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." 

Rajah McQueen is Missing!

OHIO-Authorities are asking for the public’s help in finding 27-year-old Rajah McQueen. She has been missing for several weeks after last being seen June 24 in the 10300 block of Miles Avenue in Cleveland.

McQueen is 5’6” tall and 133 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Anybody with information is asked to call the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office at 216-348-4232.

Sherina Monique Smith is Missing

SOUTH CAROLINA-The Florence County Sheriff's Office needs help to locate a missing woman last seen Saturday morning.

Sherina Monique Smith, 34, of Camden, SC was last seen around 7:50 a.m. near the 141-mile marker on I-20 eastbound, officers said.

Investigators said Smith may have run out of gas and was walking toward Florence was she was last seen.

Smith is described as standing approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs approximately 177 pounds. She has long black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with knowledge or information about her whereabouts are asked to contact FCSO Investigators at (843) 665-2121, ext. 406 or “Submit-A-Tip” on the FCSO free app for I-Phone or Android devices. You can also contact Crime Stoppers of the Pee Dee at 1-888-CRIME-SC.

Georgia city changes street named for Confederate general to Barack Obama Boulevard

A street believed to be named for Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan founder will be changed to Barack Obama Boulevard in Valdosta Georgia.

D.J. Davis, fellow members of Action Sociology Anthropology Club, and the majority of people present Thursday evening rejoiced as Valdosta City Council approved the request to change Forrest Street’s name.

The City Council voted 6-1 to change the name from Forrest Street to Barack Obama Boulevard.

Davis and the Action Sociology Anthropology Club set a goal to gather at least 187 signatures of parcel owners on Forrest Street and Forrest Street Extension to meet a city mandate of needing 60% of owners' signatures to consider changing a street name.

”The meaning of names is powerful. It shows how much the community cared about changing his name and these are people on the streets, so the credit doesn’t come to me. The credit goes to the residents of Forrest Street that wanted this name change and they allowed it to happen by signing the signature,” said Davis.

The group raised $3,000, a reimbursement fee that needed to be paid before the verification process for the signatures was completed June 22.

This reimbursement fee, the actual costs of renaming the street, had the potential to contain costs for advertising, new signs and/or installation of new signs.

Now that it has been approved, a 90-day period will be given for emergency officials to update dispatch records and people living on that street to update financial statements.

Rep. Hank Johnson arrested at voting rights demonstration

Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., was among 10 demonstrators arrested by U.S. Capitol Police on Thursday in an orchestrated act of civil disobedience outside the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill.

Johnson and voting rights advocates participating in Black Voters Matter Fund's "Brothers Day of Action," a protest led by Black men to advocate for voting rights, called on Congress to end the filibuster and pass the For the People Act.

After his arrest Rep. Johnson tweeted:

.@BlackCaucus I was arrested today protesting against Senate inaction on voting rights legislation & filibuster reform. In the spirit of my dear friend and mentor – the late Congressman John Lewis – I was getting in #goodtrouble pic.twitter.com/JjN51mRpaC

— Rep. Hank Johnson (@RepHankJohnson) July 22, 2021