News

A busy weekend for Johnson C. Smith University Golden Bulls athletics, as seven teams will be in action over the next four days.



Events kick off on Friday as the JCSU softball team travels to Hardeeville, South Carolina, to participate in the Sand Shark Invitational hosted by the University of South Carolina Beaufort. The Golden Bulls will take on the Sand Sharks, the host school and UNC Pembroke in the three-day event. The single game will take place at the Richard Gray Sports Complex. The softball team is looking for their first win on the season after falling to North Grenville, 23-1 and 15-0.
 


Before careers, before marriage, before having daughters and decades together, Kemuel Murray, Class of 2000, and Eunice Emmanuel(Murray) , Class of 1998,  were two students with singular paths finding their way across the sprawling campus of Johnson C. Smith University. Eunice was a business major with a concentration in accounting.  She had her eyes on the prize, graduating with honors.  Kemuel was a history major, ready to learn and mingle.

North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) celebrated an important milestone this weekend as student teams from across the state gathered at the North Carolina Legislative Complex for the 15th Annual Ethics Bowl. This year’s competition, centered on the theme “Ethics in Leadership,” culminated in a historic first as Johnson C. Smith University became the first Historically Black College/University (HBCU) to reach the finals and prevail as champion.

What does it mean to build wealth in a society where access has never been equal—and how do education, sacrifice, and community shape what is possible for the next generation?
 
That question framed the Queen City News Black History Month Special: Black Wealth, filmed February 5, 2026, on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University inside the historic Jane M. Smith Memorial Church. The panel convened leaders in higher education, finance, professional sports, and civic engagement for a wide-ranging discussion on wealth creation, equity, and intergenerational responsibility.

A conversation with Dr. Joseph L. Jones, Author of Black, Not Historically Black: Toward a Pan-Black College and University

Johnson C. Smith University marked President Valerie Kinloch’s birthday this year by reaffirming its commitment to education and community engagement with the Historic West End Corridor, highlighting service and partnership.

Johnson C. Smith University Choir announces its Spring Concert entitled, “We Hold These Truths” under the direction of Dr. Angelica Brooks. For their Spring Concert, the program will participate in the Sing Democracy 250— All America Program, part of the nationwide Sing Democracy 250 initiative commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence: a movement of resilience, a chorus of hope, and a celebration of the values that define us as Americans.

When Congresswoman Alma Adams stood before students, faculty, and community members at Johnson C. Smith University’s Grimes Lounge to deliver her State of the District Address, her message was both deeply personal and unmistakably urgent: education is the foundation of opportunity—and historically Black colleges and universities are among the nation’s most powerful engines of transformation.

At just 18 years old, Johnson C. Smith University international student Chanécia Thompson is already charting a promising path toward a career in technology. Originally from Portland, Jamaica, Chanécia joined JCSU in January 2025 after earning a partial scholarship—an opportunity that filled her with both relief and excitement.