carolina State Tuesday night at the HU Convocation Center behind an explosive night on the boards.
Hampton (7-13, 3-4 MEAC) finished the game with a season-high 55 rebounds.
The Pirates were led by sophomore center David Bruce (Linden, N.J.), who recorded his fifth double-double of the season with a team-high 19 points and 12 rebounds, but Bruce was not the only Pirate crashing the boards Tuesday night. Senior forward Danny Agbelese (Lanham, Md.) also recorded a double-double with a career-high 13 points and a career-high-tying 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
Hampton's Darrion Pellum shoots over a host of South Carolina State defenders in the first half of Tuesday's game. (Kaitlin McKeown, Daily Press)
The game was a back-and-forth affair in the first half, with the largest lead being five, which both teams held at one point.
The Pirates went up by four, with the score 8-4 following a layup by senior guard Mike Tuitt (Bronx, N.Y.) at the 18:06 mark, but the Bulldogs tied the game back up at 8-8 following two good buckets from Brandon Riley.
Hampton went on a 9-0 run that started when Agbelese made a jumper at the 8:41 mark to cut South Carolina State’s lead to 23-21. The Bulldogs stopped the run when Joe Ikhinmwin drained a 3-pointer at the 6:10 mark to pull SCSU back within two of the lead, 28-26.
Ikhinmwin’s shot stated a 13-3 run for the Bulldogs, giving them a 36-31 lead. Senior guardChristopher Tolson (Laurel, Md.) hit four free throws for the Pirates, but it was not enough, as Ikhinmwin drained another 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs a 40-35 advantage heading into the half.
Khalif Toombs made the first shot of the second half to put the Bulldogs up by eight points, but the Pirates went on a 10-2 run started by Bruce, which pulled Hampton within one point, 45-44, with 13:33 left to play.
Hampton later went on an 11-0 run to take an eight-point lead, 55-47, with 9:21 left to play, and the Pirates never looked back. Hampton led by as many as 15 points at one point, with the Bulldogs getting as close as three points on one occasion, but the Pirates went on a 13-0 run started by a deep 3-pointer by Tolson at the 6:55 mark. Read Full Article
REUTERS – Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) on Friday named Rosalind Brewer president and chief executive of its Sam’s Club warehouse retail chain, marking the first time that the world’s largest retailer will have a woman and an African-American leading one of its three business units.
Brewer, 49, will replace Brian Cornell on February 1 at the start of the company’s fiscal year, Wal-Mart said. She most recently ran Walmart U.S. operations on the East Coast.
Cornell, 52, recently told Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart that he and his wife want to move back to the Northeast to be closer to their children.
Wal-Mart also promoted two other women on Friday, naming Gisel Ruiz to the role of Walmart U.S. chief operating officer and Karenann Terrell as chief information officer.
The appointments come after Wal-Mart last year won a historic U.S. Supreme Court decision when the court rejected a nationwide class-action lawsuit brought by women who alleged that they were denied raises and promotions because of their gender. Some are regrouping to file smaller lawsuits.
Cornell’s departure is not the first time that a Sam’s Club CEO has left Wal-Mart and its small-town Arkansas way of life.
Kevin Turner started his Wal-Mart career working as an hourly store employee in 1986. He moved up the ranks and ran Sam’s Club from 2002 until 2005, when he left to become Microsoft Corp’s (MSFT.O) chief operating officer.
“Wal-Mart has the ongoing challenge of maintaining talent because their best people are very desirable to places where they can make a lot more money,” said Consumer Edge analyst Faye Landes.
Cornell, in a statement, said that he felt at home at Wal-Mart, but that after 30 years of moving around it was time to put his family first.
“My wife and I want to put down roots in the Northeast and live in the same ZIP code as our children – not just occasionally seeing them in hotels and restaurants,” he said.
Shares of Wal-Mart were up 0.5 percent at $60.93 on Friday afternoon after hitting $61.25, their highest level since 2008.
SAM’S CLUB IS A SMALLER BUSINESS
As president and CEO of Sam’s Club since April 2009, Cornell led growth at the chain including the launch of new private-label goods and using analytics to learn more about shoppers, an effort Wal-Mart is now expanding throughout the entire company.
“He was a very strong contributor,” said Landes, who said that Brewer comes across as “extremely capable and charismatic.”
Sam’s Club, with 610 stores and $49.46 billion in fiscal 2011 sales, is a smaller business than the Walmart division Brewer previously ran. It trails warehouse club leader Costco Wholesale Corp (COST.O), which has roughly 600 stores and $88.9 billion in fiscal 2011 revenue.
In her most recent role, president of the Walmart U.S. East business unit, Brewer was responsible for more than $100 billion in annual revenue, representing almost 1,600 stores and more than 500,000 employees.
Sales at Sam’s Club stores open for a year or more rose 9 percent in the third quarter, including sales of gasoline. At Costco, such sales rose 10 percent in the latest quarter. The growth at both warehouse chains eclipsed a 1.3 percent rise in same-stores at Walmart U.S., which came after nine straight quarterly declines.
Brewer joined Wal-Mart in 2006 as a regional vice president after spending years at Kimberly-Clark Corp (KMB.N). She was selected as one of the most powerful women in business by Fortune magazine in 2010 and 2011 and sits on the board of Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N). She was also the first chair of the Walmart President’s Council of Global Women Leaders.
Walmart U.S., the retailer’s largest division in terms of sales, is run by Bill Simon, who also joined the company in 2006. Walmart International, the second-largest division, is led by Doug McMillon, who previously served as CEO of Sam’s Club.
Wal-Mart also promoted Rollin Ford to chief administrative officer, overseeing areas including information systems and sourcing. He was most recently chief information officer, and will continue to report to President and CEO Mike Duke.
Hampton University is hosting a town hall meeting today regarding school choice, fighting “educational injustice”.
Michelle Bernard will be moderating the affair. Bernard is a HU Board of Trustees member, and an MSNBC political analyst who advocates practice of alternative schools for public K-12 education. The Bernard Center for Women, Politics and Public Policy, founded by Bernard, is sponsoring the event.
Speakers such as Darnell Bradford, the executive director of the New Jersey-based organization “Better Education for Kids”, and Stephen A. Smith, an ESPN host and commentator, are scheduled to appear. The presenters of the event will emphasize supporting more educational opportunities for children.
Alternative education, such as charter schools, has benefits that supporters believe will provide better educational options for children, and more opportunities for education that is child-centered.
Parents, teachers, community groups and educational entrepreneurs are all supporters of this effort, and are encouraging construction of alternative educational opportunities that is thought to provide new and better services to students.
President Barack Obama, as well as past Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, also takes a special interest in the many benefits of alternative education.
“In communities across our country, successful public charter schools help put children on the path to academic excellence by harnessing the power of new ideas, ground breaking strategies, and the collective involvement of students, parents, teachers, and administrators,” President Obama said in a Presidential Proclamation concerning charter schools. “In order to win the global competition for new jobs and industries, we must win the global competition to educate our children. At their best, charter schools provide us with an opportunity to meet this challenge and produce the next generation of great American leaders.”
Hampton University, a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia, is continuing their efforts to safeguard all children with a bright future. HU made an attempt in the early 2000s to establish the HU Charter School for Math, Science and Technology until efforts succumbed late in the process once the Hampton School Board revoked a charter that would have allowed the school to open.
The event takes place in the Hampton University student center ballroom at 6 p.m. promptly. All are welcomed.
GOP Republican candidate Mitt Romney releases his tax returns after much anticipation.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney released tax records on Tuesday indicating he is paying $6.2 million in taxes on a total of $42.5 million in income over the years 2010 and 2011.
Bowing to increasing political pressure to provide more detail about his vast wealth, the former private equity executive released tax returns indicating he and his wife, Ann, paid an effective tax rate of 13.9 percent in 2010. They expect to pay a 15.4 percent rate when they file their returns for 2011.
Romney’s 2010 returns show the candidate is among the top 1 percent of taxpayers.
Romney’s tax rate is below that of most wage-earning Americans because most of his income, as outlined in more than 500 pages of tax documents, flows from capital gains on investments.
Under the U.S. tax code, capital gains are taxed at 15 percent, compared with a top tax rate of 35 percent for wage earners.
Rival Newt Gingrich made public his returns on Saturday, showing he paid almost $1 million in income taxes — a tax rate of about 31 percent.
‘Not a dollar more’
Romney released the tax returns after a week in which Gingrich questioned whether Romney was hiding information about his finances and cast him as being out of touch with most Americans.
Romney’s campaign confirmed the details of his tax information after several news organizations saw a preview of the documents. He had said planned to release his returns in full Tuesday morning, and campaign officials would be prepared to discuss them in detail with reporters.
“You’ll see my income, how much taxes I’ve paid, how much I’ve paid to charity,” Romney said during Monday night’s debate in Tampa. “I pay all the taxes that are legally required and not a dollar more. I don’t think you want someone as the candidate for president who pays more taxes than he owes.”
Since then, Romney has vowed to be more aggressive in returning fire.
He has launched a series of attacks questioning Gingrich’s character, judgment and lucrative work as a Washington consultant, and released his tax returns to try to nullify Gingrich’s criticisms on that front.
The tax rates Romney reported paying could add fuel to a national debate over the fairness of the tax code, and coincides with broader concerns about income inequality symbolized by the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Swiss bank account closed in ’10
Romney’s campaign officials stressed that his tax rate is based mostly on income from investments. His holdings include an undisclosed amount in funds based in the Grand Cayman Islands and other overseas entities.
Romney advisers stressed that the holdings in the Caymans — along with those in a Swiss bank account that was closed in 2010 after an investment adviser decided it could be politically embarrassing to Romney — were reported on tax returns and were not vehicles to avoid taxes.
They also stressed that Romney, whose holdings are in three blind trusts, makes no decisions as to how his money is invested.
Regardless, the emerging picture was of a man of great means who contributes mightily to charity. The documents showed he and his wife contributed $7 million in charity over the two years, much of it going to his Mormon church. That represents more than 15 percent of the Romneys’ income for those years.
Romney, whose estimated net worth is $190 million to $250 million, is among the wealthiest Americans ever to seek the presidency.
Top campaign officials and the director of Romney’s blind trust, Brad Malt, briefed Reuters on the details ahead of a more general release of the information Tuesday morning.
‘We’re proud of it’
Campaign counsel Ben Ginsberg, asked why Romney was not releasing tax records for the years in the 1980s and 1990s in which Romney made his fortune at private equity firm Bain Capital, said the two years covered by the tax returns should give a broad picture of Romney’s financial situation.
“We’re not going to get into the game of once you give them something, they demand more,” Ginsberg said. “This is a fulsome release and we’re proud of it.”
The tax issue may have been a factor in Romney’s loss to Gingrich in South Carolina. It became a distraction to Romney’s campaign, and Romney’s fuzzy answers on when and if he would release his records aggravated the problem.
First he said he might release them, or might not. When the questions kept coming, he said he would put them out in April, after his 2011 forms were completed. Only after he was defeated in South Carolina did his aides say he would release them this week. Gingrich has released his returns for 2010, but has not released an estimate for last year, as Romney did.
Long considered the front-runner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Romney was staggered by Gingrich’s lopsided win in South Carolina, and is looking to regain enough momentum to defeat Gingrich in Florida, which votes on January 31.
Before the tax records were released, Romney’s old investments in two controversial government-backed housing lenders stirred up new questions at the same time his campaign targeted Gingrich for his work for Freddie Mac.
Gingrich earned $1.6 million in consulting fees from Freddie Mac even though Romney has as much as $500,000 invested in the U.S.-backed lender and its sister entity, Fannie Mae.
Tax experts told The Associated Press that Romney’s income tax returns may contain other charity structures and tax strategies designed to both boost his income and charity donations, while minimizing his involvement because of his presidential ambitions.
Snow, sleet, and ice are falling across most of the United States, but New York is still preparing for its annual week of sweltering fashion heat with the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
One of the most popular trends, color-blocking, will be resurfacing in some of the hottest spring collections. Color-blocking is a new fashion art form which pairs two to four vibrant colors together with one neutral color to create a show-stopping ensemble.
When color-blocking is done well, the bright colors will dazzle and radiate in the dreariest of winter seasons. But often, color-blockers fall short of capturing the spirit and funkiness of the trend.
Here are five simple tips to glamorize your wardrobe with color-blocking.
Socialite Kim Kardashian pairs lavender and orange together for a fabulous color-blocked ensemble.
Memorize the Color Wheel
When color blocking an outfit, it is essential to select colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel. If the colors chosen are within the same palette, the outfit will appear more polished and harmonious; this is best when color-blocking for the office or a professional social. But, when considering a bolder collaboration of colors, disregard the wheel and pair tints with solid colors as Kim Kardashian has done in the lavender and orange ensemble below.
Two Colors Maximum
For color-blocking beginners, we recommend wearing two colors that are either extremely contrasting for individuality or within the same palette with one bolder and one more subdued. Go wild in the dressing room of your favorite store, pairing different color combinations together. Be sure to select colors that are flattering to your complexion; this will make color-blocking much more effective.
Escape the Prints and Frills
To capture the true essence of color-blocking, use solid colors without prints, ruffles, pockets, or frills to keep the look simple. The vibrant and festive colors are the focal point of the outfit; allow the brightness to shine. Color-blocking encourages the use of outrageous accessories though. You can pair an outfit with accented jewelry, sunglasses, and even scarves.
Nudes and Blacks, Nothing More
If the outfit has a host of different colors, it is best to wear neutral-colored or black shoes. Most fashionistas realize that the wrong shoe will destroy a look, so be sure to choose a pump, wedge, or stiletto that brings the look to the next level without distracting from the colors.
Shape Mixing is Key
A color-blocked outfit can be transformed into professional attire when worn correctly, so if wearing strong colors, be sure that either the top or the bottom clothing article is fitted. This will provide structure to the outfit which is perfect for a polished look.
ATLANTA—Benedict College junior Marcus Goode has been named SIAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week and Clark Atlanta University senior La’Quisha Lewis has been named SIAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after their strong performances this past week. Paine College freshman Kedric Taylor has been named SIAC Men’s Basketball Newcomer of the Week while Miles College junior Courtney English has been named SIAC Women’s Basketball Newcomer of the Week.
Goode, a native of Chapin, SC, earns his second player of the week honor this season after averaging 30 points and 13 rebounds in two games, including an impressive 38 points and 16 rebounds in a win over Miles. Defensively, the 6-foot-10, 260-pound center also averaged three blocks and 1.5 steals while also averaging one assist per game. Goode, who was SIAC Player of the Year as a sophomore, is currently leading the SIAC in both scoring and rebounding at 22.8 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, marks that currently rank fifth and third in the nation respectively. Goode is currently the only player that ranks in the top five of Division II in both scoring and rebounding. With a 7-3 record in the SIAC, Goode and the Tigers currently sit in a first-place tie atop the conference standings.
Lewis, a native of Atlanta, GA, averaged a double-double with 10.3 points and 10.6 rebounds in three games. The 6-foot-1 center was a force on defense, averaging five blocks, including totaling seven blocks against Tuskegee, and one steal per game. She helped lead Clark Atlanta to a 66-58 win over Claflin. In conference games, Lewis is second in the SIAC with 10.1 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per games.
Taylor is named SIAC’s top newcomer for the second time this season after nearly averaging a triple-double with 13.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 7.3 assists in three games this past week. The 6-foot guard, who attended Evans High School in Orlando, FL, also averaged three steals while helping lead the Lions to a 2-1 record with victories over Morehouse and Miles. Taylor currently leads all SIAC freshmen in scoring (12.5 ppg, 15th in the SIAC), rebounding (6.5 rpg, 12th in the SIAC), assists (4.9 apg, 2nd in the SIAC), field goal percentage (.542, 6th in the SIAC), free throw percentage (.753, 12th in the SIAC), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1, 6th in the SIAC). He is also one of only two players in Division II to record a triple-double this season.
English is named the SIAC’s top newcomer for the second consecutive week after averaging a double-double with 13 points and 10.6 rebounds in three games. The 6-foot junior from Atmore, AL also averaged 2.6 steals and two assists while helping lead the Lady Bears to a 2-1 record with wins over Benedict and Paine.
MARSHALL, Texas (CN) – A student at Jarvis Christian College claims fraternity members damaged his kidneys and opened wounds on his butt by beating him with heavy wooden paddles, then welcomed him to the fraternity’s “‘Century Club’ … reserved for those who could withstand at least 100 blows during this initiation process.”
Xavier Foster sued Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and four of its members – Sadallie “CJ” Cole, Waymon Humphrey, Bruce Nance and Omar McElroy – in Federal Court. Foster says when he enrolled in the Christian college in Hawkins, Texas in August 2009, friends and coaches encouraged him to pledge membership with Kappa Alpha Psi.
He says at the on-campus “intake meeting,” fraternity members and school representatives went over the pledge process and told him “the sole requirements for membership in Kappa Alpha Psi were a minimum grade point average, approval by current members and successful completion of a written examination on the history, rituals and traditions of the fraternity.”
At that meeting, Foster says, frat members and school officials said they did not tolerate “physical or psychological hazing of pledges.”
Foster says he fulfilled all requirements to join the fraternity by paying membership fees, and passing its written exam on April 24, 2010. But his new brothers had other plans for him, Foster says, and on April 30, 2010 a frat member told him to report to CJ Cole’s apartment in Hawkins for further initiation into the national fraternity and its local chapter. “There, defendants CJ Cole, Keith Humphrey and Bruce ‘BJ’ Nance physically and psychologically assaulted Foster,” the complaint states.
“These defendants stoodatattention and peppered him with questions regarding the history, traditions and rituals of the fraternity, punctuating each incorrect answer with blows from heavy wooden paddles and rods.” CJ Cole, Keith Humphrey and Bruce ‘BJ’ Nance further represented to Foster that membership in the fraternity’s ‘Century Club’ was reserved for those who could withstand at least 100 blows during this initiation process.”
Later that evening, Foster says, the defendants ordered him to report to a second apartment in Hawkins for more initiation. There Cole, Humphrey and Nance were joined by the frat’s “dean of pledges” Omar McElroy, and they all set to “striking Foster about his legs and buttocks with paddles, rods and boards for approximately two more hours,” according to the complaint.
“Finally, after more than five hours of non-stop beatings, verbal and psychological abuse,” the four frat members welcomed him into Kappa Alpha Psi, and “pronounced him a member of exclusive the ‘Century Club.'”
The complaint continues: “Within days of the beatings, Foster began to succumb to his injuries. His legs and buttocks were predictably inflamed and swollen. More unexpectedly, he began to suffer nausea, cramping in his hands and feet and loss of appetite. He began to vomit and could not eat.”
On May 3, 2010, Foster’sfamily doctor diagnosed Foster with acute renal failure and admitted him to the hospital where doctors confirmed the admitting diagnosis through a kidney biopsy and began an immediate course of dialysis. In the meantime, the wounds on Foster’sbuttocks had grown so severe that they ruptured and required complete debridement and ongoing treatment of a wound care specialist.”
He was released from the hospital 8 days later, but needed “continued medication and monitoring of his kidney function and a wound vacuum for the still-healing wounds on his buttocks.” “Since his release, Fosterhas undergone surgery to place skin grafts over the wounds on his buttocks.
“The damage to Foster’skidneys was so severe that he now suffers from a permanent loss of 10 percent of his renal function. As a result, doctors have placed him on three separate medications to control his blood pressure to prevent further damage to his kidneys. “Fostercontinues to be under the care of physicians because of the injuries inflicted on him. He is at increased risk of future kidney damage. He has pain with sitting for long periods of time. His legs and buttocks are scarred and disfigured.”
He seeks damages and punitive damages for negligence, gross negligence, assault and battery, and pain and suffering.
He is represented by James Holmes of Henderson, Texas.
Attorneys arguing that Maryland’s history of racially-segregated higher education is ongoing used decades-old state reports to try to make their point as a federal trial began.
The Coalition for Equity and Excellence in Maryland Higher Education alleges that practices carried over from the days of segregation at the state’s higher education commission put historically black schools at a competitive disadvantage. The coalition said there is unnecessary duplication of specialized programs offered at historically black schools, as well as funding disparities.
Maryland has appointed blue ribbon commission after blue ribbon commission to get its historically black colleges and universities “out of the hole Maryland’s policies have put them in,” attorney Michael Jones said in his opening statements.
Jones presented a series of state reports dating to the 1930s, detailing inferior funding and in many cases calling for improved funding. The reports also detail remedies including expanding offerings and creating programs that are not offered at other schools to help attract more students of all races, steps similar to those sought by the plaintiffs.
“Maryland really has no defenses in this case,” Jones said.
Attorney Craig Thompson, representing the state of Maryland, told U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake that “it is students, not institutions, that have rights under the Constitution.” He repeatedly said past practices and policies that led to a segregated education system are no longer in place.
The attorney said while the state tries to avoid duplication in higher education, prior court rulings allow duplication where there is sound educational justification.
Thompson said the case was about context, change and choice, noting that the state’s higher education system has changed since the days of segregated education and students can now choose which school they wish to attend. The attorney ticked off enrollment figures at the state’s traditionally white universities, showing the number of minority students at each had increased since the 1980s.
The evidence will show “no state actions are limiting student choice,” Thompson said.
The plaintiffs called two witnesses Jan. 3, a doctoral student at Morgan State University, one of the state’s four historically black institutions, and the school’s president, David Wilson. The university president told Blake that Morgan State has a dual mission to not only conduct research and educate graduate students, but provide access to higher education for lower-income students. Wilson said 25 percent of tuition collected by the school goes to financial aid and 90 percent of its 8,100 students receive financial aid.
Wilson said 3 percent of the school’s students are white, many of whom attend Morgan State’s architecture school, which he said provides a degree in demand by students statewide. However, he said the university’s maintenance budget is “woefully inadequate” and millions of dollars in equipment are needed campus-wide.
Blake ruled last year that the coalition failed to show inequity in the state’s capital funding formula and discrimination against a particular school.
The historically black institutions are seeking expanded and unique missions so they will “be attractive to students of all races,” plaintiffs attorney Jon Greenbaum said before arguments began.
“Right now, HBI programming is largely duplicated” at traditionally white institutions, Greenbaum said. “Historically black colleges are now more segregated than they were in the 1970s. All the trends are going in the wrong direction.”
Believe with all of your heart that you will do what you were made to do.- Orison Swett Marden
HBCU Graduates at Hampton University after hearing President Obama speak at their 2010 commencement. (Urban Christian News)
To the class of 2012, your time to walk across the stage is approaching. How does it feel?
Did it go by fast? Are you stressed? Was this journey easy? Are you overwhelmed? Will you have a job after you graduate? Will you make it in the “real world?”
Many who are on their last stretch in their collegiate career ask themselves these questions repeatedly and don’t know the answer. It seems as though many unplanned situations present themselves in an orderly fashion.
Many of our HBCU seniors are wondering how will they finish their last semester, find a job after graduation, pay off student loans, etc. Those who are motivated look at it differently. There are always times when situations aren’t what we want them to be, but motivation enables you to endure those difficult times.
If there is anything in life that motivates you- your family, siblings, friends, children, or your failures- think about that whenever you feel like giving up. Don’t be scared of the “real world.” All of the experiences and lessons learned in college have to be applied to life as an adult. Early morning meetings, deadlines, networking- college was supposed to prepare you for the real world. Are you ready?
A degree with NO AMBITION will get you nowhere. A degree means nothing if you don’t put effort into making it worthwhile. A degree won’t keep you warm at night, says the very smart brothers.
Get excited to use all the tools you have learned during your undergrad years. What you will soon have is power. It is now time to put your skills to the test. Be excited to teach something new to help others to do more. The tools instilled in you have prepared you to compete with others. Take advantage of every opportunity which could take you far in the future. Excuses are not an option. You must keep pushing towards the finish line; besides, who can stop you?
So get excited to reach your goals, and pull someone up with you along the way. You are prepared to make it, and the best part is you go to a HBCU. Graduation may be kind of scary, but like the great Muhammad Ali said, it’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself.
