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Today, Johnson C. Smith University begins a new chapter in its storied history as the demolition of Liston Hall officially gets underway. For generations, Liston Hall served as a residence for Golden Bulls and holds a special place in the memories of thousands of alumni, students, faculty, and staff.

Johnson C. Smith University begins a new chapter in its storied history as the demolition of Liston Hall officially gets underway. For generations, Liston Hall served as a residence for Golden Bulls and holds a special place in the memories of thousands of alumni, students, faculty, and staff.

For one week each summer, the campus of Johnson C. Smith University transforms into more than a college campus. It becomes a place where hundreds of young men discover new possibilities for their futures through athletics, mentorship, career exploration and life-changing conversations.

Ask Zoe Migioni to describe herself in three words and she'll pause, think, and land on: empathetic, curious, interesting.

Spend twenty minutes with the rising senior and you'll find all three on full display — usually punctuated by a laugh, and occasionally by a question fired right back at you. ("Do you want me to tell the truth, or do you want me to say the good thing?")

The starting gun echoed across Johnson C. Smith University’s Irwin Belk Complex as nearly 300 middle and high school athletes lined up to compete in the inaugural Anna Cockrell High School Invitational. For many, it was another track meet. For JCSU Head Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Coach Carol Lawrence, it was the realization of a vision years in the making.

Johnson C. Smith University continues to strengthen its national reputation for research, leadership, and community engagement through the work of Dr. Bryan Q. Patterson, Assistant Professor of Management and Academic Advisor in the Department of Business Administration. Over the past two years, Dr. Patterson has led nationally recognized research examining how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) can expand their role in clean energy innovation, workforce development, and equitable economic growth.

Tanasia Kirby has the voice of an angel – classically trained, soulful, inspired. Kirby is a junior at Johnson C. Smith University, a music major in voice performance, and a talented soprano. This summer, she was selected to participate in one of the nation’s premier training opportunities for emerging classical vocalists. She earned a scholarship to participate in the 2026 American Spirituals Intensive Program at the Bay View Music Festival in Petoskey, Michigan, a prestigious honor.

Long before the first PowerPoint slide clicked on in Brayboy Gymnasium, the morning had already found its theme.

President Valerie Kinloch stood in front of a gym full of incoming Golden Bulls and their families on June 26 and did something more powerful than a welcome speech — she told them her own story. A first-generation student from a working-class family in Charleston, South Carolina, Kinloch said she wasn't sure college was even an option for her.