Monthly Archives: January 2019
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.
American Bar Association Defeats Measure That May Have Harmed HBCU Law Schools
The American Bar Association's House of Delegates recently rejected a resolution that would have required law schools to have a bar passage rate in excess of 75 percent or face the risk of losing accreditation. Law schools at HBCUs tend to have low bar passage rates.
In Memoriam: T. Vaughn Walker, 1950-2019
Dr. Walker was senior professor of Black church studies at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He was the first tenured African American faculty member in the 150-year history of the seminary. He was also the first African American full professor.
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.
In Memoriam: Rodney Kelvin Sisco, 1964-2018
Sisco was a 1984 graduate of Wheaton College, earning a bachelor's degree in sociology and Christian education. He joined the staff at the college after graduation and remained a member of the Wheaton community for the rest of his life.
The CUNY School of Medicine is a Leader in Producing Minority Physicians
In 2018, the Association of American Medical Colleges cited the City University of New York School of Medicine as the fifth top medical school in the country for recruitment of Black and African-American students, exceeded only by the four historically Black medical schools.
Baylor University Sorority Facing Sanctions After Posting Racist Video on Instagram
The Pi Beta Phi sorority at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, is facing multiple sanctions after members of the organization were seen in a racist video posted on Instagram. The song contains the use of a racial slur at least 11 times.
Thomas Edison State University Launches the Journal of Women and Minorities in Technology
The new publication will be an open access journal that provides quality peer-reviewed articles written by academic and professionals in the fields of aviation, nuclear technology, cybersecurity, and information technology. The articles will provide technical and soft-skills information aimed at helping women, African Americans and professionals from other underrepresented groups succeed in these fields.
Black Teens See a Lot of Risky Content Online, But Few Post About It
A study led by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, has found that Black and Hispanic teens observe a great deal of references to violent and risky behavior on social media. But fewer than one-fifth said they personally had posted such content.
Howard University Names the Next Dean of Its College of Arts and Sciences
Since 2014, Dr. Rubin Patterson has been chair of department of sociology and criminology at Howard University. He previously served as a professor of sociology and in several administrative roles at the University of Toledo in Ohio. Dr. Patterson will become dean on July 1.
Young Blacks Who Experience Discrimination Are More Likely to Engage in Political Activism
A new study by researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of Chicago has found that Black teens and young adults who experience racial discrimination are more likely to engage in social and political activism on issues that are important to the African American community.
Kevin James to Lead the College of Business and Economics at North Carolina A&T State University
Dr. James has been serving as interim dean since August 2017. He has also served as chair of the department of accounting and finance since 2010. Prior to teaching at North Carolina A&T, Dr. James served as a faculty member at Middle Tennessee State University.
Harvard Study Finds Association Between Financial Stress and Risk of Heart Disease Among Blacks
The researchers found that African-American men and women who experience moderate to high financial stress had almost three times greater risk of heart disease events (such as heart attacks and procedures to investigate or treat heart disease) than those who did not experience stress due to finances.
Danielle Conway Named Dean of Penn State’s Dickinson Law School
Professor Conway has served as dean and professor at the University of Maine School of Law since 2015. Earlier, she served on the faculty of law schools at the University of Hawaii, the University of Memphis, and Georgetown University.
Six African American Scholars Appointed to Faculty Posts at Colleges and Universities
The five faculty members taking on new assignments are Telissah Williams at LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Vanessa K. Valdés at the City University of New York, Conuelo Wilkins at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Nicole M. Mitchell at the University of Pittsburgh, and Tanisha M. Jackson at Ohio State University.
New Entrepreneurship Competition Will Feature Students From 10 HBCUs
Five students at 10 HBCUs will form teams that will compete with teams from other HBCUs at a weekend competition in Detroit in March. Students will devise and promote a business plan and compete for two top prizes.
Natasha Trethewey Elected Chancellor of the American Academy of Poets
Natasha Trethewey, the Board of Trustees Professor of English at Northwestern University, has been named one of two new chancellors of the American Academy of Poets. Since it was formed in 1946, only 115 poets have been elected to the academy.
Alabama A&M University Calls for Greater Ties Between Industry and Higher Education
The report suggests that the foundation for this workforce development to be set at grade levels 6-8 and that middle school educators be provided with access to manufacturers and suppliers so that they can receive a better understanding of industry demands.
Five African Americans in New Administrative Posts at Colleges and Universities
Taking on new administrative roles are Marcus Guess at Albany State University, Keith Smith at Saint Augustine's University in Raleigh, North Carolina, Ann McCorvey at Davidson College in North Carolina, Joffery Gaymon at Auburn University in Alabama, and Kristen Barnes at Columbia University in New York City.
Canadian Publisher Rates America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Canadian students interested in HBCUs in the United States could have read the U.S. News & World Report rankings released last September. They are identical to those in the University Magazine article.
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.
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.
Harvard Students Create Exhibit on Relationship Between Christianity and Slavery
"The Yoke of Bondage: Christianity and African Slavery in the United States" features documents, including rare books, that range from 1619, when the first slaves where brought to Virginia, to the Civil War's end in 1865.
After Racist Comments, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Ends Affiliation With James D. Watson
On January 2, 2019, a documentary on the Public Broadcasting System featured Dr. James Watson, the former head of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. Dr. Watson, now 90 years old, reiterated racist comments about the intelligence of Black people.
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.
Construction on Memorial to Enslaved Laborers Begins at the University of Virginia
Slaves, rented from local property owners, were used to construct many of the earliest campus buildings. Once the university opened, slaves were used for manual labor on campus. Some faculty members owned slaves.
Columbia University Scholar Uses Virtual Reality to Expose Whites to Racism
The simulation immerses the viewer in the life of a fictional African American man as he encounters racism at different points in his life.
In Memoriam: Irene Leota Moore Wright, 1927-2019
Throughout her career, Dr. Wright held faculty positions as Atlanta University, Clark College, Spelman College, Tuskegee Institute, Albany State College, and Saint Louis University.
Two University of Oklahoma Students in Blackface Post Video on Social Media
Two White women at the University of Oklahoma posted a video on social media showing one of the women in blackface and using a racial slur. The two women have now withdrawn from the university.
New Report Urges Nation to Strengthen STEM Programs at Minority Serving Institutions
According to the report, minority-serving institutions of higher education produce one-fifth of the nation's STEM bachelor's degrees awarded to students of color. With proper funding, attention, and support, these institutions can contribute much more to the STEM workforce, according to the report.
Sean Huddleston Named President of Martin University in Indianapolis
Currently, Huddleston is vice president for inclusion and equity at the University of Indianapolis. He was the chief officer for diversity, inclusion, and community engagement at Framingham State University in Massachusetts. Huddleston will begin as president of Martin University on March 25, 2019.
University Study Finds Racial Disparity in Solar Panel Installations
A new study authored by researchers at Tufts University in Massachusetts and the University of California, Berkeley, has found that the deployment of solar panels has predominately occurred in White neighborhoods, even after controlling for household income and levels of home ownership.
G. Marcus Cole Named Dean of Law School at the University of Notre Dame
Currently, Cole serves as the William F. Baxter-Visa International Professor of Law at Stanford University. He first joined the Stanford faculty in 1997. At Stanford, he served for five years as associate dean for curriculum and academic affairs.
University of Southern California Study Finds Large Increase in Hollywood’s Black Directors in 2018
Out of the 1,200 top-grossing films from 2007 to 2018, 80 African Americans were directors or co-directors. But in 2018, there were 16 Black directors among the 100 top-grossing films. This is the highest percentage of Black directors across the time frame.
Julius P. Williams Becomes First African-American President of the Conductors Guild
Dr. Williams serves as a professor of composition at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He holds a bachelor's degree from Herbert Lehman College of the City University of New York and a master of music education degree from the Hartt School of Music of the University of Hartford in Connecticut.
