INTERIM PRESIDENT AT
ST. AUG RESIGNS, IS
REPLACED BY PROVOST
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
Tuesday, September 2nd, was supposed to be the beginning of a promising new chapter for St. Augustine’s University (SAU) in Raleigh, with a virtual start to the new academic school year, and a federal court granting a preliminary injunction, allowing the small private HBCU to keep it’s accreditation while it mounts its legal case against the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
But now, there is more drama for the beleaguered institution.
Late Sunday night on its website, the SAU Board of Trustees announced that Dr. Marcus H. Burgess had resigned as interim SAU president, effectively August 31st. The board statement indicated that Dr. Burgess actually resigned “for personal reasons” on July 16th, to become effective on August 31st.
Dr. Burgess had served as interim president since December 2023 after Dr. Christine McPhail, SAU’s last permanent president, had been fired. Dr. McPhail has since filed a discrimination lawsuit over her termination.
Before coming to SAU in 2023, Dr. Burgess served as vice president for Institutional Advancement at Claflin University in South Carolina, his alma mater.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. Burgess for his leadership and service during a pivotal period in the University’s history. His commitment and dedication to the mission of Saint Augustine’s University have been deeply valued,” the SAU Trustee Board Sunday night statement noted.
“Effective immediately, Dr. Verjanis A. Peoples, Interim Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs of Saint Augustine’s University, has assumed administrative responsibilities and will serve in this capacity until further notice,” the SAU Board statement continued. “Dr. Peoples brings extensive academic and administrative experience and will provide steady leadership and continuity during this transition.”
Dr. Peoples previously served as dean of Education, Arts and Humanities, and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, LA.
Though the change in leadership is seemingly sudden, it is not surprising.
SAU’s Board of Trustees recently changed chairmen, with Brian Boulware stepping down several weeks ago, and Sophie L. Gibson taking over the helm, also bringing along a new vice chairwoman.
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NC BLACK CAUCUS VOWS
TO HELP DEFEND GOV. STEIN’S
VETOES OF GOP ANTI-DEI BILLS
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
Lately, when it comes to standing strong with the rest of their party in defending Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes, at least four black Democratic state House members - Rep. Cecil Brockman (D-Guilford), Rep. Nasif Majeed (D-Mecklenburg), Rep. Shelly Willingham (D- Bertie, Edgecombe, Martin) and Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg) - have decided to vote with House Republicans to override eight of Stein’s vetos.
And if published reports are true, Rep. Willingham confirmed to WRAL-TV last week that he will vote to override Gov. Stein’s veto of a school voucher bill.
Thus far, House Republicans have only needed one Democratic vote each time to override eight gubernatorial vetoes. The GOP has a supermajority in the state Senate. And make no mistake, Democratic Party leadership were none too pleased with those four House members.
“The bills that they overrode made us less safe, and that is on them,” said Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch,”… and if they want to put their head on the pillow tonight and say that that’s what they decided to do for whatever reason they voted for that, that is literally a consequence they’ll have to deal with if they get a primary,”
But last week, the 41-member NC Legislative Black Caucus issued a statement assuring the governor, the NC Democratic Party, and their supporters, that on the three remaining bills that Stein vetoed concerning Republicans outlawing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) policies and programs in state and local governments, as well as on public university campuses - Senate Bills 227 and 558, and House Bill 171 - every Black Caucus member will close ranks and vote to protect the governor’s veto.
In the NCLBC statement, the caucus made clear that its members are in a “unified stance,” and “stands united to defend the freedoms, responsibilities, and opportunities that belong to every person in our state, especially those from communities that have been historically excluded or marginalized.”
The caucus added that its unified stance against the Republican attempt to override Stein’s vetoes of their three anti-DEI measures “reflects the deep responsibility we carry and the trust our communities place in us to protect their rights, their dignity, and their future.”
“As lawmakers who represent North Carolinians in every region of our state, we know how deeply these proposals would harm the people we serve,” the caucus added. “We also know that these bills are not about strengthening our institutions, but part of a national campaign to divide, distract, and roll back generations of progress building toward fairness and inclusion.”
Republicans are expected to try their veto override votes between September 22 through 25.
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STATE ELECTIONS BOARD
ALLOWS COUNTIES TO
ELIMINATE SUNDAY VOTING
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
The newly constituted Republican-led State Board of Elections voted last week, 3-2, to allow all 100 county election boards to eliminate Sunday early voting in upcoming elections.
Sunday voting has traditionally been popular with black churches in past years to mount “Souls to the Polls” campaigns, where those houses of worship would fill church vans with congregants to take them to the nearest open early voting site for them to cast their ballots.
Democrats have always welcomed Sunday voting as an important tool to get their most loyal constituency to the early voting polls. Republicans, however, have always opposed Sunday voting, countering that the Sabbath should be a day of worship and rest, not politicking.
The two Democrats on the state board argued that what the Republican majority was really doing was targeting Sundays in an effort to minimize black voter turnout. “We’re going down a dark path when we’re taking away Sunday voting,” said Jeff Carmon, a Democratic member of the elections board.
Carmon also warned that targeting Sunday, especially after the GOP admitted years ago in court that it was doing so to minimize black voting, could once again become a legal issue. After conferring with the board’s attorneys, the board decided to allow the local county election boards decide whether or not to allow Sunday voting.
The board did hear from election officials from Davidson and Union counties who wanted Sunday voting eliminated for upcoming municipal elections, and granted those requests.
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