Alumna Encourages Brain Health and Helps People with Dementia

LATORIUS ADAMS ’10, IS A SOCIAL/CLINICAL RESEARCH SPECIALIST in the Department of Neurology in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Originally from Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, Adams studied health education at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and completed her bachelor’s degree even though she gave birth to her daughter during her senior year. “She was three weeks old when I walked across the graduation stage,” Adams recalled.

Adams also earned a master’s degree in health sciences at Western Carolina University in 2018.

Where did you work after graduation?

Harnett County Department of Public Health for 10 years. After graduating, they hired me full time. I worked in the mobile mammography unit, helping low-income and uninsured women to get breast exams. Then the Division on Aging, where I assisted older adults who were homebound. It was to keep them at home vs going to a nursing home. I did Medicare counseling, arranged Meals on Wheels, worked with caregivers who helped those with dementia, arranged supplies and coordinated aides to sit with people.

What are your main responsibilities at UNC-Chapel Hill?

I am program coordinator for the NC Registry for Brain Health. It is an email registry where individuals can sign up and receive news and get tools to maintain a healthy brain. I do a lot of outreach and community events. I do brain health talks at a lot of rural African American churches in Wake County and Harnett County.

Recently, I became social worker for the UNC Huntington Disease program. Huntington disease is a type of dementia. That’s 80% of my job: educating patients and families, connecting them with resources. Some might need home health care, physical therapy and assistance with the disability process.

Where do your clients come from?

They could live in rural areas of North Carolina. We have individuals who are incarcerated. We help train law enforcement on how to approach these individuals. Huntington disease can come across as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, African Americans are two to three times as likely to develop dementia as whites. Why?

There are several studies going on about that data. There is a lack of access to medical care. In a lot of counties in North Carolina, transportation is a major issue. Or they don’t have money for gas. There is also a lot of mistrust in the African American community with doctors and when it comes to clinical trials.

Why the mistrust?

The medical establishment has a long history of mistreating Black Americans –from gruesome experiments on enslaved people to the forced sterilization of Black women and the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study that withheld treatment from hundreds of Black men for decades to let doctors track the course of the disease.

Why is it important for African Americans to participate in clinical trials?

It is all for the greater good, to see what (researchers) can do to stop or slow dementia. People are living longer and the numbers of dementia are increasing. There are so many forms of dementia – Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s – and they all have different treatment.

Is dementia a normal part of aging?

No. There is normal aging and there is cognitive impairment. You might forget your kids’ birthdays but if you forgot you had kids, that is more of an issue.

How did your time at North Carolina Central University make possible what you now do with your life?

My education there majoring in public health helped me grow compassion for the people. You are informing people about important health topics. I just fell in love with that and helping communities and older adults. NCCU provided the tools and the capacity to go out in the world and make a difference.

’BY MARK LAWTON

Maggie Lee Poole Bryant

’38, ’43, ’57 | NCCU's oldest living alumna, Maggie P. Bryant, passed on Feb. 25, 2024, at the of age 108.

Bryant studied history and library science and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1938. While working, she pursued her bachelor’s (1943) and master’s degrees (1957) in library science.

After graduation, she began her career at G. C. Hawley High School in Creedmoor, NC, librarian and teacher at George Washington Carver High School in Kannapolis, NC, and retired in 1982. Maggie worked in education for 43 years and received many awards and recognition for her dedication to education.

’40 | Alice Wilhelmina Jones Logan, died age 103 in Durham, NC on Aug. 5, 2022

’43 | Eliza Smith Jones, died age 103 in Goldsboro, NC on Nov. 26, 2023

’47 | Carthenia Clark Mann, died age 90 in New Bern, NC on July 1, 2022

’48 | Carrye Kirk Ferguson, died age 95 in Adamsville, GA on April 19, 2023

’49 | Quinton King Claudius Havard Wall, died age 93 in Smithfield, NC on Aug. 13, 2022

’49 | Harold Earl Johnson, died age 98 in Columbia, MD on Aug. 8, 2022

’49 | Robert L. McAdams, died age 95 in Durham, NC on Sept. 19, 2022

’54 | Nathaniel Hilton Lipscomb, died age 90 in Richmond, VA on Sept. 5, 2022

’54 | Mary Morton Moore, died at age 90 in Durham, NC on Jan. 15, 2023

’54 | Ollie Annie Williams

Wesley, died age 92 in Ann Arbor, MI on Jan. 9, 2024

’55 | Yvonne Scruggs

Leftwich, died age 89 in Hanover, MD on Sept. 16, 2022

’55 | Georgia Marie McCoy

Bradsher, died age 91 in Burlington, NC on Feb. 29, 2024

’55 | Florence DuPree Prince, died age 68 in Durham, NC on Oct. 9, 2023

’56, ’58 | Samuel “Sammie” Chess, Jr., died age 88 in Jamestown, NC on July 23, 2022

’56 | Albert Einstein Handy, died in Baltimore, MD at age 93 on Jan. 19, 2024

’57 | Bertha Hopkins

Breese, died in Durham, NC on Sept. 21, 2022

’58 | Alfred “Al” Erskine Richardson, died age 86 in Bethel Park, MD on Aug. 10, 2022

’58, ’66 | Joseph Alston, died age 86 in Durham, NC on June 3, 2023

’61 | Burnella Jane Jackson Ransom, died at age 82 in Atlanta, GA on Feb. 2, 2023

’61 | Nora Bernice Barnes, died at age 83 in New York, NY on Aug. 5, 2022

’62 | William Earl Wilson, died age 88 in Greenville, NC on Jan. 17, 2024

’62 | Brenda B. BetheaHughes, died age 82 in Springdale, MD on Nov. 25, 2023

’63 | George Washington Pierce, died age 91 in Durham, NC on June 25, 2022

’63 | James Robert Lewis, died age 84 in Durham, NC on May 15, 2023

’63 | Charlotte Elaine Harding Maye , died age 85 in Greensboro, NC on Aug. 12, 2023

’64 | Phyllis Coward Rogers, died age 81 in Durham, NC on Jan. 12, 2023

’65 | Laurie Brooks Smith, died age 77 in Durham, NC on Aug. 4, 2022

’66 | Samuel Harvey Frink, died age 78 in Myrtle Beach, SC on Sept. 4, 2022

’67 | Linda Pearce-Thomas, died age 77 in Wilmington, NC on Sept. 24, 2023

’68 | Charles Edward Daye, died age 78 in Durham, NC on Dec. 24, 2022

’68 | Irma Jean Tucker

Mason, died age 79 in High Point, NC on Sept. 27, 2022

’70 | Peggy Borden Watson-Alexander, died age 74 in Durham, NC on Sept. 9, 2022

’70 | Roy Lee Cuttino, died age 77 in Durham, NC on Oct. 1, 2022

’71 | David Leonard Mack, died age 73 in Durham, NC on Sept. 26, 2023

71 | Rosa Shearin, died age 73 in Scotland Neck, NC on Feb. 9, 2023

’71 | Betty Jean Bullock Brodie, died age 73 in Los Angeles, CA on Feb. 19, 2023

’71, 72 | Isaac Evans McGraw ll, died age 76 in Durham, NC on Jan. 18, 2024

’71 | Floyd Williams, died age 75 in Plainfield, NJ on April 21, 2023

’71 | William Levin Slade, died age 73 in Durham, NC on Sept. 8, 2022

’71 | Sherry Merritt Nesmith, died age 73 in Durham, NC on Aug. 16, 2023

’71 | Clayton Anthony Murphy, died age 74 in Garner, NC on Sept. 27, 2023

’71 | Herbert L. Brodie, died age 74 in Durham, NC on Feb. 24, 2024

’72 | Tawana Nivens Wilson-Allen, died age 72 in Charlotte, NC on Dec. 12, 2022

’72 | Rhonda Gail Perry, died age 73 in Eagle Rock, NC on Aug. 5, 2023

’73 | Carl M. Alexander, died age 72 in Owings Mills, MD on Sept. 10, 2023

’73 | Victor Curtis Morrison, Sr. , died age 73 in Durham, NC on March 7, 2024

’73 | George Washington Williams, died age 71 in Durham, NC on Jan. 30, 2023

’75 | Roslyn Michelle Mitchell, died age 70 in Durham, NC on June 4, 2023

’75 | Lawrence Ford, Jr., died age 73 in Durham, NC on March 1, 2024

’76 | Larry Sylvester Height, died age 69 in Raleigh, NC on Dec. 1, 2023

HOWARD MONROE FITTS JR., PH.D.

’41, ’46 | Howard Fitts Jr., Ph.D., age 101, passed away on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. Fitts was professor emeritus at North Carolina Central University and as a recognized advocate for public health, he shared his passion with Eagles during his time at NCCU serving as professor and chair of the university’s health education department from 1954 to 1987. Fitts, a double Eagle, earned an undergraduate degree in 1941 and a master’s degree in 1946.

CLEON F. THOMPSON JR., PH.D.

’41, ’56, ’58 | Cleon F. Thompson Jr., Ph.D., a distinguished leader in higher education, passed away on Jan. 27, 2024. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from NCCU. Thompson served as interim chancellor of North Carolina A&T State University and chancellor of Winston-Salem State University. At WSSU, he focused on academic enhancements, faculty recruitment, refining admission requirements, developing the general studies program development and revitalizing the School of Nursing. His WSSU legacy lives on through the Cleon F. Thompson Jr. Student Services Center, completed in 1996.

Nathan Garrett

’86 I Nathan Garrett became the first African American Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in North Carolina. He earned his bachelor's degree from Yale University, studied accounting and business at Wayne State University, and earned his Juris Doctor from NCCU School of Law.

In 1962, he opened his own accounting firm. After years of hard work, his firm became the largest and oldest minority-owned firm in North Carolina. Garrett practiced as a CPA from 1964–2004 and received the NCACPA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.

NORMAN B. ANDERSON, PH.D.

’76 I Norman B. Anderson, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and well-known leader in the behavioral and social sciences, passed away on March 1, 2024.

He received his bachelor’s degree from NCCU, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from UNC Greensboro.

Anderson served as a clinical resident at Brown University School of Medicine and as a post-doctoral research fellow at Duke University School of Medicine.

Marvin Marable Bass

’71 I Marvin Marable Bass passed away Nov. 27, 2023. Bass was a graduate of the NCCU class of 1971 and founder, owner and operator of Eagleland, home of NCCU paraphernalia. Prior to his entrepreneurship, Marvin was employed at North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company for 13 years.

LUANN EDMONDS-HARRIS RALEY

’75 | LuAnn Edmonds-Harris Raley passed away on March 2, 2024. A Durham native and 1975 NCCU graduate with a bachelor's degree in theater arts, Edmonds-Harris began her professional career at her alma mater as an admissions counselor in 1986 and became the head cheerleading coach in 1992.

She was a member of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA), NCCU Alumni Association and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Edmonds-Harris was inducted into the Alex M. Rivera NCCU Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 30, 2023.

’83, ’86 | Elaine Herndon Yarborough, died age 74 in Durham, NC on Dec. 25, 2022

’83 | Gladys Fowler Graves, died age 76 in Blanch, NC on Feb. 6, 2024

’85 | April Deon Clark Harmon, died age 59 in Norfolk, VA on Sept. 27, 2022

’85 | Donna Peerman Spinks, died at age 63 in Greensboro, NC on April 2, 2023

’87 | William Lee Satterwhite ll, died age 55 in Durham, NC on Feb. 12, 2024

’88 | Peter Moore, died age 61 in Washington DC on April 1, 2023

’89 | Tonya Renee Long, died age 56 in Elizabeth City, NC on Oct. 12, 2022

’94, ’07 | Johnie Albert Riddick Jr., died age 51 in Wake Forest, NC on Jan. 12, 2023

’97 | Johnathan Brian Horton, died age 46 in Durham, NC, on Sept. 15, 2022

’08 | Antoine Ramon Totten, died age 37 in Reidsville, NC on Dec. 2, 2022

’14 | Cloyce Lassiter Hunter, died age 50 in Durham, NC on April 28, 2023

’18 | Emmanuel K. Awumey, died age 34 in Durham, NC on Aug. 22, 2022

KIAN McKINLEY BROWN

’06, ’21 | Kian Brown, national vice president of the NCCU Alumni Association Inc., died May 2, 2023.

’76, ’79 | Lowell Lesesne Siler, died age 68 in Durham, NC on Sept. 6, 2022

’78 | Victor Birks, died in Mitchellville, MD on Feb. 4, 2023

’78 | David Herman Harris, Jr., died age 67 in Salisbury, NC on June 26, 2023

’79 | Curtis Martin, died age 66 in Bowie, MD on July 19, 2023

’80 | Pamela Stanback Glean, died age 66 in Durham, NC on Jan. 20, 2023

’81 | Roderick Bernard Tate, died age 62 in Waxhaw, NC on July 2, 2022

As an NCCU student, Brown held several leadership roles, including Student Government Association president and senior vice president of the University of North Carolina Association of Student Governments (ASG). He earned a bachelor's degree in history education and master's degree in educational technology from the university. In 2019, he served as the keynote speaker at NCCU’s Honors Convocation.

A personal branding expert and philanthropist, Brown was founding partner of Millennium Sports Management Group, tailored to help professional athletes and public figures with their humanitarian efforts, and co-founder of the Urban Male Leadership Academy, designed to empower and mentor males of color. He was named among the 'Most Influential People of African Decent Under 40' and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.