Monthly Archives: September 2020

Racists Stage a Vehicle Parade Through the Campus of Elon University in North Carolina

Occupants of the vehicles were heard to yell "White Power!" as they passed through campus. The protestors also yelled "No they don't" as onlookers who held Black Lives Matter signs.

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.

Two African American Women at Southern State Universities Announce Their Retirements

Joanne Bankston, was coordinator of family and consumer sciences, and state specialist for family economics management at Kentucky State University and Valerie Gregory, associate dean of undergraduate admissions at the University of Virginia.

In Memoriam: Viralene Johnson Coleman, 1928-2020

Professor Coleman served for 37 years as an English and literature teacher at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. In 1969, she was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

New Report Presents Data on the Race and Ethnicity of Public School Teachers

In schools where the majority of students were White, over 90 percent of teachers were White. At schools in which a majority of students were Black, more than one-third (36 percent) of teachers were Black and 54 percent were White.

DoVeanna Fulton Is the New Provost at Norfolk State University in Virginia

For the past 8 years, Dr. Fulton has served as dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of history, humanities, and languages at the University of Houston–Downtown. Earlier, she taught at the University of Alabama.

Using Virtual Reality to Examine the Racial Attitudes of Educators

The game “Passage Home” puts the player into the first-person perspective of “Tiany,” a talented and hard-working Black student who is falsely accused of plagiarism by her White female English teacher.

After Ousting President, Lincoln University Now Gives a New Five-Year Contract to Brenda Allen

Less than three months ago, the board of trustees of Lincoln University voted to oust Brenda Allan as the institution's president. After a lawsuit, the board has now given President Allen a new five-year contract.

The Psychological Distress Endured by African American Women With Family Members in Prison

A new study led by Evelyn J. Patterson, an associate professor of psychology at Vanderbilt Univerity in Nashville, finds that this high incarceration rate of family members causes higher levels of depressive symptoms and psychological distress among African American women than previously understood.

Ron Walcott Appointed Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Georgia

Dr. Walcott is a professor in the department of plant pathology and has served as interim dean of the Graduate School since September 2019. He began his academic career at the University of Georgia in 1999 as an assistant professor and earned the rank of full professor in 2012.

Spelman College Joins the Atlanta Global Research and Education Collaborative

The initiative will help connect the region's international assets through an emphasis on supporting "global at home" projects that serve students, faculty, and community partners, and define the metropolitan area as a hub for global education and research.

South Carolina State University Launches Two New Graduate Programs in Education

South Carolina State University, the historically Black educational institution in Orangeburg, has announced the offering of two new graduate-level online programs in the field of education leadership. The university will offer an educational specialist degree program and a doctorate in educational administration.

A Quartet of Black Women Scholars With New Assignments at Colleges and Universities

Taking on new assignments are Abigail S. Newsome at Mississippi Valley State University, La Fleur Small at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, Anaiis Cisco at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, and Rachel Finley at Arizona State University.

Fisk University Partners With the American University of Antigua College of Medicine

Students from Fisk University will now be eligible for advanced admissions priority, an expedited application review, and grants/scholarships for those that attend the American University of Antigua for their medical education. 

Baylor University Honors Its First Black Graduate Student in Religion

The department of religion in the College of Arts & Sciences at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, has named a graduate student scholarship program in honor of Robert L. Gilbert, the first Black student to receive an undergraduate degree at Baylor University and the first Black graduate student in religion.

Virginia Union University to Offer Two New Bachelor’s Degree Programs This Spring

The historically Black university in Richmond will offer a bachelor's degree program in hospitality management and a bachelor's degree program in health science.

Five African Americans Who Are Taking on New Administrative Duties in Higher Education

Taking on new administrative roles are Brian Jackson at Danville Community College in Virginia, Yasmine Farley at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, Clifford Porter at Norfolk State University in Virginia, Kristine Kelly at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and Kenyatta Randall at Grambling State University in Louisiana.

In Memoriam: Russell Boone, 1921-2020

In 1960, Russell Boone was appointed director of university bands at Mississippi Valley State University. During his tenure, the band was the first ensemble from a historically Black college or university to play in the Rose Bowl parade. The band also played in the inaugural parade for President Richard Nixon in 1969.

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.

The University of the South Reckons With Its Past Ties to Slavery and Jim Crow

The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, enrolls nearly 1,700 undergraduate students and less than 100 graduate students, according to date supplied to the U.S. Department of Education. African Americans make up 4 percent of the undergraduate student body.

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: Stanley Lawrence Crouch, 1945-2020

A native of Los Angeles, Crouch joined the English department faculty at Pomona College in 1967 at the age of 22. He went on to become one of the most famous and controversial jazz critics in the nation.

University of California, Irvine Launches the Black Thriving Initiative

The new Black Thriving Initiative at the University of California, Irvine aims to mobilize the whole university to promote Black student success, degree completion, and advancement in academic programs, with a goal of making the university a first choice for Black students.

The Next Chancellor of the Berks Campus of Pennsylvania State University in Reading

Dr. George Grant Jr. has been serving as professor and dean of the College of Community and Public Service at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. Prior to becoming dean, Dr. Grant was director of the university's School of Social Work.

Blacks Are Underrepresented in Georgia’s Merit-Based College Scholarship Programs

Black students make up 29 percent of the undergraduate college students in Georgia. But they are only 6 percent of all students who receive Zell Miller Scholarships, which provide full tuition to students who qualify.

Parneshia Jones Appointed Director of Northwestern University Press

An Evanston native and a published poet, Jones joined the Northwestern University Press in 2003 as marketing assistant and served in several progressively more responsible positions. She will be only the second Black woman to lead a university press in the United States.

Does Exposure to Racism Increase the Likelihood of Activism by Black Adolescents?

The researchers found that 84 percent of study participants had experienced at least some form of racism. They found there was a relationship between those who had experienced racism with activism aimed at eliminating racism.

University of Chicago English Department to Only Accept Grad Students Focused on Black Studies

The department announced that "for the 2020-2021 graduate admissions cycle, the University of Chicago English department is accepting only applicants interested in working in and with Black Studies.” The department is planning to admit five new Ph.D. students.

Racial Disparities in Food Insecurity and Depression Among College Students During the Pandemic

New data from The Student Experience in the Research University Consortium, an academic and policy research collaboration based at the Center for Studies in Higher Education at the University of California, Berkeley, shows racial differences in how college students coped with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Howard University School of Business Names Two Black Women to Assistant Dean Posts

The Howard University School of Business announced the appointment of two African American women to assistant dean positions. Yuvay Meyers Ferguson will serve as assistant dean of impact and engagement and Allison Morgan Bryant will serve as assistant dean of innovation and administration.

IBM Announces a $100 Million Commitment to HBCUs

The technology giant IBM has announced the establishment of the quantum education and research initiative for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU), aimed at driving a diverse and inclusive quantum workforce.

U.S. News and World Report Offers Its Picks for the Nation’s Best HBCUs

Spelman College in Atlanta was rated the best HBCU and Howard University in Washington, D.C., was ranked second. This was the same as a year ago. This was the 14th year in a row that Spelman College has topped the U.S. News rankings for HBCUs.

Four African Americans Taking on New Faculty Assignments

Taking on new faculty roles are C. Vanessa White at Xavier University in New Orleans, Rufus Bonds Jr. at Syracuse University in New York, Tia-Simone Gardner at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Tiffany Wright at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Howard University’s Kehbuma Langmia Honored by the National Communication Association

Kehbuma Langmia, professor and chair of the department of strategic, legal and management communications is the 2020 recipient of the Orlando L. Taylor Distinguished Scholarship Award in Africana Communication, presented by the National Communication Association.

Some HBCUs Are Bucking the Trend in Higher Education Enrollment Declines

At a time when many colleges and universities are struggling to maintain enrollments at levels of the past several years, many historically Black colleges and universities are seeing increases in enrollments with some schools achieving all-time records.

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