News

Just across Five Points from the Gateway Arch on campus is a three-sided, orange-colored metal structure that rises out of the plaza, a piece of public art students, faculty and staff pass every day. The co-creator of that piece, Stacy Utley, came on campus to share the meaning behind it and to share his journey to becoming an artist who creates art for public spaces. 

Johnson C. Smith University has been named the number 12 most popular college in North Carolina, according to the latest ranking from Research.com. The list highlights institutions that continue to capture strong interest from prospective students based on search volume, visibility and overall public engagement.

The Johnson C. Smith University Concert Choir held its 2025 Vespers Concert, “The Gift,”on the evening of November 23, 2025, inside the historic Jane M. Smith Memorial Church. The festive affair showcased the vocal mastery, musicality, and breathtaking range of the choir and ensemble groups under the direction of Dr. Angela Brooks, Director of Choral Activities. Musical accompaniment was provided with warmth and dimension by Mr. Frank Williams and Mr. Frank McGinnis.

On a bright afternoon at Johnson C. Smith University, history met history as the man at the helm of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame visited campus to connect with a Golden Bulls legend. At the center of the visit were two men whose lives and legacies embody the pride of North Carolina athletics: Rick Webb, President of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors, and Robert “Boo” Johnson, JCSU legend, 1969 CIAA champion, and proud member of the 100 Club.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents descended on Charlotte the weekend of November 15, 2025 with the declared goal of enforcing federal immigration laws and arresting violent criminals. In the wake of the implementation of an operation called Charlotte’s Web, hundreds of arrests have been made across the city and the county. Many of the arrests, met by public outcry, have occurred in visible “public” settings across the city.

The JCSU CIAA Football Championship win was cinematic: competitive play on the field against a kaleidoscopic sky. The Golden Bulls took down the Virginia Union Panthers, 45-21, in a display of athletic dominance, taking home the trophy!  Head Coach Maurice Flowers led the charge. 
 

Johnson C. Smith University completed a championship journey fifty-five years in the making on Saturday afternoon, defeating two-time defending champion Virginia Union 45–21 inside Durham County Memorial Stadium to capture the 2025 CIAA Football Championship. The victory marks the Golden Bulls’ first CIAA football title since 1969, restoring a legacy long held in memory and returning the program to the summit of Black College football.

Time stood still. The sun pierced the clouds over the Eddie McGirt Field at Johnson C. Smith University on November 8, 2025. In a thrilling turn of events, the Golden Bulls took down their 130 year old rival, Livingstone College, in a 26-21 photo finish. The Commemorative Classic victory sends the Golden Bulls straight to the CIAA Championships in Durham: JCSU vs. Virginia Union, November 15, 2025.

The stage is set for an historic finish to the 2025 CIAA Football season as No. 1 seed Virginia Union University and No. 2 seed Johnson C. Smith University prepare to meet in the 55th CIAA Football Championship on Saturday, November 15 at Durham County Memorial Stadium, marking the first CIAA Football title game played in Durham since 2015. 

Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) celebrated the return of JCSU alumna, Sulema Castro Salinas ’16, a talented visual artist and educator who brought her visual magic to the James B. Duke Memorial Library for a special event hosted by Dr. Jasleen Kohli, Assistant Professor of Spanish in the Department of Arts and Humanities, College of Liberal Arts. The event showcased Salinas’s artwork, personal journey, and her reflections on culture, creativity, and identity.