News Release-September 15, 2011
October 18, 2011
American Idol Ruben Studdard, Three Doctors, Best-Selling Authors of The Pact & Gospel Singer Dr. Bobby Jones Lend Support to 2011 Commemorative Classic Football Game and Pre-Game Symposium
(Charlotte, NC) – September 15, 2011 – The Commemorative Classic celebrates the contribution of both Livingstone College and Johnson C. Smith University as the first two teams to compete in a black college football game on December 27, 1892. This year the 2-day event will take place in Charlotte, NC November 4-5, 2011.
The Commemorative Classic agenda for 2011 includes a 2-day Pre-Game Symposium commencing on Friday, November 4, with speakers and sessions held at The Park Expo Center in Charlotte, NC, and continues at The Park on Saturday morning. The event continues on November 5 with an Inspirational Breakfast, additional speakers and sessions and, of course, The Game. At 2pm on Saturday, November 5th in Charlotte, rivals Johnson C. Smith University Golden Bulls and Livingstone College Blue Bears will play one another for the 119th time.
The 2011 Commemorative Classic Game features a half-time performance by “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard. Since winning American Idol, Studdard released four studio albums and acquired numerous accolades including the NAACP’s Image Award for Best New Artist, and nominations from The Grammy’s, American Music Awards, BET Awards and the Soul Train Awards.
The Pre-Game Symposium addresses the plight of Black and minority males, and confirmed speakers include:
- Drs. Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt and George Jenkins, Best-selling authors of The Pact
- Ed Gordon, National news anchor and host of BET News “Weekly with Ed Gordon”
- Dr. Bobby Jones, Grammy Award winning gospel music artist & Host of BET’s “Bobby Jones Gospel”
- Dr. Samuel Lopez, Director of Multicultural Academics Services, UNC-Charlotte
- Lt. Colonel Ronald Thornton, U.S. Marine Corps
Topics to be covered include health and wellness, relationship development, leadership development, wealth building and personal brand development. The Symposium will include sessions conducted by a diverse group of researchers and practitioners.
In 2010, the Commemorative Classic expanded to include a hugely successful 2-Day Symposium with nearly 1,000 middle/high-school and college students along with teachers, parents, practitioners and researchers. The panels and presentations were lively and informative and featured a diverse group of presenters including Dr. Maya Angelou, Stedman Graham and Dr. John H. Jackson, President and CEO of The Schott Foundation.
“This classic is not about a contest between two football powerhouses, “stated Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins Sr., President of Livingstone College. “We are very proud of our football teams and the competitiveness that exists between us and other teams that we play; however, the establishment of the Commemorative Classic is about a clarion call to our students, other HBCUs, and the public-at-large, serving notice that our ultimate responsibility is to address the needs of our communities, and society at-large.
Dr. Ronald Carter, who has served as president of Johnson C. Smith University for nearly three years, noted, “We want everyone to understand that what we’re doing now will have a far-reaching impact on this country. Studies have shown that in year 2020, which is only a decade away, minorities will be the majority of students who are eligible to attend college. We need to ensure we have as many of our students in the educational pipeline as we can so that in the future the country will have highly educated and talented leaders. If we don’t do that, I believe in 2020 and beyond we will experience flashpoints ignited by very disgruntled young people.”
Founded and chartered as Biddle Memorial Institute in 1867, renamed Johnson C. Smith University in 1923; JCSU is a private, four-year, co-educational, liberal arts institution of higher learning with an enrollment of approximately 1,563 students located in the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina. JCSU offers active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, international study, faith development, career discovery and community service. Today, Johnson C. Smith University prides itself as Charlotte’s premier independent urban university.
Livingstone College was originally founded as Zion Wesley Institute by a group of A.M.E. Zion ministers for the purpose of training ministers in the Cabarrus County town of Concord, North Carolina, in 1879. The Rowan County town of Salisbury, just 20 miles northeast of Concord, gave the Trustees a generous donation of $1,000 and an invitation to relocate the school to Salisbury. They accepted both gifts, and the College reopened in Salisbury in 1182 on J.M. Gray’s Delta Grove farm with one building and 40 acres. Today, Livingstone College’s new holistic learning approach is designed to prepare students to gain maturity, intellectual awareness and motivation toward learning.
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