Local & State Headlines

Event raises thousands

• A radio broadcast raises more than $100,000 in four hours for Albany State University on Founder's Day at the school.

Susan McCord

ALBANY — Founder’s Day found Albany State University a healthy sum for scholarships and some strong advice from radio personality Myra J in the institution’s 105th year.

The Tom Joyner Morning Show named ASU its April school of the month, and Myra J, one of the show’s on-air personalities, hosted live coverage of a pep rally Thursday morning on the university’s pedestrian mall.

Via live feed, Joyner introduced ASU junior Richard Kennedy, a recipient of the Tom Joyner Foundation’s Hercules Brothers scholarship, for men who attend historically black colleges.

“For all of our African-American men who are trying so hard in a system that wasn’t necessarily made for them to succeed,” Myra J said, “you are so appreciated.”

Kennedy, a graduate of Albany’s Monroe High School, is studying special education at ASU and plans to earn a master’s degree in deaf education at Valdosta State University and open a day care, he said.

Students trickled in to the event as the morning wore on. Nathan Johnson and his Kappa Kappa Psi fraternity brothers were among those lured on stage by Myra J and Master of Ceremonies Sophia Glover to perform.

“My love for my institution really brought me out,” said Johnson, a student from Newnan. “I love the fact that we’re getting honored and recognized. ... Albany State is a wonderful institution, and we don’t get the credit we deserve sometime.”

A big donor with local ties was Procter & Gamble, which contributed $25,000 during the pledge drive and gave out prizes of Bounty paper towels and Charmin tissue, both made at P&G’s Albany plant, at the rally.

“The reason we’re here today is Tom Joyner champions historically black colleges and he’s honoring Albany State University,” said Nikea Grimes, human resources manager at the Albany P&G plant.

The contribution is in addition to the $50,000 Procter & Gamble has donated annually to ASU since 2003, Grimes said.

The morning broadcast raised more than $100,000 from called-in and online donations, Joyner said during the show.

All donations through the month of April will be given to Albany State, to be distributed as scholarships for student tuition and fees, officials said. Since 1998, the Foundation has raised more than $55 million for historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs.

At ASU’s Founder’s Day convocation, which followed the broadcast, Myra J told a large audience of students and alumni of their great responsibilities.

“Back in the day,” during segregation, black students often were forced to drop out of school to work, while today, 17 of the 50 largest U.S. cities have high school dropout rates of under 50 percent, she said.

“These are our people,” she said. “What will you do to pull these others along?”

But, as students at a historically black university, she added, “something else is expected of you.”

Joseph Winthrop Holley, whose daughter Josephine returned to ASU for Founder’s Day, “did not,” Myra J said, “have to come down here.”

Holley founded Albany Bible and Manual Training Institute in 1903.

“Failure is not an option ... Too many people have sacrified just for you to be here,” Myra J said.

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