Daura Museum Showcases Two Exhibits Spotlighting Drug Addiction and Domestic Violence
By Sheyla Fairley
The University of Lynchburg’s Daura Museum of Art, Lynchburg, VA, will have an opening reception for two exhibits, beginning on October 5, 2021 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The two exhibits are called “INTO LIGHT: Erasing the Stigma of Drug Addiction” and “Battered: Donna Ferrato’s Documentation of Domestic Violence.”
Theresa Clower, founder, executive director, and artist for “INTO LIGHT,” first started the project after her son Devin died in 2018 from a fentanyl overdose.
“It is my hope that by viewing the portraits and reading the narratives of people who have suffered from this insidious disease, people will begin to change their attitudes about what addiction is and come to see those who have suffered as people just like all of us. We each have our light side and our dark side. No one should be defined by their darkest moments,” said Clower.
“Battered: Donna Ferrato’s Documentation of Domestic Violence” represents documentary photographer Donna Ferrato advocating for survivors of domestic abuse and women’s rights by photographing in women’s shelters, courtrooms, hospitals, prisons, and other locations to expose “the dark side of family life.”
For more details, read the full article here.
ECSU’s Radio Station to Run Web Series About COVID
By Sheyla Fairley
WRVS 89.9 FM, a radio station from Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, NC, will present the web series “Save A Life Campaign” along with other HBCU radio stations and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
“The campaign targets under-represented communities to spread the word about COVID education and foster wellness during the pandemic,” said Melba Smith, Elizabeth City State University director of radio and television services. “The radio station currently features programming that encourages vaccinations and testing, and the monthly web series will address many topics associated with COVID-19 including vaccinations, testing, masking, and mental health as well.”
The series will launch on September 30, 2021 on the WRVS Facebook page and on the ECSU Facebook page at 6:00 p.m., and the series will run once a month through to March 2022.
For more information, click here.
ASU Renames Residence Hall in Honor of Civil Rights Activist
By Sheyla Fairley
The Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL, Board of Trustees voted unanimously to rename one of their residence halls in honor of civil rights activist Jo Ann Robinson, following the recommendation of ASU President Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr.
As stated in a press release, the residence hall was previously named in honor of David Bibb Graves, an Alabama governor who used his position as a local leader of a Ku Klux Klan to garner political support.
“Jo Ann Robinson was one of the catalysts behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott and is representative of the many faculty and staff members who were instrumental in bringing about one of the most impactful periods in the history of civil rights in the United States,” Ross said. “We are proud to be able to celebrate her contributions in this manner.”
UVI Student Part of Special Virtual White House Briefing
By Sheyla Fairley
University of the Virgin Islands communications major George Francis was a participant, along with other student journalists from 21 HBCUs, in a virtual White House briefing with Deputy Principal Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
According to an article, the event was “part of the first ever ‘White House HBCU Week,’ held in collaboration with the White House Initiative on HBCUs.”
“I was humbled to be granted this opportunity to interview the deputy press secretary from our nation’s highest office,” said Francis. “To be quite honest, I was really nervous as I sat waiting for my name to be called, but I knew I would have to do my best to represent the Territory, my University, the Communication Department and our student newspaper, UVIVOICE 2.0.”
For more details, read the full article here.
Problems Arise for Democratic Party over HBCU Funding
By Sheyla Fairley
The Democratic leadership is facing pressure for there to be more grant funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities in their $3.5 trillion social spending package.
Rep. Alma Adams and others alike had threatened to withhold support for the overall spending bill if it was not amended since it seemed like HBCUs would be forced to compete among themselves and against other minority serving institutions for the grant funding.
According to an article from The Hill, advocates have brought up that the legislation would “give an unfair leg up to other minority-serving institutions for grant funding, noting HBCUs typically have smaller endowments, are tuition-dependent and, due to a history of discrimination, have had less access to capital.”
For more information, read the full article here.
