The Student Voice of Howard University Since 1924 Volume 101, Issue 29
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Washington, D.C.
THE COMMENCEMENT ISSUE @TheHilltopHU
www.thehilltoponline.com
@TheHilltop1924
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The Hilltop Editorial Office 2401 4th Street NW, 68B, Washington, D.C. 20059 (202) 806-4749
Paul Holston Editor-in-Chief
eic@thehilltoponline.com
Almani Jackson Business Manager
business@thehilltoponline.com
Rushawn Walters Managing Editor
managing1@thehilltoponline.com
Akiah Singfield Sales Manager
adsales1@thehilltoponline.com
Sylvester Johnson III Copy Chief
Devin Barnwell
The Hilltop 2016-2017 Staff would like to thank The Mecca for an Extraordinary year.
Assistant Copy Chief
Victoria Jones Copy Editor
Jason Ajiake News Editor
Gabrielle Oliver Culture Editor
Brittany Webb
CONGRATULATIONS to the Class of 2017!!!
Sports Editor
Dawn Richard Layout Editor
Zora Neale Hurston (18911960), co-founder of The Hilltop Newspaper, is considered one of the preeminent writers of 20th century AfricanAmerican literature.
#ForZora
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A Look Back From Last Year...
Story originally published on May 7, 2016 Photo Credit: Paul Holston, Editor-in-Chief
Obama Embodies Blackness, Confidence, Hope at Howard University’s 148th Commencement By Paul Holston Editor-in-Chief Obama urges Howard class of 2016 graduates to “Be confident in your heritage. Be confident in your Blackness.”
I
n what will go down as one of the most significant moments in Howard University’s history, President Barack Obama delivered a strong, eloquent and inspirational message to the graduating Class of 2016 Saturday morning on the Upper Quadrangle of Howard’s main campus, also known as The Yard. In his almost 90-minute speech, the president addressed a variety of topics to include racism, income inequality, social justice, and remembrance of the many contributions from African-American history. This was Obama’s third address as a sitting president to a Historical Black College and University and would be one of his last keynote addresses towards an HBCU. “Make no mistake Class of 2016, you’ve got plenty of work to do,” said Obama. “But as complicated and sometimes intractable as these challenges may seem, the truth is your generation is more positioned than ever to meet those challenges, to flip the script.” Obama, who received an honorary doctor of science degree for his work in the Affordable Care Act
(ACA) during the commencement, became the sixth sitting U.S. President to deliver a keynote address at Howard University. Other recipients of honorary degrees included L.D. Britt, M.D., MPH, Ambassador Horace Greeley Dawson Jr. and actress Cicely Tyson. Before Obama came to the podium to speak to the almost 2,300 graduates, Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick said, “There has been a 51-year hiatus since the last sitting United States President has spoken at a Howard University Commencement. I believe that the excellence we have produced with the class of 2016 and the standard of excellence associated with the 44th President of the United States is a fitting sequel.” Along with the graduating class, an estimated 25,000 people were in attendance to hear the president speak. Throughout his speech, Obama pushed the Class of 2016 to be the generation of producing leaders in a time that is now. “You have to go through life with more than just passion for change; you need a strategy. I’ll repeat that. I want you to have passion, but you have to have a strategy,” said Obama. “Not just awareness, but action. Not just hashtags, but votes. You see, change requires more than righteous anger. It requires a program, and it requires organiz-
ing.” His remarks were frequently met with several enthusiastic applauses and emotional expressions as the graduating class listened to the words of the president. Aliya Jones, a television and film major graduate, said she was beyond excited for the president to come back to The Mecca. “It’s a very surreal feeling. I can’t believe I’m here,” said Jones, a Norfolk, Va. native. “[President] Barack Obama was here speaking at my commencement. It just seems like a dream come true.” During commencement, Howard University awarded more than 1,300 bachelor’s degrees, more than 300 master’s degrees and more than 100 Ph.Ds, with the top five areas of concentration in psychology, history, political science, social work and mathematics. Additionally, more than 400 students received professional degrees in law, medicine, pharmacy and dentistry. Alana Carroll, a psychology major graduate and Sacramento, Ca. native, was one of 1,300 to receive her degree and felt ecstatic to complete her undergraduate chapter. “I’m relieved and excited. I’m just so happy to be finished,” said Carroll, who completed her studies in Dec. 2015, but came back to The Mecca to receive her degree. “It’s just a really exciting time for everybody, especially for [President]
Obama being our speaker.” Marshaun Hall, a biology major graduate and first of his seven siblings to graduate from college, said the commencement was incredible and prolific. “It’s funny because when we came as freshman, we all went down to his inaugural ceremony and hoped ‘what if’ he was the same guy who gave our commencement speech when we graduated,” said Hall, a Madison, Wis. native. “It turned out to be him and it was an amazing feeling. Hearing what all he said was very inspirational.” As he concluded, Obama had resilient words of advice to both the graduating Class of 2016 and the jam-packed audience as he reminded them of the importance of their journey. “Graduates, each of us, is only here because someone else faced down challenges for us. We are only who we are because someone else struggled and sacrificed for us,” said Obama. “And when your journey seems too hard, when you run into a chorus of cynics who tell you that you’re being foolish to keep believing or that you can’t do something, or that you should just give up, or you should just settle — you might say to yourself a little phrase that I’ve found handy these last eight years: Yes, we can. Congratulations, Class of 2016!”
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Letters from Hilltop Seniors The summer of 2016 I had the pleasure of interning with NBCUniversal Advertising Sales department. Prior to this internship, I had no idea what Ad Sales really consisted. I left my internship with a sense of urgency to learn even more about Sales. I received a general email from Dr. Thornhill about The Hilltop Advertising Representative position and I took a leap of faith and was fortunately granted the position. Moving forward, Almani (Business Manager), and I noticed that we needed to restructure the Business department and initiate the process of increasing the revenue of The Hilltop. After many conversations with Dr. Thornhill, she offered me the opportunity to really put all that I learned the past summer to test; my title was then changed to Sales Manager. This position put me at the frontline of The Hilltop sales and responsibility piled on. Moving forward, we were able to increase sales and improve the business team. Dr. Thornhill was very supportive through our entire transition and I am beyond thankful for the chance she and Almani granted me.
There was never a moment we did not work as a team. The Hilltop has allowed me to develop friendships with many people, especially our astounding editor in chief Paul. From the start, Paul was open and understanding to the Business team and our goals and we thank him. All in all, my experience with The Hilltop was nothing short of amazing. Gems of Wisdom I Leave Behind: 1. Never let your resume stop you from stepping out on faith and reaching for that dream opportunity. 2.Maximize all of your opportunities and relationships. 3. Most of all, “always stay gracious, the best revenge is your paper” -Beyoncé Cheers, Akiah Singfield, Sales Manager, #HU17 Media Management Major Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida
Zenith August 2013, a teenage boy moved into Charles R. Drew Hall, and I had no inkling of the journey that would be the next four years. Through all the late night study sessions, finessed midterm papers, and countless presentations God’s guidance steered me towards May 13th. These past four years at Howard have me into molded the young man that I am today. And I can honestly say that if my mother (yeah mama knows best) had not chosen Howard University, I would not be half the man I am today. As a young black male, I found identity and comfort in who I was, and most importantly pride. Walking across the yard, sitting in Founders Library, I were constantly embraced by Black excellence, past, present and future. To walk these Howard halls was not only an honor, but an obliga-
Brittany Webb Sports Editor
Victoria Jones Copy Editor
The Hilltop congratulates all the graduating senior staff members!
tion. An obligation not only to continue the legacy of Howard, but to magnify it. I am quite certain that the class of 2017 will split the seams of these big shoes. I have ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, protested gun violence on the Southside of Chicago, walked the townships of Cape town, South Africa, and planted gardens in the 9th Ward of New Orleans. I have been fortunate enough to see the world as a Howard University student. And I now know undoubtedly, that there is no ambition to grand and there is nothing in this world that I can’t conquer. That we can’t conquer. #HU17, here’s to the culmination of an amazing journey and the inception of fruitful futures. *toast with something brown* Sylvester Johnson III, Copy Chief, #HU17
Devin Barnwell Assistant Copy Chief
Rushawn Walters Managing Editor
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Six Ways to Improve Your Credit By Tyra Trent Contributing Writer
You’re finally an upperclassman in college. You are counting down the months, or days, until your graduation, and are looking to start building the foundation of your financial independency. Or maybe you’re a recent graduate looking to make your first big purchase, and want to show potential creditors that you can handle money responsibly. Whatever the situation is, it’s time to get serious about your credit report. Credit reports are just like job resumes. They’re used to show your prior experience with borrowed money, and highlight your ability to adhere to schedules. If you’re not as fortunate to pay 100 percent up front for big purchases, you will want to market yourself a low-risk, high-reward candidate for creditors, as you would for employers. I recently spoke with Vicki Davis, banker turned credit advisor, who left the retail bank industry to coach pro bono at the Greater Washington Urban League the power of good credit and what indicators that creditors take into consideration. Vicki used her knowledge of financing to yield a favorable loan in order to open a barbecue restaurant in Washington. Below, Davis shares her priceless tips on how to optimize your chances of getting a loan at a favorable interest rate, from building your credit history by opening accounts, to removing any negative indicators or patterns from your current report:
1
Know your current credit score.
Davis said, “If you’re looking to buy a car, know your credit score before you walk onto the lot because hard inquiries eat at your credit score. For example: Say ‘I want to finance a new car, and my credit score is 681, what will my down payment and interest rate be?’ They can usually tell
you based on the score you give them. But if you don’t know your score, the dealer will have to do a hard inquiry on your credit history to find out. Now your credit score has just gone down two or three points because you didn’t know it in the first place.”
2
Build credit history.
In order to have good credit, you have to start somewhere,” Davis said. Build credit by opening accounts with a credit union or your favorite department stores. Be careful to not apply for too many credit cards as they may show as hard inquiries on your report. A single, hard inquiry can deduct up to five points from your score, so inquire wisely and sparingly. Also, simply being approved for a credit account will not improve your score. “There’s no point in having a credit account if you never use it,” said Davis. “Show some activity with the card, and try to keep your credit line to usage ratio as low as possible.” Keep in mind that department store credit cards have higher annual percentage rates (APR’s) than most bank cards. Taking too long to pay off a balance is sure to create a bigger bill than the principal amount spent due to interest and/or late fees accrued.
3
Know when to pay your bills.
“If you consistently pay your balances on the due date, you’re late,” Davis said. It’s a common misconception that the payments made by the due date are on time. For example, if you receive a bill with a statement cycle from March 8 to April 8, but the payment for the bill is due May 8, optimally, the charges should be paid in full by April 8 to avoid interest. The time frame between when your billing cycle ends to when the bills are due is your grace period, not your payment period. You should always aim to pay
your balance off by the end of the closing date, the last date of your statement cycle. Try putting your statement dates on your calendar to track when to make your payments. Making timely payments will surely result in improving your credit score.
4
Try a secured credit card first.
Secured charge cards allow you to set your own monthly credit limit. With a secured card, your deposit secures your line of credit. For example: If you open a secure credit card account with a $250 deposit, which is the minimum amount required by most banks, your monthly spending limit is usually, but not always, $250. The deposits are refundable, meaning you get it back when you close the account. Like an unsecured credit card, you’ll still have a monthly bill which you should pay in full by the statement closing date because secured cards tend to have higher interest rates. But, unlike unsecured credit cards, the balance can be deducted from the deposit in the event you cannot pay your bill one month. Many users of secured cards find that it takes only about a year of careful use to improve their credit score. It is common for banks issuing secured cards to have an annual maintenance fee, but there are some good ones with no fee. Shop around for a card with an interest and a minimum deposit that works best for you.
5
Have any relatives with reliable credit habits?
Davis said, “If you’re looking to bu“Here’s a secret: Wealthy people do this all the time for their kids, who then graduate college with a head start because they already have credit history,” Davis said. If you’re an undergraduate, talk to your guardians about being added as a joint user to their banking card account. If your guardians or relatives are responsible credit users, you can stand to gain favorable markings added to your credit report when the account holder makes timely payments. If your guardians are unsure about mak-
ing you an authorized user, assure them that they don’t have to give you a duplicate card. You benefit enough by simply having your name attached to the account. When you decide to start applying for your own accounts, you will already have a positive credit history. Recent graduates can benefit from this as well, but should still also consider applying for a personal secured charge card.
6
Pay off any outstanding balances on your credit report.
There are several ways of going about this. If you have any outstanding balances that have been sent to a collections agency, the quickest way to repair the damage to you credit is to simply pay off your balance. However, even though you settled the collections bill, it will still show on your credit report as a paid outstanding balance. All markings on your credit report remain for seven years, unless removed on the creditor’s end. If you want the negative report to disappear entirely after your full payment, you may have to employ some negotiating skills. A plausible option is sending a “Pay for Delete” offer to the collections agency via mail. A pay for delete letter offers the collections agency who bought your debt from the original creditor, a utility bill company for example, a payment in full, or at a negotiated percentage, in exchange for the negative report to be removed from all three credit reporting agencies. However, remember that collection agencies aren’t required to acknowledge your request and are under no obligation to agree to a pay for delete. If you still wish to give this method a try, there are several templates and guides to craft your letter. You becoming mindful of polishing your credit history should start as soon as possible. Although the earlier you take it serious the better, it is never too late to build or improve your credit score. When it comes to credit, it’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
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Seniors Speak Out By Sabrina Newton Contributing Writer
“I am not the same person I once was when I walked onto ‘Hilltop High’. I met lifelong friends and gained skills that will truly be utilized in life to come. Juggling the position of Resident Assistant, as well as a position on the executive board of the Caribbean Student’s Association, truly enabled me to embody the school’s motto of truth and service. Howard University is not just an institution; it is an experience. This experience is one which I will truly treasure for as long as I live.” — Kia-Simone Bell, graduating senior, Biology, Pre-med major from Jamaica
“Being at Howard has taught me that you do not need fancy machines in order to get a quality education. Most architecture schools have the latest laser cutter or 3D printers; However, I have come to learn that just because fancy tools are used, this does not mean the project will be superior. Without all of those fancy tools I was able to compete in the Disney Imagineer competition and become a semifinalist. In addition to this, Howard has taught me to gain the edge over competition through critical thinking and an inquisitive spirit...whether it is teaching myself new software or simply thinking outside the box. Above all, the Mecca has taught me to be an independent go-getter.” —Benta Horton-Gee, graduating senior, Architecture major from Baltimore, Md. “As my tenure at the Mecca comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on the amazing and unparalleled experience that I had the privilege of having. My time at Howard has, hands down, constituted the best moments of my life. These past four years have been a rollercoaster of emotions and GPAs, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Howard has molded me into a woman of confidence, perseverance (the A building, enough said), open-mindedness and style with a side of sweet, sweet finesse. I owe a large percentage of who I am to this fine institution. Thank you Howard, you are appreciated.” —Ambriel Weatherly, graduating senior, Biology, Pre-dentistry major from Trinidad
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COLUMN: Commencement as Show of Influence, Time of Reflection for Howard By David DePriest Columnist Commencement speeches are often used by universities as a show of force and influence, demonstrating the strength of their rolodexes or the breadth of their wallets. This is true of Howard’s commencement as well, as the school spares no expense in order to create the kind of capital-E Event that alumni and big dollar donors alike will flock to. This is a known tactic, and in recent years Howard has really began to push for top-billing speakers. This trend is best exemplified over the last three years of commencement speakers. This year Howard will play host to history-making United States Senator (and potential 2020 presidential candidate) Kamala Harris, who also happens to be a Howard alumna. Last year, the commencement speaker was none other that the 44th President of the United States and first African-American president Barack Obama. And in the year before that, the school had then chief executive officer of Xerox Ursula M. Burns deliver the address. Even more interesting than the speakers that keynote the commencement are the prominent folks that Howard has chosen to confer honorary degrees upon. 2015 saw honorary degrees given to Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, noted philanthropists Eddie and C. Sylvia Brown, as well as Spelman College President Beverly D. Tatum. In 2016, President Obama was joined by legendary Academy Award nominated actress Cicely Tyson. In 2010, trailblazing Supreme Court justice Sonia
Sotomayor was given an honorary law degree. This year, in addition to Senator Harris, the school will be honoring renowned journalist Maureen Bunyan, a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists, Anna Pauline Murray, a pioneering legal scholar who Thurgood Marshall held up as the architect of his Brown v. Board case, as well as Professor Eleanor Traylor. But beyond the pageantry and politics, commencement is first and foremost about the graduating students who will be receiving their degrees. Howard University commencement ceremonies, like other parts of graduation, comes with a profound emotional weight. For many students, it marks the end of one of the most colorful and tumultuous periods of their lives. From friend groups to financial aid, the Howard experience leaves an indelible mark on the life of anyone willing to fully embrace it. Commencement, more than anything, is meant to be a capstone to that experience, with the speaker lighting a path forward out of the haze of post-collegiate longing and uncertainty. In the past, Howard commencement speakers like Oprah Winfrey, who delivered a remarkable address in 2007, Maya Angelou, who spoke in 1985, Hillary Clinton, who delivered a truncated barnburner in 1998, and Shirley Chisholm in 1983 have done the hard work of using their lives and experiences to illuminate a path forward for the students who look to them as examples of success and impact.
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Overview: 2017 Howard Honorary Degree Recipients By Justin Cohen Staff Writer
H
oward University recently released the official names of honorary degree recipients for Howard’s 149th Commencement Convocation. This official list is composed of all women that are involved in areas of politics, media, art and activism and the four honorary doctorate degrees of communications, literature, civil rights, and government will be given on Saturday, May 13, during the Howard Class of 2017’s graduation ceremony. Honorary recipients this year include newswoman and journalist Maureen Bunyan; Howard University graduate professor of English Eleanor W. Traylor; co-founder of the National Organization for Women and the first AfricanAmerican woman ordained an Episcopal priest Anna Pauline Murray and Howard University alumna and United States Senator Kamala D. Harris, who will also be delivering the 2017 commencement address. “These remarkable honorees embody the spirit and aspiration that guides Howard’s mission of excellence in truth and service,” said
Howard President Wayne A. I. Frederick in an official statement. “We are pleased to honor for the first time a distinguished panel comprised of all women. As we celebrate our Sesquicentennial, we also embrace and recognize the sterling contributions of women all over the world and certainly here at Howard University. These women dedicated their talents and lives to improving the world and all lives.” One of the honorees is Senator Kamala D. Harris. Harris is a graduate of Howard University and University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Harris was the first woman to serve as Attorney General of California and the second Black woman to serve as a senator, second only to Carol Moseley Braun. Harris is to receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Another honoree is Maureen Bunyan, an award-winning journalist and news anchor who is a founder and board member of the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF). She is also a founder of the National
Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). Bunyan will also receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Anna Pauline “Pauli” Murray is to be posthumously recognized with an honorary Doctor of Laws. Murray graduated from the Howard University School of Law in 1944. She was instrumental to many of the civil rights and social justice movements of the 20th century and her book, States’ Laws on Race and Color, was cited by Thurgood Marshall as the “bible” in crafting his Brown v. Board of Education argument. The last honoree is Eleanor W. Traylor, a graduate professor in English and a renowned scholar and critic of African-American literature. Dr. Traylor obtained a B.A. from Spelman College; an M.A. from Atlanta University; and a Ph.D. from Catholic University, where she pursued her interests in African-American literature and mythology. Traylor will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters.
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Starting Over; From Crack Dealer to Youth Counselor By Rushawn Walters Managing Editor
because of his high blood pressure and cholesterol. While at the new prison, Ray said he heard of then Obama’s Clemency Project and decided to fill out an application. Two months later, Ray said, he was approached by an attorney and told him he had a “poster-child case,” for clem-
letter said. He told Obama he gave “guys like him a sign of faith.” In mid-July, he received a response from Obama. The letter didn’t tell him he was released, Ray said. Instead, it advised him to continue to have hope. Less than Ray’s life sentence
Nearly a year ago, Washington, D.C. native Evans Ray, Jr. was inside a prison cell serving a life sentence and unsure of when or whether he would be released. Today, he’s home surrounded by his family and beginning a life far different from the one he left. In 2004, Ray was convicted of selling 60 grams of crack cocaine, which at that time normally carried a sentence of 10 years. Two prior low-level drug convictions and new enhanced sentencing guidelines created under the nation’s “War on Drugs, however, resulted in Ray being sentenced to a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison. “I made a terrible mistake and it cost me everything,” Ray said. “That was a death sentence. I knew I was going to die in there.” Ray, 57, said as a young man growing up in the District of Columbia, he believed the quickest and easiest way to make money was drug dealing. Spending the rest of his life in jail was not something he had planned. The inordinately harsh sentences created for crack cocaine were frowned on by many long before then-President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder began drawing attention to them during his administration. For instance, the judge who sentenced Ray told him during his trial in 2004 that he believed the judgement was “cruel and unusual,” Ray said. Ray’s mother, Gwendolyn Bell, thought so, too. Bell, a retiree, said she believed her son should have been punished for his crime, but not so harshly. Ray, Jr. with his mother Gwendolyn (Photo Courtesy) “I think he should’ve done some time for the crime, but not ency. was commuted, less than a month the life sentence without the posUnsure of his fate, Ray said he after receiving President Obama’s sibility of parole,” Bell said. decided to write a short, personal letter. Ray landed in a penitentiary in letter to Obama as his presidential “When I got the news, I walked Inez, Kentucky, called Big Sandy. administration was nearing the to my cell and I put up my (a large The prison, he says, was given the end in hopes it would help him be poster board) so no one could see nickname “Killer Mountain” for its released. in, and I got on my knees and violent environment. “I’m writing you because y’all prayed, and I thanked God,” he Less than a year after being only got seven months left and I said. sentenced, Ray was transferred want to thank you for all of the Now, Ray is back in Washingto another prison, the McCreary positive things that you’ve done ton living with his mother and Penitentiary, a high-security for the community for all races, working as a counselor and menfacility near Pine Knot, Kentucky white, black, and Hispanic,” the tor at the Community Empower-
ment Training Academy, a nonprofit organization that provides job training and other services for inner-city Washington youth. “My job consists of me speaking to the kids in reference to what I’ve been through,” he said. “I tell them to never give up and not to take shortcuts. Nearly 13 years of my life was taken away because I made that bad choice.” Ray has been looking for work, but it has been difficult, he said, because even though he was granted clemency, he still has a prison record, which scares off many employers. While working at the academy, Ray said, he’s put out “hundreds” of resumes for jobs without success. Still, he remains optimistic. “I’ve looked at different post offices, UPS and other places, but it’s just hard for a guy like me to land a job,” he said. “I choose to be honest with employers at all times because that’s the type of person I am. I know I will get something soon. It’s just in God’s timing.” Meanwhile, Ray has been reunited with his four children, ages, 16 to 19, who have introduced him to the world of social media. “The hardest thing for me is just adjusting to this social media thing,” he said. “Everybody is speeding, like a bunch of zombies with their heads down and their thumbs moving. It’s new to me. When I left, everybody was using flip phones. Now everybody is Googling and texting, and I’m used to calling people.” He said he wants to help the people who remain behind bars serving what he and Obama see as unjustly harsh sentences. “I have a passion for speaking and helping people,” he said, “and I can’t forget those good men that have unfair sentences like mine. There are some good people in prison. Everybody’s not black hearted.” Ray said he plans on starting a nonprofit that works with other people who have gotten clemency, but for now, he is focused on rebuilding his life by spending time with family and giving back to the community. “The life that I left,” he said, “is something I’ll never return to.”
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Photo Credit: Paul Holston, Editor-in-Chief
“More Than A Picture:” The New NMAAHC Special Exhibit By Brittany Webb Sports Editor
W
hen you walk into the room, you are greeted by the words of historian, scholar and civil rights activist W.E.B. DuBois from the 1900 Paris Exposition reading, “We have thus… an honest straightforward exhibit of a small nation of people, picturing their life and development without apology or gloss, and above all made by themselves.” A chandelier of photographs hangs from the ceiling as you walk toward your desired section of the four-themed exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. They were more than pictures. They were storytellers of our people, how far we’ve come and how far we have to go. They fit perfectly into their designated theme, and they required you to view them from a different perspective. NMAAHC’s new “More Than a Picture” special exhibit was opened to the press on Tuesday morning in the lower level of the museum. The exhibit is comprised of photographs that have been collected in the museum’s photography collection since 2007.
The collection is about seeing things through the eyes of somebody else—like the photographer who shot the image. Before introducing the Founding Director of the museum Lonnie G Bunch III, Dr. Rex Ellis, the associate director of curatorial affairs at the museum proposed to the press members, “I wonder if you could see me through the eyes of someone who cared about me…” When Bunch took to the stage to speak about the exhibit, he expressed how impactful it was of the ability of photographs to continue telling timeless stories. “Every time I need to look back at the past, I look at a photograph,” Bunch said. In regards to the ability to relive the past, Michele Gates Moresi, the supervisory museum curator of collections at the museum, said, “Photographs are building blocks that will tell stories to remember again and again.” Aaron Bryant, curator of photography and visual culture at the museum, encourages viewers to look at images beyond the surface—questioning their own perspectives and humanity. Eighteen curators went through more than 25,000 photographs in the collection to select the photos that were to be fea-
tured. The 25,000 were comprised of photographs that were donated, bid for, and purchased. Over 60 percent of the objects in the museum are from donors. As Black Americans have endured tough times in America and are currently still fighting for justice, there were images that were brutal in the collection. However, they were not displayed as Moresi deems they would have served as a distraction. Whether left out of the collection or displayed in the collection, every photograph had a story to tell. They told the story of what the photographers saw and what the subjects were going through, whether it be police brutality, enduring segregation, integrating, being baptized or chastised or just being Black. They were the stories photographed by more than 200 photographers. When asked about whether the curators look for work from well known or less known photographers, Bryant said that he enjoys finding the unknown photographers and giving them a voice and platform because they are as important as the well-known photographers— like renowned photographer and activist Roy Lewis. Lewis, a native of Mississippi, began his photography career in
1956. He views himself as a historian as he “uses the camera to capture history.” Lewis has documented photographs from Nigeria in 1977 to Ali regaining his championship in 1974. Out of all his series, he deems the Million Man March to be at the top. Behind his work is the motive to show the endearing spirit and fight for better within our people. “A lot of my work is around that, and showing positive stories, positive images of ourselves—of who we are,” Lewis said. As for when he is no longer to speak for his work and it is forced to tell it’s own legacy, Lewis said, “I want the work to represent what I witnessed—the greatness that’s in our people and how they, everyday, create history.” “Under all this that’s put on in front of us and around us, everyday we get up and we come at it. And I’ve seen us step up to the plate and really do it. And looking into the future—for youth to be able to do what you’re doing now, that’s what we were fighting for.“ The special exhibit opens to the public on May 5.
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A Letter to the Senior Athletes As your athletic career comes to an end, I want to commend you on your dedication to your team, the university and yourself. Nobody knows the struggles you went through to be a player on your team besides you and your team. Nobody knows how hard it was to wake up early in the morning for practice—even when you were out of season. For that, you should feel like a better person than you believed yourself to be. Everybody cannot balance sports, a social life and school, let alone school by itself. But for the past few years, you did it and gracefully. For making it through four years and completing the required work to get your degree, I commend you. For pushing yourself beyond the capabilities you though you had, I commend you. For wearing Howard so well, I thank you. May life beyond Howard be good to you. May all that you dreamed of happen for you. If you ever choose to go pro, I hope your team treats you as a gift and nurtures your craft. Never work for anything less than what you deserve. You’ve set the bar high for those to follow, and I pray you continue to lead a path for them to follow. My well wishes to you all.
Brittany Webb Sports Editor of The Hilltop
Congratulation! Ms. Jamilla L. Dennis 2017 Howard University Graduate We are so proud of you on May 13, 2017 many prayers, dreams and wishes have come true. This new chapter of your life will open doors to access exciting opportunities that will be a blessing to you and everyone around with you. Sias and Smith Family
Recent Happenings With Bison Sports By Brittany Webb Sports Editor
Basketball: On April 12, senior basketball player James “JT” Miller announced that he will be leaving Howard University to play for the Missouri State Bears. Lady Bison junior forward Erin Blaine is also leaving Howard. She will be heading to Morehead State where she will play for the Eagles.
Football: Senior offensive lineman Toree Boyd signed to the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent.
Lacrosse: The women’s lacrosse team completed their season on April 28 against Old Dominion University. The Lady Bison finished their sea-
son 0-12.
Softball: The women’s softball team finished their season on April 30 in a matchup against University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The Lady Bison won 6-3, finishing their season 4-34 overall, 4-14 in conference.
Track and Field: The men’s track team qualified in the 4x200 relay in the Championship of America on Saturday, April 29. According to HU Bison Sports, it is the first time the team qualified in almost 36 years. The women’s relay team qualified for the Eastern College Athletic Conference finals.
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