Luther E. Smith Jr., Honored by Black Religious Scholars Group

Luther E. Smith Jr., professor of church and community at Candler School of Theology, was honored at the 14th annual Black Religious Scholars Group (BRSG) Consultation in November. Smith was named the 2011 BRSG Distinguished Religious Scholar at the event, held in San Francisco at the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples, which theologian Howard Thurman co-founded. Smith has spent his entire career studying Thurman, whose legacy was also honored at the consultation.

“Each year, the BRSG recognizes a preeminent African American religious scholar who exemplifies faithfulness to our shared vocational call as scholars, theologians, preachers and community leaders,” said Dr. Juan M. Floyd-Thomas, co-founder and executive board member of BRSG. “In this spirit, our organization was especially eager to celebrate the far-reaching influence of Luther Smith. His pioneering scholarship and teaching on the life and legacy of Howard Thurman has inspired greater understanding of black religious thought and praxis on local, national and global levels.”

Smith undertook the first major critical study of Thurman’s thought with his first book, “Howard Thurman: The Mystic as Prophet,” which was based on his doctoral dissertation. He is the editor of “Howard Thurman: Essential Writings” and co-editor of “The Living Wisdom of Howard Thurman: A Visionary of Our Time,” six compact disc recordings of Howard Thurman’s sermons, lectures and meditations. He also serves as senior consulting editor to the Howard Thurman Papers Project. Smith has been a member of Candler’s faculty since 1979.

“I was very moved by this honor,” says Smith. “My appreciation runs two ways. First, I’m grateful for the personal and professional affirmation of my work. But, second, I’m also grateful for the recognition of Howard Thurman, who has been the subject of my research for more than forty years. These scholars are affirming Thurman’s significance to the future of the black church.”

Luther E. Smith Jr

The BRSG Consultation’s theme was “Making It Plain: Reclaiming the Legacy of Jesus and the Disinherited,” a nod to Thurman’s 1949 definitive work, “Jesus and the Disinherited.” As the 2011 Distinguished Religious Scholar, Smith had an opportunity to reflect on this theme and Thurman’s legacy in remarks to the group. “My first relationship with Thurman was one of friendship. But I found a way to give of myself by writing about him and placing him in the context of our American history and religious thought,” says Smith. “He was the first African American to meet with Gandhi, and he came back with the idea of using non-violence in social justice. It’s important to remember his role in the modern civil rights movement.” Smith claims that Thurman is much more than a research interest; the author, educator and minister has provided inspiration for Smith’s work with social agencies and religious organizations, particularly those with an emphasis on interfaith cooperation.

Smith helped found Atlanta’s International Community School, which has a mission of educational excellence for children who have experienced the traumas of war and violence. He is also a founder of Georgia’s Interfaith Children’s Movement, which educates, mobilizes and networks faith communities in being advocates for all children.

“Thurman taught us that we have the capacity to nurture community across the boundaries of faith and ethnicity, which has affected how I’ve been called to work in the world,” says Smith. “Thurman employed the idea that we can maintain our grounding in our own religious tradition while being instructed in other religious traditions. He calls us to listen with a different kind of attentiveness, so that we move beyond just tolerance of others to appreciation and respect for others.”

Emory University - 1531 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322 USA 404.727.6326. News Release: Dec. 21, 2011 By: Molly Edmonds. Media Contact: Laurel Hanna: 404.727.4481

PITT ARTS creating opportunities with African American arts forges bonds between the arts and African at University of Pittsburgh

It has been three years since PITT ARTS released the African American Arts Project monograph, Our Stories, Our Selves, co-authored by PITT ARTS Director, Annabelle Clippinger and Sarah E.J. Williams. In that study, PITT ARTS learned that creating many opportunities with African American arts forges bonds between the arts and African American students at the University of Pittsburgh, while also building a positive impact on retention.

“When students were asked if participating in PITT ARTS programs encouraged them to remain at Pitt, 72% of African American students who attended A3P programs responded either “yes” or “maybe."

This figure is impressive considering that universities nationally are examining issues of campus cultural vitality and retention. Considering that the Black graduation rate is over 10% lower than the 70.5% median graduation rate for similar institutions determined by The Education Trust, presenting arts that honor and educate students about their own cultures, in a positive manner and on a regular basis may be a strong factor in encouraging the retention of African American students at their universities all the way to graduation day.” (Excerpted from 2006, Our Stories, Ourselves, A3P: The African American Arts Project, Williams and Clippinger, page 26). The entire report can be viewed at www.pittarts.pitt.edu/about/research.php.

In the spirit of that endeavor, PITT ARTS has a significant number of African and African American Cheap Seats (discounted ticket) offerings from December and into the spring term presented by the August Wilson Center for African American Culture, Manchester Craftsman’s Guild (MCG) Jazz, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Cheap Seats tickets can be purchased through PITT ARTS located at 929 William Pitt Union. Call 412-624-4498 or visit www.pittarts.pitt.edu for more information. Deadlines vary, so don’t wait!

AUGUST WILSON CENTER FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE PRESENTS:
at the August Wilson Center Theater
Daniel Bernard Roumain: Etudes4violin&electronix

Saturday, February 6 at 8:00 PM
$25.75 Orchestra, $24 Balcony

Think Bartok seasoned with hip-hop and it don’t stop for innovative composer, violinist and bandleader Daniel Bernard Roumain who also stirs in funk, rock, jazz and the flavors of his ancestral Haiti for a most intoxicating musical stew. His works range from chamber music and orchestral pieces to electronica; each of which is stamped with Roumain’s passion, imagination and flair. Explore seductive rhythms and pensive melodies as he performs selections from his solo album, “Etudes4violin&electronix”.
Tribute to Phyllis Hyman

Friday, February 19 at 8:00 PM
$28.25 Orchestra, $24 Balcony

Rediscover the regal beauty and vocal sophistication of the late Phyllis Hyman. Whether in a recording studio, on the Broadway stage or under the soft glow of an intimate jazz club, the Philadelphia-born, Pittsburgh-bred chanteuse sang with the kind of power and vulnerability rarely seen in today’s music industry. Local and national artists pay tribute to the singer by performing many of her greatest hits, including “No One Can Love You More” and “You Know How to Love Me”.

PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST PRESENTS:
PITT NIGHT: Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Sunday, February 28, 2010
Byham Theater
$36 Orchestra/Mezzanine, $18 Gallery

Ladysmith Black Mambazo threads the intricate rhythms and harmonies of its native South African musical traditions with the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music. The resulting musical and spiritual alchemy has touched millions worldwide. During the past four decades, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has garnered praise and accolades within the recording industry and solidified its identity as a prolific, cultural powerhouse.

PITT NIGHT with the Trust includes tickets, optional free transportation from the WPU and a pre-show dessert reception at the Byham Theater. Purchase at 929 WPU ONLY before it's sold out!

University of Pittsburgh PITT ARTS 907 William Pitt Union Pittsburgh, PA 15260 412-624-4498 pittarts@pitt.edu

Gary Sailes received the 2011 North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Distinguished Service Award

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Gary Sailes, sport sociologist in the Department of Kinesiology in Indiana University's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, has received the 2011 North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Distinguished Service Award. Sailes received the award, which recognizes his scholarship, teaching and service to the discipline of sport sociology, during the society's annual conference in Minneapolis.

Sailes, an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology and adjunct professor in the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies, focuses his research on the socio-cultural experiences of African-Americans in American sport.

His books include "Modern Sport and the African American Experience," "African Americans in Sport: Contemporary Themes," "Mental Training for Tennis" and "Championship Tennis Drills for Advanced Players and Coaches." He has written numerous book chapters and journal publications, along with "Facts and Figures on the Black Athlete," an investigative report for the Black Congressional Caucus in Washington, D.C., where he led two congressional hearings on college sports abuses. Sailes has presented more than 200 scholarly papers and is currently editing a major textbook titled "Sports in Higher Education: Issues and Controversies" with Cognella Academic Publishing.

Sailes' numerous awards include Who's Who Among American Professionals, Eli Lilly Community Service Award, IU Sport Management Majors Club Appreciation Award and the Teaching Excellence Recognition Award from IU's Department of Kinesiology.

Gary Sailes Courtesy of Indiana University.

He has served leadership positions within professional associations, was a journal editor and has worked as a consultant to high school, college and professional athletes, coaches, teams and sports organizations in the areas of career development, life skills development and performance enhancement. Media Contacts: Tracy James IU Communications traljame@iu.edu 812-855-0084.

Charles Eugene Beatty, Sr. inducted into the Eastern Michigan University College of Education Hall of Fame

YPSILANTI - The late Charles Eugene Beatty, Sr., an alumnus of Michigan State Normal College (now Eastern Michigan University), was recently inducted into the Eastern Michigan University College of Education Hall of Fame Dec. 7.

Beatty graduated from Michigan State Normal College in 1933 where he was a track and field athlete, setting the world records for the 440-low yard hurdles and the world record for the NCAA 400-meter low hurdles. In 1940, Beatty became the first African-American school principle in Michigan at Lawrence C. Perry Elementary School in Ypsilanti, Mich.

Beatty was the primary pioneer for the development and success for Head Start programs in the United States and was instrumental in the Ypsilanti Perry Preschool Project, a project that addressed the issues of academic failure and took preventative measures by involving the community and parents in preparing young students for the future.

"He emphasized health, nutrition, family and community as being factors in school success," said Jann Joseph, dean of the College of Education at Eastern. "His ambition was to create a school where each student mattered and where school was the core of the community."

Beatty retired in 1974 after working his entire career in the Ypsilanti School District. He was inducted into the Eastern Michigan University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1976, the Michigan Education Hall of Fame in 1985 and was awarded the Washtenaw County Bar Association's Liberty Bell and Patriot Award in 1991.

"The Education Hall of Fame is the most celebrated alumni activity that the College of Education undertakes each year," said Joseph. "We honor alumni that have made a positive impact in the field of education and the world around us."

Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI, USA 48197 University Information: 734.487.1849.

Contact: Emily Vontom evontom@emich.edu 734.487.6895

Social stratifications along color lines are taking place within the nation’s multiracial groups

The American social hierarchy places people of mixed-race ancestry below whites but above blacks, while additional social stratifications along color lines are simultaneously taking place within the nation’s multiracial groups, according to a Johns Hopkins University sociologist’s study of U.S. Census data.

Pamela R. Bennett, an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at Johns Hopkins, studied the residential location of people who identified themselves with more than one racial group when filling out their 2000 and 2010 census forms.

Where people live has long been associated with their social status and the connection between neighborhoods and racial segregation is well-covered territory for demographers. What Bennett did was to take this area of study a step further to see how the connection between race, residence and socioeconomic status applies to people of multiple racial identities – such as black-white, Asian-white or American Indian-white – rather than racial minorities like African American, Asian or American Indian.

In her research, Bennett used residential segregation as an indicator of a group’s social position and attempted to determine what the segregation of multiracial groups from both whites and racial minorities says about the social position of multiracial groups. She also wanted to find out what those patterns say about possible shifts in the nation’s racial hierarchy. First she looked at data from the 2000 census, and her work was published in the April 2011 edition of the journal Ethnic and Racial Studies. Bennett then applied her methodology to the recently released 2010 census figures.

Pamela R. Bennett. Photo by Will Kirk, HomewoodPhoto.jhu.edu

In both cases, she found that multiracial groups occupy a social position between blacks and whites, and that the multiracial groups themselves have their own racial stratifications. Bennett found a lesser degree of segregation among people who are of both black and white heritage when compared to those whose identities are fully black. Yet the black-white multiracials appear to be more segregated than Asian-white or American Indian-white multiracials across several segregation measures. “For patterns of segregation in 2000, taking socioeconomic status into account does not change that picture,” Bennett said. “So while some scholars and activists view official recognition of multiracial identities as a movement toward the deconstruction of race, I caution against such an optimistic narrative for now.” Conclusions about the role of socioeconomic status in the 2010 patterns of segregation for multiracial groups await the release of additional census data. ### December 14, 2011 Tags: multiracial groups, Pamela R. Bennett, segreation, social position, U.S. Census Posted in Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences.

Office of News and Information. Johns Hopkins University. 901 South Bond Street, Suite 540. Baltimore, Maryland 21231 Phone: 443-287-9960 | Fax: 443-287-9920

December 14, 2011 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Lunday 443-287-9960 acl@jhu.edu

African Americans have a significantly higher overall post scene of injury mortality rate than whites

AMHERST, Mass. - New research based on post-hospital arrival data from U.S. trauma centers finds that even after adjusting for differences in injury severity, gun use, and other likely causes of race difference in death from assault, African-Americans have a significantly higher overall post-scene of injury mortality rate than whites. The study was conducted by Anthony R. Harris, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and colleagues and published in August by the Journal of Trauma, Injury, Infection and Critical Care.

The study, from a nationally representative sample of trauma centers, covered the period from 2005-08 and adjusted for types of weapons used, severity of injury, age, physiological condition, year, and trauma center differences. It concluded that, in addition to insurance status, among patients brought to the Level I and II trauma centers, race is a substantial independent predictor of who dies from assault. Blacks, especially the uninsured, have significantly worse outcomes overall, though there is some evidence that this pattern is minimized at higher levels of injury severity.

Black patients showed higher overall raw mortality rates from assault than whites (8.9 percent vs. 5.1 percent), but after statistical adjustment, the researchers found the black to white adjusted risk ratio for death from assault (homicide) dropped significantly. After adjustment, estimated black deaths were 29 percent in excess of white deaths for firearm injuries, 36 percent in excess for cutting/piercing injuries, and 61 percent in excess for blunt injuries. Uninsured blacks comprised 76 percent of all excess trauma center deaths from assault.

Harris says that the findings are consistent with the bulk of the medical research findings on race and insurance disparities in hospital outcomes from causes other than intentional assault. But he also notes that, as is the case with almost all of these studies, the causes of the disparities are not easily identified. He adds: "The observed disparities raise questions about the social causes of the very large black/white difference in overall U.S. homicide victimization rates (about 7 to 1) and have important implications for individual lives, including whether or not a victim remains a victim in an assault case or becomes a victim in a homicide case. The victim’s outcome is, in turn, likely to impact the chances the offender will be apprehended and, if so, faced with a charge of aggravated assault or of homicide.

Unlike other medical outcomes, in the case of intentional assault, insurance and racial disparities in hospital mortality are thus likely to affect no less than two separate parties, and, often, two or more unrelated families."

The study, by Harris and Gene A. Fisher, both of UMass Amherst, and Dr. Stephen H. Thomas, of the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine, is based on data from the National Sample Program, the National Trauma Data Bank’s representative sample of 100 Level I and Level II U.S. trauma centers.

The analysis represents an estimated 137,618 black and white assault cases aged 15 years and older. The sample includes 35 percent white, and 65 percent black patients, with 46 percent of the whites and 60 percent of the blacks identified as uninsured.

In 2009, Harris, received a two-year grant from the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation to research race differences in homicidal outcomes from criminal injury. The study was conducted in part by Harris as visiting scientist with the department of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Harris received national and international media attention in 2002 with a study, also co-authored with Fisher and Thomas, that found improvements in emergency medical services dramatically suppressed murder rates in the U.S. from 1960-99. The study noted that this 40-year trend held even though weapons became more lethal and available during the period, and overall criminal assault rates rose steeply.

Contact: Patrick J. Callahan 413/545-0444 WEB: University of Massachusetts Amherst

Medgar Evers: Mississippi Martyr

MSU historian provides a fresh look at state civil rights martyr. STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State faculty member Michael V. Williams is the author of a new book profiling civil rights icon Medgar Wiley Evers.

Published by the University of Arkansas Press, "Medgar Evers: Mississippi Martyr" chronicles the life and work of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's first fulltime Mississippi field secretary, who was murdered in the summer of 1963.

In his 453-page book, the assistant professor of history and African-American studies provides critical analyses of the intense social and political struggles that African Americans waged in the Deep South during the turbulent 1950s and 1960s. Within the larger story, he details the key role played by the Newton County native and (now) Alcorn State University alumnus in helping bring about social change in the Magnolia State.

"Medgar Evers stands as the epitome of America's commitment to freedom, equality, citizenship and the responsibility of the individual to ensure that successive generations, no matter their color, gender or ideology, experience the freedom, equality and benefits of American citizenship," Williams said.

Evers, a Word War II combat veteran and former insurance salesman, was shot outside his Jackson home by Ku Klux Klan member Byron De La Beckwith of Greenwood. (Beckwith eventually was convicted of the crime in 1994 and died a life-serving prisoner in 2001.)

Michael V. Williams

Williams is scheduled to discuss the book during the 2012 Arkansas Literary Festival, to be held April 12-15 in Little Rock. Williams received bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Mississippi. In addition to civil rights, his primary teaching and research areas include black intellectual radicalism, social conflict, the African-American experience, and U.S. history since 1877. "I have always been interested in social and political movements," he explained. "America's civil rights periods symbolized calls for America to stand fully upon the principles for which it was founded." Williams said his next book projects will examine the impact the modern civil rights movement had on specific Mississippi counties, as well as the ways in which grassroots organizations and leadership developed in response.

(For additional biographical information, visit www.msstate.edu/dept/history/mwilliams.htm.)

University Relations News Bureau (662) 325-3442 Contact: Margaret Kovar December 09, 2011.

Pittsburgh’s Hill District, a historic African-American community working to restore its vibrancy

One Year Later, Hill District Residents Living Healthier by Working with DU Center for Pharmacy Services.

This December will mark the first year anniversary of Duquesne University’s Center for Pharmacy Services in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, a historic African-American community working to restore its vibrancy. In its first 10 months of operation, the pharmacy has served more than 1,280 patients.

“The day they opened up, I was there,” says Barbara Strothers, superintendent of Hope Square, a retail and commercial building across Centre Avenue from the pharmacy. “This truly was the best thing that happened in the Hill in a long time, and I tell everybody.”

Strothers, as many of the pharmacy’s patients, has the chronic conditions of diabetes and high blood pressure.

But their health outcomes are improving as they take their medications regularly and follow drug guidelines, thanks to the influence of the pharmacy, say representatives of the Hill House Health Care Center across the street. It’s easier for patients to use their medications properly because accessibility and services of the pharmacy center.

The pharmacy is conveniently located in the neighborhood, said Dara Moore, Hill House Health Center nurse manager. It’s within walking distance of nearly 850 senior citizens and across the street from the medical practice—and offers free delivery. That eliminates the need for patients to get rides or take buses to pharmacies farther away.

The pharmacy also helps patients to find the most affordable options, said Kim Spruce, Hill House Health Center outreach worker. In a neighborhood with a poverty rate three times the county average, that’s a critical piece to having patients take their medications as scheduled.

About 20 percent cannot afford to pay for their medications, but the pharmacy provides services regardless of ability to pay, said Terri Kroh, director of Duquesne’s Center for Pharmacy Services. Then expense is no longer a reason to stop a medication.

“They try to find a way to lower your costs so your bills won’t be too high,” said Strothers, whose payment for diabetes medication dropped from $25 to $5 with the help of the pharmacy.

Through private, cutting-edge medication therapy management, patients discuss the drugs they are taking, possible side effects and interactions; this counseling is routinely offered before the medications are in the patients’ hands and is provided for every new prescription—and the knowledge is one more plus in helping patients to comply with the medication schedules.

The pharmacy, which is more like a doctor’s office than a typical retail operation selling greeting cards and bags of snacks, also offers a battery of free health screenings, including blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and body mass index, and pharmacy expertise is available through on-call services 24/7. Over-the-counter medications are available for purchase after discussion with a pharmacist, but browsing is not an option.

“The mission of Duquesne University is to serve God by serving students, who then go out and serve. The mission of the pharmacy school is to improve health outcomes for patients and communities,” said Dean J. Douglas Bricker of Duquesne’s Mylan School of Pharmacy. “There are a lot of medically underserved communities in Pittsburgh; this one is our neighbor.”

The Hill District, once one of the most prosperous and influential across the country, declined to the point of losing both its grocery store and its pharmacy by 2000. The Hill has become home to a higher percentage of medically vulnerable populations—children and residents 65 and over—than the rest of the city.

But the community is persisting. The Pittsburgh Central Keystone Innovation Zone, co-founded by Duquesne in 2007, is funneling more than $1 million into local fledgling firms. Two years later, Duquesne announced that its pharmacy school will open and operate a pharmacy in the Hill.

Now, a new grocery store is under construction next door and the brick and steel skeleton of the new YMCA rises along Centre Avenue.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything better—to be alive to see it,” says Strothers, smiling. “We got it all going on, right here.”

Duquesne University, Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic research universities for its award-winning faculty and tradition of academic excellence. The University is nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review for its rich academic programs in 10 schools of study for 10,000-plus graduate and undergraduate students, and by the Washington Monthly for service and contributing to students’ social mobility. Duquesne is a member of the U.S. President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for its contributions to Pittsburgh and communities around the globe. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges acknowledge Duquesne’s commitment to sustainability.

Contact Public Affairs: Duquesne University: Office of Public Affairs, 600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15282. 412.396.6050. 412.396.5779 fax Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Bridget Fare, Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs, 412.396.6052, 412.370.9692 (cell) fareb@duq.edu

Salk Institute for Biological Studies uses patients' own cells to cure sickle cell

{EAV:4a1c49de6a02e08e} LA JOLLA, CA—Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have developed a way to use patients' own cells to potentially cure sickle cell disease and many other disorders caused by mutations in a gene that helps produce blood hemoglobin.

The technique uses cells from a patient's skin to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are capable of developing into various types of mature tissues—including blood. The scientists say their method, which repairs the beta-globin gene (HBB), avoids gene therapy techniques that can introduce potentially harmful genes into cells.

The new technique, which will soon be tested as a therapy in animals, also appears to be much more efficient than other methods tested to date, the researchers say.

"Our findings set the stage for the development of iPSC-based therapies for devastating genetic disorders such as sickle cell disease," says the study's principle investigator, Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a Salk professor in the Gene Expression Laboratory.

Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited blood disorders caused by genetic mutations in the HBB gene, resulting in abnormal hemoglobin, the iron-containing protein that normally allows blood cells to carry oxygen. This causes red blood cells to become hard and sticky and resemble a curved farm tool called a "sickle." In the two leading disorders caused by HBB mutations, sickle cell anemia and beta thalassemia, red blood cells can't effectively carry oxygen.

Salk researchers reprogrammed skins cells taken from a sickle cell disease patient into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), immature cells capable of developing into any type of bodily tissue. To assure that the skin cells were in fact reprogrammed into stem cells, the researchers coaxed them into becoming muscle cells, indicated by the presence of muscle-specific protiens (red) in this image. The cell nuclei—the central compartments that contain the DNA—are seen in blue. Image: Courtesy of Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Symptoms of sickle cell disease include swelling of the hands and feet, pain due to clogging of blood vessels, anemia and stroke. The disorders are most common among people of African, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern decent. One in every 500 African Americans and one in every 30,000 Hispanic Americans are born with sickle cell disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease can be cured with stem cell or bone marrow transplants, but there is a high risk that recipients of transplants will reject the donated marrow or cells, which can result in serious side effects and even death. The Salk researchers, which include co-first authors Mo Li and Keiichiro Suzuki, both research associates in Belmonte's laboratory, set out to devise a safe method to use iPSCs to correct the HBB gene in patients who have defective copies of the gene. Because the iPSCs come from a patient's own body, they should carry less risk for transplant rejection. Also, about 500 other disease-causing mutations have been identified in the HBB gene, so correcting the gene could potentially cure a multitude of HBB-related diseases worldwide. However, traditional iPSC generation and gene therapy techniques have proven to be potentially unsafe, according to the researchers.

Many have used viruses to convert adult cells to stem cells and to carry a normal HBB gene to infect and repair hematopoietic stem cells—stem cells that give rise to all blood cells.

But when these repaired stem cells are given back to patients, they can include transgenes—unwanted genes that have become inserted into the host genome and disrupt the normal function of DNA. The technique is also inefficient, correcting only a small percentage of gene mutations, and transplantation success has proven rare in clinical trials testing gene therapy to treat beta thalassemia.

"We wanted to fix the mutation in such a way that it does not leave any unwanted traces in a patient's genome," Suzuki says.

To do that, the researchers used a two-step approach. First, they took adult skin cells from a patient with an HBB mutation that causes sickle cell disease. They used six genes to coax these cells to revert to iPSCs, which could then be developed into blood cells. The genes were introduced into the cells using a technique that avoids the use of viruses and insertion of transgenes into the cells' genome.

Their next step was to repair the HBB gene mutation in the stem cells. To swap the defective gene with a normal copy in the iPSCs, the investigators used a modified adenovirus (common cold virus) that, unlike viruses used in other methods, does not replicate itself in the body and does not alter the host cells' DNA. The viral genes were deleted and replaced with a DNA sequence that contained a normal HBB gene.

The modified virus then delivered the new genetic material inside the iPSCs, where the DNA region containing the broken gene was replaced with the sequence containing the normal gene. "It happens naturally, working like a zipper," Li says. "The good gene just zips in perfectly, pushing the bad one out."

By replacing a relatively large region of DNA, the technique allows the scientists to fix many gene mutations at once, which suggests the method might provide a way to treat hundreds of types of HBB-related diseases. The correction of the mutant HBB gene was also highly efficient and the research team conducted multiple tests to ensure no errant genes were integrated into the genome.

The Salk scientists now plan to make blood cells from the repaired stem cells and test their effectiveness in animals. If successful, this may lead to therapies for humans in which a patient's stem cells will be reverted into iPSCs, then genetically repaired and transplanted back into the bone marrow of the same patient. If successful, the bone marrow will then produce all new blood cells, including normal hemoglobin.

If the technique proves effective, the researchers say, it might be used for treating other types of diseases caused by single gene mutations.

The study was funded by grants from the G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Charitable Foundations, Sanofi-Aventis, Ellison Medical Foundation, The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, MICINN and Fundacion Cellex (JCIB). The study appears in the December 2011 issue of Cell Research.

About the Salk Institute for Biological Studies:
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is one of the world's preeminent basic research institutions, where internationally renowned faculty probe fundamental life science questions in a unique, collaborative, and creative environment. Focused both on discovery and on mentoring future generations of researchers, Salk scientists make groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of cancer, aging, Alzheimer's, diabetes and infectious diseases by studying neuroscience, genetics, cell and plant biology, and related disciplines.

Faculty achievements have been recognized with numerous honors, including Nobel Prizes and memberships in the National Academy of Sciences. Founded in 1960 by polio vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk, M.D., the Institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark.

For more information: Cell Research, Authors: Mo Li, Keiichiro Suzuki, Jing Qu, Preeti Saini, Ilir Dubova, Fei Yi, Jungmin Lee, Ignacio Sancho-Martinez, Guang-Hui Liu and Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte

TEXT CREDIT: Salk Institute for Biological Studies. 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 | 858.453.4100

NYU’s Women of Color Finds Black and Latino Voters Intend to Turn Out for Obama in Large Numbers

Poll by NYU’s Women of Color Policy Network Finds Black and Latino Voters in 11 Battleground States Intend to Turn Out for President Obama in Large Numbers in 2012 Election

A new poll from the Women of Color Policy Network (WOCPN) at New York University finds that Latinos and African-American voters in 11 battleground states key to the outcome of the 2012 presidential election support President Barack Obama’s re-election overwhelmingly, and are motivated strongly to go to the polls.

The WOCPN telephone survey of 800 registered minority voters in Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, and Missouri shows that getting the economy back on track and education are the top issues of the campaign for these voters, putting them on a course to vote in large numbers in the presidential race. Those surveyed (the poll was conducted during the first two weeks of November) expressed some disillusionment with progress on a number of major public issues, but principally blame Republicans in Congress.

The Women of Color Policy Network is a nationally known research center at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate Center of Public Service. To obtain a copy of the poll, contact public affairs officer Robert Polner at 212.998.2337, or via email at robert.polner(at)nyu.edu.

The poll will be part of discussions about minority voting and the 2012 race at a WOCPN-convened conference of national civil rights leaders on Thursday, Dec. 8. The conference, “Engage 2012,” will take place from 6 p.m.-to-8 p.m., at The Kimmel Center for University Life, 60 Washington Square South (at the corner of LaGuardia Place), New York, N.Y. To RSVP, go to wagner.nyu.edu/events/wocpn-12-08-2011. Media coverage is invited.

About the Women of Color Policy Network, NYU Wagner:

Founded in 2000 by the late Walter Stafford as part of the Roundtable of Institutions of Color, the Women of Color Policy Network at New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service is the nation's only research and policy institute focused on women of color,

their families, and communities at a top ranked school of public affairs. The Network conducts original research and policy analysis at the intersections of race, class and gender that is used to inform public policy outcomes at the local, state and federal levels. The Network also serves as a hub for women of color scholars, thought leaders, and practitioners.

Press Contact: Robert Polner || (212) 998-2337

Indiana University's African American Dance Company will present its annual studio concert

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University's African American Dance Company will present its annual studio concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the Willkie Auditorium, 150 N. Rose St., in Bloomington. General admission is $5.

The African American Dance Company will be presenting new choreographic projects with the theme "Collaborations 2012: Finding Freedom." The students design, develop and construct choreography that illustrates various concepts of the theme, such as "individuality," "the warrior within" and "silent complacency," inspired by "P.O.W. (Prisoner of Words)," a poem by Alicia Keys.

The company will also perform selected pieces from "The Circle Will Not Be Broken," highlighting circular configurations and movements, African dance characteristics that have been carried over to the New World.

Dancers from the course "Dance in the African Diaspora" will perform pieces that represent the cultural, social and political expression and aesthetics of selected black diasporic dances. In the first excerpt, "Lamba," dancers illustrate the journey of Mansa Musa across the desert on a pilgrimage to Mecca by using arm movements that represent aspects of the journey such as welcoming gestures and carrying heavy loads.

Students of Bernard Woma's Ghanaian music, dance and drum course will perform specific Ghanaian dance and music such as Kpanlogo, referred to as "the dance to the youth," as it was born in the wake of Ghana's independence.

African American Dance Company Courtesy of Indiana University

Guest artists will include Evelyn Yaa Bekyore, a professional dancer with the Saakumu Dance Company from Ghana, West Africa, and Woma, a master of Ghanaian xylophone who has shared the stage with Yo Yo Ma and Maya Angelou, who were performing for international dignitaries such as President Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela. The concert is the end-of-the-semester performance for A221, F301/F609 and A100, courses offered in the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies. The performance is constructed to give the audience insight into what students learn in these courses by explaining the process of the dance discipline.

The African American Arts Institute is committed to promoting and preserving African American culture through performance, education, creative activity research and outreach. For more information and a calendar of AAAI events, visit the African American Arts Institute website at www.indiana.edu/~aaai or call 812-855-5427. The institute's executive director is Charles E. Sykes. The African American Arts Institute is a unit of the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs. The ensembles are credit-bearing courses offered through the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dec. 5, 2011 Media Contacts: Krista Wilhelmsen, African American Arts Institute kriwilhe@umail.iu.edu 812-855-5427

Perceived racism may cause mental health symptoms similar to trauma

Perceived Racism May Impact Black Americans' Mental Health. Psychological responses to racism similar to trauma symptoms, study finds

WASHINGTON—For black American adults, perceived racism may cause mental health symptoms similar to trauma and could lead to some physical health disparities between blacks and other populations in the United States, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association.

While previous studies have found links between racism and mental health, this is the first meta-analysis on the subject focusing exclusively on black American adults, according to the study published online in APA’s Journal of Counseling Psychology®.

“We focused on black American adults because this is a population that has reported, on average, more incidents of racism than other racial minority groups and because of the potential links between racism and not only mental health, but physical health as well,” said lead author Alex Pieterse, PhD, of the University at Albany, State University of New York.

Researchers examined 66 studies comprising 18,140 black adults in the United States. To be included in the analysis, a study must have been published in a peer-reviewed journal or dissertation between 1996 and 2011; include a specific analysis of mental health indicators associated with racism; and focus specifically on black American adults in the United States.

Alex Pieterse

Black Americans’ psychological responses to racism are very similar to common responses to trauma, such as somatization, which is psychological distress expressed as physical pain; interpersonal sensitivity; and anxiety, according to the study. Individuals who said they experienced more and very stressful racism were more likely to report mental distress, the authors said. While the researchers did not collect data on the impacts on physical health, they cite other studies to point out that perceived racism may also affect black Americans’ physical health. “The relationship between perceived racism and self-reported depression and anxiety is quite robust, providing a reminder that experiences of racism may play an important role in the health disparities phenomenon,” Pieterse said.

“For example, African-Americans have higher rates of hypertension, a serious condition that has been associated with stress and depression.”

The authors recommended that therapists assess racism experiences as part of standard procedure when treating black Americans, and that future studies focus on how discrimination is perceived in specific settings, such as work, online or in school.

Article: “Perceived Racism and Mental Health Among Black American Adults: A Meta-Analytic Review,” Alex L. Pieterse, PhD, University at Albany, State University of New York; Nathan R. Todd, PhD, DePaul University; Helen A. Neville, PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and Robert T. Carter, PhD, Teachers College, Columbia University; Journal of Counseling Psychology, online.

Alex L. Pieterse can be contacted by email or at (518) 437-4423.

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 154,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.

Contact: Lisa Bowen (202) 336-5707

American Psychological Association, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Telephone: 800-374-2721; 202-336-5500. TDD/TTY: 202-336-6123.

Cleveland State University will honor the African American experience in the U.S. Military with a Kuumba Arts Festival

Cleveland State University will honor the African American experience in the U.S. Military with a Kuumba Arts Festival -- a creative celebration with singing, acting, dancing, film and recitations. Free and open to the public.

Featured artists invited to perform include vocalists The Hue People, SweetEven, Rob and Andrea Coleman, and Bertha Lee Pickett; poets Frederick Smith and Jacqueline Smith; and actors including CSU students and community members with choreography by Olivia Knox.
Hosted by Harry Boomer of 19 Action News

Saturday, December 10 at 7 pm
Main Classroom Auditorium, 1899 East 22nd Street

Each branch of the U.S. Military will be honored through film scenes -- the legacy of the Coast Guard through the work of Alex Haley, the U.S. Air Force through The Tuskegee Airmen, the U.S. Navy through the Antwone Fisher Story, the U.S. Army through A Soldier’s Story and Glory, and the U.S. Marines through This Christmas.

Community leaders honored include Mayor Frank Jackson, Councilman Terrell Pruitt, former Congressman Louis Stokes, former Judge George Trumbo and the late Mayor Carl Stokes.

The Women’s Army Corps will be saluted with expressed appreciation to former Judge Sara Harper and Irene Oliver. A special salute will be given to historical African American regiments such as the Massachusetts 54th U.S. C.T., The Tuskegee Airmen, Triple Nickel Paratroopers, and the Buffalo Soldier Regiments from World War II.

Sponsored by CSU’s Black Studies Program and the Survivors Justification Partners, Incorporated, CSU Veterans Student Success Program and Department of Student Life.

Cleveland State University | 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-2214 | 216.687.2000 November 30, 2011 | News Release #14957 | Contact: Joe Mosbrook, 216.523.7279, j.mosbrook@csuohio.edu

Black Caucus of the American Library Association selectes Derek Mosley for Emerging Leaders program

The Black Caucus of the American Library Association has selected Derek Mosley, archivist and assistant director of the Ernest J. Gaines Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and Angiah Davis, reference librarian at the Robert W. Woodruff Library at the Atlanta University Center, for the 2012 ALA Emerging Leaders program.

As sponsor, BCALA provides a stipend of $1,000 to support their attendance and participation in the Emerging Leaders program at the 2012 ALA Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference.

“ BCALA is particularly proud to contribute to the future of our profession by assisting newer librarians in honing quality leadership and networking skills,” said Jos N. Holman, 2010-2012 BCALA president. “The planned development of the next generation of librarians is pivotal to the next level of digital services and resources on an equal access basis for library users.”

Mosley graduated from the Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science in 2011. While at Simmons he interned at Tufts University Digital Collections and Archives and at the Harvard University Arnold Arboretum. As a newly practicing librarian, Mosley participated as a panelist in representing BCALA at ALA’s Annual Conference in New Orleans. He was a 2009 Association of Research Libraries Diversity Scholar. Mosley received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a minor in African-American Studies from Morehouse College.

Davis received a Master of Science in Library and Information Studies from Florida State University in 2008. As reference librarian at the Robert W. Woodruff Library at the Atlanta University Center, Davis contributes to the library’s information literacy program. Davis served as a library assistant at the Mechanicsville Branch Library of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications with a minor in English from the State University of West Georgia.

The Emerging Leaders program enables librarians and library staff from across the country to participate in project planning workgroups; network with peers; gain an inside look into ALA structure; and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity early in their careers.

For the complete list of the 2012 class of Emerging Leaders, please visit americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2012-class-emerging-leader-participants-announced

The Black Caucus of the American Library Association serves as an advocate for the development, promotion and improvement of library services and resources to the nation's African-American community and provides leadership for the recruitment and professional development of African-American librarians. For more information about BCALA, visit www.bcala.org/.

Contact: Christine Payton NOV. 30, 2011 (337) 482-6397, payton@louisiana.edu

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Public Relations and News Services · Martin Hall Room 319 Post Office Box 41009, Lafayette LA 70504-1009, USA. 337/482-6397 · 337/482-5908 (fax) · prns@louisiana.edu

African American Employee Council of Delta College Sponsors “Chicken & Waffle” Fundraiser, Dec. 8

Don’t miss an evening of great food, entertainment, cultural expression…and help Delta College students while you’re at it!

The African American Employee Council (AAEC) of Delta College is hosting a "Chicken and Waffle" fundraiser at San Joaquin Delta College on Thursday, December 8, at 5:00 p.m. in Danner Hall.

AAEC is bringing this traditional southern classic (made famous by Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles) to Stockton to raise money for student scholarships and to support AAEC events. In addition to great food, the event will include a live Jazz/R&B band, a student performance, vendors, and more. Pre-sale tickets are $10.00.

Every year the AAEC provides four $250.00 scholarships to continuing students of African descent at Delta College. Providing student scholarships is central to the AAEC mission to promote education and academic achievement within the African American community. In addition to the student scholarships, AAEC host a Celebration of Black Graduates to recognize the academic achievements of students receiving an associate degree.

The event serves as a cultural transition ceremony where graduates experience a series of African rituals designed to prepare them along the next phase of their journey. Each student is conferred with a hand woven Kente strip from Ghana, West Africa, which symbolizes the historical and cultural tradition of striving for excellence. The ceremony is meant to remind students of their accomplishments, and reinforce their responsibility to continue “that which is good.” By supporting this event you will partner with AAEC to nurture academic achievement in the African American community through activities that promote cultural awareness.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact: AAEC President Solyn Laney at: 209-954-5151, x6258, or event coordinator Aja Butler, 209-954-5100. Media Advisory For More Information Contact: Aja Butler. Director of Student Activities/ASBG Advisor. (209) 954-5100. abutler@deltacollege.edu San Joaquin Delta College 5151 Pacific Ave Stockton, California 95207 (209) 954-5151

President Obama awards Winston Anderson of Howard University for STEM Mentorship

WASHINGTON (November 28, 2011) – President Barack Obama recently announced leading cell biologist Winston Anderson, Ph.D., a Howard University professor of Biology, as one of nine individuals awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.

The White House presents the award to individuals and organizations in recognition of the crucial role that mentoring plays in the academic and personal development of students studying science and engineering—particularly those who belong to groups that are underrepresented in these fields.

Anderson (B.S. ’62; M.S. ’63) has devoted the last 44 years of his academic life including 36 years on the Howard faculty to the intellectual enhancement and training of African Americans and other underrepresented groups from K-12 to postdoctoral students.

“Dr. Anderson’s award represents excellence at the highest level in scientific research, teaching, learning and mentorship,” said Howard University President Sidney A. Ribeau. “We are proud of his contributions to the thousands of students he has shaped over the last four decades.”

Anderson learned best about the value of mentoring as a mentee.

“Mentorship played an essential role in my success as a scientist,” Anderson said. “As an undergraduate and graduate student at Howard, I received advice and encouragement in a nurturing environment from highly competent African-American scientists and educators. Going away to a majority institution, I discovered that my mentors did not have to look like me to be influential. At both institutions, my mentors showed their interest first by example, second through inclusion in laboratories and third through exposure and opportunity.”

Winston Anderson, Ph.D.

Howard is a leader in producing competitive graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In 2009, the National Science Foundation ranked Howard first as the producer of the highest number of African-American bachelor’s degree recipients who continued on with their studies and earned science and engineering doctoral degrees nationally. Under President Ribeau, the University has committed to further enhancing its strategic positioning as one of the top research universities in the nation. In 2007, Anderson was named among the 20 best scientists in academia by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), a nonprofit medical research organization that ranks as one of the nation’s largest philanthropies, plays a powerful role in advancing biomedical research and science education in the United States.

“Dr. Anderson epitomizes what an HHMI Professor should be—a person who has accomplished a great deal in his own scientific career now reaching out to help today's students develop into the next generation of top scientists,” said David J. Asai, director of precollege and undergraduate programs at HHMI.

Chinweike Okegbe was not surprised by the announcement. He is a 2011 Gilliam Fellowship scholar and has been mentored by Anderson since his freshman year in 2006. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. from the Biological Sciences Department at Columbia University.

“He pushed us to constantly challenge the status quo in whatever we did; we could never be too comfortable at any particular step,” said Okegbe. “He always wanted us, his students, to be ready to face the challenges our careers would bring us.”

The White House emphasizes that mentors help prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers while ensuring that tomorrow’s innovators reflect and benefit from the diverse talent of the United States.

Candidates for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring are nominated by colleagues, administrators, and students at their home institutions. In addition to being honored at the White House, recipients receive awards of $25,000 from the National Science Foundation to advance their mentoring efforts.

ABOUT HOWARD

Howard University is a private research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Founded in 1867, students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. Since 1998, the University has produced two Rhodes Scholars, two Truman Scholars, a Marshall Scholar, 24 Fulbright Scholars and 11 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, call 202-238-2330, or visit the University’s Web site at www.howard.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Rachel Mann Communications Specialist Office of University Communications rachel.mann@howard.edu 202.238.2631 www.howard.edu/newsroom/

Pigford Settlement Claims Filing Period Opens for African American Farmers and Ranchers

Pigford Settlement Claims Filing Period Opens for African American Farmers and Ranchers.

Pigford Settlement Claims Filing Period Opens for African American Farmers and Ranchers
Those Eligible Must File Claims No Later Than May 11, 2012

WASHINGTON, November 28, 2011- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today reminded African American farmers and ranchers that the period to file a claim in the Pigford II settlement has opened.

"With the opening of the claims process, African American farmers and ranchers who believe they are entitled to compensation under the Pigford II settlement must file a claim within 180 days in order to receive cash payment or loan forgiveness," said Secretary Vilsack. "The opening of this claims process marks another milestone in USDA's efforts to correct the wrongs of the past and ensure fair treatment to all current and future customers."

In February, USDA and Department of Justice announced an agreement with African American farmers to settle the Pigford II litigation for $1.25 billion. Congress passed the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 that funded the settlement in November 2010, and the bill was signed by President Obama in December 2010.

The settlement arises from a class action lawsuit against USDA that alleges the Department discriminated against African-Americans who applied for or attempted to apply for farm loans or other farm benefits between January 1, 1981 and December 31, 1996. The settlement applies only to African-American farmers who meet specific eligibility requirements, including the requirement that they previously submitted a request to file a late claim in the 1999 Pigford I class action Consent Decree.

Members of the National Black Grower’s Council met with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC, Tuesday, November 29, 2011. From left: Haywood Harrell, North Carolina, Dexter Gilbert, Harper Armstrong, Louisiana, J.D. Jacobs, Texas, Secretary Tom Vilsack, P.J. Hayne, Virginia, DeWayne Goldman, Arkansas, Bill Bridgefork, Alabama, Warren James, Georgia and Kim Davis, Alabama. Secretary Vilsack and the council discussed national and international agriculture topics. USDA Photo by Bob Nichols.

The filing period opened November 14, 2011, and continues for 180 days, until May 11, 2012. Claimant services representatives can also be reached through calling 1-877-810-8110 or 1-866-950-5547. Claimants must register for a claims package (by calling the number or visiting the website) and the claims package will be mailed to claimants. All those interested in learning more or receiving information about the claims process and claims packages are encouraged to attend a meeting and contact the website or claims telephone number. The website is: www.blackfarmercase.com The call number is: 1-877-810-8110 or 1-866-950-5547 Claims period: November 14, 2011 to May 11, 2012 Under Secretary Vilsack's leadership, USDA is addressing civil rights complaints that go back decades, to usher in "a new era of civil rights" for the Department and to pave the way for new and stronger relationships with the farming and ranching community.

In October 2010, Secretary Vilsack announced the Keepseagle settlement with Native American farmers, in February 2011, he announced his intention to establish an alternative dispute resolution process to resolve the claims of Hispanic and women farmers and ranchers. Secretary Vilsack has made it a priority to resolve all of the civil rights cases facing the Department which were inherited by this Administration.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD)

Release No. 0493.11 Contact: USDA Office of Communications (202) 720-4623. Media Contact, Phone: (202) 720-4623, Fax: (202) 720-5402

IMAGE CREDIT: usdagov

Dr. Uhuru Hotep receives a Men of Excellence award from the New Pittsburgh Courier

Dr. Uhuru Hotep, associate director of Duquesne University’s Michael P. Weber Learning Skills Center and the Robert and Patricia Gussin Spiritan Division of Academic Programs, has received a Men of Excellence award from the New Pittsburgh Courier.

Nominated by readers and screened by the newspaper’s editorial board, Hotep was selected as one of 50 outstanding men contributing to the community. He is a nationally recognized authority on student achievement and leadership-following development.

A co-founder of the Duquesne Project for Academic Coaching through Tutoring (PACT), Hotep is also a consultant to the Kwame Ture Leadership Institute. With the help of grants from the Alkebulan Foundation, he created The Johari Sita: The Six Jewels of African Centered Leadership, the nation’s first African centered leadership-fellowship training program. Hotep’s nationally acclaimed seminars include 75 Ways to Raise the Intelligence of Black Children and Teens, Preparing African Youth for the 21st Century Leadership and Service and Kilombo Reconstruction: Building Sovereign African Villages in Modern-Day America, Part I-III.

A Fulbright Fellowship recipient, Hotep serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Pan African Studies and lectures on African American affairs in Japan, Jamaica, Haiti, Canada, the Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom. His published writings include poetry, plays, essays and scholarly research appearing in the Harvard Journal of African American Public Policy, the Journal of Pan African Studies and the Journal of Urban Education, among others.

He lives in Turtle Creek.

The Duquesne University chapel adjoins the "Old Main" administration building.

Duquesne University: Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic research universities for its award-winning faculty and tradition of academic excellence. The University is nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review for its rich academic programs in 10 schools of study for 10,000-plus graduate and undergraduate students, and by the Washington Monthly for service and contributing to students’ social mobility. Duquesne is a member of the U.S. President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for its contributions to Pittsburgh and communities around the globe. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges acknowledge Duquesne’s commitment to sustainability.

This release was posted on Monday, November 21st, 2011 at 4:19 pm and is filed under Appointments & Awards, Books & Publications, Community Involvement, Religion & Ethics.

Media Contacts: Karen Ferrick-Roman Media Relations Manager 412.396.1154 412.736.1877 (cell) ferrickromank@duq.edu Rose Ravasio Media Relations Manager 412.396.6051 412.818.0234 (cell) ravasio@duq.edu

IMAGE CREDIT: By Alekjds 22:25, 10 September 2007 (UTC) (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0-us (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons.

The centrality of health in the history of black Americans 2012 Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series

The centrality of health in the history of black Americans will be the focus of the 2012 Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series. New Jersey’s largest and most prestigious conference commemorating Black History Month celebrates its 32nd anniversary on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at the Paul Robeson Campus Center on the Rutgers University’s Newark Campus, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

This year’s program entitled Taking Good Care: A History of Health and Wellness in the Black Community, will examine the intersection of health and race in American life. Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former Surgeon General of the United States under President Clinton, will deliver the Marion Thompson Wright Lecture, Health Disparities in Black America. Dr. William Owen, president of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, will comment on Dr. Elders' lecture.

The MTW afternoon session features three distinguished speakers who will further examine the theme of Health and Wellness. Dr. Sharla Fett, associate professor of History, Occidental College, Los Angeles, will explore the healing work of enslaved women on U.S. Antebellum plantations; Dr. Dorothy Roberts, Kirkland & Ellis Professor, Northwestern University School of Law, will look at the new Biopolitics of Race and Health; and Dr. Priscilla Wald, Professor of English, Duke University, will examine the intersections of literature, science and medicine.

At the time of the MTW conference, Generation Fit, a new exhibit on health and wellness, will be on display at The Newark Museum, located within the footprint of the Rutgers-Newark campus. Immediately following the MTW conference, the audience is invited to attend a free reception featuring live musical entertainment by The Bradford Hayes Trio at The Newark Museum as well as visit the Generation Fit exhibit.

Former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders

During a special presentation, Rutgers University President, Dr. Richard L. McCormick, will receive the third Marion Thompson Wright Award in recognition of the university’s steadfast support of the Lecture Series. Previous MTW awards were presented in 2007 to Lonnie Bunch, director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian Institution, and in 2011 to Dr. Marc Mappen, former executive director of the New Jersey Historical Commission. The lecture series was co-founded in 1981 by Dr. Clement Price, Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor of History at Rutgers University, and the late Giles R. Wright, New Jersey Historical Commission.

Over the past 30 years, the conference has drawn thousands of people to the Rutgers-Newark campus, and has attracted some of the nation’s foremost scholars and humanists who are experts in the field of African and African American history and culture. It has become one of the nation's leading scholarly programs specifically devoted to enhancing the historical literacy of an intercultural community.

The annual conference was named for East Orange native Dr. Marion Thompson Wright, a pioneer in African American historiography and race relations in New Jersey, who was the first professionally trained woman historian in the United States.

The Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series is sponsored by the Rutgers Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience, the Federated Department of History, Rutgers-Newark and the New Jersey Institute of Technology; and the New Jersey Historical Commission/Department of State. The 2012 conference receives additional support from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, UMDNJ, and the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey.

For additional information about the program, visit the Institute’s website at: http://ethnicity.rutgers.edu, or contact the Rutgers Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience, 973.353.3891.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Media Contact: Marisa Pierson 973/353-3896 Office of Media Relations, Alexander Johnston Hall, 101 Somerset St. New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1281, 732-932-7084

Jesse Jackson at UNL Black Leadership Symposium

Jesse Jackson speaking Nov. 30 at UNL Black Leadership Symposium. Released on 11/23/2011, at 2:00 AM, Office of University Communications, University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 30, WHERE: Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th Street, Lincoln, Neb., November 23rd, 2011 —

Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., president and founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, will be the keynote speaker Nov. 30 for the Nebraska Black Leadership Symposium at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He will give a free public lecture at 11:30 a.m. at the Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th St.

Free tickets for the lecture are available at the Lied Ticket Office, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Two tickets will be available per person as long as they last.

Jackson's speech, "There's Still More to Be Done," will be followed by a question-and-answer session with select audience members. No bags or backpacks will be allowed at the lecture at the Lied.

Jackson is one of America's foremost civil rights, religious and political figures. Over the past 40 years, he has played a pivotal role in virtually every movement for empowerment, peace, civil rights, gender equality, and economic and social justice. In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. President and founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Jackson has been called the "conscience of the nation" and "the great unifier," challenging America to establish just and humane priorities. He is known for bringing people together on common ground across lines of race, class, gender and belief.

The lecture is part of the university's annual Diversity Leadership Symposia. UNL's Gaughan Multicultural Center and Office of Admissions partnered on the symposia for the first time to develop the event into a student retention and public engagement opportunity. Two other keynote speakers, Andres Lara and Jai Steadman, addressed prospective students and a broader audience from the campus community at separate events on Nov. 7 and Nov. 10 at the Nebraska Latino Leadership Symposium and the Nebraska American Indian Leadership Symposium.

News Release Contacts: Writer: Kelly Bartling University Communications, 402-472-2059

• Andre Fortune, Director of Gaughan Multicultural Center, OASIS
  phone: 402 472 6151
• Amber Hunter, Director, Admissions
  phone: 402 472 0671

IMAGE CREDIT: By Eric Guo; cropped by Beyond My Ken (talk) 03:54, 18 May 2010 (UTC) [CC-BY-2.0], || via Wikimedia Commons