Dr. Crystal deGregory pays a visit to the HBCU Lifestyle Podcast for

Episode 17 to talk about the second HBCUStory Symposium which took place

October 2014 in Washington, D.C. The podcast also features Mia Hall who

wrote one of the most revered HBCU blogs of 2014, “How an HBCU Prepared

Me for Harvard”.

The HBCUStory Symposium 2014

Dr. Crystal deGregoryFeatured

is Dr. Crystal deGregory who held the second HBCUStory Symposium. Dr.

deGregory speaks with great passion about the value of the research

presented at the symposium. She also speaks about the honor of having

the legendary Dr. Johnetta Cole as one of the event’s keynote speakers.

Dr. deGregory is the founder and executive director as well as

history and culture editor of HBCUStory, Inc. She is an alumna of Fisk

University and holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction

from Tennessee State University.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HBCUstorian

Facebook: http://facebook.com/HBCUStory

About Crystal deGregory, Ph.D.: http://crystaldegregory.com

About HBCUStory, Inc.: http://hbcustory.com

“How an HBCU Prepared Me for Harvard”

Mia HallOne of the most talked-about and uplifting HBCU blog posts

of 2014 was penned by Mia Hall for The Root. Not only do we take time

to find out what inspired the Hampton University alumna to write the

entry but we also get her thoughts on the value of her HBCU experience.

Mia Hall is a Speaker and producer of digital, print, and video

content for outlets including Black Enterprise, SLAM Magazine, NBC’s The

Grio, Generation W and her personal blog: Mia’s Full Court Press. Hall

is an expert in professional development, sports business careers,

community outreach, women’s leadership, mentorship, professional

etiquette, and accountability.

Mia’s Full Court Press: http://blog.miahall.net

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Mia_HallDaily

Facebook: http://facebook.com/MiasFullCourtPress2014 Top 10 Podcast

We’re excited to announce that our HBCU Lifestyle podcast was one of

the 10 Most Popular Podcasts in our category for 2014. You can see our

podcast featured among the winners at Education.

We want to thank all of our listeners and partners for their support

and part in our success. We look forward to continued success in 2015

and welcome your input and feedback.

Episode 16 of the HBCU Lifestyle Podcast features two fun interviews from the online home of the HBCU sports scene to New Orleans, the home of Dillard University. Dillard is one of the top producers of black physics graduates in the country.

HBCU Sports

Kenn Rashad, the founding editor of HBCUSports.com (formerly TSPN Sports) stops by to talk about all things HBCU sports. The conversation goes from his family’s Grambling State University legacy to his web site’s new look. Kenn and Eddie even talk about how they rank a popular HBCU rivalry in addition to the HBCU sporting event they would like to attend most.

Rashad is an internet publisher and digital marketing consultant who also runs Rashad Interactive, LLC. A native of California, he received his bachelor’s in Mass Communications from Grambling.

Follow Kenn Rashad on Twitter: http://twitter.com/KennRashadAbout HBCU Sports

Created in 1997 as The SWAC Page (swacpage.com), renamed TSPN Sports (tspnsports.com) in 2007, to becoming our current name in 2014. HBCU Sports is one of the largest and most visited HBCU sports news sites on the Web with nearly 1 million visitors logged in the year 2013.

Keylantra Taylor

Meet a future alumna of one of the country’s top producers of black Physics graduates Keylantra Taylor is both a Physics major and a three-sport athlete. The very competitive Houston native talks about why she chose Dillard and Physics as well as the opportunities that Physics has opened for her. Taylor also talks about how she balances basketball, volleyball, and track and field with academics.

About Dillard University

Since1869, Dillard University has been committed to providing students with a quality four-year liberal arts education. Dillard is a fully accredited private, historically black university. In 2010, U.S. News World Report ranked Dillard among the nation’s Top 10 HBCUs, based on comprehensive undergraduate studies. Dillard also was awarded a Top 10 Ranking in 2010 for liberal arts schools in the social mobility category by Washington Monthly.

Learn more about Dillard: http://Dillard.edu

Episode 15 features a conversation with Geno Brooks about the web television series “Black Boots”. Also, Dr. Marybeth Gasman and Felecia Commodore talk about their article “HBCUs: Where African American Lives and Minds Are Valued”.

Black Boots

Eddie talks to Geno Brooks, the producer, director and writer of the internet television series, “Black Boots”. The series depicts Greek life at HBCUs, focusing on students pledging the fictional fraternities Epsilon Chi Tau and Mu Beta Kappa and sorority Theta Eta Pi at fictional Brooks University. As drama unfolds in the Greek system, the university’s president fights his own battle as Brooks’ leader. The interview is infused with energy, honesty and even a little humor about the popular series.

Related Links and Resources:

Black Boots on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BlackBootsTV Black Boots on Facebook: http://facebook.com/blackbootstv Band of Artists: http://www.boacollective.com Geno Brooks on Twitter: http://GenoBrooksTV

 

HBCUs: Where African American Lives and Minds Are Valued

HBCU Lifestyle bloggers Dr. Marybeth Gasman and Felecia Commodore discuss their August 2014 entry following the tumultuous fallout from the death of Michael Brown. The interview is seasoned with insight about why HBCUs play perhaps the best role in providing academic and social spaces for students’ growth.

Dr. Gasman is a professor of Higher Education in the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. She is also the director of the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions. Dr. Gasman has become an expert on HBCUs, black leadership, fundraising and philanthropy in communities of color, and Minority Serving Institutions. She is the author of 18 books and numerous articles and blogs on the subject areas.

Commodore is a third year Ph.D. student in Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. She interned for the Southern Education Foundation in 2013 and her research focus area is HBCU leadership, governance, and administrative practices.

Related Links and Resources:

Blog Entry: HBCUs: Where African American Lives and Minds Are Valued Dr. Marybeth Gasman’s Website: http://mgasman.wix.com/marybethgasman Dr. Gasman on Twitter: http://twitter.com/marybethgasman Felecia Commodore on Twitter: http://twitter.com/FeleciaElana

Episode 14 of the HBCU Lifestyle Podcast introduces the new host and HBCU Lifestyle contributor, Eddie Francis. This edition features interviews Felecia Commodore and Dr. Charlie Nelms. The podcast also highlights recent HBCU news from HBCU Lifestyle.

Felecia discusses her blog entry "5 Reasons Why We Still Need Black Sororities Today". The conversation is filled with insights about how sororities Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Zeta Phi Beta continue to serve as leadership networks and powerful engines of identity for black women.

Felecia is a third year Ph.D. student in Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. She interned for the Southern Education Foundation in 2013 and Felecia’s research focus area is HBCU leadership, governance, and administrative practices.

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/FeleciaElana

Dr. Nelms discusses how HBCU constituents--students, alumni, parents, and supporters--can hold leadership accountable. With years of leadership experience, Dr. Nelms discusses how he managed relationships, his successes, and his philosophy for moving HBCUs forward. He also explains why students and parents have much more power than they think in the higher education community.

Dr. Nelms is a passionate advocate for college access and student success. An alumnus of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, he is now a full-time advocate for HBCUs. Dr. Nelms has held chancellor positions at Indiana University East, the University of Michigan-Flint, and North Carolina Central University.

While at North Carolina Central, Dr. Nelms:

Raised the average GPA of freshmen from 2.7 in 2007 to 3.2 in 2012,

Established the Centennial Scholars program to enhance the retention and graduation of black male students,

Guided the establishment of the first and only Ph.D. program to be offered on campus in 50 years, and

Achieved specialized accreditation in six programs including membership in the Association of American Law Schools making NCCU only the third law school at an HBCU to join the association.

Website:  http://charlienelms.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/CharlieNelms

Growtuity cofounders (from left to right): Torrence Reed, Jamerus Payton, and Baxter SmithIn episode 13 of the HBCU Lifestyle Podcast, I’m happy share with you a positive example of the entrepreneurial spirit on HBCU campuses through my interview with tech start-up cofounders Jamerus Payton (North Carolina AT State University), Baxter Smith (University of South Carolina) and Torrence Reed (North Carolina AT State University). Their company, Growtuity, Inc., is an online platform designed to help students start, manage and grow their own businesses.

The three cofounders have a combined 15 years of start-up experience. They have all started businesses during their careers, both in college and after graduation. In addition to start-up experience, they boast an array of diverse skill sets, including operations management, computer technology, software development, marketing, finance and customer relations.

In this episode, you will hear the story of how the cofounders connected on North Carolina AT State University's campus and forged a bond that later became a company. They also discussed their first business ventures in college and the lessons they learned from them. For Jamerus Payton—whose first business was selling shoes from his dorm room, such as Nike's Air Force One and Jordan sneakers—there were two big takeaways.

His biggest lesson was “You got to have a team”; the other was “purpose and value over profits.” Payton mentioned that he has carried these same lessons over into what he does today with Growtuity.

Later in the interview, the cofounders shared how they decided which college to attend. Baxter Smith shared a funny story about how his mom bribed him into attending her alma mater, Claflin University, where he wound up staying for just one semester before transferring to South Carolina State University.

In our conversation about transitioning into college, we also touched on their motivations for staying focused and avoiding all the distractions of college life. Torrence Reed’s motivation was twofold. His first motivation was that he had two younger siblings he wanted to set an example for by graduating in four years. The second was that he didn't want to be one of the students he witnessed having to go home after the first semester because they didn’t have their priorities in order. “The school will send you a nice letter that says ‘Thank you for your donation; we're sending you home,’” said Reed.

Before we closed out the show, the guys explained the concept behind Growtuity and some of their individual challenges early on. They also informed me of the services they offer, including a step-by-step roadmap, crowd-funding and storefronts, and finally business plan competitions. Finally, all three cofounders departed with some excellent advice for students currently enrolled in college who are interested in starting a business.