Tuskegee, Touchdowns and More
We couldn’t go into the New Year without recognizing the contributions that Tuskegee University has made over the past 125 years. Senior writer Ronald Roach traveled to Alabama in November to report our cover story, “Tuskegee’s Enduring Pragmatism.” Established in 1881, the historically Black university, known for its many historic contributions to Southern agriculture, continues to be a leader in attracting and graduating minority scientists.
And while Tuskegee’s past is impressive, they are working hard to remain relevant. They have added doctoral programs in the sciences and engineering, and they held the formal opening in October of the federally sponsored National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care on campus. The infamous Tuskegee experiment was a catalyst for locating the center at the university.
“It is the aim of the Tuskegee University National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care to transform this particular legacy of racism and abuse,” said University President Benjamin F. Payton.
And while we’re on the topic of Black colleges, Diverse correspondent Add Seymour Jr., in “Pigskin Payday,” reports on the lucrative HBCU football classics. These highly popular games, such as the State Farm Bayou Classic, generate enough revenue to keep some athletic departments afloat for the entire season.
Says Troy Mathieu, Grambling State University’s athletic director: “Over the years, the classics have been a great financial windfall for our universities. But just as important as the revenue piece, it takes our universities into other parts of the country and serves as a recruiting tool for not only athletics, but our universities as a whole.”
In our annual “Year in Review,” we look back at some high-profile events in higher education.
