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Sonic Boom of the South's 50-year evolution
By Latoya Hentz-Moore
The iconic Jackson State University marching band known as the Sonic Boom of the South and “the summa cum laude of bands” celebrated its 50th anniversary in front of almost 54,000 alumni, students and fans on Oct. 16, 2021. The band performed at the football game that drew record-breaking attendance, making it the largest homecoming crowd in the history of JSU.
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Roderick Little, Ph.D., director of bands at JSU, described the program with these words: Energetic, life changing and unique.
“We have a swagger that other band programs cannot imitate or emulate,” he said. “Our energy is second to none.
“This great legacy certainly did not start with me. A lot of groundwork was laid prior to my tenure by many great men.” In the 1940s, at what was then Jackson College, under the leadership of Frederick D. Hall, the marching band consisted of about 20 members. The band program now has nearly 300 student members. Students recommended the band’s name, Sonic Boom of the South, in 1971. The band’s theme, “Get Ready,” a Motown favorite, was selected in 1974 and three years later, the tiger run-on entrance was perfected.
The marching band has performed in halftime appearances for NFL teams such as the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints and Cincinnati Bengal as well as on a television special for Motown’s 30th anniversary and for the 34th NAACP Image Awards.
In January 2021, the Sonic Boom of the South entertained during inauguration celebrations for the President Joe Biden and Vice President
Kamala Harris. In November 2021, Pepsi featured its first ad highlighting the marching band in the 60-second spot, “The Halftime Game.” For Little, a great halftime performance is fulfilling, but his focus goes beyond that. “Our purpose is to educate young minds, assist with their musical growth and ensure that our students are being morphed into reputable citizens,” he said. “It’s not just about the music, marketing and pageantry. It’s about ensuring personal and professional growth. I want to create the same opportunities for my students that were created for me.” Former director of Bands Lewis Liddell, Ph.D., provided Little with a scholarship that afforded him an opportunity to be the first college graduate in his family. “Without that opportunity, I would not be who I am today,” Little said. “My goal is to manifest that energy into my students and make sure I am teaching them life lessons on how to be successful. I also remain committed to further evolve our band program.” Shirley Middleton, a former majorette and trained ballet dancer, introduced the idea of the majorettes dancing to popular music in 1970. Middleton, sponsor, and the majorettes met with then JSU President John A. Peoples and requested permission to “put down their batons.” Peoples agreed and the prancing legends were born. “The thrill of a thousand eyes,” were the words Jimmie James Jr., Ph.D., spoke at the onset of the “Prancing Jaycettes” in 1971. The dancing group was initially named the “Prancing Jaycettes.” In 1982, the Prancing Jaycettes organization officially changed the name to Prancing J-Settes because of a name conflict with a local organization known as the Jackson Jaycees/Jaycettes. Ashley Crowley, a former dance member and director of the Prancing J-Settes, describes the dancers as the face of the band. “They are the eye-candy directly behind the drum majors,” she said. During each performance, the announcer enthusiastically introduces the dance team to the crowd by saying, “The thrill of a billion eyes.” The team’s dance style combines “jazz, funk, hip-hop, African and acrobatic moves,” Crowley said, noting that the goal is to produce a wow factor during each performance. During the 2021 homecoming celebration, many alumnae J-Settes returned to perform. “The level of talent, love and respect I witnessed from former and current J-Settes that day was phenomenal,” Crowley said. “The show visually presented the evolution of the J-Settes and was truly a thrill to witness.”
By Kenya Woodard
Hilliard Lackey first stepped foot on the campus of Jackson State University to take the ACT on Aug. 5, 1961. The visit was the culmination of years of growing up in the Mississippi Delta town of Marks, longing to attend the state’s only public HBCU. The impression was immediate. All around the yard, Lackey saw “Black folks all dressed up and they weren’t going to church or a funeral” — and more. “I could see all the splendor of Jackson State,” said Lackey, an alumnus, who is now a visiting professor in Urban Higher Education in Jackson State’s Executive Ph.D. program. “I was infatuated.” Fast forward 60 years, and the rest of the nation is getting to see some of what Lackey saw on that fateful day. It’s been a whirlwind year at Jackson State, and that’s not counting the imposition of a global pandemic, the hire of a high-profile head football coach or the installation of a new president.
Check the receipts:
U.S. News and World Report recently named Jackson State to its list of top 20 HBCUs. PepsiCo tapped the school’s acclaimed band, The Sonic Boom of the South, to collaborate with another powerhouse band, Florida A&M University’s The Marching 100, for a national TV commercial spot. JSU’s academic programs are accredited for the next ten years thanks to the stamp of approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Additionally, football games are packed (nearly 53,000 fans — a record — watched the Tigers maul the Alabama State Hornets at last year’s homecoming game), enrollment is up 2.3 percent and financial giving has increased for the the school, including $5 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds for the creation of a public health partnership with Mississippi College and $1 million from FedEx to support educational and employment initiatives. Nestled near the city’s center, the university historically is “the Queen Bee for the African-American in the state of Mississippi,” Lackey said. Now, the Jackson State brand stretches beyond its boundaries of Prentiss and Dalton streets, beyond the Mississippi state line and into households across the country. “It has exploded and, so, captivated,” Lackey said. The wave of blue and white pride is palatable in Jackson and catching on elsewhere, said D’Andra Orey, a professor of political science at JSU. “It’s all eyes on Thee,” said Orey, referencing the school’s alma mater, “Jackson Fair.” Lackey, Orey and other Jacksonian administrators
and faculty say the naming in September of Deion Sanders — a two-time NFL Super Bowl champion and eight-time Pro Bowl veteran — as head football coach was a tremendous push into the national spotlight. In his short time on campus, Sanders — better known as Coach Prime — has collected prestigious accolades, including being named
SWAC Coach of the Year and leading the Tigers in December to their first SWAC Championship since 2007. That win helped Jackson State cinch an appearance with South Carolina State University later that month at the Cricket Celebration Bowl, the team’s first shot at a national title since 1996. Sanders’ star power brought a healthy scrutiny to Jackson State, said Ebony Lumumba, associate professor of English and department chair at JSU. “One of the primary things he’s accomplished for us is just awareness,” she said. “We already knew our capacity for excellence. So, what Coach Prime’s presence has done is just alert other people who may not be as familiar with our reality as to who we are and who we’ve always been. We already kind of knew we were kind of special; now everyone else gets let in on that secret.” Sanders uses social media to tell Jackson State’s story to potential athletes but it’s also effective with other audiences, Lackey said. “He tells football prospects on his Twitter ‘look we have passion about life, passion about education, passion about athletics — there’s passion here, son, that you won’t find nowhere else,’” he said. “I read his tweets just to be reminded how others perceive us.” The Sanders effect is spilling off campus and into the city, with a Visit Jackson official estimating the buzz generated by Jackson State’s football team amounts to a $30 million economic impact for the city. There’s even more ahead for Jackson State. In a recent interview on Joe Madison’s “The Black Eagle” show on Sirius XM, JSU President Thomas K. Hudson alluded that the university could receive some of the $10 billion set aside specifically for HBCUs in the landmark Build Back Better bill. Almost half of that money is earmarked for campus improvement projects including enhancing Wi-Fi capabilities, upgrading heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and renovating residence halls, Hudson said. “It’s going to be a real game changer for us and other HBCUs and we really look forward to accessing the resources coming (from the legislation),” he said. “It’s going to be very important.” Hudson and faculty members say the hype and related publicity surrounding Sanders and the football team means that Jackson State is garnering the attention of a group perhaps even more important than the national media – students. Looking at enrollment trends, it appears the hype surrounding Jackson State is paying off already with a surge of a new generation of Jacksonians. According to university officials, Jackson State saw a 27 percent rise in its 2021 first-time freshmen class. While the football program is a major draw, Orey said the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor also could have contributed to the jump in numbers. Those tragic events could have served as an impetus for students to apply to HBCUs because of their reputations as safe spaces for Black people, he said. Whereas the university may not have had an abundance of resources, that has not prevented Jackson State from preparing its students to compete with their peers across the country. For example, 17 Jackson State political science graduates in the last 12 years have been admitted to prestigious PhD programs at Purdue, Michigan State, and other universities, Orey said. A huge contingent matriculated into top law schools such as Harvard and New York University, he said. Jackson State’s best asset really is its students, said Orey, who has taught at the university since 2008. “These students are phenomenal,” he said. “They just need a little nudge and they can compete with the best of them.” Using Build Back Better dollars to repair and extend the life of campus buildings allows Jackson State to provide a great place for students to learn and live, Hudson said. “While we’ve done a good job of trying to keep what we have, HBCUs typically do lag behind your larger majority institutions when it come to the physical plant,” he said. “So, it’s very important we get this boost…that allows us to clear that deferred maintenance and really invest in our campus infrastructure.” Jackson State is poised to take a bow thanks to the foundation built in the 20th century by visionary leaders such as former President John Peoples Jr., Lumumba said. “What it did is cement Jackson State as a fixture…this sort of epicenter for academic excellence and cultural expression in the minds of all these different individuals and different communities,” she said. “So what they’ve done is actually foster a new generation of Jacksonians who are excited to come here and want to be here because they are aware of this rich legacy.” Jackson State’s success is boon to the overall HBCU narrative because, “if they know about one of us that opens the door to increase awareness about all of us,” Lumumba said. Lumumba, a Spellman College graduate, said all HBCUs share a common strain regarding the reason for their founding. Beyond that, the schools are very diverse and Jackson State’s story is intertwined with Mississippi’s capital. “If you’re going to talk about the history of this nation — the history of the South — if you’re going to talk about the shifts and movements and changes across history, then you’ve got to speak of a place like Jackson State that is in the center of the capital city of Mississippi that has undergone all these really drastic cultural and social changes that we talk about when we talk about the American South,” Lumumba said. “When we talk about Mississippi, Jackson State has been at the center of that due to location alone.” Lumumba and others agree that events taking place now will springboard Jackson State into a bright future. “It’s another chapter of greatness,” Orey said. “It’s the culture. Once you get down here and get an idea of what things are like, there’s no turning back. It’s a beautiful campus. Hudson concurred. “Jackson State is a great place to learn,” he said, “and it’s a great place to really fulfill your dreams.”
By Rachel James-Terry
Jackson State Educates Leaders to Become University Presidents; Establishes Critical Talent Pipeline for HBCUs
Professionals in the JSU Executive Ph.D. program attend from all across the country. Pictured L-R standing: Kamela Kennedy of Mobile, Ala.; Donald Comer of Memphis, Tenn.; and Pamela Fells of Brandon, Miss. L-R seated are Maria Ricketts of Bogota, Columbia and Rhodilyn Nix of Vicksburg, Miss.
By Alonda Thomas
great leader is a strategic thinker, innovative, ethical, civicminded and visionary. A great leader of a historically black college or university must also possess empathy and cultural sensitivity plus excellent listening and team building skills. When Walter Brown, Ed.D., joined Jackson State University as associate professor and director of the Executive Ph.D. in Urban Higher Education, his charge was to build leaders who could step into the role of president or senior administrator at any higher education institution, but especially at HBCUs.
The result of Brown’s work is a two-year accelerated doctoral program that even during the COVID-19 global pandemic has a waitlist of candidates vying for the 20 annual slots.
“This program will either give you pause based on its complexities or it will validate your desire to be a president,” said Brown, who a decade ago was hired by Joseph Stevenson, Ph.D., founder of the program. Critics doubted a doctorate could be achieved in two years when the program was established in 2004. Using the University of Pennsylvania cohort model, Jackson State proved them wrong and curated a strong program.
“The rigor increases every year and staying on course will depend on the quality of a student’s research,” said Brown, who built a similar program at George Washington University. “If the document isn’t where it should be, it takes longer to graduate. “We also know that life happens, promotions occur, responsibilities shift and that can be a contributing factor to how long it takes to complete the program.”
The program has produced numerous deans and cabinet-level vice presidents as well as 10 presidents, including Clark Atlanta University President George T. French, Ph.D., Cohort 3. Although he already had a law degree and his dream role as university president, French wanted a doctorate to solidify his credentials as an academician. He found the program insightful from his perspective as a university president.
“It’s one thing to sit in a classroom, to sit in lectures and get some idea of what a college presidency actually looks like and have a conversation, and it’s another to be actually performing as a president at the same time,” French said. “For me, it made it much more effective because I wasn’t just thinking ‘theory,’ but I was thinking ‘practice’ every day.” French originally planned to attend the University of Pennsylvania’s doctoral program when Stevenson recruited him directly through another mentor, Art Thomas, president emeritus of Central State University.
“Dr. Stevenson had patterned the JSU program on the University of Pennsylvania program and I felt that it couldn’t get any better,” French said. “The actual structure and the construct of the program was excellent, but faculty like Dr. Neari Warner, Dr. Walter Brown and others made all the difference in the world.”
Alisa Mosely, Ph.D., who currently serves as Jackson State’s senior vice president and provost for academic affairs, was a founding faculty member of the program.
narrative on what leaders at our institutions need to be able to live up to in this current climate,” she said. “There are a lot of changes going on at universities now, especially with the pandemic. You do need more agile leaders who are able to respond to a number of problems and concerns that universities may face.” Higher education programs at other universities are practitioner-oriented, but the Jackson State program includes a research component, Mosely said. “That is very helpful for those who want to be provosts, presidents and VPs because they really need to understand the pathways that their employees may go through. Understanding how all the university works together is what this program is so good about,” Mosely said. Working professionals who are thriving in their existing fields find the program attractive. EPh.D. cohort 18 member Donald Comer serves as staff vice president for Decision Science and Analytics at FedEx in Memphis. He leads HBCUs as an officer of the board of trustees for two institutions: chairman at Stillman College and second vice chair at Lemoyne Owens College. He also serves as chairman of the board of directors for the National Black MBA Association. After receiving his undergraduate and master’s degrees at predominantly white institutions, Comer wanted to earn his Ph.D. at an HBCU.
“My initial motivation was to integrate my years of experience in corporate America and running business processes with critical thinking and innovation and blend that with an impact in higher ed,” said Comer. The program provided valuable context for Comer’s work as a board member and a meaningful experience.
“It’s a much different thing when you are sitting in the class with other experienced individuals, and it’s not just the professor up front lecturing to you that’s adding to your learning. It’s having those sitting around you that add practical knowledge to the theory that’s being taught that helps it to become more ingrained and a deeper, richer experience,” Comer said.
Cohort 8 member Lisa Long was completing her second year of the program when she was promoted to the role of provost/vice president of academic affairs at Talladega College in Alabama. With 20 years of experience working at the state’s oldest HBCU, Long said pursuing her terminal degree was a personal career goal.
Before enrolling at JSU, Long interviewed faculty and staff regarding the program, process, resources available and program success rate. “I was in search of a university that would provide me flexibility and a healthy balance to meet my educational needs while continuing my career at Talladega,” Long said.
The education Long received at Jackson State gave her confidence in her ability to serve as Talladega’s provost and, most recently, as acting president. She hopes her journey will encourage others to pursue a doctorate and join the higher education community, which needs diverse leaders.
“There is a significant demand for more women and African American women to serve at this level and in the near future, I hope to see diverse representation among executive staff across multiple sectors of education,” Long said.
JSU EPh.D. Alums Who Serve as University Presidents, Chancellors and Senior Leadership
• Tonjanita Johnson, Ph.D. (Cohort 1) Senior Vice Chancellor, University of Alabama System • Jerald Woolfolk, Ph.D. (Cohort 3) President, Lincoln University • Herman Felton, Ph.D. (Cohort 3) President, Wiley College • George French, Ph.D. (Cohort 3) President, Clark Atlanta University • Howard O. Gibson, Ph.D., (Cohort 3) Vice President of Academic Affairs, Wiley College • Larissa Littleton-Steib, Ph.D. (Cohort 7) Chancellor, Baton Rouge Community College • Lisa Long, Ph.D. (Cohort 8) Acting President, Talladega College • Lititia McCane Hill, Ph.D. (Cohort 9) Director of Education, Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding • Ida Jones-Gibson, Ph.D. (Cohort 11) First Chief Diversity Officer, Daemen College • Whitney McDowell-Robinson (Cohort 12) Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Services, Tougaloo College • Braque Talley, Ph.D. (Cohort 13) Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Success, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff • Lynda Batiste, Ph.D. (Cohort 13) Interim Vice President for Business and Finance, Alabama A&M University • Gia Soublet, Ph.D. (Cohort 14) Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement, North Carolina Central University • Arianna Stokes, Ph.D. (Cohort 15) Professional Development Specialist, eLearning and Instructional Technology at the Mississippi Community College Board • Kristie L. Kenney, Ph.D. (Cohort 15) Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Talladega College
Miss JSU 2021-22: Halle Coleman Mister JSU 2021-22: Christopher “Chris” Calhoun
Classification: Senior Major: Journalism and Media Studies Hometown: Born in St. Rose, Louisiana. Raised in Clinton, Mississippi Hobbies: Binge-watching new movies and TV shows, Watching Tik Tok & Eating out at restaurants
How has being Miss JSU changed your life?
My life has changed for the better! The opportunities that I’ve been awarded and the experience that has been created for me are irreplaceable. As the 82nd Miss JSU, I have reaped many social and emotional benefits. The community has been very supportive of me and my reign. Whenever I need help with a service initiative, I get support from JSU fans around the nation. I go out in public, and people recognize me, or when I’m in my crown and sash, people want to take pictures with me or have their kids take pictures. It’s very humbling and fulfilling to witness.
At the end of my reign, I hope that people remember me as relatable. As an HBCU Queen, there can be pressure to feel like you always have to be perfect. While I make sure to maintain the high standards that come with my position, I also make sure to always present my authentic self. At the end of it all, I hope everyone I encountered remembers me as being the queen they were able to see themselves in.
How has JSU shaped you as a person?
When I came to JSU in August 2018, I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I was ready to tackle whatever was about to come my way, whether good or bad. I have grown to be more determined, more polished and more knowledgeable through my matriculation. I got the full HBCU experience while here at JSU, and I am now able to take what I learned and experienced and use it to make an impact out in the real world.
What are your future aspirations, and why?
After graduating, I plan to enter the workforce. I have a concentration in integrated marketing communications and am passionate about public relations. I have narrowed my top three locations down to staying in Jackson or relocating to Louisiana or Tennessee. I hope to be able to offer the skills and services I have to others by creating my own independent PR firm as well.
What is your platform?
My platform is C. O. L. E World. Cole is a play on my last name, and Hip-Hop artist J. Cole’s signature phrase, “Cole World,” stands for consistency, opportunity and lasting excellence. I want to provide my peers with consistent community service and programming opportunities while leaving my own special legacy.
Why is mentorship important?
Mentorship is an underrated part of the collegiate journey. Having a mentor can help you in so many ways. A mentor can bring you professional development opportunities, offer insight on different coursework, and sometimes you just need to vent. A mentor can help you with that as well. It’s easy to think that we know it all, but it is important to be a life-long learner. Mentorship is a life-long connection.
Classification: Senior Major: Therapeutic Recreation Hometown: Chicago Hobbies: Reading, Watching sports, Meditating & Working out
Why did you want to be Mister JSU?
We were in the second year of the pandemic, and I felt like JSU was at a pivotal point in history. Our student body needed a spark and motivation to help them understand that we needed to remain active no matter the circumstances. I wanted others to remember that we must guard against mediocrity, exercise integrity and ensure sustainability. So I took
a leap of faith in running for Mister JSU to guarantee those ideas stood firm in the eyes of the student body.
What are your plans after graduation?
My plans post-graduation are to remain at Jackson State University and attain my Master’s of Science with an emphasis in Sports Management. Right now, I am a football recruiter for the team. Long term, I plan to establish a sports agency and serve as CEO. My target audience will be HBCU athletes or athletes of color to ensure their representation in the NFL and NBA.
I want people to remember me as inspirational, determined and persistent in seeking nothing less than a high standard of excellence.
What is your platform?
My platform is T.I.M.E., which stands for Trailblazers with vision, Innovative thinkers, Mentors for our youth and Eager leaders for humanity.
The goal of my platform is to inform my peers that T.I.M.E is the greatest currency known to man, so use it wisely. Success will present itself when one has a vision, plan and all means to execute.
What do you like most about attending JSU?
JSU is really like my second home outside of Chicago. It is very family-oriented. The various bonds and connections that I have made throughout my matriculation have shaped me into who I am today.
Why is it is important to give back?
It’s important to give back because your gift, large or small, may impact someone to great extremes.
2022 SGA President: Tyra McCormick
Classification: Senior Major: Finance Hometown: Clinton, Mississippi Hobbies: Making memories with my friends, Spending time with my family, Traveling and Shopping. (photo by Charles A. Smith/JSU)
What do you envision as your future career?
In the future, I hope to be a successful business owner and or a financial consultant.
Explain your platform.
My platform was Campus on L.O.C.K, a play on the artists City Girl’s album City on Lock. L, symbolizing students standing for and with me as president. We will Look out for each other and protect our mental health, O, optimize our career, leadership and community service opportunities, C, create a better system of communication between students and administration and K, symbolizes Keep our student morale by building on tradition and defending the legacy of Jackson State University.
What impact did JSU have on you becoming the 76th SGA president?
JSU gave me the confidence and ambition to dream and pursue a position like Student Government Association President. I’ve experienced rigorous coursework, leadership roles, community service, and a lot of SGA and CAB events Jackson State. This has instilled characteristics such as leadership, responsibility, ultimately pushing me to be my best self. This is just one of the many amazing opportunities JSU has afforded me. Before Jackson State, I was somewhat shy and definitely afraid to speak up for myself. JSU has forced me outside of my comfort zone.
Explain why you’ll always bleed blue and white.
I’ll always bleed blue and white because of the impact JSU has left within me. Jackson State University has equipped me with all the tools to succeed in the world after college and the confidence to chase my biggest dreams. My gratitude for this university will allow me to do nothing less than support my school as an alumna, share my positive experiences, and prayerfully continue the family legacy of students to attend and graduate from Jackson State University in future years.
Describe your leadership experience during your tenure as SGA president.
I am so grateful for my experience as a student leader at JSU. Serving as SGA president has been both fulfilling and challenging but ultimately well worth it. The excitement and anticipation around being back on campus has really helped boost student morale. As a result, my tenure has been less complicated. I also have an amazing administration and team of advisors that make my life a whole lot easier. My advisors understand I am a student first so they make juggling everything else a breeze.
Jackson State becomes first HBCU to launch Financial Wellness Center program
The Jackson State University College of Business launched its Financial Wellness Center (FWC), making JSU the first HBCU to do so. The Society of Financial Education and Professional Development (SFEPD) and Wells Fargo will partner in the endeavor to ensure the Center becomes a substantial resource for students. The center is located in the College of Business on the third floor.
“Our program represents a major milestone for financial literacy,” said Theodore Daniels, founder and president for the Society of Financial Education and Professional Development. “We partnered with Wells Fargo to infuse financial literacy into the education of HBCU students, who in turn can use that information as well as the income generated from their degrees to make better decisions for themselves.”
The SFEPD enhances individuals and households’ financial and economic literacy in the United States and promotes professional development at the early stages of career development through mid-level management. The FWC aims to help students reach their financial goals by offering one-on-one financial coaching, workshops and digital resources. The center will also offer financial literacy resources in key areas such as money management, budgeting, savings, credit ratings, loans and spending decisions.
Hancock Whitney’s $25K endowment will help females pursuing degrees in math or business
Hancock Whitney has pledged $25,000 to establish the Hancock Whitney Bank Endowed Scholarship at Jackson State University to support undergraduate female students pursuing degrees in mathematics, finance, accounting or economics. While Hancock Whitney is distinguished as one of America’s strongest and safest banks, JSU is one of the largest public Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the nation and the state’s fourth-largest university. Meanwhile, Hancock’s principal $25,000 investment will be eligible for a dollar-for-dollar match, based on funds availability, through the university’s Title III matching funds program, with the potential to double the endowment to $50,000. Gwen Caples, interim vice president for JSU’s Institutional Advancement and External Affairs, said, “Jackson State University greatly appreciates receiving the Hancock Whitney Bank Endowed Scholarship. As the endowment grows over time, it will create a legacy of learning, extend the impact of the bank’s generosity well beyond a lifetime, and provide scholarships for students for years to come.” To qualify for the scholarship, candidates must be full-time undergraduate female students at Jackson State while pursuing degrees in mathematics, finance, accounting or economics, maintaining at least a 2.5 GPA and demonstrating financial need. The scholarship will help recipients pay for tuition, books, supplies and other fees.
Jackson State business students advance to national Deloitte FanTAXtic Tax Case Competition
A team of Jackson State University College of Business students was named as one of nine regional winners of Deloitte FanTAXtic Tax Case competition. Camryn Gaines, Jayla Manor, Jessica Tate and Ashanti Campbell competed virtually with nearly 200 other students and faculty, representing more than 40 colleges and universities. “I am proud to bear witness to the success of these four phenomenal JSU scholars who rose to the regional challenge,” Sharon Simmons, Ph.D., associate professor of entrepreneurship, said. “The schools that advance to the national FanTAXtic competition are considered to be the nation’s top accounting and tax programs.” The competition is designed to assist students with gaining real-world business experience by familiarizing them with the tax profession early in their academic careers.
COB anticipates economic growth for Hinds County by launching Women’s Business Center @JSU
The Women’s Business Center @JSU is open after an official grand opening in February 2022. It will provide business services to women seeking federal contract dollars as women-owned small businesses (WOSB) and economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSB). The WBC @JSU is located on the third floor/suite 332 in the College of Business. “The focus of the WBC @JSU is to promote economic growth in Hinds County by providing business services to women seeking federal contracting dollars, as well as preparing women businesses to engage in technology transfer and commercialization,” said Almesha Campbell, Ph.D., vice president for the Division of Research and Economic Development. “There are a lot of opportunities for minority businesses to engage in federal contracting, and our goal is to help prepare women businesses to be competitive in the space and to understand how to commercialize their ideas. This will ultimately help with strengthening Mississippi’s economy.”
