BOONE, N.C. — February is recognized as Black History Month — a time to reflect on, honor and celebrate the history, accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans.
Read on to learn more about a few of the Black leaders, alumni, students, staff and campus visitors who enrich the App State Experience every day of the year, as well as university events, initiatives and research endeavors focused on Black history.
February 2023
App State will celebrate Black History Month in February 2023 to recognize the many important contributions that Black people have made to our institution, our community and our nation. This monthlong celebration will include a wide variety of activities and events.
Feb. 3, 2023
App State alumnus Tony Harris ’92 has an award-winning career in risk management and insurance — and three children who are Mountaineers.
Dec. 13, 2022
App State faculty and students are collaborating with the Junaluska Heritage Association on the Junaluska Community Archaeology Project to help document and preserve the material heritage of one of the oldest African American communities in Western North Carolina. Work has included the excavation of historic sites and the placement of stones over previously unmarked graves.
Feb. 20, 2023
App State’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service — now called Mobilize the Mountains — was held Feb. 18, with more than 50 students volunteering for a day of reflection, education and service. Mountaineers have been taking part in this event for more than two decades.
July 26, 2022
Learn about App State alumnus Douglas Middleton Jr. ’15 ’18 and why he was selected as the 2022 recipient of the university’s Young Alumni Award. The award honors individuals under 40 years of age for their exceptional service to the university and accomplishments in their career.
Feb. 21, 2023
App State’s Office of Diversity offers a monthly read-aloud program to students at the university’s two lab schools: the Academy at Middle Fork and the Academy at Elkin. Reading themes include Black history, disabilities awareness, military appreciation and more.
Feb. 24, 2023
From his childhood on a rural Nebraskan farm to the negotiating tables in our nation’s capital, Daniel Dawes has combined his lifelong passion for health equity, political acumen and confidence in a collaborative process to create real and powerful changes in the American health care system. With contagious hope and a non-partisan process, the widely respected health equity and policy expert leverages his understanding of the root causes of America’s health care problems to advance solutions. Daniel Dawes joins host Megan Hayes on this episode of SoundAffect.
Find more App State podcasts and subscribe at podcasts.appstate.edu.
July 21, 2022
As a dancer and choreographer, an artist and a social justice advocate, App State’s Juliet Irving ’19 has a blended perspective in her work as a freelance multimedia designer.
June 23, 2022
Jamie Parson, App State's newly appointed chief diversity officer and an associate professor in the Walker College of Business, has been active in working to support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) on college campuses. On this Find Your Sustain Ability, Parson relates her journey to this position, as well as her goals and foreseen challenges in DEI work.
All incoming App State first-year and transfer students will receive a copy during orientation.
March 23, 2022
All incoming first-year and transfer students will receive a copy of “Junaluska: Oral Histories of a Black Appalachian Community” during their orientation sessions as part of App State’s 2022–23 Common Reading Program.
App State junior pursues internships, student media opportunities to build portfolio
Jan. 19, 2023
App State junior Noah Cornelius, a Waxhaw native, dreams of working as a NASCAR broadcaster. With academic pursuits in the electronic media/broadcasting program, hands-on work for student outlets AppTV and WASU-FM and multiple internships in the industry, he’s racing toward that goal.
April 1, 2022
“You can disagree with folk and still maintain relationships.” — CNN commentator, attorney and New York Times bestselling author Bakari Sellers on the latest SoundAffect podcast.
Okon to be featured at Appalachian Symphony Orchestra concert Feb. 19
Feb. 6, 2023
Clement Okon moved from Nigeria to Boone to pursue his master’s degree in music performance for violin at App State. Okon has received several honors since he’s been at App State, including a Red Chair sponsorship in the Symphony of the Mountains.
Feb. 21, 2022
Members of App State’s National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) fraternities and sororities have built a legacy of leadership and service — both on and off campus.
Jan. 19, 2022
In her time at App State, senior Karolyn Martin has discovered new interests, mentored and educated others and developed skills that will help her in building her career. She is a communication studies major with a marketing minor and aspires to become a lawyer.
Jan. 14, 2022
Monique Johnson's drive, dedication and joy are undeniable. Born with diastrophic dysplasia dwarfism and scoliosis, doctors predicted she would not live past the age of 6. Now 36, with a business degree and a law degree, Johnson is a successful entrepreneur and artist who touches the lives around the world with her incredible tale of perseverance and her gifts of humor, painting and motivational speaking.
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About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
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