The World Needs Visionaries
Claflin University Celebrates Black History Month
Claflin University is celebrating Black History Month with a series of thought provoking, community events that will officially kick off on Thursday, February 1.

Black History Month evolved from Negro History Week and is seen as the month to celebrate the history, achievements and accomplishments of African-Americans. Since 1976, every American president has recognized and designated February as Black History Month. 

Claflin's Black History Month events include panel discussions, documentary showings, workshops, worship services and more. Claflin will also join South Carolina State University on February 8 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Orangeburg Massacre.

Event schedule includes:
  • Thursday, Feb. 1 - Danny Simmons' Opening Reception and Book Signing. 7 p.m. Arthur Rose Museum
  • Tuesday, Feb. 6 - Freshman Assembly - A Conversation with a Visionary Leader, Mayor Michael C. Butler. 11 a.m. W.V. Middleton Fine Arts Center
  • Wednesday, Feb. 7 - Orangeburg Massacre: It's Meaning and Legacy featuring Bakari Sellers, Dr. Cleveland Sellers and Judy Richardson. 4:30 p.m. South Carolina State University Fine Arts Building, Barbara Vaugh Recital Hall.
  • Thursday, Feb. 8 - 50th Commemorative Ceremony of the Orangeburg Massacre. 11 a.m. South Carolina State University, Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center
  • Wednesday, Feb. 14 - Lyceum Series presents "The Langston Hughes Project" featuring Dr. Ron McCurdy. 7 p.m. W.V. Middleton Fine Arts Center.
  • Thursday, Feb. 15 - Lyceum Series presents "An Evening with Cecil Williams". 7 p.m. GTK Auditorium
  • Friday, Feb. 16 - "Black Panther" Movie Trip. AMC Dutch Square Mall (Columbia, S.C.).
  • Saturday, Feb. 24 - Freedom Ride to Savannah, GA. Bus leaves Claflin at 9 a.m. Return to Claflin by 7 p.m.
  • Monday, Feb. 26 - #MeToo and the Intersection of Race and Gender. 4 p.m. James and Dorothy Z. Elmore Chapel (Lower Level Room 6).
Click here for the complete schedule of Black History Month events.
Claflin University Hosts Visionary Leader Day

Claflin University welcomed more than 120 high-achieving high school seniors to its historic campus for the Sixth "Become a Visionary Leader Day" on Saturday, January 27, at the W.V. Middleton Fine Arts Center. The event introduced exceptional scholars from throughout the nation to Claflin's high-quality academic programs and its world-class faculty. The Office of Admissions hosted the event which included presentations by University administrators, faculty, staff and students from the Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College.
 
"This event is specifically for a special, select group of high school seniors who meet certain criteria including exceptional test scores and impressive grade point averages. Every student in attendance is offered a scholarship ranging from $3,000 dollars to Presidential Scholarships," said Antonio McFarland, assistant director of admissions at Claflin. "Today, they experienced the life of a scholar. They toured the residence halls and other campus facilities, met with President Tisdale and other administrators and professors, and ate lunch in the dining hall. We are excited that we had a record number of students for this year's event. We are hopeful that many of these students will choose Claflin for the next step of their transformational journey to earning a college degree." 
 
McFarland said that most of the students were from South Carolina and neighboring states, including Florida and Georgia. A significant number of students expressed interest in STEM majors in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. 

"If you come to Claflin, we will prepare you to become a visionary leader," said President Henry N. Tisdale. "Come to Claflin and you will find that academic excellence is our flagship. That is our commitment and our promise."  
 
Shilpa Kannan, a senior from Hampton High, plans to enroll in Claflin and major in computer science. Kannan is a native of India who moved to South Carolina two years ago.  Claflin's diverse and engaging atmosphere and the reputation of the computer science program sparked her interest in the university.
 
"Since I'm from a different country, I looked for a university that was welcoming to different cultures, "said Kannan. "I talked to people who already go here and they told me that they have internships and conduct research with their professors. That is what I'm looking for."
 
Jzaquoan Drummond a senior from Greenville (SC) High School, received a pleasant surprise when he was awarded a scholarship.
 
"It felt great when they called my name and presented me with a scholarship offer. I feel a great sense of accomplishment," said Drummond who plans to major in education. His goal is to become a teacher at the middle school level. "I am the only male in the teacher cadet program for aspiring teachers at my high school. I am very familiar with Claflin's teacher education program and its focus on preparing African-American males to teach in grades K-12.  That is one of the reasons I was attracted to Claflin." 
 
According to Alice Carson Tisdale, director of the honors college which bears her name, 15 students received scholarships and admission to her prestigious program.
 
"This event is very important to Claflin and the honors college because these talented students learn what Claflin has to offer," said Tisdale. "In addition to the scholarships, we tell them about internships, and how they will meet some of the top professionals in the fields they plan to study. These are great students and they will spread the good news about Claflin and bring other outstanding students with them."
Renowned Artist and Media Executive Danny Simmons Jr. 
to Visit Claflin to Promote Art Exhibit

Claflin University will showcase paintings by Danny Simmons Jr., a nationally-renowned visual and performing artist, and media executive, today  through March 15 at the Arthur Rose Museum. 
 
Blended: Paint and Fabric is the title of Simmons' exhibit.  He will visit Claflin on Thursday, February 1 for a lecture at 11 a.m. in the W.V. Middleton Fine Arts Center followed by a presentation to Claflin art majors at 1:30 p.m. in the museum. Simmons will conduct a poetry reading a 5 p.m. in the W.V. Middleton Fine Arts Center and a reception is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the museum. 
 
All events except the presentation to Claflin art majors are free and open to the public. 
 
Simmons' "neo-African abstract expressionist" style experiments with new processes and materials when making visual art. His recent works have developed from a unique process of mixed fabric collage on canvas and archival paper.  He often draws inspiration from the world-class collection of African ceremonial and ritual objects.  The predominance presence of their influence in the artwork, informs an ancestral language, which Simmons communicates visually. This "conversation with the ancestors" creates an ancestral bridge, which flows through his growing catalog of works.
 
Simmons is the older brother of hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons and rapper Joseph Simmons ("Reverend Run" of Run-DMC). He also is co-founder and vice chairman of the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and Rush Arts Gallery.
 
Along with his brother Russell, Simmons established Def Poetry Jam, which enjoyed long- running success on HBO. In 2004, Simmons published "Three Days As The Crow Flies," a fictional account of the 1980's New York art scene. He has also written a book of artwork and poetry called "Dreamed My People Were Calling But I Couldn't Find My Way Home."
 
Simmons earned a degree in social work from New York University and a master's in public finance from Long Island University. He began painting after he realized how much he hated his job with New York's Bureau of Child Support.
 
Chase Manhattan Bank, the United Nations, and the Schomburg Center for Black Culture all show his work as part of their collections. He is also an avid collector of African art and comic books.
Officers Elected for Public Sector Executive Employer Advisory Council of The Carolina Cluster Career Pathways Program
Public Sector Executive Employer Advisory Council officers Jerry Adger, Teresa Wilson and Dr. Jessica Cornish

Claflin University, Benedict College and Voorhees College are pleased to announce the officers for its Public Sector Executive Employer Advisory Council of The Carolina Cluster Career Pathways Program. The Council held its inaugural meeting on Thursday, January 25. The vision of the Carolina Cluster is to develop a model Career Pathway Initiative that transforms approaches to student achievement and success, by producing prepared and career-ready HBCU graduates that are coveted by employers and graduate programs, in order to improve our students' generational socio-economic status. The advisory council will work to promote collaboration between the three Carolina Cluster member institutions and senior-level business and industry leaders of national, regional and local employers.
 
The Carolina Cluster Career Pathways Program was created in December 2016 through a $6 million grant by the UNCF® Career Pathways Initiative (CPI), funded by Lilly Endowment, Inc. The priorities of the grant are to improve employment outcomes for graduates through guided pathways, curricular enhancements, and integrated co-curricular engagement. 
 
The newly elected officers are:
  • Chairperson - Ms. Teresa Wilson, City Manager, City of Columbia (South Carolina)
  • Vice Chairperson - Mr. Jerry Adger, Director, South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon
  • Secretary - Dr. Jessica Cornish, Director of Recruiting and Talent Management, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
The Public Sector Executive Employer Advisory Council consists of 20 members who are leaders in local government and state agencies. The Executive Advisory Council will provide Carolina Cluster member institutions with insights into workforce needs. This workforce information will be utilized to direct future curricular decisions, with the goal to improve the professional readiness of Cluster Members' students necessary to meet employers' workforce needs.
 
During the meeting, Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, president of Claflin University; Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, president of Benedict College; and Dr. W. Franklin Evans, president of Voorhees College welcomed the attendees and thanked them for their interest and support of the Career Pathways Program. Each president also had an opportunity to share how the Career Pathways Program will impact students and prepare them for the 21st Century workforce.
 
"The Carolina Cluster Career Pathways Program is our collaborative response to America's need for talent and our graduates desire to be competitive in obtaining high-paying 21st Century jobs," said Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, president of Claflin University. "Through the work of the program, we will leverage the capacity of our partner institutions and implement innovative strategies designed to nurture the talent of the students on our campuses as well as recent graduates and help make the story of the workforce of the 21st Century one of increased diversity and inclusion."
 
Additional presentations were given by Dr. Karl S. Wright, provost and chief academic officer of Claflin University; Attorney Cathy Scarborough Franklin, executive director of The Carolina Cluster Career Pathways Program, and Ms. Valeria Green, director of experiential learning for The Carolina Cluster Career Pathways Program, who outlined the evolution and purpose of the grant from UNCF, the formation and terms of the advisory officers, and the need for experiential learning. During the meeting's dialog, many of the employers expressed their appreciation for the creation of this program and their desire to partner with the universities to fill positions with recent graduates.  
 
"The goals of the Career Pathways Program are consistent with our mission of preparing graduates for the 21st Century workforce and are directly embedded in our long range plan and strategic goals of academic excellence and experiential learning," said Dr. Tisdale during the discussion. We will continue to develop programs that will meet the needs of the students and employers."
 
Attendees of the council meeting included members from the following agencies: County of Bamberg, City of Charleston, City of Columbia, City of Greenville Police Department, County of Orangeburg, Richland County Administration, Richland County Transportation, South Carolina Attorney General's Office, South Carolina Department of Administration, South Carolina Department of Commerce, South Carolina Department of Corrections, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, South Carolina Department of Education, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon, South Carolina Department of Transportation, South Carolina Retirement System Investment Commission, Savannah River Remediation, and the United States Secret Service.
 
The next meeting for the advisory council will be held in August 2018.
Claflin University to Compete in National Qualifying Tournament of 29th Annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge
On Saturday, February 3, Claflin University will compete in the National Qualifying Tournament of the 29th annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC), America's premier quiz bowl for top HBCU students. The fast-paced buzzer competition highlights students' academic prowess and ability to answer questions about history, science, literature, religion, the arts and pop culture. Claflin is one of 65 teams competing for institutional grants and a spot in the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship Tournament taking place in Los Angeles, April 7-11, 2018.
 
Claflin's team consists of Tamera Jones (captain), senior biochemistry major; Sabrena Brink, senior, biology major; Matias Salvo, senior, mathematics major; Brandon Sanders, junior, biology major; and Tariq Edwards (alternate), fresman, mass communications major. The team is being advised by Dr. Dennis Bormann (coach), assistant professor of English; and Dr. Belinda Wheeler, associate professor of English.
 
The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge is a year-round program that includes campus engagement, intramural play, qualifying tournaments and culminates with the National Championship. In 1989, Honda established HCASC as a way to highlight and recognize the academic talents of HBCU students. More than $8.5 million in grants from Honda have provided support for scholarships, facility upgrades and other investments to improve the student experience. This year's challenge features more than 10,000 HBCU student competitors.
 
You can also help the team to qualify for the National Qualifying Tournament by voting for the on HCASC website. The top four Universities with the highest votes will automatically qualify in the NQT. This vote is open to the public, and each voter is allowed three votes per day through February 5 at 5 pm EST. Click here to vote.
Claflin to Host Annual Black History National TRIO Day Celebration and Step Show
Claflin University will host its annual Black History National TRIO Day Celebration and Step Show on Saturday, February 17 beginning at 9 a.m. in W.V. Middleton Fine Arts Center Auditorium.  The event will feature a keynote speaker, presentations of formal TRIO scholars, an American TRIO Idol Competition, and a Stepping Back into Black History Step Show Competition and Exhibition.

Attendees can expect to participate in interactive and educational discussions about college life, leadership and success, the Claflin experience, black history month and more.

TRIO programs are federal outreach and student services programs designed address the cultural, and social barriers to education in America. TRIO programs serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post baccalaureate programs. 

To register, and for more information contact Gwendolyn B. Phillips, TRIO Programs director at (803) 535-5058 or via email at [email protected] . 
Claflin Students Selected to Teach and Serve in Ecuador
Claflin juniors and seniors were selected to travel to Guayaquil, Ecuador for Afro-America Connections, a three- month joint teaching/internship program that spans from January thru April. The program was developed to connect African American students who attend historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) with Afro-Ecuadorian cultures.

 

The Claflin student participants are:   

  • Alissa Malbrough, senior, Spanish major
  • Ivah Levy, senior, criminal justice major
  • Thomas Webb Jr., junior, history major
This joint teaching/internship program will allow students the opportunity to develop a short curriculum and implement cross - cultural skills while teaching a ten-week African American History course in English at the CentroEcuatoriano Norteamericano (CEN), a U.S. Ecuadorian Binational Center. The program is in its tenth cycle, and focuses on giving teens ages 14-18 from lower economic and marginalized communities the opportunity to learn English and gain leadership skills.
 
Columbia, S.C. native, Alissa Malbrough, is accustom to serving abroad and looks forward to making an impact in Ecuador. During her studies at Claflin, Malbrough has traveled to Puerto Rico, Cuba and Argentina to study and conduct research.
 
"As a Black woman in the United States today, I believe that it is important to dialogue with diverse cultures about what is happening in black culture and what it means to be black in America," shared Malbrough.
 
Malbrough also looks forward to immersing herself into the Afro-Ecuadorian culture, serving in the community projects and developing her career interests in international development and international affairs.   
 
In addition, the program includes a virtual, distance learning component that will include 16 additional HBCU students who will serve as guest lecturers.
 
" I'm looking forward to implementing what I learned in the classroom at Claflin, engaging with students and teaching them interactive ways to learn African American History and English skills," said Sumter, S.C. native, Ivah Levy.
 
Afro-America Connections interns will also assist with community outreach and leadership projects with Afro-Ecuadorian civil society organizations such as: Trinibox, a youth sports outreach program for at-risk youth, Mujeres de la Lucha, an Afro-Ecuadorian women's association, and Afro-America XXI, an Afro-Ecuadorian human rights organization.
 
"When I return to Claflin at the completion of the program I hope that I gained a greater appreciation for diverse cultures and that I have a broader perspective about the world," concluded Levy.
Claflin Co-hosts National Association of Student Affairs Professionals Annual Conference
Claflin University is serving as a co-host for the National Association of Student Affairs Professionals (NASAP) 64th Annual Conference on February 15-17. Themed "Cultivating Student Success in Higher Education," the conference will be held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston Airport Hotel & Convention Center.
 
NASAP (originally known as the National Association of Personnel Workers) was founded on April 1, 1954, on the campus of Howard University. NASAP was organized in a joint business session with delegates from the National Association of Deans of Women and Advisor of Girls in Colored Schools and the National Association of Personnel Dean of Men at Negro Educational Institutions. NASAP addresses the nature and needs of our students and professional development of student affairs professional facilitating those programs and services.
 
NASAPs annual conference provides a forum for professional growth and development for all who are involved in work with students in the student affairs profession. "With the challenges institutions are facing today, we look forward to this great opportunity to collaborate and share best practices, ideas, and research with colleagues around the world that will improve student success as a higher education community and at our perspective institutions," said Dr. Denver Malcom Key, conference chair and president-elect of NASAP. Dr. Key is also the project director and director of the Academic Student Success Center at Claflin University.
 
This year's conference will highlight issues in focus area such as leadership, student wellness, student learning and success, and student life. Guest speakers include Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, president of Claflin University; Dr. Brian Bridges, vice president of Research and Member Engagement at UNCF; Dr. Sylvia Cary Butler, assistant vice chancellor for Academic Support of Inclusive Excellence at the University of Wisconsin; and Dr. Tia Brown McNair, vice president in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success at the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).
 
Click here for more information on the conference or call (803) 535-5604. 
Claflin Crowns New Miss UNCF and Miss Pre-Alumni Council
Makayla Cain (seated), a sophomore from Greer, S.C. was crowned Miss UNCF and  Karla Fulmore (standing), a sophomore from Hemingway, S.C., was crowned Miss Pre-Alumni Council during Claflin University's annual Miss UNCF Pageant held Friday, January 26 in Ministers' Hall. The theme for this year's pageant was "Glitz and Glamour." The pageant is a fundraiser for UNCF scholarships for Claflin students.
 
Cain is a biology major with a minor in chemistry. She is also a member of the Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College and Pre-Alumni Council. She hopes to pursue a career as an optometrist after she graduates from Claflin.

Fulmore is majoring in marketing and management. Her career goal is to build a marketing and securities firm that will encourage other young professionals to join the field.
 
"Both students are outstanding scholars who possess an abundance of talent, beauty and poise," said Tammy McCottry, pageant coordinator and director of special events at Claflin University. "Their hard work, dedication and commitment to advancing the cause of UNCF and Claflin will contribute  to more students receiving an opportunity to earn a college degree." 
Employee News
Rev. Whittaker V. Middleton, '73, vice president for institutional advancement, will receive the Cecelia E. Washington Award at the  72nd Anniversary UNCF/NAC/NPAC Leadership Conference's Legacy Award Gala on Thursday, February 8 in Atlanta, Ga. Awardees have made remarkable contributions in the areas of fundraising, giving, facilitation of corporate government contributions to UNCF. As a fundraiser, Rev. Middleton developed strategies at Claflin which increased alumni giving from 11 percent in 1982 to 52 percent in 2016, which is  the highest of all HBCUs. He also helped to conduct four capital campaigns raising more than $160 million. Rev. Middleton has been employed at Claflin University for 45 years. 
Alumni Notes
Eddie Massey III, '17, (fifth from left) executive director of the Massey Global, held an awards banquet on Thursday, January 25 at the Broughton Event Venue to conclude his coding and web design program. Initially, the program was designed to offer free computer programming and coding workshops to Orangeburg area middle and high school students, but as a result of the high demand, the workshops evolved into an afterschool program. "We want Orangeburg to be the next tech hub and we want to see a shift in the community, said Massey." The awards banquet featured presentations of the student participants' website design, gamming design and coding skills. Massey's program also allowed students the opportunity to meet with and learn from Silicon Valley professionals and engineers from Google, Yelp, and CoStar. 

The South Carolina State Museum is currently showcasing Requiem for Mother Emanuel produced by Dr. Leo Twiggs, '56 . This exhibit is a series of nine paintings created in the aftermath of the violent shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston in June 2015. Requiem for Mother Emanuel is a powerful culmination of Twiggs' life's work, and will be accompanied by a number of programs presented by the Museum.
Panther Pride
Claflin Hosts Virginia Union in Final Non-Conference Game of the Season

The Claflin University women's basketball team will host Virginia Union University in its final non-conference game of the 2017-18 season. The game will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 31 in Tullis Arena. Fans are asked to wear black to the game.

Claflin Hosts Morehouse in Pivotal SIAC Contest

The Claflin University men's basketball team will play Morehouse College on Wednesday, January 31  in a pivotal Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Eastern Division contest in the Tullis Arena.
 
The game is set to begin at 8 p.m. Fans are asked to wear black to the game.

Stokes Earn SIAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week

For the second time this season, Claflin University women's basketball player Jhanice Stokes has been named the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Women's Basketball Player of the Week. The Player of the Week Honors were announced by the league office Monday, January 29.
Stokes currently leads the conference in blocked shots as she averages 2.4 blocked shots per game and is 6th in the conference for rebounding.
January 31, 2018
In This Issue
Connect with Us
@Claflin is published by the Office of Communications & Marketing 
President: Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, '65
Vice President for Institutional Advancement: Rev. Whittaker V. Middleton, '73
Assistant Vice President for Communications & Marketing: George Johnson Jr.
Public Relations Director: J. Craig Cotton
Social Media and Public Relations Coordinator: Bernita Cooper, '12
Web Communications Manager: Colin Myers, '07
Sports Information Director: Romanda Noble-Watson
Photographers: Cecil Williams, '60, Geoff Henderson and Colin Myers, '07
Interns: Nathaniel Fields, Alexis Garner and Trendon Howard