Monthly Archives: November 2019
Washington State Voters Reject Referendum That Would Have Reinstated Affirmative Action
On Tuesday, November 5, voters in the state of Washington rejected - by a slim margin - a measure that would have reinstated race-sensitive admissions at state-operated colleges and universities. Voters in rural areas of the state rejected the effort to reinstate race-sensitive admissions by a large margin.
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.
Haverford College Unveils a Collection of Works by Philosophers From Underrepresented Groups
A new collection at Haverford College in Pennsylvania aims to showcase philosophers who are not White and not male.
In Memoriam: Floyd David Young Jr., 1938-2019
Floyd Young was the founder and president of FDY Inc. a food services company that provided services to historically Black Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. He provided financial assistance to more than 100 students through the Floyd and Norma Young Annual Scholarship.
Georgetown University Decides Not to Impose Student Fee to Address Slavery Reparations
This past spring, Georgetown University students voted overwhelmingly to pay an annual $27.50 fee that would go into a fund to support the descendants of slaves once owned by the university. But now the university has decided not to impose a student fee and will raise an equivalent amount from donations.
Eighteen HBCUs Get Grants From the Defense Department to Buy Research Equipment
The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded $23.2 million to minority-serving institutions as part of the fiscal year 2019 Department of Defense Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions Research and Education Program.
Change in Leadership at Southern University-New Orleans
Lisa Mims-Devezin has announced that she is stepping down as chancellor of historically Black Southern University in New Orleans. James Ammons, executive vice president of the Southern University System and executive vice chancellor of Southern University in Baton Rouge, will replace her.
How Hate-Speech at School Can Lead to Poor Academic Outcomes
The report documents that students who were called a hate-related word at school felt more fear, practiced more avoidance behaviors, stayed home more from school due to fear, and generally skipped classes more than students who were not called a hate-related word.
Census Bureau Report Shows That the Racial Gap in Median Income Is Widening
In 2018, the median Black family income was 58.6 percent of the median income for White families. Two years earlier, the Black median income was 60.7 percent of the median income of non-Hispanic White households.
Academic Study Finds Blacks More Likely Than Whites to Support Teaching Creationism in Schools
In a survey of nearly 10,000 participants, the authors found that a higher percentage of Black (58 percent) and Latino Americans (57 percent) compared to Whites (44 percent) support teaching creationism in the classroom instead of (but not alongside) evolution.
University of Washington Scholar to Edit New Book Series on Race, Ethnicity and Politics
Megan Ming Francis, associate professor of political science at the University of Washington, has been selected as the editor of a new series of books from Cambridge University Press called Cambridge Elements in Race, Ethnicity and Politics.
Washington University Study Shows an Alarming Trend in Suicide Attempts by Black Adolescents
Historically, Black adolescents were less like to commit suicide or to try to commit suicide than their White peers. This is still the case. But a new study finds that while suicide attempts have dropped for most groups, they are on the rise for Black adolescents.
In Memoriam: Tracie Gibson
Dr. Gibson joined the staff at the University of Massachusetts in 2017. Before coming to Amherst, Dr. Gibson served on the faculty at the University of Texas-Permian Basin and later at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Howard University Teams Up With Amazon to Promote Diversity in the Entertainment Industry
The program will be an immersive two-semester experience located in Los Angeles that offers Howard University students the opportunity to take academic courses during the spring semester and participate in a fellowship in the entertainment industry during the summer months.
Four African Americans in New Teaching Roles at Colleges and Universities
Taking on new roles are Darren Gibson at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, CharLynda Williams-Devine at Fisk University in Nashville, Deanna Lawson at Princeton University in New Jersey, and Yannick Marshall at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.
Spelman College to Create an Endowed Chair in Queer Studies to Honor Poet Audre Lourde
The daughter of Caribbean immigrants, Lorde was born in New York City and wrote her first poem at age 12. While attending Hunter College in the 1950s, Lorde became a leader in the early lesbian activist community.
First Black Graduate of Syracuse University’s College of Law Posthumously Admitted to the Bar
William Herbert Johnson was the first African American to graduate from the College of Law at Syracuse University. Recently, he was posthumously admitted to the New York State Bar Association 116 years after graduating.
Florida A&M University Creates Online Resources on Medical Marijuana Research
The project aims to serve as a center for marijuana information in the state of Florida, to fill in the gaps in medical marijuana research particularly as it relates to diverse communities, and to inform public policy on the emerging medical marijuana industry.
A Half Dozen African Americans Who Are Taking on New Administrative Duties in Higher Education
Here is this week’s roundup of African Americans who have been appointed to new administrative positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States.
