Jarvis Christian University

The Hercules Scholarship is named after Joyner’s father, the late Hercules Joyner, who was a strong supporter of higher education. To be a candidate for the scholarship, students must be male, attend a Foundation “School of the Month”, have a grade point average of at least 3.0, and be a campus leader involved in the community with a career goal toward making a difference in the quality of life for his race. The scholars each receive a scholarship grant of $1,500 that is paid directly to their school to help offset their college expenses.

Here are January’s scholars:

Cory Hamilton is a senior biology major from Rowlett, Texas.  This future medical doctor plans to serve those in need of excellent health care. At Jarvis, Hamilton is a National Science Scholar, is a member of Tri Beta and Beta Kappa Honor Societies, and the SGA. He lives by the motto: “Work smart; 10% of life is what you do, and 90% is how you accept it”.

Arsenio Brown is a freshman mathematics major from Newark, Calif. This future college professor plans to teach at a black college. He wants to encourage students to love math and its importance to our daily lives. At Jarvis, Brown mentors at a local youth center and does peer tutoring.

Lavaris Gaston is a freshman, nursing major from Fort Worth, Texas. This future anesthetic nurse plans to attend graduate school, become a traveling nurse,  and ultimately direct an anesthesiology  department at a major teaching hospital. At Jarvis, Gaston volunteers at a local elementary school and is a peer tutor to his fellow students.

Chanyce Tisdale is a freshman, mass communications major from Dallas, Texas. This honor student has a 3.8 GPA and plans to be a news anchor at a major network. At Jarvis, Tisdale volunteers at a local youth center, is a member of Student Government Association and the Pre-Alumni Council.

“With so many of our brothers and sisters serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and all around the world,” said Joyner, a graduate of Tuskegee University, “we want to make sure they know that HBCUs’ arms are open, ready to embrace them because that is want HBCUs do so well.”

Dr. John Garland, president, Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, donated $10,000 to the Foundation to jumpstart the Veterans Education program during last week’s “Red Tails Sky Show” event that promoted the release of George Lucas’ epic movie on the celebrated Tuskegee Airmen whose courageous act during World War II gained them a special place in America’s history.

“We’re not only talking about what we’re going to do for veterans, we’re presenting you this check for the veterans program,” said Garland, who spent five years in the Marine Corps and attended Central State, during the Tom Joyner Morning Show. “Back in the day, Central State was a veterans friendly university, and it still is today.”

The program offers support in the following areas:

• Education – Transition and veteran only environment
• Counseling – Coordination with Veteran Affairs
• Supportive Services – Housing, career, child care, and transitioning into mainstream life

To learn more about the Veterans Education Program, go to TomJoynerFoundation.org (http://tomjoynerfoundation.org)

(Atlanta– January 20th) Tom Joyner, whose father Hercules was part of the Tuskegee Airmen program in World War II, today kicked off the opening of George Lucas’ epic movie release Red Tails about the courageous airmen in Atlanta, Georgia with a lively and emotional live remote broadcast. At one point during the show, Joyner invited all of the current day soldiers to come to the front of the stage for a salute, followed by a parade of the soldiers saluting the Tuskegee Airmen in the front row.

The Tom Joyner Morning Show on Kiss 104.1 FM presented “The Tom Joyner Red Tails Sky Show presented by Wells Fargo” free show from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. from the Rialto Center for Performing Arts.  After the show, the guests attended a free screening of the movie, sponsored by Wal-Mart.  During one of the more touching moments this morning, veterans and current members of the United States armed forces saluted surviving Tuskegee Airmen attending the event.

The movie’s director, Anthony Hemingway (from the hit shows The Wire, Treme), Elijah Kelley (Hairspray) and Kevin Phillips (Mama, I Want to Sing) shared their excitement about portraying the airmen.  Joyner also presented a short video tribute that he shot during his recent trip to Tuskegee University where he participated in the campus’ Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration.

The most telling phrase about Joyner’s passion for the Tuskegee Airmen came when he said with pride, “I’m the son of the Tuskegee Airmen program.” He acknowledged the many descendants that become our leaders because of Tuskegee. Joyner and his cast were dressed in World War II/Tuskegee Airmen attire throughout the show.   The four-hour show, hosted by Joyner, Sybil Wilkes and J. Anthony Brown, featured live performances by three major R&B acts – Ashanti, SWV and Estelle – and comedians Dominique, Huggy Lowdown and Chris Paul.

Despite a steady rain, a capacity crowd stood in long lines all night long to watch the live event that included a voter registration drive and the announcement of the Tom Joyner Foundation’s Veterans Education Program with a presentation by Brigadier General Mark Anthony Brown, US Air Force, and Dr. John Garland, president, Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. Rapper T.I. and his wife, Tiny, who also star in “T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle” on VH1 attended the show along with Phaedra Parks from the popular “Atlanta Housewives” show also attended the show.

Red Tails is an action drama based on the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American World War II U.S. service members who faced segregation during the war. They were called into duty under the guidance of Col. A.J. Bullard. As the war in Europe continued to take its toll on Allied forces, the Pentagon brass moved forward with the development of untried and untested African-American pilots in the experimental Tuskegee training program. Against all the odds, the intrepid young airmen took to the skies to fight for their country. The movie stars Academy Award winner, Cuba Gooding Jr, Terrence Howard, NeYo, Tritan Wilds, Elijah Kelley and others. The official release date for the movie is Friday, January 20, 2012.

Check out the “Red Tails Sky Show” sponsored by Wells Fargo on BlackAmericaWeb.com.

About the Tom Joyner Morning Show and BlackAmericaweb.com

The nation’s #1 syndicated urban morning show, which airs in more than 105 markets reaching nearly 8 million listeners, has distinguished itself over the years as continuously giving back to its audience with quality programming, highly popular promotions, special events and philanthropy.  Since 2004, Joyner has awarded millions in cash and prizes to contest winners and his Foundation has raised more than $60 million to help keep students in historically black colleges and universities.  The Tom Joyner Morning Show with co-hosts Sybil Wilkes, J. Anthony Brown and senior news analyst Roland Martin, also features “Inside Her Story” with Jacque Reid; political commentary from Stephanie Robinson and Jeff Johnson; entertainment reports from Kevin Frazier, as well as comedic observations from D.L. Hughley and the Celebrity Snitch Huggy Lowdown.  Joyner’s website, BlackAmericaWeb.com, has more than 1.5 million registered users.

(DALLAS – January 16^th, 2012) Tom Joyner, the top rated nationally syndicated morning radio show presented Martin Luther King Jr. Day Convocation at his alma mater, Tuskegee University, Monday, January 16.

Immediately after doing The Tom Joyner Morning Show from 6 AM to 10 AM ET, Joyner flew to Tuskegee, Alabama, made a speech that saluted Dr. King and the Tuskegee airmen, and then joined several leaders hosting a special screening and panel discussion of “Red Tails,”  George Lucas’ new movie based on the legendary accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.  Joyner’s dad, Hercules, was part of the Tuskegee Airmen program, and his mother worked in the airmen’s office.

Joyner’s childhood buddy from Tuskegee and R&B legend Lionel Richie, award winning actor Terrence Howard – who stars in the film and Dr. Gilbert L. Rochon, Tuskegee University’s president were among the participants celebrating King’s birthday and the new movie.

In making his speech Joyner noted ,”I think it’s so fitting that we pay tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen on Dr. King’s birthday.   Before Dr. King dared to share his dream of a day when Black people and white people were considered equal in this country, a group of black men and women had the audacity to dream…and believe that they could fly.They didn’t stop with the dream though. They put the work in and saw it through.  From their tenacity, a rural air strip  and a flight training program grew into historic Moton Field and an elite all black squadron known as The Tuskegee  Airmen.  The history, mystique, and contributions of the Tuskegee Airman  has been documented in many forms,  museums, books, cable TV movies, and now a through the new feature film ‘Red Tails’.”

The full speech is posted on BlackAmericaweb.com: http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=blog_inner/36228/1573138/The%20Fly%20Jock

Red Tails is an action drama based on the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American World War II U.S. service members who faced segregation during the war. They were called into duty under the guidance of Col. A.J. Bullard. As the war in Europe continued to take its toll on Allied forces, the Pentagon brass moved forward with the development of untried and untested African-American pilots in the experimental Tuskegee training program. Against all the odds, the intrepid young airmen took to the skies to fight for their country. The movie stars Academy Award winner, Cuba Gooding Jr, Terrence Howard, NeYo and others. The official release date for the movie is Friday, January 20, 2012.

On Tuesday, Joyner will provide full details of another special event he will host of Atlanta on Friday, January 20 further salutes the Tuskegee Airmen and celebrate the movie, Red Tails.

About the Tom Joyner Morning Show and BlackAmericaweb.com
The nation’s #1 syndicated urban morning show, which airs in more than 105 markets reaching nearly 8 million listeners, has distinguished itself over the years as continuously giving back to its audience with quality programming, highly popular promotions, special events and philanthropy.  Since 2004, Joyner has awarded millions in cash and prizes to contest winners and his Foundation has raised more than $60 million to help keep students in historically black colleges and universities.  The Tom Joyner Morning Show with co-hosts Sybil Wilkes, J. Anthony Brown and senior news analyst Roland Martin, also features “Inside Her Story” with Jacque Reid; political commentary from Stephanie Robinson and Jeff Johnson; entertainment reports from Kevin Frazier, as well as comedic observations from D.L. Hughley and the Celebrity Snitch Huggy Lowdown.  Joyner’s website, BlackAmericaWeb.com, has more than 1.5 million registered users.

Dr. Randal Pinkett has established himself as an entrepreneur, speaker, author and scholar, and as a leading voice for his generation in business and technology. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of his fifth venture, BCT Partners, a multimillion-dollar consulting firm headquartered in Newark, NJ that provides organizational development and capacity building services to public and nonprofit sector organizations. 

He is also a partner in the Chicago-based joint venture, Blackwell-BCT Consulting Services, which specializes in management consulting and information technology solutions for the Federal government and Fortune 500 corporations.

 Randal has received numerous awards for business and technology excellence including the Information Technology Senior Management Forum’s Beacon Award, the National Society of Black Engineers’ Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and the National Urban League’s Business Excellence Award. He has been featured on nationally televised programs such as The Today Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, Nightline and Larry King Live. In 2009, he was named to New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine’s official shortlist as a potential running mate for Lieutenant Governor.

 A Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Pinkett holds five degrees including: a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University, where he competed as a high jumper, long jumper, and captain of the men’s track and field team; a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Oxford in England; and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering, MBA, and Ph.D. from MIT. Most notably, he’s still the only African-American-winner of Donald Trump’s reality-TV show, The Apprentice.

 Born in Philadelphia and raised in New Jersey, Dr. Pinkett is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated and attends First Baptist Church in Somerset, NJ, where he resides. He is happily married to his wife, Zahara, and they are both proud parents of their daughter, Amira. Randal firmly believes that “for those to whom much is given, much is expected,” so throughout his endeavors, he places great emphasis on his desire to give back to the community.

 Dr. Pinkett is the author of Campus CEO: The Student Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Multimillion-Dollar Business and No-Money Down CEO: How to Start Your Dream Business with Little or No Cash. Here, he talks about his latest book, Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness.

 Kam Williams: Hi Randal, thanks for another interview. How have you been?

Randal Pinkett: Great! Great. I appreciate this opportunity to reconnect.

KW: Same here. I really enjoyed “Black Faces in White Places.” Why did you write the book?

RP: The book is a reflection both of my own experiences and of those of many other African-Americans, particularly folks who have progressed in their careers. Although I was born in Philadelphia, I was raised in East Windsor, NJ, a predominantly-white suburb where we were among a handful of black families. That trajectory has continued in my careers in college, grad school and as an entrepreneur in corporate America where I have found myself one of a few, if not the only, person of color. Anyone who has been in those types of environments knows that it gives rise to a unique set of challenges characteristic of the struggles that America faces as it relates to leveling the playing field for everyone. So, the book is designed not so much to lament racism but rather to be proactive by helping to address the issue by providing strategies, tools and solutions to make it easier for the next generation.

KW: I made a reference to Ellis Cose’s classic study, “The Rage of a Privileged Class,” in my review of your book. He has just published a follow-up report, “The End of Anger,” which suggests that educated blacks who have made it are by-and-large content with the state of affairs in American society. Have you read it yet?

RP: No, I haven’t but I’m eager to get a copy of Ellis’ book.

KW: His basic thesis is that well-educated blacks are no longer an angry class by-and-large but are comfortable with how they’ve fared in corporate America. Do you agree?

RP: That’s a fascinating question. We did see “The Rage of a Privileged Class” as one of the bodies of work, which we were attempting to build upon, but looking at it through a generational lens. Our argument in the book is that the anger and the rage are no longer in play, although the challenges that gave rise to those emotions still exist. However, I think this generation of professionals has learned to navigate these corporate environments in ways that they don’t internalize the discrimination, stereotyping or attempts to pigeonhole them as much as they seek to be empowered by the talents they bring to the table. So, when I speak to people like Roland Martin, Hill Harper or Ben Jealous, I don’t detect a sense of rage, but a sense of acknowledgment that there are still challenges, that they are accepting of those challenges, and that they have resolved to overcome them. The generation addressed in Ellis’ earlier book faced the tacit expectation that you had to change who you were in order to succeed. That assumption has now been shattered. America has at least progressed to the point where people are accepted as they are. But that’s not a panacea; there’s still much work left to do.

KW: From what I’ve seen, this recession has really devastated the black middle-class, between unemployment and home foreclosures. A lot of folks have suffered very serious setbacks after losing their job or being denied coverage by their health insurance company. So, I was quite surprised by Cose’s conclusion.

RP: That’s a good point. I think the economy has exacerbated those challenges and highlighted how racism rears its head. In the book, I looked at the unemployment statistics for college-educated African-Americans, and the numbers were pretty stark. There’s certainly a large segment of the black community whose discontent has recently been amplified, but I also do believe that there are those members of the black intelligentsia who, while not angry, are still frustrated at the pace of change.

KW: Dante Lee, author of “Black Business Secrets,” asks: What was the best business decision you ever made, and what was the worst?”

RP: My best decision was to not go into business alone, but to find strength in numbers with three other classmates of mine at Rutgers University. I can say, unequivocally, were it not for that friendship and that brotherhood we wouldn’t be where we were today. Curiously, my worst business decision was prematurely allowing others into the partnership who hadn’t proven themselves to be worthy, and then later having to figure out how to escort them out the door. [Laughs]

KW: How would you say winning on “The Apprentice” has impacted your life?

RP: It has created a platform for me as an author and as a speaker that would’ve been more difficult to accomplish otherwise. Businesswise, it has enabled me to get access to decision-makers more easily, because they’re already familiar with me from the show. Not everybody returns my phone calls, but the pros far outweigh the cons.

KW: What did you think of Donald Trump’s aborted Presidential campaign, and his making such a big thing about Obama’s birth certificate?

RP: [Chuckles] I spoke to Donald about a week or two before he bowed out of the race. I reached out to him to bring to his attention that the way in which he was couching his attacks on the President was alienating and offending not just African-Americans, but Americans in general. It was my sense that there weren’t many people, if any, in his inner circle who were challenging him in that regard. So, I raised the issue to let him know that I was personally offended by some of the things he’d been saying, and that he needed to learn how to relate to all Americans if he seriously aspired to be President.

KW: How did he respond?

RP: I don’t know that that message was initially well-received, but it certainly was by the end of the conversation after I simply lamented that I was approaching him in the spirit of sharing some constructive criticism.

KW: Do you think he was ever serious about running, or was it all just a publicity stunt to boost the ratings of his TV show?

RP: I don’t know. Only he would know. Nevertheless, I think he did learn some lessons from the heightened public scrutiny, and I hope he took those lessons to heart.

KW: Didn’t he recently invoke your name when he was being labeled a racist?

RP: Yes, he said, “How can I be a racist, when I hired Randal?” That was another reason why I called him. I said, “Donald, you’ve got to be kidding. There have been 11 Seasons of The Apprentice and I’m still the only person of color ever to emerge victorious.” It’s unbelievable!

KW: I’ll never forget how on the finale he tried to twist your arm to get you to agree to share the title with the runner-up, when you should obviously have been the runaway winner.

RP: I also mentioned that to him. I said, “To add insult to injury, I’m the only person you ever asked to share the title.”

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

RP: How can we create greater economic opportunity in the African-American community? It’s not surprising, but studies have shown that black-owned businesses employ a far greater percentage of African-Americans than other companies. So, I really do believe that the way to deal with the high, black unemployment rate is by encouraging African-American entrepreneurism. By moving into that realm of thinking like an owner instead of like an employee will have a ripple effect of creating more opportunities right in our community.

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?

RP: I’m seldom afraid. My greatest fear has been of letting God, my parents, my family or my community down. I’m the first to acknowledge that I’ve really been blessed, but that also means that I’ve got to be a blessing to others. I think I often work myself too hard, Kam, out of fear of letting of letting other people down.

KW: Do you ever wish you could have your anonymity back?

RP: No, I don’t mind it at all. I’m not in the category of celebrity that I can’t go to the grocery store. It’s actually humbling when someone does recognize me and approach me, because they’re always so proud, respectful and encouraging. And they invariably say: “I will never forget that Apprentice finale.” [LOL]

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?

RP: Other than the one I had a second ago? [Laughs some more]

KW: That’ll do. What is your guiltiest pleasure?

RP: Either a nice slice of apple pie or a good peach cobbler.

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

RP: “Entrepreneurial Finance” by Professor Steven Rogers of the Kellogg School.

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?

RP: I just got Jill Scott’s new CD and I absolutely love it.

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

RP: Curried chicken with rice and peas and sweet plantain. I got the recipes from my Jamaican roommate when I lived in England for two years.

KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?

RP: A good friend who was a college classmate of mine, Jarvis Parker. He does all my suits.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

RP: I see a husband, a father, an entrepreneur, a speaker, an author, a community servant and a child of God.

KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

RP: For true equality in society.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

RP: Wow! It’s of my mother explaining to me when I was about 5 years-old why I couldn’t sell my toys to other kids in the neighborhood because she had bought them for me.

KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?

RP: Persistence! Without question. I believe that the race is won by he who endureth. If you desire to be successful, and you work at it long and hard enough, you will almost inevitably get there. Those who throw in the towel too quickly or too easily will never find success.

KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?

RP: As a man who was blessed and a blessing to others.

KW: Thanks again for the time, Randal, I really appreciate it.

RP: Thank you, Kam. I’ll definitely give you a heads up the next time I’m in Princeton. In the meantime, let me know if there’s any way I can help you out.

 Courtesy: BlackNews.com

“A Digital Collection Celebrating the Founding of the Historically Black College and University” includes more than 1,000 scanned photographs, manuscripts, letters and publications from 10 institutions designated as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

The project, which was funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, represents the first collaborative effort by HBCU libraries to make a historical collection digitally available. The online collection, which is hosted by the Robert W. Woodruff Library of the Atlanta University Center, is the product of a partnership between the HBCU Library Alliance, HBCU institutions, the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET) and Cornell University.

The contents of the collection date back to the early 1800s and include campus charters, student yearbooks, early campus architectural drawings, and a rich assortment of photographs featuring first presidents, graduating classes, famous alumni and churches, which often served as the first classrooms at several of these institutions.

“This is an excellent resource for scholars and others interested in understanding the importance of institutions of higher learning founded by African-Americans. It offers direct access to original documents and images chronicling the story of these institutions, which are usually only available to researchers by travel to the institutions themselves,” said Dorothy Autrey, chair of the history and political science department at Alabama State University.

“The HBCU digital library collection opens the door to an area of the African-American experience, which can now receive the study and attention it deserves — the amazing contributions of historically black colleges and universities in the general struggle of a people for freedom and equality.”

The online collection features materials from Alabama State University, Atlanta University Center, Bennett College for Women, Fisk University, Grambling State University, Hampton University, Southern University, Tuskegee University, Tennessee State University and Virginia State University.

To view materials from the collection, go to contentdm.auctr.edu. For more information about the partnership and the HBCU Library Alliance digital library initiative, visit www.hbculibraries.org/html/programs.html

Courtesy BlackNews.com

Having all attended HBCUs, the founders of Diverse Mobile recognize the amount of excitement and pageantry around Black College Homecomings and are attempting to fill a void in the mobile space with this one of a kind App. According to the UNCF Patterson Research Institute, though representing just 4 percent of the nation’s public and private not-for profit four-year institutions, HBCUs enroll 21 percent of African-American college students, and grant 22 percent of all bachelor’s degrees awarded to African-Americans. HBCUs also account for more than a fifth of all African- American undergraduates.

What makes the App so revolutionary and a must have for anyone with an interest in HBCUs is not only the schedule of events but all of the other innovative and collaborative features sure to please Alumni, current Students, and all interested Parties.

The feature set is listed below:

• Homecoming schedule of events for all HBCUs that have Fall Football activities and the ability to set reminders so you won’t miss any events
• School specific In App Chat rooms that allow you to connect with old classmates or talk smack about an upcoming Game or Event!
• Listen to live broadcast streams of selected Black College football games through our partnership with the Heritage Sports network via the App
• Want to know where the hottest parties around Homecoming are occurring? This App has you covered in the Entertainment section
• Search for travel deals inside of the App for transportation to HBCU Homecomings and Events through our partnership with the HBCU College Shuttle
• Multipurpose QR scanner to be used on any QR code (2D Code)
• Twitter and Facebook feeds with the latest news on HBCUs inside of the application

The App can be downloaded today at the following link (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hbcu-homecoming/id471987577?ls=1&mt=8) or found on the AppStore by searching for “HBCU Homecoming”. You can also follow HBCU mobile Apps on Twitter @hbcumobileapps or visit www.hbcumobileapps.com for more information. If you are a Promoter and interested in advertising your event around an HBCU Homecoming inside of the App, please contact us at info@hbcumobileapps.com