Monthly Archives: November 2016
New Study Finds Racial Segregation Is Firmly Established in the Nation’s Preschools
More than one fifth of all White preschoolers attend schools that are all White or nearly all White. A majority of Black and Hispanic students attend preschools where more than half of the students are from their own racial or ethnic group.
Tennessee State’s Collegiate Police Academy
Steve Anderson, chief of Nashville Metro Police, said that "everyone has a citizens police academy. But as far as I know, this is the first collegiate police academy anywhere in the United States."
Makerere University in Uganda Ordered Closed by Country’s President
Makerere University, one of the oldest and most prestigious higher educational institutions in Africa, has been closed by order of Yoweri Museveni, president of Uganda. The president stated that he was forced to close the university to "guarantee safety of persons and property" after a strike by lecturers and violent protests by students.
When David Duke Paid a Visit to a HBCU
Dillard University in New Orleans agreed to host a debate among candidates for the U.S. Senate from Louisiana. But David Duke, a former Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, qualified to be included in the debate field. His presence on campus was met by protests leading to six arrests and police use of pepper spray.
Explaining the Lack of Black Head Coaches in College Football
While there might be some merit to the theory of systematic racism in NCAA head coaching hires, other factors also come into play and have a major impact on why there are not more Black head coaches in college football.
Delaware State University Partners With the Catholic University Institute of Buea in Cameroon
The agreement between Delaware State and the Catholic University Institute calls for faculty and student exchanges. Also the universities will collaborate on research projects and grant proposals.
A Change in Leadership at Alabama State University in Montgomery
By a vote of 8-6, the board of trustees of Alabama State University voted to suspend Gwendolyn Boyd from her position as president of the university. President Boyd was charged with "failure to maintain the confidence of the board." Provost Leon Wilson was named interim president.
Wesleyan University’s First Core Faculty Members in African American Studies
In the past, faculty members who taught courses in African American studies were members of established academic departments on campus. Now the university has hired the first two core faculty members of its African American studies program that was recently granted departmental status.
Rod Paige to Lead Jackson State University in Mississippi
In 2001, Rod Paige became the first African American to serve as Secretary of Education. In this role, he led the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Marilyn Nelson Wins the $25,000 Neustadt Prize for Children’s Literature
Marilyn Nelson is a professor emerita at the University of Connecticut. Professor Nelson is a winner of the Pushcart Prize and has been a finalist for the National Book Award three times. From 2001 to 2006, Dr. Nelson was the poet laureate of the state of Connecticut.
More Racist Incidents on American College Campuses
Halloween season always produces its share of racist costumes on college campuses. This year was no exception.
Four African Americans in New Administrative Posts in Higher Education
The new appointees are Anthony Berryhill at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Sonia Rankin at the University of New Mexico, Larry D. Johnson at St. Louis Community College, and Ronald Anthony Milon at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
In Memoriam: Ogretta Ann Humphries Vaughn McNeil, 1932-2016
Dr. McNeil was was the first African American woman to serve on the faculty at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. She also was the first woman tenure-track faculty member in the psychology department at the college.
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.
John Carroll University in Ohio to Explore Its Historical Ties to Slavery
John Carroll was the first Catholic bishop in the United States and was a founder of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He owned a least one slave and participated in the management of Jesuit-owned plantations in Maryland.
University of Iowa Makes Amends for Slighting Its African American Beauty Queen in 1955
In December 1955, Dora Martin Berry was elected Miss State University of Iowa. However, due to the color of her skin, Berry was denied recognition as Miss SUI at official ceremonies where past holders of the post were honored.
Higher Education Grants of Interest to African Americans
Here is this week’s news of grants 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.
The University of Virginia Honors the Late Julian Bond With an Endowed Chair
Professor Bond, who was a civil rights pioneer and led the NAACP for 12 years, taught at the University of Virginia for 20 years. He was a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the first president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and served in the Georgia State legislature for 20 years.
Columbia University to Open a New Wellness Center in West Harlem
The new Wellness Center will house the Community Health Worker Stroke Prevention program and the Mental Health First Aid program. The Wellness Center will also provide free blood pressure readings and cholesterol tests.
Kimberlé Crenshaw to Receive the Gittler Prize From Brandeis University
The Gittler Prize is presented annually to a person whose body of published work reflects scholarly excellence and makes a lasting contribution to racial, ethnic or religious relations. Professor Crenshaw, who is on the faculty at the law schools of Columbia University and UCLA, will receive the award and a $25,000 prize in October 2017.
Northeastern University Aims to Help Black Entrepreneurs
The Impact Lending program, with $2.5 million in seed money from the university, will offer loans at below market rates to women and minority entrepreneurs for the purposes of expanding their businesses. The goal of the program is to serve 85 small businesses and create 330 jobs in the first two years.
