A Monthly Newsletter from the Office of the President
BISON BEAT September 2019 | Volume 8 Issue 7
Dear Howard University Community, Too often, I hear that Howard is not the “real” world.” Everything that we do,
Inside AROUND CAMPUS
every success we celebrate, every student, faculty, staff, and alumni who beats the odds, exceeds expectations and shatters glass ceilings is a real contribution to Howard’s legacy and to the world as we know it.
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Opening Convocation presents an opportunity to honor our past and look toward our future as we formally begin a new academic year. When we conceptualize Howard Forward, we are thinking critically and consciously about
Encourages Students to “Get Off the Sidelines”
Opening Convocation is the manifestation of a time-honored tradition. It’s significance, though, is about more than tradition or pomp and circumstance.
Opening Convocation Message
6 Stomp Out Sickle Cell
where she will be in the next decade.
7 A Day of Service
For 152 years, we have been committed to serving our community. Howard
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King Endowed Chair in Public Policy
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Howard University Class of 2023
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Howard Relaunches Public Affairs
has played a critical role in shaping the forward progress of our nation, and indeed the world, through the generations of graduates who pushed boundaries and moved us ever closer to a more perfect and just society. No matter
We will serve our diverse community with high impact outreach and collaborative partnerships across divisions and beyond campus borders, while cultivating an atmosphere of inclusivity, wellness and civility. My desire is for you to see and feel the connective tissue between you and the strategic plan or the successes we celebrate on campus. We have a huge vision. Our strategic pillars: enhance academic excellence, inspire new knowledge, serve the community, improve efficiency and effectiveness, achieve financial sustainability stand tall to carry the weight of our vision and yet it is each of us who bring life to and connect the pillars to each other. Our mission is our why. And each of us are the how. Together, we will move Howard Forward.
Excellence in Truth and Service,
Wayne A. I. Frederick. M.D., MBA PRE SID E N T
Welcomes Back Donna Brazile
Fellowship
10 New Appointment for President Frederick
10 Howard Law Graduates Featured in The 1619 Project
11 ESPN Selects Two Howard Students for Rhoden Fellowship
12 Latest Accolades for Howard 13 Howard Homecoming 2019 14 New Appointment SEPTEMBER 2019 | Bison Beat Monthly Newsletter | PAGE 3
Opening Convocation Message Encourages Students to “Get Off the Sidelines” During Howard University’s 152nd Opening Convocation, the Honorable Isiah “Ike” Leggett, alumnus and former Montgomery County executive, challenged the Class of 2023 and the Howard community to get off the sidelines on society’s current issues.
During the ceremony, President Frederick added this salient point: “In the last five years, Howard University has accomplished a lot. When we rolled out our Howard Forward: 2024 strategic plan, earlier this year, it was because we knew we were comfortable and confident in who we are and our unique calling. It will not be those of us who are present today who will see Howard University
“Class of 2023, there is no middle ground for us in America on racism. You have to choose! You can’t sit hiding on the sideline. But the good news is that there is an opportunity to reverse the ferocious trend that is dividing our great nation,” said Leggett.
celebrate 300 years or half of a century. It will be a
Leggett acknowledged the current student and alumni impact on movements, such as the Civil Rights era and Vietnam War to more current issues, including the Black Lives Matter movement, immigration and healthcare reform. He was the first and only African American in his former position as Montgomery County executive, noting that Howard contributed to his success.
more prudent. We have the privilege of witnessing
generation that looks similar to us only with more of our strengths and fewer of our weaknesses; more capable; more daring; more confident, and those solutions be birthed into thought leaders and critical thinkers each day on this campus. Our mission is our why. And each of us are the how.
“I spent many inspirational years here, at Howard,” said Leggett. “Howard continues to grow with each year that passes. Howard continues to drive change through innovation, rigor and social awareness. The spirit of this great institution is fundamentally the same as when it was crafted.” He told the Class of 2023 what their task would be once they graduate: Be new change agents.
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Stomp Out Sickle Cell National Sickle Cell Awareness Month is observed each year in September. Again this year, the Howard University Center for Sickle Cell Disease called on the community to join its annual Stomp Out Sickle (SOS) Cell Move-On event, which was on Saturday, September 21. The goal of Stomp Out Sickle Cell is to get participants to move. It's a way for people in the community to demonstrate solidarity and show support for those with sickle cell disease and their families, as well as increase awareness in the community. The main event was the SOS 5K Run/Walk held on Howard University’s campus. Other events included alternative highenergy activities, such as Zumba, a boot camp, and a kids’ zone. This year, Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick joined the Stomp Out Sickle Cell Move-On event as he continues his Run to Cure Sickle Cell campaign.
HOWARD’S SICKLE CELL CENTER
RUN FOR THE SICKLE CELL CURE Earlier this year, President Wayne A. I. Frederick launched the Run to Cure Sickle Cell campaign to raise awareness and funds for Howard University’s Center for Sickle Cell Disease. Diagnosed with sickle cell anemia at birth, President Frederick made a pledge to run a 5K race every month in 2019 to bring awareness to the disease. So far this year, he has completed races in Los Angeles; Orlando; Landover, Maryland; Potomac Park, Maryland; Houston; Fairfax, Virginia; and Washington, D.C. He also had the opportunity to visit NBC 4 Washington to discuss his campaign and how the funds raised will support sickle cell disease therapy and community outreach efforts.
The Center for Sickle Cell Disease was founded in 1972 by the late Roland B. Scott, M.D., and has a distinguished history of leading clinical investigations in sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is a severe hereditary blood disorder affecting 100,000 people in the United States. It is prevalent in African Americans and many other people of African descent throughout the world.
THE CENTER AT WORK
396
NUMBER OF ADULTS TREATED BY HOWARD MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS Number of children treated by Howard medical professionals
NO. 1
A Day of Service The Howard University Day of Service focuses on community building through seven servicelearning initiatives that address educational disparities, homelessness and poverty, violence, police and community relationships, and voter registration. In August, at the start of the fall semester, students, faculty and staff again participated in the annual event, which was held at various locations throughout the city.
30 +
45 +
7,500
1,000
THE NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE PARTICIPATED IN DAY OF SERVICE
THE NUMBER OF SERVICE SITES WHERE THE HU COMMUNITY HAS WORKED
THE NUMBER OF SERVICE HOURS COMPLETED IN TOTAL SINCE THE PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2013
THE NUMBER OF STUDENT VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM
+
+
HOWARD IS THE SINGLE LARGEST CARE PROVIDER FOR ADULTS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE LOCALLY
percentage increase in 15% The the last year of adults with
sickle cell being treated at Howard University Hospital
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Howard University Class of 2023 This year’s freshmen class arrived from all over the world to join the Class of 2023. The nations with the highest yield are Nigeria, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Nepal, Canada and Ghana. The top states with the highest yield includes New York, Maryland, Georgia, California, New Jersey and Texas. The class of more than 2,000 students—one of the largest in recent years—will study in the arts and sciences, health, business, and communications, to name a few. Top majors of this year’s class includes biology; political science; psychology; media, journalism and film; nursing; and computer science.
Female........................................74 %
Number of Nations Represented
Male.............................................26%
King Endowed Chair in Public Policy Welcomes Back Donna Brazile After serving as the 2018-2019 Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King Endowed Chair in Public Policy, Donna Brazile will return to the position for the 2019-2020 academic year. She will again develop and host a lecture series to engage the Howard community on various subjects, including politics, voting, criminal justice reform and civility. In the first installment of the series, Millennial Voting Power in 2020: #Whatmatters2020, Brazile moderated a conversation featuring Managing Director of Black Lives Matter Kailee Scales, and Howard University Student Association Director of Community and External Affairs William Pugh. Brazile returns to Howard University as the first African American woman to direct a major presidential campaign, serving as Al Gore’s campaign manager in the 2000 election. She is the former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee and the author of the New York Times bestseller Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-Ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House. She also authored the 2004 best-selling memoir Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics. She is a co-author of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics, which won the 2019 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Nonfiction. Since 2008, the King Lecture Series has provided students access to experienced, senior public service executives who have developed and advanced public policy initiatives. During the last academic year, Brazile welcomed a series of guests, which included journalist Greta Van Susteran, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, U.S. House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings.
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Average SAT-T..........................1213
21
Average ACT..................................25 Average GPA..............................3.60
Howard Relaunches Public Affairs Fellowship The University will relaunch the Patricia Roberts Harris (PRH) Public Affairs Fellowship administered by the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center. It is a one-year fellowship program designed to provide a dynamic professional development experience to Howard University students with an interest in public affairs. The fellowship will aid students in recognizing the central role of public affairs in an increasingly global world. The PRH Fellowship is made possible due to a bequest issued by Patricia R. Harris (1924–85) to Howard University in 1987. She was considered one of Howard University’s most distinguished alumni. She graduated summa cum laude from Howard’s College of Liberal Arts in 1945. More than 200 Howard University alumni have been fellows of the PRH Fellowship, including Judge Darrin Gayles of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida; Allison Brown, executive director of the Communities for Just Schools; and Mischa Thompson, Ph.D., of the Helenski Commission. “The Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowship led to my career in public service. Patricia Roberts Harris was the epitome of what a public servant should be,” said Judge Gayles. “The fellowship, created at her bequest provided me with the opportunity to meet several outstanding public servants who mentored me as a student and throughout my professional career. I am a part of her legacy.” SEPTEMBER 2019 | Bison Beat Monthly Newsletter | PAGE 9
New Appointment for President Frederick President Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA, has been appointed to the NCAA Division I Presidential Forum and will serve a three-year term beginning September 1. The Presidential Forum comprises one president or chancellor from each of the 32 Division I Conferences. The purpose of the forum is to assist the NCAA Division I Board of Directors in accomplishing its strategic mission in the Division I governance structure and help ensure that the NCAA core value involving presidential leadership of intercollegiate athletics at the campus, conference and national level is achieved.
“I am honored to represent Howard University and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference institutions as a member of the NCAA Division I Presidential Forum. From my experience as the soccer team manager as a freshman to overseeing our 21 Division I sports, I hope to bring a range of experiences and perspectives to this role. I look forward to working with the governing body to address intercollegiate athletics and its relationship to higher education.”
The introduction to the essay discusses Howard’s unique and formidable position in United States history as an institution established for Black Americans after emancipation. Howard Law has undoubtedly produced some of the most renowned civil rights advocates, including Thurgood Marshall. As a top producer of African American lawyers, Howard School of Law continues the legacy of developing lawyers who challenge racial injustice across the country. Like many Howard law students, the four graduates featured in The 1619 Project, are descendants of people who were enslaved in this country. “The journey to finding out who I am and where I come from was necessary to the realization of myself and has helped me to revere the history on which I stand,” said Porter. The graduates featured were each somewhat shaken by the history uncovered about their ancestors. Whether it is because of the stereotypes about Black Americans that were debunked in their stories or how their ancestors demonstrated perseverance against extraordinary odds, there was something for each of the graduates and their families to discover in the untold stories of their ancestors.
– President Frederick
Howard Law Graduates Featured in The 1619 Project Four Howard University School of Law alumni were featured in a dynamic photo essay in The 1619 Project from The New York Times. Elijah Porter, Septembra LeSane, Ky’Eisha Penn and Yasiman Montgomery posed for a series of solemn yet captivating photos alongside their parents and grandparents. The photos were accompanied by narratives about their ancestors, information that was uncovered by professional genealogist, Kenyatta Berry. “The 1619 Project is a critical examination of the legacy of slavery and people of African descent in the United States,” said Howard School of Law Dean Danielle Holley-Walker. “The story of Howard University School of Law highlights the way that Black institutions have worked to make America live up to its democratic ideals and values. The stories of four members of the Howard Law Class of 2019 demonstrates the direct line of history from enslaved people to the groundbreaking Black lawyers of today. My hope is that highlighting this history will become a moment of reflection and action.”
ESPN Selects Two Howard Students for Rhoden Fellowship Two Howard University journalism students have been selected to participate in the Rhoden Fellowship with ESPN’s The Undefeated. The one-year sports journalism program will train junior Arthur Cribbs and senior Nathaniel Easington to become leading reporters on the sports industry. “The Rhoden Fellows Program already is making a difference. Some graduates are out in the world now starting to put a stamp on our profession. We welcome this newest class that will add to the pipeline of excellence we’re building,” said Kevin Merida, ESPN senior vice president and editor-in-chief.
ARTHUR CRI BBS
This is true for the two students of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications. Cribbs has experience writing about sports, specifically with Dodgers Nation, a news source on the Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball team. He was also a production manager for Spotlight News, Howard University’s student television network under WHUT-TV, and spent his summer as an intern with Sony Pictures. NATHANIEL EASINGTON
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“I hope to gain an understanding of the operations of the sports media industry from the best in the business,” said Cribbs, who applied after great encouragement from his professors. “Within the industry, I want to share the power in each person’s individual story. I want to share stories that serve as an inspiration and remind people that as unique as we are, we can see aspects of ourselves in every person’s story.” For Easington, working for Howard University’s award-winning student-run newspaper, The Hilltop, and The Ghanian Times has offered him a wealth of knowledge thus far. He spent his summer working on Capitol Hill with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “In this program, I plan to focus on aspects of sports I haven't covered and improve my ability to produce media from different platforms,” said Easington. “I would like to be known as a journalist that produces long-form investigative pieces about sports and move away from just reporting on the score from the most recent game.”
Howard Homecoming 2019 Howard University presents “Forward” as the theme for the 2019 Howard Homecoming festivities, scheduled Oct. 5-13. The highly anticipated football game will take place on October 12, against the Norfolk State Spartans. As the Bison community returns to campus with fond memories and proud reflections of the rich Howard legacy, Homecoming is also an opportunity to look ahead toward future accomplishments and milestones to come. This year’s theme reflects this sentiment. “In alignment with our Howard Forward: 2024 strategic plan, the essence of Howard’s approach to a contemporary education can be captured in five pillars: enhance academic excellence, inspire new knowledge, serve the community, improve efficiency and effectiveness and achieve financial sustainability,” says President Wayne A. I. Frederick.
“Forward describes the energy, passion and goals of the faculty, staff, students and alumni, and is a perfect reflection of the current attitude across campus. We are firing on all cylinders, across all areas, to aggressively advance Howard forward.” The week of festivities will begin with the annual Howard University Day of Service on Saturday, October 5, a continuation of the volunteer spirit connecting Bison to the surrounding community. Service will segue into a day of praise at Howard’s legendary Call to Chapel on Sunday, October 6. Howard University’s Department of Athletics and its student athletes will host a campus-wide pep rally on Monday, October 7. Other events include the fashion show, HU Ideas Symposium, Yardfest and the Alumni Jazz Brunch, which will feature a performance by Step Afrika!
Latest Accolades for Howard In its recently released college rankings, U.S. News & World Report awarded Howard the top spot its first web exclusive social mobility category. In this category, Howard University is recognized as the top private institution for “how well schools graduated students who received federal Pell Grants (those typically coming from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually). The University ranked No. 4 overall on U.S. News’ social mobility ranking, behind three public institutions. Howard was also ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek as the No. 1 Business School for alumni who founded a company after graduation. In a recent survey of graduates from 125 business schools, Howard graduates (25 of the 49 surveyed) had the highest number of alumni who started their own business. In the survey, graduates noted that Howard taught them how to take problems and make them solutions. Some of the businesses that alumni who were surveyed have started include medical supply, technology and transportation.
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New Appointment The Howard University College of Arts and Sciences welcomes Ravi K. Perry, Ph.D., as professor and chair of the Department of Political Science, which is one of the University’s largest undergraduate programs and enrolls more than 700 first majors. It also features a robust graduate program, which includes the world’s only Ph.D. program in political science that focuses explicitly on Black politics. “I’m thrilled to announce that Dr. Ravi K. Perry will serve as chair of the Department of Political Science,” says Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Rubin Patterson, Ph.D. “This is an exciting time for the college as we chart a new path forward. Dr. Perry’s impressive accomplishments as a prolific scholar, dedicated teacher, and able administrator, make him an excellent addition to the college’s leadership team.” Perry joins the department with an expertise in Black politics, minority representation, urban politics, American public policy and LGBT candidates of color. “I’ve long been inspired by the legacy of Howard Political Science,” Perry explains. “The department’s first Ph.D. graduate, my fraternity brother of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and “father” of Black politics—Dr. Hanes Walton Jr.—is the reason I’m a political scientist today. Howard inspired Dr. Walton and Dr. Walton inspired me to study politics while I was student at the University of Michigan.”
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Appendix
On Beat with @HUPrez17 SOCIAL COLLATERAL FROM@HUPREZ17 T H E H OWA R D U N I V ER S I T Y S C H O O L OF BUS I N ES S hosted a 50th Anniversary Celebration and Alumni Reception on Sept. 18 at Moody’s Corporation’s headquarters located at 7 World Trade Center in New York City. T H E AU G US T WI L S ON S OC I ET Y, a multidisciplinary community of educators, artists, practitioners and students, launched the annual August Wilson’s Ground Lecture Series in September at the Howard University Interdisciplinary Research Building. Each lecture seeks to encourage informed discussions on the relevance of his life and literary legacy by featuring a nationally acclaimed speaker who will “ground” their talk in one of the multiple disciplines featured in Wilson’s work. T H E H OWA R D U N I V ER S I T Y G R A D UAT E S C H O O L announced the 2019 recipients of the Edward Bouchet Legacy Award: James M. Turner, Ph.D., former director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Joyce Ladner, Ph.D., a renowned sociologist and former interim president of Howard University. T H E S I M U L AT I ON A N D S K I L L S C EN T ER hosted an open house event in September during Global Healthcare Simulation Week. The Howard University Simulation and Clinical Skills Center is a state-of-the-art facility that serves nearly all 13 schools and colleges across campus. The goal of the Global Healthcare Simulation Week is to increase awareness among the public of the importance of simulation to healthcare. The Global Healthcare Simulation Week was sponsored by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.
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HOWARD UNIVERSITY STUDENT AID FUND
I AM PLEASED TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING GIFT TO THE HOWARD UNIVERSITY STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND. (Please make checks payable to Howard University.)
Enclosed is my gift of $ Name: _____________________________________________________________ Title: ______________________________________________________________ Company/Organization: _____________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ______________________________________________________ If new address, please check: ¨
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JOIN US NEXT TIME… ON
“The Journey” “The Journey” is a weekly 15-minute program hosted by Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, 17th President of Howard University. A family man, scholar, surgeon, leader, servant of the world, Frederick engages in dynamic dialogue with local and national guests, learning about their journeys and their thoughts on a full range of issues of the day. Listeners can hear conversations about raising boys to manhood, encouraging women in leadership, detecting cancer, mentoring youth, preventing domestic violence, the value of a village and much more.
T U NE -IN HE R E
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Will you answer the call? SEPTEMBER 2019 | Bison Beat Monthly Newsletter | PAGE 17