Clark Atlanta University Panthers Win Sixth SIAC Basketball Title

The Clark Atlanta men's basketball team (25-5, 16-5 SIAC) are officially the 2023-24 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Champions after taking down Miles College 65-55 on Sunday afternoon inside Enmarket Arena. With the win, Clark Atlanta secures their first SIAC Championship since 2017 and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament.

"This is a full circle moment that I've dreamt about since I was a player. But there's still more work to be done." said head coach Alfred Jordan after the win.

Shemani Fuller led all scorers with a game-high 20 points, earning himself tournament MVP in his first season with the Panthers. Jalen NeSmith poured in a season-high 15 points on 4-of-8 from the floor and 7-for-8 from the charity stripe. Reigning SIAC Player of the Year Chris Martin chipped in 13 points to help power the Panthers to their sixth SIAC Championship in program history.

Sunday's contest was dominated by Clark Atlanta as Miles College only held a lead for 43 seconds. Fuller scored the game's first points and six of the Panthers' first nine to mount a 9-6 advantage at 15:55 mark. The Bronx, N.Y. native nailed a pair of free throws to ignite an 11-2 run to put the Panthers in front 20-8 with 10 minutes until halftime.

NeSmith knocked down a jumper with 25 seconds left in the half, keeping the Panthers ahead 33-25 headed into the locker room. Clark Atlanta shot 39% from the floor, 33% from three-point range, and 62% from the foul line in the first half.

Fuller and NeSmith combined for eight points to open the second half to put the Panthers in front 40-26 with 17:35 to left to play. The Panthers continued to assert dominance on the defensive end after holding Miles to just eight points in the first nine minutes of the second half. Clark Atlanta took their biggest lead of the day at the 11:10 mark as they mounted a 52-33 advantage over the Golden Bears.

Despite the deficit, Miles strung together a 19-4 run to climb back within four points (56-52) with just under two minutes to play. The Panthers responded with a 9-3 run to diminish the comeback effort and escape with the 2024 SIAC Championship.

Clark Atlanta outshot Miles from the field 41% to 30% for the game while also winning the paint-scoring battle 38-12. CAU's reserves outscored MC's 12-9 and held the Golden Bears scoreless in transition with zero fastbreak points.

[SOURCE: CLARKATLANTASPORTS]

Joseph C. Phillips Joins Clark Atlanta University’s Faculty

Clark Atlanta University (CAU) has announced that actor, author, columnist, commentator, and sought-after speaker Joseph C. Phillips has joined the University as a professor in Theatre and Communication Studies.

Phillips-Headshot.jpg“Joseph brings a wealth of awe-inspiring talent, meaningful engagement in the community, and a portfolio of informed, decisive commentary to the University,” said President Dr. George T. French Jr. “We anticipate that he will inspire independent thinking, civic responsibility, and a passion for interdisciplinary learning in our students—which aligns perfectly with our mantra to “lift our community by lifting our voices.”

Phillips received the BFA in acting in 1983 from the acting conservatory at New York University after transferring from the University of the Pacific as a communications major. He has served as a fellow at the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian College; the Abraham Lincoln Fellow at the Claremont Institute; and the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas, where he designed, wrote the curriculum, and taught a seven-week course titled “Black Conservatism in America.”

A prolific actor perhaps best known for his role as Lt. Martin Kendall (the husband of Lisa Bonet’s character) on the hit series “The Cosby Show,” Phillips played Col. Greg Davis in four seasons of the Netflix award-winning series “13 Reasons Why,” which concluded in 2020. He is a three-time NAACP Image Award nominee for his portrayal of Attorney Justus Ward on “General Hospital” and has had guest starring roles on several television dramas, including “How to Get Away with Murder,” “NCIS” and “Good Trouble.”

His feature film credits include starring roles in “Strictly Business,” “Let’s Talk About Sex,” and “Midnight Blue.” Among his theatrical credits are starring roles in the Broadway production of “Six Degrees of Separation” and the Kennedy Center and American Playhouse productions of “A Raisin in the Sun.” He created the title role in “Dreaming Emmett,” Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison’s only theatrical play.

Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like a White Boy” and for eight years, wrote a widely syndicated weekly column titled “The Way I See It” that promoted conservative views such as traditional family, limited government, and a return to America's founding principles. He was also a regular commentator for NPR and American Urban Radio Network.

For ten years, he served as a director on the State Board of the California African American Museum, where he chaired the accessions committee, which was responsible for approving all art or artifacts for the museum’s collection.

On Phillips’s extensive roster of civic engagements are his work as a motivational speaker with the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s “VIDA” program designed to redirect the lives of at-risk youth; the Special Olympics, and The Green Chimneys Foundation, of which he was an advisory board member; The Red Cross; Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles; the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America; the San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission; and Project Alpha, a partnership of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and the March of Dimes designed to address teenage pregnancy, sexual and physical abuse, and sexually transmitted disease.

Clark Atlanta University awarded $10 Million National Science Foundation grant

August 3, 2022 - Clark Atlanta University (CAU) makes history as the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to receive a $10 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) INCLUDES program to establish the National Data Science Alliance (NDSA).

The NDSA will increase the number of Black people earning data science credentials by at least 20,000 by 2027 and expand data science research that advocates for social justice and strive to eliminate bias. To accomplish this visionary goal, the NDSA will facilitate engagement across all HBCUs with industry and academic collaboration to broaden participation and advance social justice in data science.

“This is a monumental accomplishment for the HBCU community as a whole, and we at Clark Atlanta University are deeply honored to perpetuate institutional mission through data science,” said President George T. French Jr., Ph.D. “Clark Atlanta University has deep roots in conducting data science research that promotes equity, including the seminal works of scholar and former faculty member W.E.B. Du Bois on these hallowed grounds. This historic award exemplifies our commitment to ensuring competitive advantage for students to succeed and excel in our data-driven society.”

Talitha Washington, the lead and principal investigator of the grant, is the mastermind behind the NDSA. As the Director of the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Data Science Initiative and professor of mathematics at Clark Atlanta University, she is passionate about engaging more HBCUs and building a community to accelerate the preparation of students in data science and discover solutions for data-oriented problems that impact the lives of Blacks.

“We are excited that many HBCUs will collaborate with us to develop new equity-based discoveries in data science and expand student pathways that will change the face of data science,” said Washington.

The NDSA is supported by the AUC Consortium, led by Michael Hodge, with industry-university collaboration led by Moses Garuba (Howard University) and collective impact efforts led by H. Justin Ballenger (Morehouse College). The NDSA’s three regional hubs are led by LaTanya Brown-Robertson (Howard University), Sajid Hussain (Fisk University), and Eric Mintz (Clark Atlanta University). The evaluation will be conducted by Kavita Mittapalli (MN Associates).

The NDSA will catalyze systemic change at scale by engaging over 1,000 HBCU faculty and will create equity-based data science ecosystems where all students can learn and thrive.

Clark Atlanta University Clears and Cancels Student Account Balances for Spring 2020 – Summer 2021

Clark Atlanta University President Dr. George T. French, Jr. announced today that student account balances for Spring 2020 – Summer 2021 will be canceled and cleared. The university is canceling all student account balances for the Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, and Summer 2021 semesters by bringing them to a zero balance. 

This initiative will have no impact on the students' future financial aid eligibility because of this one-time outstanding balance cancellation. 

The university's ability to provide this crucial relief to students is just a part of the "Momentum" CAU has experienced in the last 16 months. Throughout this unprecedented period, a substantial amount of support has been received from the federal government under the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). These funds have enabled CAU to support students in many ways: 

• Provided emergency financial aid dollars 
• Refunded a pro-rated amount of housing and meal charges for Spring 2020 
• Discounted tuition and fees for the entire 2020-2021 academic year 
• Purchased 4,000 laptops from Dell Computers for every financially enrolled student 
• Purchased hotspots to give students with limited or no internet access in their homes 

"We understand these past two academic years have been emotionally and financially difficult on students and their families due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why we will continue to do all we can to support their efforts to complete their CAU education," said President French. "Their academic and professional future is important to me and the entire Clark Atlanta University family. We care about students and want to lighten their individual and family's financial load so they can continue their journey in pursuing and attaining their educational and professional goals." 

Missing Clark Atlanta University student Alexis Crawford found dead

A missing Clark Atlanta University student has been found dead, Atlanta police said Friday.

Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields said the body of Alexis Crawford was found in a DeKalb County park in metro Atlanta.

Crawford was last seen by her family on Oct. 30.

Clark Atlanta alerted students to the news via email and social media.

“Panther Family, we are devastated by the tragic reports regarding our own Alexis Crawford. We are here for you!” the school tweeted.

Clark Atlanta students also received a letter from CAU President George French Jr. Friday evening.

“Our deepest thoughts and prayers are with her family and with everyone who knew and loved Alexis,” he said. “Investigators say this was an isolated, off-campus incident and there was never a threat to any other members of the community.”

[WRDW]

Wells Fargo, UNCF, Terrence ‘J’ Jenkins and Natasha Eubanks Team Up to Empower HBCU Students

Company hosts My Life, My Story, #MyUntold Town Hall event for more than 300 Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC) students to promote the #MyUntold℠ social media campaign as a platform to affirm positive cultural perceptions.

Today, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) and UNCF (United Negro College Fund) rallied students from three of the nation’s leading Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) —Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College — for an interactive town hall event to promote positive images of African American youth. HBCU alumni, Terrence ‘J’ Jenkins, actor and philanthropist, and Natasha Eubanks, founder and CEO of TheYBF.com, joined Wells Fargo and UNCF leaders to inspire students to use social media to share personal experiences that proactively address cultural mischaracterizations.

Seeking to broaden the current social narrative involving the African American community, Wells Fargo launched the #MyUntoldSMcampaign to offer a more comprehensive perspective on the African American experience. The social media campaign honors the community tradition of storytelling by creating a platform to share personal stories, history and defining moments– while fostering cultural awareness outside of the community. The official #MyUntold website (wellsfargo.com/MyUntold) aggregates user-generated and company-produced content (photos, videos and written posts) to offer visitors deeper insight into African American culture.

Today’s My Life, My Story, #MyUntold Town Hall event engaged HBCU students by empowering them to lead and take personal accountability for enlightening others on the full cultural identity of African American youth. Students were invited to contribute their stories at an onsite photo/video booth, and during “man on the street” interviews captured across campus. To further encourage community engagement, the Haitian Club of Spelman College and the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students of Clark Atlanta University were presented with a $1,000 check to develop programs to support local community organizations.

“Wells Fargo’s #MyUntold campaign is valuable because it provides an important vantage point of the community that extends one-dimensional storytelling,” says Jenkins. “It’s my hope that coming out of this event students will be inspired to become the official storytellers of their community.”

To date, the social media storytelling campaign has generated hundreds of personal stories from across the country. It has become a catalyst for self-expression that showcases diverse experiences among a common culture.

“Wells Fargo is happy to introduce #MyUntold to millennials in this way. We’ve taken the campaign across the country, and people literally wait in line to share their stories. As a company, we appreciate the opportunity to connect directly with the communities we serve in such a personal way,” says Lisa Frison, vice president, African American Segment manager, Wells Fargo. “HBCU students in particular have the power to become the opinion formers of a generation, and #MyUntold is one way they can use their voice to lead.”

Following the event, students were joined by community members for a #MyUntold themed Instameet. Participants traveled to various campus landmarks to capture photo and video content (to share on Instagram®) that reflects their HBCU experiences.

“Since #MyUntold launched, UNCF has been a strong supporter of the campaign,” says Richard Shropshire, Vice President of Communications and Marketing, UNCF. “This platform aligns with our ongoing relationship with Wells Fargo that includes longstanding support of the UNCF Empower Me Tour and UNCF Evening of Stars, engagement platforms which empower the African American community to aspire to higher education.”

Wells Fargo continues to promote the campaign through efforts with Oprah.Com and Interactive One, creating custom content, including stories from actor and HBCU alumni, Lance Gross, and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, Elle Varner. Renowned pastor, author and motivational speaker, Bishop T.D. Jakes recently shared his story about how his father’s sacrifice inspired him to strive for success while reaching back to help others. The company continues to encourage the community to share their own stories using #MyUntold.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.8 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through 8,700 locations, 12,800 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 36 countries to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 265,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 30 on Fortune’s 2015 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo perspectives are also available at Wells Fargo Blogs and Wells Fargo Stories.

Contacts

For Wells Fargo & Company
Media
Melody Thuston
312-729-4221
MThuston@golin.com
or
Valerie Williams
704-743-6544
valerie.williams@wellsfargo.com
@ValWilliamsWF

#BlackLivesMatter Protesters Crash Hillary Clinton's HBCU Rally!

A small group of Black Lives Matter protesters interrupted Hillary Clinton's speech during a “African-Americans for Hillary” campaign event in Atlanta this afternoon at Clark Atlanta University. Watch video of the incident below: