Monthly Archives: March 2016
Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers
From time to time, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.
Emory Acquires Rare First Edition of David Walker’s 1829 Book Appeal
The book was written and published in 1829 by Walker, a self-educated African American merchant. It is one of the earliest known written indictments of the institution of slavery. The first-edition acquired by Emory, one of only six known to exist, was owned and signed by W.E.B. Du Bois.
The Discovery of a Poem Written by Indiana University’s First Black Woman Student
Carrie Parker Taylor, the daughter of former slaves, enrolled at Indiana University in 1898. Taylor dropped out of college after one year, got married, and raised six children. Recently, a poem penned by Taylor in 1915 was discovered.
Recent Books of Interest to African American Scholars
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. The books included are on a wide variety of subjects and present many different points of view.
University of California, San Diego Launches Black Academic Excellence Initiative
The goal of the initiative is to increase the number of Black students and faculty on campus and to make the campus environment more welcoming to African Americans. The latest Education Department data shows that Blacks make up just one percent of the undergraduate student body.
Higher Education Grants of Interest to African Americans
Here is this week’s news of grants to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
Oberlin College Acquires a Collection of Papers of Mary Church Terrell
Mary Church Terrell was the daughter of former slaves. She was a 1884 graduate of Oberlin College and went on to become an educator, civil rights activist, and a proponent of women's suffrage.
New College Scholarship Program to Honor Rev. Clementa Pickney
Rev. Pickney, who was a member of the state Senate in South Carolina, was murdered at the Mother A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina, along with eight other parishioners. A new $3.2 million fund honoring Rev. Pickney will provide scholarships for African American college students.
Two African Americans Are Among the 11 New Members of the National Academy of Education
William F. Tate is the Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor in Arts and Sciences and Carol Camp Yeakey is the Marshall S. Snow Professor in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.
University of Mississippi Adding a New Plaque to Statue of Confederate Soldier
The University of Mississippi is proceeding with plans to add a new plaque explaining the historical context of a statue of a Confederate soldier on the Oxford campus.
John Edgar Wideman Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters
This year 12 new members were elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. One of the 12 new members is an African American: John Edgar Wideman, the Asa Messer Professor and professor of Africana studies and literary arts at Brown University.
Graduation Rates on the Rise, But the Racial Gap Widens
A study of 232 public colleges and universities with overall graduation rate increases found that the rate for White students at these schools improved 5.6 percentage points over the past decade. But Black student graduation rates increased by just 4.4 percentage points.
The Next President of Minneapolis Community and Technical College
Since 2010, Dr. Sharon Pierce has been vice president for academic affairs at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland. Earlier, she served as chair of the Health Sciences Division and director of the nursing education program at the college.
Northwestern Study Finds Racial Differences in Substance Abuse Among Delinquent Teenagers
The study found that contrary to common societal stereotypes, African Americans were far less likely that Whites or Hispanics to develop substance abuse disorders relating cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, and sedatives.
Two African American Women Named Deans at Southern Universities
Stephanie G. Adams was named dean of the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and Pamela Jackson is the new dean of the School of Business and Economics at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina.
Study Shows “Resumé Whitening” Increases Chance of Employers Contacting Job Applicants
A new study by researchers at the University of Toronto and Stanford University found that nearly one third of African American job applicants used the practice of "resumé whitening" to hide, at least to some degree, their ethnic identities.
Five Black Faculty Members Taking on New Assignments
Black faculty members taking on new roles are Susan Gooden of Virginia Commonwealth University, Robyn K. Autry at Wesleyan University, Suzanne L. Weeks at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Hadiyah-Nicole Green at Morehouse School of Medicine and Jack Drummond of The Lincoln University.
CEO of New Search Firm Focusing on HBCUs Talks With JBHE
JBHE conducted an interview with Christopher Braswell, president of TM2 Education Search to get a better idea of the plans for the new venture.
A Trio of Black Scholars Selected for Prestigious Awards
The winners of notable awards are Akil Khalfani of Essex County College in Newark, New Jersey, Angele Kingue of Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and James L. Moore III of Ohio State University.
Wiley College to Establish a New School of Film and Drama
Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, has announced that it is establishing the Nate Parker School of Film and Drama in the fall of 2016. Nate Parker is the creator of the film The Birth of a Nation that tells the story of the 1831 slave revolt led by Nat Turner.
Three African Americans Appointed to New Administrative Posts in Higher Education
Hired to new administrative posts are Janel Marts Green at Dillard University in New Orleans, Alonda Williams at Bellevue College in Washington State, and Kevin McDonald at the University of Missouri System.
HBCUs With the Most Graduates Currently Volunteering in the Peace Corps
With 16 graduates serving in the Peace Corps, Howard University ranks first among all historically Black colleges and universities. Spelman College in Atlanta is a distant second with seven graduates currently serving in the Peace Corps. Florida A&M University ranks third.
Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers
From time to time, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.
Recent Books of Interest to African American Scholars
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. The books included are on a wide variety of subjects and present many different points of view.
Historian Seeks Information on the First Black Applicant to the College of William and Mary
In 1807, John Wallace De Rozaro, a 20-year-old African American man, sought to take classes at the college. He was born free in Virginia and worked as a gunsmith. The president of the college urged him to work in a local armory instead of pursuing higher education.
Brown University Renovates the Home of African American Artist Edward Mitchell Bannister
The home at 93 Benevolent Street, originally built in 1854 near the Brown University campus, was purchased by the university in 1989. At the time, the house was in disrepair. Now the renovated home will be sold to a member of the Brown University community.
The Inaugural Director of the Center on Race, Law, and Justice at Fordham University
Robin A. Lenhardt has taught at the Fordham University School of Law in New York City since 2004. The new center will be a platform for cutting-edge interdisciplinary scholarship on race, structural inequality, and racial justice.
Higher Education Grants of Interest to African Americans
Here is this week’s news of grants to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
New Consortium Seeks to Boost College Graduation Rates of Minority Students
The Optimizing Academic Success and Institutional Strategy (OASIS) initiative will bring its 11 member institutions together to examine best practices for enhancing student success in areas such as student advising and counseling, as well as developmental coursework.
Linda Scott Is a Finalist for Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Linda Scott is the associate dean for academic affairs at the School of Nursing of the University of Illinois at Chicago. She also serves as an associate professor of health systems science and director of graduate studies.
A New Anthology of the Writings of Former Slave Peter Randolph
Katherine Bassard, a professor of English and senior vice provost for faculty affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, is the editor of a new book on the writings of a former slave who became a leading abolitionist and religious figure.
Harvard Law School Seeks to Distance Itself From a Legacy Tied to Slavery
The current seal is modeled after the family crest of Isaac Royall, the son of an Antiguan slave owner. Funds from Royall's estate were used to established Harvard Law School.
At All Levels of Wealth, Blacks Are More Likely Than Whites to Spend Time in Jail
As expected, wealthier people of all races were less likely to be incarcerated than members of their racial group with lower levels of wealth. But at all levels of wealth, Blacks were more likely than Whites to spend time in jail.
Camille A. Nelson Named Dean of the Law School at American University
Professor Nelson was dean of the Suffolk University Law School in Boston from 2010 to 2015. Earlier, she taught at the law school of Saint Louis University. A native of Jamaica, Professor Nelson was the first Black woman to clerk for Canada's highest court.
Academic Study Finds Racial Differences in Smoking Behavior
African American are less likely than Whites to begin smoking in their teen years when most people who smoke start their habits. But, Blacks are less likely than Whites to quit smoking once they get older.
New $48 Million Scholarship Program for African Americans in STEM Fields
The Fund II Foundation of Austin, Texas, led by Robert F. Smith, founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, has teamed up with the United Negro College Fund to establish a $48 million scholarship program for African Americans in STEM fields.
