14 The Hampton Roads Messenger


Volume 15 Number 5


CIAA offers community events geared to inspire and engage during virtual tournament week experience


conference’s most popular events during the


reaches more


Basketball than


CIAA Education Day, one of the CIAA


Tournament, 6,000 students BY CIAA Intercollegiate


Charlotte, NC – As the Central Athletic


Association (CIAA®), the nation’s oldest


historically black athletic conference, prepares to host its first-ever virtual tournament week experience,


there


will be an abundance of events for attendees to enjoy and commemorate the 76th annual celebration of HBCU championship basketball, sports, and culture.


the CIAA has planned a full


In keeping with tradition, slate


of motivational, educational, and uplifting community events to compliment the elements of sports and entertainment,


highlighted by


High School Education Day presented by the U.S. Army and Career Expo presented by Toyota. A multi-part speaker series presented by Novant Health, Small Business Symposium presented by NASA, and a mental health


series titled ‘Preserving the


Whole You’ are also among the bevy of exciting community-focused events happening during the five-day cultural experience.


“One of the beautiful things about


CIAA Tournament Week traditionally is the impact that extends far beyond the competition on the court. Working collaboratively institutions


with our member and partners, we are


intentional in our mission to create meaningful programming that inspires and empowers the communities that we serve,” said CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams. “This year will be no different as we continue to engage our core fans, students, and alumni while expanding our reach to new audiences and exposing them to the rich tradition of the conference and cultural significance of our HBCUs through our virtual platform.”


Lions GM FROM PAGE 1


embarked on this process, it was critical that we find the right person to fit our vision for this team. It was evident early on that Brad is a proven leader who is ready for this opportunity. We are thrilled to introduce him to our fans as a member of our football family.” According to N.C.


Athletics Department, Holmes, a


Tampa Florida native, turned down scholarships from Bethune Cookman and Florida A&M to attend A&T where he excelled. As team captain, not only did he help A&T win the 1999 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Black College Football National Championship, he also graduated cum laude with a B.S. in journalism and mass communications. Holmes’ skills, learned on and


off the field at N.C. A&T, assisted in propelling his career to the next level. “Throughout our search for a new general manager, Brad was someone


annually. Attendees will be able to virtually meet with college recruiters from Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia to learn tips that prepare them for college and offers an inside track to the


collegiate experience. The 2021


CIAA Education Day will operate two high school programs – one focused primarily on schools in Baltimore city and surrounding counties on Tuesday, February 23, and another for schools in other states on Wednesday, February 24. Growth and opportunity will


be reoccurring themes for Thursday as the conference, and its partners host multiple events


throughout the


day, starting with the CIAA Career Expo. The 2021 CIAA Career Expo is designed to provide organizations the opportunity to meet recent graduates and current students from CIAA member schools and other universities as well as career seekers and career switchers in a virtual setting to recruit for available positions. A


panel discussion tabbed


‘COVID-19: The Next Chapter’ will also be held on day three, while a Financial Planning Summit hosted by Cathy Hughes will be a highlight for many later in the day. Geared


towards uplifting is a tournament and


promoting womanhood, the Women’s Empowerment Brunch presented by Nationwide


week


staple event that will take place Friday, February 26. That same day will also see six CIAA legends become the latest inductees into the John B. McLendon Hall of Fame. The star-studded 2021 class will


be celebrated a


Q&A session led by Commissioner McWilliams.


Registration is required, but access to these events and much more during this one-of-a-kind


virtual experience


is free. Early registration is strongly encouraged as space is limited. To register and view the tentative schedule of events, visit ciaatournament.org.


who stood out immediately,” said Lions President and CEO Rod Wood. “His abilities as a critical thinker, along with his extensive experience implementing technology


and analytics into his A&T


approach to scouting, were among the many decisive qualities Brad displayed in our time getting to know him during the interview process. We look forward to him helping lead our organization as we take the next steps as a team.” Prior to joining the Lions, Holmes worked with the Los Angels Rams for 18 years where he was significantly involved in acquiring current players like defensive tackle Aaron Donald, quarterback Jared Goff, wide receiver Cooper Kupp and safety John Johnson. Holmes joins other HBCU greats managers


in becoming general North Carolina of


major professional sports franchises including


A&T


standout Al Attles, who served as general manager of the Golden State Warriors, and Florida A&M University alumnus Bill Lucas, who was general manager of the Atlanta Braves.


Dr. Carter G. Woodson


and the idea that all human beings have the right to self-determination and freedom from oppression. Starting on Feb. 15, a new video series will highlight stories from the nation’s first Civil Rights Movement. In honor of Presidents’ Day, the first episode will feature Rutherford B. Hayes, who prior to serving as the 19th President of the United States, worked as an attorney who defended freedom seekers in court.


Leaving Home


offers hundreds of distance learning opportunities,


Go on a Field Trip without The National Park Service including


curriculum-


based lesson plans, remote field trips, guest speakers and art projects related to African American history and culture. The popular Passport To Your National Parks® Cancellation Stamp Program has also gone virtual. Take an online tour of a national park with African American connections such as Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site or Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial then download a free cancellation can fun


also and


download Programs that


annually Dive


during a


special presentation aired on the CIAA Sports Network, which will spotlight each member and feature


special and


self-guided activities. Dive with a Purpose


Biscayne National Park in Florida hosts the


with international a Purpose organization


to train young divers (16-23 years old) from diverse backgrounds to become


stewards of submerged


cultural heritage preservation with a focus on the African Diaspora. The group’s recent surveys at Biscayne have focused on finding evidence of the pirate slave ship Guerrero, which wrecked in 1827 with 561 enslaved Africans onboard. This effort


is part


of the larger Slave Wrecks Project, amplifying the study of sunken slave ships, while


building capacity for


research and education in maritime archaeology of African


American


history and culture. Visit the Newest National Park The Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National


promote racial Monument in


Mississippi was the home of civil rights leaders. The tragic assassination of Medgar Evers in 1963 for his efforts to


and social justice was a key catalyst for the passage for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as the nation reacted in horror to his death. The home is an important addition to the National Park System and the African American Civil Rights Network, which strives to tell an inclusive and complete history of our country. Other recent additions to the


National Park


Service include Reconstruction Era National Historical Park and Pullman National Monument. Ride with the Buffalo Soldiers After the Civil War, the U.S.


Army established several all-Black regiments known as “Buffalo Soldiers” to help rebuild the country.


educational Junior are


loaded


stamp. Kids complete Ranger with


In addition to their military duties, the Buffalo Soldiers served as caretakers of national parks.


They fought


wildfires, curbed poaching, prevented illegal grazing and constructed roads, trails, and other infrastructure. In 1903, Captain Charles Young led a company of Buffalo Soldiers in Sequoia and General Grant (now Sequoia and Kings Canyon) National Parks and made vast improvements including new roads to the Giant Forest and to the base of Moro Rock. Learn more in this month’s National Park Getaway to Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Ohio. Tap into the Power of Parks for


Health Green space is some of the best


medicine available. Time in nature is good for overall physical, mental and social wellbeing. Head to a nearby park, playground or trail to get some exercise or simply relax and soak in the surroundings. There are more than 400 national parks throughout the


country, with at least one in


every state, providing close-to-home opport uni t i e s for he a l t hy activities and outdoor enjoyment. Study Historically


Black


Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) The National Park Service has awarded more than $60 million in grants to HBCUs to preserve historic structures on campuses, many of which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. National


Park Service also has


The a


HBCU Internship Program that places students in parks to help with the protection of natural and cultural resources, and introduces them to the variety of career opportunities related to public land management. The Mosaics in Science Program provides meaningful


and relevant


science-based internships for racially and ethnically diverse undergraduate and graduate students, and recent graduates from any school. Hear about the “The Agitators” Listen


series made with the


equality up to


to a new podcast in


Women’s Suffrage


Centennial Commission and PRX. Learn why Frederick Douglass and Susan B.


Anthony teamed advocate for voting


rights. Black women and men were instrumental in the women’s suffrage movement and faced challenges helping others realize the fight was as much about race as it was gender. Discover the National Register in your Neighborhood There


are more


than 95,000 properties listed in the National


Register of Historic


Places. Just about every county in the country has at least one site in the Register. Many listings are


related Americans, including


to notable African Marian


Anderson, John Coltrane, Langston


Hughes, Arna Wendell Bontemps and Paul Laurence Dunbar.


partnership


February 2021


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