Famu Bragg Stadium
Tallahassee, FL
Sat, Sep 3, 2011 06:00 PM
If it is true that Hampton University is a family, as many of its employees claim, then President William Harvey is the family patriarch.
Entering his 34th year as president at age 70, he is the longest serving college president in Virginia. He is almost the longest serving college president in the United States with one exception – Xavier University President Norman Francis in Louisiana.
Harvey’s commitment lies in his deep love for his job.
“It is fun to come to work every day,” he said.
The fun for Harvey began at age 36 when he became president of what was then called Hampton Institute – a small, private, historically black college with roots tracing to Booker T. Washington and Benjamin Butler.
He came with a doctorate in college administration from Harvard University and with his wife, Norma, and their two young children.
When he arrived, the school was near a financial crisis.
“There was red all over the books,” he said.
By the end of his first year, Harvey balanced the budget and has maintained it ever since.
The Alabama native started with a simple notion taught to him by his mother, a kindergarten teacher – “If you have a dollar to spend at the grocery store, you cannot buy $1.25 worth of groceries.”
Overall, he said he runs the university “like a businessman and a school principal.”
There are two sides to the school’s finances, he said. “One is the expense side and one is the revenue side. I made sure the expense side was correct and that we were not overspending.”
Early in his tenure Harvey realized various department heads were having trouble with yearly budgets.
“When I first started, the registrar came to me in December telling me they were out of money,” he said. “We were just halfway through the school year and they were out of money.
“So I had each department divide their financial year into quarters. That way they did not run out of money halfway through the year.”
Read Full Articles at Inside Business
Ear Accessory must have: Feather ear cuffs by Kristen joyAlthough I am not a heavy earring shopper (mostly due to my pickiness and constant misplace of them), I have found a new ear accessory to cure my earring animosity: feather ear cuffs. Feather ear cuffs are incredibly cute and fun and can help add spice to any ensemble. They come in a variety of colors, lengths, molds and makes. There also so easy to make, you can customize your own pair! You can find ear cuffs by Anni Jurgenson, TopShop, Free People, or vendors on Etsy.com and many others.
Organizers for Tuesday’s star-studded exhibition in Baltimore featuring LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant have found a new venue to possibly meet the high demand of a rapidly planned event. Morgan State University has agreed to host the game at 7 p.m. at Edward P. Hurt Gymnasium, which has a capacity of about 4,500 people.
We’re getting a bigger gym! (Mike Ehrmann) The game originally was scheduled at St. Frances Academy, but Kurk Lee, the athletic director of Anthony’s Melo Center in Baltimore and head of the summer pro-am in his name, had concerns that the 1,000-seat facility may have been too small to accommodate the expected crowd.
When 100 $28 tickets were made available last week, they were sold out in less than a day. To cut down on the risk of people selling counterfeit tickets, people will be allowed to pay admission when the doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets will be sold at a first-come-first-serve basis for $40 for general admission and $100 for floor seats. Proceeds will go towards various charities, Lee said.
Anthony, who grew up in Baltimore, will play on a stacked team that features his friends James and Paul, San Antonio guard Gary Neal, Sacramento forward Donte Greene, Memphis guard Josh Selby, Los Angeles Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe and former New York and Chicago big man Eddy Curry.
Read Full Article at Washington Post
Howard University: Small Business Development Center
One of many things that make Howard University’s School of Business stand out from the rest of the crowd is their Development Center for Small Businesses. In fall 2007, the Fortune Small Business Magazine ranked the Howard University School of Business MBA Program among the top 26 programs as “America’s Best College for Entrepreneurs.”
Howard University works close with The District of Columbia Small Business Development Center giving Howard business students the necessary resources to creating and running a successful small business. The District of Columbia Small Business Development Center Network is dedicated to promoting the growth, profitability, innovation and increased productivity of small business owners in the District of Columbia.
The Small Business Development Center will give a future entrepreneur the tools and opportunities to become successful in starting and running a business. The SBDC provides business consulting services, maintenance of strategic alliances, business plan practices, and much more.
Small Businesses have become such an important role in The United States, especially in our current economic state. Since the mid 1990s around 60-80 percent of all new jobs were created by small businesses. In 2005 alone, small businesses created approximately 979,102 new jobs. Creating small businesses is obviously something that turns out to be beneficial to the entrepreneur, people looking for jobs, and the economy. Howard University School of Business is lucky enough to have this wonderfully important resource located directly in the School of Business.
Kris Kirkpatrick
Business Editor
Howard University Student (The Voice of HU/HBCUBuzz.com), Radio Personality (Radio-One/EliteDCRadio.com), Mixtape DJ (LiveMixtapes.com), Actor (Bittersweet 2011), Street Dancer, & member of ΚΑΨ, Jae Murphy takes TV viewers on a tour of what he considers the best “secret” spots in our nation’s capital, Washington DC, including Howard University’s Moorland Spingarn Research Center and U Street’s Busboy and Poets. Clip courtesy of CNN’s Headline News.
During a Visit to Texas Southern Rapper Wale gives his views on Historically Black Colleges at Texas Southern University
Name: Christian Kameni
Age: 21
Major: History & Economics
Hometown: Prince Georges County, Maryland
School: Morgan State University
Description of Style: My style is very clean, classic and timeless. I dress according to the way I feel when I wake up in the morning.
Christian definitely had “Fall on the Yard” on his mind when he chose this knitted sweater cardigan. The autumn warmth tones of red, beige and brown gives his outfit life. He reminds me of how much I am in love with Fall wear. He keeps it simple yet stylish. I can tell he knows what looks well for his body type, completely understanding his fit. Even to his traditional business attire, His tailored ebony suite compliments his stature while is confidence illuminates. Now this is what you call effortless elegance!
“Have you ever sent a loved son on vacation and had him returned to you in a pine box, so horribly battered and water-logged that someone needs to tell you this sickening sight is your son — lynched?”
— Mamie Bradley, mother of Emmett Till
Watch this compelling excerpt from Civil Rights Heroes, a documentary from Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Martin Kent, which originally aired on Discovery Networks. Emmett Till was a 14-year-old African-American boy, who was murdered by white racists in the racially segregated Mississippi of 1955. The men who killed him were acquitted. After their acquittal, they famously admitted their part in the murder. Tills death, which made national headlines, set off a firestorm that launched the Civil Rights Movement. A History Documentary on Civil Rights.
Name: Willie Beema
Genre: Hip-Hop
School: Florida A&M University
Website: www.reverbnation.com/williebeema
Bio Born and Raised in Jacksonville, FL. Currently attends the #1 HBCU in the country (FAMU) and is without question the #1 artist at the university. 1/3rd of NevaDry Music Groups Artists Willie Beema is very well known to say the least. At the age of 20 years old Willie Beema has emerged as one of the Undisputed Hottest Un-signed Artists in the Northern Florida reigon with an Major buzz in Tallahassee, FL and his hometown Duval County. His trademark “Flat-Top Fade” has been seen around the entire world with his music video “Facebook Friend” earning a spot onWorldstarhiphop.com with over 150,000 views because of a YouTube buzz. He is also featured with Yung Trap on “She Thick” which has over 200,000 views across YouTube and is played on radio stations in multiple cities in Florida its to say the least a well known song. His rare haircut is also a fan favorite and its an excellent display of his fearless personality. With his diverse fanbase, unique delivery, and ability to always stand out he brings to the table a hell of an artist. Without a doubt a big name superstar in the making. Seach “Willie Beema” on YouTube and check out some of his work.
10. Avery Johnson, Southern University
“As a high school senior in 1983, Johnson led New Orleans’ St. Augustine High School to a 35–0 record and the Class 4A Louisiana State Championship. Johnson matriculated at New Mexico Junior College before moving on to Cameron University, and finally Southern University, with whom in his senior season in 1988 he led the NCAA with 13.3 assists per game, a senior and all-time record that still stands. Upon graduation in 1988 Johnson was not selected in the NBA Draft. After a summer season with the USBL’s Palm Beach Stingrays, however, Johnson was signed by the Seattle SuperSonics and managed to spend the next 16 years playing in the NBA, including stints with the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, and Dallas Mavericks. A true journeyman as a player, occasionally being traded, or even waived, mid-season, Johnson is best known for his time with the San Antonio Spurs (1991, 1992–1993, 1994–2001), particularly his integral role on the 1999 Spurs team that won the NBA championship against the New York Knicks in which he hit the championship-winning shot in Game 5. The San Antonio Spurs retired Johnson’s number 6 on December 22, 2007 in a home game against the Los Angeles Clippers. He was also inducted into the “San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame” on February 20, 2009.”
9. Pee Wee Kirkland Norfolk State University
“He played varsity basketball at Charles Evans Hughes High School and was made an All-City guard. He was awarded a scholarship and attended Kittrell College and was on the basketball team averaging 41 PPG. He then attended Norfolk State University and played on the basketball team, teaming up with later NBA star Bob Dandridge. His teams had phenomenal years. The Spartans won the CIAA title in 1968 with a 25-2 record; they lost in the second round of the NCAA Division II Men’s Tournament. The next year their record was 21-4 and they lost in the first round of the D-II tournament. In 1969 he was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the fourth pick in the thirteenth round. It is speculated that he turned the offer down, because he was making more money being a drugdealer. At the time, the opportunities offered to him outside of the NBA were far more lucrative, in terms of financial gain and public recognition.Kirkland then got caught up in street life activities and eventually landed in prison, first in 1971 in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.”
8. Earl Lloyd, West Va. St
“Nicknamed “The Big Cat”, Lloyd was one of three African-Americans to enter the NBA at the same time. It was only because of the order in which the teams’ season openers fell that Lloyd was the first to actually play in a game in the NBA. The date was October 31, 1950, one day ahead of Cooper of the Boston Celticsand four days before Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton of the New York Knicks. Lloyd played in over 560 games in nine seasons, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound forward averaged 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Lloyd played in only seven games for the Washington Capitols before the team folded on January 9, 1951. He then went into the U.S. Army at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, before the Syracuse Nationals picked him up on waivers. He spent six seasons with Syracuse and two with the Detroit Pistons before retiring in 1960.
Lloyd retired ranked 43rd in career scoring with 4,682 points. His best year was 1955, when he averaged 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds for Syracuse, which beat theFort Wayne Pistons 4-3 for the NBA title. Lloyd and Jim Tucker were the first African-Americans to play on an NBA championship team. Lloyd once said; “In 1950, basketball was like a babe in the woods; it didn’t enjoy the notoriety that baseball enjoyed.” Like Lloyd, Clifton and Cooper had solid but not spectacular careers.
According to Detroit News sportswriter Jerry Green, in 1965 Detroit Pistons General Manager Don Wattrick wanted to hire Lloyd as the team’s head coach. It would have made Lloyd the first African-American head coach in American pro sports. Dave DeBusschere was instead named Pistons player–coach. From 1972 to 1973, Lloyd did coach the Pistons and was a scout for five seasons.”
7. Darrell Armstrong, Fayetteville St.
“Armstrong first signed with the NBA as a free agent for the Orlando Magic in late 1994–95, playing just 3 games with 10 points and 8 minutes of action. In 95–96 he played just 13 games in 41 minutes, scoring 42 points total. He saw 67 games in his first full season on the roster in 1997–98, averaging 6 points per game in 15 minutes per game off the bench. Armstrong won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award and the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 1999, thus becoming the first player in NBA history to win both awards simultaneously. In a 1999 game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Armstrong stole an inbounds pass and streaked to the other end of the court for a game winning layup as time expired. He subsequently became the starting point guard for the Magic. His career year was in 1999-00, averaging 16.2 ppg in 31 mpg. During his nine years in Orlando, the team never posted a losing record, making the post-season seven times. Armstrong was released by the Pacers on October 1, 2007, and signed with the New Jersey Nets after clearing waivers. He appeared in 50 games in 2007–08, averaging 2.5ppg in 11.0 minutes, and buried three 3-pointers in his final appearance of the season. After retiring, Armstrong re-joined the Mavs, as an assistant coach.”
Derrick (Rick) Allen Mahorn (born September 21, 1958 in Hartford, Connecticut) is a retired American NBA basketball player who, at 6’10”, played power forwardand center. He is currently a radio analyst for the Detroit Pistons.Mahorn was dubbed by Piston announcer George Blaha the “Baddest Bad Boy of them all.” Mahorn gained a reputation for physical play, which he used to compensate for his relatively limited leaping ability. He served as a team leader of the Detroit Bad Boys teams of the late 1980s.
5. Ben Wallace, Virginia Union
As an undrafted player, he was signed as a rookie free agent by the Washington Bullets on October 2, 1996 after playing in Italy. In 1999, Wallace was traded to theOrlando Magic along with Tim Legler, Terry Davis, and Jeff McInnis for Ike Austin.On August 3, 2000, he was traded along with Chucky Atkins to the Detroit Pistons for Grant Hill, in what was at the time considered a one-sided trade; Hill had planned to sign with Orlando as an unrestricted free agent, but the sign and trade deal allowed Hill to receive a slightly more lucrative contract while Detroit received at least some compensation for losing its marquee player. Since the trade, Wallace won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, and 2005–06 seasons, and was selected to six All-Defensive teams. In the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons, he led the league in both rebounds and blocked shots, the first to do so since Hakeem Olajuwon. In 2003, he was voted by fans to the first of his four NBA All-Star Game appearances as a center for the Eastern Conference.
4. Charles Oakley, Virginia Union
Oakley was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Virginia Union University. He placed in the top ten in rebounds per game five times between 1987 and 1994 (second in 1987 and 1988). In all but one of these seasons he played the full complement of 82 games. Due to his durability he actually placed in the top ten in total rebounds 6 times and led the league in total rebounds twice (1987 and 1988). In 1994, he became an NBA All-Star and was chosen to the league’s All-Defense 1st team. Drafted in 1985 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Oakley’s draft rights were traded to the Chicago Bulls. Oakley provided another scoring option and steady offensive and defensive performances to an up-and-coming Bulls squad led by Michael Jordan. He earned All-Rookie Team honors in 1986. In 1998, Oakley was traded by New York to the Toronto Raptors for blossoming star Marcus Camby. For the Raptors, he provided a veteran presence to a young team that included Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. Oakley, in his final three seasons, played for the Bulls again, followed by the Washington Wizards and theHouston Rockets. For the Rockets, he was briefly reunited with former Knicks personnel Mark Jackson, who was the veteran point guard behind Steve Francis;Patrick Ewing, who was an assistant coach with the Rockets; and head coach Jeff Van Gundy, former head coach in Oakley’s days in New York City. As recently as 2007, it was publicized that Oakley, at age 44, wanted to make an NBA comeback. He claimed Dallas, Miami, Cleveland and New York were interested but said he would “not back cheap”.He was hired as assistant coach of the Charlotte Bobcats on December 23, 2010. Oakley currently ranks 14th all-time in NBA games played with 1,282 games.
3. Willis Reed, Grambling State
In 1964 Reed was drafted 10th overall by the Knicks, where he quickly made a name as a fierce, dominating and physical force on both ends of the floor. Reed made an immediate impact with the Knicks. In March 1965 he scored 46 points against the Los Angeles Lakers, the second highest single-game total ever by a Knicks rookie. For the season, he ranked seventh in the NBA in scoring (19.5 points per game) and fifth in rebounding (14.7 rebounds per game). He also began his string of All-Star appearances and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. Reed proved to be a clutch playoff performer throughout his career. He gave an early indication of this in 1966–67 when he bettered his regular-season average of 20.9 points per game by scoring 27.5 points per contest in the postseason. In his first seasons with the Knicks, he played power forward and later gained fame as the starting center. Despite his relatively average stature for a basketball player, he made up for his lack of height by playing a physical game, often ending seasons with respectable averages in blocking and rebounding. (He stood 6-foot-10 when contemporaries such as Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stood 7-1 and 7–2, respectively.)
2. Earl “The Pearl” Monroe
From an early age, Monroe was a playground legend. His high school teammates at John Bartram High School called him “Thomas Edison” because of the many moves he invented.
Monroe rose to prominence at a national level while playing basketball at then Division II Winston-Salem State University, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Under the coaching of Hall of Fame coach Clarence “Big House” Gaines, Monroe averaged 7.1 points his freshman year, 23.2 points as a sophomore, 29.8 points as a junior and an amazing 41.5 points his senior year. In 1967, he earned NCAA College Division Player of the Year honors and led the Rams to the NCAA College Division Championship.
In 1967, the two-time All-American was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) in the first round of the NBA draft (2nd overall pick). He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in a season in which he averaged 24.3 points per game, and scored 56 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. This still stands as the third-highest rookie total in NBA history. It was also a franchise record, later broken by Gilbert Arenas on December 17, 2006.
He and teammate Wes Unseld quickly became a formidable combination in Baltimore, and Monroe became a cult hero for his ability to run the fast break and for his circus-like shots. He said, “The thing is, I don’t know what I’m going to do with the ball, and if I don’t know, I’m quite sure the guy guarding me doesn’t know either. On February 6, 1970, he set an NBA record with 13 points in one overtime in a double-overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons (another mark since surpassed by Arenas).
1. Sam Jones, North Carolina Central University
Jones spent all of his twelve seasons in the NBA with the Boston Celtics who drafted him in the first round in 1957. Jones was known as a clutch scorer, and scored over 15,000 points in his career. He participated in five All-Star Games, and is usually recognized as one of the best shooting guards of his generation.
Jones was named to the All-NBA Second Team three straight years (1965–67) and he played on ten championship teams (1959-66 and 1968-69) — a total exceeded only by teammate Bill Russell in NBA history. He was 6-foot-4 (1.93 m) and weighed 200 lb (97 kg). Jones was originally claimed by the Minneapolis Lakers, but returned to college upon completion of military service, and therefore voided NBA rules. Jones’ perfect form when shooting a jump shot, along with his great clutch shooting led opponents to nickname him “The Shooter”. He was particularly adept shooting the bank shot, where the shooter bounces the ball off the backboard en route to the basket. Many coaches including UCLA’s great John Wooden believe that when a shooter is at a 20 – 50 degree angle to the backboard and inside of 15 feet, a bank shot is always the preferred shot. At 6-foot-4, Jones was the prototype of the tall guard who could run the floor, bang the boards and had a rangy offensive game that gave opponents fits. One of the “Jones Boys” in Boston, Sam teamed with K. C. Jones in the Celtics’ backcourt to create havoc in NBA arenas around the country.
He led Boston in scoring in the 1962-63 NBA season (19.7 points per game), 1964-65 NBA season (25.9) and 1965-66 NBA season (23.5). He produced four consecutive seasons averaging 20 points or better (1965–68). He owns Boston’s fourth best single-game scoring output (51 points vs. Detroit Pistons on October 29, 1965). He scored 2,909 points in 154 playoff games , 15th best in history.
Top Five HBCU Dj’s 2012
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DJ Chubb E. Swagg (Howard University)
A native of Los Angeles, California , Dj Chubb E. Swagg, born Terrell Williams is a battle/club/mixtape disc jockey currently attending Howard University. Formerly a concert pianist over the past 13 years, Williams retired the piano when he came to Howard for a set of turntables. Leaving audiences in awe at any event and performance, DJ Chubb E. Swagg was now in high demand not only at Howard University but also in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia club scenes. A Howard University Campus Pal and head station DJ at WHBC 830am/Channel 51, Williams is no stranger to on-campus involvement spinning at Howard Homecoming, Bison Ball, Cafe Nights, Freshman Week, Inauguration Galas and much more. No stranger to celebrities, Williams has been called in to D.J. shows for Iyaz, Travis Porter, Pretty Ricky, Fabolous, Big Sean, and many more. With mixtapes reaching over thousands of downloads a piece, Dj Chubb E. Swagg is a staple in the HBCU community and nationwide.
DJ Treble(Hampton University)
Started dj’ing in 2008 while he was attending Hampton University in Virginia. He has rocked a variety of venues from parties and fashion shows, to school and community service events. HU’s diverse population forced DJ Treble to become engulfed in several different genres of music. As a result he can mix Hip Hop, R&B, Pop, Reggae, Club, Gogo, Dubstep, and Oldschool records. DJ Treble is now back in his home state, Maryland, continuing to perform and showcase his skills. There isn’t a strong enough adjective available that can express his passion for dj’ing. Dj Treble is proficient in using various types of sound equipment, scratching, beat matching, mash-ups, and other DJ skills that enhance a listener’s experience. Able to skillfully mix Hip Hop, Pop, R&B, Reggae, Club, and Go-Go records. Adept at determining what the audience wants and tailoring the music to meet their needs.
DJ Fresh (Kentucky State University)
Hands down the best DJ in Kentucky. A student of Kentucky State University, DJ Fresh became a dj by accident. One day a friend of mines got sick and he couldn’t continue the party, DJ Fresh got on and the crowd reaction said enough. First major event he worked was during Kentucky State University 07 Kappa’s Kode Red. Advice in his own words for upcoming Dj’s: “Everybody going to want the spot you have, so when you get there don’t think you there to stay, the moment you think your spot secure that’s when somebody takes it from you.”
DJ K Threat -(Morehouse College)
Also known as Gil Debergh, is arguably the best DJ in Atlanta. Born in 1988, he lives in a small village nearby the Belgian coast. Innitially he was listening to hip-hop, house and dance music, but at age 13 he discovered dnb/jungle music. Two years later, he started collecting vinyl together with DJ Teknic. Later on he met DJ Gonzo & Process & Second Vision and together they formed LOW FREQUENCY. They started to organise partys all over flanders and cause of that he had the chance to play together with some international names such as: DJ Hidden, Limewax, Cooh, Donny, Robyn Chaos, Evol Intent, Ewun, Eye-D, Ladyscraper, Enduser, Capital J, Belladonakillz, , Krumble, AK47, Wisp, Tugie, Trasher, Murderbot, D.I.S., Semiomime, Goth Trad, Candie Hank, Bochum Welt, Atiq, Feldermelder … And nationals: X&Trick, Igneon System, Droon, Greyone, Matar, Dj Mèche, Flameboy, K-os, Antichristus, Skull, Sim on Korfunkle, Ozwald, Spookane, Ndm, Dead Kat, Wasp… Nowadays his sets are a mixture between DnB, Darkstep and Industrial Hardcore. Containing artists such as: The Outside Agency, Current Value, I:gor, Limewax,…
DJ Weatherman (North Carolina A&T)
Born Roger Weathers in the exhilarating city of Charlotte, North Carolina. The “Weatherman” first knew he wanted to become a DJ when he was in middle school when he first saw a pair of turntables. Instantly, he knew this is what he wanted to do for a long time. His interest deepens as he met a local DJ and started learning more by getting personal advice and reading various DJ magazines to see what else he could learn. Later, he started building a massive collection of music and fell in love with it all. He then enrolled into North Carolina A&T State University where he met even more local dj’s who were more than willing to take him under their wing and mentor him. The “Weatherman” used his extroverted personality and campus connections to land his first couple of gigs and it was history from there. Some Dj’s who influenced the weatherman were both local and national. His favorite DJ is DJ Jazzy Jeff and aspires to duplicate and exceed his achievements. His local influences included DJ Red October, DJ Phalse ID, DJ Ern, and DJ Pyro. Being the 2-time “I Am Music and Media” DJ of the year in 2010 & 2011, The Weatherman Has been invited to do more dj battles and events. His biggest accomplishment to this date was being discovered by SRC/Universal Motown RocNation’s Melanie Fiona. She heard him DJ at an event and decided to take him on the road with her on tour in different cities as her official DJ on her personal tour as well as different stops on the Trey Songz “Say Ahh” tour. He is now moving forward to advance his career and grow as a DJ. The weatherman is currently working local gigs in the southeast and working on mixtapes. He is now looking to branch out even more to test his self and learn because he loves a good challenge.
John Silvanus Wilson Jr., executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, knows the value of HBCUs — even if it seems these days that too many others don’t. Amid growing doubts about their relevancy and benefits, and fears that black colleges could be facing extinction, Wilson has the task of persuading 32 federal agencies to invest in the institutions.By changing the HBCU narrative from a story of need and challenges to one of strength and opportunities, Wilson has led the way in steadily increasing such funds — from $728 million in 2008 to $783 million in 2009 to $853 million in 2010 — with an emphasis on escalating curriculum and research in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
Wilson says that the emphasis comes at the direction of President Obama, who has made STEM education a key priority of his administration. By training more American students at the top levels of science and math achievement, the president seeks to build a globally competitive workforce, discover new ideas and generate more jobs — and he wants African Americans and HBCUs to play a major part.
Among others, grants and agreements established in the past two years include:
* $9 million from the Department of Energy to nine HBCUs (including Benedict College, Denmark Technical College and South Carolina State University) for science and technical research, combining coursework, DOE field work and applied research.
* $28.5 million from NASA to Morgan State University, for research supporting NASA’s earth-and-space science projects, including the areas of atmospheric chemistry, oceanography and polar climate change.
* Research partnership between the U.S. Army’s Research, Development and Engineering Command and Morgan State University, giving students direct access to the technological advancements at the nearby Army facility.
* $51.5 million from the Department of Agriculture for 18 HBCUs (including Alabama A&M University, Fort Valley State University, Southern University, Prairie View A&M University and West Virginia State University) for providing technical assistance to rural businesses and developing educational materials around renewable energy sources.
Read Full article at The Root Steam Education
What a day to be in D.C.
The enormous crowd, the warm sunny day, the energy—everything was perfect when I visited the MLK Memorial on Tuesday and indeed it was a memorable experience, for more reasons other than the first African American being memorialized on the National Mall. It’s not everyday that one gets to see history for the first time, so I insist that everyone go see the MLK Memorial. Once you visit, you will want to go back because that is exactly how I felt. I wanted to take my mom and dad, grandma and grandfather, my nephews, everybody.
I couldn’t have thought that my visiting the Martin Luther King Jr, Memorial would be the second biggest event that transpired on Tuesday. So I decided to take you through everything that happened to me yesterday while traveling to the MLK Memorial.
For my Metro riders: To get to the memorial, I took the Green line from Greenbelt to L’Enfant Plaza. From there, I transferred from the Green to the Orange line to get to the Smithsonian station and walked to the Mall. To get to Greenbelt, I caught the bus and as anyone who has ridden the bus before knows, there are too many unintentionally funny things that happen on the bus. For instance: the old white guy flirting with the girls who kept fiddling with their phone trying to ignore him, the teenage couple missing their stop because they were boo loving on the bus, and the obnoxiously loud guys in the front seats talking to each other and the bus driver about the prospect of a successful Redskins season (“But this year we gonna be aight. We got Rex Grossman and Donte Stallworth!).
It’s not that bad of a walk to the Memorial because you get to enjoy walking past the Washington Memorial and other monuments. Even on a weekday there were a lot of people out on Tuesday afternoon to see the MLK Memorial, which prompted a random pedestrian to observe the crowd and state: “All of these people don’t have jobs?” There was one man who was working besides the security and people passing out programs, and that would be D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray. Mayor Gray was there for his proclaimed “D.C. Day” at the MLK Memorial. I was able to snap a photograph of him with the Cannon Street YMCA All Stars, the first all black Little League team formed in Charleston, South Carolina. They never got to play in a Little League World Series, due to the white teams boycotting the postseason and stupid rule changes. They are in D.C. lobbying for congressional recognition, and what better place to start celebrating their bravery against racial segregation than at the memorial to Martin Luther King.
The entrance of the memorial is just how it was described, as a “Mountain of Despair.” It’s a huge boulder split in two, which serves as the entrance and the exit. As soon as one is actually inside the space, the memorial has its back to you, with two walls with quotes from King inscribed into them. The monument is as literal to King’s “I Have a Dream” speech as possible. “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope”– and that’s one of the quotes inscribed into the side of the monument. The other quote is how King described himself, as “a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.” The likeness of King is spot on, too. (By the way, am I the only one who thinks that the image of King in the monument looks eerily similar to John F. Kennedy’s pose in his presidential portrait?)
The “stone of hope” looks like it was carved out of the “mountain of despair.” It’s a visual connection between the past and the present, and a testament to King’s legacy. With an accompanying waterfall to compliment the peaceful atmosphere, and once the cherry blossoms being put in place bloom …awesome. Just awesome.
After leaving the monument, I started observing the place and taking pictures of the quotes starting on the right wall. The biggest pet peeve I had about the walls was that other tourists kept walking up in front of me. People were so rude to others trying to take photographs. People either walked in front of the quote or in front of the camera. But I’m glad I got pictures of and with the quotes, because the first one I saw was exactly what everyone needed to read.
So, to everyone who feels that only an African American should have designed and built the King Memorial, I present you with a quote from the good King himself: “If we are to have peace on Earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective.”
Are we really going to continue squabbling over what race gets the credit for designing the memorial, a petty argument over entitlement and pride when there are so many other issues we could be debating about? King would be worried about why are there so few African American male teachers. King would be worried about what can we do about the famine in the Horn of Africa. In the end, it is a beautiful dedication to justice, freedom and equality. Maybe there is a backstory to the memorial’s making that we do not know. Maybe it was cheaper to go to China to have it done. Maybe Harry Johnson, CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Foundation, liked sculptor Lei Yixin’s work so much he appointed him to do the monument. And he did a fantastic job. That’s it.
King was an advocate of Love for all Mankind, one of the principles of Alpha Phi Alpha. If you didn’t know, Dr. King was a brother of Alpha. Only the oldest and the coldest black fraternity for college men in America. A 1952 initiate of the Sigma chapter at Boston University, King’s dedication was a proud moment for the fraternity that has been putting the pieces in place for this memorial since 1986. I am also an Alpha and I met 4 brothers on Tuesday at the memorial.
As I reached the end of the memorial, I received a text from my line brother Kideem asking me if I was ok. I was puzzled because I didn’t know exactly what he was talking about so I responded ‘What happened’. What happened next, I would find to be the reason behind the text and it changed the course of the rest of my day. As I reached the end of the memorial, suddenly I could literally feel the ground under my feet rising. Everyone, and the MLK memorial was packed with people, I mean everyone stopped what they were doing and just stood where they were for a few seconds. We all had to be thinking the same thing, “Did what we think just happened really happen? There’s no way there could be an earthquake in DC, right?” So they kept on with our day. I got myself some more pictures and left. I didn’t like what I had just experienced. Something about the ground shaking unsettles me for some odd reason, go figure.
As I was leaving the memorial, my mom was calling me and I had missed it. I tried calling her back but my phone was dropping calls. I tried calling or texting about everyone in my phone. Texts were going through but not phone calls. Texting is fine, but hearing someone’s voice is so much more comforting sometimes. It was a scary moment. I then decided I needed to go home immediately. Everything at the Mall was shutting down anyways. Security was not letting people go up the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial, not to mention the Reflecting Pool was being gutted and reconstructed. I called my mom like 10 times, finally got a hold of her and she said that all federal buildings had been evacuated. She was headed home. My dad didn’t pick up the phone for like an hour, and later he said he didn’t get my texts until hours later. My friend who came with me on the trip had to use my phone to call her mom because hers had died. I got the text from Kideem, who lives in Virginia, about the earthquake before I felt it myself. Think about that: the best way to throw modern society into a frenzy would definitely be to take out telecommunications. We feel lost without our iPhones, Blackberrys and Androids.
The streets were filled with people. Police were directing traffic through the maze of downtown D.C. I don’t know if this guy had planned to be there or if it was a spur of the moment thing, but a random guy in a suit with a megahorn was on the corner shouting statements of Apocalypse and repentance.
The Metro station was packed. The trains made me sympathize with the sardines. On the train, a creepy old guy with dingy gray hair and an untamed beard wearing a striped dress shirt and waist high greenish gray pants kept staring at me out of his squinty eyes. And the train moved 15 miles an hour. Just great.
Finally, after at least a two hour commute that normally takes about 45 minutes, I’m home. My mom is safe and the news is reporting that the Washington Monument has a crack in it due to the earthquake. Immediately, hundreds of jokes sprung up about the Monument (“The Monument isn’t the only crooked thing in Washington!) but the MLK Memorial remained untouched. That’s just like King–in the midst of imminent danger, he still stands his ground.
The 5.8 earthquake that hit D.C. was just the beginning of our troubles. Hurricane Irene was predicted to ravage the East Coast. The Dedication Weekend has been cancelled. Everything scheduled for Friday is going to happen, but Saturday and Sunday are going to be rescheduled. I’m glad I was able to get out there when I did.
Florida A&M University (FAMU) alumnus and Grammy Award-winning rapper Common will be making a return to his alma mater September 28 at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Hall Auditorium to kick off the 2011-2012 Lyceum Series.
Known as the King of Conscious Hip Hop, Common will serve as a guest lecturer for the affair discussing his book titled One Day It’ll All Make Sense, which explores his upbringing and family relationships.
Tickets are now available through ticketmaster.com for $20, $10 and $5, depending on the location of the seats.
Common is considered one of music’s most poetic and respected lyricists. His introspective lyrics have pushed boundaries with their biting social commentary.
In 2007, he launched the Common Ground Foundation, which is dedicated to the empowerment and development of urban youth in the United States. Common also offers a younger generation a better understanding of self-respect and love, utilizing the cultural relevance of hip hop in the children’s books he has written. The first children’s book, titled The MIRROR and ME, teaches lessons of life, the human spirit and human nature. His follow-up book, I Like You But I Love Me, was recently nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and his third book, M.E. (Mixed Emotions), was released in 2008.
Red Full Article at FAMU
2011 Dayton Classic Tickets Now on Sale
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FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky State University’s Director of Athletics, Dr. Denisha L. Hendricks, announced that tickets for the 7th Annual Dayton Classic are now available for sale in the Office of Auxiliary Services.
The Classic, which will be held on September 4, 2011 at Welcome Stadium in Dayton, Ohio (1601 S. Edwin C Moses Blvd., Dayton, OH, 45408), kicks off the 2011 campaign for the Thorobreds. Last year, the Breds galloped past the Marauders in a 41-24 victory, spoiling CSU’s homecoming.
Tickets are available for $10 and can be purchased by contacting the Office Auxiliary Services at (502) 597-6147.