VOLUME 73 - ISSUE 10

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Volume 73, Issue 10

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Southern University’s Founders

he was a child of mixed race, growing up he was afforded the same privileges as any other white child, which is why he was sent to study at a private school in Ohio. Though his schooling did not last long, as his father died at the age of twelve. To avoid being put back into slavery by his father’s family, his mother permanently moved them to Cinncinati.

Diamond Butler The Southern Digest

Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College is the only historically black college or university that is a system. The original campus, Southern University of New Orleans, was founded in 1880 and owes its existence to three African American political leaders: P.B.S. Pinchback, T. T. Allain, and Henry Demas. Being the second university for African Americans in Louisiana after Dillard, Southern’s founders laid the foundation for Southern’s success far in the future, “These men were political leaders and they knew that going forward, they needed to put something in law that would long last their tenures in office,” said author and historian, Dr. Charles Vincent, from a WGNO article.

One of the first men to give support to original Southern University was P.B.S. Pinchback. Before becoming one of the founders of Southern University, Pinckney Benton Steward Pinchback was one of the first African Americans to become governor in the United States and served as the 24th Governor

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of Louisiana and is currently the only African American governor to have ever been elected in Louisiana. Pinchback was born

in Macon, Georgia to Eliza Stewart, a freed mulatto slave, and William Pinchback, a white plantation owner. Even though

Pinchback had to drop out of school to help take care of his family, however, he continued to make a better life for himself. In the late 1860s, Pinchback got into politics and served as a Louisiana governor in 1871. Later on, in his political career, he saw that there was a need for a better education system for African Americans, so In 1879, along with Allain and Demas, Pinchback went as a delegate to the Louisiana Constitutional Convention, where he helped gain support for the opening of the college. According to the Louisiana Secretary of State website, Pinchback “...he pushed for the creation of a college for blacks in Louisiana.” This is why along with Allain, Pinchback has a building See SU page 3

The 17th Annual Gala on The Bluff Whitney Thomas The Southern Digest

The 17th Annual “Gala on the Bluff ’, took place on Halloween night at the Belle of Baton Rouge casino. The event, hosted by Southern University’s College of Business, is intended to be an opportunity for business owners and alumni to donate money towards the university.

Chaketa Spears, a Southern alum, expresses her role at the event, and how exciting it is each year. “I’ve been attending this Gala for 4 years. I go around the event throughout the night and sell raffle tickets for the split the pot fundraiser. This is basically going towards the scholarships. We also have door prizes where you can get a two-night weekend stay or some lucky person will win half the money we actually raise. Just knowing that this event is all for a good cause brings so much happiness each year.” The event started off by giving honors to all the people and businesses that donated money to the college of business throughout the year. Contributors this year

Dean of the College of Business, Dr. Donald R. Andrews, presents an award to Gala on the Bluff Honoree, Arthur Signater during the annual Gala on Friday, November 1 at Belle of Baton Rouge Casino. (Jairus Moore/DIGEST)

doors to better opportunities for them and allowed them to further their education, worry free of cost. Courtney Wright, a senior graduating in Business, explains how the scholarship has helped Over the last 17 years over one her and what the event means to million dollars has been raised, her, “I’m actually a scholarship leaving a huge impact on student recipient and have received many Business majors. A mini clip was over the years. It’s left me so worry shown with students expressing free about different expenses. This how the scholarship opened event is so essential because it gave over twenty thousand dollars, while companies such as Entergy and Boeing contributed around five thousand dollars respectively.

gives us a chance to network and show our sponsors where their money is going.”

“If we don’t contribute to the future and education of our kids who do you think will?” A contributor expressed as he shows appreciation for many people working hard and making the See GALA page 3

www.southerndigest.com THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND A&M COLLEGE, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA


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