Campus News - Page 551

Milton H. Jones Jr. Becomes First Black UNCF Board Chair

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Milton H. Jones Jr. is making history as the first Black man to be elected as chair of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) Board of Directors. Jones succeeds William F. Stasior Sr., retired Chairman and CEO of Booz Allen Hamilton, who served as UNCF’s Chair for 11 years. A business and civic leader, Jones held several senior executive positions throughout his 32-year career at Bank of America. He is also a founding member of Peachtree Providence Partners Holding Company LLC, an Atlanta-based private investment and consulting firm specializing in providing income for small and mid-level businesses. As a founding member,

Johns Hopkins Launches Gradpath to Connect with HBCUs

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Recently, Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering took a major step towards strengthening their connection with HBCUs. On March 25, their Gradpath event brought together faculty, senior leaders and administrators to kickoff the Gradpath Collaborative. Attendees exchanged ideas and strategies aimed at facilitating recruitment of underrepresented students into graduate programs. The initiative will also serve as a platform to expand research opportunities for HBCU scholars in science and engineering. James West, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Hopkins, known worldwide as the inventor of the electret microphone said, “Being inspired and mentored by people [at Morgan] that looked

Fisk Jubilee Singers Win First Grammy on 150th Anniversary

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Patience and great performance are their own rewards, but in the Fisk Jubilee Singers case, a first-ever Grammy Award came with it. “Celebrating Fisk!,” the 150th Anniversary Album, won the 2021 Grammy for Best Roots Gospel Album. “I thank the Fisk University family,” said Dr. Paul Kwami, musical director since 1994. “And all the fans around the world. Thank you so much, hallelujah.” Started in Nashville in 1871 by Fisk University treasurer George Leonard White, the Fisk Jubilee Singers’ purpose was to raise much-needed funds for the 5-year-old school. Soon after, however, they were forerunners in bringing, what for better

UAPB Wins HBCU Band Tribute Honoring Aretha Franklin

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Today would be the legendary Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin’s 79th birthday. National Geographic’s “GENIUS: ARETHA” and Watch The Bands, an online platform that focuses on preserving and promoting the marching band and dance culture of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), announced the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Marching Band as the winner of “All Hail The Queen: HBCU Band Tribute.” The competition showcased four different HBCU bands from Alabama A & M University, Alabama State University, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Kentucky State University, all of whom performed Franklin’s greatest hits. The bands were

LEGACY Home Loans Partners with HBCUs to Train Originators

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As the first Black realtor with 55 years of experience, LEGACY Home Loans’ Founder & CEO Ben Slayton is all too familiar with the challenges African Americans face while working in mortgage and real estate.  Slayton and other leaders at LEGACY are determined to open the door for future generations by equipping them with the tools needed to succeed. LEGACY Home Loans is the nation’s largest Black mortgage lender, and it has partnered with the HBCU Career Development Marketplace to increase the representation of African Americans in the mortgage industry. Currently, only 3% of the mortgage industry’s loan originators are

Shaw Rising” Wins Emmy for Historic HBCU Documentary

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The inspiring story of Shaw University, the first historically black college in the South, is told in “Shaw Rising.” Founded in North Carolina in 1865 by Dr. Henry Martin Tupper who served as a chaplain in the Union Army during the Civil War, the school has a tumultuous story. Durham, NC studio responsible for the film, Horizon Productions, has received the prestigious Midsouth Regional Emmy Award for the documentary. The announcement came at the 35th annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Award ceremony on February 27. “Shaw Rising” tells Shaw’s story from the beginning. The HBCU has faced many challenges including Jim

PVAMU Launches Toni Morrison Writing Program with $3M Gift

A Toni Morrison Writing Program will be established at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) in honor of the writer and her former student, MacKenzie Scott. The announcement came from PVAMU President Ruth J. Simmons. $3 million in donations will be designated to endow the Morrison Writing Program. A Toni Morrison Writer-in-Residence will be part of the program. Whoever is selected as the Writer-in-Residence will have a one-year visiting appointment at PVAMU and will offer a seminar in writing. He/She will also hold public readings of his/her work and that of other writers in an effort to bring visibility to the importance

FAMU Hosts Annual 1887 Strikes Day of Giving Fundraiser

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Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) is hosting its Annual Day of Giving in commemoration of the 1887 Strikes. In 1887 in Thibodaux, Louisiana Black sugar cane workers went on strike to protest the harsh working conditions, long hours and unfair wages. For three weeks 10,000 workers went on strike, turning into what is now known as the Thibodaux Massacre. The all-white state militia went to the protestors’ homes, killing an estimated 60 people.  FAMU’s Annual Day of Giving, “1887 Strikes,” fundraising event kicked off Thursday morning. Friends, alumni, faculty and staff are being asked to support a broad range of initiatives

Ford Joins Congressional HBCU Partnership Challenge

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Ford Motor Company and Ford Motor Credit Company are taking part in the Congressional HBCU Partnership Challenge, which is designed to promote corporate engagement and support for HBCUs. The main goal of the initiative is to help students develop new career opportunities and to improve diversity and inclusion across all industries. Emphasis will also be placed on building stronger relationships with HBCUs and expanding current ones. “We are thrilled to join the HBCU Partnership Challenge,” Ford Credit CEO Marion Harris said. “As part of our commitment to treating customers like family, our company makeup needs to look more like the

Maryland to Pay $577M Settlement to State HBCUs

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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has settled a 15-year-old federal discrimination lawsuit. The bill will give $577 million over the next ten years to the state’s four HBCUs — Bowie State University, Coppin State University, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Morgan State University. Hogan had previously vetoed a similar bill, attributing his decision to the economic issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He will sign the bill Wednesday afternoon, alongside lawmakers, at Bowie State University. Payments in regard to this settlement, however, will not begin until 2023. The lawsuit was originally filed in 2006 by the NAACP. HBCUs claimed

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