The Black Excel Newsletter

                           January, 2001

The Black Excel African American Student's College Guide is now on sale at Amazon.com for $15.95.  This book will have a rallying impact on our aspiring college students. --Isaac Black,         Black Excel Founder and Author

Topics:

   (1) An Evening of Stars: A Celebration of Educational
        Excellence by the United Negro College Fund
   (2) The Ron Brown Scholarship Program (January 9th
        Deadline)
   (3) Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarships (April 2,
        2001 Deadline)
    4) Morehouse Graduate Heads to CalTech
    5) Coca-Cola and UNCF Launch Internship Program
    6) The Divide and HBCUs
    7) The Seventh National African American Student
        Leadership Conference
    8) Summer 2001 Internships for African American Art
       Students
    9) Fourth Annual Regional HBCU Summit on
        Retention
10) Top Universities Graduate Black Students (But
       National Rates Low)
 

An Evening of Stars: A Celebration of Educational  Excellence by the United Negro College Fund

On January 7, 2001 the UNCF will present its annual "An Evening of Stars" celebration on national TV (check your TV listings for times).  The UNCF will try to raise $1.2 million to help deserving and aspiring college students who need financial assistance and support. The UNCF (with over 400 educational programs) is a consortium of 39 private HBCUs with more than 56,000 students.  To date, over 300,000 men and women have graduated from UNCF colleges and universities. The four-hour show will feature co-hosts Lou Rawls, Debbie Allen, Vivica A. Fox, Robert Townsend and other stars. Throughout the broadcast you can call toll-free 800-945-7200 to pledge financial support while you enjoy the show. To learn more about the UNCF and this event you can visit the website at www.uncf.org. Or donate online at:
www.unitednegrocollegefund.com/donation/donate.asp
 

          The Ron Brown Scholarship Program
                     (January 9th Deadline)

The Ron Brown Scholarship Program is a national program that
awards scholarships to academically talented, highly-motivated
African-American high school seniors who intend to pursue
undergraduate degrees full-time. The Program honors the late
Ronald H. Brown.  These scholarships are reserved for exceptional individuals who share Brown's traits of excellence, leadership, commitment to public service and desire to make a difference. In addition, applicants must demonstrate financial need. Each year, about 20 students will be designated Ron Brown Scholars and will receive $10,000 annually for four years, for a total of $40,000. Application Deadline: January 9th of the student's senior year of high school. Go the Ron Brown gateway at the Black Excel site or to http://www.ronbrown.org/
 

     Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarships
                    (April 2, 2001 Deadline)

Founded in 1973, the Jackie Robinson Foundation awards
four-year college scholarships to academically-gifted students
of color with financial need so  they can go to the college of their choice and "give back to the community." Currently the Foundation is supporting 215 JR Scholars attending 71 colleges and universities in the U.S. and the District of Columbia.  For additional information on the Jackie Robinson Foundation,
contact the Foundation at 3 West 35th Street, New York, NY
10001 or call (212) 290-8600. Or download an application at
www.JackieRobinson.org before March 30, 2001, 5 pm (EST).  Deadline to apply: April 2, 2001. Editor's note: a student Black Excel counseled was accepted to an Ivy League college and named a Jackie Robinson scholar.
 

     Morehouse Graduate Heads to CalTech

Chemistry major Christopher Boxe, 20, is the first Morehouse
man in several years to enter the graduate program at the
California Institute of Technology, and one of few African-
American males to enter geological and planetary sciences.
Boxe said: "I am the only minority in the division, probably
one of five black students out there." He felt his application
stood out because of the research he's been conducting on
atmospheric chemistry. Dr. James King, a 1953 Morehouse
graduate and the first to be accepted to CalTech, has mentored
Boxe since returning to Morehouse almost two years ago to
help establish a space sciences program. Boxe entered Morehouse at 17 and graduates with a 3.55 grade point average. You can find the news release at www.Morehouse.edu.
 

Coca-Cola and UNCF Launch Internship Program
 
A corporate intern and scholarship program that links college students to the "real world" has been launched by Coca-Cola and the UNCF.  Scheduled for a summer 2001 kick-off, the Intern Program will offer 50 minority college juniors summer internships and the opportunity to earn an academic scholarship. Students will participate in an eight-to-ten-week summer internship, working at a Coca-Cola facility. Students will work in one of seven areas of
the company: chemistry, engineering, finance, human resources, information technology, marketing or business management. Each student will receive a $5,000 internship stipend, $2,000 housing and transportation and will be eligible for a $10,000 scholarship.  The deadline to apply for the Summer 2001 Coca-Cola Corporate Intern Program is Feb. 16, 2001.  For more information go to www.coca-colaoncampus.com or call the UNCF at 1-800-331-2244. Applications go to: The College Fund and Coca-Cola Corporate Intern Program, 8260 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, P.O. Box 10444, Fairfax, VA 22031-4511, ATTN: Jamil Fletcher.
 

                  The Divide and HBCUs

This is a very informative and useful article about the "Divide
and HBCUs." It's written by Dr. Eugene Jones, who serves as Co-Project Manager for the Tennessee State University-AOL Foundation HBCU Digital Divide Project. Go to http://explorers.tsuniv.edu/tsuaol/primeron.htm
 

         The Seventh National African American
               Student Leadership Conference

The Seventh National African American Student Leadership
Conference will be held on the campus of historically Black Rust College located in Holly Springs, Mississippi. The Conference is designed to address issues of "progressive African American leadership models," past and present. Issues involving the struggles of Black students on predominantly white campuses, shaping mass movements, connecting with Africa and building African American student organizations, as well as Black female and male relationships. The theme of the 2001 Conference is "Connecting Progressive African Minds For Effective Leadership: A Continuing Legacy." Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu, author of the Black Student College Survival Guide and 14 other books will be a keynote speaker, along with Dick Gregory, Dr. Frances Cress Welsing and  Dr. Lee Jones. The conference is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, January 12, 2001 and end late Saturday, January 13, 2001. The contact person is Dr. A.J. Stovall, the Conference Coordinator.  Telephone 662-551-4095 Ext. 4311 or Fax 662-252-6107. E-mail: info@naaslc.org
 

                  Summer 2001 Internships
           For African American Art Students

The Walters Art Gallery in Maryland is offering summer internships to four college students or recent graduates. Funded by The Walters' African American Steering Committee, this program provides $3500 for each intern for the 9-week period from June 11 to August 10, 2001. The interns may work in one or more divisions of the museum. The Walters seeks applications with majors in art history, art education, communications, business, arts administration, museum education or museum studies. Prospective interns should have completed their junior year. Excellent research and writing skills are required.  Applicants must submit a letter explaining their objectives, a resume, an official transcript and two academic letters of recommendation. The application deadline is February 16, 2001. Mail to: John Shields, c/o Manager of Internship Programs/The Walters Art Gallery/600 N. Charles Street/Baltimore, Maryland 21201. For more call (410) 547-9000, ext. 235 or e-mail: jshields@thewalters.org
 

                       Fourth Annual Regional
                    HBCU Summit on Retention

This "Summit on Retention" will be held March, 15-17, 2001 at the Sheraton Fountainbleu Hotel/Ocean City, Maryland.  The Summit will address the problem of retention of African-American students in colleges and universities, celebrate successful retention programs in higher education and propose action plans to increase the staying power of African-American students. The Summit will address the concerns of educators, (including college and university presidents), college students and others. Sponsors include half a dozen HBCU colleges in Maryland, including Coppin, U. Maryland and Morgan State University.  For additional information, contact: Dr. Diann R. Showell at the U, of Maryland at Eastern Shore via voicemail at 410-651-6456. Fax: 410-651-6322/or E-mail: drshowell@mail.umes.edu.
 

       Top Universities Graduate Black Students
                   (But National Rates Low)

In an article published by www.diversityinc.com on December 28, 2000, it was mentioned that Harvard has the best retention rate for African-American students in the US.  It was also noted that highly ranked schools such as Vassar, Princeton, Amherst and Williams stood at about 90 percent. The reference point was a recent study by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, which has addressed the issue of "graduation rates"in the past.  One study found that two thirds of all African-American students entering 22 Historically Black Colleges and Universities did not go on to earn a diploma. A lot of the "issues" involving this discussion--such as economic pressure--have been touched on by the JBHE. Check out the Spring 1999 issue for an overview.  Spelman (at 73%) has the highest graduation of the HBCUs. You can reach the JBHE at (212) 399-1973.  Email:info@jbhe.com.
 


The Black Excel African American Student's College Guide, is now on sale at Amazon.com for $15.95. This book will have rallying impact on our aspiring college students. -Isaac Black, Black Excel Founder and author
     
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