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Southern University and the Pursuit of Black Excellence

NEW ORLEANS DATA NEWS WEEKLY — Southern University and A&M College System holds the distinction as being the only Historically Black University System in America.

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By Edwin Buggage, Editor

Southern University’s has more than 130 years of Excellence in Higher Education. From its beginning to the present day it is at the forefront of educational institutions in the State of Louisiana, their faculty, students, and alumni have positively impacted society at every level.

It continues to produce graduates that are leaders in many fields of endeavor and lighting the road to freedom, justice and equality.

Southern University and A&M College System also holds the distinction as being the only Historically Black University System in America.

When accounting for all the five campuses throughout Louisiana that includes, Southern University, Baton Rouge; Southern University, New Orleans; Southern University Law Center; Southern University, Shreveport; and the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, total enrollment exceeds more than 15,000 students coming from 46 states and from at least 40 foreign countries.

Southern University A&M (Baton Rouge) The Early Years and the Continuing the Spirit of Black Excellence

What began as a dream more than 136 years ago is today a living legacy of determination, commitment, and success. The Southern University and A&M College System is the only Historically Black University System in the United States.

Southern University and A&M College (often referred to as Southern University, Southern, SUBR or SU) is a public Historically Black College University (HBCU) in the Scotlandville area of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The campus encompasses 512 acres, with an agricultural experimental station on an additional 372-acre site, five miles north of the main campus.

The university is the largest HBCU in Louisiana. The history of Southern University is one steeped in a race of people striving for equality and a chance to live with human dignity, full equality and access to opportunities that an education would afford them after the end of the Civil War during the Reconstruction Period. This tradition continues to this day.

An example of this living spirit is Bill Tucker, who serves as a member of the Southern University System Foundation, Board of Directors where he chairs its Investment Committee. He is a member of the University Club, a charter member of the 1880 Society, and a life member of the Southern University Alumni Federation.

In addition, he is a graduate of Southern University who is a venture capitalist who believes the early investment in his potential at an HBCU planted the seeds to him being successful. Being raised by his mother after the untimely death of his father before his third birthday. Today he invests his time and resources to help young people get a quality education.

“HBCU’s continue to be important and if it were not for Southern University providing me with the opportunity for an education, I don’t know what my life would have been like. Today kids have many more opportunities and access to education, but there are still those who are like Bill Tucker who arrived at Southern in 1969 looking for an opportunity for a better life and Southern provided that for me with a supportive staff, faculty and administration.”

Freedom and a Matter of Color: A History of Southern University Law Center (Baton Rouge)

On December 16, 1946, in response to a lawsuit by an African-American resident seeking to attend law school at a state institution, the Louisiana State Board of Education took “positive steps to establish a Law School for Negroes at Southern University to be in operation for the 1947-1948 session.”

Plans for the law school were approved by the State Board of Education at its January 10, 1947, meeting. On June 14, 1947, the Board of Liquidation of State Debt appropriated $40,000 for the operation of the school. The Southern University Law School was officially opened in September 1947 to provide legal education for African-American students.

Southern University Law Center graduates, beginning with the Legendary Civil Rights Attorney, Political Leader, and Educator Jesse N. Stone, Jr., Alvin Basile Jones, Leroy White, Ellyson Fredrick Dyson, and Alex Louis Pitcher of the Class of 1950, have spread across the state and nation as trailblazers in the legal profession, securing equal rights for others. To date, the Law Center has more than 2,500 graduates and has one of the nation’s most racially diverse law schools’ background.

The mission and tradition of the Law Center continues to provide access and opportunity to a diverse group of students from under-represented racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups to obtain a high-quality legal education with special emphasis on the Louisiana Civil Law. Additionally, their mission is to train a cadre of lawyers equipped with the skills necessary for the practice of law and for positions of leadership in society.

Expanding its Vison and Mission: SU Agricultural Research and Extension Center (Baton Rouge)

Founded in 2001 in Baton Rouge, Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center’s, mission is to conduct basic and applied research, disseminate information to Louisiana residents and to help them address their scientific, technical, social, economic and cultural needs.

The Ag Center encompasses the Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives, the Center for Small Farm Research, the Cooperative Extension Program, the SU Livestock Show and its state-of-the-art arena, and a 385-acre Agricultural Research Facility.

Giving Educational Opportunities to All: SUSLA (Shreveport) Boasts Being the only HBCU in Louisiana

Founded in Shreveport in 1964 SUSLA is an institute which it’s mission ranges from community workforce training or preparing students for four-year schools. With its diverse approach to preparing and educating its students to leading the way to educational and professional success. Southern University at Shreveport in its over 50 years is committed to ensuring they leave an indelible footprint in our community and beyond.

It also holds the distinction as the only HBCU Comprehensive Community College in Louisiana, SUSLA serves an ever-growing population of full-time and part-time students. At SUSLA, they offer a high-quality education and opportunities for our students which in turn contributes to the vibrancy of our local, state, national and global economic community.

SUNO Continuing to Build Bridges of Opportunity

SUNO has been a jewel to the New Orleans Community educating and producing city leaders in many fields of endeavor. Located on a 17-acre site located in Historic Pontchartrain Park, a sub-division of primarily African-American single-family residences in Eastern New Orleans.

Wesley Bishop knows this campus well, once as a student where he was Student Body President and today where he serves as Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs; a post he has held for over two-decades.

Speaking of the history and importance of Southern University at New Orleans he says, “As the only Public, Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in the City of New Orleans, Southern University at New Orleans provides an awesome education in a small-class, nurturing environment. While it’s primary focus is to provide access to traditional students in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area, it has long educated non-traditional, working adults.”

SUNO continues to be important to New Orleans in so many ways explain Bishop, “Simply put, if there weren’t an institution like SUNO, we would need to build one today. It provides quality educational opportunities to both traditional college aged students and recently that the majority of African- Americans who have bachelor’s degrees in New Orleans earned their degrees at SUNO. Think about it – your teachers and superintendents, business people, police officers and chiefs, first responders, social workers, college chancellors, lawyers, judges and law school deans – all got their start at 6400 Press Drive.

HBCU’s and the Pursuit of Black Excellence

HBCU’s are beacons of light that lead to the road of freedom, justice and equality for African-Americans. They are sacred institutions that must be preserved.

HBCU’s continue to shape the pursuit of Black Excellence. A fact not lost on Bishop, “My experience as a student at Southern University at New Orleans embodied me with the belief that nothing was beyond my grasp and that all dreams could be achieved. It shaped my belief in Black Excellence by exposing me to HBCU faculty and graduates who had excelled in every field of endeavor. That experience let me know that it was possible for me to succeed as well and now I am passing that on to the next generation of students.”

This article originally appeared in the New Orleans Data News Weekly.

Art

A Prolific Painter: Artist and Advocate Lois Mailou Jones

Lois Mailou Jones was a prominent African American artist whose career spanned more than seven decades, from the Harlem Renaissance to the modern art movement. She was not only a prolific painter but also an influential educator, bridging cultural gaps and challenging stereotypes through her vibrant and diverse works.

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Courtesy of National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Courtesy of National Archives, Washington, D.C.

By Tamara Shiloh

 Lois Mailou Jones was a prominent African American artist whose career spanned more than seven decades, from the Harlem Renaissance to the modern art movement. She was not only a prolific painter but also an influential educator, bridging cultural gaps and challenging stereotypes through her vibrant and diverse works.

Her unique journey of self-expression, dedication to art, and advocacy for African American and African themes made her a crucial figure in the evolution of American art.

Jones was born on Nov. 3, 1905, in Boston. Raised in an intellectual and supportive family, she demonstrated an early interest in art, encouraged by her mother, who believed in the importance of creativity. Lois studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she faced racial challenges but persisted in pursuing her passion.

Her pursuit of higher education led her to the prestigious Design Art School, where she perfected her skills in textile design. Later, Jones attended Harvard University and received further training at the Académie Julian in Paris. This European experience greatly influenced her style and broadened her perspective on art.

Jones’s career began in textile design, creating works that were used by leading textile companies. However, her true passion was painting. During the Harlem Renaissance, she moved away from textile design to focus on fine art, exploring themes that reflected her heritage and the African diaspora.

Her early works were influenced by European Post-Impressionism, featuring landscapes and still life, but Jones’s style evolved over time. After spending time in Haiti, she was deeply inspired by Caribbean culture, and her palette became more vivid, her subject matter more symbolic. The influence of African and Caribbean culture is evident in her later works, where she used bright colors and geometric patterns to convey the spirit and stories of the people she encountered.

Her contributions to African American art were significant during a time when Black artists struggled for recognition. She often focused on themes of African heritage, pride, and unity, blending African illustrations and portraits with Western artistic techniques to create a unique visual language that celebrated Black culture.

She was also a dedicated educator. She began her teaching career at Palmer Memorial Institute in North Carolina and later became a professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she taught for almost 50 years. Through her teaching, she influenced generations of young Black artists, encouraging them to explore and express their cultural heritage through art.

In the 1930s and 1940s, she worked to exhibit her work alongside other Black artists, helping to create a platform for voices that had long been excluded from mainstream galleries.

Recognition and Legacy

Jones achieved significant recognition throughout her lifetime, both in the United States and internationally. She exhibited her work across the globe, including in Paris, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Jones continued painting until her death in 1998, leaving behind a rich legacy of artistic achievements and contributions to art education. She broke boundaries by celebrating Black identity and heritage at a time when these themes were often marginalized.

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California Black Media

New California Law Will Protect Students During Extreme Weather

On Sept. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will protect students from extreme weather conditions by requiring the California Department of Education to develop guidelines for school districts to implement during weather patterns harmful to student health. Authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), “Yahushua’s Law” or Senate Bill 1248 addresses an extreme heat-related fatality in Lake Elsinore. During the summer of 2023, a student died after participating in physical education suffered extreme heat-related illness.

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Yahushua Robinson
Yahushua Robinson

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

 On Sept. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will protect students from extreme weather conditions by requiring the California Department of Education to develop guidelines for school districts to implement during weather patterns harmful to student health.

Authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), “Yahushua’s Law” or Senate Bill 1248 addresses an extreme heat-related fatality in Lake Elsinore.  During the summer of 2023, a student died after participating in physical education suffered extreme heat-related illness.

“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Sen. Hurtado stated last Spring. “I commend the family of Yahushua Robinson, the twelve-year student who lost his life due to heat related illness during on-campus physical education, for lending their emotional strength and compassion for others in order to help ensure that no other student loses their life this way.”

Supporters of the legislation say the lack of uniform guidelines and protocols across schools and school districts in California intensifies the issue, creating an urgent need for safeguards to ensure student safety during extreme weather conditions.

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California Black Media

More Than 1.2 Million Youth Pre-Registered to Vote, Secretary of State Weber Announced

Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced on Sept. 26 that more than 1.2 million young people between the ages of 16 and 17-years-old have pre-registered to vote since the state launched the initiative in September 2016. The state program automatically activates voter registration for pre-registered youth when they turn 18 years of age.

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California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber. Photo Courtesy of ShirleyWeber.com.
California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber. Photo Courtesy of ShirleyWeber.com.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced on Sept. 26 that more than 1.2 million young people between the ages of 16 and 17-years-old have pre-registered to vote since the state launched the initiative in September 2016. The state program automatically activates voter registration for pre-registered youth when they turn 18 years of age.

Weber, who has visited dozens of high schools across the state to promote voting initiatives, said that students are eager to vote and look forward to casting their first ballot, and “the numbers back them up.”

“Young Californians want to be engaged, active participants in our democracy and they can position themselves to do so by preregistering to vote,” said Weber.

Weber said that she is committed to encouraging young people to pre-register to vote, adding that she looks forward to partnering with the California Department of Education, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, school officials, and leaders of community-based organizations to expand this effort.

According to Weber’s office, approximately 42% of young voters are registered Democrats, while over 13% are registered Republicans. Another 35% of young voters registered as having “no party preference.”

For more information, Californians can visit the online pre-registration website at www.RegisterToVote.ca.gov. Registration is open to residents who are 16 or 17 and meet all the following criteria:

  • A United States citizen and a resident of California.
  • 18 years old or older on Election Day.
  • Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony
  • Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court.

More information about pre-registration for California youth can be found at sos.ca.gov/elections/pre-register-16-vote-18.

Upcoming key deadlines and dates for the November 5, 2024, General Election can be found at here.

Plus, visit http://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2024-primary/section-08-general-election-calendar.pdf to view a complete California General Election Calendar with more voting details and updates.

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