Five Young Men Develop Program to Help Black Colleges

When five young African-American men returned to their old school, Knoxville College, for homecoming a few years ago, they were deeply disturbed. The college which they remembered as an exciting and friendly place was barely surviving. Fewer than 100 students attended the college and the buildings and grounds were in a sad state of disrepair.

Leonard Adams is immersed in thoughts of generating funds to spruce up Knoxville College and other historically African-American colleges and universities.

Leonard Adams, Clarence Jones III, Efferem O. Williams, Orlando McCleod and Anthony Benson decided then and there that they needed to do something to help the struggling historically African-American college.

The five Knoxville College alums are launching a fund-raising drive in nine cities during February, African-American History Month. The cities involved are Memphis, Atlanta, Detroit, Knoxville, Houston, St. Louis, Jacksonville, Raleigh, and Durham. All African American colleges, not just Knoxville College, can receive support from this fund drive.

The effort – dubbed the “Over 100 Years – Paper College Project” – will ask customers of African-American businesses to give one dollar and sign their name on a paper cut out of a college building. The paper cutouts will be hung on the walls of the business to call attention to the need to support African-American colleges. They hope to expand this effort to more than 30 cities in 2009.

The experience of Knoxville College is similar to that of many historically African-American colleges. The United Presbyterian Church founded Knoxville College and opened its doors in 1875. The church saw the college as an important training ground for African-Americans who would become teachers and ministers for the African-American population of the South. In 1957 Knoxville College was one of the first historically African American institutions to achieve full accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

For more than a hundred years, Knoxville College prospered and prepared many young African-Americans for lives of service to their communities. But like many other such colleges, Knoxville College began to suffer financially as more and more mainly white colleges and universities began to recruit and admit African American students. In 1997, Knoxville College lost its SACS accreditation. Enrollment dropped significantly because students were no longer able to get federal loans and grants to finance their education.

For the five young Knoxville College graduates, seeing only a handful of students and seeing the historic buildings of their beloved school beginning to crumble was just too much. At first they began holding “parties with a purpose” called the Blackout. These were parties where they charged admission and gave the earnings of these events to Knoxville College. While their parties attracted good crowds, they produced small sums of money when the college needed large sums.

As the Knoxville College alums began to talk to friends who were graduates of other historically African-American colleges they realized that many other colleges needed help. Leonard Adams the group’s president, said, “In our research we found several groups who provided scholarships for students, but there was little money available to improve the campus buildings and grounds.”

Adams’ group will give out its funds through a “Campus Impact Grant Program” where campus organizations will be able to apply for funds for specific projects beginning in August of 2008. All historically African-American college, public and private will be eligible to apply for grants from this project.

The February, “Over 100 Years-Paper College Project” is similar to the fund-raising efforts of many children’s charities which large chain stores often sponsor. By giving one dollar the founders of the African-American college effort hope to not only raise money but also make people aware of the needs of African-American colleges.

Clarence Jones III, the group’s vice president, says, “too many Black colleges have neglected their buildings because of a lack of funds.”

“There are students who might otherwise be interested in attending a Black college but are turned off because the campus is in need of repair.”

The Knoxville College alums have created a charitable foundation called, The Black Foundation. Besides their February fund-raiser, they have plans to hold a “Football Classic” where two African-American colleges will compete in Knoxville in the years to come. The group hopes other alumni of historically African-American colleges will join them in this effort.

The group’s Web site, which also lists the supporters of this year’s effort, can be found at www.theblackfoundation.org.

Copyright Tri-State Defender 2008

Elderly African Americans: A Challenge to the Black Church

As African-Americans live longer there are many difficult issues that they must face. Health is a major concern for Blacks over sixty five. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 40% of Blacks over 65 years old say their health is either poor or just fair. Money is another problem that gets worse as Blacks live longer. According to the Census Bureaus almost half of all Blacks over 65 years old are poor, or “economically vulnerable”. Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provide one out of every two dollars for elderly African-Americans. Living longer for many people also means losing spouses, loved ones, and friends.

Governments and social service agencies have an important role to play in meeting the needs of all older Americans. Dr. Bobby Joe Saucer the former Dean of the Morehouse School of Religion in Atlanta and a retired American Baptist Church executive says the Black church must take on added responsibilities in meeting the special needs of older African-Americans. In his book, Our Help in Ages Past, Saucer identifies the many problems faced by elderly Blacks and outlines several programs that churches should create to meet these needs.

Saucer says the Black church is the place where African-Americans have always found help with their problems. The civil rights struggle was based in Black churches and led mostly by Black ministers. It is the source of comfort and support for all life changing events from birth, marriage, to death. Churches can provide help to people outside government control. And churches were the places where Blacks were welcomed, respected and held positions of leadership.

A major issue, churches must face is what Saucer calls the “Isaac Syndrome“. In the Old Testament, Isaac the son of Abraham waited until he was too old and sick to pass on his wisdom and leadership. Saucer says that churches must help their elderly members get their affairs in order. Churches should help their members create “living legacies” as well as, estate plans. Elderly Blacks need to have wills, powers of attorney and living wills so their wishes can be met if they become too ill to decide on their own.

In, Our Help in Ages Past, there is also a description of several ministries that Black churches need to consider. These include helping elderly members who are raising young children. Also there is a need to insure that older members are fully incorporated

into the life of the church and continue to be respected as valued members. Churches need to support their sick members by continuing to visit and recognize them. The church should also support members who are serving as caregivers to family and friends.

As church pastors become elderly, they too need special attention. The book quotes Dr. George E. Weaver as saying that too many Black pastors are,” too old to pastor and too poor to quit.” Many churches have not provided for pastors to survive in retirement. Churches also have often not developed younger people to succeed the pastor and other leaders to continue the church’s success.

Most importantly, Saucer says the Black Church must recognize the opportunities to serve the Black elderly. The church must also have sensitivity to the conditions of the elderly in their local communities. Finally, churches must become advocates for policies and programs that meet the needs of the Black elderly.

Our Help in Ages Past: The Black Church’s Ministry Among the Elderly is published by Judson Press.

copyright Tri-State Defender 2008

I Am Building A Program Not Just a Team

Donald Holmes, like most African-American men in Memphis has always loved basketball. Holmes is the coach of the Northside High School Lady Cougars basketball team and has been the Memphis Coach of the Year nine times. Last year the Lady Cougars were runner-ups in the Tennessee state basketball championship.

But Holmes’ first love has always been golf – the sport his father got him started in when few African-Americans played the game. He attended Mississippi Valley State University and played on the golf team there.

A two-time All-American golfer, Holmes once shook up the Mississippi golf world, forcing the state’s intercollegiate golf championship to be moved from a private to a public course to allow an African-American to play. Holmes went on to win the tournament.

After several years of trying to make a living as a golf professional, Holmes in 1987 accepted the position as the girls basketball coach at Northside High School. The program Holmes took over was not good. In his first year, Holmes’ team finished with 15 wins and 15 losses. Since then Holmes’ teams have won 20 or more games for 19 straight years.

Holmes is more proud of the success his players have had in the classroom than the games they have won. Almost all of his current team are honor roll students. The starting five players on the team have an average grade point of 4.0. Jasmine Rayner, the number one student in senior class at Northside High, is a star player for the Lady Cougars.

“Northside players know that school comes first with coach Holmes,” said Rayner.

Over the years, Lady Cougars have received scholarships from colleges across the country. Holmes’ office has photographs and posters from colleges such as The University of Memphis, Ole Miss, Jackson State, Xavier, Alabama Birmingham, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Colorado and Mississippi Valley. His players have received scholarships from all of these and more. Many of his former players are now coaches and teachers at schools throughout the region.

Northside Lady Cougars coach Donald Holmes is more proud of the success his players have had in the classroom than the games they have won. (Photos by Jesse F. McClure)

“I am building a program, not just a team,” says Holmes. “(A program) helps team members become strong women, not just basketball players.”

Strong women help create strong families and strong communities is the way Holmes sees it. He loves coaching girls because they are often more receptive to coaching than boys, he says.

Each summer Holmes’ has a basketball camp. Thousands of youngsters have attended over the years. NBA star and Memphis legend Penny Hardaway has been a big supporter of Holmes’ efforts. Last summer WNBA star Ashley Shields took part in the camp.

Holmes credits his mother, who is a minister, and his father for helping him develop his passion for helping others.

Copyright Tri-State Defender 2008