Vol. 3, No. 11                                                                         March 15, 2013

   

Comedian/TV Host (and Oakwood alum) Jonathan Slocumb Partners with Chicago Skin Care Company Solo Noir to Empower Young Black Men 

 

 Actor/comedian/TV host Jonathan Slocumb is putting his name and resources to change the mindset of young Black men and boys around the country. The Los Angeles resident recently inked an endorsement deal to become the first national spokesman for Chicago-based company Solo Noir, which makes a complete line of grooming products for men of color featuring 100% organic 2-in-1 grooming products.

 

Slocumb is a firm believer that if you change the way a man dresses and thinks you will eventually change how he acts.

  

"My goal is to empower these young men to take pride in how they dress and to embrace taking care of their skin as a normal part of their daily grooming habits just like brushing their teeth. The first thing potential employers or women see when you meet them is your skin, teeth, hands and not just the clothes you wear" says Slocumb who attended a Historically Black College - Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama.

 

 

Slocumb is hosting a benefit gala for [the] UNCF North Alabama Chapter on Thursday, March 28th in Hunstville, Alabama, for Oakwood University which features a performance by Chicago native and lovely songstress Lalah Hathaway. Tickets are available at 1-256-726-7586. 

 

 

 Read entire article here.

  

 

 

 

     

  

  

Rebroadcast of UNCF An Evening of StarsŪ Educating Our Future - Presented by Target

 

Show Encores March 17, 2013, on Centric

 

Los Angeles, CA (March 11, 2013) - UNCF An Evening of StarsŪ Educating Our Future Presented by Target is back by popular demand. Viewers across the country will be able to watch the 34th airing legendary television event during its rebroadcast nationwide on Sunday, March 17, on Centric at 8:00 PM EDT.

 

Actor-comedian Anthony Anderson, co-star of  NBC's Guys With Kids, hosts the variety show, which focuses public attention on America's need for more African American college graduates and UNCF's work getting students to and through college.

 

"UNCF is delighted that stars like Usher, Anthony Anderson, Steve Harvey, Yolanda Adams, Kevin Hart and Chaka Khan have agreed to make our cause their cause," said Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D., president and CEO, UNCF. "Performing for the UNCF An Evening of StarsŪ national audience and introducing UNCF's "rising stars"-the high-achieving students who, thanks to UNCF, are getting the education they need to compete in the 21st century economy.  The country is facing a crisis in African American education, and UNCF, BET, and our galaxy of rising and established stars are determined to do something about it."

 

"We are very excited to be a part of this inspirational night," said Debra Lee, chairman and CEO, BET Networks. "Historically black colleges and universities play a special and important role in the African American community and we are honored to help raise funds and awareness to support the education of the next generation of leading African American professionals."

 

UNCF, the country's largest and most effective minority education organization, supports the education of more than 60,000 students each year. A recent study by UNCF's Patterson Research Institute showed that UNCF's 38 member historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) out-perform many non-HBCUs at enrolling and graduating low-income students.  UNCF's largest scholarship program, the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, has a 90 percent graduation rate among its 13,000 low-income minority students, a rate significantly higher than the national college graduation rate.

 

This year's show is made possible by Target, Presenting Sponsor of UNCF An Evening of StarsŪ; National Sponsor McDonald's, Official and Major Sponsors American Airlines, Wells Fargo, Buick, AT&T, the U.S Army and Anheuser-Busch; Media Partner, Clear Channel, and weekend sponsor Caesars Entertainment.

  
Oakwood's UNCF Campaign Receives $10,000 Contribution from Local Partner

 

 

President Leslie Pollard, Ms. Kisha Norris, Executive Director for Advancement & Development,  happily received a $10,000 donation to the UNCF campaign from "Gold sponsor" SAIC. The signal event of the campaign is the UNCF Gala, this year scheduled for Thursday, March 28.  Pictured (l-r) are: Garland Dulan; Timothy McDonald; Sabrina Cotton; Kisha Norris; Leslie Pollard; Ed Faulkner, AVP/Senior Program Manager at SAIC; Esther Veras, Subcontract Administrator at SAIC; David Knight; and Howard Weems.

 

On behalf of the UNCF North Alabama Campaign, and the hundreds of students who are UNCF scholarship recipients, thank you, SAIC!  
 

   
 

 

As an expert on faith-based/higher education/organizational leadership training and development, President Dr. Leslie Pollard answered interviewer Meredith Wood's question "What is a Leader?" on WAAY-TV31's midday news segment "Ask The Experts."

 

The segments with OU's experts began on March 5, and will air each Tuesday for the next 12 months, at approximately 11:20 a.m.   
  
    
 
 

  

   

 Adventist Today:  Oakwood University both underdog "David vs. Goliath" and principled "Hebrew Boys" in battle for The Home Depot's $50,000 top prize

by Tim Allston (public relations director, Oakwood University)

 

In The Home DepotŪ 2013 "Retool Your School" Campus Improvement Grant Program for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Oakwood University - one of the smallest HBCUs, and lone SDA contestant - is currently besting larger competitors for the $50,000 prize.

 

As the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, The Home Depot will award $195,000 - one $50,000 Tier I Grant for the school that receives the most votes and social media activity, one $25,000 Campus Pride Grant and twelve $10,000 Tier II Grants.

 

Since the contest's February 18 kick-off, it's been a daily neck-and-neck battle for the #1 spot, between the 1939-student OU and the 4,000-plus [student] University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the Princess Anne, Maryland, branch of the 13-campus University System of Maryland.

 

A David vs. Goliath in higher education? For six days each week, at least.

 

"There is a noticeable drop in social media voting from Oakwood and our supporters - and a tremendous upsurge to #1, for UMES - at Friday-night sunset, but a re-capturing of the top spot for Oakwood following

sunset Saturday evening - and we know why!" mused Ms. Kisha Norris, Executive Director for Advancement & Development at Oakwood. "We're planning to win this contest - not solely for the money and campus improvements, but even more importantly for the witnessing opportunity of Sabbath observance it gives us, not only with The Home Depot, but with all onlookers."

 

Oakwood as the 21st century "Hebrew Boys"? It's not the first time.

  1. In 2008 and 2009, Oakwood won the Honda's national HBCU quiz-tournament while refusing to compete in Sabbath contests, and
  2. In both 2008 and 2012, OU's men's basketball team won its national championships, as its athletic conference, and honored its Sabbath observance, as reported in Adventist Today.  

"It is our custom at Oakwood to begin formal meetings and informal gatherings with prayer," Norris added. "However, now with this RYS campaign, campus meetings still begin with prayer but, increasingly, the presiding person will then say, 'Amen, . . . Now, please pull out your electronic devices (smart-phones, tablets, etc.), . . . go to www.oakwood.edu,  . . . click on The Home Depot icon, . . . and now, please vote! Thank you all. The meeting will now come to order,' . . ."!

 

Oakwood plans to build an outdoor pavilion, equipped with outdoor kitchen appliances, grills and fireplaces. The Tier II grant funds would cover the costs of re-seeding and installation of sprinkler systems for the softball and football fields.
 

 

 

Vote at http://retoolyourschool.com - every day, on each electronic device (PC, laptop, phone, tablet), and keep the hashtag #OakwoodRYS2013 circulating on Instagram and Twitter. Last day to vote is April 15, 2013.

 
 
There's nothing like an un-solicited third-party endorsement.