Category Archives: Education

African American History, Education

GRANTS NOW AVAILABLE FOR INSTITUTIONS RECOVERING FROM HURRICANE HARVEY

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The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has announced that it will award up to $1 million in emergency grants to preserve humanities collections and help restore operations at libraries, museums, colleges, universities, and other cultural and historical institutions affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.
 
Cultural institutions in FEMA-designated disaster areas can apply directly to NEH for streamlined emergency grants of up to $30,000 through the agency’s website. This special Chairman’s Emergency Grant opportunity will be open until December 31, 2017.
 
With significant support from NEH, Humanities Texas will also award fast-trackHurricane Recovery Grants to cultural and historical institutions in Texas that suffered damage and losses as a result of Hurricane Harvey. Requests of up to $3,000 will be reviewed within ten business days and awarded quickly. Larger grants are also possible. Eligible costs include cleanup, conservation, rental of temporary meeting space, and basic institutional and operational costs, such as purchasing equipment and replacing inventory, shelving, and roofing. Please see the Humanities Texas website for information on eligibility and instructions on how to apply:http://www.humanitiestexas.org/grants/hurricane-recovery-grants
Education

TSU tops 10,500 students after focused recruitment campaign

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Community, Education

Ruth Simmons, Ph.D. Named Interim President of Prairie View A&M University

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Dr. Ruth Simmons, an accomplished university president with administrative experience in Ivy League schools, a women’s university and a historically black college, has been named interim President of Prairie View A&M University.

Dr. Simmons, who retired as president of Brown University in 2012, will assume her duties July 1, following the June 12 announcement by Prairie View A&M President George Wright that he is stepping down after 14 years to return to teaching history.

“We are fortunate to have such a high-caliber scholar and administrator who can step in without missing a beat,” said Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp. “Dr. Simmons has been an important figure on the national stage for decades. She has the credentials to be the president of any university in America. I am so excited to have her join us.”

Dr. Simmons was President of Brown University from 2001 to 2012. When she retired from Brown University, she returned to her hometown of Houston where her family still lives. Prior to her time at Brown, she was President of Smith College, the nation’s largest women’s university; a Vice Provost at Princeton University; and a Provost at Spelman College, a historically black college.

Dr. Simmons, who attended the Houston public schools, attributed her education at Dillard University, a historically black college in New Orleans, as the pivotal opportunity in her life. She later got her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures from Harvard University.

“I was from a very poor family with 12 children, at a time when colleges were just desegregating,” Dr. Simmons said. “I know how important historically black colleges and universities are for kids like I was.”

Since retiring, Dr. Simmons said she had turned down other offers, but Prairie View A&M University appealed to her because of its history, its significance and its mission as well as the fact that her brother attended the university.

“I have deep roots in Texas, and I was looking for a way to do something helpful for my community,” she said.

It was important, Dr. Simmons said, to start before the fall semester. Her first order of business will be to meet with the university leadership and learn the issues facing the campus community.

“My task is to listen, and to learn as quickly as I can and get started as quickly as I can,” she said.

 

In Student News
Business, Education, Entertainment, Lifestyle

At the Theatre: Front Porch Society plays at the Ensemble

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By Dorris Ellis

The Houston Sun

Front Porch Society is now playing at the Ensemble Theatre through June 4. Setting in a delta county of Quittman, Mississippi in the city of Marks, seven families come-and-go to the front porches of two delta homes where ladies ages 95-50s bring the world to the audience.

The Ensemble’s Saturday night audience was delighted to become a part of the Front Porch Society’s amen corner, for they responded to the cast as if they were invited to participated. Directed by the Ensemble’s theatre Artistic Director, Eileen J. Morris, she took the Chicago playwright, Melda Beaty’s script and rapt a world premiere opening for the Houston market where it is bound to be a success. The time of the show’s setting is November 2008 on the front porch of Carrie Honey’s, home, played by Michelle Harrell, where the ladies discuss news and information and find solutions to problems as they provide hope and guidance to the old-and-young.

Yes, the content is serious, but this cast of professionals which included Jason E. Carmichael (Towner),  the mail carrier, brought much laughter to the audience with its suspense, drama, storytelling and comedy.

Moreover, this play shows a line of compassion for the elderly as the community took care of Miss Martha, the former educator and three-times widower, and it helped to heal the pain and hurt of the 41-years of suffering of Miss Honey.

Supporting cast were: Kendrick “Kayb” Brown (Terrance), the determined high school senior; Gwen Harris (Ms. Maratha), the glue that kept the conversation civil who sat on the porch daily, Rachel Hemphill Dickson (Sister Stallworth) the spirited first lady of the church, Dannette Mcelory-Davis, (Alberta) the connected traveler and Tamara Siler (Winnie) the superstitious loquacious neighbor. This lively cast will amuse Houston audiences as it will make them think, reflect and project into the future.

Business, City, Education, Front, News

Recapture issue is on the ballot through May 6

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Saturday, April 22nd the Harris County Democratic Party hosted an extremely informative Funding the Future Forum on the Houston Independent School District (HISD) Recapture ballot initiative at Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Please be aware that early voting starts today! Early Voting will be from April 24th until May 2nd and Election Day is May 6th.

The local branch of the NAACP in a statement said that voters in Houston are not accustomed to having May elections so please tell your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers to go vote. Below is a link to the early voting locations as well as a link to HISD that gives additional information on the issue for your review.

Education, Sports

Students burnt up the Texas Southern University Tracks

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Left to right Aleeajah Hosey and Abigail Tello-Mettlach are best friends and Jeremiah Kiplagat, a native

of Elboret Kenya. (Photo Credit: Tanuke Smith)

Kevin Gill North Shore Track/ Field  and  LeCarl Hayes (Photo Credit: Tanuke Smith)

By: Tanuke Smith

Students from across the United States, came together at Duley Field to compete in the 66th Annual Track and Field Relays, held at Texas Southern University.  TSU Relays opening ceremonies were performed by various members of the Alumni. Sonja Dawson Franklin, class of 96, lead the National followed by the Negro National Anthem. The Reverend Deacon Timothy D. Bryant of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church lead the stadium in prayer, blessing the athletes as they display their talents for the spectators to see.

Kevin Gill of North Shore High School ran the 2×4 coming in last year winning the nationals with a speed of 102:16 only to close this season relay with a run time of 127:11. Kevin Gill is looking forward to next year’s relays as Kevin’s dream is to become a professional athlete.

LeCarl Hayes Representing the Nigeria Olympic team, came back to the states to train for the relays. Running twice, LeCarl ran the 400 meters at 10 am. and the 400 meters at 4 pm.

“I’ll be a TSU Tiger for the rest of my life,” said LeCarl Hayes. LeCarl is number two in the country in the 200 meters and comes in first in the Olympic trials.

Jermirah Kiplagat, a native of Elboret Kenya, came to the United States to study. Transferring from University of Texas San Marcos, Kiplagat, enrolled at Grambling State University where he is studying economics.

“Track and Field is my second love. Numbers and love belong to one another. You generate numbers in track and field,” Kiplagat said.

Competition is what Kiplatgat signed up for. Jeremiah Kiplagat Grambling State University seeks success.  Jermirah is competing with numbers in the 1500 meters of four minutes and six seconds, Jeremiah inspiration does not come from the Olympian   Usain Bolt, his inspirations come from within himself.

Gregory- Portland High School located 15 miles north of Corpus Christi, in Portland, Texas. Aleeajah Hosey and Abigail Tello-Mettlach are best friends. This is their third year competing in the women’s 4×1, 4×2 and open, long and triple. Abigail on the right broke her hip in her freshman year in high school.

“My muscles were so strong; my hips were not able to handle the stress that I put on it during the race,”                         said, Abigail Tello-Mettlsch.

“We are joined at the hip we cannot run without one other.”

Both girls are smiling as Abigail told her story.

With Aleeajah by her side and the assistance of the local Physical Therapist and Chiropractor; Abigail found herself right back on the track at TSU.  Both ladies are headed for college and both are inspiring to work in the medical field. For Aleeajah wants to enroll in UT Austin and study Radiation Therapy, and Abigail wants to attend school and become a Chiropractor.

Community, Education

Community college celebrated in May

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At NISOD, they know community college faculty, administrators, staff work hard every day to provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in their academic pursuits. We are committed to helping you help your students by providing resources, strategies, and ideas that drive teaching, learning, and leadership excellence.
As it celebrates National Community College Month, they hope that the public will acknowledge the importance of community colleges for the nation’s entire educational system and join us in May for our International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence, the “must-attend” event for the community and technical college educators!
Take a peek at the 2017 Conference Program!
There’s still time to get $50 off regular registration prices! Register by May 6 to receive our Early Bird Registration discount.
Did you know that you can register for the conference now and pay later? Why wait until the last minute? At a time when college budgets are limited, it only makes sense to secure the best price

 

Community, Education, Health

Activist Converge On Southlawn Neighborhood For Day of Black Love

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By: Kofi Taharka

On Saturday, March 25, 2017 close to a dozen community organizations united to serve the Southlawn Palms Apartment complex. Hundreds of residents came out to receive free food, clothing, health screenings, games and face painting for children. Speakers, music and barbeque filled the air as children played on the newly donated basketball goal.  Over forty volunteers staffed different stations providing services for the residents. The Southlawn community has been in the news over the past few years for the proposed “gang injunction” that would have banned over 90 Black men for life from the area. Due to community push back the effort was thwarted. Activist targeted the area for outreach to help quell crime and violence.

One of the lead organizers, Malik Muhammad, National Vice – Chair of Organizing and Training for the National Black United Front (NBUF) stated “We have to be in the streets serving the people, we have the solutions to our own problems, we are our own saviors.” Spearheading the effort were NBUF, The People’s New Black Panther Party, Melanated Men of Action and Black Lives Matter Houston, Texas. Groups that supported the effort included: The People’s Patrol, The Houston Unity Tribe, The Nation of Islam Mosque #45, The Local Organizing Committee for The Million Man March, No More Blood Shed and The Black Women’s Health Project.  A community gardener Brother Kelvin led residents in a gardening exhibition. A peace march wound through the neighborhood along with a community clean up that helped to cap a day of Black Love.