Monthly Archives: May 2019

Keisha N. Blain Wins Book Award from the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians

Dr. Blain is an associate professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh, where she has served on the faculty since 2017. Her book examines the activism of Black nationalist women who challenged White supremacy and advocated for full citizenship and human rights for people of African descent.

Tuskegee University Partners With Ross University to Boost Black Medical School Enrollment

The new pathway program will provide qualified Tuskegee students who are accepted to the Ross University School of Medicine with a scholarship covering full tuition for their first semester. These students will spend their first two years of medical school at the RUSM campus in Barbados.

Two African American Scholars Appointed to New Academic Posts

Professor Tonya Smith-Jackson has been named senior vice provost for academic affairs at North Carolina A&T State University and Eric M. Glover has been named an adjunct assistant professor of dramaturgy and dramatic criticism at the Yale School of Drama.

Voorhees College to Offer First Fully Online Degree Program in Fall 2019

The online bachelor of science degree program in business administration was recently approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and accredited by the Associate of College Business Schools and Programs. The program will offer concentrations in general business and finance.

A Quartet of African American Women Who Have Been Selected for Notable Honors

The honorees are Phyllis Worthy Dawkins, president of Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, Karen Robinson, associate professor of nursing at Marquette University, Gabrielle Abelard a clinical assistant professor of nursing at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Benita Powell, assistant general counsel at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina.

Interdenominational Theological Center to Offer Master’s Degree in Liturgical Arts and Culture

The Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC), a consortium of five predominately African-American denominational Christian seminaries in Atlanta, Georgia, has announced that it will reintroduce its master of arts in church music as the master of arts in liturgical arts and culture degree.

New Administrative Duties in Higher Education for Four African Americans

Taking on new administrative roles are Kerry Anne Simon at Mississippi Valley State University, Kwanna King at the University of Wyoming, Charles King at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Sean Plater at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Furman University in South Carolina Takes Measures to Atone for its Ties to Slavery

The university will change the name of James C. Furman Hall. The building is named after the university's first president who was a slave owner and a strong opponent of abolition. The board of trustees also agreed to erect a statue on campus honoring the university's first Black undergraduate student.

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.

University of North Carolina at Asheville Displays Works From its Isaiah Rice Photo Collection

A local deliveryman and beverage distributor, Isiah Rice also was an amateur photographer who used small cameras to take pictures of everyday life in Asheville's African American community during the post-World War II era.

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.

Liselle Joseph’s Milestone Achievement at Virginia Tech

Liselle Joseph was awarded a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg. She is the first woman from an Eastern Caribbean nation to earn a Ph.D. in the field.

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: Robert Wayne Bowles, 1943-2019

Robert W. Bowles was the former chair of the department of health and physical education and the former director of alumni affairs at Alcorn State University in Mississippi.

A Trio of African Americans Are Retiring From High-Level Posts in the Academic World

Stepping down from their positions are Melissa Thomas-Hunt, professor of management and vice provost at Vanderbilt University, Andre Patillo, director of athletics at Morehouse College in Atlanta, and Filomina C. Steady, chair of Africana studies at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

Tom Jackson Jr. Will Be the First African American President of Humboldt State University in California

Dr. Jackson currently serves as president of Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota, a position he has held since 2014. He previously served as vice president for student affairs at both the University of Louisville and Texas A&M University Kingsville.

Large Increases in Black Undergraduate Enrollment But Not at the Most Selective Institutions

Black student enrollment has increased from 10 percent to 13 percent at public four-year institutions, from 13 percent to 14 percent at private, nonprofit four-year institutions, from 13 percent to 15 percent at public two-year institutions, and from 21 percent to 28 percent at private for-profit schools.

LaKeesha Walrond Appointed President of the New York Theological Seminary

Dr. Walrond has served as the executive pastor of the First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York, for over 10 years. When she assumes the presidency of the New York Theological Seminary on June 3, 2019, she will be the first woman to lead the educational institution.

Increases in Government Contracting Lead to Lower African American Employment Opportunities

According to a new study from the University of Georgia, when governments contract work out to private companies, it leads to decreases in workforce diversity, most noticeably in African American and women participation in top-level positions.

Mickey L. Burnim Will Lead Coppin State University in Baltimore

From 2006 to 2017, Dr. Burnim served as president of Bowie State University in Maryland. Earlier in his career he served as chancellor of Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. He will begin his tenure s interim president of Coppin State University in July

Study Finds Hairstyles Historically Associated With Black Women Are Perceived as Less Professional

According to a new study by Dove's CROWN Coalition (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair), Black women report being 30 percent...

The First Black Master of a College at the University of Cambridge in England

Sonita Alleyne was recently appointed as master of Jesus College at the University of Cambridge in England. The title of master is the equivalent of dean in the United States. Alleyne will be the first woman and the first Black person to lead the college, which was established in 1496.

Historically Black Fort Valley State University to Develop 107-Acre Solar Farm on Campus

Historically Black Fort Valley State University in Georgia has announced that Georgia Power will develop and construct an 11 megawatts fixed-tilt solar generation facility...

New Faculty Appointments for Five African American Scholars

Taking on new assignments are Alondra Nelson at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, Keith A. Alford at Syracuse University, Kendall M. Campbell at East Carolina University, Duane Lee Hollland Jr. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Curtis Davis. Jr. at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Fayetteville State University Partners With Sampson Community College

Under the agreement, Sampson Community College associate degree graduates will be able to complete an online bachelor's degree at Fayetteville State University at a total cost of no more than $10,000 in out-of-pocket expenses. Students eligible for federal and state grants will likely pay less.

Two Black Scholars Win Architecture Awards From the American Academy of Arts and Letters

Mabel O. Wilson and Mario Gooden of the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at Columbia University were honored for their exploration of ideas in architecture as co-directors of the Global Africa Lab at Columbia.

Texas Southern University Creates Pathway Program for Crowley School District Students

Through the new agreement, students from Crowley will be able to visit Texas Southern University for campus activities. They will also be provided with dual credit courses for eligible students, summer camp programs, and priority review for academic advising and enrollment services.

Four African Americans Appointed to Administrative Positions in Higher Education

Taking on new administrative duties are Rosalind Conerly at Stanford University in California, Danisha Williams at Mississippi Valley State University, Nikeshia Arthur at Virginia Tech, and Marcus Blossom at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts

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.

Emory University Launches Exhibit on Portraits of African American Nannies With White Children

Many of the nannies depicted in these images are anonymous. The backs of the photos often bear the child's name, but not the caregivers. Most of the information about the relationship between these nannies and their charges comes from the White family’s perspective.

In Memoriam: William B. DeLauder, 1937-2019

In 1987, Dr. DeLauder was named president of what was then Delaware State College. In 1993, the state General Assembly renamed the college as Delaware State University. Dr. DeLauder served as president until 2003.

Purdue University’s Black Cultural Center Designated as a “Distinctive Destination”

The Black Cultural Center at Purdue University has been designated as a "Distinctive Destination" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Purdue's Black Cultural Center is only the sixth location in Indiana to receive this honor.

Former Orchestra Leader Files Race Discrimination Complaint Against Brown University

Brandon Keith Brown, the former director of the orchestra at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, has filed a discrimination complaint with the state's Commission for Human Rights. The complaint alleges that Brown was fired because of his race.

New Online Database of Court Records of Cases of Enslaved People Seeking Their Freedom

The Center for Digital Research in the Humanities at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln recently debuted an online database of more than 500 court cases in which enslaved persons had sued to gain their freedom.

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.

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