Bowie State host Nnenna Freelon Concert to Benefit Scholarship Funds

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Award-winning vocalist, Nnenna Freelon, is set to perform her uniquely refreshing interpretation of classic jazz standards Sept. 7 at the Music Center at Strathmore as a benefit for Bowie State University. Proceeds from the 7:30 p.m. concert will support university scholarships.

Freelon is a six-time Grammy award-nominee and has been named the ‘international voice of jazz.’ Her rhythmically infectious performances make a personal statement with each song, engaging audiences with creative surprises in familiar jazz standards.

Freelon has shared the stage or recordings with artists as varied as Jessye Norman, Herbie Hancock and Aretha Franklin. She has been featured in the film “What Women Want,” the hit television series “Mad Men,” and has performed at dozens of music festivals, events and award shows as well as at the White House. Freelon’s seventh Concord Records album, “Homefree,” was released in 2010.

The concert will enhance Bowie State University’s scholarship fundraising efforts, a priority in its ongoing $15 million campaign. Tickets range from $20 to $40 and are available through Strathmore.org  or by phone at 301-581-5100.

“As we continue to combat a slumping economy and rising tuition costs, we are making every effort to increase scholarship funds for our students,” said Richard Lucas, vice president of institutional advancement at Bowie State. “With the Nnenna Freelon concert, we offer an opportunity for our alumni, friends and the larger community to enjoy a gifted performer while supporting expanded opportunity for our youth.”

The Music Center at Strathmore is located at 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Md., 20852.

Article Referenced from Bowie State

B-CU releases response to flawed AAUP report and attempts at censure

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Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) faculty today responded to a report from the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), an organization whose members consist of professors and other academic personnel employed by colleges and universities in the United States. The AAUP is not an accrediting agency nor does it have any oversight over colleges and universities.

“This report, which concerns the termination of seven faculty members by B-CU in 2009, contains many errors and false assertions and presents a one-sided view of the manner in which the university handled the matters in question,” said Pamela G. Browne, Esq., General Counsel.

At the same time, the university released the findings of a study on sexual harassment on campus, which led to the termination of four faculty members on such grounds. Four of the seven faculty members were dismissed based on allegations of sexual harassment after the university hired a consultant to conduct a thorough investigation.  The AAUP alleges that the four professors were denied their due process rights. That is not true. In fact, B-CU presented the AAUP with a thorough report which contained documentation showing that, prior to the present administration, three of the four professors had student complaints filed against them for sexual misconduct. The university found also files documenting administrative hearings involving two of the professors.  The hearings were conducted by the previous administration in late 1999 and 2000 and concluded the professors had engaged in acts of sexual harassment against students.  The professors were issued letters of reprimand which warned them of termination if this behavior continued.  The four professors subsequently filed claims against B-CU with the EEOC, and all four claims were dismissed.

The university commissioned a report, by renowned civil rights attorney David Honig, to give an impartial review the terminations and to issue a report of his findings concerning the claim of “lack of due process” brought by the AAUP.  “Bethune-Cookman University’s handling of the incidents involving the four professors needed to be expedited for reasons of student health and safety. Once President Reed learned of the allegations, she set in motion a process that was rapid, appropriate, and ethical. It afforded the four professors the process they were due,” ,” Honig’s report concluded.  Additionally, the university’s actions were in compliance with federal mandates that require taking “swift and remedial action” to correct situations involving allegations of sexual harassment.

Read Full Article at B-CU

DSU Receives $2,000 Scholarship Donation from Bancroft Construction

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The Bancroft Construction Company recently expressed its support for Delaware State University by donating $2,000 to go toward a scholarship for the 2011-2012 school year.
Bancroft’s Greg Sawka, president, and Stephen M. Mockbee, past president, presented the check to Dr. Alton Thompson, DSU provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, who accepted the financial gift on behalf of the University during a campus visit by the company’s officials on Aug. 5.
The gift is the first installment of an annual scholarship donation that Bancroft has committed to over the next five years, which Mr. Sawka said is a reflection of Bancroft’s mission and commitment to the community.
This year’s recipient of the Bancroft Scholarship is Devon Sivels, a DSU junior aviation major and honor student from Milford, Del.
The Bancroft Company is a Wilmington-based full-service construction management, general contracting, design-build, program management and estimating services firm that serves the Mid-Atlantic Region. The company – which has been in existence for 35 years – specializes in a variety of commercial, institutional and industrial sectors projects.
Article Referenced from DSU

Nationally Known Speakers Will Help Welcome and Inspire ASU Students

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Best-selling authors Dr. Sampson Davis, Dr. Rameck Hunt, and Dr, George Jenkins, fondly known as “The Three Doctors,” will speak at Alabama State University on Friday, August 12, as part of the 2011 Welcome Week activities.

The three men made a special pact when they were teenagers growing up on the tough inner-city streets of Newark, New Jersey. They vowed to stick together, go to college, graduate and become doctors.

Despite being surrounded by negative influences and a lack of positive role models, they overcame obstacles and achieved their goal. Davis and Hunt are physicians; Jenkins is a dentist.

Their fascinating story is chronicled in their three New York Times best-selling books, The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream; The Bond: Three Young Men Learn to Forgive and Reconnect with Their Fathers and We Beat the Street, a children’s book.

Stanley Giles, mentoring coordinator for ASU’s Bridge Program, said he hopes students will benefit from their story.

“I was really excited when I read their books. It’s wonderful to see three young African-American males bond together and ultimately reach the goals they set,” Giles said. “Their story is remarkable, and I hope it will inspire our students.”

Inspiring young people is one of the goals of “The Three Doctors.” They have spoken across the country, encouraging young people to set goals and work to achieve them, and to join pacts rather than gangs.

The three friends have received widespread acclaim for their achievements. Their story has been featured on national platforms such as the “Today Show” and the “Oprah Winfrey Show.” PBS also aired a documentary about them called “The Pact.”

“The Three Doctors” will speak at noon on Friday, August 12 in the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact ASU’s University Relations office at 334-229-6795.

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Howard University Communications Senior Lands Singapore Internship

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Imani Pope-Johns, a public relations senior in the School of Communications, traveled to Singapore to participate in the Digital Life Academy, an internship sponsored by MyCubeTM.com.

The Digital Academy is a global think tank of 30 people ages 16-25 interested in online privacy, data and content ownership, content monetization and similar topics. The 30 were chosen from 15,000 worldwide applications. Selection was based on entrepreneurial drive, business acumen and a dedication to the concept of digital life freedom.

The participants received an all-expense-paid trip, plus housing and a stipend of $2,400. This six-week internship is scheduled from July 4 to Aug. 12. To win the internship, Pope-Johns wrote an article about online privacy versus mobile shopping convenience.

“I am grateful of this experience, not only because it is in my field of study, but because I have never been out of the country,” Pope –Johns said. “I cherish moments like this.”

Pope-Johns is chief moderator of the Digital Life Academy blog. Interns will be contributing to the site at www.digitallifeacademy.tumblr.com.

Hampton University to Host UNCF/Mellon Teaching and Learning Institute

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Hampton, Va. – Hampton University will sponsor a UNCF/Mellon Teaching and Learning Institute aimed at administration, faculty and staff of HBCUs on Aug. 10-12. The event’s theme is “Extending a Legacy of International Presence and Outreach at HBCUs-Social Justice and Education Policy for the 21st Century.”

Supported by a $30,000 grant from the UNCF/Mellon Programs, the Institute aims to lead a discussion on the success stories and challenges colleges and universities face in preparing students to be global citizens in the 21st century. Participants will explore the roles students potentially play as global citizens of a swiftly changing world.

The following sessions are free and open to the public:

Wednesday, August 10th
1:30 – 2:00 p.m. – Welcome
HU Harvey Library Meeting – 1st Floor. Featuring Dr. Cynthia Spence, director, UNCF/Mellon Programs; Dr. Pollie Murphy, HU assistant provost for academic affairs; Dr. Paula Barnes, chair, HU Department of English; and Novelle Dickenson, chair, HU Department of Political Science and History

2:15 – 3:15 p.m. – Opening Plenary
HU Harvey Library Meeting Room – 1st Floor. Featuring retired professor Dr. Patrick Lewis, HU Department of History and Political Science; Michele Lewis, chair, HU Department of Modern and Foreign Languages; Marcia Jackson, director, HU International Office.

Thursday, August 11th
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. – Morning Plenary – Civil Rights and Politics at Hampton Institute
HU Harvey Library Meeting Room – 1st Floor. Featuring Dr. Hoda Zaki, author of “Civil Rights and Politics at Hampton Institute.”

Read Full Article at Hampton University 

N.C. A&T grant of the month for July: $803,000 for research in health disparities

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N.C. A&T received 11 grants totaling $1.55 million in July.

One highlight of July’s funding was a grant worth $803,177 from the National Institutes of Health, National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, to Dr. Goldie Byrd of the Department of Biology. The funding is the fourth grant in support of a five-year, $4 million project.

The project: Expanding Research and Research Training Infrastructure at NCA&TSU

The issue: The emphasis of this proposal is on developing collaborative junior faculty members and students to become independent researchers and thought leaders in eliminating health disparities.

Abstract: Objectives of this project are to: 1) Create a focused environment in which minority students remain in the biomedical science pipeline and become thought leaders for eliminating health disparities;  2) Create a mentored and collaborative environment for health disparities research; 3) Develop a centralized community model for educating minorities about health disparities and for recruiting minorities into health disparities research; and 4) enhance the administrative, technical and research resources that facilitate health disparities research.  This project will develop a research niche in cancer biology, develop a core facility for genomics and informatics research tools, develop a core resource for subject ascertainment and education outreach, enrich student training and development through a bridge to the master’s degree, and provide meaningful assessment and feedback to developing researchers.

Read Full Article at Aggie Research

Langston University President JoAnn W. Haysbert announced Resignation

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Langston University President JoAnn W. Haysbert announced Monday she plans to resign at the end of the fall semester.

Haysbert, who has served as Langston University’s president for six years, told faculty members at a luncheon that she plans to return to Hampton University in Virginia, where she will serve as executive vice president.

Haysbert spent 25 years serving in various academic and administrative positions at Hampton University before coming to Langston University.

“While this was personally a difficult decision, I know it is the right one and this is the right time, given what has been accomplished in the past six years,” Haysbert said in a news release. “I believe in a higher power, so I am confident that the stars are properly aligned in favor of this move. I am deeply honored to have served as president of one of the finest historically black colleges in America with a rich heritage.”

Haysbert was Langston University’s 15th president and first female president.

“On behalf of the OSU/A&M Board of Regents, I commend President Haysbert for her outstanding leadership and the many accomplishments achieved during her presidency,” Jay L. Helm, board chairman, said in the release. “She did an admirable job in a relatively short period of time. In so doing, her leadership has put Langston on a pathway to greater academic and research success in the future. We wish President Haysbert only the very best in her new position at Hampton, and we are appreciative of her work at Langston.”

Haysbert cited the implementation of a comprehensive 10-year strategic plan for Langston University as being one of her top accomplishments.

“We completed over 80 percent of our ambitious goals in only five years,” she said.

She listed the following as other major accomplishments of her administration:

• Fiscal soundness. The University’s fiscal health is the best it has been in 20 years, according to external auditors, she said. In addition to receiving several consecutive unqualified audits, the institution operates without a deficit.

• Closed the technological divide. Five years ago, there was virtually no technology on any of the three campuses. Today, each campus has wireless capabilities, four-digit dialing capability to Tulsa and Oklahoma City campuses from the main campus, online registration (including bill payments), several computer labs and “smart classrooms” on each campus, and a total upgrade of the network infrastructure.

• Increased and enhanced academic offerings. Eleven programs of distinction have been identified, University College was established as a comprehensive resources center and the “academic home” for all freshmen and sophomores, online courses are now offered and several new graduate programs have been added.

Read Full Article at NewsOK

Long Live the King Part I – King Still Rises Above his Adversaries

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“Discrimination is a hell-hound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives.”—Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the leader of the civil rights movement and stood behind the belief that nonviolence was the method as to which African Americans and all people facing discrimination would obtain equality and freedom. He was the living personification of the biblical phrase “turn the other cheek”, and led his disciples and followers on marches and protests in a never ending quest to end the tyranny of racism and segregation in America. King was a man of peace; however history shows us that promoting nonviolence in the face of hatred led to more violence that expected or wanted. From being stabbed in the chest to peaceful protests transforming into anarchic riots, to death threats delivered regularly, King did not become the man of the people without making some bitter enemies.

The hell-hounds had been chasing King since the inception of the movement and his growing and enormous influence within the South. They never made him stop, but King did become weary. According to “Hellhound on his Trail”, a book by Hampton Sides chronicling the last years of King and the man who committed his assassination, King’s brutal schedule saw him on the road more and less at home with his family. King was becoming distant from his wife, Coretta, and his movement. There were a growing number of people in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) that feared for King’s safety and sanity. His Poor People Campaign was considered too ideal and too big of a plan to be an organized, effective strategy in the battle for freedom. He held a self proclaimed “War on Sleep” to accomplish his goals.

He would go to travel to Memphis where blacks’ efforts to secure economic rights was in need of a savior, and King would jump to their rescue— against his SCLC members wishes. King would make these obligations to lead marches in cities without thinking about the consequences of the toll it was taking on him. He truly was married to the movement. His SCLC members told him not to go to Memphis to fight for the black laborers who had gone on strike, but King demanded he be there—for the people. His attempt at a peaceful protest turned in a riot that drew even more media criticism toward King, claiming the riot as an embarrassment and as a clear indication of King’s fading star power. He was losing his audience, but King was worried about losing something much more—his life. When Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Coretta Scott King ominously said that they “had a sense of fate closing in” on her and her husband. The hell-hounds would not stop chasing him until they tasted blood.

James Earl Ray did not need to be persuaded to kill the man behind the movement. Sides’s portrait of Ray as a depressed, insecure and aloof escaped convict held an immense disdain for African Americans that originated probably due to his Southern upbringing. There was no rationale in his hatred; what bigot uses any? But Ray was as tactical as he was crazy, and hunted for King. His thirst for King’s blood grew out of his loyalty to George C. Wallace, the Alabama governor who was running for president on a platform of prejudice. Wallace had constantly been made a fool of by King; it was in Wallace’s state that King became an icon with his Birmingham protests and arrest. Ray supported Wallace for president. The devil can always recognize his own.

King was killed on April 4, 1968 but the legacy and influence of King will never be silenced. Instead, it will be etched forever as a 30 foot, $120 million statue that is to be dedicated to the Washington, D.C. National Mall on August 28, 2011. On that day, the 48th anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech, King will be memorialized with the Jefferson Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial—a “line of leadership” they call it—as a man who dedicated his life to democracy, justice and the people. They tried to tear him down before, but on August 28, we will understand that killing a man cannot kill his dream.

Michael Livingston II
HBCU Buzz Staff

Nicole Scott – This Weeks Stylish Buzz of the Week

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Name: Nicole Scott

Classification: Sophomore

Repin’: Howard University

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

By looking though her stream of photos Nicole depicts, classic vintage. An over-sized vintage blouse, high waisted white shorts, dusty brown wedges and the perfect Dooney and Bourke bag to completely achieve this look. This outfit in particular is all in all versatile. Perfect for the classroom, hanging on campus or even to happy hour! Fab!

Sha’nece Austin “The PRoFASHIONal”
GM of HBCU Buzz Fashion

Entertainment Exec Kevin Liles Returns to MSU for Summer Business Institute Ceremony

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Morgan, ‘Make it Happen’ Foundation Assists 22 Future Business Leaders from Regional High Schools

Renowned entertainment executive and Morgan alumnus Kevin Liles returned to campus yesterday for the closing awards ceremony of the inaugural ‘Make It Happen Summer Business Institute.’ The institute hosted 22 Baltimore City and Baltimore County high school juniors and seniors, and engaged them in a two-week business plan competition judged by panel of local entrepreneurs, legislators and civic leaders.

The program was funded by Liles’ ‘Make it Happen’ Foundation, and was managed by the MSU Entrepreneurial Development & Assistance Center. Morgan professors, MBA alumni and undergraduate students provided instruction on marketing, software and finance to help the students develop their business plans.

Read Full Article at Morgan State

Morgan Completes Year One of $3.1 Million NIH Neuroscience Research Grant

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In a 30-year career researching highly specialized areas of neuroscience, Morgan State University biology professor Gloria Hoffman, Ph.D. has gained international acclaim as an expert and has broken new ground for the institution. Her recent efforts have positioned Morgan, the Johns Hopkins Medical Institution (JHMI) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to successfully finish year one of a five-year, $3.1 million grant to study how the brain regulates reproduction.

The Eunice Kennedy Krieger National Institute of Child Health and Development in August 2010 awarded the grant to fund the Cooperative Research Partnership to Promote Workforce Diversity in the Reproduction Sciences (CPDR) program. Undergraduate scholars from Morgan State University and JHMI are trained by scientists at both institutions and learn to use basic techniques in neuroanatomy, physiology, and molecular biology that fill gaps in the field.

Dr. Hoffman played a leading role in securing a share of the grant for Morgan. Morgan biology professor Michael Koban, Ph.D. brought an impressive record of integrative research and undergraduate involvement to the research team. Morgan’s selection was based on both the quality of the research and the ability to reach minority populations within the underrepresented field.

“The purpose of this program is that the NIH, while supporting a number of programs to bolster minority success, has no other program focusing on the reproductive sciences,” Dr. Hoffman explained. “Thus the goal is completely unique. Need for such a program stems from the poor representation of underrepresented minorities in this field.”

Read Full article at Morgan State University

Dr. Lyons Appointed to Board of Regents’ Education Commission

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Dillard University Interim President James Lyons has been appointed to serve on a new commission to study the governance, management and supervision of public postsecondary education in Louisiana. The commission, created by the Board of Regents in accordance with House Concurrent Resolution 184 of the 2011 Legislative Session, includes 18 educators, politicians and business leaders from across the state.

The commission will examine the higher education governance structure and its affect on resource efficiency, student success, tuition, transfer students, historically black colleges and universities, and more. The commission, which will hold its first monthly meeting in Baton Rouge on Aug. 19, will submit a plan for the reorganization of the management of postsecondary education to the Legislature by Jan. 12, 2012.

“I am truly honored to accept this appointment, and look forward to working with the Board of Regents and the House and Senate Committees on Education to reorganize the governance, management, and supervision of postsecondary education in Louisiana,” said Dr. Lyons.

“This is a very critical time for higher education,” Lyons said. “President Obama has challenged us to lead the world in the number of citizens receiving some post-high school education; college costs continue to rise and threaten to put higher education out of reach of many deserving students; and the achievement gap along racial and ethnic lines continues to grow.

“I hope that one outcome of our work will be to ensure that every student in the state of Louisiana who is desirous of a college education will be given that opportunity.”

Read Full Article at Dillard

AAMU Mourns Death of Former President Dr. Richard David Morrison

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Hundreds gathered into Union Hill Primitive Baptist Church in Huntsville, Ala., Wednesday, August 3, to pay tribute to Dr. Richard David Morrison, Alabama A&M University’s fifth president (1962-84), a man who some believe the facilitator of a golden age on “The Hill.”
Not only did the 12 noon funeral program pay honor to the 103-year-old educator and administrator, it also served as a reunion, as numerous alumni, retired and former AAMU staffers and faculty members returned to pay their respects to the man and the undeniable campus aura he inspired.
Thirty minutes prior to the 1 p.m. ceremony, AAMU alumni gathered at the rear of the massive sanctuary were trading stories about the days they had shared with Morrison. “You are looking at the last of the great presidents,” said a male Morrison
alumnus in his mid-60s. Another quickly responded: “He was a rare example of a truly great leader who was also beautiful on the inside.”
By 10 minutes before the start of the program, the number of attendees had begun to swell with more past administrators, elected officials, former and current AAMU employees, and out-of-towners, as well as representatives from Tuskegee University, Morrison’s beloved Alma Mater.

Madison County Commissioner Bob Harrison recalled Morrison’s firm, serious and unrelenting demeanor when it came to securing funding for the institutions he loved. “He had uncommon skill, integrity and grace,” commented Harrison.

AAMU alumnus, supporter and long-time Huntsville Councilman Richard Showers, Sr., invited Mayor Tommy Battle to join in the presentation of a resolution in tribute to Morrison.

Read Full Article at AAMU

Tickets for 2011 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Classic Now on Sale

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Tickets for the 32nd Annual Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Classic (BCBS), the traditional showdown between historically black institutions Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) and Florida A&M University (FAMU), are now on sale to the general public. Tickets to America’s preeminent HBCU football game may be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, at the Amway Center box office, by telephone at (407) 839-3900 or any Ticketmaster outlet. This year’s game will be played on Saturday, November 19, at 2:30 p.m. in Orlando’s Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium while being televised nationally on ESPN Classic.

Tickets are available for as low as $10.75 (3rd level, corner), while other seats are available at great price levels ($27 end zone, $37 goal line or lower-deck corner). Priority seating for the game is available with season ticket packages purchased through either B-CU or FAMU. For Wildcat ticket information, call (386) 481-2202 and for FAMU, call (850) 599-3141.

Student tickets are available for $27 and may be purchased through the student’s respective school.

Group tickets (20 or more) may be purchased through Florida Citrus Sports by calling (407) 423-2476 or at the FCSports Box Office, located in the South end of the stadium which is open Monday and Wednesday, from noon to 4 p.m.; Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Parking is on sale and available by visiting www.ClickandPark.com.

My top five favorite Fall Beauty Trends by Kristen Joy

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While reading through the August 2011 issue of Instyle Magazine, I noticed a lot of different tips and suggestions for Fall beauty. From fire-engine-red lips to mono-chromatic makeup, the runways have been teeming with fun and cool beauty trends for fall. Amongst them all, I’ve chosen my top 5 fall beauty trends, as seen on runway, that as I see as a fun and easy must try:

1. Fire-engine-red lips: Diane Von Furstenberg and Jill Sander’s Makeup artists have used the iconic crimson lip to create a shocking, glamorous yet effortless look. You can use a cherry pencil to line and fill in lips then apply a matching high-shine lipstick or experiment with an orange based hue that you can pat with powder for a more matte finish.

2. Easter Egg Lips: For a more subtle, ultra girly use of lip color, pastel tones provide a softer pop of color. You can try a coral tinted lipstick over concealer for a powdery sherbet tone, as seen at Nina Ricci or baby-pinks used by Donna Karan.

3. Power Blush: This fall don’t be afraid to “rose up” your cheeks with plush coral shades as seen at Marc Jacobs or play around with fun fuchsias and petal-pink lipsticks on the apples of your cheeks as seen at Oscar de la Renta.

4. Strong Brows: Oscar de la Renta and Alexander Wang have transformed last season’s bleached brow trend into strong, dark colored brows. Strong brows can be accomplished by fattening the brow shape with black eye shadow and accompanied by bare skin. You can also pair your power blush cheeks with thick, brown penciled eyebrows.

5. Mono-chromatic makeup: For a simple over all look, use one warm color scheme for an allover glow. Prada, Proenza Schouler and Rodarte all took heed to this beauty trend highlighting features with washes of toffee-colored makeup.
Kristen Joy
HBCU Buzz Staff