News

Johnson C. Smith University football is preparing for a history-making moment this weekend when the Golden Bulls face Morehouse College at Harvard University in the first-ever Essence Classic featuring two HBCUs on August 30, 2025. 

Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) welcomed business and civic leaders to campus for the Charlotte Business INClusion (CBI) Bluprint Reception, a gathering designed to strengthen dialogue and expand opportunities for small business owners across the city.

On August 1, 2025, five groups of ambitious young scholars took the stage at Johnson C. Smith University, prepared to pitch their business ideas—and their futures. The event marked the culmination of the Becoming Kings Program, a transformative six-week summer initiative designed to prepare incoming Black male students for college life through mentorship, leadership development, corporate site visits, and cultural enrichment.

Nearly 300 music education leaders and college students from across the country gathered on Capitol Hill to advocate for federal support of music education during the National Association for Music Education’s annual Hill Day. Among them was Dr. Angelica Brooks, director of choral activities at Johnson C. Smith University.

Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) is proud to announce the appointment of Donovan A. Everett, President and Chief Executive Officer of D.A. Everett Construction Group, to its Dean's Executive Advisory Board. Everett brings over 25 years of extensive experience in successfully leading and delivering commercial construction projects, totaling over $2 billion.

It was a high-energy day of football at Johnson C. Smith University as the Carolina Panthers brought their annual Nike 11-On Tournament to Eddie McGirt Field—marking the first time the event was held outside the Panthers’ official facilities.

Johnson C. Smith University is proud to announce its distinguished speaker for the 2025 Commencement Ceremonies. The University’s 152nd Commencement will take place on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Bojangles Coliseum, featuring acclaimed television personality, comedian and philanthropist Sheryl Underwood as the keynote speaker. 

Johnson C. Smith University proudly celebrates its 15th president, Dr. Valerie Kinloch, on receiving the American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) 2025 Scholars of Color in Education Distinguished Career Contribution Award.

At the National Association of Black Journalists Region III Conference held April 10–12 at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC, more than 100 journalists gathered for a series of dynamic discussions. Among them was a standout panel titled “How to Power Forward in Political Reporting,” moderated by Walter Smith Randolph, Executive Producer of Investigations at CBS New York.

August 6, 2025, was a momentous day that echoed the bold spirit of August 7, 1867, the day of Johnson C. Smith University’s founding, originally the Freedmen’s College of North Carolina, later Biddle Memorial Institute, Biddle University, then Johnson C. Smith University. 

In 2025, the African drummers and the robed promenade of faculty, staff, students and dignitaries signaled back to the auspicious day 158 years prior.