The Dallas city council has not heard the last from the Paul Quinn College community regarding the council’s plans for the Highland Hills neighborhood. A cadre of influential city leaders have joined the College for “WE ARE NOT TRASH: A March for the Future of Dallas” at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 5. The walk will begin at Oak Cliff Founders Park, travel over the Houston Viaduct Bridge and conclude at Ferris Plaza in downtown Dallas.

WE ARE NOT TRASH is an expansion of the “I AM NOT TRASH” movement created by the students at PQC and inspired by the city of Dallas’ response to the food desert conditions of the Paul Quinn College/Highland Hills community. The PQC/HH community is approximately six miles from the nearest full-service grocery store, but less than two miles from the McCommas Bluff Landfill.  The McCommas Bluff Landfill is the same facility that the city council, led by District 8 Councilman Tennell Atkins, recently voted to turn into one of the largest garbage dumps in the southwestern region of the United States.

The “WE ARE NOT TRASH” movement is advocating for thoughtful, citizen-oriented decision-making from city of Dallas officials. The movement seeks city leadership who understands that there is no “North Dallas” or “Southern Dallas”. There is only “ONE Dallas” and the citizens of that city deserve effective representative leadership and reasonable access to safe and affordable food.

“The leadership that produced this horrendous decision is out of touch with the emerging voices of the city. Marching north, across the Trinity River and towards downtown Dallas is our way of expressing that this generation is no longer willing to adhere to the geographic, economic and mental boundaries of our elders,” said Dexter Evans, a junior and the student leader of the march. “Since few in Dallas are apparently willing to say these things, we felt that it was time for Paul Quinn College and our friends to make our voices heard.”

The march is expected to attract more than 500 participants and will cover approximately the same distance as the school to the landfill.

“Frederick Douglass told us that ‘power concedes nothing without demand.  It never did and it never will,” said Paul Quinn College President Michael J. Sorrell.  “We are done waiting on the promise of tomorrow.  We are tired of being ignored and insulted. We want a real grocery store today.  We want a pharmacy today. We want officials who care more about their constituents and the future of this city than themselves.”

The march is being co-chaired by: Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram, presiding prelate of 10^th District of the AME Church; Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church; Reverend Bryan Carter, senior pastor of Concord Church of Dallas; Domingo Garcia, LULAC; Dr. Jerry L. Christian, senior pastor of Kirkwood Temple CME; Rev. Tyrone D. Gordon, senior pastor of St. Luke’s “Community” United Methodist Church; Rev. Van Carl Williams, senior pastor of Cedar Crest Cathedral CME; the Dallas County Democratic Party and J.D. Mitchell, president of the Paul Quinn College National Alumni Association.

All citizens of Dallas are invited to participate In the march. To register for the march, please call the event chairwoman Elizabeth Wattley at 214-379-5457. For an interview with President Sorrell, Dexter Evans or others involved with the march, please call event co-chair/communications and media relations representative Ashley Harris at 214-379-5561.

Sitting over a laptop, Celia Soto clicks through course assignments and extracurricular activities. With less than 30 minutes before her next class, she organizes her academic life on the Paul Quinn College campus.

Less than a year ago, Soto was a recent immigrant from Mexico, working as a waitress and a sales clerk at a bazaar in Dallas to save money for a college education. Despite graduating with honors from Duncanville High School, she thought it would take “two or three years” before she could pay for school.

Today, Soto is a presidential scholar at Paul Quinn, with her four years of tuition waived. For Soto, it is a path to new possibilities. For the historically black PQC, located in Oak Cliff, it’s part of an ongoing effort to evolve.

“We don’t see it as diversity, we see it as expanding our mission to places that others just might not have thought to look,” Paul Quinn’s President Michal Sorrell said.

The Center for Historically Black Colleges and Universities Media Advocacy, Inc awarded Paul Quinn HBCU of the year in March. Criteria includes ‘community outreach initiatives’ and ‘student engagement by way of enrollment’.

This semester, thirteen of the 200 students enrolled at PQC are identified as nonblack. Ten are listed as Hispanic and two are listed as Asian and one Anglo.

“The first day when I moved in everybody was like ‘welcome, how do you feel’,” said Soto, a 19-year-old legal studies and criminal justice major. “I feel so good.“

But PQC has faced problems in recent years. Academic and financial issues have plagued the college, resulting in the loss of its accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 2009.

Since then, the college has worked to improve its reputation. For fiscal years 2009 and 2010, the college accumulated approximately $2 million in budget surpluses.

By 2010, the college received accreditation from the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools. TRACS is a national accrediting body for Christian institutions. PQC is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The college also works to help the surrounding Oak Cliff community by providing organic food through the operation of an on-campus farm.

In August, the Wall Street Journal examined historically black colleges working to expand their enrollment demographic. PQC was one of the schools recognized for its efforts.

In June, Soto and other incoming students attended a summer bridge program at PQC to accumulate six academic credits and learn more about the college. She remembers that she was met with warmth from her peers.

“[It felt] like I’m home because they were really nice people,” said Soto.

Along with an interest in expanding their knowledge of other cultures, many of the first year students have a common bond through their relationships with PQC recruiter Jessika Lara.

Lara, whose family is originally from Mexico, was one of PQC’s first presidential scholars and graduated in December 2010. She says she was so interested in PQC’s efforts to grow that she wanted to continue being a part of it.

Lara has helped recruit prospective students by bringing them to campus and getting to know who they are on a personal level.

Freshman business administration student Giovanni Macias considers one of the leading factors for why he chose PQC was his ability to talk to Lara whenever he needed to. He remembers text messaging her on a weekend asking her about the school.

“She gave me all this information about life here and she started convincing me, on a Saturday morning, too,” Macias said.

The time Lara spent with her recruits has developed in a bond among them all. Students often come to her office throughout the day to talk with her about their lives.

“We really are a close knit group,” Lara said. “They don’t leave my office.”

Throughout the summer bridge program, Soto formed lasting friendships. One girl she met, T’Edra Jackson, is now her roommate.

Jackson, an 19-year-old business administration student who hails from Baton Rouge had not interacted with Hispanic students before the bridge program. However, Soto’s race did not prevent the girls from becoming friends.

“She would come to my dorm and study, and I would come to her dorm and study and we just started bonding,” Jackson said.

In her time at the college, Soto has both offered and benefited from peer tutoring, and she was also encouraged by a member of the faculty to establish a Latino Association on campus. Soto says she has about 11 members comprising both Hispanic and black students. The group’s first campus event was in mid-September and celebrated Latino culture. About 40 students attended.

Zae Whitaker, an undeclared 17-year-old and one of the black students in the Latino Association, had been concerned about not finding enough diversity when he was considering PQC.

“I wanted it to be a school where there was diversity, so I could embrace more cultures because I already know what it’s like to be black,” Whitaker said.

Apart from his participation in the Latino Association, Whitaker is also working with a classmate to teach Latin dancing to members of both the school and the local community.

Andy Garcia is junior majoring in Convergence Journalism at Southern Methodist University. Garcia is News Director of SMU-TV.

Paul Quinn College is pleased to announce that Cheryl Benton, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Public Affairs, will join the line-up for the second season of the Voices That Matter women’s speaker series. This season, the themed series highlights the important accomplishments of women who have made strides in finance and the emerging fields of fundraising and philanthropy. Voices That Matter brings civic leaders from across the country to speak to the Quinnite Nation about the importance and impact of diversity in those fields. Benton will speak at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13 in the Isabell and Comer Cotrell Student Union Building Grand Lounge.

Benton’s career accomplishments are numerous. She accepted her appointment to the Department of State in May 2009 after a 20-year career in the arena of public affairs. Benton was a principal at the Dewey Square Group prior to joining the Department of State. She has extensive knowledge in managing complex public policy, advocacy, and regulatory issues for Fortune 500 companies, and implementing grassroots and grasstops campaigns.

”The Quinnite Nation is thrilled to host the Deputy Assistant Secretary” said Michael J. Sorrell, President of Paul Quinn College.  “She continues our custom of bringing strong, diverse female voices to our campus.”

This year, the Voices That Matter series has featured Paul Quinn College First Lady Natalie J. Sorrell, an investment officer of the employee retirement fund for the city of Dallas; Monica McCluney, the national director of strategic alliances and corporate relations for the UNCF; and Jan Zeigler, director of development for Mi Escuelita Preschool in Dallas. Past presenters have included Dr. Demetris Sampson, partner with Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson; Dr. Marybeth Gasman, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education; and Naomi Aberly, fundraiser for the President Barack Obama campaign in 2008.

Each event is free and open to the public.

Paul Quinn College is preparing to swing for the fences for the Fall 2011 semester, beginning with President Michael J. Sorrell throwing out the first ceremonial pitch for the Texas Rangers when the team plays the Anaheim Angels, Sunday, August 28, 2011.

All new PQC students will watch President Sorrell in action from the stands as they participate in Paul Quinn College Night at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Before the game starts, students attending the game will also meet members of the Texas Rangers organization during a special briefing in the Hall of Fame Theatre at the Ballpark.

The briefing and the game will be the closing activity for New Student Orientation, and the opening activity for Fall 2011 student registration, Aug. 31 through Sept. 1

A proposed city of Dallas plan to funnel an overwhelming majority of the city’s garbage to the McCommas Bluff Landfill has local residents up in arms.  Determined to ensure that area residents are adequately informed and engaged, Paul Quinn College and District 8 Councilman Tennell Atkins are convening a “Trash Goes South: Trash to Treasure” town hall Meeting at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 28 in the Comer and Isabell Cottrell Student Union Building on the campus of the College.

The town hall meeting is open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided by the Food for Good Farm at Paul Quinn College.  The city of Dallas has proposed the Resource Control Ordinance, known as “Trash to Treasure,” which includes sending most of the city’s trash, garbage, and solid waste to the McCommas Bluff Landfill – just 2.3 miles away from the Highland Hills community. City officials claim the new ordinance will increase the amount of trash collected from 1 million tons to 1.9 million tons per year and net the city $18 million in revenue annually.
However, details of how the measure will benefit local residents and result in sustainable economic development to the area are unclear. The idea that the landfill may be expanded before a quality grocery store is built has angered area residents.

Paul Quinn College President Michael J. Sorrell has issued a call to action. The Highland Hills community and Paul Quinn College challenge the city to build a grocery store and a pharmacy, and create a solid neighborhood development plan before asking the College and local residents to support the trash measure.
“For more than 20 years, the people of this community have trusted the city of Dallas to show them the same respect and care that the city shows their brethren in other areas of the city,” President Sorrell said.  “Yet time and time again we have been disappointed and disrespected. I don’t remember seeing a garbage dump down the street from SMU or the folks in Uptown being asked to survive without grocery stores. Enough is enough. The days of mistreating this community are over.”

Paul Quinn College is pleased to announce the newest members of the Quinnite Nation. Charles W. Keeley, III joins the College as the head men’s basketball coach. He will oversee the program with the help of John Franklin, the newly appointed assistant men’s basketball coach and junior varsity coach.

The change in leadership promises to keep the athletic program moving in a positive direction, and is in line with the College’s dedication to recruit, retain, develop, and produce student-athletes who will strive to achieve in the classroom and on the playing field.

“While the men’s basketball team experienced a successful season on the court, the institution had grave concerns about the former leadership’s ability to support the College’s mission of transforming students into servant leaders both on and off the court,” said Paul Quinn College President Michael J. Sorrell.  “We are dedicated to building an athletic program that will compete for national championships and produce graduates who will become doctors, lawyers and business leaders. We now feel as if we have the coaches in place that will allow us to accomplish these goals.”

Keeley comes to PQC after spending three years as the assistant head coach at Cedar Valley College. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Florida A&M University. He also has a Master of Science degree in sports coaching from the United States Sports Academy and is a doctoral candidate at the same institution.

Keeley is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the National Society of Black Engineers, the Black Coaches & Administrators, the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.

“This is a humbling and exciting experience for me,” Keeley said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge of molding these young men into professionals on and off the court. We have a long road ahead of us, but I’m confident that we are assembling a team that can bring Paul Quinn College its first NAIA men’s basketball national championship.”

Prior to Keeley’s arrival, the Paul Quinn College Tigers finished the 2010 – 2011 season ranked fourth in the NAIA Red River Conference with a 15 – 7 record, and a 21 – 11 overall record.

Keeley will be assisted by Franklin, who comes to the College after a highly successful stint as the assistant coach for the boys’ varsity team and head coach for the boys’ junior varsity team at Episcopal School of Dallas. Franklin received his Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from the University of North Texas, where he lettered in basketball as a member of the men’s basketball team.

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra has announced their 2011 Community Concert Series.  This year they will make a stop at Paul Quinn College for an outdoor concert on the school’s campus.  The free concert will take place June 7th starting at 8:00 p.m. on the lawn of the Richard Allen Chapel.  It will last for about an hour.

The entire symphony will perform and the theme of the concert is “Dances Around the World.”  The Dallas Symphony is partnering with Dallas Parks and Recreation Department, The Office of Cultural Affairs and Atmos Energy to put on the Paul Quinn concert.

I had the chance to attend one of DSO’s community concerts last year at Kidd Springs Park.  I was encouraged by the support of the community, surprised by the intimate feel of the outdoor event, and amazed by the music and sound.  I hope that the concert at Paul Quinn is supported in a similar fashion.

Also during the Paul Quinn concert, actress Irma P. Hall and playwright/actor Eugene Lee will receive the school’s 2011 Outstanding Achievement in the Arts Award.  District 8 City Councilman Tennell Atkins is also expected to be in attendance.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their family, friends, food, picnic baskets and lawn chairs to enjoy this outdoor, scenic and entertaining evening.The rain site for the concert has been designated as the Grand Lounge/Student Union.

A full sensory experience permeated Paul Quinn College last Thursday.  The smell of earth and mulch, the sound of live jazz and the taste of freshly prepared gourmet food greeted guests during the “A Community Cooks” event held on campus.  A touch of warm springtime sun made the outdoor event at Paul Quinn’s Food For Good Farm the place to be in Southern Dallas.

Thursday evening’s event brought gourmet chefs, healthy food advocates, and more than 200 guests from across North Texas to the campus of Paul Quinn. A day earlier Paul Quinn announced that the school is now a fully accredited member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, so it was also a celebration of sorts.

Speakers included the event host Trammell S. Crow, a local philanthropist who donated a million dollars to Paul Quinn College in 2010. Paul Quinn’s president, Michael Sorrell, credited Mr. Crow with “planting the seed” for the establishment of a community garden on campus.  Bob Weiss, Paul Quinn’s Board Chairman and Vice President for Administration at the Meadows Foundation also shared remarks.

Although the farm has replaced Paul Quinn’s football field, the goalposts, stadium lights, and bleachers remain as a reminder of the history of the site.  You could look across the seemingly barren field and imagine the seeds slowly stretching their roots deep into the rich soil. Once harvest season arrives, Paul Quinn and its supporters will once again reap the fruit (and vegetables) of their labor.

Event guests included representatives from PepsiCo, which partnered with Paul Quinn to establish the Food for Good Farm, and representatives from several local restaurants that buy produce from Paul Quinn College, such as Craft Dallas and Bolsa. Dallas Social Ventures Partners, a local organization that supports the development of local non-profits were also in attendance.

Chefs in attendance included Graham Dodds (Bolsa), Jullian Barsotti (Nonna), Janice Provost (Parigi), Jeff Harris (Red Fork), Kelly Hightower (Nova), Tim Bevins (Craft), Randall Copeland (AVA), Orazio Lamanna (Dallas Cowboys) and Kate Nelson (PieCurious).

Each chef setup a tasting station in designated areas of the farm so attendees could sample an entrée. Fish skewers, steak tacos and miniature strawberry pies were just a few of the available selections.  The event also included live music performed by the Bishop Arts Jazz Allstars.

The keynote speaker, Will Allen, chief executive officer of Growing Power, used the event as an opportunity to discuss the broader issue of limited access to quality healthy food in low-income communities across the United States.  He explained that America’s food system is broken because it has evolved into industrialized processes that require produce to travel hundreds of miles—losing much of its nutritional value during the process.

In addition to increased production, many farmers use chemicals and pesticides that may harm receivers of the food. Mr. Sorrell, added that some communities do not even have immediate access to produce at all, for instance the nearest grocery store to Paul Quinn College is located six miles from the campus.

In keeping with the college’s mission to create servant leaders, Paul Quinn College took action to address the serious problem of food inequity that plagued its local community by using available resources to establish the farm. Under the leadership of Elizabeth Wattley, Paul Quinn’s Service Leadership Coordinator, “the farm has produced over 2,200 pounds of fresh organic produce within just two growing seasons.”  Thanks to the support of “A Community Cooks” we can look forward to more food for good in the years to come.

Shareea Butler is a non-profit consultant who specializes in the creation and implementation of systems and processes to increase impact and efficiency. She has a passion for issues that relate to the empowerment of underserved populations, such as education, financial literacy, and advocacy.  You can reach her at shareea.butler@gmail.com

On Wednesday night, Paul Quinn College President Michael Sorrell announced that the school is now a fully accredited member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS).  TRACS is recognized by both the Department of Education and Council of Higher Education Accreditation.  As such Paul Quinn will have access to federal funding and their students will have access to federal aid.

Sorrell says the TRACS organization has worked with the college during what he called a tumultuous period for the school.  “They really are a wonderful group of people,” says Sorrell. The school’s relationship with TRACS started in the Summer of 2009, soon after the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) ended Paul Quinn’s membership in their organization.  In the fall of 2009, Sorrell made a trip to Virginia to explore the possibility of gaining membership into TRACS.

Miss Paul Quinn College Christina Mason and Paul Quinn President Michael Sorrell

After a positive meeting and a subsequent visit to Texas by the TRACS staff, Paul Quinn became a candidate for entry in 2010.  The organization sent an on-site evaluation team to the campus this past February “for the purpose of evaluating the college for accreditation status,” according to their announcement.  Then on Tuesday, Paul Quinn received the news that they had been voted in as one of TRACS member organizations.

One of the challenges that still faces is the school is getting TRACS recognized in Texas, as Paul Quinn is currently their only institution in the state.  That will require an application process which if approved, will then open up state funding to Paul Quinn.

Still, Sorrell said the entire campus was boosted by the news.  “Everyone is through the roof,” he said adding that tstudents, staff and board members all celebrated the announcement.

Sorrell reflected on the sacrifice made by students in the last two school years.  “A lot of people left us for dead,” said Sorrell, “but we’ve got kids who have been here with us the entire time.”  He added that while many of their former classmates chose a different paths, these students have now been rewarded.  “We’re just glad to be able to say ‘Thank You’ for their faith,” he said.

Five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Texas have been announced as finalists in The Home Depot’s 2011 “Retool Your School” campus improvement grant program. These contenders are competing for $150,000 in on-campus improvement grants and are counting on their communities, alumni, friends and the public to help them win.

From March 1 to April 22, supporters can visit www.retoolyourschool.com to vote for their favorite school and sustainable campus improvement project and help make a difference for generations of students to come.  One $50,000 grant and ten $10,000 grants will be awarded. The Home Depot® will announce the winners on May 16, 2011.

“The ‘Retool Your School’ grant program was developed last year as a way to provide lasting improvements to HBCU campuses. As finalists compete for funds to make vital on-campus renovations, it is now time for their communities to get involved and help them win. With proposals for projects such as creating serene outdoor study areas and building greenhouses and community gardens, these campus upgrades will benefit current and future students, as well as the surrounding communities,” said Trish Mueller, senior vice president and chief marketing officer,  The Home Depot.®

More than 54 percent of the nation’s HBCUs applied to the “Retool Your School” grant program.  Local HBCUs selected as finalists include Huston-Tillotson University, Jarvis Christian College, Paul Quinn College, Southwestern Christian College and Texas Southern University.

These schools will face stiff competition from participants in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands. Area residents and school alumni should log on and vote at www.retoolyourschool.com to ensure that their local school brings home the grand prize.

Some of the potential improvement projects entered by the 56 HBCU finalists include projects that will affect the campus and community as a whole, such as installing eco-friendly bathrooms, adding wheelchair ramps and automatic access doors, creating sustainable landscaping projects, replacing windows with Energy Star rated fixtures, installing solar energy systems and motion sensors to reduce electric consumption in classrooms, starting community gardens and campus greenhouses to encourage healthy eating, and creating nature trails accessible to the surrounding community as a fit living initiative.  Each of the proposed improvement projects will enhance campus life for many years.

To apply for the “Retool Your School” grants, HBCUs were required to submit applications via the “Retool Your School” Website by the February 22 entry deadline.  During the online voting period, currently underway, consumers will be able to view descriptions of major and minor proposals and can cast one vote per day for their favorite HBCU. Following the online vote, a panel of distinguished judges will also evaluate each school’s proposal.

Projects will be judged based on votes posted to the Website, as well as the judges’ evaluation as to the relevance to the proposal requirements as listed on the Website and application. Entrants must highlight how each project will make a lasting, positive impact on their campus, and special attention will be given to schools that pitch eco-friendly plans. The winning schools will be determined based on a combination of online votes and the judges’ evaluations.

The 2011 Home Depot “Retool Your School” HBCU Finalists

Alabama
Gadsden State Community College
Oakwood College
Stillman College
Talladega College
Tuskegee University

Arkansas
Arkansas Baptist College
Philander Smith College
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

Delaware
Delaware State University

District of Columbia
Howard University
University of the District of Columbia

Florida
Bethune-Cookman University
Florida A&M University
Florida Memorial University

Georgia
Albany State University
Morris Brown College
Spelman College

Kentucky
Kentucky State University

Louisiana
Dillard University
Southern University and A&M College
Southern University at New Orleans

Maryland
Coppin State University
Morgan State University

Mississippi
Alcorn State University
Mississippi Valley State University
Rust College
Tougaloo College

North Carolina
Barber-Scotia College
Fayetteville State University
Johnson C. Smith University
Livingstone College
North Carolina A&T State University
North Carolina Central University
St. Augustine’s College

Pennsylvania
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania

South Carolina
Allen University
Benedict College
Clinton Junior College
Denmark Technical College
South Carolina State University
Voorhees College

Tennessee
Fisk University
Knoxville College
Meharry Medical College

Texas
Huston-Tillotson University
Jarvis Christian College
Paul Quinn College
Southwestern Christian College
Texas Southern University

U.S. Virgin Islands
University of the Virgin Islands

Virginia
Norfolk State University
Saint Paul’s College
Virginia State University
Virginia Union University

West Virginia
Bluefield State College
West Virginia State University