University of Kentucky Decides to Unveil Controversial Mural It Had Covered Up
The mural, painted in the 1930s by artist Ann Rice O'Hanlon, had been criticized for its portrayal of African Americans and American Indians in scenes depicting the history of the city of Lexington, home to the university. One image shows slaves picking cotton.
A Change in Leadership at Florida A&M University
President Elmira Mangum, whose contract was set to expire on March 31, has agreed to leave her post immediately. She will be replaced by Larry Robinson, who has previously served as interim president of the university. An environmental scientist, Dr. Robinson is the former provost and vice president for academic affairs at Florida A&M.
U.S. News Names Its Choices for the Best Black Colleges and Universities
As was the case last year, Spelman College in Atlanta was ranked as the nation's best HBCU. Howard University in Washington, D.C., and Hampton University in Virginia held the second and third spots this year as they did a year ago.
Mickey Burnim to Step Down From Presidency of Bowie State University
Mickey L. Burnim, president of Bowie State University, the historically Black educational institution in Maryland, announced that he will step down at the end of the current academic year on June 30, 2017. When he retires, he will have led the university for nearly 11 years.
Bernadette Gray-Little to Step Down as Chancellor of the University of Kansas
Bernadette Gray-Little, the 17th chancellor of the University of Kansas, announced that she will step down at the end of the current academic year. When she was named chancellor in 2009, Dr. Gray-Little became the first woman and the first African American in history to hold the position.
Hardin Coleman Will Step Down as Dean of Boston University’s School of Education
Dr. Coleman will take a one-year sabbatical and then return to Boston University as a full-time faculty member in master's degree programs in family therapy and school counseling and as director of the Center for Character & Social Responsibility.
A Deep Racial Divide Over National Anthem Protests
A new survey conducted by Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, has found a wide racial disparity among adult Americans on their support of professional and collegiate athletes who have conducted protests during the playing of the national anthem prior to the start of athletic competitions.
Carolyn Meyers Announces Her Resignation as President of Jackson State University
A year ago, Carolyn Meyers, president of Jackson State University, had her contract extended for another four years. Now, she has resigned after it was revealed that the university's financial situation has deteriorated.
Michael Drake to Chair the Board of Directors of the Association of American Universities
Michael V. Drake is the 15th president of Ohio State University and the first African American to hold that post. He will serve as vice chair of the board of directors of the association for one year and then become chair in 2017.
Paul Beatty Wins the 2016 Man Booker Prize
Paul Beatty, who teaches at Columbia University in New York, is not only the first African American to win the distinguished award, he is the first American to do so.
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.
Black Enrollments in Higher Education Continue to Decline
Over the past two years, African American enrollments in higher education have decreased by more than 270,000, or 6.6 percent. The Black percentage of total enrollments has dropped from 14.4 percent to 13.9 percent over the past two years.
Jonathan Holloway to Be the Next Provost at Northwestern University
Dr. Holloway is dean of Yale College and the Edmund S. Morgan Professor of African American Studies, History and American Studies. He will begin his new duties as provost at Northwestern University in the summer of 2017.
Paula McClain Appointed to a New Term as Dean of the Graduate School at...
Paula McClain, a professor of political science at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, was initially named dean in 2012 and will now serve through June 30, 2022. Professor McClain has been on the faculty at Duke University since 2000.
Racial Differences in Bullying at School
A new report from the U.S. Department of Education finds that more than 20 percent of all school students ages 12 to 18 in the United States were bullied at school during the 2014-15 school year. When we break down the figures by racial and ethnic group, we find some significant differences.
Board Chair at Meharry Medical College to Step Down After 30 Years at the...
During his 30-year tenure as chair of the board of trustees at Meharry Medical College, Dr. Royal personally contributed $2 million to the medical school and presided over a successful $125 million fundraising campaign.
SUNY Appoints Wayne J. Riley as the Next President of Downstate Medical Center
Dr. Riley has been serving as a clinical professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He is the immediate past president of the American College of Physicians. Earlier in his career, Dr. Riley was president, CEO, and professor at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.
Mohamed Camara to Chair the Department of Africana Studies at Howard University
Dr. Camara has been serving as associate vice president for academics, speaker of the Faculty Senate, and director of the McNair Scholars Program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida.
A Further Honor for a Giant in the Field of Sociology
William Julius Wilson, the Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor at Harvard University, has been selected to receive the 2017 SAGE-CASBS Award from SAGE Publishing and the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.
The Heavyweight Champion of Black Doctoral Degree Awards
African Americans were awarded 682 doctoral degrees from Walden University between 2011 and 2015. This is almost double the number of doctoral degrees awarded by Howard University, which ranks in second place in doctoral degree awards to blacks from 2011 to 2015.
Three Black Scholars Elected Members of the National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering recently announced the election of 84 new members. The academy does not disclose the racial makeup of its membership, but it appears that there are three Black engineers among the 84 new members.
Three Black Scholars Named to American Council of Learned Societies Fellowships
The three Black Scholars named to Frederick Burkhardt Residential Fellowships are Kareem Khalifa of Middlebury College, Naaborko Sackeyfio-Lenoch of Dartmouth College, and Andrea N. Williams of Ohio State University.
J. Keith Motley to Step Down as Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts-Boston
Dr. Motley's resignation comes at a time when the university is experiencing declining enrollment and has accumulated $30 million in debt. Protesters held a rally in front of the State House on Beacon Hill in Boston in support of Dr. Motley.
Michael Drake Gets an Extension of His Contract as President of Ohio State University
In June 2014, Michael V. Drake became the 15th president of Ohio State University. He is the first African American to be president of Ohio State. Now the board of trustees has extended his contract through June 2021.
Alumnus Gregory Vincent Named President of Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Currently, Dr. Vincent is the W.K. Kellogg Professor of Community College Leadership, professor of law, and vice president for diversity and community engagement at the University of Texas at Austin. He joined the faculty at the University of Texas in 2005.
University of Houston Has a New Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and...
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. Tillis was the dean of the School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Earlier, he served as Distinguished International Visiting Scholar at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica.
Cynthia Warrick Named the Seventh President of Stillman College in Alabama
Dr. Warrick has been serving as interim president since the beginning of the year. In recent years, Dr. Warrick has twice filled the role of interim president at historically Black universities; South Carolina State University and Grambling State University in Louisiana.
James E. Lyons to Lead Concordia College in Selma, Alabama
The board of regents of Concordia College in Selma, Alabama, has named James E. Lyons as chief transition officer. In effect, Dr. Lyons will serve as interim president of the historically Black educational institution for the next six months.
The New Miss USA Is an African American Nuclear Scientist
Kara McCullough earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry with a concentration in radiochemistry from South Carolina State University. This allowed her to get a job in the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C.
Lincoln University in Pennsylvania Names Brenda Allen as its Fourteenth President
Dr. Allen has been serving as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. She is the former associate provost for institutional diversity at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
Leo E. Morton to Step Down as Chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City
Morton has led the university since December 2008. At that time, he was chair of the university's board of trustees and agreed to lead the university as interim chancellor until a new leader could be found. But a few months later, the board asked him to take the job on a permanent basis.
Tracey Hucks Appointed Provost at Colgate University
Dr. Hucks has been serving as the James D. Vail III Professor at Davidson College in North Carolina. Earlier in her career, Professor Hucks spent more than 15 years on the faculty at Haverford College in Pennsylvania.
A Shortage of African American Men in the Medical Profession
Today, African American men make up just 2.8 percent of all medical school applicants. Of all African American medical school applicants, men make up only 38 percent of the total.
President of Two Campuses of the University of Pittsburgh to Retire in 2018
Livingston Alexander, president of the University of Pittsburgh campuses at Bradford and Titusville, announced that he will step down on June 30, 2018. He has been president of the Bradford campus for 14 years and added the Titusville campus to his duties in 2012.
Harold Martin Jr. to Lead Morehouse College in Atlanta
Martin has been a member of the board of trustees of Morehouse College since 2014. He is a former associate partner at McKinsey and Company, a leading management consulting company. Most recently, Martin has built a private consulting practice and an investment firm in Atlanta.
The Twelfth Chancellor of North Carolina Central University in Durham
Johnson O. Akinleye has served as interim chancellor since January. He was appointed provost at the university in 2014. Earlier, Dr. Akinleye was associate vice chancellor for academic programs at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
