Vote Now For One of Four HBCUs To Win a $75K Grant For Their Music Program.
Four Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) music programs are getting a major boost with a new grant competition presented by McDonald’s. Hosted by gospel hip-hop artist Sir The Baptist, the first-ever HBCU Exhibition is offering up a $75K grant for the school with the best choir or band. The remaining schools will each take home a $10K prize.
“We’re celebrating Black education, arts, and excellence,” said Sir The Baptist, a Grammy and BET Award-nominated, DOVE and Stellar Award-winning writer, producer, and artist.
Grammy Award-nominated Gospel Artist, Sir The Baptist
Sir The Baptist has traveled the country to connect with, film, and help inspire this year’s inaugural class featuring Alabama A&M University, Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley University, and Shaw University. Each school performed its own rendition of a historical gospel hymn, such as “Wade In The Water,” “Motherless Child,” and “Go Tell It On The Mountain.”
The HBCU Exhibition is part of the 16th annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration® Gospel Tour: Homecoming Edition. In addition to taking home the top prize, the winning school will also receive a featured performance in the Gospel Tour’s holiday show on December 2 in Houston, Texas.
Shaw University
Jackson State University
Mississippi Valley University
Alabama A&M University
The winning school will be selected through a combination of a public voting round and a panel of celebrity judges, including Donald Lawrence, Kierra Sheard-Kelly, NotKarltonBanks, Samoht, and Smokie Norful.
Visit mcdhbcuexhibition.com to watch the schools’ performances and vote for your favorite. Voting runs now through November 9.
Fayetteville State University’s (FSU) School of Nursing recently received a 5-year accreditation for the new Masters of Science in Nursing: Patient Safety and Quality Program.
They received accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which is an autonomous accrediting agency contributing to the improvement of the public’s health by striving to promote the quality and integrity of baccalaureate, graduate, and residency/fellowship programs in nursing.
The CCNE accreditation period for FSU’s program is from February 23, 2022, to December 31, 2027.
FSU’s Masters of Science in Nursing: Patient Safety and Quality degree is the first of its kind in North Carolina.
According to the university, the School of Nursing at FSU is the first in North Carolina to offer this graduate degree pathway focusing on patient safety and quality. It gives students an in-depth understanding of current issues affecting healthcare, principles of patient safety, types of healthcare errors, and the associated effects on patient outcomes.
“FSU’s School of Nursing is proud to offer this program, and to be the first in the state to do so,” said Sheila Cannon, Ph.D., associate dean for the School of Nursing. “We are training the future leaders in nursing, and this accreditation is further proof that we are fulfilling a need in our community.”
The university assures that students will learn from experienced professors who are invested in their future and developing highly motivated and professional nurses. Classes are designed for the working professional in an online format offering flexibility for learning and increasing ease of access.
Graduates will be prepared to lead safety and quality care initiatives with mastery of concepts in safety culture, regulations and compliance, legal issues, and system designs like LEAN and Six Sigma.
On Tuesday morning, Benedict College unveiled their new ServiceNow Tech Center which aims to broaden the scope of today’s tech workforce pipeline.
The center, located inside Benedict’s Business Development Center is part of a $1 million multiyear strategic partnership between Benedict and ServiceNow, a California-based company that aims to equip traditionally underrepresented students with the digital skills needed in today’s workforce.
The partnership was announced in Nov. 2021 and includes five years of ServiceNow-awarded scholarships for students pursuing science, technology, engineering, arts, math, and STEM degrees. It also includes access to a ServiceNow HBCU Bootcamp program that uses customized, hands-on learning to help students prepare for careers in technology.
The new tech center includes a state-of-the-art computer lab with a maker space, laptop stations, a pitch room, private study rooms and a student lounge, as well as updated network infrastructure and new devices to provide students with critical access to technology.
The university held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the center yesterday and was joined by president and CEO of Benedict College, Roslyn Clark Artis, and ServiceNow’s chairman and CEO Bill McDermott. Community members and Benedict students were able to tour the center’s brightly lit spaces decorated with minimalist, fashionable furnishings.
Karen Pavlin, chief equity and inclusion officer for ServiceNow, described how the partnership and its goal to diversify the tech industry is already benefiting the students, showing them that anything is possible.
“One of my best experiences was talking with a Benedict student who said she was excited to see someone who looked like her in a leadership position in the tech industry,” Pavlin said. “Serving underrepresented groups and getting them involved in the industry is what gets me up every morning.”
Artis said the center is part of Benedict’s ongoing commitment to preparing its students for the global workforce. In 2020, the school was named one of the Top 10 smaller HBCUs for STEM education by The Hundred-Seven, a national database of information about historically Black colleges and universities.
“Benedict always strives to produce human potential,” Artis told SC Biz News. “We know America has been rapidly diversifying, and this tech center allows us one more opportunity we can provide for our Black and brown students and also offers a chance for us to help diversify the tech industry.”
On Friday, the Andrew Young HBCU Scholarship Program was announced to help students attending HBCUs to continue their education.
Former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young along with civil rights leaders, state legislators, students, and alumni gathered on the steps of the Woodruff Library at Atlanta University Center Friday to celebrate the creation of the new scholarship program.
According to WSBTV, the purpose of the scholarship program is to encourage future generations of students to become ambassadors and share the vision of Dr. King and Ambassador Young with the nation and the world.
Former Ambassador Andrew Young speaking at Atlanta University Center (Credit: Rebecca Grapevine).
Young, who graduated from Howard University in 1951 described having to work many jobs to put himself through college but was able to graduate debt-free. He reflected that he probably never spent more than $400 a semester for his education, but “now that won’t get you through the first two weeks,” he said.
Today, the U.S. Department of Education estimates the average cost of college in the United States is $35,550 per student per year, including books, supplies, and daily living expenses, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“The challenge today is how do you get an education and get a job to help pay you to pay back all of that money you borrowed that is going to leave you in debt,” Young asked.
“College should not destroy your credit rating and set you back before you start.”
– Former Mayor of Atlanta, Andrew Young
Education publisher McGraw Hill Educationprovided seed money for the scholarship fund, putting in an initial $50,000 into the program. This will fund the education of 10 first-year students next fall who plan to attend an HBCU.
Scholarship recipients will also complete a civil rights curriculum designed by the organization Good of All, a group that promotes universal human rights.
Matt Daniels, the founder of Good of All and the chair of the law and human rights division at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C., said the new $5,000 scholarships are designed to advance civil rights leaders’ message of non-violent social change. He hopes that it will help to produce a new generation of civil rights leaders needed to fight hate and violence in American society.
“The only alternative we really have is to raise up a new generation that can go on offense for the good side – not defense against the bad,” said Daniels. “That’s why these young people are here.”
Daniels said that scholarships are designed to help “plug the gap” in reference to students who often leave college between the first and second year due to a lack of relatively modest sums.
“For many students, HBCUs are usually the first ladder out of poverty.”
– Matt Daniels, Founder of Good of All
The scholarship program is expected to grow each year, as Sean Ryan, McGraw Hill’s president said that there is more financial support to come.
“When we have this kind of support from a major corporation … we know it’s a good investment,” Young said of McGraw Hill. “It’s a good investment for them. And it’s certainly a good investment for us.”
On Monday, Morehouse College released a statement cancelling a basketball tournament that featured Donda Academy, a private school founded by the artist formerly known as Kanye West.
On Monday, Morehouse College released a statement canceling a basketball tournament that featured Donda Academy, a private school founded by the artist formerly known as Kanye West.
Morehouse College was set to host the basketball event which was scheduled to take place at the college’s Forbes Arena on November 6, but ultimately decided to cancel the event in response to “recent divisive and unproductive statements by Ye, formerly known as Kanye West,” the school stated.
This comes after numerous companies cut ties with Ye due to his antisemitic and offensive comments in recent weeks.
Ye promoted the basketball event on Sunday on his Instagram account as it was to be the season opener game between the Doves of Donda Academy and the team The Skill Factory. In promoting the game, Ye’s Instagram post said: “Some establishments still stood up that’s love #lovespeech.” He also posted a link to purchase tickets, which ranged from $20 to $500, according to the site.
The online description of the event said it would be a chance to support the team at “a star studded night of hoops alongside Jaylen Brown and many other A-list celebs.”
Brown, who plays for the Boston Celtics, recently ended his association with Donda Sports but expressed support for the young Donda Academy athletes.
On Saturday he tweeted, “It’s important resources are provided for these student athletes not taken away. shout out to @Morehouse for opening their doors to host the Donda Doves’ official 1st basketball game of the season. I need everyone in Atlanta to show love and support! I’ll be in attendance,”
He responded to Morehouse’s cancellation statement with a tweet saying “An unfortunate retraction but the kids and family appreciate the consideration currently looking for another solution.”
Fort Valley State University (FVSU) has received a nearly $3 million grant from the Department of Education to expand the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program (CDEP) to increase the number of minority STEM graduates.
Fort Valley State University (FVSU) has received a nearly $3 million grant from the Department of Education to expand the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program (CDEP) to increase the number of minority STEM graduates.
The grant will be used to address the shortage of women and minority STEM professionals and the need to increase their participation in pursuing STEM disciplines. The project will focus on providing STEM education to students from rural areas and populations of students under-represented in STEM.
The project aims to recruit, mentor, and award scholarships to a minimum of 30 academically talented minority and female students and mentor 120 ninth through twelfth-grade students in STEM through FVSU’s Math, Science, and Engineering Academy (M-SEA).
“This grant is another example of the dedication and focus of our faculty to our mission,” said Olufunke Fontenot, Ed.D., provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “I am excited that CDEP, one of our special programs with a rich history and record of achievements in producing STEM graduates, has garnered this additional funding to advance the institution’s work in producing minority STEM graduates.”
According to the university, FVSU-CDEP has a 30-year track record of successfully recruiting and graduating minorities and women for STEM and has served as a pipeline workforce program that focuses on diversity in the energy and other high-tech industries.
Isaac Crumbly, Ph.D., associate vice president for careers and collaborative programs and director of CDEP, served as the project director for this grant.
“I am thrilled about receiving this grant because there are many academically talented students who don’t have access to financial resources to attend college,” said Isaac Crumbly, Ph.D. “This grant will help high achieving students with limited financial resources to attend college.”
The university says that the project will be beneficial for the state of Georgia. Women and members of minority groups constitute approximately 70% of students enrolled in American colleges and universities. However, when combined, these groups of students only account for about 45% of undergraduate STEM degrees. With this grant, FVSU plans to increase those numbers.
According to NBA.com, Brown officiated 1,110 regular-season games and 35 playoff games in 20 seasons as an NBA staff official. He made his debut as an NBA Finals referee during the 2019-20 season. A graduate of CAU, Brown was a member of the crew that officiated the 2021 NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta, which honored HBCUs.
“Tony Brown was one of the most accomplished referees in the NBA and an inspiration to his colleagues,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in an official statement from the NBA. “After his pancreatic cancer diagnosis early last year, Tony fought courageously through countless rounds of treatment to return to work this past season at the NBA Replay Center, demonstrating the dedication, determination and passion that made him such a highly respected official for 20 years. The entire NBA family mourns Tony’s passing and we send our deepest condolences to his wife, Tina; their children, Bailey, Basile and Baylen; and his fellow referees.”
After experiencing some stomach discomfort Brown was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in April 2021.
A fighter till the end, Brown returned to work this past season with the blessing of his medical team, the NBA, and his family after more than a dozen rounds of intense chemotherapy.
“I haven’t had time to sit around and be like ‘Why me?’ or ‘What am I going to do?’” Brown told The Associated Press earlier this year in regards to his decision to return to work.
“Me not fighting would have made me feel like I was letting people down. What kind of example was I going to be to my kids if I just laid in this bed and let it overtake me? I had to show my kids that there’s nothing in life that you can’t challenge and overcome if you have a positive mindset.”
– Tony Brown on returning to work after his pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
He worked his way through Clark Atlanta after transferring from Florida A&M where he had a scholarship. He worked as a Delta Air Lines employee cleaning planes, and driving passenger carts, then became a flight attendant and remained employed by Delta until retiring in 2007.
Admired and loved by many, there has been an outpouring of condolences for Brown and his family, including from NBA superstar Lebron James, who shared his fond memories with Brown in a touching tweet.
R.I.P. Tony man!! Great ref but greater dude! Loved when I ran on the court for warmups and he would be on the game that night! Your smile & laugh will be missed tremendously here in our sport! 🙏🏾🤎👑 https://t.co/JI23eZczTi
“Tony Brown embodies everything it means to be a Clark Atlanta basketball player,” Clark Atlanta coach Alfred Jordan said. “His hard work, determination, and perseverance are what set him apart from the rest because those qualities are hard to come by these days.”
On October 1, Brown’s family launched a 10-day campaign to raise $100,000 for the endowment. The original goal was met in about 30 days and they now have surpassed it, raising $114,115.
Coach Jordan told 11 Alive News, that the endowment will give athletes at CAU more opportunities, helping them to graduate on time and hopefully give them an early start in getting their master’s degree while they’re enrolled at the university.
In an effort to keep Brown’s memory alive, CAU’s basketball team will honor him by having a patch with his jersey number six added to their uniforms, according to 11 Alive News.
“We definitely want to send our condolences out to his wife, Tina, and children. And we want them to know that here at CAU, that they’ll forever be a part of our family. If they need anything, we’re here; we’re open and helping them. We want to keep Tony Brown’s legacy going from here until the end of time,” Coach Jordan said.
Edward Waters University made history on Tuesday with the announcement of its first African-American woman to lead the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics in the over 155-year history of the institution.
Edward Waters University made history on Tuesday with the announcement of its first African-American woman to lead the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics in the over 155-year history of the institution.
Dr. Ivana Rich was named the Associate Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon at the Adams-Jenkins Community Sports & Music Complex.
“We engaged our student-athletes, coaches, alumni, athletic administration, as well as our faculty and staff to be a part of listening sessions to help guide us through this process,” said EWU President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. A. Zachary Faison, Jr. “What really resonated with me the most is the feedback from our student-athletes and Dr. Rich connected with them in a phenomenally positive way.”
Dr. Ivana Rich has had a long-standing career in athletics with experience at many different universities.
Dr. Rich comes to Edwards Waters after a seven-year stint at Norfolk State University, where she served in numerous positions such as the acting athletic director, associate athletic director for external relations, and senior woman administrator. She was also the department’s diversity and inclusion officer and deputy Title IX coordinator.
Prior to her time at Norfolk State, Dr. Rich held positions at many other institutions such as Howard University, Robert Morris University, Coastal Carolina University, Virginia State University, and Chowan University.
She served as the athletic academic advisor for all sports at Howard, and in 2015 she was the athletic academic support counselor at Robert Morris University. She also served a short stint as assistant volleyball coach at Coastal Carolina University (CCU) where she helped lead the Lady Chanticleers to the 2014 Big South Championship and NCAA tournament appearance. Prior to CCU, Dr. Rich spent three seasons as head volleyball coach at Virginia State University and was named the 2013 CIAA Coach of the Year during her final season. While at Virginia State, Dr. Rich was also a member of the department’s senior staff, serving as senior woman administrator and student-athlete affairs coordinator.
“I am excited to take this role here at Edward Waters, especially in the 50th anniversary of Title IX to show that there is a need for women leaders and to show that we can do this and we can sit in that seat, I believe that is critically important,”
– Dr. Ivana Rich on her new postion at Edward Waters University
Dr. Rich earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she played both middle-blocker and right-side hitter for the women’s volleyball program. As a senior captain, she helped lead the Lady Rams to the first regular-season conference championship in school history. She also broke two school records, the VCU all-time blocks record and the single-season hitting percentage record.
Dr. Rich continued her education at Virginia State where she earned her master’s degree in sport management. She then obtained a master’s degree in human services counseling from Liberty University, and a doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction/educational technology from the University of South Carolina.
She is a graduate of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy and a member of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics and Women Leaders in College Sports. Dr. Rich is also a member of the 2022 NCAA Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute and currently serves as a subcommittee lead of the N4A Ethnic Concerns Regional Outreach Committee.
Dr. Rich says she has found her new “home” at Edward Waters University.
“To be offered the position and to be the finalist for the position, I felt like things were coming into place,” Dr. Rich said. “I felt like I’d found a home when they called me and said, ‘You are our final selection.’”
North Carolina A&T University’s homecoming week turned deadly after a shooting at an off-campus house party on Tuesday night.
Police report that the shooting happened around 11:30 p.m. on the 900 block of Circle Drive, near East Bessemer and Summit avenues. Upon arriving, officers found two victims with gunshot wounds.
Two people died and four were injured in the shooting. One of those killed was 19-year-old Kaneycha Turner, a freshman at N.C. A&T who was studying management and business administration. She was from Statesville, North Carolina.
A man was also found dead at the scene and police are still working to identify him. Four others were injured in the shooting, and one of them is in critical condition.
Greensboro Interim Police Chief Teresa Biffle said multiple shots were fired but they are still processing forensics to determine how many shooters there were.
“You don’t send your children off to college and expect to get that phone call in the middle of the night,” Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan said according to WXII News.
Teresa Biffle, Interim Chief of Greensboro Police Department
Biffle remarked that people who were not even there for the party were a victim. “I mean this is a senseless act,” Biffle said.
“I can’t begin to imagine what they’re going through,” Biffle said of the victims’ families. “The only thing I can do is make sure to do everything we can to make sure to bring justice to the people who caused this.”
According to WXII News, the Greensboro Police Department has no suspects at this time, but it is being investigated as a homicide.
Police are asking those who were there and may know something to come forward and reach out to the police department at 336-373-1000.
After a two-year hiatus, CultureCon is back in person this year and brought Nike Yardrunners (3.0) with them.
CultureCon is the “fastest-growing conference for creatives and changemakers of color who plan to elevate their social network and make a real mark on culture.” This year the conference spanned a three-city tour — Atlanta (May 2-7), Los Angeles (June 16-18), and New York (Oct. 3-8).
During the New York leg of the tour, Nike Yardrunners made their Culture Con debut with a panel on the Culture Stage discussing their mission and commitment to honoring the rich history and heritage of Historically Black Colleges & Universities.
Panelists included: Spelman College alumna, and founder/Executive Director of Justice for Black Girls, Brianna Baker; Morehouse College alum, host of The RapCaviar Podcast, and 2022 Yardrunners Class honorary, Brandon ‘Jinx’ Jenkins; the current Brand Marketing Director at Nike, Deborah Williams; and finally the co-founder of YardRunners and Howard alum, Arinze Emeagwali. The panel was hosted by North Carolina A&T alumnus and TV personality, Terrance J.
Emeagwali says having the opportunity to “put on for HBCUs” and speak on YardRunners’ efforts was very important to him.
“We really wanted to talk about why we started the importance of it, the type of people that worked on it, and how intentional and authentic we are in making sure that we’re taking care of our own” Emeagwali said.
On Thursday, Oct. 6., Nike announced the third iteration of its Yardrunners collection, a project started by Emeagwali and fellow Howard alum Richard Palmer in 2020 to celebrate the history and culture of HBCUs and the contributions of its alumni.
Nice Kicks reports that through the Yardrunners 3.0, Nike is working with the HBCU community to tell authentic stories, co-create culturally relevant products, deliver scholarships, activate on campuses throughout homecoming, and establish networking opportunities through Nike’s university recruiting team. This year’s class is focused on HBCU alumni who are forging a legacy that will inspire future generations.
Emeagwali says being able to honor these HBCU alumni Yardrunners at CultureCon served as a reminder that the work they’re doing is important, and that “there’s still an appetite for telling stories about HBCU trailblazers doing dope things in their own lanes.”
He acknowledges Nike creatives Richard Palmer, Deborah Williams, Tarrick Kabore, Tristan Harvin, Brittany Martin, Lonzetta Simpkins, Karim Alammuri, and Malachi Garcia as well as League Twenty Two founder, Ashley Henderson for their contributions to the success of Yardrunners.
When it comes to being a yard runner, Emeagwali says anyone can be one, “being a yard runner is about doing the work when nobody is watching” he said. “Taking what we learned about running the yard on campus to running the globe in our perspective paths.”
Becoming Collegiate Academy has become Jacksonville’s first Historically Black College and University-inspired elementary school.
The school’s Executive Director, Cameron Frazier says the school was created to implement the best practices from the HBCU experience to kids early on.
“We are replicating the culture of Historically Black College and Universities by focusing on building positive relationships, leveraging identity and culture and holding up high expectations,” Executive Director Cameron Frazier told FOX 30 News.
First Coast News reports that when you open the doors to the school, you can see HBCU flags decorating the entrance. ABCs in classrooms represent “A” for “Alcorn State University” and “Z” for “Zora Neale Hurston.”
Frazier says representation matters.
“It’s very important that our students see role models who look just like them standing in front of them every single day,” Frazier told First Coast News.
“It’s extremely important for our students to experience it in elementary school. They need to see Black males teaching them academic content, letting them know that they are smart, building their identity, holding high expectations and surrounding them with love.”
Frazier has also served as representation for a teacher at the school who was once his student.
Ahmad Levy used to be Frazier’s student and now he’s a teacher himself. He says having a Black male teacher at a young age made a difference for him.
“Seeing someone that looked like me as my teacher, that really inspired me to take a second look at different things to do in life,” Levy said. “I now teach so that I can be that representation for our community.”
As of right now, Becoming Collegiate Academy has 80 students enrolled and a kindergarten and first grade. They plan to add a grade every year to complete the goal of becoming an inspiration for their community and preparing students for higher education.
“Our brown bears are going to make a difference in the world one day,” Frazier said. “You’ll see the big brown bear and you’ll be surrounded by nothing but love.”
The school is still accepting applications for students and looking for educators.
There is a ribbon cutting ceremony set for Tuesday at 10 a.m.
AL.com reports that entrepreneur and Miles College alum, Dale Thornton has made a $500K donation to his alma mater.
Dale Thornton is the son of one of Alabama’s most successful entrepreneurs, Larry Thornton. His father is a gifted artist, author, speaker, and board member at major companies like Coca-Cola, and a franchisee of McDonald’s.
Larry opened his first McDonald’s franchise in 1992, teaching his son in the process by paying him $1 an hour for his time in the store. Dale followed in his father’s footsteps and opened his first McDonald’s franchise when he turned 25 making him the youngest franchise owner at the multi-billion dollar fast-food chain at the time. Now the two men collectively own seven McDonald’s franchises in the Birmingham area.
Dale is continuing to make history by submitting the largest donation by an alum in Miles College history.
Dale takes after his father who donated $1,000,000 to his alma mater, Alabama State in 2011, which was the largest donation by an alum in the institution’s history.
Dale is giving $500,000 to his alma mater and says he decided to donate publicly in hopes of inspiring other HBCU alums to do the same.
“I would’ve just donated anonymously,” Dale said. “But my goal is to get other Miles and HBCU alums to do something similar — maybe not the same amount. Look back at what Miles has given us. Many hands make light work. What if people gave $10,000, $15,000, $20,000, when they’re 40 or below, relatively healthy, not on too many medicines.”
“That’s how the University of Alabama, your predominantly white institutions do it — with endowments,” he said, according to AL.com. “This is something we’re just not privy to. There’s nothing wrong with us. It’s just lack of education. If you don’t know, you don’t know. Imagine what we could do not just for Miles but for Alabama A&M, for Alabama State, for Morehouse. Because the HBCU is in trouble.”
“Hopefully, I can be a catalyst” He added.
He’s slated to publicly announce the news on Saturday morning, just ahead of the school’s homecoming game against Lane.
Capital One hosted a hands-on speed networking event for students at Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University in partnership with Braven and the AUCC.
Several students came out to Walter E. Massey Leadership Center at Morehouse College to spend their weekend building their networking and professionalism skills. The event offered one-on-one resume reviews with a Capital One team member, a LinkedIn profile review, and free professional headshots.
The first hour was from 4 pm – 5 pm and was reserved for Spelman students only. From 5 pm – 7 pm, it was open to all students of the AUCC. Prior to the event, the Capital One team conducted a panel discussion giving advice to first-year students about the importance of networking, finding a mentor, and practicing time management.
Event organizer and HBCU/HSI Partnerships, Events, & Invest Schools Lead at Capital One, Olutoyin Asubiojo said that the goal was to get the students prepared for their future. “With the students just coming back on campus what we really wanted them to get is just all the fundamentals they need to get themselves ready for all the things that will be happening when it comes to internships, full-time opportunities, we really want them to feel prepared. Whether or not they come work at Capital One, we’re just excited to be a part of their journey”
The event saw a great turnout as students poured in wearing their business professional, ready to learn what Capital One had to offer.
In addition to the headshots, resume, and LinkedIn review, they provided free food, a 360 booth, and a guest DJ, Rayymon Beatz to keep the energy high. They also held a raffle every hour for students who completed each station, with prizes ranging from a $50 Visa gift card to a brand-new iPad.
Arrie Dwittin, a sophomore health science major at Spelman College said she came to the event to expand her networking skills. “I think anyone and everyone can build up the skills of networking because after college you’re in the real world and they don’t teach us this is high school, so any chance I can get to learn these are adult skills is very vital.”
Kyra Floyd, a sophomore political science major at Spelman College said she found the event to be particularly helpful for black students when asked why is it important for college campuses to hold these types of events. “I think it’s especially important for black students to understand the professionalism and what big companies are really looking for… I think it’s the opportunity that a lot of kids especially black kids don’t have.”
Carlos Overton, a freshman mass media arts student at Clark Atlanta said the event helped him prepare for his professional career. “They don’t teach us this in high school, but here they’re giving us the format for everything we need to be successful in life.”
Capital One had a table set up where students could scan QR codes for information about internships and full-time positions in the areas of Commerical Banking, Finance, Cyber Security, Design Development, and more. The students were also given the opportunity to speak with Capital One team members about their career aspirations and leave their information with them so Capital One can keep up with students and update them on possible job opportunities.
Capital One will be returning to the AUCC soon for an upcoming career fair and will “definitely” be doing this event again according to Asubiojo. “This is our first time doing this speed networking event and we’re so glad to be able to test it out at the AUCC. We learned a lot and so we’ll definitely try to do this with some of our other partners that we have upcoming and continue to do this event.”
Tuskegee University has recently been granted $7.93 million to build a new biomedical annex to the Carver Research Center facility.
The grant proposal, authored by Dr. Clayton Yates, director of the Center for Biomedical Research, and Dr. Channapatna Prakash, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, received one of the highest scores possible of any institution that entered the national competition involving all major research universities.
The competition was funded by the NIH Biomedical Research Facility for the Center for Genomics Health Disparity Research.
Rendering of the inside of the new cancer research facility.
“Tuskegee has a long, rich history as an advocate for research and healthcare for the underserved community,” said Dr. Charlotte P. Morris, Tuskegee University president.
“What this grant will do by funding a new facility to support our work around cancer research cannot be understated. Tuskegee’s efforts to understand cancer genomics will impact generations within this community and beyond.”
– Tuskegee University President, Dr. Charlotte P. Morris
This grant puts Tuskegee just one step closer to becoming a globally renowned center of excellence in cancer genomics focused on health disparities in underrepresented populations according to the university.
“This is the first time TU has received an infrastructure grant of this size in a competitive arena and only the second science building to be built in the past 30 years and a third one in the past 70 years,” said Dr. Prakash. “This building will be transformational in providing a 21st-century science setting for our cancer genomics research and will help attract top talent as well.”
Rendering of the Tuskegee’s new cancer research facility laboratory.
The university says the 8,600-square-foot biomedical research building will house Tuskegee scientists focusing on computational and genomics related to health disparities. The proposed facility will expand the number of research faculty, students (graduate and undergrad), and post-doctoral fellows engaged in health disparities and biomedical research at Tuskegee.
The research quality is expected to be significantly enhanced due to the state-of-the-art laboratory and supporting spaces from a quantity and quality perspective.
“This award is recognition for the dedicated effort of the faculty, staff and students within the Center for Biomedical Research (CBR) to eradicate health disparities, particularly in Alabama Black Belt,” said Dr. Yates. “We further envision that the new annex will facilitate increased publications, proposal submissions and partnerships and collaborations with other institutions, agencies and the private sector. Students, particularly African Americans and other underrepresented minorities, will receive training to become excellent biomedical research scientists, significantly benefitting from this state-of-the-art enhancement.”
Construction for the facility is expected to begin in Summer of 2023 and will be completed by Spring of 2025.
President Biden has made appearances at Delaware State before as Vice President and again while campaigning for President, but this was the first time a sitting U.S. President has visited the university.
“It’s a beautiful thing, the President of the United States coming to Delaware State University,” said senior Jordan Spencer. “I’m speechless, honestly.”
The president spoke before a crowd of dignitaries, University leaders, faculty, staff, and students encouraging students to apply for the historic debt forgiveness program.
This program will allow people making less than $125,000 annually to be forgiven $10,000 in debt and those who qualified for a Pell Grant will receive $20,000. The plan will affect 43 million Americans, 90% of whom make less than $75,000, and almost 1.5 million will be HBCU students.
“Not a dime, not a dime, will go to the top 5 percent of income earners,” said President Biden. “This goes to people who really need it.”
Biden said that in less than a week since the application launched, close to 22 million people have already filled out an application. He also said the White House has received more than 10,000 letters in support of the debt relief.
He also took the time to call out Republican lawmakers who have attacked the program. “Their outrage was wrong and it’s hypocritical,” he said, adding that many of the critics took advantage of federal debt relief during the pandemic.
During Biden’s speech, the President went on to credit young people for electing him and stressed the importance of the upcoming midterm elections.
As Democrats are in danger of losing control of Congress, Biden codified abortion access if the U.S. Senate picks up more Democratic senators, which was met with cheers from the audience. He also highlighted policy wins like marijuana reforms and infrastructure funding as well as zeroing in on the Republican critics of his debt relief plan.
“Let’s talk about who is against helping millions of you who need the help,” Biden said to the students at the university, where 75% of students are recipients of Pell grants. “Republican governors wrote me a letter saying this relief only helps ‘the elite few.’ Y’all know you’re the elite few? I knew you were really special, but no, you’re the elite few.”
“Who in the hell do they think they are?” he later added.
He also alluded to his plans in 2024: “I’m coming back and I’m going to eliminate assault weapons again.”
Before the President took the stage, Delaware State President Tony Allen, who served as a speechwriter for then-Senator Biden, said that this administration has supported HBCUs in a number of ways, from $5.8 billion in federal aid, hiring more HBCU graduates to work in his administration and increasing Pell Grant awards.
“Less than two years into his term, President Biden has done more for HBCUs than any other president in American History,” said President Allen. “The facts are unmistakable.”
The President has been very supportive of Delaware State in particular, said President Allen. “Since the moment he announced his first Senatorial run in 1971, standing next to one of my most distinguished predecessors, Dr. Luna Mishoe, President Biden has never forgotten about Delaware State University,” he said. “Perhaps even more importantly, he has never forgotten about the plight of people of color in this country.”
Biden credited Delaware State and HBCUs for the institutions’ support throughout his political career.
“We are here at Delaware State University because it holds such a special place in my heart,” said President Biden. “There is no better example of a university that has changed so many lives.”
The Clark Atlanta community is uplifting Clark alum and former NBA referee Tony Brown as he battles pancreatic cancer.
Tony Brown is a retired Delta employee and was an NBA referee for 20 years. According to Fox 5 News, he’s officiated over 1,071 regular season games, 35 playoff games, and several All-Star games, but on April 30, 2021, Tony was diagnosed with stage four Pancreatic Cancer.
Now in hospice care, Brown is not giving up the fight. He and his wife, Tina, who also graduated from Clark, are continuing to “fight in the spirit of giving.”
The Browns are working to raise money for an endowment for the Clark Atlanta Basketball program, making room for younger generations to attend the school and play. On October 1st, they launched a 10-day campaign to raise $100,000 for the endowment and currently have raised over $60,000.
“We are committed to raising the full endowment. We want student-athletes to have the opportunity to succeed at the HBCU that helped us on our road to fulfilling lives. I, along with our three wonderful children, look forward to being there Sunday for this incredible honor,” says Mrs. Brown.
Clark decided to honor Tony and Tina’s efforts to give back to their alma mater in the midst of their battle.
On October 16, The Browns were honored during the Clark Atlanta University Homecoming Basketball Game. Although Tony couldn’t attend physically, Tina and their children were there to be recognized
Earlier this month, the CAU community surprised Tony at the hospital with a team jersey signed by the entire Clark Atlanta Panthers men’s basketball team.
“In his physical, the cancer might be winning, but it’s the other part where we’re beating cancer, and this is one of those moments where we can say we’re beating cancer,” Mrs. Brown told Action 2 News.
“We believe that Tony Brown displays and embodies exactly what it is to be a Clark Atlanta alumnus,” said CAU head basketball coach Alfred Jordan. “Our school motto is find a way to make one. And while he didn’t get a chance to play basketball while he was at Clark, he still found a way to make sure basketball was a part of his life.”
The fund is still taking donations here or can be made by contacting the Attorney Mawuli Davis of Davis Bozeman Law Firm at 404-244-2004.
