News

It was a rainy Thursday in September. Leaders in business, healthcare, and education descended on Blume Studios for Invest: Charlotte 2026. Johnson C. Smith University President Valerie Kinloch, Ph.D. ’96, served as moderator for the second panel of the day, “Leveraging the Development of Charlotte’s Anchor Institutions for Long-Term Growth.” A panel of experts broached topics of risk and resilience, investment and impact.

Students from Johnson C. Smith University joined peers from 48 other HBCUs for the 13th annual HBCU Pre-Law Summit, held on the campus of North Carolina Central University in Durham from Thursday, September 24 through Sunday, September 27, 2026. The summit brought together political science, criminology, and business majors for four days of professional insight, mentorship, and motivation ahead of their legal careers.

Johnson C. Smith University student athletic trainer and women’s tennis student-athlete Divija Manneni has been selected to participate in the National Football League's Future Leaders in Football Fellowship.

An important moment of initiation begins with an auspicious sound: the African drums with infectious rhythm, the click-clack of heels all in a row calling across the landscape. The Johnson C. Smith University Class of 2030 began its march to the Jane M. Smith Memorial Church. Freshman Convocation 2026 would soon begin, a formal start to the students’ JCSU journey.

Award-winning actor, director, producer and author Eriq La Salle challenged Johnson C. Smith University students to prepare for opportunity, persevere through rejection, and remain open to the lessons life has to offer. La Salle imparted the words of wisdom during a JCSU Lyceum Series event held inside the New Science Center Auditorium on Sept. 11, 2026.

Eight Johnson C. Smith University scholars participated in the President's Student Cohort for the Sports, Entertainment, & Business Experience (SEBE) Foundation. This group of vibrant JCSU scholars represented the College of Business and Professional Studies, namely its Department of Health and Human Performance's Sport Management program and the Department of Business Administration's Business Administration program.

Dr. Cindy J. Kistenberg, Professor of Theatre and Communication, participated in the 2026 August Summit for Black Pastors and Rabbis, held August 24–26 in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of her ongoing work with the Charlotte Black/Jewish Alliance and Spill the Honey. Dr. Kistenberg also served as the official photographer for the event.

Johnson C. Smith University welcomed writer, director and producer Mark E. Swinton to campus Sept. 10, 2026, for an early screening of Route 187 , a new series produced through Tyler Perry Studios for Paramount+.

Nearly 134 years ago, Johnson C. Smith University, then Biddle University, helped launch a tradition when its football team faced Livingstone College on a snowy field in the first Black college football game. More than a century later, JCSU students had the opportunity to experience that history firsthand before participating in the 2026 Black College Football Hall of Fame Clash at the Classic.

Johnson C. Smith University enters the 2026 football season with national recognition, a championship pedigree and a challenging opening schedule.

Head coach Maurice Flowers, however, is not focused on what the Golden Bulls have already accomplished.