In 2007 I got an idea. I wanted to give a sweater to every student who joined a fraternity or sorority and happened to be #2 on their line. This concept is called selecting a special- an informal mentoring relationship that older members established with incoming members. In some regions of the country, people would select specials across organizations.

So with that idea I wanted to show that despite being in different groups, we all should work together because all  the groups have the same values and principles. So last spring (2011) each group on campus selected members and recently I received all of their sweaters to present. This was definitely a fun moment.

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Lem from Soul Food was on the yard yesterday! Of course, folks my age remember the hit series on Showtime which was the longest running TV drama with a majority black cast. But for most of the students, this is Grant from Stomp the Yard.

His name is Darrin DeWitt Henson, a very talented actor, choreographer and writer. Many know about his fitness dance taps, as he did choreography for the likes of Michael Jackson and N Sync. Our student Justin Cain (on the right) made the connection to bring him to campus.

Darrin has lots of good quotables last night. "Are we willing to shed the pounds of procrastination? Are we willing to build the mental muscle to burn the fat of procrastination?"

He challenged our focus, noting that we spend too much time with Twitter, Facebook, etc. and not focusing. He noted all the Apple products we own, but no Apple stock (I'm buying some ASAP).

My favorite comment from the night was how we use these four letter words: can't, stop, won't and don't. He went on to say, "Most of you are shoulding all over yourselves." Loved it!

Darrin hung out for a while, then afterward went and did karaoke. Defintely a good dude all the way around.

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Bless the Mic season seven moved into January with our guest, Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry. She has been BLOWING UP recently, just landing her own show on MSNBC while serving as a professor at Tulane and a columnist for The Nation. With 2012 being an election year, it was great having her insights.

In a wide-ranging lecture, Dr. Harris-Perry looked at the Constitution particularly with respect to the ideas of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. She noted the irony of Jefferson writing these eloquent phrases while living a contradiction.

She emphasized that college is still a great investment, noting the lower unemployment rates for those with a degree, but also noting that unemployment differential by race has existed for over 30 years- since it was tracked. She then talked about the prsion complex, noting that black women are the group being incarcerated at the fastest rate today.

Not only was she informative, she was VERY funny as well. She noted a special kinship Black people feel with President Obama just knowing he knows what a perm smells like! Definitely one of the best in a line of great Bless the Mic speakers.

Those who bought books coming in were smart- they were a hot item after she finished!

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Last Thursday we kicked off our spring Body Justice activities. This is an initiative to focus on the development of healthy lifestyles by all members of our community. Below are some scenes from that day.

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On Thursday our Social Justice Advisory board came to town for a series of discussions as we continue to embed social justice into the frabric of the institution. The group was formed in 2009 and had their first meeting on campus that fall. Our director of the social justice initiative, Dr. Joseph Jones, was a member of the advisory board before being recruited for the position. They will continue to provide recommendations so that we can expand our program.

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On Wednesday we held our spring institute for faculty and staff. It is a way for us to get focused as we prepare for the upcoming semester. As you can tell, everyone was happy to see each other.

Our speaker was Dr. James Minor of the Southern Education Foundation in Atlanta. A graduate of Jackson Sttate, with a PhD from the University of Wisconsin, he helped us to continue our year long focus on the HBCU ethos.

He wanted us to reconsider our perspective for this semester. His overall ideas were that HBCUs need to intentionally communicate their specialness, that faculty and staff should ask themselves if they do their jobs knowing that someone's life is in their hands, and that we should focus on innovation and not simply be consumers. His talk was very challenging and hopefully one we will reconsider not only this year but every year.

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Last year a report was released which ranked HBCUs based on the profile of incoming students (average SAT and ACT scores). For last year we ranked #9. But for the 2010-11 year, we moved up one spot to #8. Another great indicator of our progress.

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Top Historically Black Colleges and Universities - HBCU (2010-2011)

This article ranks the top Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the United States by average (midhinge) ACT and SAT scores for Fall 2010 enrollees. HBCUs are institutions of higher education that were established prior to 1964 for the purpose of serving black students.

For purposes of this article, HBCU are separately ranked according to their average ACT and SAT scores and then those two rankings are averaged to establish an overall ranking for each school.

 

1. Howard University

2. (tie) Spelman College, Morehouse College

3. Hampton University

4. Fisk University

5. Xavier University of Louisiana

6. Bluefield State College

7. Florida A & M University

8. Philander Smith College

9. (tie) Southern University, Jackson State University

10. Oakwood University

This story appeared on today's Huffington Post, authored by Marybeth Gasman and Nelson Bowman. Great that PSC was listed as the #2 HBCU success of 2011!

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In honor of the New Year approaching, we thought we would put together a list of the Top 10 Black College Successes of the past year. There have been many, but these stand out in terms of innovation, boldness, and impact.

1. Johnson C. Smith University received a $35 million gift from the Duke Endowment. The gift supports scholarships, science-related project, and capital improvements on the campus. This gift is one of the largest gifts ever made to an HBCU and represents the largest gift to the institution from the Duke Endowment.

2. Philander Smith College hosted a 'Sex Week' focused on HIV/AIDS, STDs, sexual harassment, and relationships. With this event, the institution tackled issues that are sometimes glossed over on some HBCU campuses.

3. Xavier University of Louisiana ranked first nationally in the number of African American students earning undergraduate degrees in biology, chemistry and physics, outpacing every other institution in the nation.

4. Paul Quinn College students participated in multiple student protests against the expansion of a landfill near their campus. They asked the question: "Why does the city want to expand a landfill near our campus, yet we can't get a grocery store within 6 miles?" The Paul Quinn students are role models for students everywhere.

5. Spelman College held the Audre Lourde Historically Black College and University Summit, which focused on LGBT issues within African-American and HBCU communities. The event was supported and embraced by Spelman's president Beverly Daniel Tatum and was attended by representatives from HBCUs across the nation. In holding this event, Spelman has led the way for more HBCUs to create supportive environments for LGBT students.

6. Morgan State University was awarded a $1.8 million federal grant to create an Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence. The institution is now offering degrees related to vital national security issues.

7. Claflin University experienced an increase of 24 percent in its leadership gifts ($1000+) with 203 donors giving more than $804,000. They are an HBCU fundraising role model.

8. Kentucky State University launched a partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Urban Development, which includes "courses and a curriculum designed to educate students about fair housing and how to advocate on behalf of others." It also includes internships and opportunities to help the federal government to monitor fair housing practices. This partnership complements the institution's deep commitment to civic engagement.

9. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania hosted the Summer Leadership Development Institute, which focused on empowering boys "to live in greatness as well-adjusted citizens, professionals, and contributors to their community." They are working hard to change the lives of African American boys and men.

10. Fayetteville State University opened a Center for Defense and Homeland Security in collaboration with the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and the Office of Homeland Security. The Center focuses on supporting "mitigation and recovery of natural and man-made catastrophic disasters within the United States." Fayetteville State is preparing students to tackle our nation's toughest challenges.