HBCU Times Magazine

The Visionary Dave Wooley

Post-doctoral Opportunity: Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program at the LU-RRTC on Research and Capacity Building for Minority Entities

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

The Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program at the Langston University (historically Black college/university [HBCU]) Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (LU-RRTC) on Research and Capacity Building represents a collaborative effort between the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston ([ICI] Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving Institution [AANAPISI]), North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University ([NCA&T] HBCU), South Carolina State University ([SCSU] HBCU), Jackson State University ([JSU] HBCU), and the Kessler Foundation. The Project implements a Peer-to-Peer Multiple Mentor Model to help post-doctoral Fellows navigate institutional context and cross-fertilize their independent research project and research grant proposal through exchanges with a primary mentor and a scientific panel of mentors comprised of content experts, multicultural specialists, methodologists, and statisticians. The ARRT Program works in concert with the LU-RRTC drawing upon the center’s extensive minority-serving institution research capacity building expertise, collaborative networks, resources, and interventions (e.g., methodology and grant writing web-based trainings, communities of practice, strategic planning, sponsored programs office and institutional review board technical assistance and consultation), offers courses, webinars, and implements peer mentoring as an innovative strategy to holistically address the Fellows’ research skill building needs.

INVITATION TO APPLY:

We invite individuals who have earned a doctorate from a minority-serving institution (i.e., HBCU, Hispanic serving institution, Tribal college/university, AANAPIAI) or predominantly White institution (PWI) and current doctoral candidates (must graduate before beginning fellowship) at minority-serving institutions or PWIs interested in employment research to apply to participate in the post-doctoral fellowship. Minority-serving institution based faculty members who have earned doctorates are also eligible to apply (i.e., 80% research supplements through subcontract for such faculty in residence at their employing minority-serving institution are optional). We strongly encourage individuals with disabilities to apply. We are particularly interested in recruiting candidates who have a strong desire to obtain an academic faculty position or research position at a minority-serving institution upon completion of the fellowship program.

PARTICIPATION INCENTIVES:

• Salary and benefits package- Annual salary with full health benefits

• Peer-to-Peer multiple research mentorship opportunity with scientific panel mentors

• Financial research agenda start-up package- i.e., study participant honorariums/fellow research travel

• Peer reviewed publications

• Present research findings at national and/or international rehabilitation related conferences

CONTACT: If you have any questions regarding the Langston University Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training Program (LU-ARRT), please contact Dr. Corey L. Moore, Principal Investigator/Training Director at (405) 530-7531 or email: capacitybuildingrrtc@langston.edu.

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (LU-RRTC) on Research and Capacity Building for Minority Entities

The MISSION of the Langston University RRTC is to empower minority-serving institutions/minority entities (e.g., historically Black colleges/universities [HBCUs], Hispanic-serving institutions [HSIs], Tribal colleges/universities [TCUs], and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving Institution (ANNAPISIs]) to improve their disability and rehabilitation research capacity and infrastructure by conducting a programmatic line of research examining experiences and outcomes of persons with disabilities from traditionally underserved racial and ethnic populations and communities and capacity-building efforts.

LU-RRTC TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

The LU-RRTC serves as a national resource center for minority-serving institutions/minority entities seeking to develop their research infrastructure (RI), and to enhance their capacity to engage in disability and rehabilitation research. To this end, the RRTC initiates dissemination, training and technical assistance (TA) activities to develop strong RIs for the conduct of research, preparation, submission, and management of NIDILRR funded research grant projects. TA services are provided as a part of LU-RRTC interventions for research project participants and to minority entities/minority-serving institutions around the country. The quality, intensity, and duration of TA vary by system and the readiness of TA recipients.

Minority-serving Institution TA Areas- • Faculty Scholar Role & Function Balance Consultation (e.g., teaching/service/research balance) • Sponsored Programs Office Operations Consultation • Research Infrastructure Strategic Planning • Institutional Review Board (IRB) Operation Consultation • NIDILRR Research Proposal Development Mentorship • NIDILRR Research Project Management Consultation • Manuscript for Peer Reviewed Publication Development Mentorship • NIDILRR Request for Comment (RFC) or Request for Proposal (RFP) Interpretation Consultation • NIDILRR Expert Panel Application Development Consultation • Data Management and Analysis Software and Related Technology Support Consultation State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (SVRA) TA Areas- • SVRA Policy Consultation to Improve Outcomes for Persons from Traditionally Underserved Communities • SVRA Rehabilitation Practitioner Consultation or Training to Improve Outcomes for Persons from Traditionally Underserved Communities

LU-RRTC PEER-TO-PEER MENTOR RESEARCH TEAM ACADEMY

The LU-RRTC Peer-to-Peer Mentor Research Team Academy represents a collaborative effort between Langston University and the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston (AANAPISI), South Carolina State University (HBCU), Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, Jackson State University (HBCU), Delaware Nation Vocational Rehabilitation Program, Cherokee Nation Vocational Rehabilitation Program, Kessler Foundation, and Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD).

The Academy mentors Fellows to conduct research that addresses the rehabilitation needs of persons with disabilities from traditionally underserved racial and ethnic backgrounds and communities. Ultimately, the program builds Fellows’ scholarly self-efficacy and research skills by providing them with state-of-the-science knowledge of scientifically valid measurement strategies and methodologies, and direct hands-on experience in the conduct of research and grant proposal development.

CONTACT: If you have any questions regarding the (LU-RRTC), please contact Dr. Corey L. Moore, Principal Investigator at (405) 530-7531 or email: capacitybuildingrrtc@langston.edu.

editor’s Message

It’s been a minute, but summer is near and HBCU Times is here to kick off the season! The sun is coming out, trips are being booked, and as usual, we’re bringing the fire. From legends to young visionaries, our HBCUs are accomplishing the impossible and producing at rates like never before.

Our cover features two leading men who share the stories of how the seeds they’ve planted have produced bountiful fruit and contributed to the success of our beloved HBCUs. If you haven’t heard of the legendary Dave Wooley, you sure will be thanking him after reading the feature story. Essentially, he’s the reason HBCUs have a reputation for hosting notable musical acts and booking top notch talent. Indulge in some inside info about Wooley’s early years as a teen percussionist sneaking into jazz clubs in Harlem. Learn how he went from playing talent shows to working with icons like Cissy Houston. As a multitalented individual, David Wooley began educating himself on the business side of the industry, which turned into a successful promoter career for HBCUs. From booking musical artists like Queen Latifah to lectures led by Maya Angelou,

Summer issue 2023 WELCOME TO THE

this is only a taste of the famous names noted in Wooley’s success story.

Dr. Kevin James is a true manifestation of the phoenix rising from the ashes, as his feature is a comeback story like no other. The Morris Brown College president details exactly how he was able to revive the Atlanta institution from $35M bankruptcy and loss of accreditation for nearly 20 years. Relying on historical occurrences as a guide, along with strategic goal-setting, President James accomplished what others believed to be impossible. Some of you may have even watched his journey via social media, as Dr. James documented the daily fight to restore the school, which made others want to join in on the mission. From aggressive fundraising to gaining the trust of the people who matter most, Dr. James was able to triple enrollment during the pandemic, and still shows no signs of slowing down. Read how Morris Brown College is aiming to be not only the best in ATL, but one of the top HBCUs in the nation.

Morris Brown isn’t the only HBCU making waves - Voorhees University (VU) is expanding, while Fisk University is making NCAA history. Since officially becoming a university only a short time ago, Voorhees is full speed ahead with its Becoming Beloved Community Initiative. Dr. Ronnie Hopkins (10th president) has acquired property to house the initiative which will greatly benefit the institution as well as the Denmark, SC community. Learn all about the new project, as Dr. Hopkins reflects on his experience attending an HBCU and desire to preach the importance of service to VU students. If you haven’t already seen them across your news feed, the Fisk University gymnastics team debuted with a bang. Our article highlights two team members who are alumni of Jack and Jill of America, and how their involvement in the organization inspired their decision to attend an HBCU.

And, obviously, we must highlight our fearless women leaders who are changing the world one transformative action at a time. Vice President Kamala Harris is strengthening relationships between the U.S. and foreign countries, starting with Ghana. VP Harris visited the nation to discuss improving the country’s democracy, women empowerment, and digital inclusion. The article notes plans for future collaborations with countries across the continent of Africa as well as information on economic advancement and entrepreneurship. Lastly, we are delivering a treat this issue with an article on HBCU and cultural icon, Johnnetta Cole. The notable scholar, activist and first Black woman president of Spelman College was awarded the 2021 National Humanities Medal by President Joe Biden. Discover more about the deep-rooted HBCU love within her family, and what inspired her career, championing for Black women.

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INSPIRED BY: ETHEL STATEN AND JORDAN STATEN

DR. JOHNNETTA COLE

HUMANITIES MEDAL AWARDEE “STILL HAS WORK TO DO”

BY DR. CRYSTAL A de GREGORY

Ask almost any graduate of historically Black colleges and universities, and they’ll likely know her name. At 86, Johnnetta Betsch Cole is unquestionably among the most beloved figures, not just in HBCU culture but in Black America and beyond.

And for good reasons too. The resume of the anthropologist, educator, museum director, and two-time HBCU college president reads like a veritable “who’s who” and “what’s hot” for well over the last half-century. This March, United States President Joe Biden awarded Cole the 2021 National Humanities Medal in a ceremony that the COVID-19 pandemic had long delayed.

First awarded in 1997, the annual award succeeded the Charles Frankel Prize in the Humanities, established in 1988.

Today, the award is bestowed on no more than twelve persons annually, recognizing “individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities and broadened our citizens’ engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy, and other humanities,” according to The White House.

As America’s “Sister President,” Cole was hailed “for being a celebrated leader of sanctuaries of higher learning and culture. A scholar, anthropologist, and academic pace-setter, Johnnetta Betsch Cole’s pioneering work about the ongoing contributions of

Afro-Latin, Caribbean, and African communities have advanced American understanding of Black culture and the necessity and power of racial inclusion in our Nation,” her White House Citation declared.

Born October 19, 1936, her extraordinary life began in Jacksonville, Florida; Cole’s connections to HBCUs are lifelong. Cole’s great-grandfather of Abraham Lincoln Lewis, founder of the AfroAmerican Life Insurance Company and Florida’s first African American millionaire, formerly served as a board member at the local Edward Waters College, now University. And her mother worked there as an English professor and registrar.

Naturally, her mother, who was in many ways a tour de force of Black art and culture for their family, was among Cole’s earliest educational influences. Joining her was another powerful Black woman teacher, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, the founder and president of nearby Daytona Beach’s now-BethuneCookman University, and whose social and political leadership included the founding and presidency of the nowNational Council of Negro Women, Inc., of which Cole was most recently seventh national president and chair.

Cole would find inspiration next at Fisk University, where she enrolled early at 15. There, she was mentored by poet and novelist Arna Bontemps, who was the University’s librarian.

More than a handful of years ago, Cole told me that she would’ve finished at Fisk had it not been for the unexpected death of her father following her exchange stint-turned-academic career at Oberlin College, for which she graduated along with the future Dr. Niara Sudarkasa, who later became

the first woman to serve as president of Lincoln University of Pennsylvania in 1986.

The following year, Cole became the first Black woman to serve as president of Atlanta’s Spelman College, one of only two surviving Black women's colleges in the nation, where she secured one of the largest financial gifts in HBCU history for several decades to come.

She later assumed the role of Presidential Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Women’s Studies, and African American Studies at Emory

University before becoming president of Greensboro’s Bennett College, the second women’s HBCU, in 2002.

In 2009, she became director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art.

“To bring the experience of art into one’s life,” she said of her museum headship, “is to become entangled in, maybe to fall in love with, human creativity.”

Referring to March as “Herstory Month,” Cole, in a flared black suit declared, “We as Black women, as Francis Beal said many years ago, we carry a ‘double jeopardy,’ victimized by our race,

victimized by our gender…we have never ceased to be in this struggle. And I think when Ella Baker used these words, of course she thought about all her people, but I believe she had a particular thought about Black women, when she said, ‘we, who believe in freedom, cannot rest,’ until it comes.”

“Johnnetta… takes the study of Black history and culture to new heights. She has strengthened American education, advanced American scholarship, and enriched the lives of students of all ages and the future of our nation,” said President Biden.

“[W]e’ve still got a lot of work to do,” Cole remarked of social activism. “Retirement is not in my vocabulary.”

Crystal A. deGregory, Ph.D. is a graduate of Fisk, Tennessee State and Vanderbilt universities. She currently serves as a research fellow at Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Historic Preservation and is the founder of two digital storytelling projects HBCUstory as well as Dorian and Beyond, the story of Hurricane Dorian in The Bahamas.

JACK AND JILL ALUMS: FISK UNIVERSITY’S PIONEERING GYMNASTICS TEAM

BY CRYSTAL GADSON

Earlier this year, Fisk University made history as the first historically Black university (HBCU) with a collegiate gymnastics team that competed at the NCAA level.

The team made their debut on January 6, at the Super 16 event in Las Vegas. The Fisk University gymnastics team competed against over 300 collegiate gymnasts from teams across the country.

Two gymnasts from the history-making team, Morgan Price and Hailey Clark are alumnae of Jack and Jill of America, an organization that provides social, cultural, and educational opportunities for youth between the ages of 2 and 19. Jack and Jill, Inc. founded in 1938, consists of over 262 chapters nationwide

representing more than 50,000 family members.

Kornisha McGill Brown, 27th National President of Jack and Jill, Inc., says she is extremely proud of Morgan and Hailey’s achievements at Fisk as members of the first gymnastics team representing an HBCU.

“The theme of our last national convention was, “The Power of a Dream”, and having two Jack and Jill Alumnae make historic, impactful contributions on a collegiate team of Black gymnasts is truly a dream come true. Our alumni make us proud when we see them contribute to their schools, families, professions, communities, and society in meaningful, remarkable ways. Their success shows that the parental

nurturing and support they received in Jack and Jill of America has made a positive difference in their lives and the lives of others,” Brown said.

“These achievements continue to solidify Jack and Jill of America’s connections to Historically Black Colleges and Universities through our alumni, family members, and partners. As a graduate of Spelman, I recognize the immense influence and contributions of HBCUs in our society and culture. Hailey’s and Morgan’s example as successful student-athletes at Fisk show our families and the world that Jack and Jill of America and HBCUs are significant, leading institutions that continue to produce several of the best and brightest individuals in society,” she continued.

Morgan Price, a freshman biology major and 5-star recruit from Lebanon, Tennessee, graduated from the Dallas chapter of Jack and Jill, Inc., and credits the organization for her desire to attend an HBCU. She has dreams of becoming a dentist.

Upon graduating high school, she had originally committed to the University of Arkansas’ gymnastics program, then decommitted once she became aware of Fisk’s first HBCU gymnastics team. “I wanted to go to an HBCU because I know that back then our ancestors weren’t even allowed to go to the same schools as other people. I think [it’s] a way to honor our ancestors since they aren’t still here with us,” Morgan said. As for making history daily as an HBCU gymnast, Morgan is honored.

Morgan shared that information about Fisk University’s gymnastics team will be featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, in the near future.

Hailey Clark, a freshman biology premed major from Windermere, Florida, says gymnastics has taught her faith, resilience, and tenacity. Her ultimate goal is to become an orthopedic surgeon.

During Hailey’s junior year of high school, her Jack and Jill, Inc. chapter heavily discussed the importance of attending an HBCU.

“One thing that has really stuck with me was camaraderie – how important it is to be there for one another and to really support one another in such a group like Jack and Jill,” Hailey explained. When Hailey sees the media attention for making history as a Black collegiate gymnast, it shows her how much of an impact the team is making.

“After every single competition, seeing the little young Black girls that come down and take pictures with us, saying they really look up to us – there’s not really a word I can find to describe that,” she said.

Hailey’s advice for the current students in Jack and Jill, Inc. is to take advantage of every event and make connections with everyone in their age group.

“It’s an experience you won’t get back once you graduate – of course, you’ll still have those connections with the people you met and became friends within Jack and Jill – cherish actually being able to go to those events like teen conferences, workshops, and Jack and Jill day events.”

Hailey also encourages the youth to keep pushing through all trials and tribulations.

“Life is going to give it to you sometimes, and you really have to keep the faith and you never know what opportunity may come like this one. It’s so reassuring that so many young girls of color are going to have this option now – gymnastics while attending an HBCU. So, never give up. Keep pushing,” she said.

HOMELAND HEALING:

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS INVESTS IN AFRICA’S FUTURE

BY ASHLEIGH FIELDS

Throughout her tenure in office, Vice President Kamala Harris has been working to rebuild and strengthen wavering international bonds between the United States and other foreign countries. Her most recent efforts resulted in a threeday trip to Ghana where the Biden-Harris administration pledged to provide $139 million in assistance to Ghana starting in October.

While abroad, the Vice President met with President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana personally to discuss projects that focus on improving the country’s democracy, women empowerment and digital inclusion.

“Together, we will address the challenges we face, and the opportunities ahead. And today I will speak about one particular area of opportunity: Investment in innovation,” said Harris in a speech at Ghana’s Black Star Gate, which represents freedom and justice. “Innovation is the pursuit of what can be, unburdened by what has been.”

In hopes of creating more economic upward mobility, the U.S. plans to hire a full-time resident advisor who will assist Ghana’s Ministry of Finance to improve debt. However, Harris explained that this will be a collaborative effort.

“To be clear, America will be guided not by what we can do FOR our African partners, but what we can do WITH our African partners,” said Harris. “That means the United States is committed to strengthen our partnerships across the continent of Africa—partnerships with governments, the private sector, civil society and all of you, partnerships based on openness, inclusiveness, candor, shared interests, and mutual benefits.”

During her trip, Harris hosted a

roundtable discussion with six female Ghanaian entrepreneurs to discuss opportunities for corporate leadership and inclusion for all women. The U.S. has currently committed to creating a small business development center specifically for women and youth with the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA). Their goal is to provide workshops and training sessions with information on how to grow a business and enter the global market through exports.

“We must invest in African ingenuity and creativity, which will unlock incredible economic growth and opportunities—not only for the people of the 54 countries that make up this diverse continent, but also for the American people and people around

the world,” said Harris.

At her first stop in Accra, Harris visited Vibrate, a creative company that opened last year in partnership with Kendrick Lamar’s pgLang, Spotify, and local sports organization Surf Ghana. Actors Idris Elba and Sheryl Lee Ralph joined her in hopes of underscoring the up and coming talent from the nation’s African diaspora community.

The Vice President was excited to “engage directly with young people and highlight the dynamism across the continent.”

Accra is the capital of Ghana and home to various music festivals including Afronation, Afrochella, Global Citizen Festival and the Black Star Line Festival.

Although the visit included numerous Ghanaian arts and cultural activities similar to this, Harris also chose to visit Tanzania and Zambia.

“This continent has a personal meaning for me because my grandfather and other members of my family worked in Zambia in the 1960s alongside a newly independent people,” said Harris. “I was fortunate enough to visit them in Zambia as a young girl. The values that guided my relatives when they were there, and the legacy of their efforts, remain a source of pride for my entire family and continue to animate my

work today.”

The Vice President’s maternal grandfather, P.V. Gopalan was a civil servant for India. He was sent to the Government of Zambia as the Director of Relief Measures and Refugees in January 1966 by the Indian government. This is a full circle moment for Harris as she recently announced $3.5 million to support Zambian’s civil society through reform and oversight.

“Innovation results in one’s ability not only to see but do things differently: new methods, new products, new

approaches, new ideas,” said Harris.

The Vice President was proud to announce the new use of climatesmart agriculture, revolutionary digital technology and efforts for economic empowerment. Over the next 10 years, the U.S. has promised to provide $100 million for funding across Coastal West Africa with an objective to stabilize and prevent conflict across the continent.

“African ideas and innovations will shape the future of the world, and so we must invest in African ingenuity,” said Harris.

VOORHEES UNIVERSITY: THE NEXT LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE

BY PRINCESS GADSON

Major plans are in motion for Voorhees University to expand its ties within the Denmark, SC community through its Becoming Beloved Community Initiative.

Voorhees University, formally known as Voorhees College, is a small HBCU affiliated with the Episcopal church and located in Denmark, a city in Bamberg County, South Carolina.

It is ranked number 26 by US News and World Report’s 2022-23 List of HBCUs.

“[We] are part of the community, and we intend to share and to make certain that their needs become our needs, their pains become our pains, and certainly their joys become our joys,” Dr. Ronnie Hopkins, President of Voorhees University said.

Dr. Ronnie Hopkins became the 10th president of Voorhees University in 2021. Before his presidency, he was hired at Voorhees as the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and a tenured English professor.

Hopkins obtained a bachelor’s degree in English from North Carolina Central University, a master’s and doctoral degree from Michigan State University and completed postdoctoral studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Bath, North Carolina native’s career in public and higher education spans nearly three decades.

In 2021, Voorhees University acquired the property of Denmark-Olar

Elementary School, located just two minutes away from the University. The former Denmark-Olar Elementary School building will house Voorhees University’s Becoming Beloved Community Initiative, which will include the University’s Rural Community Development, Institute for Women’s Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, and Advancement, and the Institute for Social and Environmental Justice for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

“We certainly are happy to have acquired that property. We want to make certain that the community benefits from it,” said Dr. Hopkins. Hopkins also shared that within five years, Voorhees University will also erect a new campus and community center which will provide for the community a bowling alley, skating rink, movie theater, ballroom, business incubator space, and a space for the University’s student government.

“Voorhees University will have a new living and learning center so that we can accommodate the growth that we expect,” he continued. “[We] will facilitate in partnership with the city of Denmark and the county of Bamberg

a hotel in Denmark to provide for our citizens in the community.”

Hopkins’ leadership mantra at Voorhees is The Next Level of Excellence.

“As soon as you think you’ve reached the pinnacle of the heightened level of excellence, we need to go to the next level,” he said.

Under Hopkins’ first year of leadership, Voorhees College became Voorhees University; launched their first graduate program, Master of Education in Teaching and Learning; and increased enrollment by 15%.

“Spring semester to spring semester this year, enrollment has increased by 21% - so we’re moving in the right direction.”

Dr. Hopkins credits his HBCU experience at North Carolina Central University for playing a major role in shaping who he is today.

“I don’t believe going to a non-HBCU that I would have been so connected to a faculty that saw so much in me that I didn’t even see in myself. I believe had I gone to a traditionally white institution, I would’ve gotten lost in the cracks. I wouldn’t have gotten the love, attention, and experiences that I got at NCCU,” he explained.

Dr. Hopkins is passionate about instilling the power of service into the students at Voorhees University. A lesson Dr. Hopkins learned as an HBCU student is “Whatever accomplishments you think you earned; you didn’t earn them on your own.”

“There are people that will pray and have prayed for you. There are people that supported you, but certainly at the institution, North Carolina Central University, there were people that served as models and mentors that guided me along the way,” he said.

Dr. Hopkins is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and has a nonprofit organization called Possible Worlds Foundation, where he assists individuals who have been impacted by homelessness, incarceration, or HIV/ AIDS.

To combat the plague of divisiveness among HBCUs, Dr. Hopkins says HBCU presidents and alum should continue to demonstrate working as family.

Dr. Hopkins says the presidents of each of South Carolina’s HBCUs work together and refuse to let anyone pit them against each other.

“We all work together to ensure that we are supporting one another,” he said.

TMCF: DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

BY ROB KNOX

Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) has prided itself as being a national leader in helping companies achieve their Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) goals. The organization’s mission has always been to carry forward the legacy of Justice Thurgood Marshall, who was a champion of HBCUs and creating access and opportunity for the talented students who attend them.

Major companies partner with TMCF because they understand that it provides them with a competitive advantage and allows them to become more profitable. It’s a strategic pillar of the Fortune 500 corporations who intentionally engage with TMCF. They understand that a diverse and inclusive workforce based on purposeful hiring makes the world a better place.

One of the major outcomes when companies are committed to DEI is they advance a more equitable future for their communities and enhance pathways toward economic mobility for HBCU students.

When companies prioritize equity, diversity, and inclusion, everybody triumphs because it is vital to achieving superior business outcomes.

In 2022, there were 4,571 recipients/ participants of TMCF scholarships, programmatic opportunities, and internships. TMCF student talent has an average starting salary of $66,000. That was a 50% increase from 2021. Since 2020, there’s been 11,027 recipients of TMCF opportunities.

Engaged and empowered students help companies, change lives, and pay

it forward because their personal and professional development was enriched in a diverse and inclusive environment of care. Helping companies with their DEI initiatives allows TMCF to make an impact beyond the $300,000 million in scholarships the organization awards to its students annually.

While, TMCF has a well-earned reputation for providing employer partners with direct access to top HBCU talent, those same allies understand that making DEI a core value provides an opportunity to improve employee engagement while strengthening their team.

According to a 2021 McKinley study, companies with the most diverse executive teams are 36% more likely to outperform their peers on profitability.

Most of the Fortune 500 have limited, if any, recruitment presence at HBCUs.  With more than 300,000 students attending the 47 member schools, TMCF provides an essential link between Corporate America and HBCU talent. Once companies partner with TMCF, they are provided direct access to HBCU talent prepared to change the world thanks to the numerous programs and unique opportunties offered.

In 2022, Boeing and TMCF announced a new $8 million, multi-year partnership to support campus recruitment initiatives, career immersion activities, and experiences for students from HBCU’s. TMCF has partnered with Medtronic, and Google to create career pathways in the MedTech Industry and technology for HBCU students.

Students who may have remained unseen are now software engineers

at Apple and Microsoft, mechanical engineers at Boeing, and business leaders at Wells Fargo.

Another one of TMCF’s partners, Medtronic Foundation has made an intentional and committed effort to grow representation of underserved and underrepresented populations within the STEM workforce by supporting scholarships for HBCU students and being a presidential partner at the Leadership Institute.

This partnership has helped Medtronic create a stronger, more diverse STEM pipeline for the future workforce in health and technology, which benefits the world.

During TMCF’s annual Leadership Institute in New York, over 90 companies had access to more than 400 students to interview and recruit for job opportunities. Several students who

attended Leadership Institute walked away with potential job and internship opportunities.

TMCF has worked hard to build a framework to accelerate societal change while collaborating with leaders who understand that intentionally diversifying their teams is a long-term solution for success. In accomplishing desired DEI outcomes, TMCF enjoys being a leader in providing access to talented HBCU students.

DEI is important because it allows companies to walk in their purpose and help our students create the legacies they desire. The path to progress is measured in inches and milestones.

Consistent small actions lead to change.

Partnering with TMCF is an easy step to begin with.

THE VISIONARY: DAVE WOOLEY

BY ERICA BLOUNT DANOIS

It wasn’t any ordinary day in the Frederick Douglass projects in Harlem in 1977. At least not for Dave Wooley. As residents peeped and craned their necks to see out of their windows, they screamed and clapped approvingly, as a 16-year-old Wooley collected his drums and equipment and slid into the backseat of a black limousine. Drummer, producer, and recording artist Norman Connors had sent the limo. Wooley had met Connors in Mikell’s, a jazz club on Columbus Avenue in Manhattan, as a teenager. Trying to be inconspicuous the young Wooley would draw on a mustache and sneak into the club.

“There was something about him,” said Connors about Wooley. Connors had produced artists like Michael Henderson, Jean Carne, and Phyllis Hyman. “I just felt like he [Wooley] would do well. I can spot talent right away. He was more percussion than drummer. He played more dance, hand drumming, bongos, congas, things of that sort.”

That evening Wooley and Connors traveled to Nashville to play a gig at the Exit/ I N club. For many years afterward,

they would go on to play prestigious venues together and gigs all around the country.

“Norman showed me another world when he took me on the road. I would play songs like ‘Betcha By Golly, Wow,’ ‘This is Your Life,’ and ‘You are My Starship,’ and he would do the jazzier songs. I would play percussion. We would switch back and forth,” said Wooley.

Connors, of course, was spot on about recognizing his talent. Wooley had already built a reputation around Harlem as a talented drummer. Both of his parents were musicians—though not working professionally in music; his mother Bettye Wooley St. John was a pianist, and his father Herman J. Wooley was a jazz singer. By the age of 6, he was taking drum lessons with virtuoso African drummer Babatunde Olatunji who’d given him his first conga drum. He took free music lessons, courtesy of the Jazzmobile, from Michael Carvin learning how to read music, how to swing, and play straight-ahead jazz and funk. Pioneering jazz drummer Max Roach selected Wooley as the drummer in an off-Broadway play. He would

go on to become a studio musician in New York and realized a life-long dream when he had the opportunity to perform alongside legendary drummer Buddy Rich in a battle of the drums. He’d also work with Cissy Houston recording her demos.

Although he loved playing music in the New York scene, by the time he turned 20, Wooley had moved to Delaware and out of the big-city jazz and R&B scene in New York.  He was starting to think more about the business side of music.  He focused his attention on graduating from Wilmington University with a bachelor’s degree in business and later earned a MBA.

In 1985, Connors asked Wooley about getting a gig in Wilmington, Delaware.

He asked Wooley to find a promoter that would put up the money and advertise for the band.

Wooley told Connors that Wilmington was a small town, not like what he was accustomed to in New York and other big cities. It would be hard to find a promoter to bring the band to Delaware to do a concert.

"I JUST FELT LIKE HE [WOOLEY] WOULD DO WELL. I CAN SPOT TALENT RIGHT AWAY. HE WAS MORE PERCUSSION THAN DRUMMER. HE PLAYED MORE DANCE, HAND DRUMMING, BONGOS, CONGAS, THINGS OF THAT SORT."

-NORMAN CONNORS

“He said, ‘Well, aren’t you Dave Wooley?’ “I said, ‘yeah.’ “He said, ‘Well, you can be the promoter then.’”

And it was just that simple. Wooley suggested Ambrosia’s, a Black-owned club in Delaware, and he became a promoter that day fulfilling his desire to focus on the business end of music.

“We sold out for two nights. I made more money being a promoter than a drummer in the group,” Wooley recalls.

This first gig with Connors was Wooley’s starting point to promote larger venues which he did for many years.

“Unfortunately, it’s a crapshoot,” said media mogul and television personality Cathy Hughes about promoting and the lack of Black promoters. “If the weather is bad, if the artist comes down with laryngitis, the artist falls out with their significant other, there are so many moving parts to booking them, promoting them, and then selling their

tickets. It’s a very risky business.”

Wooley eventually found a niche market that he would work primarily with for many years – promoting HBCUs in Pennsylvania like Lincoln University and Cheyney University, and in Delaware and Maryland, like Delaware State, Bowie State, and Maryland Eastern Shore in the 1980s.

Wooley had a competitive advantage for this market from having direct relationships with top agencies based in New York City like William Morris, ICM and ABC Bookings from years of booking top acts.

“I knew the agents because I had done a bunch of concerts on my own, and they were all successful,” said Wooley. “Not one cancellation. So, when I would call for Natalie Cole or the O’Jays or Run DMC, I would get a huge discount. They knew it would be promoted right, and the artists would be treated first class. Because I was a musician,. I knew when

the sound was right, the lights, not just from a technical perspective, but from a musical perspective.”

Because HBCUs historically have been underfunded, they often could not afford the prices of top-tier talent. Artists often preferred predominantly white universities (PWI’s) simply because they were better funded, so the artists were paid more.

Wooley was able to produce both fledgling acts like Queen Latifah who was at the beginning of her career at the time and established acts for HBCUs.

“If HBCUs had called the agents directly, they wouldn’t have had that clout, so the prices wouldn’t have been discounted; and they would not have been able to afford those big names, “said Wooley.

Working with HBCUs, he expanded from just doing concerts, to booking lectures with such luminaries as Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.’s daughter Yolanda King, Malcolm X’s daughter Attallah Shabazz and basketball Hall of Famer Walt Frazier.

Artists wanted to perform at these HBCUs, but there were very few Black promoters that were able to book top-tier talent. Wooley helped to fill that void for HBCUs – giving artists the chance to appear in front of Black students and conversely to allow those students to be able to watch stars like Run DMC and Frankie Beverly and Maze perform live, taking HBCUs in the region to another level.

Once, acclaimed jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis called Wooley. Marsalis was

aware of the cost disparities for HBCUs and asked Wooley about doing a tour for a minimum honorarium. He was able to book Marsalis at the HBCUs he’d been working with like Lincoln University and Cheyney University.

By the late ‘90s, Wooley confided in Connors that he was looking for a change. He had been raising his two young daughters, who were three and four, as a single dad with custodial rights. He had started working as an adjunct business professor at Wilmington University so he could be present for his daughters.

When he couldn’t find a babysitter, he would often bring them to his class where they gained a business education through osmosis and got acclimated to college life.

“He took us everywhere. We were backstage and met so many people,” remembers his oldest daughter Veda Wooley, Esq.

“I give 100 percent to my Dad. We grew up not watching television, and we were homeschooled in addition to going to public school. We had activities almost every day of the week – computer classes, dance. We were always in the back of the classroom when he was a professor. Eventually, we were learning a lot of the business concepts, and we would call out the answers. It gave us a lot of confidence when we went to college.”

Veda Wooley would become an attorney, finishing her Juris doctor program in two years; and his youngest daughter Davina Wooley became a

computer engineer and earned two master’s degrees.

As a young man, Wooley wasn’t content with being a musician without understanding all the cogs that make up the music industry and the business of entertainment. And as he got older, he continued to grow in different parts of the entertainment business operating under his production company, Dave Wooley Productions.

He moved into one of the most lucrative promoting sectors at the timeprofessional boxing.

Back then, one of the only ways to see a live mega boxing match was to go to an arena and watch it on closed-circuit television on the big screen. Boxing was big in the 1980s and 1990s with

boost to our arm in the early days. Boxing matches were such a major event for us to be a part of. It really boosted our credibility and image,” recalls Hughes. “The PR, the inclusion in the press room with all the big boys, no question it was Dave Wooley that opened those doors for us.”

electrifying talent like George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, and Michael Spinks. Wooley rose to prominence in the industry as the only Black man in the country to be awarded exclusive paid-per-view and closed-circuit television broadcasting rights for several states for the Mike Tyson versus Michael Spinks fight - the largest fight at the time.

Around the same time, basketball Hall of Famer Julius “Dr. J” Erving retired and wanted to get into the business side of sports and entertainment and heard about Wooley. By 1992, he and Wooley became business partners.

One enterprising woman with an emerging media empire was impacted significantly by Wooley’s new venture into boxing. Media mogul Cathy Hughes, in the early days of her radio station WOL- AM in Washington, D.C.,  was always looking for big-ticket sponsors. Wooley made Hughes’ station the premiere fight station in

Washington, D.C.

“In the early days of WOL, we only had local businesses – thank God for the crab houses, the beauty parlors, the corner grocery stores, the independently owned boutiques, they were our first clients,” said Cathy Hughes by phone. “I met Fred Brown and then Henry Brown – the highestranking Black person at AnheuserBusch - and Budweiser Beer became our first national client.”

The Browns wanted Hughes to meet Wooley; and when she did, they hit it off immediately. Wooley, a single father of two girls, often took Hughes’ advice particularly during discussions on combing hair.

Hughes was well-versed in boxing. Her father, an accountant, had Muhammad Ali as a client when he was still Cassius Clay. She and Wooley bonded on boxing and raising children.

“In terms of prestige, Dave was a big

While working with Dr. J. and promoting fights, Wooley met Grammy award-winning singer Dionne Warwick, and she and Wooley started working together. He would go on to coauthor two children’s books with her, “Say a Little Prayer” and “Little Man.” And he was the  co-author for her autobiography, “My Life, as I See It: An Autobiography,” which was the genesis of the documentary, “Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over,” which chronicled her six-decade career in music and activism and  premiered in January on CNN and is currently on HBO Max. Wooley wrote, produced and codirected the documentary which won several awards including, “Best Feature,” at the Gene Siskel Film Festival; and the film won first runner-up for the People’s Choice Award for documentaries at the Toronto International Film Festival. It also won the “Audience Award,” at both the Montclair Film Festival and the BronzeLens Film Festival.

“I must have watched it six times now,” said Hughes. “Not only is the story beautiful, but the process that he went through was too. Just like his daughters, this man is the poster child for dogged determination.”

“He had interviewed all these people without me knowing,” said Warwick by phone. Usually, people can’t keep anything from me,” she laughed.

“I loved it, it showed his ability – he told the true story which was most

important to me. He captured me,” said Warwick.

Some of the exclusive celebrity interviews that Wooley garnered were Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Carlos Santana, Snoop Dogg and Elton John.

“It was like a big surprise party for her,” remembers Wooley when Warwick watched the documentary for the first time.

Both Dionne Warwick and Cathy Hughes consider Wooley family now, and they are known as Auntie Dionne ‘D’ and Auntie Cathy to Wooley’s daughters.

“One side of him is this consummate business entrepreneur,” said Hughes. The other side of him is rearing children. I’m watching him live this double life.”

“I met his daughters at the early stages

of their lives, and I took on the role of the godmother. He managed to do it and got both through college. They are both doing exceptionally well, and I can be proud of them as if they were my own,” said Warwick.

Both Hughes and Warwick match Wooley’s commitment to HBCUs. Warwick sang in concerts at Howard University when Donny Hathaway was a student there. She performed at Marshall College for their homecoming. At Bowie State University, Warwick is active with their health department because of her activism around AIDS. They are renaming the performing arts center in her name.

Hughes’ roots with Howard University spans 50 years starting from WHUR and Melvin Lindsey and “The Quiet Storm,” to the naming of the Communications Department - The Cathy Hughes School of Communications.

Wooley recently married Debora Wooley, who says she admires his creative process.

“With all of the things he’s done, he’s one of the most humble people I’ve ever met,” said Debora Wooley. “He doesn’t have a problem being the behind-thescenes guy.”

Still behind-the-scenes today, Wooley has come full circle. The street where he promoted his first gig on 16th and North Claymont Street in Wilmington, Delaware, with Norman Connors for just $8 advance tickets was recently named after him - David F. Wooley Way in February in 2022.

“If it wasn’t for Norman Connors, I wouldn’t be here,” said Wooley. “And I wouldn’t be here without the Delaware States and Coppin State and Lincoln and all the other Black colleges because that’s where my career took off.”

LIFTING AS WE CLIMB

BY LYNITA MITCHELL-BLACKWELL, ESQ.

On May 8th, 2022, Sonja Natasha Brown made history as the first HBCU graduate to be elected to the Superior Court of Cobb County, Georgia. Cobb County is the third largest county in

Georgia with over 766,000 residents, and the Superior Court is the highest trial court in the state, with jurisdiction over family matters, criminal matters, and real estate. Judge Brown is the third African American to be elected to this esteemed position in this county, where only 11 serve on the bench. What is the secret to her success? The commitment to service, instilled in her

by both her family and beloved alma mater, Clark Atlanta University.

A native of the Bahamas, Judge Brown moved to the United States to attend Clark due to its connections to the Methodist Church where she is a faithful member of Central United Methodist; but also because of Clark’s commitment to service, something that she had been

Being a judge is not a symbol of power, it is the ultimate symbol of service.” - Judge Jana J. Edmondson-Cooper

raised by her dear mother and two sisters to cherish.

“Service was important in my family. Service in my church, service in my community.In all HBCUs, service is instilled in us, [we know that] everything is bigger than us.[Matriculating through Clark] taught me that I was capable of anything because the people around me told me that I couldn’t settle for anything less than excellence.”

Judge Brown’s road to the judiciary was non-traditional, as she majored in communications and worked in telecommunications for several years in Corporate America. She continued to serve in various community organizations through the years, then the shift came. One day she determined that she wanted to be an advocate for justice. The most effective way to do that was to go to law school, and after working full-time and going to school in the evenings at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, she did just that.

It was about this time after graduation, that Judge Brown had a fork in the road moment - would she continue in Corporate America or pursue her passion for community advocacy?

Around that time, I met her as we served on the board of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, Inc. (GABWA). It was through this organization that we developed a very long and deep friendship that has seen promotions, job changes, graduations, family changes, health challenges and victories, and calls to the ministry. It

was through the shifting of all of these various times that Judge Brown came to the decision that made sense for the person she is: community advocate.

Judge Brown developed a very rich pool of mentors and a strong network of supporters who guided her along the way—many of them HBCU grads as well. That led to her pursuing and obtaining a coveted position at the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office at the suggestion and support of her mentor, Judge Kimberly Esmond Adams (also an HBCU graduate, a proud Howard Bison). Judge Brown distinguished herself as an excellent prosecutor and went on to serve as a senior prosecutor in Fulton county as well as Dekalb county.

It was this work, in addition to her service in several community organizations, that led to the next step on the road to the bench: a personal recommendation to apply for the soon-to-be vacated seat on the Cobb County Magistrate Court. Interestingly, then-Attorney Brown was not looking to serve on the bench at that moment in her career. However, when one of her mentors, Judge Kellie Hill, who recently was elected to the Superior Court, came to her and said, “You would be perfect for this role,” Judge Brown took the leap. “As an attorney, I felt the best way to give back to the community that I have called home for 25 years was to serve in this capacity.”

Did she feel prepared? Yes. “What prepared me for this? My family.”

Her mother, sisters, and nieces and nephews, who she affectionately calls her "Heartbeats," and also her Clark Atlanta family. “At Clark, our motto is ‘we find a way or make one.’ [And] anybody who’s attended an HBCU knows, it’s not friends, it’s not classmates, it’s family. [I was] in an environment where making a mistake wasn’t so detrimental. I learned to do more with less, to carve a path if one isn’t already there. And I had friends, those who will celebrate you, people you can call when you need to be grounded and connected.”

Judge Brown interviewed for the Magistrate Court Judge position, and was appointed to that role. Not a year later, the opportunity came for her to run for Superior Court Judge. It was a daunting task because this was the first time Judge Brown would be running for public office. Yet, it was the familiar call to serve and be of service that motivated her to put herself out there: representation for the community. “It’s important that elected officials, judges, be reflective of the communities we serve.”

An expanded supportive group of HBCU alumni from across the country, family in the U.S. and the Bahamas, friends, past and present co-workers, and community leaders came forward with a resounding charge on her behalf. The voters mobilized and Judge Brown won!

And in the winning, Judge Brown understood that the victory was not just hers and that she could not just rest on

her laurels. Part of being a community servant and advocate is ensuring just and qualified leadership is in place. And so going back to that same warm circle, she remembered a conversation she had with a younger attorney years before expressing the desire to be a judge. This was an attorney who she had met and worked with through GABWA, who had distinguished herself with her community work on behalf of those who required assistance in communications, needed bilingual translators, and those defendants who came to court without English as a first language. That young attorney is now Judge Jana J. Edmondson-Cooper.

Judge Brown reached out to thenAttorney Edmondson-Cooper to ensure that she was still interested in serving; and, of course, the answer was yes! Judge Edmondson-Cooper applied to and interviewed for the position on the Magistrate Court that Judge Brown was vacating due to her election to the Superior Court.

Jana J. Edmondson-Cooper is a native of Long Island, New York. However, her father often told her growing up, “You may be a New Yorker, but you have Southern roots,” as both of her parents were from South Carolina. So it was no surprise when Judge EdmondsonCooper decided to earn her bachelor’s degree from Spelman College, nestled in the heart of the South.

“To this day, attending Spelman College was one of the best decisions I ever made. The sign on the front of the school states, ‘Spelman women enter to lead so they may exit to serve.’”

Judge Edmondson-Cooper was raised in a family of servant leaders. “Mom was a public school teacher, then later an entrepreneur. She was later elected as a Village Trustee (the equivalent of a city council member). Dad worked with at-risk youth, then founded [what would become the] second largest human service center in the state providing services for at-risk youth, adult and child

care, and substance abuse counseling.” Watching her parents and extended family of educators instilled in Judge Edmondson-Cooper the importance of serving one’s community. Even when one has the opportunity to go off and make good on one’s own, there is still responsibility to the collective whole.

“When God blesses you, it is seldom about you, but what you can do for others.”

Judge Edmondson-Cooper took that knowledge with her to Spelman College, and it grew from there. With Spelman’s focus on making a strong local impact so that it can be felt on an international scale, Judge Edmondson-Cooper was right at home with her sisters. She took that charge seriously, going on to the Mississippi School of Law. She was on Moot Court, a highly competitive mock trial team, had good grades—all of the credentials and benchmarks that employers look for when hiring. However, Judge Edmondson-Cooper

did not want to go into a big law firm, she wanted to go into public service. Some people did not see the value in such a goal. “People said, ‘It’s such a shame you don’t want to go to a firm.’I said, ‘Why is it a shame? Why would I not want to use the talents you believe I have to serve others, more in a public service capacity?’”

And serve she did, working in Legal Aid for seven years, and as a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Labor litigating employment matters. This was in addition to her service on various boards and community organizations, including GABWA where she would later meet Judge Sonja N. Brown.

However, the road was not as smooth as it appeared. “I didn’t pass the bar the first time, and I wondered if I would ever be able to do it. I was crushed and experienced depression.” But with faith and a supportive family, Judge Edmondson-Cooper took the bar again

and passed! “I learned never to accept no, it just means ‘not yet.’. It’s difficult in the moment, it doesn’t feel good, but God doesn’t make mistakes.”

Judge Edmondson-Cooper continued to work and serve, and when Judge Kellie Hill was elected to the Superior Court in 2020, she interviewed for her now-vacant seat - during the same round as then-Attorney Sonja N. Brown. Although disappointed that she did not prevail this time, EdmondsonCooper remembered what she learned when she did not pass the bar the first time: 'no means not yet.'And she was genuinely happy for Judge Brown because, in that she knew she was qualified, prepared, and would be an exceptional jurist. When EdmondsonCooper reached out to congratulate Judge Brown, she responded, “We will have an opportunity to work together.” Fast forward two years, and the opportunity came in the form of Judge Brown’s election to the Superior Court, leaving the Magistrate Court position

vacant once again. Judge Brown called Edmondson-Cooper stating, “Let’s talk about your plans,” and gave the best advice for the interview. “Just be yourself. If it’s your season, then it’s your season.”

With that in mind, Judge EdmondsonCooper brought to full display her experiences as an attorney, advocate, community servant, leader, parent, daughter, caregiver, and spouse to earn the position as Magistrate Court Judge. She was sworn in about a week after Judge Brown.

Both of these exceptional HBCUeducated jurists have worked tirelessly to ensure that all people receive fair treatment, are heard, and that the administration of justice under their watch is equitable. And they both credit and cherish their beloved alma maters for making it clear that it all starts with service.

Judge Edmondson-Cooper said it best: “There’s no ego in my service. It’s not about me, it’s about the people.”

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY’S EXECUTIVE PH.D. PROGRAM ATTRACTS LEADERS WITH DIVINE 9 ROOTS

BY ALONDA THOMAS

As Jackson State University (JSU)’s prominent Executive Ph.D. in Urban Higher Education (EPHD) program approaches 20 years of developing transformative leaders, members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Kappa Alpha Psi National Fraternity, Inc. are well represented as current graduate students in the program. Executive Director Walter A. Brown, Ed.D., said throughout its tenure the

program has attracted students from various service organizations.

“Once the cohort is formed, it generates an even stronger bond among those who are members of certain organizations – fraternities and sororities. It tends to strengthen the work ethic within the cohort and the ability to work with one another because the program is intense and

extremely taxing,” said Brown, who is a 50-year member of Kappa Alpha Psi.

JSU’s two-year Executive Ph.D. program is designed to prepare individuals for senior-level positions at various entities, including academia, corporate, governmental, non-governmental or nonprofit sectors. Additionally, it has distinguished itself by filling a crucial pipeline to diversify the role of college

president. According to a study by the American Council on Education, racial/ ethnic minorities held only 17% of presidencies in 2017, while people of color comprised approximately 42% of college students in 2015.

“As the country continues to evolve culturally, the need for diverse leadership in higher education is essential,” said Brown. “As a result, our program has experienced consistent enrollments and above average graduation rates for doctoral programs. Many of our graduates have filled critical senior-level positions in higher education institutions.”

The list of prominent alumni currently serving in higher education leadership includes George T. French, Ph.D., president of Clark Atlanta University; Larissa Littleton-Steib, Ph.D., Delgado Community College chancellor; Braque Talley, Ph.D., Alabama A&M University vice president for student affairs; Allen P. Vital, Ph.D., chief of staff of the Southern University System; and Melva K. Williams, Ph.D., president and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University.

Cohort 19 of the JSU EPHD program began in fall 2022. The group consists

of 16 professionals, including seven members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., two members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and one member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Among the 20 students in Cohort 18, there are six members of Kappa Alpha Psi, four members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., one member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and one member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Tish Bullard, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., is from Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Currently, she works in Institutional Advancement at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), where she oversees donor engagement, community partner relationships, and special events and projects.

Bullard said, “My ultimate goal is to achieve a position as a chief of staff or a university vice president.”

She learned of the EPHD route after consulting with colleagues who went through the program.

“When I realized that I wanted to advance and get a terminal degree, I started to talk to those individuals, and

they encouraged me to look at the program,” said Bullard.

She said becoming one of seven sorority sisters in Cohort 19 was a “happy coincidence.” She added, “being active in our organization, we thrive on education and economic growth. The program will advance our careers, aid us in our endeavors and help us encourage young women to strive higher.”

Corey S. Edmonds is the assistant director of Undergraduate Admissions at North Carolina Central University. The Kappa Alpha Psi member is passionate about the history and legacy of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). His immediate goal is to obtain a senior-level leadership role.

“Every article that speaks about HBCUs always talks about the relevance and what the implications are if we don’t support them,” said Edmonds. “Part of me thinks that that’s not by mistake. We’re under-supported for a reason. The EPHD program combats that. It identifies that there’s a gap and a need for individuals like us and practitioners who want to move things forward.”

Prior to applying, Edmonds said he learned that others in his circle were EPHD alumni, including a couple of fraternity brothers in Cohort 17. “The thing that stood out to me is the cohort model and the support that was available. As you look across the landscape of HBCU leadership, currently a significant amount of leadership has ties to JSU.”

Kappa Alpha Psi and Cohort 18 member Donald W. Comer is one of the few program participants not currently employed in higher education. His role as vice president of Decision Science and Analytics at FedEx in Memphis, Tenn., has offered opportunities to see how corporations and universities can collaborate meaningfully. He views the EPHD program as a pathway to sustaining the legacy and future of HBCUs, including the two that he serves as a board member – Stillman and LeMoyne-Owen colleges.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the applicability of the program’s content in my corporate position,” said Comer. “The EPHD program is all about doing research. Its broad-based applicability goes beyond the original

intended purpose of mentoring college presidents or successful administrators in higher ed. It’s applicable in many other areas because of the quality of the content and the teaching. It’s also the mix of individuals who have personal experiences that punctuate what is being discussed in the classroom.”

Amanda Dear-Jones of Clarksdale, Miss., is another member of Alpha Kappa Alpha in Cohort 19. The self-described social advocate is CEO and president of Family Youth Opportunities Division, Inc. The EPHD will be her fourth JSU degree.

“This degree will help me be more credible because our focus is understanding marginalized communities in an urban environment,” said Dear-Jones. “The program will help me be an independent thinker, and it will also give me creative avenues to be able to go into rooms that I’m not in yet, to be able to help make decisions, to transform not only life for myself, but those that come behind me.”

She described the union with her sorority sisters as a “divine intervention” because the group works well together

and holds one another accountable. “When it’s time to do big things, there’s no other way but the AKA way. We are leaders in education.”

Executive Director Brown predicts that Jackson State’s EPHD program will continue to thrive for another 20 years and beyond because it prepares those who want a disciplined understanding of higher education, and particularly African Americans aspiring for top leadership positions.

“Remember the original mission of HBCUs,” advised Brown. “To provide higher education for African Americans who would not have had an opportunity to be admitted at other institutions at the graduate, master’s or Ph.D. levels. Access to other institutions may have changed, but the nurturing environment found in HBCU environments continues to set us apart for students to connect, achieve and thrive.”

For more information about the Executive Ph.D. Program at Jackson State University, visit www.JSUMS.edu/ EPHD.

MORRIS BROWN COLLEGE:

THE HARD RESET

BY NICHOLAS JACKSON

There are certain things you just don’t come back from- or we thought. A $35 million bankruptcy. Loss of land. Loss of accreditation. Loss of students. Loss of reputation. A damaged brand. These are the challenges that faced Morris Brown College, a private Historically Black College (HBCU) in Atlanta, GA. “History will say that I used social media to restore the college,” said Dr. Kevin James, President of Morris Brown College, during an interview. Social media, along with volunteers; a clear vision; incomparable determination; incredible zeal; and most importantly, faith in God, would aid Dr. James in reviving an institution that was all but dead after losing its accreditation for almost 20 years.

In December of 2018, Dr. James was watching the news in Atlanta and saw that his predecessor had retired as president of the college. He immediately said out loud to himself that he wanted to be the next president of Morris Brown College. Following this declaration, he reached out to the 6th District of the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church, because he did not yet see the position listed on their website.

“The way God set it up,” Dr. James said, “the assistant to the Chairman of the Board answered the phone. After talking for about 30-45 minutes, she told me, '“Send me your resume.

I’m going to put it directly into the Chairman of the Board’s hands.'” About a month later, Dr. James was informed that he had received an interview for the seat of president at Morris Brown.

“Are you sure?” asked Dr. James’ mentor upon hearing his ambitious goal and plan. “You know that’s never been done before, right? No HBCU has ever come back 20 years after losing their accreditation.” Dr. James’s swift reply was, “Yes, I’m sure.” “Well then,” his mentor replied, “if you are sure, then I believe you are the one for the job.”

During his interview, Dr. James laid out his plan for what he would do if he was hired for the position, which most certainly caught the attention of the chairman and the rest of the college board. His game plan, along with his energy and excitement, would land Dr. James in the president’s seat at Morris Brown College—a role he began on March 1, 2019.

Morris Brown originally lost its accreditation in 2002. The college would appeal but ultimately lose its appeal in early 2003. After losing its status as an accredited institution, Dr. James’ predecessor served at the helm of the college from 2006-2018. During his tenure, all efforts were made to keep the institution alive as well as to continue to educate the students who persisted through it all. But with only anywhere from 20-50 students each of

those years, to say that the institution’s case was dire would be a gross understatement.

“I didn’t know how heavy of a lift it would be until after my first day on the job,” said Dr. James. In addition to challenges mentioned above, he would discover on day one of his presidency that the college had not paid its bills in nearly 18 months. To his (pleasant) surprise, the lights and water at the college were still up and running despite the dearth in payments. “When I came in 2019, I discovered we had not done an audit since 2015,” Dr. James admitted.

One day, Dr. James was listening to body builder, C.T. Fletcher as he discussed the concept of will-power. Fletcher said the most important thing a person can do is have will-power. What Fletcher calls “will-power,” Dr. James calls “faith.” He never once thought he could not accomplish what he set out to do. His faith has been at the root of all that he has been able to achieve at Morris Brown. Every position he has had professionally prepared him for his current leadership role. “You have to have the faith and a very strong relationship with God to undertake such an endeavor—especially when it has never been done in history.”

Morris Brown’s history is rooted in faith, hope, love, and perseverance. Founded in 1881, a group of trustees from Clark

College approached Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church in Atlanta, GA to ask them if they could use the church classroom space. During the discussion, one of the trustees, Stewart Wiley, stood up in the room and said, “If we are going to allow Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University) to use our church for classroom space, why don’t we just start our own school?” To which the pastor of the church at the time responded, “With the help of God, we will.” The church would make a proposal and resolution to the A.M.E. Church;, and on January 5, 1881, Morris Brown College was founded.

Morris Brown is the only HBCU in the state of Georgia founded by Black people. “Morris Brown could not die,” Dr. James said. “When I learned about the history of the college, I told myself that it could not die. It is so important to the culture and to history.” This is where Dr. James’s aggressive social media strategy would play a major role in the movement to restore the college.

”I would post 3-5 times a day—not what I wanted to do—but what we actually did that day. I found that when people saw the progress, they were able to buy into it.” Whether it was a meeting with the Mayor, receiving a large check from a donor, hosting a student event, or being featured on local news, Dr. James made sure the world knew that Morris Brown was not dead.

have never closed our doors since the institution was founded in 1881… The institution has continued pushing forward in educating and graduating students—many of which went on to pursue great careers as well as further their education at the masters and doctoral levels.”

Walking the campus his first day on the job, Dr. James recalled a sermon his pastor preached. “When something weird is going on with your phone,” his pastor said, “you do a soft reset. But if you want to really clean your phone, you can do a hard reset and wipe everything clean.” It is this word that sparked the idea for the #HardReset. It was exactly what Dr. James felt Morris Brown had to do to restore itself.

“My first week on the job, people didn’t really even want to talk to me,” Dr. James said. “The biggest challenge I had to overcome was getting people to believe that restoring the institution was possible. We have a lot of HBCUs that closed and are still closed today.” From corporate donors, to corporations, to others directly affiliated or connected to the college, many thought this aspiration was folly. “Getting our fundraising up to par was a serious challenge. Why would anyone want to give to an institution that had not moved the needle in almost 20 years?”

“One of the things I give my predecessor credit for is keeping the doors from permanently closing,” Dr. James said. In 2013, the institution filed bankruptcy in order to keep the doors open. “We

After three years on the job, the effects of the "Hard Reset" could be clearly seen. “The finances were stable. We got approved by the State of Georgia (Georgia Non-Public Post-Secondary Education Commission). In January of 2021, the Transnational Association of

Christian Colleges and Schools sent a team to inspect Morris Brown from top to bottom—finances, faculty, facilities, staff, academic programs. In April of the same year, Morris Brown was voted to become a candidate for accreditation.

“That was one of our biggest wins to date. Once we became a candidate for accreditation, we could then apply for Federal Financial Aid.” Morris Brown would have its financial aid program reinstated in December of 2021 and not long after receive its full accreditation; thereby, defying what appeared to be insurmountable odds.

”We overcame every single challenge,” said Dr. James happily. Without a communications team, marketing department, or even an assistant, Dr. James and his supporters achieved the unthinkable and became a bright beacon of hope to other HBCUs that have also experienced such great loss can be restored.

“History will also show that we tripled our enrollment during a pandemic— without the assistance of a federal financial aid program and even without accreditation,” Dr. James continued. One of the groups most excited about the restoration of Morris Brown, of course, is current students. Many of these students enrolled at the college without the ability to apply for financial aid or the opportunity to participate in many traditional collegiate experiences, such as joining fraternities and sororities, marching in the band, playing sports, and more. Now that the institution is fully accredited, Dr. James

looks forward to bringing back each of these experiences.

“This institution has been known as a haven for all hungry souls,” Dr. James went on. “What does that mean? We are a safe haven for all—when we say all, we mean all—who want to be safe while receiving an education in a college environment. Many times when a student needed a second chance, it was Morris Brown standing there with its arms wide open.”

Morris Brown has continued to operate with the help of God, alumni, and the A.M.E. church. Dr. James is very proud of this monumental accomplishment. He is most proud of the fact that there was no litmus test, guide, or direction on how to restore an institution after having lost its accreditation. Dr. James has now been contacted by four other HBCUs that are looking to reopen. What’s interesting is that Morris Brown was in far worse shape than some of these institutions.

How can you help support the incredible vision of Dr. James and the Morris Brown College family?

Here are three ways he mentioned:

1. Be a walking billboard. Mention “The Hard Reset.”

2. Help Morris Brown recruit students, as the college is the most affordable HBCU in the city of Atlanta.

3. Go to Morrisbrown.edu and give to Morris Brown College.

Being able to help others, change lives, and change generations for years to come is Dr. James’ "why." "Data shows that once you help someone get a college degree,” he said, “their lifetime earnings increase, their children’s lifetime earnings increase, and you can change the story and trajectory of entire generations. This is my calling, and this is what I enjoy.”

Morris Brown is aiming to be one of the best institutions—not only in Atlanta, and not only in GA,but across the country. Dr. James wants to cultivate the best academics, programs, and overall college experiences the college can possibly have to make sure that the story of his ancestors and of this institution never dies; and that they excel in everything that they do.

MORRIS COLLEGE: INNOVATION. ESPORTS. CYBERSECURITY.

BY PRINCESS GADSON

Morris College is preparing to roll out three new academic majors in esports.

The majors include esports with an emphasis in either cybersecurity, video game design or business management.

Morris College, a small HBCU located in Sumter, South Carolina and operated by the Baptist Educational and Missionary Convention of South Carolina, is ranked #21 in Social Mobility by US News & World Report’s Best Colleges.

“In the next five years, we will be the leading HBCU in esports and

cybersecurity. To have these majors on our campus, and in addition, what it does for students in terms of marketability and employability is absolutely tremendous,” Dr. Leroy Staggers, President of Morris College said.

Dr. Staggers, a native of Salters, SC, earned an undergraduate degree in English from Voorhees College (now Voorhees University), and earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in English from Clark Atlanta University.

He credits his experience as an HBCU student for impacting him personally

and professionally.

“In retrospect, I don’t think I would have thrived and developed as I did – not only with the academic part, but with the socialization and the feeling of fitting in,” Dr. Staggers explained.

Almost 30 years ago, Dr. Staggers began working at Morris College as an associate professor of English. He served as the academic dean and professor of English for 16 years. Before his presidency, Dr. Staggers served in several administrative positions at Morris College.

“Initially, when I came to Morris, I was just absolutely undoubtedly impressed – blown away with what I saw, because I came expecting to see one thing, and there was something completely different,” he said. “There was an image of the college that was unsavory, but by the time I arrived in 1993, that was no longer the case. I saw an institution that was really thriving.”

Dr. Staggers was also attracted to the strong leadership of the late Morris College President Luns C. Richardson. When Dr. Staggers became president of Morris College six years ago, his goals were to add to the stability of the college, expand the range and number of academic programs, upgrade the institution’s technology, increase the fundraising apparatus to improve the institution of development and advancement, increase enrollment, and solidify the Morris College brand.

This year, the college unveiled its new state-of-the-art esports lab.

An alum of Morris College also committed to covering the cost of the full four-year education for 30 students, totaling an investment of $2.8 million. dollars.

Morris College instituted a servicelearning program to instill in students the importance of service and giving back to others.

Dr. Staggers leads by example, serving his community in several ways such as, being a lifelong member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., an active member of his local rotary club, and a chairman of the Board of School at his church.

“An integral part of a person’s education is to understand the dimension of service above self. We should always be concerned about helping and assisting other people. Without service, a life is not well lived and is incomplete,” Dr. Staggers said.

Dr. Staggers advises any student that is considering attending an HBCU that ‘an HBCU is probably the best bet.’

“The HBCUs do something that none of the other, many thousands of colleges and universities in the country do, and that’s engender that self-confidence, which is key to be successful and especially to be leaders in the communities and the states and in the country,” he said.

One of the major challenges HBCUs face is fundraising. Dr. Staggers encourages those who support HBCUs to give as generously as they possibly can.

Dr. Staggers’ most rewarding part of being president of Morris College is interacting with students and listening to their questions or concerns.

“Students are constantly shifting and changing and bringing new dynamics with them. I make time to talk – if I’m going to the dining hall, invariably, I sit with them. I stop when they need to ask me something, giving them my attention for those few moments. That type of interaction with the students is beyond the doubt, the most rewarding part of my entire career,” he said.

When DeWayne Wickham, the founding dean of the School of Global Journalism and Communication (SGJC), arrived at Morgan State University in Baltimore in 2012, the SGJC wasjust an idea. Its predecessor, the Department of Communication Studies, was housed in the College of Liberal Arts. Now, the SGJC is on the verge of looking back at its first decade of existence—and ahead to its next 10 years.

“We needed to distinguish ourselves,” said SGJC Dean Jackie Jones, who succeeded Wickham in 2021. “At the time Dean Wickham arrived, the University of Maryland College Park had a big [journalism] program, Towson University had a program. You start thinking what could we offer that other folks aren’t offering, and how can we do it in a way that’s distinctive from what everybody else is doing?"

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY:

JOURNALISM POWER HOUSE

BY KEITH HARRISTON

“So the global piece was sort of a natural because we wanted that to be the focus of the program, we wanted students to have that broader perspective. It was an instant way to stand out and also expand the idea of putting a variety of perspectives on the news, domestically as well as internationally.”

That focus led the school to establish a partnership with a university in Havana, Cuba, and several trips for students to travel and learn close-up about that country’s culture and produce journalism about it. Students also have traveled to France, Greece and South Africa. In addition, the school has partnerships with West Virginia, North Carolina A&T and Brigham Young universities—where journalism students from each institution work together to tell stories on various topics.

The SGJC follows a Teaching Hospital model, Jones said, which exposes

students both to classroom learning and hands-on, real-world experience. Each of three majors--multimedia journalism, multiplatform production and strategic communication—offer students centers where they can put what they learn in the classroom to use in the Digital Newsroom, BEAR-TV (MPPD) and The Strategy Shop.

“We put a lot of emphasis on internships, boot camps, workshops, training programs and partnerships with other schools and professional media organizations,” Jones said.

In 2020, the school was awarded accreditation from the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication—the second program in the state of Maryland to receive that status and the seventh among HBCUs nationally. That distinction “assures students, parents and the public that SGJC’s programs are of very high caliber and provide students with the skills and experiences they need to succeed in a highly

competitive field,” according to the Accrediting Council.

Two recent SGJC graduates—Cierra Queen and Jalynn Moffat-Mowatt— were members of The New York Times team that won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Other graduates work as account executives for companies such as public relations and marketing consulting firm, Edelman and JP Morgan. Still others work at local television stations in cities such as Washington, D.C., Baltimore, M.D., Raleigh, N.C., Tampa, Fla., and Buffalo, N.Y.

Donethe Cyprien, who graduated in 2020, is a producer of a morning news program at WGRZ-TV in Buffalo. She transferred to SGJC after less than a year at a predominantly white institution in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “I was there for a semester, and I hated it,” Cyprien said of her previous school. She applied to Morgan State simply because of a memory from high school. “I remembered somebody from Morgan had come to our school to tell us about Morgan and its journalism program,” she said. “I didn’t really know that

much about HBCUs. I grew up in an immigrant household, and my parents weren’t really like hip like that. So, they really didn’t know."

“I got to Morgan, and I loved that it was so many Black people,” Cyprien said. “At my PWI, it just felt hard, like harder than it had to be. Not only were we competing for spots in our TV station— and it definitely had the resources, very fancy studio, very fancy equipment. It had all of that, but I just didn’t feel recognized. When I got to Morgan, I met people who looked like me, who had the same experiences as me and who all also wanted to be journalists.”

Jordan Brown, the editor-in-chief of the student news website, The Spokesman, said that she would tell potential students that the biggest benefit of the SGJC program is its faculty. “It’s because of professors and faculty members like Dean Jones, Professor Milton Kent, our news website advisor, and former Dean DeWayne Wickham,” Brown said. “Professors like them and others really pave the way for students who want to get into journalism and push for us to get that experience both in the

classroom and outside.”

Brown has worked on The Spokesman for three years and has been a Dow Jones Newspaper Fund intern. In summer 2022, she had an internship with USA Today. Brown and Cyprien both point to the huge support the school gives to students, including funding their participation in journalism conferences and conventions.

Jones said the SGJC has “started picking up stronger students who going out and coming in are world beaters. They are not playing. They are here for it. And, and I just love it. The goal is to make sure that you don’t just walk across the stage with the diploma, but that you also have a job waiting for you when you get to the other side. And I think we’ve done a pretty good job of that.”

Looking ahead, Jones said, her aim “is to take us from partner to player in reporting projects and finding ways to get news and information to local news deserts across a variety of platforms. One major goal is developing platforms that could create or improve delivery systems.”

Tennessee State University alum and award-winning smooth jazz saxophonist, André Ward, has released his fifth album, “Africa Rising.”

The project consists of originals and remakes, each with their own undeniable sound. From the silkysmooth single “Planet Earth,” to the soulful remake of Sade’s “Kiss of Life,” André covers several musical tastes.

In 2013, André’s fourth album, “Caution” ranked #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, remaining in that position for four weeks.

The Chicago native developed his love for instruments at the young age of 8,

ANDR E WARD

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY

ALUM

AND AWARD- WINNING SAXOPHONIST

BY PRINCESS GADSON

through an afterschool program, which encouraged children to play musical instruments.

“The afterschool program gave me an opportunity to not be on the streets in another capacity. I think [it] was really helpful for myself and a lot of other friends that we had growing up at that time. It gave us an outlet,” he explained.

The second of six children, André grew up in a home surrounded by music, with a mother who was a devoted gospel singer at their local church, one brother who played the drums, and another brother that played the guitar.

“We were at Sunday school and in church every Sunday. We were not in

the choir;, but whenever there was choir rehearsal, we had to go. There was always music in our household – it all started with gospel music,” André said. “That’s where my musical foundation is.”

André’s first instrument of choice was the snare drum. Then, he switched to the trumpet, and lastly, to the alto saxophone.

“It was then when I tried the saxophone, I just kind of had a feeling. It just felt right,” he said.

Upon graduating from Tennessee State University (TSU) with a bachelor’s in music education, André attended Berklee College of Music, earning a degree in musical performance. From

there, he attended Northwestern University, where he obtained a master’s degree in school administration.

André says his experience as an HBCU student at TSU helped make him who he is.

His high school teacher, Michael Angelo Taylor, also a TSU alum, encouraged André and several of his classmates to attend the university. André earned a music scholarship to play in TSU’s marching band, where he was the lead saxophonist.

“TSU – especially the music program, is so instrumental in making everyone feel welcome; knowing that you are away – bringing that familyhood into the equation,” he explained. “You just can’t reproduce the HBCU experience somewhere else. It really makes you humble, and it makes you proud.”

While still in undergrad, André pledged both a music fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He takes pride in service and community outreach.

“I give back whenever I can, whether that’s financially or physically. We continue to give back,” he said.

André also assembled the quartet, Act IV, which won a national contest sponsored by Budweiser to record a song, entitled, “The Pulse,” while matriculating at TSU.

Upon graduating, he moved to Boston – a city where he still lives, to attend Berklee College of Music, while also performing all over the city.

In 1990, fellow Berklee alum, Lalah Hathaway released her first album and used Berklee musicians to promote it, giving André his first glimpse of the

professional side of the music business. That opportunity led to touring with the legendary R&B/ Soul singer, Freddie Jackson for nine years. Four of those years, André worked as Freddie’s musical band director.

While touring, André grabbed the attention and landed a record deal with Hush Productions / Orpheus Entertainment, which is the record label he’s currently signed to.

André has also taken his musical talents to the classroom, teaching general music and instrumental music to middle school students. From 20102022, he worked as a middle school principal in the Boston Public School System.

He looks forward to working with students again in the future.

“I just want to make sure that I can continue to have the best of both worlds and go out and perform and use the gift that God has given me.”

André says he hopes listeners will go on a musical journey when they listen to his latest album.

“One of my musical lessons that I continue to stand on is that I listen to vocalists. Sarah Vaughan is one of my favorite vocalists to listen to because I want my horn, my saxophone to sing. I want people to listen to me and be like, ‘Okay, I can hear. It’s like a voice,” he explained.

MAKESHA L. JUDSON

Makesha Judson currently serves as the director of governmental affairs and legislative liaison for Louisiana Economic Development (LED). Louisiana Economic Development (LED) is the state agency responsible for strengthening the state’s business environment and building a more vibrant Louisiana economy. Judson’s advocacy efforts at LED ensures that Louisiana is prime to attract, recruit, and retain new and existing businesses and increase job growth throughout the state. In 2022 alone, LED announced more than 50 major projects across the state, representing over $20 billion in new business development and expansion projects and more than 9,300 new jobs.

Prior to joining LED, Judson served as the deputy director of policy and legislative affairs for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services in the Division of Children and Family Services. She previously worked for the Louisiana Department of

Children and Family Services; and was appointed by Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome as the chief service officer for the City of Baton Rouge.

Makesha is a distinguished leader in the public sector with an impressive track record for strategically navigating local, state, and federal government, public policy affairs, and partnering with higher education institutions. She has developed an expertise for working collaboratively across political party lines and with each branch of government to be successful in this arena.

In her role at LED, Judson works collaboratively with the Louisiana Legislature and the Governor’s Administration to advance policies that strengthen the state’s economic growth opportunities. She also works closely with Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation in Washington, D.C. on economic development opportunities and federal issues. In addition to her governmental affairs duties, Judson

manages the agency’s partnership with the Essence Festival, the Louisiana Chamber of Commerce, and the Louisiana Research & Technology Park and Nexus Louisiana. She serves as co-chair for the Workforce & Economic Development Committee for the Louisiana Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Advisory Council.

The council is comprised of the eight HBCUs located in Louisiana and meets regularly to strengthen the capacity of HBCUs, increase opportunities for these institutions to benefit from state and federal programs, and promote strong student success as part of the state’s talent development pipeline.

Additionally, Makesha was appointed to serve as a member of the Governor’s Women’s Policy and Research Commission—a commission that was created to support public policy that promotes the educational, health, social and economic well-being of women and girls in Louisiana.

Beyond her professional responsibilities, Makesha remains actively engaged in the community. She regularly volunteers with City Year Baton Rouge, the Junior League of Baton Rouge, and was previously recognized as a Great Futures Honoree for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Baton Rouge. She also volunteers with the Southern University’s Alumni Chapter, in which she is a member. For her contributions to the city and professionalism, Judson was named one of Baton Rouge’s Top Forty Under 40 Young Professionals by the Baton Rouge Business Report.

In addition to her regular work duties and volunteerism, Makesha believes it is imperative to leverage her influence to ensure diversity, equity and cultural inclusion is being addressed in every space she steps foot in. Having received her certification in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from Cornell University and a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certification from the University of South Florida, Makesha firmly believes that institutions that fully embrace diversity, equity and cultural inclusion are more advanced, more

POWER ALUMNI FEATURE

competitive, and more profitable than others who ignore it. Leveraging her knowledge and experience in the DEI space, Judson often speaks on ways in which organizations and higher education institutions can incorporate DEI in the workplace; not only for the employees, but for the customers they serve and the students they represent.

Judson considers herself to be a lifelong learner. She is a 2015 graduate of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber’s Leadership Program and a 2016 graduate of the Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL) Leadership Louisiana Program. Recently, Judson was selected to join the Future Leaders Council for the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana—a nonpartisan non-profit research organization offering solutions to critical public issues in Louisiana through accurate, objective research and focusing public attention on those solutions. During her time in local government, she participated in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative—a collaboration between the Harvard Business School, and Michael Bloomberg & Bloomberg Philanthropies that provides leadership

and management training to mayors and their executive leadership team to inspire and strengthen city leaders, as well as, equip them with tools to build and lead high-performing, innovative cities. Judson also received an Authentic Leadership Executive Education Certification through the Harvard Kennedy School of Government: Center for Public Leadership. The program is designed to develop leaders who exhibit high standards of integrity, take responsibility for their actions, and make decisions based on enduring principles rather than short-term gains. Authentic Leaders create exceptional value for their company and lead with greater passion, confidence, and inspire others to do their best work.

Makesha Judson is a proud alumna of Southern University and A&M College— the nation’s only HBCU, Historically Black College and University, System. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a master’s degree in public administration, specializing in nonprofit management and public policy.

Makesha believes that servant leadership, advocacy, and volunteerism are some of the most impactful means to effect change. For Makesha, advocating for increased opportunities for individuals and young people in underserved communities and advancing their quality of life is not only her job, it has become her life’s work.

KINNA THOMAS

Kinna Thomas was recently appointed to serve as the Vice President of Merchandising Operations and Business Development at CVS Health.

Thomas received her bachelor’s degree from Lane College in 2000 and earned a Master of Arts in Management and Master of Business from Webster University in 2005 and 2007. Thomas previously served as senior divisional planner at Target and as director of global insights and analytics at Walmart

Incorporated.

Thomas is no stranger to innovation as she is also the founder of the bestselling Patti LaBelle Pies and the Patti LaBelle Peach Cobbler. Patti Pies went on to take the world by storm in 2015 and became an overnight internet sensation—selling out on shelves across the country.

Five years after its launch in 2020, Walmart reported that 36,000 Patti

LaBelle Sweet Potato Pies are sold a day. Following the success of the Patti Pies, the line has expanded to include peach cobbler, banana pudding, bread pudding, and many more variations of African American dessert staples.

She is the proud mom of two boys as well as an active member of the Phi Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in northwest Arkansas. Thomas is happily married to her husband, Gerry Thomas.

In addition to his consulting practice, Woodson recently expanded RWYN to include several divisions—RWYN Apparel, RWYN Candles, and RWYN Event planning and RWYN Media. The media division oversees the production and dissemination of Woodson's podcast and various shows. Although working in talent management for over 15 years, Woodson recently relaunched RWYN Creative Management, for which he serves as CEO and executive manager.

R. WAYNE WOODSON

RWayne Woodson considers himself a serial entrepreneur.

As a consultant, writer, speaker, educator, and business owner, he impacts numerous industries. Woodsonserves as managing partner & CEO for Woodson and Associates, executive director of The Woodson Foundation, and CEO of RWYN Incorporated.  Recently, he accepted the Deputy Executive Director/ COO position for the National AIDS Education & Services for Minorities (NAESM), Inc. located in Atlanta, GA.

As a highly sought-after consultant, his primary specialty areas are fundraising, enrollment management, institutional effectiveness/ trategic planning, and leadership training. Woodson came to higher education after years of work in the non-profit sector as a fundraiser and administrator. His research centers around Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Black male student success, leadership, and fundraising. He provides consulting services to higher education institutions, non-profit organizations, and corporations.

Woodson received his undergraduate education at the prestigious Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, culminating within a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music (Voice Performance and Choral Conducting). He has done graduate studies in voice performance at New England Conservatory and graduate study in choral conducting at the University of South Florida. Woodson earned a Master of Music degree in choral conducting and the Artists Diploma in orchestral conducting from Georgia State University. His Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership research focused on the impact of financial aid on the persistence of Black males at HBCUs.

As the great grand nephew of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the pioneer of African American studies and labeled the “Father of Black History,” Woodson has dedicated himself to educating the public on the contributions of African Americans. He is also a national spokesperson for educational and professional access for underrepresented populations.