Monthly Archives: August 2021
Indiana University Acquires the Archives of African Filmmaker Paulin Vieyra
The Indiana University Black Film Center/Archive has acquired the papers of Paulin Vieyra, the first French-speaking sub-Saharan African to direct a film. Vieyra was born in 1925 in Benin and grew up in Senegal and was educated in Paris. In 1955, he directed the film Afrique sur Seine.
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.
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.
Black Historian Files Discrimination Lawsuit Against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock
The suit claims that "Dr. Brian Mitchell has experienced a nearly continuous pattern of discriminatory interference with achieving access to fair terms, conditions, and opportunities for advancement."
In Memoriam: Ulysses S. Doss, 1933 to 2021
In 1968 Dr. Doss founded the Black studies program at the University of Montana. At the time, it was only the second Black studies program west of the Mississippi River, according to the university.
Heritage Foundation Report Claims a Bloat of Diversity Officers in Higher Education
Just as conservatives have mounted attacks on ethnic studies programs, critical race theory, and other subject areas not to their liking, the hiring of diversity officers has also been highly criticized. A new Heritage Foundation report finds what it calls an administrative bloat of diversity officers.
Charles Robinson Has Been Named Interim Chancellor of the University of Arkansas
Dr. Robinson has been serving as provost and executive vice chancellor for academic and student affairs. He was named provost last year and has served as vice chancellor of student affairs since 2015. Dr. Robinson’s time at the University of Arkansas spans more than 20 years, beginning as an assistant professor of history.
Study Finds Black Girls Are Treated With Indifference and Cruelty in Urban Classrooms
In the elementary and middle schools of a large metropolitan school district that were studied, Black and immigrant girls of color experienced gendered racial harassment, erasure of intellect, and estrangement within their communities. This included the verbal abuse of Black and immigrant girls of color by mostly White teachers.
Patricia Coats Is the New Leader of the DeSoto Center of the University of Mississippi in Southaven
Dr. Coats, who brings more than 13 years of higher education experience to the role, has been serving as assistant director of academic support services for the campus and has been employed at the university for nearly nine years. Dr. Coats previously worked for Texas A&M University at Texarkana and the University of Central Arkansas.
Will Urban Gentrification Lead to More Integrated Public Schools?
A new study from the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education at Teachers College of Columbia University, found that some schools in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens have seen a reduction in racial segregation while neighborhoods have experienced increased diversity since the early 2000s.
Three African Americans Scholars Who Have Been Named Deans
J. Lee Brown III is the new dean of the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina. Ramona Denby-Brinson has been appointed dean of the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Karen C. Goff was appointed dean of students at Oberlin College in Ohio.
Five African American Educators Who Are Taking on New University Assignments
Taking on new roles are La Toya Hart at Jackson State University in Mississippi, Ivory W. Lyles at Oregon State University, Erin H. Moore at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, Leon C. Prieto at Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia, and Nicholl Montgomery at Simmons University in Boston.
Historically Black University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Is Adding Two New Graduate Programs
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff has announced that it has received approval to offer two new graduate programs this fall. The Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board has approved an MBA and a master's degree program in education-vocational rehabilitation — addiction counseling.
J. Herman Blake Wins the Distinguished Career Award from the American Sociology Association
J. Herman Blake, professor emeritus of sociology and founding provost of Oakes College at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and former president of Tougaloo College in Mississippi, was honored for his lifetime achievements in advancing the field of sociology through the positive impact of his work.
Five HBCUs Join an Initiative to Diversify the Employment Pipeline in the Biopharma Industry
Pharmaceutical-giant Bristol Myers Squibb announced a collaboration with five historically Black universities to launch "Tomorrow’s Innovators" — a multimillion-dollar strategic alliance to attract top HBCU-affiliated talent to the biopharma industry in the next five years.
New Administrative Duties for Six African Americans in Higher Education
Appointed to new administrative posts are Harriet Hobbs at Clinton College in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Joshua E. Humbert at Coppin State University in Baltimore, Travis Chambers at Georgia State University, Tonya G. McCall at Mississippi State University, Branville Bard Jr. at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and Ngozi F. Anachebe at Wright State University in Ohio.
Gaston College Teams Up With Historically Black Johnson C. Smith University in Transfer Deal
Dubbed “JCSU 2+2 Connect,” students can transfer to Johnson C. Smith University upon graduating from Gaston College. Their credits will be applied to a four-year degree program at Johnson C. Smith University. Spending their first two years at a community college can save students a great deal of money on the path to a bachelor's degree.
Four African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to University Diversity Positions
The African Americans assigned to new diversity posts are James McShay at the University of Maryland College Park, Dominique A. Quarles at Mississippi State University, Sharnnia Artis at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and Mel Williams Jr. at the Catholic University of American in Washington, D.C.
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.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Removes a Boulder That Was Offensive to Many on Campus
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has removed a 70-ton boulder from the heart of campus. In 1925, the rock was removed from a campus construction site and placed near Washburn Observatory. The boulder became know as "niggerhead rock."
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.
Black Studies at Georgia State University Transitions to Africana Studies
The department of African-American studies at Georgia State University has been renamed the department of Africana studies, reflecting a global approach to teaching and research in the department, as well as national trends in academia, according to the university.
In Memoriam: Marie Alexandria Malveaux, 1928-2021
Malveaux worked as a teacher in the San Francisco Unified School District and as a social worker with the San Francisco Department of Social Services. Then in 1973, she was hired as an assistant professor of social work at the University of Mississippi. She was only the second African American to teach at the university.
Marketing Efforts of For-Profit Colleges Disproportionately Target Black Communities
A new study by the Student Borrower Protection Center finds that predatory for-profit schools are disproportionately targeting communities of color. Majority-Black zip codes are over 75 percent more likely to have a for-profit college than zip codes that are not majority Black.
Aisha Francis Is the New President of the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology in Boston
Previously, Dr. Francis was the college's chief executive officer at the institute overseeing the day-to-day operations of the college. Earlier, she served as chief of staff to the institute's president. Prior to joining BFIT, she served as the managing director of development for Harvard Medical School.
The Educational Challenges of Rural African American Families During the COVID-19 Shutdown
The researchers noted that "many parents (a) lacked the technical expertise with the technologies their children were using such as Zoom and in the material children were learning and (b) had no access to training and support from professionals. Some parents lacked dependable broadband/Wi-Fi.
Three African American Women Who Have Been Appointed to Dean Positions
Venetria K. Patton was appointed the Harry E. Preble Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Michelle Corley was named dean of the College of Engineering, Science, Technology, and Agriculture at Central State University in Ohio and Toneyce S. Randolph was appointed dean of academic services at Clinton College in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Black Heart Attack Victims Who Live In High-Poverty Areas Are Less Likely to Survive Five Years
The study found that Black patients from disadvantaged neighborhoods were significantly more likely to die within 5 years of surviving a heart attack than White patients. In contrast, there was no difference in rates of death between White patients and Black patients who lived in well-resourced neighborhoods.
Orinthia T. Montague Named President of Volunteer State Community College in Tennessee
Since 2017, Dr. Orinthia T. Montague has been president of Tompkins Cortland Community College in Dryden, New York. She previously served as vice president of student affairs and chief diversity officer, and dean of students, at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota, and as dean of students at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
A Quartet of Black Scholars Who Have Taken on New Assignments at Colleges and Universities
Professor Marc E. Morris was named interim associate provost for academic administration at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Traci Griffith was named an associate professor of communications at Simmons University. Tryan L. McMickens was appointed associate professor of higher education at North Carolina Central University and Scorpio Rogers is a new vice president at Mercy College.
Department of Agriculture Issues Grants for 58 Research Projects at HBCUs
The grants, totaling $21.8 million, are designed to build capacity for teaching, research, and extension activities at eligible institutions including curriculum design, materials development, faculty development, student recruitment and retention, and extension program development support.
New Administrative Positions in Higher Education for Seven African Americans
Taking on new roles are Alison Chandler at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, Shannon Palmer at Edward Waters University in Florida, Rodney Chatman at Brown University, Liz Andrews at Spelman College in Atlanta, Lonnie Cockerham at North Carolina A&T State University, Martinique C.G. Free at American University, and Juanette Council at Fayetteville State University.
Spelman College and the University of Michigan Team Up for an Accelerated Degree Program
A new partnership between historically Black Spelman College in Atlanta and the University of Michigan School of Public Health will offer an accelerated pathway...
Professor Rebecca Wanzo of Washington University in St. Louis Has Won Two Book Awards
Rebecca Wanzo, professor and chair of women, gender, and sexuality studies in the College of Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has won two major awards in the field of comic book studies for her book The Content of Our Caricature: African American Comic Art and Political Belonging.
