HBCU Review: Muslim Hampton Students Forced to Prove Religion

Plus, arrest made in Tuskegee University student’s death.

Religious Clothing Questioned at Hampton University - Court rules Maryland violated students’ rights at HBCUs, Langston University increases enrollment rate, plus more HBCU news. —Dominique Zonyéé Hampton University’s controversial dress code policies resurfaced again in October with Muslim student Melona Clarke. Clarke could not take her student ID photo with her hijab without proving she was Muslim. Now she is forced to carry around a permission slip to prove her religion, according to her interview with WTKR .(Photo: Getty Images)

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Religious Clothing Questioned at Hampton University - Court rules Maryland violated students’ rights at HBCUs, Langston University increases enrollment rate, plus more HBCU news. —Dominique Zonyéé Hampton University’s controversial dress code policies resurfaced again in October with Muslim student Melona Clarke. Clarke could not take her student ID photo with her hijab without proving she was Muslim. Now she is forced to carry around a permission slip to prove her religion, according to her interview with WTKR .(Photo: Getty Images)

Grambling Announces New Athletic Director - Following two interim terms as athletic director of Grambling State University, Aaron James was announced as the university’s permanent replacement. James replaced former athletic director Percy Caldwell.(Photo: Mathew Hinton/Times-Picayune /Landov)

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Grambling State Searches for New Head Football Coach - After firing former football coach Doug Williams on Sept. 11, Grambling State University is searching for a head football coach. With a current 0-5 season record, the team has been in decline since 2011, losing its status as  one of the highest rated HBCU football teams.(Photo: Times-Picayune /Landov)

A New Start for Southern University - Sanctions lifted against Southern University, Prairie View A&M University basketball coach moves on to Baylor, plus more HBCU news. — Britt Middleton Southern University and A&M College's Baton Rouge campus has been released from probation, The Advocate reported. The school was sanctioned in December because of "insufficient data reporting," stemming from its re-accreditation process in 2010. (Photo: TIMES-PICAYUNE/LANDOV)

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Southern University Receives Grant to fight HIV/AIDs - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently awarded Southern University's Dr. Alma Thornton, director of the Center for Social Research, a three-year, $900,000 federal grant to assist in the prevention of HIV/AIDS and substance abuse.(Photo: TIMES-PICAYUNE /LANDOV)

North Carolina A&T University Wins 2013 Mega Watt Ventures Competition - The North Carolina A&T State University Bio-Adhesive Alliance Inc. team was awarded $100,000 for winning the 2013 Mega Watt Ventures competition on Sept. 24. Mega Watt Ventures is an annual clean energy business plan competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. (Photo: North Carolina A&T State University)

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North Carolina A&T University Wins 2013 Mega Watt Ventures Competition - The North Carolina A&T State University Bio-Adhesive Alliance Inc. team was awarded $100,000 for winning the 2013 Mega Watt Ventures competition on Sept. 24. Mega Watt Ventures is an annual clean energy business plan competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. (Photo: North Carolina A&T State University)

Langston University Boosts Enrollment - Langston University made enrollment history in 2013, increasing freshman enrollment 45 percent with 619 extra students. The university recently rolled out a new and improved brand: releasing a new Langston Lion theme, launching a new advertising campaign and unveiling a new website.(Photo: Langston University)

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Langston University Boosts Enrollment - Langston University made enrollment history in 2013, increasing freshman enrollment 45 percent with 619 extra students. The university recently rolled out a new and improved brand: releasing a new Langston Lion theme, launching a new advertising campaign and unveiling a new website.(Photo: Langston University)

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Clark Atlanta University Now Has a Phi Kappa Phi Chapter - Clark Atlanta University is the first HBCU to be granted a chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Phi Kappa Phi was found in 1875 at the University of Maine. It is the oldest and one of the most selective honor societies in the U.S. (Photo: REUTERS/Tami Chappell /Landov)

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Clark Atlanta University Launches “The Call to True Beauty 2013” - In honor of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, Clark Atlanta University launched a weeklong series called “The Call to True Beauty 2013.” The series is the university’s annual advocacy, education and prevention campaign against dating and domestic violence. (Photo: Clark Atlanta University)

Photo By Photo: REUTERS/Tami Chappell /Landov

Morgan State Signs Cooperative Agreements With South African Universities - President David Wilson of Morgan State established a study abroad program with six South African universities following a recent educational mission to the country. In addition to South Africa, Morgan also has cooperative agreements with institutions in Brazil, China and Australia.(Photo: WikiCommons- Morgan State University)

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Court Rules Maryland Violated HBCU Students’ Rights - Students and alumni from Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Morgan State University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore were elated on Monday when Federal District Court Judge Catherine Blake ruled that the state of  Maryland violated their constitutional rights by duplicating their programs at nearby white institutions.(Photo: Morgan State University)

Howard Extends Clinical Trials to Africa - Howard has announced a new partnership with TNI BioTech Inc. to develop and test treatments to help people addicted to drugs and alcohol in several African countries. Researchers will also test treatments for people with cancer, HIV/AIDS and other auto-immune diseases. (Photo: Howard.edu)

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Yahoo Donates 125 Servers to Howard University, Opens New Data Center - Howard University engineering students and faculty had a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 3 in honor of the opening of the Yahoo Data Center housed in Howard's Computer Learning and Design Center. The new data center features 125 new computer servers donated to university from Yahoo.(Photo: Howard.edu)

New Athletics Director Tapped at Tuskegee University  - In other Tuskegee University news, Curtis Campbell was recently named the school’s athletic director. He spent the last six years as athletic director of Stillman College. There, Campbell notably helped the school upgrade its campus facilities and spearheaded the opening of its tennis facility. (Photo: Courtesy of Tuskegee University)

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 Arrest Made in Tuskegee Student Shooting Death - Tuskegee University Police arrested 22-year-old Kentavious Holland for the shooting death of Bobby Smith Jr., 21.  Smith, a Tuskegee senior, was shot in the back on Sept. 27 at an unauthorized block party near the Tuskegee campus.(Photo: Tuskegee University)

Bethune-Cookman University Faces Hazing Lawsuit - The Orlando Sentinel reports that the mother of a Bethune-Cookman University student who died in a car crash last year has alleged in a lawsuit against the school and a national fraternity that hazing caused his death. According to the filing, Marcus A. Thomas, 19, was killed after another pledge fell asleep at the wheel and the car crashed into a utility pole. The lawsuit alleges Thomas and others were intentionally sleep-deprived for three weeks as pledges of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity.  (Photo: Courtesy Bethune-Cookman University)

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Bethune-Cookman Fraternity Suspended and Under Investigation - Bethune-Cookman issued a cease-and-desist letter to Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America to “suspend activities on and off campus, on Oct. 4.” The suspension came as the organization is being investigated by the Daytona Beach police to determine whether the 2012 car accident death of a student involved hazing.(Photo: Bethune-Cookman University)