The HBCU Times Magazine is the nation's premiere publication focusing on the significant contributions of HBCUs and their distinguished alumni base.
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HBCU s : career success DIVERSE PATHWAYS TO Sanquinetta Dover F E A T U R I N G SPELMAN COLLEGE ALUM. ENTREPRENEUR. PHILANTHROPIST.
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Post-doctoral Opportunity: Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program at the LU-RRTC on Research and Capacity Building for Minority Entities PROJECT OVERVIEW: The Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program at the Langston University (historically Black college/university [HBCU]) Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (LU-RRTC) on Research and Capacity Building represents a collaborative effort between the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston ([ICI] Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving Institution [AANAPISI]), North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University ([NCA&T] HBCU), South Carolina State University ([SCSU] HBCU), Jackson State University ([JSU] HBCU), and the Kessler Foundation. The Project implements a Peer-to-Peer Multiple Mentor Model to help post-doctoral Fellows navigate institutional context and cross-fertilize their independent research project and research grant proposal through exchanges with a primary mentor and a scientific panel of mentors comprised of content experts, multicultural specialists, methodologists, and statisticians. The ARRT Program works in concert with the LU-RRTC drawing upon the center’s extensive minority-serving institution research capacity building expertise, collaborative networks, resources, and interventions (e.g., methodology and grant writing web-based trainings, communities of practice, strategic planning, sponsored programs office and institutional review board technical assistance and consultation), offers courses, webinars, and implements peer mentoring as an innovative strategy to holistically address the Fellows’ research skill building needs . INVITATION TO APPLY: We invite individuals who have earned a doctorate from a minority-serving institution (i.e., HBCU, Hispanic serving institution, Tribal college/- university, AANAPIAI) or predominantly White institution (PWI) and current doctoral candidates (must graduate before beginning fellowship) at minority-serving institutions or PWIs interested in employment research to apply to participate in the post-doctoral fellowship. Minority-serving institution based faculty members who have earned doctorates are also eligible to apply (i.e., 80% research supplements through subcontract for such faculty in residence at their employing minority-serving institution are optional). We strongly encourage individuals with disabilities to apply. We are particularly interested in recruiting candidates who have a strong desire to obtain an academic faculty position or research position at a minority-serving institution upon completion of the fellowship program. PARTICIPATION INCENTIVES: • Salary and benefits package- Annual salary with full health benefits • Peer-to-Peer multiple research mentorship opportunity with scientific panel mentors • Financial research agenda start-up package- i.e., study participant honorariums/fellow research travel • Peer reviewed publications • Present research findings at national and/or international rehabilitation related conferences CONTACT: If you have any questions regarding the Langston University Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training Program (LU-ARRT), please contact Dr. Corey L. Moore, Principal Investigator/Training Director at (405) 530-7531 or email: capacitybuildingrrtc@langston.edu.
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (LU-RRTC) on Research and Capacity Building for Minority Entities The MISSION of the Langston University RRTC is to empower minority-serving institutions/minority entities (e.g., historically Black colleges/universities [HBCUs], Hispanic-serving institutions [HSIs], Tribal colleges/universities [TCUs], and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving Institution (ANNAPISIs]) to improve their disability and rehabilitation research capacity and infrastructure by conducting a programmatic line of research examining experiences and outcomes of persons with disabilities from traditionally underserved racial and ethnic populations and communities and capacity-building efforts. LU-RRTC TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE The LU-RRTC serves as a national resource center for minority-serving institutions/minority entities seeking to develop their research infrastructure (RI), and to enhance their capacity to engage in disability and rehabilitation research. To this end, the RRTC initiates dissemination, training and technical assistance (TA) activities to develop strong RIs for the conduct of research, preparation, submission, and management of NIDILRR funded research grant projects. TA services are provided as a part of LU-RRTC interventions for research project participants and to minority entities/minority-serving institutions around the country. The quality, intensity, and duration of TA vary by system and the readiness of TA recipients. Minority-serving Institution TA Areas- • Faculty Scholar Role & Function Balance Consultation (e.g., teaching/service/research balance) • Sponsored Programs Office Operations Consultation • Research Infrastructure Strategic Planning • Institutional Review Board (IRB) Operation Consultation • NIDILRR Research Proposal Development Mentorship • NIDILRR Research Project Management Consultation • Manuscript for Peer Reviewed Publication Development Mentorship • NIDILRR Request for Comment (RFC) or Request for Proposal (RFP) Interpretation Consultation • NIDILRR Expert Panel Application Development Consultation • Data Management and Analysis Software and Related Technology Support Consultation State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (SVRA) TA Areas- • SVRA Policy Consultation to Improve Outcomes for Persons from Traditionally Underserved Communities • SVRA Rehabilitation Practitioner Consultation or Training to Improve Outcomes for Persons from Traditionally Underserved Communities LU-RRTC PEER-TO-PEER MENTOR RESEARCH TEAM ACADEMY The LU-RRTC Peer-to-Peer Mentor Research Team Academy represents a collaborative effort between Langston University and the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston (AANAPISI), South Carolina State University (HBCU), Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, Jackson State University (HBCU), Delaware Nation Vocational Rehabilitation Program, Cherokee Nation Vocational Rehabilitation Program, Kessler Foundation, and Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). The Academy mentors Fellows to conduct research that addresses the rehabilitation needs of persons with disabilities from traditionally underserved racial and ethnic backgrounds and communities. Ultimately, the program builds Fellows’ scholarly self-efficacy and research skills by providing them with state-of-the-science knowledge of scientifically valid measurement strategies and methodologies, and direct hands-on experience in the conduct of research and grant proposal development. CONTACT: If you have any questions regarding the (LU-RRTC), please contact Dr. Corey L. Moore, Principal Investigator at (405) 530-7531 or email: capacitybuildingrrtc@langston.edu.
President Glenda Baskin Glover Tennessee State University
President Glenda Glover ushered in a golden era for Tennessee State University when she took the helm in 2013. TSU became a beacon of academic excellence and innovation under her visionary leadership. The institution achieved unprecedented milestones, solidifying its position as a leading HBCU and a force for positive change. As TSU continues to break new ground and shape the future, President Glover’s legacy will undoubtedly inspire generations to come. • Arts and Culture: TSU’s renowned Aristocrat of Bands
• Master’s Program Excellence: TSU received the 2024 “Best Online Master’s in Tennessee” award from Online Masters Colleges (OMC) for providing exceptional online education, further solidifying the university’s reputation for academic excellence. • National Spotlight: TSU was the only HBCU featured in a national, prime-time Coca-Cola (Coke Zero) commercial during the 2023 college football season. • Record Enrollment: Reflects TSU’s commitment to providing accessible and high-quality education to a diverse student body, over 3,500 first-year students in 2022. • Research Prowess: Significantly increased grant funding with all-time high of $100,031,082 million in 2023, demonstrating its dedication to groundbreaking discoveries and solutions. • Student Success: #1 HBCU forensic and debate champions for three consecutive years; 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Volleyball Champions; TSU Men’s Tennis Team crowned 2023 HBCU Tennis National Champions.
marching band became the first collegiate marching band to win a Grammy Award. Additionally, TSU’s business music program has been named a Top Program by Billboard Magazine, showcasing the university’s commitment to nurturing artistic talent. • Carnegie Classification: Moved TSU into the R2- high research category, one of only 11 HBCUs, and has implemented a plan to reach R1, the highest research category offered to highlight commitment to high research activity and its growing impact on the scholarly landscape. • Financial Strength: More than doubled TSU’s endowments from $45 million to over $100 million and $50 million in reserves, ensuring the university’s financial stability and its ability to invest in its students, faculty, and facilities. • Healthcare Pioneering: First student-operated physical therapy and occupational therapy clinic, providing invaluable hands-on experience for students and vital services to the community. • Innovation and Leadership: First HBCU to establish a national SMART Technology and Innovation Center, fostering cutting-edge research and development in artificial intelligence and other emerging fields.
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editor’s
Message
S pring is here, and
just like the season’s flowers, our Black
leaders and beloved institutions are blooming! From overachieving current HBCU students to notable alumni, this issue is jam- packed with a diverse group of change-makers, all contributing to our steadily- advancing community. In this edition, we are bringing you a double- feature with two powerful Black women, taking charge in their respective industries. First, we present a proud alumna of Spelman
College and founder/ CEO of multi-million
dollar human resources company, Sanquinetta Dover. San’s journey is sure to pose an untapped perspective on HR, as her company is leading the way
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2024spring Issue WELCOME TO THE
in addressing workforce development challenges focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Impacted by her own experiences of discrimination, through her work, San sets out to prove a single opportunity can lead to immense change in one’s life. San cultivated her entrepreneurial spirit within the halls of Spelman College over 50 years ago and now supports current
Church in Greenville, SC. With one of her main goals being to empower women, Aventer is crafting space for authentic reflection, and showcasing her own vulnerability in the process. From starring on the OWN network to her hosting a hit podcast, Aventer is meeting people where they are and remaining humble through it all. We’re not done yet, this issue also spotlights several others who are making waves, some of whom you can “tune in’’ to witness their magic. Morehouse graduate, Geoff Bennett, co-anchor of the PBS NewsHour, is making history as the first HBCU graduate to serve in the role as a national nightly news anchor. Bennett details
why he chose Morehouse and how he made his time there count. From fostering his interest in journalism to mentoring the youth, you’ll want to read how he is using the lessons he learned at Morehouse to support current students. Moving over to Hollywood, we also have an article on Fly Girl-turned notable acting coach, Jossie Harris. From “In Living Color” to dancing with musical icons such as Mary J Blige and Michael Jackson, you don’t want to miss Jossie’s story and her mission to get more Black students, specifically HBCU students, in front of the camera. Finally, we are spotlighting several incredible women in this issue, including accomplished attorney and
Dillard University’s youngest elected Board of Trustees member, Chelsea Bosely - who is working to support HBCU students interested in careers in the legal field. As you can see, this issue is filled with numerous efforts of paying it forward, a familiar and longstanding concept within the HBCU community. From individuals to programming, demonstrations of giving back with the hopes of supporting others is more than apparent. It is clear, collectively, our goal is to create opportunities for others within our community to grow and thrive. There’s no doubt that each story will be an inspiring one, so get ready and enjoy this issue of HBCU Times!
Spelmanites on their journeys to success.
Now, while she can preach a word, our next feature is not your typical first lady of the church. Florida A&M University alumna, Aventer Gray, went from loving to dance, to finding ministry through movement and co-pastoring alongside her husband at Love Story
HBCU Times Winter 2024 Issue Correction: The article entitled “Spelman College: Building On A Legacy of Excellence” was written by Keith Harriston.
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52
Ashleigh Fields is a Howard University graduate and a freelance writer for the HBCU Times Magazine.
Rob Knox is a freelance writer for the HBCU Times Magazine.
Dr. Dub C. Taylor is the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Allen University.
Zerline Hughes Spruill writes about social justice and issues impacting the Black diaspora. Her work has been featured in publications such as the Los Angeles Times, Ebony Magazine, and the Boston Globe.
Dr. Marybeth Gasman is the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair in Education & a Distinguished Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University.
Ericka Blount is an award- winning journalist, author, screenwriter, producer, and professor.
Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell, Esq. is a proud 3rd generation Florida A&M University Rattler.
Dr. Levon T. Esters is the Dean of the Graduate School and Vice President of Graduate Education at The Pennsylvania State University.
Whitley Teneyck is a communications professional at Ecolab, a global sustainability leader offering water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services.
Khalilah Long is an accomplished communications
Dr. Alice Ginsberg is a Senior Research Specialist at Rutgers University.
Dr. Andrés Castro Samayoa is an Associate Professor of Higher Education at Boston College.
professional, specializing in strategic internal and executive communications, digital media, public relations, and marketing. She is a proud alumni of Howard University.
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52
What’s inside
SANQUINETTA DOVER SPELMAN COLLEGE ALUM.
AVENTER GRAY CARVING A NEW WAY TO EMPOWER - LEADING WITH HUMILITY
ENTREPRENEUR. PHILANTHROPIST.
TMCF Feature: Fighting for HBCUs 10 From Morehouse to PBS 12
38
Home is Where the Heart is, and Student Success is at the Heart of HBCUs
42
“You Can’t Sit Behind A Desk” - Visibility and Black Role Models at Jackson State University
14
46
JOSSIE HARRIS: Fly Girl Turned Acting Coach
Harvard University Instates HBCU Digital Library Trust
22
It Starts at the Top: HBCU Leaders’ Strategies for Increasing Alumni Donations
Ambassador Spotlights
50
CHELSEA B. ROBINSON DR. KIERRA CARTER
24
The Transformative Power of HBCUs as Land-Grant Institutions
Power Alumni Features
26
53
MARIS D. JAMES DR. TONEYCE S. RANDDOLPH D’JARIS ‘DJ’ JAMES
Corporate Spotlight: Ecolab - Vice President of Quality and Process Engineering, Karen Marsh
32
UNCF Feature: Cultivating Black Excellence
Student Spotlight
57
BRAYANNA JONES VICTORIA RENEE MCCRAE
34
NOVI BROWN: Not Your Average “Sista”
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credits
Editor and Co-CEO Co-CEO
Layout and Design Editor
Dr. David Staten Dr. Bridget Hollis Staten
Mia Draper
Associate Editors
Amori Washington LaToya Ransom
Yolanda Rouse-Sanquinetta Dover Cover Atlanta University Center Terrell Maxwell Elizabeth City State University PBS Thurgood Marshall College Fund United Negro College Fund Jackson State University
Ericka Blount Danois Dr. Andres Castro Samayoa Lynita Mitchell -Blackwell Ashleigh Fields Dr. Alice Ginsberg Dr. Marybeth Gasman Keith Harriston Zerline Hughes Spruill
All other photos were provided by the authors and interviewees.
Khalilah Long Dr. Dub Taylor Whitley Teneyck
Lauryn Butler Dr. Bridget Hollis Staten Jordan Staten Paula Lyles Roderick Rogers Esthervina Rogers
connect with us
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Advertising Manager
Dr. David Staten
HBCU_Times HBCU Times
Publisher Logo Design
Post and Courier Mia Draper
Models
Chelsey Robinson, Esq. Kierra Carter
INSPIRED BY: ETHEL STATEN AND JORDAN STATEN
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TMCF: FIGHTING FOR HBCU s BY ROB KNOX
A s the leading voice of Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), and
serve as beacons of equity, access, and excellence in education, serving predominantly, though not exclusively, students of color. Through its advocacy work, TMCF also provides its institutions with the resources to nurture the next generation of student- leaders and advocates at HBCUs and PBIs, thus affirmatively advancing TMCF’s mission of changing the world, one leader at a time. TMCF seeks to empower its stakeholders to engage in critical discussions and advocate for issues impacting the HBCU and PBI communities. Through its government relations efforts, TMCF’s team collaborates with key Members of Congress, agency administrators and renowned higher education thought leaders to build partnerships, explore
innovative initiatives, and create pathways to success.
enroll over 80% of all students attending the nation’s HBCUs. For 150 years, HBCUs have provided equity through education, moving low-income students to higher income brackets, and providing opportunities for upward mobility. The existence today of a Black middle class is largely attributable to the substantive role that HBCUs have played in educating generations of Black Americans. Presently, 70% of public HBCU graduates enter the middle class permanently. TMCF’s advocacy efforts are specifically aimed at supporting these critical institutions and ensuring that they have all the financial support that they need to thrive and ensure upward mobility for our next generation of students.
TMCF strategically navigates Capitol Hill in a bipartisan manner before policymakers and other influencers to proactively take the lead on introducing public policy recommendations and solutions on challenging issues in higher education. TMCF is committed to building alliances with members of Congress, organizations that support
Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI), the
Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) stands at the forefront of advocating for federal laws and regulatory policies, as well as business practices to advance equity and opportunity for our institutions and their students alike. Indeed, this advocacy is crucial for not only the sustainability and growth of HBCU’s and PBIs, but also for the persistence, graduation, and ultimate employment of their students. In honoring the legacy of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, TMCF continues the fight for access and inclusion in higher education. HBCUs
HBCUs and PBIs, and corporate America to
influence public policy that will secure resources that support their students, faculty, and growth of the institutions. History demonstrates that HBCUs are critical in leveling the playing field for students and families from marginalized communities. Publicly-supported HBCUs
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FOR 150 YEARS, HBCUS HAVE PROVIDED EQUITY THROUGH EDUCATION, MOVING LOW-INCOME STUDENTS TO HIGHER INCOME BRACKETS, AND PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR UPWARD MOBILITY.
While representing roughly of all non-profit, four-year colleges and universities, HBCUs produce upwards of 17%of all bachelor’s degrees awarded to 3% of African Americans. Additionally, HBCUs enroll a disproportionately high percentage of first- generation and low-income students – nearly 60% – and outperform their peers in supporting and graduating these students.
HBCUs, TCUs and MSIs for 10 years and the discharge of $1.3 billion in HBCU Capital Finance Loans. TMCF was proud to work with our partners in the HBCU and MSI community to advocate for additional COVID relief allocation specifically for our institutions which resulted in securing $5.5 billion in COVID relief distributed to HBCUs across the three COVID relief bills in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, TMCF was the principal advocate for the loosening of restrictions on COVID relief dollars, which paved the way for HBCUs to use $1.2 billion in previously restricted allocated dollars to address long-standing infrastructure needs on campus. TMCF was also the principal advocate for the HBCU PARTNERS (Propelling Agency Relationships Towards a New Era of Results for Students) Act, which requires federal
agencies that work closely with HBCUs to develop plans for increasing engagement with these critical institutions and gives Congress oversight responsibility to make sure those plans are not only being developed but honored. One of the TMCF’s major advocacy events is the annual HBCU Presidents and Chancellors Fly-In, which was held in March in Washington, D.C., in partnership with the Business Roundtable. The HBCU Fly-In provides a vital platform for HBCU leaders, Fortune 250 CEOs, and policymakers to discuss pioneering strategies to enhance educational attainment and strengthen collaborations across sectors to address the dynamic needs of the American workforce. Recent advocacy efforts, such as TMCF pushing for the U.S. Secretaries of Education and Agriculture
to send letters to Governors of 16 states with historically underfunded HBCU Land-Grant institutions, underscores TMCF’s dedication to addressing systemic inequities and securing resources for its institutions at both a state and federal level. TMCF believes active bipartisan engagement is crucial to achieving lasting results for the Black college community. While TMCF has achieved significant gains for HBCUs and PBIs through its advocacy efforts, more work is needed. As society continues to confront a long history of social and economic injustice, HBCUs have proven to be engines of economic opportunity and equity, and increased financial investment in these consequential institutions will help to secure an even brighter future for our schools, their students, and our entire nation.
TMCF’s government relations team works continuously to forge partnerships with
government and private organizations, resulting in billions of additional dollars in student and campus investments. Advocacy wins over the past six years for the HBCU Community on Capitol Hill include increasing Title III appropriations to our schools by 62% since 2017, passing of the FUTURE Act which extended $255 million in annual funding for
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FROM MOREHOUSE TO PBS BY KEITH HARRISTON
T he role call of Black journalists who have anchored a nationally broadcast nightly news program is short, including the likes of Lester Holt, Carole Simpson, Max Robinson and Gwen Ifill. Now comes Geoff Bennett, who, since early 2023, is co-anchor of the PBS NewsHour. Bennett, a 2002 graduate of Morehouse College, has a distinction, even among that tiny list. He is the first graduate of an HBCU to sit in a national nightly news anchor’s chair. Almost three million viewers watch his news broadcast nightly, according to Nielsen ratings, a seat of power where Bennett and his co- anchor Amna Nawaz play key roles in shaping the 60 minutes of news coverage five nights a week. That Bennett has evolved as a journalist to one of the most
influential positions in the industry isn’t a surprise, given his strong foundation first developed while growing up in Voorhees Township, New Jersey, with a school administrator father and an elementary school teacher mother. “There was always an expectation that my brother and I would do well,” Bennett told HBCU Times. “They never put any pressure on us in terms of pursuing career paths or anything like that. It was always that if you’re going to do something, you’re going to do it to the best of your ability.”
the local safety net school,” Bennett said. “I applied all over the place, mainly because I knew what I didn’t want to do, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. “The reason I chose Morehouse was because my brother [Gary Bennett] did so well there, and I knew that when I went to Morehouse, I would get a world-class education, but that’s not really why I went,” Bennett said. “I went for the experience. I grew up in a mostly white, it was fairly diverse, but mostly white elementary school, middle school, high school and so for me, going to Morehouse was intentional because I wanted that experience. “I thought for a time that I would pursue medicine. In fact, I was pre-med for a little bit at Morehouse. Then took a couple of science classes with a couple of professors, who should not
be named, and thought, ‘this is not for me.’”
Instead, Bennett focused on English and journalism. In between classes, he worked as a dormitory resident assistant. He lived four years in the historic Graves Hall, the first building constructed on the campus. He edited the student newspaper, the Maroon Tiger. He started a student magazine. He pledged Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He helped to start an afterschool mentoring and tutoring program for young boys who lived within a short walking distance from the Morehouse campus. “There were public housing projects down the street— they’re no longer there— and there were a lot of single mothers who didn’t have care for their kids after school, but they knew that we were up the street,” Bennett remembered. “They
Morehouse, Bennett said, strengthened the foundation his parents started.
“I applied to 11 schools. I applied to Harvard. I applied to Princeton, Yale. I applied to Rutgers because that was
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who directed the Morehouse Honors Program. “Dr. Jackson was the kind of professor that you hear about who has high standards, high expectations, but is kindhearted and cares about the full person and just really invested in our lives in a way that you really want when you go to a place like Morehouse,” he recalled. “If you talk to any of us who came through the Honors Program around that time, we have just
Bennett had long admired the work Lerone Bennett Jr. had done at Johnson Publishing Company and Ebony Magazine. So when he saw the older Bennett at a Morehouse Board of Trustees meeting, he didn’t waste the opportunity. Bennett was a junior then and knew he would be the next editor in chief of the Morehouse student newspaper. “He just pulled me aside, and we had about an hour- long conversation,” Bennett said, and [he] was just giving me tips. He actually had a physical Maroon Tiger paper and was going through it and was redlining it and saying, ‘If I were you, I would do this and change this headline,’ and just walked me through his career and the trajectory of Ebony Magazine and Johnson Publishing and how it all came to be. So that, for me, was huge. That was the only time that I met him, but I’m so grateful that I had that experience.” As a resident advisor at Morehouse’s Graves Hall dormitory, Bennett said, he, too, often found himself trying with mixed success to guide classmates who were having trouble meeting the financial demands of attending college. “There would be just some smart brothers who did not have the finances to come back for the second semester. Some of them had to drop out the first semester,” he said. Two such conversations still stick in his memory. The younger students viewed Bennett as a big brother, and he worried that he couldn’t help them figure
out their financial troubles. “This was around the time that Oprah Winfrey had first made a large donation to Morehouse,” he recalled. “So I would always say the same thing. Go to financial aid, tell them your story, and ask for the Oprah money because that’s all I knew to say.” In both instances, that’s what the students did. And it worked. “That planted a seed in my head that if I were ever in a position to provide a scholarship, clearly not at the level of Oprah, but to help in any way that I could, I would,” he said. In 2022, he followed through, starting a five-year commitment that can be renewed that provides scholarship assistance for four students each year who are English or journalism majors. “It’s a blessing to be able to do it, but it’s also what we’re called to do as Morehouse Men to help pave a way for other people,” Bennett said. But Bennett’s biggest life- altering event at Morehouse came when he met Beth Perry, a 2003 graduate of Spelman College. The two met while she worked for the Spelman student newspaper and he worked at the Maroon Tiger. They married in 2010. “Meeting Beth was the most important and significant turning point of my life,” Bennett said. “I didn’t know when we met that we would later marry, but our relationship is the foundation upon which all else rests. My family is the center of my life.”
would send their young boys up to Morehouse, assuming that there would be people there to look after them. And so when I got hip to that, I was like, ‘Well, we should actually start something.’ So in our dorm, we started a little program, helped them with their homework, played sports on the lawn, that kind of thing. And so that was the kind of experience that you would not get anywhere else. Setting aside the education, setting aside the high expectation and the crown that we all wear, all that stuff, just the full range of experiences, it’s just unparalleled.”
incredible stories about her. She would grade our papers and want to make sure that she got them back to us quickly, so she’d show up at Graves Hall on a Saturday morning in a sweatsuit and leather trench coat, handing papers back out to you. That was the level of her devotion.” And then there was Bennett’s chance encounter with the late journalist, historian and Morehouse alumnus Lerone Bennett Jr., whom Bennett jokingly called “Uncle Lerone.” “So far as I know, we’re not related, but I would joke about that because looking at his career path, I’d always say to myself, ‘That is precisely what I would want to do,’ to basically have a foot in both worlds, where you’re doing current news coverage, but you’re also steeped in history, in finding points of connection between the two,” Bennett said.
During his time at Morehouse, Bennett
experienced what many students at Morehouse and other HBCUs do: life-changing interactions with faculty or others associated with the college. Bennett said his first such relationship came with Jocelyn Jackson, a now- retired English professor
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FLY GIRL TURNED ACTING COACH
JOSSIE HARRIS WANTS HBCU STUDENTS, ALUMNI TO THRIVE IN HOLLYWOOD
BY ZERLINE HUGHES SPRUILL
N ow that the actor’s platforms and big screen talent are back doing what they do best. While fans are busy deciding on what movie to watch next, or what series to download, actors have decisions to make as well: who will help them perfect their craft? strike of 2023 is behind Hollywood, networks, cable, streaming The answer: Jossie Harris, an acting coach currently based in Los Angeles. She trains actors to perfect their characters by running lines and provides constructive criticism on diction and timing. Harris has worked with actor Ahmad Nicholas Ferguson from Showtime’s “The Chi” and “Power: Book IV,” in addition to actress
a Fisk University alumna and star of Bounce TV’s “Act Your Age.” “When you have dialogue, you have rhythm, so she helps with the rhythm of the line of a scene, with her being a dancer. A lot of acting coaches can not provide that.” Harris is, indeed, a dancer. She spent three seasons in the early- to mid-1990s on the Emmy Award-winning sketch comedy series, “In Living Color,” created by actor and filmmaker Keenan Ivory Wayans. Harris was one of the show’s Fly Girls who performed hip- hop and contemporary dance routines. Additional Fly Girl members included Carrie Ann Inaba from “Dancing with the Stars,” and singer/dancer/actress, Jennifer Lopez, aka J-Lo. Harris was also a popular music video “it girl” who was highly sought after for her dance expertise and unique style. She danced
in videos including Mary J. Blige’s “Real Love,” and Janet Jackson’s “That’s the Way Love Goes.” She also danced in Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time,” and appeared in music videos alongside Bobby Brown, Heavy D, Guy and Color Me Badd, and accompanied
Janet Jackson on the “Janet” tour in the mid 1990s.
“I have to give it up to Keenan because he was the master behind it all … he is such a pioneer,” said Harris. “He is the voice that I hear often. If I wasn’t on set watching, I was with the production team. The rest of the dancers would take off. He would always tell me, ‘you’re going to do great things Jossie’ because I was always there.”
and comedienne Kym Whitley, who starred in
From Dancer to Actor
“Beauty Shop,” “Boondocks,” and “Deliver Us from Eva.”
Being around the comedians awakened something in Harris,
“She sees something that you don’t see,” said Whitley,
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who was 25 at the time. Watching the show’s actors like Jim Carey, Damon and Marlon Wayans, Kim Coles (who briefly attended North Carolina Central University) and David Alan Grier, led Harris to pursue an acting career. She added that witnessing the beginnings of her dance partner’s acting career also kick- started her own. “Jennifer (J-Lo) was from the Bronx, I was from Harlem, so we had a lot in common. Janet [Jackson] would come visit me on set like a girlfriend and I hooked her up with Janet,” said Harris. “[Lopez] booked a pilot that went for one season. That really dropped me into the whole acting thing. It took me to the next level, because it was so close to me through her. I started studying with top coaches in L.A. who would take me under their wing.” Today, Harris is an award- winning actress. She received the Chicago International Film Festival’s “Outstanding Performance” honor for her role in the award-winning “Mississippi Damned.” She also appeared in “Chicago Med,” “Empire,” and “Chicago PD.” While she earned accolades, she also ran into barriers. “I had divorced the industry, taking myself off the market for acting,” said Harris. “Being a Black woman in Hollywood, and being Afro Latina is the hardest part of being in Hollywood-and being a woman period in Hollywood. We want to be able to do all different types of roles, and be able to climb the ladder as well, along with being multi- hyphenated where we are not just looked at as actors.”
Harris later set her sights on producing, directing and teaching other actors. Transitioning to training actors “Rick Edelstein was working with top Black actors. Studying underneath him, it was really life changing,” she recalled. “I started to book more as an actor. One day, he came to me and he said, ‘I’m retiring.’ I almost fainted and had a fit because I was on this journey and improving. He was like, ‘if there’s anybody who can continue my teaching, it’s you.’” Harris began coaching in 2011, serving as her students’ trusted advisor and “third eye.” She launched the Respect for Acting Academy for adult actors and actresses, and Kids W.A.Y (Who Are You?) Acting Academy. Her portfolio includes coaching for projects like “Shooting Stars,” produced by LeBron James and directed by Chris Robinson, “The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel,” in addition to prime-time television shows, including Disney’s “Saturdays.” Connecting with HBCU student and alumni actors, actresses Harris is currently working with director/producer Sa’Rah Jones to train HBCU student actors. Jones, a South Carolina State University alumna, is committed to getting more Black students in front of the camera because Hollywood has increased its conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion.
“I’m excited about working with Sa’Rah because she and I have always wanted to work with students from HBCUs because those are my people,” she said. “I really love to be able to park here and be that next step as they come into the world of acting. Casting directors and agents want to know you’re trained, that you’ve gotten with somebody that knows their stuff. Training at school is very educational, and then the training they’re getting from me is more professional, which will help them get through an audition.” Whitley said she could have benefited from a coach at Fisk, but they are not easily accessible to students. “Acting coaches should be available in college but unfortunately, you have to seek out your own,” said Whitley, who joked that she graduated before Google existed. “I think Jossie could provide what I like to call, a second brain for actors. We pick up the choice and do it in one direction. She can open up their mind and
say ‘why don’t we do it this way?’ She sees something that you don’t see.” Harris works with Whitley to refine her “Act Your Age” character Bernadette who lives in a penthouse with two friends played by Tisha Campbell and Yvette Nicole Brown. Another one of Harris’ clients is the 21-year-old star from “The Chi” and “Power Book IV.” “My role is growing rapidly and becoming a big part of the show, and she is definitely part of that process,” said Ferguson who has worked with Harris for seven years. “She was constantly telling me ‘you can grow your role.’ She said, ‘no matter if they give you one line or 10 lines, always stay locked in.’ She implemented that mindset upon me and all of her other students. Miss Jossie is the best choice because she’s really for her people. Ultimately, you’re going to be around love. And that’s something that you need.”
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CONNECT . MOTIVATE . INSPIRE .
FEATURE STORY
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SPELMAN COLLEGE ALUM. ENTREPRENUER. PHILANTHROPIST.
BY ZERLINE HUGHES SPRUILL
W orking a 40-hour job while mentoring an up and coming business leader, volunteering for church activities at Cascade UMC, carving out time for self-care plus recreation, and conducting service for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. might be too much for a person. And when that 9-to-5 is more like a 24-7 because you’re the founder, owner, and CEO of a multi-million dollar business, one’s work-life balance can be in jeopardy. But not for Spelman College alumna Sanquinetta Dover. In 1996, she started DoverStaffing from the ground up. Over the last 28 years, the Atlanta based staffing and workforce development firm has been featured in the Business Journals, “Beginners to Bigshots” edition, recognized as one of the Nation’s Top Business Leaders by DiversityBusiness. com, and bestowed with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Regional Director’s Award. Dover’s enterprise helps people upskill, prepare for new jobs or move up the career ladder. It also supports businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies with the right talent for
team building, leadership training, compliance, secret shoppers, training, and data analysis, in addition to convention, event, and conference planning. Over the years, Dover’s business acumen and expertise allowed her to expand her brand to include DoverSolutions and the Dover Training Institute. As a result, her company is a leader in addressing workforce development challenges. Part of her mission includes creating an all-inclusive approach to job placement, a philosophy that stems from Dover’s upbringing, having been raised in segregated Greenwood, South Carolina. “I know firsthand what it means to be excluded because of my color,” said Dover, President and CEO of DoverStaffing “As a child, I was denied access to the movie theater during the early years of integration, I remember my Dad coming to rescue me, speaking with the owner of the movie theater about not selling me a ticket. After speaking with my dad, my mom and I returned that evening to see that Walt Disney movie.” “Because I know rejection and exclusion, I wanted to create an environment of inclusion in my business
believe that you need resources to be supportive. I created DoverStaffing, DoverSolutions, and Dover Training Institute as organizations that are holistic. We don’t just provide the opportunity to send you on a job. We link people to a possible transformational life change. It’s more than just a job.” She Got it From Her College When Dover enrolled at Spelman in 1973, the campus did not have a business program, so she majored in economics and took classes in business at Morehouse. The courses were demanding, and outright challenging, to hear her college best friend tell it. “I was in San’s room so frequently, it was as if I lived there and I was her roommate,” said Bernadette Poitier who matriculated through Spelman in just three-and-a-half years. “I remember that economics was difficult for her, but she mastered it. She stayed up until 12:00, 1:00 in the morning. San was always a very determined person. She did not let a class or anything else stop her from reaching her dreams. She came to Spelman with certain virtues,
philosophies, and disciplines that were passed down by her parents.” Dover and Poitier, friends for 51 years, have visited each other’s families in their respective cities–Dover’s smalltown of Greenwood, and Poitier’s big city of Miami–and have kept up with each other’s careers, and maintain regular phone calls to stay in touch. “I called her ‘one-bus Dover,’” recalled Poitier, the 21-year tenured, now retired, administrative assistant to Miami-Dade County Public School’s first Black school board member. “I went home with Sanquinetta for Thanksgiving, and would often go home with her on weekends, because her home was closer. I would make fun of her because she had one bus in her city, versus my city where it seemed there were thousands of buses.” “She always had that entrepreneurial spirit,” recalled Poitier. “Spelman, and her dad and mom equipped her with the skills she needed, and she had innate faith.” Leaning on the HBCU Network Introduced to the glass ceiling in her first professional position with the FDIC in New York City, Dover said she
with no judgments,” continued Dover. “I
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pleasure–and service. As an Atlanta resident, she maintains her connection to Spelman College, visiting for special events including her recent Golden Homecoming convocation. In 2014, the late Dr. Jane Smith, who served as Spelman’s vice president for college relations and graduated from the school in 1968, invited Dover to become a founding committee member of the school’s Spelpreneur entrepreneurship
during a Spelpreneur networking event in 2017, during Dunlap’s junior year. Now an entrepreneur herself, the 2018 graduate said Dover’s mentorship has influenced her desire to grow her own business. “I remember meeting Ms. Dover during a speed dating type of mixer,” said Dunlap. “I just so happened to sit at the table where Ms. Dover was. I was shy, but we got acquainted with one another and we blossomed. We’re Spelman sisters, church sisters, and golf buddies.” Dunlap said the mentee mentor relationship turned into a friendship, and they now schedule time for brunches, church visits, and spa days to keep in touch. Dover offers business tips and tools, but Dunlap provides something in exchange. “I’m trying to get her to do more of that self-care. We’re very busy individuals, so we have to make free time on our calendars,” said Dunlap, an Atlanta-based life insurance producer. “I also take a lot of business direction from Ms. Dover. I’m one of the only Black women at my firm. Dealing with the microcosm of racism, she helped guide me. She said you just need to start your own agency. I would be very lost business- wise if it wasn’t for Ms. Dover. I don’t know many Black women that own their own company at that level. That inspires me.”
educational initiative dedicated to honing
students into entrepreneurs. Ten years later, Spelpreneur now offers three programs for students curious about entrepreneurship, provides resources to develop their businesses, and hosts weekly opportunities to learn tenets to start a business, or grow their side hustles, and a ten-day startup pitch competition. “I had the honor to go back and participate with some of the students,” said Dover. “It’s wonderful to engage with the students and pour into them, and they poured into me, too. It’s a wonderful experience to be on campus, sharing with the students and seeing how that program is growing and thriving. Being in Atlanta gives me an opportunity to touch base often with my alma mater.” Taking the program a step further, Dover continues to mentor Spelman alumna Ve’lesa Dunlap. They met
received early exposure to workplace challenges for Black people. After a job transfer to Chicago, she found a mentor in SB Fuller, founder and presdient of Fuller Products Company, president of the South Side Chicago NAACP, and the National Negro Business League. Known as the “dean of Black entrepreneurs,” he laid the foundation for Dover’s entrepreneurial journey, she said. In DoverStaffing’s early years, Dover was able to find clients in her HBCU network, including Rep. Roger Bruce of the Georgia House of Representatives. The 1975 Morehouse College graduate formerly served as Spelman College’s vice president for human resources. In
the early 2000s, he sought DoverStaffing to build out his team. “I was told about her recruiting agency, and I contacted her to help hire people we needed on campus. We’ve remained friends,” said Rep. Bruce. “The whole nature of her company is to help people find employment opportunities and take care of themselves. It’s not just her company making money. It’s about using that money and resources to help other people. I applaud her big time for that. I did everything I could to help her be successful. Sanquinetta is an absolutely beautiful person.” While Dover runs her successful company around the clock, she is able to mix business with
“I BELIEVE THAT YOU NEED RESOURCES TO BE SUPPORTIVE. I CREATED DOVERSOLUTIONS AND DOVER TRAINING INSTITUTE AS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HOLISTIC. WE DON’T JUST PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEND YOU ON A JOB. WE LINK PEOPLE TO A POSSIBLE TRANSFORMATIONAL LIFE CHANGE. IT’S MORE THAN JUST A JOB.”
Guiding Leaders for Today, Tomorrow The work of inspiring and motivating is a big part of Dover’s work. As the owner of a multi-million dollar company, she sees how others, too, can create their own golden parachute, and passes on information to her team, those training in her programs, and during speaking engagements. Recently, Dover has been talking up the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, calling it a “game changer” for small businesses and people looking to earn higher incomes. The 2021 legislation offers an opportunity to invest in communities too often left behind and aims to add 1.5 million jobs each year through 2031.
“I want people to understand that this is one of the greatest things that has happened since the New Deal to our economy. I am passionate about sharing this information because when you’re taking care of your family and living life, people may not be aware of these opportunities to make current changes that will allow a person to leave a legacy for their family,” said Dover of the federal legislation. “I am using my platform as a workforce solutions expert to encourage people to take advantage of this economic transformation that is arising from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This is an opportunity to level set and level up by taking a look at how you are positioning yourself for success whether you’re a business owner or a
person in the workplace. For us as Black people, we don’t want to be on the platform and see that the train has left the station and we’re not on the train. We can’t miss this transformational opportunity to redirect one’s life,” she added. In line with the policy’s growing opportunities, the Dover Training Institute focuses on post-secondary education, providing opportunities to use one’s digital literacy to gain skills that provide a gateway to a career in artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge careers. While Dover is team HBCU as the daughter of two educators, and has a sister, Benita Dover-Brailsford who also graduated from Spelman College, she said people don’t have to go to a four-year university to be gainfully employed. Her institute provides post-
secondary credentials and she pushes the benefits of attending community colleges and earning certificates as a way to keep up with the evolving workplace. While there are several secrets to Dover’s success, she speaks highly of her college’s impact on her success–past, present, and future. “I love my alma mater. Going to Spelman, a college for women, was very empowering,” said Dover who applied only to Spelman College. “As a Black business woman, I draw back on that experience often because women are so often silenced, not heard or seen. In Spelman’s environment, you’re always heard and seen. That’s an expectation that grew out of being a Spelman woman.”
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