Founders' Day: »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ president touts results of HBCU study
By: BRADLEY HARRIS T&D Correspondent
Nov 21, 2017
»Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ capped of a week of homecoming festivities with the 148th Founders’ Day Convocation on Nov 19.
The purpose of the convocation was to reflect on the history of »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ, honor those who have contributed to the university, and bring an official closing to homecoming week. The convocation marked the official opening of then- »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ College in 1869.
“148 years ago, the doors of »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ opened to all men and women without consideration of such qualifiers as race, gender, ethnic origin, creed, religious philosophy and the like,” »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ President Dr. Henry Tisdale said.
Tisdale said »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ is on an upward trajectory.
“The aim is preserving the legacy, sustaining a commitment to academic excellence and achieving the vision of »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ being recognized as a leading 21st century institution of higher education,” he said.
Tisdale also noted that »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ was a part of a study conducted by the UNCF measuring the university’s economic impact on Orangeburg. The study was done by a research institute at the University of Georgia.
“The study says the annual economic impact of »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ to this community is almost $80 million,” Tisdale said. “In the area of jobs, the study revealed that »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ generates 835 jobs per year for our community.
The speaker for the convocation was Michael B. Moore, president and CEO for the International African-American Museum in Charleston. Moore offered some words of wisdom to »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ students.
“If you are here, if you are alive today, that means you are a descendant of the strongest of the strong,” Moore said in regard to enslaved ancestors.
“Your ancestors, whether you realize it or not, gave you a tremendously powerful gift. It’s your birthright, it is the strength that is inside you,” Moore said.