Livingstone College

SALISBURY – Livingstone College has partnered with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services: Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities to provide food resources through churches and nonprofits to vulnerable populations impacted by the pandemic. North Carolina communities hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic will have access to $5 million in grants to help address food insecurity needs, Governor Roy Cooper announced Tuesday. “As we head into winter, it is more important than ever to ensure that people have access to food and this partnership will bring North Carolinians together to support those in need,” Governor Cooper said. “This pandemic, although unprecedented, creates a unique opportunity to form unlikely partnerships to address food insecurity in the state of North Carolina,” said Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr., Livingstone College President. Livingstone College will contract with the A.M.E. Zion Church to administer The Hurt & Hunger Initiative, supporting congregations and nonprofits who are providing meals and food distribution to vulnerable communities, with a special emphasis on children, the elderly and the homeless. Based on the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey, 48 percent of NC households reported only somewhat or no confidence they can afford food for the next four weeks. Often, existing statewide infrastructure does not reach the most vulnerable populations. “Our goal is to reach invisible people who have been paralyzed by this pandemic,” said Dr. Anthony J. Davis, chief operating officer and senior vice president of Institutional Advancement for Livingstone College. “This is a great opportunity for a …

Oct. 16, 2020 Statement from Livingstone President regarding the passing of Dr. Irving McPhail It is heartbreaking and shocking to hear of the passing of my colleague, Dr. Irving McPhail, the 12th president of Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, N.C. Dr. McPhail was only three months into his role as president of Saint Augustine’s, but his impact in that brief amount of time will leave an indelible mark in the chronicles of that institution. I, along with the Livingstone College Board of Trustees, faculty and staff, extend our sincere condolences to Dr. McPhail’s wife, children, family and friends, and to the campus community of St. Augustine’s University. May you all be comforted during this time of bereavement and rely on your faith for strength. With deepest sympathy, Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr., Ph.D. President  

SALISBURY – What would have been a bevy of Blue Bears congregating at 701 W. Monroe Street this weekend for Livingstone College’s annual homecoming is now – like most events mid-COVID – a virtual experience. Livingstone will host a virtual homecoming Oct. 8-10 on a screen near you. The event is being sponsored by the Office of Alumni Affairs and will include as much fun as one can have virtually. Under the theme, “Homecoming Reimagined – The Virtual Experience,” there is something for everyone from young alumni to the young at heart, from rocking the vote to rocking the beat, from praise and worship to a hat parade. And at the center of each virtual engagement experience is the opportunity to give to support Livingstone College. “All of the events are free, and with the absence of hotel costs and cover charges for in-person events, this is the perfect opportunity for alumni and friends to give like they have never done before,” said Livingstone President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr. Vincia Benjamin Miller, Livingstone’s director of alumni affairs, said it was important to continue to keep Livingstone’s alumni and friends engaged this homecoming weekend despite not having in-person events or a football season. “It was also an opportune time to raise awareness about this upcoming election and the importance of voting,” she said. A complete lineup of homecoming events and Zoom links can be found on the college’s website at www.livingstone.edu under the Alumni Affairs tab, or by visiting our …

SALISBURY – After careful consideration, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Board of Directors, in conjunction with its Athletic Directors Association (ADA), has voted to delay the start of all winter sports seasons, which includes men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, and women’s bowling. Men’s and women’s basketball will begin their seasons on January 9, 2021, while start dates for indoor track and field and women’s bowling are still under review. Additionally, at the recommendation of the CIAA and ADA, and with approval from the Board of Directors, the conference has opted not to sponsor championship seasons for football as well as men’s and women’s cross country during the 2020-21 athletic year, while women’s volleyball will proceed with a 2021 spring season. “Delaying the start of our winter seasons acts in the best interest of our student-athletes, coaches, and support staff as it ensures proper resocialization for all parties while affording our membership the opportunity to implement recommended health and safety measures prior to competition,” said CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams. “Although unfortunate and unprecedented circumstances this year will prohibit athletic seasons for some, we remain committed to bolstering opportunities that amplify the experiences of our student-athletes, member institutions, partners and fans.” “This difficult decision was made with the best interest of our student-athletes, coaches and staff in mind,” said Livingstone College Athletic Director Lamonte Massie-Sampson. “There are so many unknowns as it relates to this pandemic so it behooves us to be proactive in every …

Click link to read Salisbury Post article: ‘We know what time it is’: Livingstone students hear from local candidates for office

SALISBURY – Livingstone College Board of Trustee member, Dr. James R. Gavin, III, has been selected to receive the Endocrine Society’s Laureate Award as Mentor of the Year for 2021. The Endocrine Society is the foremost professional organization for endocrine scientists, researchers, practitioners and educators in the world. The annual award recognizes a career commitment to mentoring and a significant positive impact on mentees’ education and career, according to the Society’s website. Gavin has served as a direct mentor to more than 50 early stage physician-scientists and has touched the careers of countless others through his leadership of both the Howard Hughes Medical Institute-National Institutes of Health (NIH) Medical Research Scholars Program and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program (AMFDP). During his more than 35-year involvement with the RWJF AMFDP, he has contributed to the career development of more than 300 minority physician-scientists. “This is a very special award to me and a pinnacle personal honor because the award is driven by nominations from young scholars who feel that I have had a positive impact on their lives and careers,” Gavin said. “This is as meaningful and important to me as any brick-and-mortar award. I am humbled and honored by this designation.” Adding even more sentiment to the award is that one of Gavin’s mentees, Dr. Anne L. Peters, is also a 2021 award recipient in the Outstanding Public Service Award category; and one of his own mentors, Dr. Phillip Gorden, is recipient of …

SALISBURY – Later than usual, but well prepared, Livingstone College began classes on Thursday. Chief Operating Officer Anthony Davis said if the college did not feel confident in its safety measures, it would not have invited students back to campus. The college has taken on a litany of prevention measures as part of its re-entry plan. Everyone on campus, faculty, students and staff, were tested for COVID-19. The campus was also sanitized with electrostatic sprayers ahead of students arriving. An antimicrobial finish was applied to surfaces, and there are hand sanitizing stations throughout the campus, along with enhanced cleaning protocols and a mask requirement. Davis is happy the college is able to have in-person classes at all and said the college saw some transfers from students who felt safer with the level of prevention measures at Livingstone. Davis said it is especially important for the college to take on the additional protocols, which by and large exceed those of other nearby colleges and universities, because Livingstone is a historically Black college, and the African American community has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Davis described the campus as a masked community. Students who live on campus and arrived over the past week were tested before they moved into their rooms. The college wants to identify anyone who could be an asymptomatic spreader so it can stop people from unknowingly infecting others. Putting it simply, Davis said the college wants to keep its students safe. Senior SGA President and criminal justice major …

SALISBURY – Livingstone College officially reopened its campus Thursday with staff members reporting to their offices for a virtual opening session followed by COVID-19 testing. The virtual opening session began at 10:30 a.m. with opening remarks by Livingstone President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr., who highlighted events during the past five months in which the campus was closed due to the global pandemic. The world was attacked by an invisible enemy and like many other college campuses, Livingstone shut down its in-person learning in March and transitioned to distance learning. “It seemed surreal for all of us – more like a nightmare,” Jenkins said. “This enemy has taken away a major part of our DNA. We are social beings, but we now have to learn to curtail socialization. It is disturbing, but it is what it is. We have to follow the protocols so we can survive this pandemic.” Jenkins commended his senior staff members and faculty for adjusting efficiently to the new normal in organizing distance learning and maintaining their engagement with students over the past few months. Jenkins also commended the college’s Reopening Task Force, led by Dr. Anthony J. Davis, senior vice president of Institutional Advancement and chief operating officer, which developed eight protocols to safely reassume campus operations. Davis outlined those protocols in a series of short videos played during the virtual opening session, where staff members participated in from their respective offices. The protocols range from screening, security, protection and prevention, and space utilization to …