Monthly Archives: May 2017
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 Montana Graduates Its First African American Studies Majors
The African-American studies program at the University of Montana is the third oldest in the nation and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2018. But until now, students could not major in the subject.
Central State University Opens Its Financial Books for All to See
Central State University, the historically Black educational institution in Wilberforce, Ohio, has announced that it is one of two public universities in the state to post all of its expenditures online in an effort to boost fiscal responsibility.
Tennessee State University Expands Its Goat Meat Research Program
The university recently received funding from National Institute of Food and Agriculture to further its research on goat meat production. The latest research involves Savanna goats, the fifth breed in the university's herd.
Higher Education Grants or Gifts of Interest to African Americans
Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
How Higher Education Impacts the Likelihood of Interracial Marriage
For African Americans, the likelihood of interracial marriage increases as they move up the educational ladder. And the gender gap in interracial marriage rates for African Americans is more pronounced at higher education levels.
Eliminating the Racial Gap in Infant Mortality Is Achievable, University Study Says
A new study shows that in 18 states, the racial gap in infant mortality rates is on track to be eliminated by the year 2050. The study notes that if the racial gap was eliminated, an estimated 4,000 lives of Black babies would be saved.
Berkeley Psychologist Looks to End Bias in School Discipline
Jason Okonofua, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley has developed an online intervention program that allows school teachers to examine their implicit racial bias before handing out punishment for students in need of discipline.
Leo E. Morton to Step Down as Chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City
Morton has led the university since December 2008. At that time, he was chair of the university's board of trustees and agreed to lead the university as interim chancellor until a new leader could be found. But a few months later, the board asked him to take the job on a permanent basis.
The Next Dean of Students at Westminster College in Pennsylvania
Carllos Lassiter has been serving as vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Rust College, a historically Black educational institution in Holly Springs, Mississippi. He will begin his new duties at Westminster College in July.
Georgia Southern University Honors Its First African American Students
In January 1965, John Bradley became the first African American student at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. Six other Black students entered the university in the fall of 1965. Catherine Davis, a sophomore transfer student, was the first African American student to be awarded a degree.
State Board Names Its Preferred Candidate for President of Jackson State University
The board of trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning in Mississippi announced that it has selected William B. Bynum, current president of Mississippi Valley State University, as the "preferred candidate" to be the next president of Jackson State University.
Wilberforce University Cuts Pay for Employees
Herman J. Felton Jr., president of Wilberforce University, the nation's oldest private historically Black college or university, stated "we decided to do some terminations and furloughs and all of us are taking a pay cut; mine more significant than the others."
Website Ranks the HBCUs With the Best Online Program Offerings
Online College Plan's new listing the "Top 20 Best Historically Black Colleges with Online Programs" ranks HBCUs by the quality of the online education provided as well as by the number of online programs offered, and the ease in which students can take these courses.
In Memoriam: Gloria P. Hill, 1947-2017
Dr. Hill joined the staff at Carnegie Mellon University in 1972 as an academic adviser. Later, she served as assistant vice provost for education and assistant dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Alabama State University Awards Its First Master of Social Work Degrees
Seven students, all of whom previously had earned bachelor's degrees in social work at Alabama State University, were recently awarded the university's first master of social work degrees.
Five African American Faculty Members Given New Assignments
The faculty members taking on new roles are Dineo Khabele at the University of Kansas Health System, Cullen Buie at MIT, Ingrid M. Nembhard at Yale University, Cherlon Ussery at Carleton College in Minnesota, and Kami Chavis at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.
Claflin University Joins a New Effort to Increase the Number of Black Male Teachers
The program will seek to identify young Black male students as early as junior high school who are interested in becoming teachers. There students will receive mentoring, counseling, advising, and tutoring to keep on track for higher education.
New College or University Administrative Appointments for Five African Americans
Appointed to new positions are Kathi Dantley Warren at Rice University in Houston, Andre Phillips at the University of Wisconsin, Cheryl Lynn Horsey at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, Walter McCollum at Walden University, and Rene Davis at Brown University in Rhode Island.
Murder of Black Student Prompts University of Maryland to Take Action
Richard Wilbur Collins III, a 23-year-old Black man who had just been commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army was stabbed to death on May 20 as he was waiting for an Uber driver at the University of Maryland College Park.
Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers
Each week, JBHE 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.
Manuscript of Slave Autobiography to Be Published in Digital Form
Fields Cook was born into slavery on a Virginia plantation in 1817. His “A Scetch of My Own Life by Fields Cook” is one of the few, if only, surviving manuscripts written before the Civil War by a slave still in bondage.
Documenting the African American Experience at Northwestern University
Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, will soon have a permanent exhibition space documenting the lives of Black students, faculty, and alumni at the university. Charla Wilson will join the staff at Northwestern University Libraries as the inaugural Archivist for the Black Experience.
Higher Education Grants or Gifts of Interest to African Americans
Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Scholar to Direct World War I Tribute Band
Dr. Isrea Butler will direct the ensemble which is a recreation of the 369th Regimental Band that was made up of 65 African American and Puerto Rican soldiers that performed in the United States and in Europe during the World War I period a century ago.
Bucknell University Honors its First African American Graduate
Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, recently unveiled a bust of Edward McKnight Brawley, who in 1875 became the first African American to graduate from the university. He went on to serve as president of what is now Selma University in Alabama. Brawley also was president of Morris College in Alabama.
In Memoriam: Charles Rudolph Davis, 1937-2017
Chuck Davis was one of the nation's foremost authorities on African and African American dance. In 1983, he founded the African American Dance Ensemble in Durham, North Carolina, and taught classes at Duke University and North Carolina Central University.
Tufts University Debuts Exhibit From the Gerald Gill Papers Collection
Gerald Gill taught history at Tufts University for 27 years before his death 10 years ago at the age of 59. Professor Gill was the author of "Another Light on the Hill," which documented the history of African Americans at Tufts.
Black Americans Living in Racially Segregated Areas at Greater Risk for High Blood Pressure
The study followed nearly 2,300 African Americans over a 25-year period. They found that those African Americans who moved to diverse neighborhoods saw a decrease in blood pressure and those that remained in diverse areas saw their blood pressure drop even more.
Lincoln University in Pennsylvania Names Brenda Allen as its Fourteenth President
Dr. Allen has been serving as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. She is the former associate provost for institutional diversity at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
Old Dominion University Scholar Studying Leadership Issues at HBCUs
Nearly 60 percent of sitting university presidents are over the age of 60. This presents the question of who will be the next generation of HBCU leaders. Felecia Commodore of Old Dominion University in Norfolk is trying to answer that question.
James E. Lyons to Lead Concordia College in Selma, Alabama
The board of regents of Concordia College in Selma, Alabama, has named James E. Lyons as chief transition officer. In effect, Dr. Lyons will serve as interim president of the historically Black educational institution for the next six months.
The Racial Gap in School Discipline Is Widest for Girls
The study of middle and high school students in a large urban district by researchers at Indiana University and the University of Kentucky, found that Blacks girls are three times as likely as White girls to be sent to the principal's office.
The New Miss USA Is an African American Nuclear Scientist
Kara McCullough earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry with a concentration in radiochemistry from South Carolina State University. This allowed her to get a job in the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C.
A Milestone Commencement at North Carolina Central University
The University awarded 725 undergraduate degrees and 490 graduate degrees at commencement ceremonies earlier this month, the largest total in the university's history. It also awarded its first Ph.D.s in over a half century.
