The First African American Provost at the University of South Carolina
William F. Tate IV was named executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Tate, who is currently the dean of the Graduate School at Washington University in St. Louis, will be the first African American to serve as provost at the university.
Reuben E. Brigety II Appointed Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of the South
Dr. Brigety currently serves as dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. Prior to becoming dean in 2015, Dr. Brigety served as U.S. ambassador to the African Union for two years.
Georgia State Honors the Black Students Who Sued the University to Force Racial Integration
Georgia State University recently honored Myra Payne Elliott, Barbara Pace Hunt, and Iris Mae Welch, the three women who sued for their right to attend the university in the 1950s in a groundbreaking court case that eventually led to the integration of Georgia State and other universities in the South.
In Memoriam: W. George Allen, 1936-2019
In 1960, Allen enrolled at the University of Florida College of Law. Upon graduating in December 1962, Allen became the first African American to earn a degree from any former all-white institution in Florida.
Two American Universities Join Consortium to Improve Neonatal Care in Africa
Rice University and Northwestern University are teaming up with international foundations and African educational institutions in an initiative that hopes to improve newborn survival rates by 50 percent over the next eight years in the African nations of Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, and Nigeria.
Cleveland State University to Launch a Year-Long Examine of American Slavery and Its Aftermath
The new year-long project will present a series of events that examine slavery’s foundational significance to the historic and contemporary challenges faced by African-Americans, acknowledging the obstacles that have been overcome while highlighting those that still remain.
Bobbi Knight Chosen to Lead Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama
Knight has served on the college's board of trustees and is the former vice president of the Birmingham division of Alabama Power. She has been serving as chair of the Birmingham Airport Authority. She will begin her duties as interim president on September 1.
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.
Harvard Sued Over Early Images of Enslaved Africans
Tamara Lanier claims to be a descendant of an enslaved man and his daughter that were photographed without their consent in 1850. The lawsuit claims that Harvard continues to profit from the images.
In Memoriam: David Williams II, 1947-2019
Williams was the first African American to serve as a vice chancellor at Vanderbilt. He also was the first African American to serve as an athletics director in the Southeastern Conference. Profesor Williams had also taught at the university's law school since 2000.
The Youngest Black Woman Ever Elected to Congress Eyes Student Loan Debt Reform
Lauren Underwood was elected to Congress from the 14th District in Illinois. Among Underwood's top priorities when she comes to Washington is to tackle the student loan debt crisis. She supports increased funding for Pell Grants, student loan forgiveness, and affordable student loans.
Wesleyan College Ends the Use of Class Names That Once Had Ties to the...
In the early twentieth century one of every four undergraduate classes at Wesleyan College, an educational institution for women in Macon, Georgia, was designated the Ku Klux Klan class.
Kentucky State University Extends the Contract of President M. Christopher Brown II
The board of regents of Kentucky State University has extended the contract of M. Christopher Brown II for four years through July 2022. The four-year extension is the maximum allowed by state law. Dr. Brown was appointed the 15th president of Kentucky State University in March 2017.
Washington University Professor Says Schools’ Policies on Black Hair Are Discriminatory
Several school districts around the nation have adopted policies that prevent students from wearing their hair in braids, twists, dreadlocks and Afros. Kimberly Norwood of Washington University is a leader in the fight to end these discriminatory rules.
Dana Canedy Named Administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes
Lee Bollinger, president of Columbia University, has announced that Dana Canedy will be the new administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes. Canedy has worked at the New York Times since 1996, most recently as special adviser to the chief executive officer and executive editor.
In Memoriam: Benjamin Franklin Payton, 1932-2016
Dr. Payton served as president of Tuskegee University in Alabama from 1981 to 2010. Earlier in his career, Dr. Payton was president of Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina.
South Carolina State University Student: “An Angel Sent From God”
Reggie Owens, a student and football player at South Carolina State University, witnessed a horrific accidents and was able to rescue three children.
Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers
From time to time, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week's selections.
In Memoriam: Wil Smith 1968-2015
Smith was a Navy veteran and a graduate of Bowdoin College and the University of Maine School of Law. He was a former associate dean at Bowdoin.
University of Pennsylvania Political Scientist Wins Book Award
Daniel Q. Gillion, assistant professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, has won the 2014 Best Book Award from the Race, Ethnicity, and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association.
Athletics Director at Edward Waters College Retires
Johnny Rembert is retiring as director of athletics at Edward Waters College, the historically Black educational institution in Jacksonville, Florida. He was a member of the 1986 New England Patriots team that went to the Super Bowl.
“Whites Only” and “Colored” Signs Places on Water Coolers at Sweet Briar College
The Sweet Briar College campus in Virginia is located on the site of a former plantation where slaves had worked. Blacks make up about 9 percent of the student body at the college.
Simmons College Professor Awarded Distinguished Poetry Prize
Afaa Michael Weaver is the winner of the $100,000 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award given by Claremont Graduate University to a mid-career poet so that they "can continue working towards the pinnacle of their craft."
Update on the Effort to Rename Dixie State College
Dixie State College in St. George, Utah, was founded in an area settled by Mormons from the South. The college used to have a Rebel as its mascot. A survey has found that most members of the community want the word "Dixie" to remain as part of the institution's name.
In Memoriam: Jesse Hill Jr., 1926-2012
In addition to a successful business career, Hill was a leader in the civil rights struggle and participated in efforts to desegregate the Atlanta public schools and the University System of Georgia.
In Memoriam: Yvonne Kennedy, 1945-2012
She has served as an Alabama state representative since 1970 and was the former president of Bishop State Community College. She held a doctorate from the University of Alabama.
Should Dixie State College Change Its Name?
The college is in the midst of transitioning to university status. And since the name will be changed to reflect its new status as a university, critics are lobbying to remove the word "Dixie" from the name.
Cornell University Teams Up With the Posse Foundation
Next fall a posse of 10 students from urban schools in Chicago will enroll at Cornell. The university has agreed to support one posse of 10 students for the next five years.
Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers
From time to time, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week's selections.
In Memoriam: Ernest D. Brown Jr. (1947-2012)
The longtime Williams College professor founded the college's Kusika African Dance and Drumming Ensemble and the Zambezi Marimba Band.
Tufts University Establishes New Office Focusing on Inclusiveness
Director Katrina Moore says, "Diversity and inclusion are inherent strengths and necessary for excellence, not problems to be resolved.”
Two African American Women Honored by the International Reading Association
Patricia Edwards of Michigan State University and Charline Barnes Rowland of West Virginia University will be honored at the group's annual meeting in Chicago which convenes in April.
In Memoriam: Marcellus Brooks (1941-2012)
Brooks spent his entire professional career at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee.
University of Massachusetts Debuts New Website on Diversity
The new website offers a comprehensive list of resources on matters of diversity for students, faculty, and the community.
Two African Americans Share the Gittler Prize
Professors Frances Smith Foster and Clayborne Carson will share the $25,000 Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize from Brandeis University.
In Memoriam: Arthur L. Johnson (1925-2011)
Arthur Johnson, author, civil rights activist, and former senior vice president of Wayne State University, died recently from complications associated with Parkinson's disease. He was 85 years old.
