News

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.

Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jewell Hoover to the College of Business and Professional Studies Dean’s Executive Advisory Board (DEAB), effective April 1, 2025.

Johnson C. Smith University sent five students—Holiness Mhlanga, Dejha Canty, Shaun Moore, Amauri Hampton and David Santos—along with staff advisor Jerrica Turner, to Austin in mid-March to compete in the 2025 HBCU Battle of the Brains.

The JCSU Competing Members of the Debate Team – Kirksey Beaty, Ananasa Dobson Holiness Mhlanga, Shanitra Scott and Symphonie Whitted – had one of their best team performances in years at the 14th Annual North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) Ethics Bowl in Raleigh.

Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in the Virgin Islands, Omar Sanchez struck gold in the USA, right here on Beatties Ford Road. As a sophomore international business major, Sanchez was able to acquire the Barings scholarship, securing a promised $10,000 per academic year that he is enrolled at Johnson C. Smith University.

Sixty-five percent of Johnson C. Smith University students are Pell Grant-eligible, a statistic that underscores the exceptional financial need of its students.
In 2023, JCSU got to work in helping to connect students with more scholarship opportunities by hiring Shirley Townsend to take on the role of Scholarship Coordinator and Financial Aid Counselor.

B. Simone, also known as Braelyn Simone, arrived on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University on the evening of October 15, 2024, to drop big knowledge on the crowd. The comedian, entrepreneur, and social media influencer came to share her story and enlighten students.

Johnson C. Smith University professor, Dr. Terza Lima-Neves, wanted to write a book that would highlight the people of her beloved Cape Verde. She wanted to move beyond rudimentary academic treatment to a discussion that would honor the musicality of authentic Cape Verdean voices.  She wanted to write a book, her second, that would honor the depth of history and cultural expression of her people.