USC dedicates garden to honor first black students since Reconstruction: A garden adjacent the Osborne Administration Building on the University of South Carolina campus was dedicated Friday morning (April 11) in honor of the three students who integrated the university in 1963.
Situated along the university’s north wall, the Desegregation Commemorative Garden features a trinity of sculpted juniper topiaries, flowered beds, curving brick pathways and a granite monument etched with an original poem written by university poet Nikky Finney.
Surrounded by university officials, students, faculty, family and members of the community, Henrie Monteith (now Treadwell) and James L. Solomon reflected on their 50-year journey that began with Robert G. Anderson as they climbed the steps of Osborne to register for classes. The two (Anderson has since died) retraced those steps Sept. 11 to begin a yearlong commemoration culminating with the garden’s dedication and an evening of music and dance performance April 12.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
UT’s first black students faced significant discrimination on the long road to integration | The Daily Texan
In the fall of 1956, Holland was a member of the first black undergraduate class allowed into the University.
Today, Holland is a proud member of the Precursors, a group of some of the first black students to attend and integrate the University. Lonnie Fogle, the current president of the Precursors, said the organization was originally an old group of alumni friends who used to gather for the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, informally calling themselves The Dudes. They changed the name to be more inclusive to women and organized themselves more formally in 2005.
Is the Paris, Texas, School District Discriminatory Against Black Students? | News | BET
“Drop the felony charges against Joquan Wallace,” reads the petition, organized by Paris, Texas-based civil rights activist Brenda Cherry. “Stop the School to Prison Pipeline at Paris Independent School District.”
“It’s all for nothing,” Cherry told BET.com. “He wasn’t doing anything but going to the bathroom.”
The protest comes close behind a recent report by the U.S. Department of Education confirming that Black students face disproportionately harsher discipline than other students, even as preschoolers.
Experts to discuss how to disrupt 'school-to-prison pipeline' for students of color : Newscenter : IUPUI
Experts to discuss how to disrupt 'school-to-prison pipeline' for students of color : Newscenter : IUPUI: INDIANAPOLIS -- A panel of experts on race and education will discuss the problem of the "school-to-prison pipeline" during a public event Thursday, April 17.
"The School-to-Prison Pipeline: What It Is and What We Can Do to Disrupt It" starts at 6:30 p.m. at the IUPUI Campus Center, Room 450B. The event is co-sponsored by the Indiana University School of Education at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the IUPUI Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The event is free.
Five panelists from Indiana and Illinois will bring their perspectives to finding a solution. The school-to-prison pipeline refers to alarming statistics that show students of color facing disciplinary actions in school at much higher rates, which in turn tends to steer the students toward more serious problems outside school.
"The School-to-Prison Pipeline: What It Is and What We Can Do to Disrupt It" starts at 6:30 p.m. at the IUPUI Campus Center, Room 450B. The event is co-sponsored by the Indiana University School of Education at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the IUPUI Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The event is free.
Five panelists from Indiana and Illinois will bring their perspectives to finding a solution. The school-to-prison pipeline refers to alarming statistics that show students of color facing disciplinary actions in school at much higher rates, which in turn tends to steer the students toward more serious problems outside school.
Detroit student protests U-M admission denial, argues school needs more diversity | The Detroit News
Finally, she got word about her own application, but the news was not good: She hadn’t been accepted at the university she had dreamed all her life of attending.
Now Kimbrough, a Detroit resident, is protesting the decision not only for herself but for other prospective African-American and Latino students. Her fight is a familiar story of a student applying to U-M, and calling for public attention to her rejection.
But this time, the student is black, not white.
Gorgas Scholarship goes to black high school student for first time in contest's 67-year history | AL.com
The Gorgas Scholarship Committee announced this week that the winner of the first-pace tuition grant of $4,000 was Arrix Ryce, a senior at Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School.
"After being named the winner, I realized that this win wasn't just a win for me; winning the Gorgas Competition was a win for the black community," Ryce said in an email to AL.com.
"Nothing comes easy, and neither did this win. But hard work pays off. And hard work, when coupled with persistence, is the only thing that will enable us as a society to solve global issues and sustain tomorrow's world."
Why are black students being paddled more in the public schools? | Hechinger Report
In Holmes County, where 99 percent of the public school children are black, students say corporal punishment traditionally starts at daycare and Head Start centers, where teachers rap preschool-age students lightly with rulers and pencils, cautioning: “Just wait until you get to big school.”
At “big school,” the wooden paddle is larger — the employee handbook calls for it to be up to thirty inches long, half an inch thick, and from two to three inches wide — and the teachers sometimes admonish errant students to “talk to the wood or go to the ‘hood” (slang for choosing between the paddle and an out-of-school suspension).
Virginia Honors 2 Schools for Black Students
Virginia Honors 2 Schools for Black Students: RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Two former Rosenwald schools in Virginia are being recognized for their education of young black students.
Two historic highway markers have been approved for the schools, one in Southside Virginia, the other in Orange County.
St. Paul' s Chapel School in Brunswick County was among the earliest of more than a dozen Rosenwald schools in that county. The school is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Orange Graded School was built in 1925 to replace the African-American schoolhouse on West Main Street. Orange Graded was built using the Julius Rosenwald Fund.
Between 1917 and 1932, the Rosenwald Fund helped build more than 5,000 schools around the rural South for the education of black children.
Two historic highway markers have been approved for the schools, one in Southside Virginia, the other in Orange County.
St. Paul' s Chapel School in Brunswick County was among the earliest of more than a dozen Rosenwald schools in that county. The school is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Orange Graded School was built in 1925 to replace the African-American schoolhouse on West Main Street. Orange Graded was built using the Julius Rosenwald Fund.
Between 1917 and 1932, the Rosenwald Fund helped build more than 5,000 schools around the rural South for the education of black children.
Study Shows Minority Students Less Likely to Have Effective Teachers | Clutch Magazine
Study Shows Minority Students Less Likely to Have Effective Teachers | Clutch Magazine: The Center for American Progress issued a report on Friday that confirms that low-income students of color not only have less experienced teachers, but also less effective teachers.The study analyzes teacher evaluation scores in low-income and affluent districts in both Massachusetts and Louisiana.
In Louisiana, a student within a school at the highest-poverty quartile is almost three times as likely to be taught by a teacher rated “ineffective” as a student in a school in the lowest-poverty quartile. And in Massachusetts, students in high-poverty schools are three times as likely to be taught by a teacher rated “unsatisfactory” than students in low-poverty schools.
A second report indicates the root cause is an unequal distribution of teachers. While No Child Left Behind previously asked states to devise plans to ensure equitable distribution, subsequent waivers gave states the flexibility to deviate from those requirements.
REPORT: Black Students More Likely To Get Inexperienced Teachers | News One
REPORT: Black Students More Likely To Get Inexperienced Teachers | News One: According to a new report, data shows that students of color are more likely to have less experienced and less effective teachers. Colorlines reports:
The Center for American Progress issued a report on Friday that confirms that low-income students of color not only have less experienced teachers, but also less effective teachers.
The study analyzes teacher evaluation scores in low-income and affluent districts in both Massachusetts and Louisiana.
In Louisiana, a student within a school at the highest-poverty quartile is almost three times as likely to be taught by a teacher rated “ineffective” as a student in a school in the lowest-poverty quartile. And in Massachusetts, students in high-poverty schools are three times as likely to be taught by a teacher rated “unsatisfactory” than students in low-poverty schools.
A second report indicates the root cause is an unequal distribution of teachers. While No Child Left Behind previously asked states to devise plans to ensure equitable distribution, subsequent waivers gave states the flexibility to deviate from those requirements.
“Poor students and students of color are less likely to get well-qualified or high-achieving teachers than students from higher-income families or students who are white,” says the report.
The Center for American Progress issued a report on Friday that confirms that low-income students of color not only have less experienced teachers, but also less effective teachers.
The study analyzes teacher evaluation scores in low-income and affluent districts in both Massachusetts and Louisiana.
In Louisiana, a student within a school at the highest-poverty quartile is almost three times as likely to be taught by a teacher rated “ineffective” as a student in a school in the lowest-poverty quartile. And in Massachusetts, students in high-poverty schools are three times as likely to be taught by a teacher rated “unsatisfactory” than students in low-poverty schools.
A second report indicates the root cause is an unequal distribution of teachers. While No Child Left Behind previously asked states to devise plans to ensure equitable distribution, subsequent waivers gave states the flexibility to deviate from those requirements.
“Poor students and students of color are less likely to get well-qualified or high-achieving teachers than students from higher-income families or students who are white,” says the report.
Harvard University Admits Highest Number Of Black Students In School's History
According to the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, this year marks Harvard’s highest percentage of accepted black students to date. The journal predicts that the class of 2018 will have approximately 170 black students out of a total of 2,023 -- almost 12 percent of the class population. It goes on to stress the fact that American colleges most known for their selectiveness tend to average only 5 to 10 percent black students.
Two high schoolers made headlines for not only receiving acceptance letters from Harvard, but from several Ivy League schools: Kwasi Enin -- who was accepted to all eight Ivy Leagues -- and Avery Coffey, who was accepted to five.
Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Edition - Higher Education
Also in this issue, we take a closer look at a new generation of diverse students who are becoming the face of intercollegiate tennis. A special Convergence feature looks at disabled athletes’ options to compete on the collegiate level.
Hmong Americans Struggling to Grasp Higher Ed Success - Higher Education
Lo’s presentation would coincide with the university’s spring preview, in which academic deans and student services officials welcome onto campus all high school seniors who have been admitted, along with their families, in efforts to coax them into enrolling in the fall. Many parents of Hmong students lack college degrees, so Lo felt that extra outreach was essential. She even called the families to explain the importance of the university’s open house.
But, none of them turned out for the event — an outcome that frustrated Lo.
Blacks, International Students Gaining Greater Foothold in Collegiate Tennis - Higher Education
“He was a gentle giant,” recalls Carl B. Goodman, FAMU’s head coach of men’s tennis, referring to Kante, a 6-foot-5 public relations major who excelled on the courts and in the classroom. “He was one of the most talented players and nicest people ever.”
Today, Kante, a native of Senegal, is embarking on a career as a professional tennis player, hoping his performance will incite as much excitement as the late Arthur Ashe did in his professional career following his intercollegiate tennis career at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf extols Jackie Robinson's influence in game | MLB.com: News
"It was all about what kind of a ballplayer he was," said Reinsdorf, who grew up in Brooklyn as a diehard fan of Robinson's Dodgers.
"I watched this interview with Ralph Branca, and what Ralph said [jogged] my memory -- it wasn't that big a deal," Reinsdorf recalled while speaking to the media following Tuesday's panel discussion on Robinson and his impact on sports and society at the U.S. Cellular Field Conference and Learning Center. "It was a question of if he could play. And when he came up -- and he was only hitting about .240-something into May -- and so there were some questions about whether he was going to be a good enough player. Spider Jorgensen [another rookie] looked like he might be a better player, then Jackie took off and became very popular. But it was all based upon [whether] could he play."
Monday, April 14, 2014
Morgan State Seeks to Make History in National HBCU Quiz Bowl Competition - Higher Education
Competing on his high school quiz bowl team and for Morgan State in the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge “made [him] want to get better in life,” he said, noting that he joined the team as a college senior during the 1990-91 academic year.
“[Those experiences] instilled in me the drive to get better … competition brings out the best in me,” Branch explained. “Even though our team didn’t reach the highest of heights, [the experiences] prepared me as an individual for the highest of heights and that’s why I work for the world’s premier space agency.”
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Poetic Take On Black Boxer Lands Punches With Broad Appeal : Code Switch : NPR
But writers and artists adore the sport. Consider some of the premieres from the past year alone. A dance homage to Muhammad Ali . Not one, but two boxing operas: Approaching Ali and Champion, based on the life of Emile Griffith. Two plays putting Muhammad Ali on the stage. Mike Tyson's memoir, which was — of course — reviewed by Joyce Carol Oates, and his one-man show, directed by Spike Lee, which traveled across the country and spent some time on Broadway.
You don't need to know a hook from a cross to appreciate this bounty. The stories behind boxing have universal appeal — there's a reason poets have been inspired by pugilists for all of recorded history. And boxing is a revealing microcosm of American anxieties. Come for the violent, beautiful stories; stay for the commentary on culture and race.
Autism, Like Race, Complicates Almost Everything : Code Switch : NPR
But when my son screams at his therapist and tries to snatch Magic Markers from his hands, I gasp. I think of Trayvon Martin.
I'm black, and so is my son. And even though at that moment he's just 5 years old, I know that an angry swipe at a white man's hands could get him killed one day.
At some of the toughest moments with my son, this therapist has been a sanity saver ... for me. A middle-aged white man, he has the warm, easy manner of everyone's favorite uncle. For my son, he has compassion and endless patience. But at times he's told my son NOT to do something, and my son has not only done it; he's also gotten physical.
Congressional Black Caucus Urges Rethink Of Army Hair Rules : Code Switch : NPR
In the April 10 letter, Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, head of the Congressional Black Caucus, joined with more than a dozen other women Caucus members to tell Hagel, "African American women have often been required to meet unreasonable norms as it relates to acceptable standards of grooming in the workplace."
Friday, April 11, 2014
Al Sharpton’s NAN Tackles Education, the ‘Civil Rights Issue of Our Day’ - Higher Education
Dr. Marcus Bright, executive director of Education for a Better America (EBA), moderated the panel that included educators from across the country, including television personality Dr. Steve Perry and Dr. Lisa Staino-Coico, president of The City College of New York.
Staino-Coico said that more work has to be done to get minority students interested in STEM fields at an early age so that they can major in the disciplines in college and go on to the competitive job market.
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