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Serving up love for MLK Holiday

In News, News & Events by KHarrington

  Livingstone College observed the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in the way it was intended: A Day of Service. The college fed homeless individuals of Rowan County at the Salisbury Civic Center on Friday, providing hot meals, toiletries and conversation. The college gave away 41 packaged lunch boxes of turkey and cheddar sandwiches, roast beef and Swiss sandwiches, cookies, chips, fruit and water. They also served homemade chicken noodle soup with crackers. Each person also received a bag filled with hand sanitizer, toothbrushes, tooth paste and other personal hygiene items. The N.C. Counts Coalition, a nonprofit organization, were on hand distributing bags filled with hats, gloves, hand warmers and COVID-19 tests. Livingstone College Culinary Arts students, under the leadership of chefs Elizabeth Marquez and Carl Brown, prepared and packaged the meals and served them from the college’s impressive and branded 53-foot mobile food unit. The event was in partnership with the Salisbury Police Department’s victims/homeless program, in which Dennis Rivers is the program liaison. “We reached people, but the goal is to reach more,” Rivers said. “We made an impact because if we feed one, that’s one less hungry person. We will continue to collaborate with Livingstone College and Rowan Helping Ministries to tackle homelessness.” Social work majors, student leadership, football players, faculty and staff joined Livingstone President Dr. Anthony J. Davis throughout the two-hour event. “Everybody can be great – because anybody can serve,” said Livingstone President Dr. Anthony J. Davis, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Today …

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Brooks, Bedford join Livingstone College in key posts

In News, News & Events by KHarrington

Livingstone College welcomes Mr. Anthony Brooks as vice president of enrollment management, and Mr. Robert E. Bedford as dean of students/housing and residence life. Brooks returns to Livingstone College after 17 years, when he served as assistant vice president for enrollment management and strategic planning from 2001-2005. He has more than 25 years of higher education experience, having most previously worked with Atrium Health’s Carolinas College of Health Sciences in Charlotte as dean of student affairs and enrollment management. Brooks’ higher education experience spans across historically black institutions within and outside of North Carolina, including N.C. Central University in Durham, Saint Augustine’s and Shaw University in Raleigh, and Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC, where he broke enrollment records at each institution. Additionally, he has served as a consultant and executive recruiter in higher education. Brooks received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from N.C. Central University and earned his Master of Business Administration degree in management and marketing from Claflin University. In his free time, Brooks enjoys traveling, reading and all aspects of fashion including shopping for others. One could typically find him relaxing on the couch reading a Ralph Lauren fashion book or other fashion magazines, he said. He and his wife, Sherri, have one son, Christian. Bedford Bedford has a dual master’s degree in counseling psychology/student development in higher education. Among his accolades are former Administrator of the Year at Northeastern Illinois University; Alpha Man of the Year of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; and …

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Dixon receives honorary degree

In News, News & Events by KHarrington

Livingstone College has added another distinguished member to its family of honorary degree recipients. Wells Fargo’s Georgette “Gigi” Dixon received an honorary doctorate degree from the historic black college in Salisbury on Dec. 9 during Livingstone’s ninth annual December Conferral of Degrees. Livingstone President Dr. Anthony J. Davis, by authority of the college’s Board of Trustees, conferred upon Dixon the honorary doctorate degree in humane letters, following her commencement address to the graduating seniors. Dixon serves as executive vice president and head of External Engagement for Diverse Segments, Representation and Inclusion for Wells Fargo. She received the honorary doctorate for her work with the company and as a champion for diversity, equity and inclusion. She is also a member of the national NAACP Board of Directors; vice chair for the NAACP Foundation; vice chairman of the U.S. Black Chambers Inc.; a corporate advisory board member of UnidosUS; a trustee of the Trust for the National Mall; a member of the Rainbow Push/Coalition Board of Directors; and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. “This has been a very emotional and moving day for me and my family,” Dixon said. “Never would I have thought that I would receive this honor.” She thanked Davis for the invite and the honor as she mentioned how proud her mother would be if she were alive to witness this because she believed education was the great equalizer. Dixon spoke to the graduating class about resiliency, relevancy and readiness – three branding points of …

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Wells Fargo’s Gigi Dixon is graduation speaker

In News, News & Events, Pebbles by KHarrington

Livingstone College will hold its annual December Conferral of Degrees on Friday, Dec. 9, at 10 a.m. at Varick Auditorium, located on the campus. Georgette “Gigi” Dixon, executive vice president and head of External Engagement for Diverse Segments, Representation and Inclusion for Wells Fargo, will deliver the address to the graduating seniors. The college’s Board of Trustees also approved for Dixon to receive an honorary doctorate degree in humane letters during the program. Dixon is no stranger to Livingstone College, but her reconnection to the historic black college has been renewed through Livingstone President Dr. Anthony J. Davis. This will be his first commencement as the new president of the college. “Mrs. Dixon is a key influencer who uses her platform and insight to support communities and organizations who are executing the critical work that impacts society, Davis said. “As the 13th president, I am committed to exposing our students to individuals that will assist them in unlocking their potential and unleashing their power.” Dixon is an HBCU graduate herself, having earned a Bachelor of Science with distinction from Tennessee State University (TSU) in speech communications and theater. She has certificates in Corporate Community Involvement and Nonprofit Leadership from the Boston College Carroll School of Management. Her upbringing in the South during desegregation and accomplishments at Tennessee State paved a career and life work for her in diversity and inclusion. She was one of two girls to desegregate her middle school; and she became the first woman president of the …

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Livingstone announces death of business professor

In News, News & Events, Pebbles by KHarrington

SALISBURY –  It is with profound sadness that Livingstone College announces the passing of one of our own, Dr. Colin A. Pillay. He died on Nov. 2, 2022, after a battle with cancer. Dr. Pillay has been a distinguished member of our faculty since 2010. He was a tenured professor of business and economics who elevated our business program on many levels. Under the leadership of Dr. Pillay, Livingstone College students achieved top ten rankings in the CAPSTONE Business Strategy game among 2,000 international competitors. Their outstanding results were the subject of an article published in the Salisbury Post and the students also made a presentation to the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Pillay presented research papers in many conferences and published many articles in academic journals. Dr. Pillay is the driving force to the students for achieving leadership skills through the student organization, Phi Beta Lambda. Through this organization, Dr. Pillay engaged extensively with the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce, and attended Business After Hours programs and the Power in Partnership Business Breakfasts. He guided two students in the Phi Beta Lambda organization at Livingstone College to take first-place positions in Impromptu Speaking and Sports Marketing in the State of North Carolina. Dr. Pillay created the first entrepreneurship course at Livingstone College and also created the minor in entrepreneurship. He assisted in initiating the Study Abroad Program by leading the first team of Livingstone College students to India. Since then, he had been extensively involved with the program …

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Arrest made in shooting

In News, News & Events by KHarrington

One arrest has been made in the shooting incident that occurred on the campus of Livingstone College and more arrests could be forthcoming. Capt. P.J. Smith of the Salisbury Police Department announced Tuesday that Talib Latrell Kelly, 21, of Salisbury, has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, discharging a firearm on educational property and possession of a firearm by felon. The alleged shooter is also a victim and remains at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte. Kelly is not a Livingstone College student. The Salisbury Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in this ongoing investigation. Anyone with videos of the shooting incident is urged to send them to Salisbury Police. Send videos as a private message to the Salisbury Police Department’s Facebook page; email them to the Rowan Regional Crime Information Center at rrcic@salisburync.gov; or call the criminal investigation division at (704) 216-5262. You do not have to reveal your identity. Livingstone College’s 13th President Dr. Anthony J. Davis spoke at the historic press conference along with Mayor Karen Alexander. This is the first time in recent history, if ever, that Livingstone College has held a joint press conference with the Salisbury Police Department. “I want to thank all of you who are standing with the ‘Stone – Livingstone Stone,” said Davis, naming Salisbury Mayor Alexander and the city of Salisbury, the first responders, law enforcement agencies, and Catawba President Dr. David Nelson, who had to deal with an act of violence on his campus this past …

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Joint media statement on shooting

In Main Alumni Post, News, News & Events, Pebbles by KHarrington

Joint media statement from Livingstone College and Salisbury Police Depot on shooting incident Salisbury Police Department: Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Livingstone College family, and the victims of the incident that occurred on campus late yesterday evening. Although the Salisbury Police Department is still very early in its investigation, additional information is being made available by law enforcement. An altercation occurred on the campus of Livingstone College last night during its homecoming concert. During the altercation, a person, who is not a student of Livingstone College, fired one or more shots. The investigation up to this point indicates that there was no exchange of gunfire by those involved in the altercation contrary to earlier rumors. Salisbury Police Department is still investigating the incident and is devoting additional resources to solving this crime. The City of Salisbury continues to coordinate and work closely with Dr. Anthony Davis and the entire staff at Livingstone College. We appreciate his leadership, patience and full cooperation with law enforcement through this difficult situation. Livingstone College President Dr. Anthony J. Davis: Our priority is and remains to ensure the mental wellness of our students and to evaluate our public safety measures to create a safe, living, learning and working environment. I am saddened because our students, alumni, family and friends were exposed to this senseless act of violence. We are working collaboratively with our local law enforcement agencies as they are conducting a thorough investigation. Please pray for us in the coming days …

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Davis named 13th president of Livingstone College

In News, News & Events, Pebbles by KHarrington

The Livingstone College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name Dr. Anthony J. Davis as the 13th president of Livingstone College. The announcement was made Thursday, Sept. 22, during the Board of Trustees’ annual fall meeting held on campus, following an executive session. Davis, an alumnus of Livingstone College, currently serves as senior vice president of Institutional Advancement and chief operating officer. “The Search Committee was very intentional on finding someone that would embrace students, understand the culture of the school and be familiar with the community,” said Bishop Kenneth Monroe, chairman of the board. “We had good candidates. We had to look at the vision of the person and if that person was able to connect with the ideals we were looking for.” In his current role, Davis led the college through the COVID-19 pandemic as chair of its task force and managed the day-to-day operations of the college, all while supervising and providing leadership for the entire fundraising enterprise at Livingstone College. “I recognized Dr. Davis’ talents and his willingness to roll up his sleeves and to work hard. That’s why I appointed him chief operating officer,” said Livingstone President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr. “In essence, he has been practicing to step into the seat of president.” “I’m happy, I’m humbled, and I’m honored to be selected to serve as the 13th president of Livingstone College,” Davis said. “Twenty-one years ago, I started on this journey to become president. It is true what poet Langston Hughes said, …

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Actor Malik Yoba bringing jobs to LC

In News, News & Events by KHarrington

The ‘Empire’ actor is taking his honorary degree seriously In May of this year, “Empire” actor and director and serial entrepreneur Dr. Malik Yoba was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by Livingstone College for his work in real estate development, education and community capacity building. During the ceremony, Yoba committed to partnering with Livingstone College to continue to help equip students with the resources they need to be successful in life, particularly in the areas of entrepreneurship and real estate development education. One way he’s honoring that commitment is through his company, Yoba Development. Yoba Development has partnered with Charlotte based, Libra Management Group, and its CEO Stacey Mollison, a real estate investor/developer and Prime contractor for Amazon, to offer jobs to current and former Livingstone College students as Amazon delivery associates/delivery drivers. Yoba Development and Libra Management Group will host a career fair at Livingstone College on Sept. 27 from noon to 4 p.m. to provide students with jobs and internship opportunities. “I started my real estate development company, Yoba Development, in 2017 with a mission to not only make money but to build people, places and things in that order. For us, young people and our disenfranchised community are always at the center of our work in development and building human capacity by providing education and access to the process for not only how cities and towns are built, but also how businesses are built,” Yoba said when asked about the partnership. Commercial real estate is …

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LC collecting water this week for Jackson, Miss.

In News, News & Events by KHarrington

Livingstone College has partnered with NC Black Voters Matter to help address the water crisis in Jackson, Miss. Livingstone is one of four water collection hubs for NC Black Voters Matter this week. The nonprofit organization has collaborated with three other historically black colleges and universities in the state (Elizabeth City State, Winston-Salem State and N.C. A&T State universities) to collect water for the 150,000 residents of Jackson, Miss. The city has been without safe drinking water after a historic storm in late August coupled with an aging water system damaged its drinking water treatment plant. “I always say that love is an action word,” said Livingstone College President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr. “These are our neighbors according to our biblical teaching and they need our action. Everyone should have access to clean drinking water.” In a memo to faculty and staff, Jenkins said, “We are asking every Livingstone College student, faculty, and staff to join this critical effort by donating at least one case of bottled water, but you are encouraged to donate many more,” he said. “This water collection initiative is well aligned with our Holistic Learning Model of social responsibility, political action and health.” NC Black Voters Matter will pick up the Livingstone water donations on Friday, September 16, between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Mean Mug Coffee will also be on campus during these hours with a morning beverage for the first 250 people donating a case of water, compliments of Livingstone College. Donations are …