Universities Band Together to Prevent the Execution of Troy Davis

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Figure 1 Howard Students Protest - Photographed by Sekaya Harris

In August of 1989, Savannah, Georgia resident Troy Davis was charged with the murder of a police officer. In 1991, Davis was sent to death row; he has been there ever since. All but two of the witnesses have retracted their testimonies. Despite his apparent innocence, Davis is sentenced to execution this Wednesday. Many colleges and universities have partnered with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to launch social media initiatives, petitions, marches and rallies to raise awareness of the injustice Troy Davis is facing.

Colleges in the Atlanta University Center have been very active in working to save the life of Troy Davis. The Morehouse, Clark Atlanta and Spelman chapters of the NAACP provided buses to students who attended the “Rally to Save Peace” sponsored by Amnesty International last Friday. The Morehouse chapter urged students to, “Be Fired Up, and Ready to Go for justice”. Morehouse also encouraged students to participate in the “Fight Against Injustice” text campaign. Students who text “Troy Davis” to 62227 can add their names to the petition and receive updates regarding the case.

The universities have catered to their targeted audience by taking advantage of the power and influence of the Internet. Howard University’s NAACP chapter has had a very active social media presence in preventing the execution of Troy Davis. They have been urging students to contribute to the #TooMuchDoubt twitter campaign. All students who tweet with the #TooMuchDoubt trending topic attached, can join to global discussion and voice their support for Troy Davis. “We can’t be in Atlanta but we can do our part to help in Washington, DC”, the chapter tweeted last Friday.

“We at Howard University are glad to see Morehouse, Clark Atlanta and Spelman making moves around Troy Davis.” Hampton University has also shown a great deal of support to join forces with the Atlanta area colleges to promote awareness virally. The Hampton NAACP chapter is encouraging its students to support Troy Davis by changing their Facebook profile pictures to the “Stop the Execution” photo shown above.

Similarly the Clark Atlanta NAACP chapter tweeted, “Troy Davis’ case is faulty! Seven of the nine testimonies were changed or withdrawn! This could be any of us.” All university NAACP chapters agreed to unite and participate in a “Blackout” on Monday by wearing all black to represent solidarity. “Most may think the fight is over but it’s not. You can still get involved.”

Danielle Lomax
Howard University
B.A. Candidate 2014
Public Relations/Sports Management

Cheyney Grad helps audiences relive their school days with hip web sitcom “We’re Just Talking”

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Show provides a modern spin on college life; “brings back the funny”.

 

Cheyney, Pennsylvania, September 13, 2011 — Eighteen years after last witnessed the unique experience of the black college campus, writer Cedric Perry looks to prove HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) are still “A Different World”.

 

The 25 year-old author and Cheyney University alum steps into a new arena with his new web sitcom, “We’re Just Talking”. The show gives an entertaining yet insightful look at modern day black culture, shown through the eyes of two college roommates from separate walks of life.

 

“The objective of the show is to highlight the strengths and opportunity areas of the African-American community,” says Perry. ‘We’re Just Talking’ is designed to introduce a deeper outlook of my generation to those not familiar, and reinforce our objectives to those who are.”

 

“We’re Just Talking” (WJT) also highlights the varying personalities and relationships amongst African-Americans. Whether through outlandish quips from trendy nerd Derrick Combs (played by Kyle Morris), or the cat-mouse relationship of suburban product Andre Hawkins and campus “fashionista” Melyssa King (Stefan Matthews and Courtney Nicole Dean, respectively), the show truly captivates its audience. More importantly, the show has a cause. WJT is a call to action for African-Americans to support their own products, sustain negativity, and succeed despite difficult odds.

 

Perry states that the show has taught him such, and filming it is one of his most enjoyable experiences. “I love doing the show,” he expresses. “The cast is great, and when people see the characters, they will indulge.”

 

Debuting last month to a positive response, Perry looks to film the remainder of the season. He feels fully confident that as the show grows, people will start talking about “We’re Just Talking.”

For more on “We’re Just Talking”, go to http://www.pick6time.com/wjt. Also follow the show on Facebook (www.facebook.com/werejusttalking) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/werejusttalking).

 

 

 

New Hampton University executive VP to address students at Convocation Sunday, Sept. 25

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Hampton, Va. – Hampton University welcomes Dr. JoAnn Haysbert, executive vice president at Hampton University, as the speaker for the 69th Annual Opening Convocation on Sunday, Sept. 25. The recipients of the Hampton University Edward L. Hamm, Sr. teaching award; Wayne Dawkins, assistant professor in the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications and Dr. Godson Nwokogu, professor in the Department of Chemistry, will also be recognized at the ceremony.

Opening Convocation will be held in Ogden Hall and will begin at 10:45 a.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Haysbert returned to Hampton University this semester after spending 6 years as president of Langston University. As Langston University’s fifteenth and first female president, Haysbert set into motion an aggressive agenda that expanded and strengthened the academic programs, galvanized the faculty, invigorated active participation among alumni, broadened the external donor base, increased financial support, improved the physical plant, embraced a broader commitment to shared governance, created a safer, access-controlled campus, and placed the university in the best fiscal standing in more than two decades by eliminating a multi-million-dollar operating deficit. Further, the University took the first steps in an unprecedented move to transform Langston City into a “true college town.” Under Haysbert’s guidance, a 10-year strategic plan – the first in the University’s history— was created and now serves as the road map that will take Langston University “from excellence to greatness,” Haysbert’s inaugural mantra. The plan was developed to augment efforts to change the ethos of Langston University. Under her leadership, the campus environment morphed into a coherent, shared organizational culture in which all members of the community of scholars understood the missions, goals and values of the institution.

Before her presidency at Langston, Haysbert had a 25-year tenure at Hampton University, where she served in several key positions, including acting president, provost, assistant provost, professor and coordinator of graduate programs in education, dean of freshman studies, assistant vice president for academic affairs, director of summer sessions, and director of the assessment and learning support center. She has also held positions at Virginia State University, Auburn University and Alexander City State Junior College.

Haysbert is the mother of five children: Andre, a Hampton University graduate and public school teacher in Maryland; Nineveh, a Hampton University and Langston University graduate; Nazareth, a Georgetown University graduate and current law school student at the University of Oklahoma; Jordan, a graduate of Hampton University; and Samaria, who is currently enrolled at Hampton University.

VIDEO – Howard University Students March to Capital to take a Stand Against Injustice for Troy Davis

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Justin Dean HU Reaction

– Written by Tyleah Hawkins – 

Howard University since its birth has been known for its’ involvement standing against injustice. In 2011, this still remains to be true.

The slogan “Too Much Doubt,” has been ringing across the campus for Troy Davis, the face of our modern day movement.

A number of students from Howard, in programs such as HUSA and the NAACP, are taking a stand by holding a march to the White House today until 7pm, the time set for Davis’s execution.

Around 12pm, HUSA President, Brandon Harris, started the protest by chanting “Save Troy Davis” as students were coming together as a group at the flagpole. Hundreds of students were marching down Georgia Ave in the busy traffic as other drivers honked their horns to show support for the protest.

Once students made it to the White House, everyone continued to chant, sing and holding their signs up high as others watched.

“They say death row. We say hell no!”

While many students are angered by this injustice some are saddened by this case.

“This is unfair based in the evidence, and it saddens me” said Kianna Taylor, a Sophomore Human Development major.

Others like Charlton Miles, a Junior Psychology major, is upset about the case as well.

Read Full Article at HUReaction

Troy Davis’ legacy lives on after executuon

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Troy Davis
Troy Davis (AP Photo/Georgia Department of Corrections, File)

Troy Davis was to be executed tonight at 7 P.M. in a Georgia prison after being accused of killing Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail in August 1989. While spending 22 years on death row, Davis has been steadfast in stating that he was innocent.

Since his 1991 trial, witnesses who testified against Davis have since then contradicted their testimony, or recanted their testimony. Some have cited police coercion during their testimonies. Last year, a jailhouse informer admitted that his testimony against Davis was fabricated.

The prosecutors knew that people were lying in their testimonies, but they continued with their case against Davis. Davis’s innocence didn’t mean anything to the prosecutors. The police wanted revenge, and if that means taking Davis down—then so be it.

The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles had denied clemency for Davis, even though there is no hard evidence linking Davis to the crime. State prison officials even denied Davis an opportunity to tell the truth, rejecting his request to take a polygraph test.

Not even Former President Jimmy Carter and Pope Benedict XVI could do anything to help Davis.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Black men and women are still the victims of an unjust legal system that sees more of us reaching through prison bars instead of reaching for diplomas and degrees. Troy Davis’ life will be taken away from him for being the wrong color at the wrong place and time.

There is a reason why Black communities don’t trust police officers. “To protect and serve” is a paradoxical statement to us who have seen or experienced police brutality and racial profiling. Maybe if the property value of our neighborhoods was higher, than we’d be treated like people instead of prisoners. Maybe if he were the same complexion as the prosecutors, the judge, the jury and the police then it wouldn’t have been so hard to overturn this decision.

In the same year where a lack of evidence will see an innocent black man put to death, a lack of evidence and a very farfetched and blatant cover-up saw Casey Anthony, a young white woman, walk away a free woman after being held in prison for the death of her infant child.

It is beyond a reasonable doubt that racial prejudice still exists in this country. We’ve seen Rodney King beaten, we’ve seen Sean Bell murdered, and we’ve seen Troy Davis executed. Something has to be done. We cannot let the Troy Davis story be forgotten.

If we don’t do something, Jim Crow will always be the one holding the gavel.

“But they try and project the image to the public that this is being done by thieves and thieves alone, and they ignore the fact that no, it is not thievery alone. It’s a corrupt, vicious, hypocritical system that has castrated the Black man and the only way the Black man can get back at it is to strike it in the only way he knows how.” – Malcolm X

UPDATE: Troy Davis’ execution delayed as Georgia waits on the Supreme Court’s decision.

UPDATE: The Supreme Court has denied Troy Davis’ request for a stay of execution. He was executed by lethal injection at 11:08 P.M. Thursday night. Rest in Peace Troy Davis.

Howard Student Organizations and BlackBerry Team Up To Fight Famine

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Imagine a world in which your family and friends go hungry for days, even weeks at a time, and it seems like your only chance for survival is to leave your home. For many Somalis, this world is a reality. 45% of Somalia’s population lives on less than one dollar per day. The United Nations (UN) estimates that tens of thousands have died so far due to what many are calling “East Africa’s worst drought for 60 years”. They issued a statement on September 5 that warned that “as many as 750,000 people could die as Somalia’s drought worsens” over the next few months. Upon hearing this, in the true activist spirit that “the Mecca” is famous for, Howard University students knew they needed to do something to help.

The Support Somalia Campaign aims to inform Howard University students about the importance of global issue awareness and to give students an outlet through which to provide aid to their Somali sisters and brothers abroad. To help, BlackBerry has teamed up with popular Howard student clothing label, Our Good Karma (OGK), the Gentlemen of Drew Social Club (GODSC), the Howard University Student Association (HUSA), and other Howard student organizations to get involved in the Support Somalia Campaign.

In an effort to increase donations and supplement the good work the Howard students started, BlackBerry sponsored the Coin Drive on September 11, 2011. The coin drive was done in Howard University residence halls and was a great success. The event even boasted an appearance from TV Personality AJ Calloway (formerly of BET’s 106 & Park). The money raised from the Coin Drive is going to The Somali Relief Fund. Those involved in the planning of this event want to make it clear that the event would not have been possible without the help of Howard University’s philanthropic students. “We appreciate all the support we have been getting for the [Somali Relief Fund] efforts,” commented Patrick Oseni, co-founder of Our Good Karma and BlackBerry Brand Ambassador. Students can get involved in the fight against Somali famine by donating to the United Nations’ Refugee Agency, UNHCR, and looking out for future Support Somalia events on campus.

By Lindsay Buchanan

Malice of the Clipse Book Signing @ Clark Atlanta Bookstore

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CAU Bookstore 223 James P Brawley Drive Southwest Atlanta, GA

Oct. 7th 2011 3-5PM Hip-Hop artists, Gene Thornton Jr. aka ‘Malice’ of’ The Clipse’ will host an author signing at the CAU Bookstore on October 7, 2011 from 3:00 to 5:00 PM.

Malice recently published “Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind, and Naked’ which discusses his life before, during and after musical pursuits.

Come get your autographed copy of the new book & meet Gene Elliott Thornton Jr.: Christian, Father, Husband, Brother, Hustler, Rapper, and Author. No matter how you were first introduced to him one thing is for certain, after reading his new book : Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind and Naked, your perception of him will never be the same.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff Sweeps SWAC Weekly Soccer Honors

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The Offensive Player of the Week is Silvia Fuentes (Moreno valley , Ca.) of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The 5-5 senior had a goal and three assists against the University of the Ozarks and an assist against southern Mississippi, totaling six points for the week. She earned a spot on the Mississippi State Bulldog All-Tournament team.

Kaitlin Morin is the Defender of the Week. The 5-11 sophomore from Sue Saint Marie, Canada. She was a key player on defense, taking Mississippi State to overtime in 1-0 loss and Southern Mississippi 2-1. Morin also had played key role on win over Ozarks 5-1.

The Keeper of the Week is Olivia Wood sophomore 5-7 from Cambridge, Canada had six key saves against Mississippi State. She got her first win of the season against Ozarks.

Referenced article from HBCUSportsOnline

Florida A&M & Southern Renew Their Rivalry

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By Alvin Hollins, Jr.

One of the most enduring Black College Football rivalries of all time, Florida A&M-Southern will enjoy its’ 60threnewal September 24th, when the two schools meet in the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic in the Georgia Dome.

Considered a literal “Clash of the Titans,” the FAMU-Southern series features programs that have won a combined 20 Black College National Championships (FAMU 11, Southern 9), while producing three College Football Hall of Fame coaches (Arnett “Ace” Mumford, Southern; Jake Gaither, Billy Joe, FAMU), two College Hall of Fame players  (Tyrone McGriff, 1996, Willie Galimore, 1999, FAMU) and two NFL Hall of Famers (Mel Blount, Southern; Bob Hayes, FAMU).

At one point, the two schools played 56 straight games between 1946 and 2001, but have played just twice since (2007, 2008) splitting the two games.

FAMU won the last meeting in 2008, a 52-49 thriller in Baton Rouge, for their fifth win in the last seven games. Southern edged the Rattlers, 33-27 in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Birmingham, Alabama in 2007.

Read full article by Alvin at HBCUSportsOnline

President Obama Administration Meets With HBCU Presidents For Black College Week

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College presidents from predominantly black institutions across the country gathered in the nation’s capital Monday for a conference commemorating National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week.

The two-day conference, titled “HBCUs: Engaging the World Anew,” began just days after President Barack Obama signed a proclamation making official the designation for the week of September 18-24.

It’s part of a White House effort to promote the president’s goal of creating the best-educated and most competitive and diverse workforce in the world by 2020, the White House said in a written statement.

In February 2010, Obama signed an executive order renewing an initiative on historically black colleges and universities, establishing a presidential board to advise the White House on matters pertaining to strengthening the educational capacity of these institutions.

John Wilson, executive director of the White House initiative, opened Monday’s conference, which features a variety of panel discussions, break-out sessions and speeches. They will focus on minority presence in the workforce, technology and innovation, and working with small businesses and developing partnerships.

Wilson was followed by a senior adviser to the president, Valerie Jarrett, who discussed the importance of the historically black institutions to the president’s education agenda.

Read Full Article at CNN

 

North Carolina Central University Law School Helps Those with IRS Woes

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North Carolina Central University School of Law has a new addition to its complement of nationally ranked clinical programs, this one aimed at helping low-income residents with their tax troubles.

The Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC), which began last month, provides assistance for individuals and families experiencing problems with the Internal Revenue Service. The clinic does not provide tax preparation, but offers help in resolving a myriad of tax-related legal issues. The clinic is staffed by students and faculty who have an interest in tax law, and practicing attorneys who offer their services pro bono to the community. The students and practitioners represent low-income taxpayers and negotiate terms with the IRS at little or no cost to the client.

“We typically pick up the problems that happen after people have filed, or not filed, their taxes,” clinic director Tameka Lester said. “This clinic is an opportunity to help some really good people out there who have gotten into bad situations. It’s an opportunity to serve the public.”

Lester holds a bachelor’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Winthrop University, a master’s in business administration from the University of Phoenix, and is a 2011 graduate of the NCCU School of Law. She is a member of the North Carolina State Bar.

Lester was hired in August to lead the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, which is partially funded through a three-year grant from the IRS. The school received $60,000 for the first year. The clinic helps those who earn less than 250 percent of federal poverty level, which translates to an annual income of no more than $27,225 for a single person.

Read Full Article at NCCU

Fashionable doesn’t have to mean Broke By Shy-Asia Andrews

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As the fall semester is beginning for all of us we’re going to be making the transition from summer must haves to fall essentials. Though some people enjoy this, many dread having to make the switch, but it can definitely be easy, especially on your pockets.

As college students , many of us do not operate on disposable incomes. Therefore , we have to look for the best bargain when we’re shopping, but this does not mean we’ll have to settle for anything. As an employee in a second-hand shop I know first hand that fashionable doesn’t mean expensive. I can visualize some people’s faces looking a little puzzled at the mention of second-hand clothing, but, once you get into it you will not leave it alone. Trust me , I haven’t had to visit a mall since I realized how much I could save. The average person can go to the mall and find SOME great fall essentials and spend about $300, yes that isn’t too expensive but when your in college that’s a lot of money.With the same amount of money in a second-hand store, you can afford to buy ALL of your fall essentials (including a great pair of boots), a stylish jacket or two, beautiful jewelry , and still have about $100 left in your wallet. If you ask me , visiting a second-hand store is more than worth the visit. You don’t have to worry about coming across any items that are too old for your taste, because the second hand stores geared towards college students only accept current styles, nothing older than two years to be exact.

Oh and did I mention that their discounted prices are not the only way that second hand shops help your wallet? Take your gently used clothing to these shops and some of them will pay you on the spot for your clothing while others will pay you after your clothes have been sold. Now if that isn’t a reason to take a peek I don’t know what else would be.

Shy-Asia Andrews

UMES holds 125th Founders’ Week Convocation

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The 125th Founders’ Week Convocation at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore was a momentous occasion for the university and for 26 students who received their Doctor of Physical Therapy degrees.

Graduate Maureen Hirsch of Fallston, Md., said, “It (graduation) means I’m done. I get to get a job. It’s been eight years of hard work.” Her mom, Terry, added, “It means independence and relief. No, really, we are proud of her accomplishment.”

Hirsch is part of the university’s largest class of physical therapy students to graduate since the doctoral program began in 2005. She joins 22 other Marylanders; seven are from Delmarva.

The next step for the graduates is to sit for the professional licensure exam in October, Janet Mutschler, director of clinical education for the program, said. “They are lining up their jobs and are waiting to be licensed to start,” she said. “From what I hear, they have received offers from acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals and outpatient centers.”

Every UMES graduate since the doctoral program’s inception has earned the professional licensing credential.

Dr. Mortimer Neufville, UMES’ interim president, said the 125th birthday is a celebration of university’s “legacy of caring and excellence and of accepting students with dreams and visions.”

Keynote speaker, university alumna and actress Starletta DuPois, opened her address with a stirring rendition of an old African-American spiritual “Hold On a Little While Longer.”

Read Full Article at UMES

Baton Rouge Native Tami Lee Hughes will perform at Xavier Oct. 3

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New Orleans LA – Violinist and Baton Rouge native Tami Lee Hughes will perform in
a recital at Xavier University of Louisiana October 3 at 7:00 p.m. in the Music Building Recital Hall. The performance is free and open to the public.

Xavier’s artist-in-residence Dr. Wilfred Delphin will accompany her on piano. Hughes’ program will include pieces by Mozart, Brahms, Korngold and African American composers: George Morrison, Ozie Cargile and Chad ‘Sir Wick’ Hughes.

As a soloist, she has appeared with a number of symphony orchestras across the United States, including the National, Monroe, Mississippi, and Pontiac-Oakland Symphony Orchestras and others. She has extensively appeared as recitalist in universities and concert venues in the United States, Costa Rica, Bermuda, Austria and Russia and has performed as solo or chamber artist in the Ann Arbor Chamber Fest, Natchez Festival of Music, Silver Anniversary Celebration of the New Arts Cultural Society, and a tribute concert to composer Judith Zaimont, broadcast on National Public Radio. Other notable appointments include appearances with the Rocky Mountain Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival
Opera Orchestra, Emerald Sinfonietta, Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, and Pro Consorde Chamber Consort.

In August of this year, Albany Records released Hughes’s debut solo album Legacy: Violin Music of African-American Composers. The recording features music for violin and piano by Francis Johnson, George Morrison, David Baker, Ozie Cargile and Chad “Sir Wick”
Hughes.