News

For the Love of Music sent a joyous noise throughout the campus of Johnson C. Smith University the evening of February 12, 2026 inside Grimes Lounge in the Mary Joyce Taylor Crisp Student Union. Dr. Shawn-Allyce White, Professor of Music, served as Director alongside Dr. Barbara Buck as vocal consultant and Mr. Frank Williams as piano accompanist.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

The Charlotte City Council delivered a powerful tribute Monday, December 8, 2025 to the Johnson C. Smith University Golden Bulls, recognizing their 2025 CIAA Football Championship—a victory 56 years in the making. City leaders celebrated a season defined by excellence on the field, in the classroom, and across the Queen City.

Johnson C. Smith University alumnus Eric Glenn has launched a bold new literary series, The Graham Files, beginning with Book 1: The Silent Wars, followed by the newly released Book 2, Shattered Mandate.

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.