Oakwood University Magazine Spring 2010

OAKWOOD 

UNIVERSITY

SPRING 2010 

A Legacy of Leadership and Service 

Throughout the years, Oakwood University has seen many great leaders 

come and go—leaders who have changed the face of the institution and 

made significant contributions to the world through their servant leadership. 

This past academic year alone, the Oakwood community, faculty, staff, 

and students have paid their last respects to Alma Blackmon (former Aeolians 

director), E. Earl Cleveland (World Evangelist, Preacher, and Teacher), 

Gaines Partridge (former Dean of Students), Joseph Powell (former OU 

Chaplain), Reginald Robinson (Member of OU Board of Trustees), and 

Walter Wright (former Member of OU Board of Trustees), who have fallen 

asleep in Christ since the last issue of Oakwood University Magazine. 

As I sat before my sparsely populated Word document, I wracked my 

brain to capture the quintessential service that these giants have contributed 

to the institution as they walked our hallways, chaired numerous steering 

committees, and intellectually stimulated the minds of many. I was challenged 

to find verbiage weighty enough to lend proper representation to 

their diligence and forward-thinking concepts that have propelled Oakwood 

University to its current position on the academic stage. 

This issue of Oakwood University Magazine is dedicated to those men 

and women who have left some mighty-big footprints on the topography of 

Oakwood University and whose legacy challenges the institution to continue 

to prepare leaders who will take on the world issues of these tumultuous 

times. Those issues include economic instability, political unrest, hunger and 

human need, viral pandemics, terrorism, and natural disasters, such as the 

devastating earthquakes that occurred more recently in Haiti and Chile. 

The ripple effect of these global issues is undeniable and far-reaching. 

How Oakwood responds to the harsh realities of our human existence, 

especially as we approach End Times, will require not only the continuance 

of the institution’s legacy of leadership and service, but, I dare say, will stretch 

the intuitive faculties of those who will participate in preparing tomorrow’s 

leaders. 

Michele A. Solomon, Executive Editor 

2 OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY | SPRING 2010 www.oakwood.edu

Oakwood University 

Magazine 

EditOriAL StAff 

EXECUtiVE EditOr: Michele Solomon 

MANAGiNG EditOr: Bill Cleveland 

GrAphiC dESiGNEr: Jerry B. ross 

Art dirECtOr: howard Bullard 

EditOriAL ASSiStANt: debbe Millet 

StUdENt WritErS 

Ashley Batiste, Jasmine Jenkins 

StUdENt phOtOGrAphErS 

Edward Goodman, iV, Jason Moore 

_____________________________ 

CONSULtiNG EditOrS 

John Anderson, ph.d. 

ACAdEMiC AffAirS 

Barbara Stovall 

ALUMNi AffAirS 

Michele Solomon 

pUBLiC rELAtiONS 

timothy Mcdonald, Ed.d. 

AdVANCEMENt ANd dEVELOpMENt 

_____________________________ 

OAkWOOd UNiVErSity AdMiNiStrAtiON 

delbert W. Baker, ph.d. 

prESidENt 

Mervyn A. Warren, ph.d. 

prOVOSt ANd SENiOr ViCE prESidENt 

John Anderson, ph.d. 

ViCE prESidENt fOr ACAdEMiC AffAirS 

Sabrina Cotton, C.p.A., M.Acc. 

ViCE prESidENt fOr fiNANCiAL AffAirS 

timothy Mcdonald, Ed.d. 

ViCE prESidENt fOr AdVANCEMENt ANd 

dEVELOpMENt 

patricia Stewart daniel, M.A. 

ViCE prESidENt fOr StUdENt SErViCES 

______________________________ 

Oakwood University Magazine 

is the official journal of Oakwood University 

7000 Adventist Boulevard, NW 

huntsville, Alabama 35896 

www.oakwood.edu 

_____________________________ 

OAkWOOd UNiVErSity MAGAZiNE 

is published annually, © Oakwood 

University, 7000 Adventist Boulevard, 

NW, huntsville, Alabama 35896. 

Address editorial correspondence 

to the Office of Advancement and 

development, 7000 Adventist Boulevard, 

NW, huntsville, Alabama 

35896. Spring 2010. Questions may 

be addressed to the Office of Public 

relations at pr@oakwood.edu. 

www.oakwood.edu OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY | SPRING 2010 3

On Tuesday, January 12, a massive earthquake struck the 

impoverished island nation of Haiti with a magnitude of 7.0. 

Its epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, approximately 

16 miles west of its Port-au-Prince capital. Over the next 

10 days, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had 

been recorded. An estimated 3 million people have been 

affected by the quake; more than 200,000 people have lost 

their lives, 300,000 have been injured, and a million people 

have been left homeless. The quake damage, concentrated in 

the most populous area of the island, has left an estimated 

250,000 homes and 30,000 commercial buildings collapsed 

or severely damaged. 

Major buildings damaged or destroyed included the 

Presidential Palace, the National Assembly building, the 

Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the main jail. Among those 

killed were the Catholic archbishop of Port-au-Prince, 

Joseph Serge Miot. The headquarters of the United Nations 

Stabilization Mission in Haiti collapsed, killing many, 

including the mission’s chief, Hédi Annabi. 

The United States, the UN, and many countries responded 

to appeals for aid, pledging funds and dispatching rescue 

and medical teams, engineers, and support personnel. Communication 

systems, air, land, and sea transport facilities, 

hospitals, and electrical networks had been damaged by the 

earthquake, which hampered rescue and caused problems 

with food and water distribution and medical assistance. 

With the first chaotic days passed, humanitarian efforts have 

become more effective, but shelter, and sanitation are still 

priorities. 

Haiti has more than 335,000 Seventh-day Adventists. In 

addition to a hospital and a university, the church operates 

dozens of schools in Haiti. Haitian Adventists have been 

affected—it is expected that some have lost their lives—but 

details are sketchy because of poor communication. Conflicting 

reports are coming in about churches destroyed and 

members killed or injured. Haitian Adventist University 

in Port-au-Prince has opened its gates to the community 

and now has more than 15,000 people taking refuge on its 

grounds. 

“We have ordered 1,000 tents initially to attend to the 

needs of those taking refuge on our university’s campus,” 

explained Filiberto Verduzco, treasurer for the Adventist 

Church in Inter-America. “Our university is now providing 

living space for hundreds of homeless families” (Adventist 

Review). With church members still unaccounted for and 

extensive damage caused to dozens of Adventist churches 

throughout the city, top Adventist leaders are focused on 

relief efforts. The large number of Haitian students who are 

attending colleges and universities in the U.S., including 

Oakwood University, are greatly concerned over the welfare 

of relatives and friends in Haiti. 

Oakwood University joins many institutions of higher 

learning in the U.S. and around the world in pledging 

solidarity with Haiti in this unprecedented disaster. As an 

institution, Oakwood has made an initial $10,000 contribution 

to a disaster relief project to assist those who have been 

affected by the crisis. In addition, students, administration, 

faculty, and staff have made contributions to an emergency 

fund for Haitian relief. OU is asking the Inter-American 

Division of Seventh-day Adventists to facilitate the funds 

reaching the targeted areas of need, including our sister 

institution, Haitian Adventist University. Oakwood has also 

provided financial assistance to its students with Haitian 

citizenship to ensure that their educational journey is not 

interrupted by this devastating incident. OU continues to 

encourage faculty, staff, and students to give of their time, 


Opposite page: Many buildings were completely flattened. NAPS founder, Dr. Anthony Paul, with one of his volunteers. Above Left: One OU student 

found his father unhurt. Above Center: Dr. Marlo Hodnett treated many patients. Above right: Dr. Hodnett offers compassion to a grieving woman. 

energy, and resources to assist in any way possible. 

Among the first responders from the U.S. to the earthquake 

in Haiti was a team from NAPS (the National Association 

for the Prevention of Starva- 

tion) made up of OU students led 

by NAPS president Dr. Anthony 

Paul, a biology professor at OU, 

and Dr. Marlo Hodnett. Their efforts 

were reported by local television 

stations almost daily in the 

initial days following the quake. 

NAPS, a student volunteer disaster 

relief group located on the campus of Oakwood University, 

quickly mobilized its resources and departed on January 

15 to assist earthquake victims and survivors. Other members 

of the team traveling to Haiti included four students, and 

Oakwood staff members, three of whom are Haitian-Americans 

with family members who were impacted by this disaster 

(one member of the team was reunited with his father, who 

had survived the earthquake). 

A NAPS staff member who is fluent in Spanish also 

accompanied them to assist in the team’s trek into Haiti 

through the Dominican Republic. The team’s main objective 

was to provide medical care and “second-wave” relief 

in the event of an outbreak of cholera or other infectious 

disease due to the ensuing heavy rains and poor sanitation 

and health conditions. They also helped train Haitian youth 

to provide cholera-prevention education to their fellow 

citizens. 

With a legacy of providing helping hands in times of 

need, NAPS has responded to many major disasters, including 

Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in 2004, and the South 

Sudan Crisis, to name a few. NAPS is an international 

organization with members in medical and other fields, but 

the major source of volunteers is students at OU who are 

motivated to work on behalf of others. 

“We don’t just send relief; we hand-deliver it with love 

and care,” is the NAPS motto. Our “mission is to mitigate 

hunger, poverty, and disease, and to improve education and 

“We don’t just send 

relief; we hand-deliver 

it with love and care.” 

food security among suffering people, both nationally and 

internationally, regardless of race, religion, or nationality. The 

organization provides humanitarian aid and educational support 

in the areas of emergency relief, 

skilled volunteers, healthcare professionals, 

agricultural technology, and 

social and spiritual comfort. The 

organization operates independently 

of all governmental, institutional, or 

political influences.” (NAPS website) 

Efforts to provide ongoing help 

to people in Haiti continue on the 

Oakwood campus. On February 20, the students and faculty 

of Oakwood’s Music Department sponsored a benefit concert, 

called “Songs for Haiti,” at the Oakwood University Church, 

raising over $10,000, which will go to ADRA and NAPS relief 

projects. The performance featured performances by Wintley 

Phipps and The Aeolians. A student-organized Haiti Memorial 

Service, held at the Oakwood University Church on March 2, 

allowed students, faculty, staff, and community friends to meet 

and be encouraged in the face of tragedy. Oakwood senior, 

Sarah Strand, felt impressed to coordinate a service that would 

allow those affected, either directly or indirectly, by the tragedy 

to find healing, comfort, and closure. Religion and Theology 

chair, Dr. Agniel Samson, delivered a message of hope and 

promise, and various musical groups offered encouragement 

through song. Additionally, NAPS has launched “Operation 

Restore,” a fundraiser in which texting “NAPS” to 85944 will 

provide an automatic $10 donation. That fundraiser runs 

through April 22. 

Surely, many have thought beyond the initial tragedy to an 

uncertain future for a people whose lives have always been a 

struggle in the best of times. What better way to commemorate 

the lives of those lost and to honor those struggling in the 

aftermath of Haiti’s devastating earthquake than to commit 

ourselves, through God’s leading, to creating a brighter day for 

this small island nation with its courageous and resourceful 

people. 


30 th 

Anniversary 

Annual pastoral 

and Evangelism Council 

By Mervyn A. Warren, Ph.D., D. Min. 

Last December 6-9, ministers, Bible workers, 

church administrators, and laity from all 

over the world gathered at Oakwood University 

for the 30th Annual Pastoral and Evangelism 

Council. Established in 1979 to share ideas and 

provide continuing education for ministry, the 

council has featured three decades of informative 

seminars, engaging workshops, inspiring preaching, 

touching music, and fellowship. Evangelists, pastors, laypersons, 

and servant leaders from many countries have so consistently 

attended this annual convening of 1,000 to 1,500 

or more in recent years that the gathering was transformed 

into a “homecoming” of sorts. 

Evangelism Council (later known as the Annual Pastoral 

and Evangelism Council) was born in 1979 when Elder 

E. E. Cleveland (who had conducted annual evangelism 

classroom workshops for OU ministerial students since the 

1950s) shared the concept of a period of instruction in evangelism 

and associated topics for church pastors with Drs. 

Calvin B. Rock, OU president; Mervyn A. Warren, academic 

dean; and Benjamin F. Reaves, chair of the Department 

of Religion and Theology. When officially approved, Elder 

Cleveland contacted Elder C. E. Dudley, president of South 

Central Conference, and Elder R. L. Woodfork, president 

of South Atlantic Conference, who both agreed to assemble 

their workers at OU for a one-day meeting. 

Above: Dr. and Mrs. Warren received thanks from the council attendees. 

At the end of the session, Elder Woodfork 

suggested that workers from all the Regional conferences 

might benefit from such an experience. 

The next Regional Presidents’ Caucus adopted the 

concept. Later, the General Conference endorsed 

the idea by including it on its annual calendar 

of events. 

The Annual Pastoral and Evangelism Council is the responsibility 

of the Regional conferences of the North American 

Division, with support from the Bermuda Conference 

and the Pacific and North Pacific Unions. Oakwood 

University serves as the host organization. Today, by the 

grace of God, the Council continues to assist in continuing 

education for gospel service, in the name of Jesus Christ. 

Shortly before the Council convened, Elder E. Earl 

Cleveland passed to his rest. Council attendees dedicated 

time to remembering our departed brother, leader, mentor, 

and friend, in whose fertile mind this yearly convening on 

the campus of Oakwood University was conceived. His 

work continues to be validated as we strive for an Evangelism 

Council that well equips for living, learning, and lifting 

as true servants of a purpose. 

The 2009 theme, “Serving and Surviving in Challenging 

Times,” spoke eloquently to the times in which the worker 

for God finds himself/herself. Evangelism, both public and 

private—our watchword—meets daily with attitudes of 


indifference, complacency, and outright opposition. Societal 

pressures are such that God’s workers find it imperative to 

re-evaluate their spiritual and intellectual fitness. That is 

what the Evangelism Council is designed for—a professional 

time of renewal for pastors and lay leaders. 

Dr. Charles E. Booth delivered a dynamic and thoughtprovoking 

keynote address for last December. Dr. Booth 

began his pastoral labors in 1970 at the St. Paul’s Baptist 

Church in West Chester, Pennsylvania, where he served for 

seven years. In 1978, he was called to be senior pastor of the 

Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio, where he 

has ministered for over 31 years. 

The purpose for inviting non-SDAs to deliver the Sunday 

evening keynote message is a gesture of outreach so such 

selected ministers can experience our Adventist worship 

and fellowship, just as they frequently invite our preachers 

to their churches and conventions. Of the 15 keynote 

preachers over the last consecutive years, only one SDA has 

delivered the keynote sermon, namely, Elder Walter Pearson, 

speaker/director of the Breath of Life Telecast. 

The past 20 years of the Evangelism Council (1990- 

2009) have presented 60 devotional speakers, 56 Contemporary 

Issues programs, 269 seminars, and 15 preachers 

for the “Challenge Service,” which concludes the gathering 

each year. These 269 seminars have covered a multitude of 

topics designed to enhance the skills of attendees. Presenters 

are drawn from a variety of venues in order to maximize 

experience and interests. Presenters have included General 

Conference, union, and conference leaders; Oakwood University 

professors; institutional workers; Regional conference 

leaders; and pastor/evangelists. Seminars targeted to 

shepherdesses and women in ministry have also been a part 

of the evangelism program. 

It is appropriate to express appreciation to Oakwood 

University and all of its past presidents and administrators 

for the outstanding support of the Pastoral and Evangelism 

Council. Current President Baker continues the legacy of 

support. 

It has been a privilege to be a part of this wonderful program 

and to see it progress from the beginning into a world 

outreach tool. We face challenging times. But we do not face 

them alone. May God bless our efforts and make them fruitful 

in building His kingdom. 

Dr. Mervyn A. Warren, provost and senior vice president at 

Oakwood University, is one of the cofounders of the Pastoral- 

Evangelism Council. After chairing the Planning Committee for a 

total of 23 years, Dr. Warren resigned, effective immediately after 

the December 2009 session. His chairmanship and leadership 

baton has been passed on to Elder Freddie Russell, president of 

the Allegheny West Conference. Attendees and Regional leaders 

in the last session offered enthusiastic public appreciation to Dr. 

and Mrs. Warren for his dedicated leadership and her support in 

helping to make the Evangelism Council the intellectual, practical, 

and spiritual event that it is today. 

Dr. Leslie Pollard conducts a seminar. 

Elder Henry Wright challenges his group. 

Elder C. E. Bradford prays for God’s blessing on the gathering. 


Excerpts from 

A Place Called Oakwood, 

compiled by Benjamin J. Baker 

Divine Counsel for Oakwood Students 

It is the privilege of each student here to know that the 

Most High has a care for you. He will watch over you for 

good, and not for evil. If you follow on to know the Lord, 

you will know His going forth is prepared as the morning. 

You will increase continually in light and knowledge. I want 

to see the goodness and mercy of God revealed in this place. 

We will pray for you; we will do all we can to help you; we 

will send you publications that you can read and study. I 

want to meet you each in the kingdom of God. Let us fight 

the battles of the Lord manfully and righteously, that we 

may see in the kingdom of God the faces that we look upon 

here today. Let us educate and train the younger members of 

the Lord’s family. They are to stand firmly with God’s people. 

... May God help you, is my prayer (Ms. 27, 1909). 

Challenges of Race Relations 

There is no more fruitful field than the South. It is the 

prejudice of the white against the black race that makes this 

field hard, very hard. The whites who have oppressed the 

colored people still have the same spirit. ... They are determined 

to make it appear that the blacks were better off in 

slavery than since they were set free. Any provocation from 

the blacks is met with the greatest cruelty. ... The relation of 

the two races has been a problem hard to deal with, and I 

fear that it will ever remain a most perplexing problem 

(Letter 90, 1899). 

WhAt ShE WrOtE 

Ellen White on Oakwood and 

African-American Students 

Oakwood’s Ideal Location 

Responding to a proposal to sell the Oakwood campus 

and move elsewhere: Our school in Huntsville [Oakwood] is 

in a good location, and the large State Normal school for the 

training of colored teachers [Alabama A&M University, est. 

1875], which is carried on not far from there by those not of 

our faith, has created an influence in favor of educating the 

Negro, which our people should appreciate. It would take 

years to build up in a new place the work that has already 

been done in Huntsville (SpTB11, pp. 6, 7). 

...Huntsville is a very 

important place, and I say that 

He has shown me a community 

all round there that is watching 

critically to see how things are 

being carried there with 

the colored people. 


The Inclusiveness of the Gospel 

The gospel of Christ embraces the world. Christ purchased 

the human race at a price that was infinite. The 

ransom embraced every nationality, every color. We should 

think of this when we consider the colored people in our 

own land who are so greatly in need of our help. These men 

and women should not receive the impression that because 

of the color of their skin they are excluded from the blessings 

of the gospel. The white people are under obligation to 

God, by the innumerable favors they have received, to take 

an interest in those who have not been so highly favored 

(Letter 289, 1907). 

Do All Possible to Assist 

The world is watching Seventh-day Adventists, because 

it knows something of their peculiar beliefs and of the high 

standard they have; and when it sees those who do not live 

up to their profession, it points at them with scorn. The 

unbelievers living near the Huntsville School will see the 

neglect perpetuated there and read beneath the surface. 

... Let us remember what is due to our Christian profession, 

and let us be careful not to place stumbling blocks in the 

way of sinners (Letter 265, 1904). 

A Saving Place 

In all that we do, we are to sustain a Christlike relation 

to one another. We are to blend together, using every 

spiritual force for the carrying out of wise plans in earnest 

action. The gifts of God are to be used for the saving of 

souls. Our relations to one another are not to be governed 

by human standards, but by divine love, the love expressed 

in the gift of God to our world (Letter 211, 1905). 

Measuring Future Success 

To many of the colored people, the difficulties against 

which they have to contend seem insurmountable. But 

there are those who will not give up. All who are conscientiously 

and in the fear of God trying to acquire an 

education are to be encouraged. ... There is room for all in 

the work of God, for a world demands our labors. ... The 

measure of our future success will be the measure of our 

dependence upon God and our humility of heart 

(Ms. 105, 1908). 

The gospel of Christ embraces 

the world. Christ purchased the 

human race at a price that was 

infinite. The ransom embraced 

every nationality, every color. 

All Eyes on Oakwood 

Now I say, from the light that has been given me, Huntsville 

is a very important place, and I say that He has shown me a 

community all round there that is watching critically to see to 

see how things are being carried there with the colored people. 

Where there were fifty students, there ought to have been a hundred, 

and after a few years, there ought to be two hundred. If we 

can support it, it can have teachers to carry that on as a model, 

that we can have a right kind of a school, a growing school 

(Ms. 152, 1904). 

Eternal Challenge to Students 

Students, God will help you. ... You must place yourselves 

in the school of Christ. You must learn from Him who learned 

from His Father. ... We are preparing to enter the holy city. Keep 

this thought in mind all the time. There is a heaven of bliss before 

us. Keep thinking of this. And there is a joy that we may have 

in Christ even in this world. To those who keep His commandments 

He says, “My joy shall be in you, and your joy shall be full.” 

Keep His commandments and live, and His law as the apple of 

thine eye. May God bless you all. If I never see you again on this 

earth, I hope that I shall see you in the kingdom of God 

(Ms. 60, 1904). 

Benjamin J. Baker is a graduate of Oakwood University and is currently 

a doctoral candidate at Howard University. In 2007, he published 

A Place Called Oakwood: Inspired Counsel, a compilation of Ellen G. 

White statements on the Oakwood School and early race relations. He 

is also the author of Crucial Moments: Twelve Defining Events in Black 

Adventist History. 


Simon of Cyrene 

By Michele Solomon 

Monument to Service, established 2005. 

T he Oakwood University Church sanctuary was 

packed to capacity on Sabbath, April 18, 2009, 

when President Delbert Baker delivered an inspiring 

spring message entitled, “Simon of Cyrene – Crossing 

Point.” The sermon focused on how life events that 

may seem, at the time, to be interruptions or disruptions 

to our daily routines can become the signal 

incident that saves our very lives. It offered a close-up 

of the encounter that Simon of Cyrene, a black North 

African, had with Jesus when he was called upon to 

assist the Savior with the cross after He had fallen beneath 

its weight on His way to Calvary—a divine interruption 

that became the crossing point in Simon’s life. 

Dr. Baker’s 20-minute sermon provided the backdrop 

for the Passion oratorio that was to follow. It was 

truly the icing on the cake, performed by the Aeolians, 

the Oakwood University Wind Ensemble, and 

the Belmont University (Nashville, Tenn.) Chamber 

Dr. Baker reads from God’s Word; Adriana Perera, composer of the 

musical work, addresses the audience. 

Ensemble, and conducted by Aeolians director, Jason 

Max Ferdinand. The elaborate musical composition, 

entitled “Crossing Over,” was dramatically narrated by 

Tim Allston, and was written by OU music department 

adjunct professor and piano accompanist Adriana 

Perera as part of her Master’s thesis on Negro spirituals. 

It received two standing ovations and called many a 

handkerchief out of obscurity. 

At a private luncheon reception held later that 

afternoon, Perera shared a few thoughts about what 

inspired such a soul-stirring composition with family 

members, friends, and guests who had traveled to OU’s 

campus that Sabbath to hear the first official public 

performance of the composition. It was inspired, 

she said, by a private moment spent with family one 

evening at the foot of the Monument to Service, a 12foot 

bronze statue in the center Oakwood’s Centennial 

Square that depicts Simon of Cyrene assisting Jesus 


Composition debuts at 

Oakwood University Church 

Jason Max Ferdinand, Aeolians music director, directs the performance. 

with the cross. Three plaques by the monument explain 

its significance through a Bible text and quote, a 

map of Christ’s last week before the Crucifixion, and 

a list of donors who graciously supported the sculpture 

project. The statue, which was sculpted by Alan 

Collins and dedicated in the fall of 2006, evoked such 

deep feelings of appreciation for the Biblical account 

of Simon’s personal encounter with Jesus on the way 

to His crucifixion that it became the theme of Perera’s 

Master’s thesis on Negro spirituals. The Monument 

is designed to provide a 24/7/365 witness on the 

OU campus. 

Perera, who is the daughter of missionary parents, 

interposed snippets of Negro spirituals throughout 

her new composition. Having lived in South America 

and Spain during her childhood and adolescence, she 

was always fascinated by spirituals. When asked why 

she chose this musical genre as the subject of her thesis, 

she responded, “It is a very special music, and has 

been translated into about 300 different languages. 

There’s something about how each of these spiritu- 

“It is a very special music, 

and has been translated into 

about 300 different languages. 

There’s something about how 

each of these spirituals has 

its own story.I think God 

has somehow protected 

that music.” 

als has its own story. I think God has somehow 

protected that music.” However, when she shared 

the subject of her thesis with her graduate professor 

at Belmont University, he didn’t share the same 

appreciation for the focus of Perera’s thesis. “He felt 

I didn’t have enough of a background,” she explained. 

But the gifted Uruguayan composer persevered and 

gained access to many of the original musical manuscripts. 

After diligent prayer and study, Perera took on the 

four-month challenge of writing the musical score 

that would trace the final steps of Jesus on His way to 

Calvary. It took another month, Perera said, to write 

the lyrics for the composition in English, her second 

language. With the support of the Oakwood Music 

Department chair, Dr. Audley Chambers, Aeolians 

conductor Jason Max Ferdinand, and vice president 

for Academic Affairs, Dr. John Anderson, what has 

resulted is a moving contribution to the music arena 

that will surely find its rightful place among the annals 

of inspired compositions. 


USA’s Only Vegetarian hBCU 

dining hall Gets facelift at 40 

n August 17, 2009, Oakwood 

University administrators, 

staff, faculty, and students 

joined community leaders and 

representatives from Sodexo 

and architectural and contracting 

firms to celebrate the grand re-opening 

of its dining hall in Blake Center. The 

renovation was marked by a ribboncutting 

ceremony, speeches, and a free 

meal for all attendees. 

The Blake Center complex was 

originally completed in 1969 to house 

what was then known as the cafeteria, 

in addition to the administrative 

offices and the student center. As 

further office space was needed, the 

student center was relocated to Ford 

Hall. During the ensuing 40 years, the 

growth of the student body to almost 

2,000 students, and years of natural 

depreciation, indicated that upgrades 

and changes were extremely necessary. 

In the 1990s, the university engaged 

the services of the Sodexo Corporation 

to operate the cafeteria. This 

partnership has been beneficial to 

the campus as Sodexo continues to 

provide up-to-date food service and 

delivery, including numerous stations 

instead of a single line. To help take 

some of the pressure off the outgrown 

cafeteria, Sodexo provided funds for 

a renovation of the snack bar. About 

four years ago, administration officials 

approached Sodexo with a plan for the 

extensive renovation of the cafeteria. 

Sodexo agreed to provide over $1 million 

to Oakwood with the objective of 

bringing the campus food service up to 

what will be needed, considering the 

university’s capacity for future growth. 

First, offices were relocated to open 

up more usable space, then there followed 

a complete remodeling and expansion 

of the dining area, increasing 

Mayor Tommy Battle joined Dr. Baker and other 

community and university representatives to 

cut the ribbon. 

seating capacity to approximately 400. 

A new roof and the installation of a 

sprinkler system provided increased 

safety for diners. ADA upgrades and 

enhancements in the food preparation 

and serving areas, new student 

meeting rooms, new entrances and 

exits have been added for student 

convenience. The beautiful new décor, 

proposed health and Wellness Center 

Offers New possibilities 

Oakwood University has begun a targeted fundraising capital 

campaign – “A Gift for You” – to raise funds to build 

a $30 million, 75,000-square-foot health and wellness 

center. This community gift will be the foundation for developing 

sustainable health and wellness-oriented programs for 

the entire campus and the surrounding community. Once 

constructed and operating a full capacity, the Health and Wellness 

Center is to be self-sustaining through membership fees, 

facility rentals, and the sale of health and wellness education 

materials. 

The new OU Health and Wellness Center will be constructed 

on a five-acre site at the eastern frontage of the campus. 

The facility will utilize “leadership in energy and environmental 


which includes new furniture and 

audiovisual displays, facilitates social 

interaction. 

Goodwin, Mills and Cawood, Inc., 

prepared the cutting-edge architectural 

design. Ryzec Building Group was 

responsible for construction. Both of 

these firms, along with all supporting 

contractors and craftsmen, provided 

quality work and an outstanding 

facility. The delicious meal demonstrated 

the newly-upgraded capacity 

design (LEED) building techniques, 

which promote whole-building practices 

and energy efficiency. The facility 

will provide Oakwood students, 

employees and community residents 

with an attractive venue to engage in 

health-promoting activities, while also 

providing the University with a new 

gathering place that manifests the mission 

and values of the Institution. 

Although the main focus of the 

Center will be the health and wellness 

activities of constituents and community 

alike, thousands of participants 

will regularly use the facility for social 

purposes. Further, the complex will 

provide an additional meeting site at 

which to hold major University gatherings 

and convocations. The Center 

of the cafeteria to serve a wide variety 

of foods—including a pizza station, 

a stir-fry station, a deli station, all on 

those cool square plates— quickly and 

efficiently. 

Oakwood administrators, Huntsville 

mayor Tommy Battle, Alabama 

representative Laura Hall, Huntsville 

councilman Richard Showers, and 

representatives from Sodexo and the 

building firms joined in the ribboncutting. 

Oakwood University presi- 

will also provide health and wellness 

outreach programs for community 

children, students, residents and businesses. 

The much-needed Center will house 

a moderate-sized sports arena; multipurpose 

auditorium that will provide 

seating for 3,000 to 5,000; cardio- and 

weight-training room; regulation basketball 

courts; indoor multi-purpose 

running/walking track; concession/ 

nutrition area; multi-purpose fitness 

room; men’s and women’s locker/ 

shower areas; offices; community 

meeting rooms with audio/visual technology; 

health clinic/medical rooms; 

lighted tennis courts; and more. 

Plans for the facility are complete; 

the land is prepared; the interest and 

dent Delbert Baker welcomed special 

guests and all in attendance to the 

beautiful new facility. Mayor Battle 

joined other community leaders in 

expressing approval of the project. 

During his remarks, Sodexo vice president 

Kelvin Mills pointed out that 

Oakwood has the distinction of being 

the only exclusively vegetarian dining 

hall among America’s historically black 

colleges and universities. 

Gratitude is expressed to Sodexo 

Campus Services and the local Sodexo 

team for its largesse and partnership 

with Oakwood University for 

almost 20 years. We also appreciate 

the work of the architectural and 

construction firms, the members of the 

Construction Committee, the city of 

Huntsville, the support of the United 

Student Movement, the administration, 

the employees of Blake Center, 

and the Oakwood University Board of 

Trustees. 

Dr. Delbert W. Baker invites the 

public to visit the campus and enjoy 

the delicious, affordable, vegetarian 

cuisine at the beautiful, newly renovated 

Oakwood University Dining 

Hall. 

expectation among our students, employees, 

alumni and the surrounding 

community are at an all-time high. 

There are many ways to invest in the 

future of the students and constituents 

of Oakwood University through direct 

gifts of cash, property or other tangibles; 

online giving; wills and trusts; 

and in-kind contributions. 

The University is also providing 

naming opportunities for individuals 

who choose to make major gifts. 

For more information about ways 

in which you can partner with us in 

this building campaign, contact Dr. 

Timothy McDonald, Vice President 

for Advancement and Development, 

at (256) 726-7201, or tmcdonald@ 

oakwood.edu. 


Howard Hughes Medical Institute 

funds Biomedical research 

at Oakwood University 

By Drs. Anthony Paul and 

Alexandrine Randriamahefa 

Oakwood University was awarded 

a $1.2 million grant from the Howard 

Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to 

advance the Department of Biological 

Sciences in research. Drs. Anthony Paul, 

principal investigator and chair of the 

Department of Biological Sciences, and 

Alexandrine Randriamahefa, together 

with the faculty of Biological Sciences, 

Mathematics, and Chemistry, developed 

and submitted the grant application. 

The program is not a “set-aside” for minority 

or disadvantaged institutions but 

for institutions demonstrating effective- 

Top Photo: Students in Pre-Research lab at OU 

Above Photo: Amy Coicou at Loma Linda University 

for Summer Research 

ness in producing large numbers of highly-qualified 

students in the biomedical 

sciences. Oakwood University is among 

that privileged group of institutions, and 

the only Seventh-day Adventist institution 

to have received an HHMI grant. 

HHMI was founded by Howard 

Hughes in 1953. It is one of the largest 

private-funding organizations for 

biological and medical research in the 

United States. The institute has an 

endowment of $14 billion, making it 

the second-wealthiest philanthropic 

organization in the United States, 

and the second-best endowed medical 

research foundation in the world. 

HHMI accepts encouraging a new era 

of discovery as its driving purpose. Each 

day, scientists bring us closer to understanding 

fundamental questions about 

human life. How does the brain process 

information and store knowledge? How 

do mutations in key genes cause disease? 

How do cells communicate? The challenge 

of solving these and other questions—as 

well as the promise of what 

those answers might yield—drives the 

quest for knowledge at the heart of the 

Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The 

institute spent $730 million for research 

and distributed $101 million in grant 

support for science education in 2009. 

HHMI’s flagship program in biomedical 

research rests on the conviction 

that scientists of exceptional talent, 

commitment, and imagination will 

make fundamental biological discoveries 

for the betterment of human health 

if they receive the resources, time, 

and freedom to pursue challenging 

questions. Approximately 350 investigators—selected 

through rigorous 

national competitions—currently 

include 14 Nobel Prize winners and 

131 members of the National Academy 

of Sciences. Hughes laboratories, 

found at more than 70 U.S. universities, 

research institutes, medical schools, 

and affiliated hospitals, provide training 

opportunities for more than 1,000 

graduate students each year. 

Each year, 20 Oakwood University 

freshmen are admitted to the program. 

The program seeks to advance students 

in basic sciences, mathematics, chemistry 

and biology, following which, 

students receive research training in 

preparation to enter programs at leading 

research institutions. At the end of 

the third year in the HHMI program, 


participating students are equipped 

to take the Medical College Admission 

Test (MCAT) and the Graduate 

Record Exam (GRE) in preparation for 

matriculation into medical and graduate 

schools, respectively. 

For the past two years of the program, 

over 40 OU students have conducted 

research at leading institutions 

such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Duke, 

Mayo Clinic, and Loma Linda, to name 

a few. These students have presented 

their research findings at prestigious national 

symposia. Many of these students 

have received awards for their research. 

Presently, Oakwood University is collaborating 

with several of these leading 

research institutions. The development 

of such articulated agreements could 

facilitate academic relationships, long 

after the grant has expired. 

The vice president for Academic 

Affairs at Oakwood University, Dr. 

John Anderson, is actively engaged in 

the execution of this program and has 

been involved in it from its conception. 

For more information, please contact 

Dr. Anthony Paul at the Department of 

Biological Sciences at Oakwood University, 

256.726.8355. 


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fifteen future nurses received their pins in a special 

service thursday of Commencement week. 

they will be granted fully accredited B.S. degrees 

in Nursing at Commencement. As the need for 

medical personnel grows around the world, OU is 

proud of the constant stream of dedicated young 

people who “depart to serve” in the health professions. 

Beyond the colorful robes and regalia are countless 

hours of deep study, lectures, research, religious 

and social development, and financial 

sacrifice. A milestone has been reached, and our 

graduates deserve a sense of quiet pride. 

At Baccalaureate, the first graduates to receive 

the new Master of Arts in pastoral Studies are introduced 

to the audience. 

platform guests watch as the faculty and the Class 

of 2009 enter the Von Braun Center arena. this is 

the moment for which they, along with their family 

and friends, have been waiting. Commencement 

is also vital to OU as by the act of granting recognized 

degrees, the institution is legitimized and 

fulfills its purpose. 

Each year the University recognizes individuals for 

their contributions. dr. pamelea Cook was named 

teacher of the year; Clifford and Carla Stein received 

the philanthropy Award; Guy and Alicia 

Juzang received the Community Service Award; 

dr. deWitt Williams received the Alumnus Award; 

and drs. Garland and Jeannette (rogers) dulan 

received the president’s Award. 

Graduates also serve as platform guests; in this 

case, extending an enthusiastic welcome to the 

huge and appreciative audience. 

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president delbert Baker took this opportunity to 

give a special thanks to Elder Benjamin Browne, 

retiring South Central Conference president, and 

the senior members of his administrative team: dr. 

Mervyn Warren, provost and senior vice president; 

dr. John Anderson, vice president for Academic 

Affairs; Sabrina Cotton, vice president for financial 

Affairs; dr. timothy Mcdonald, vice president 

for Advancement and development; and patricia 

Stewart-daniel, vice president for Student Affairs. 

in recognition of his international service in music 

and the Seventh-day Adventist ministry, and his 

founding of the U.S. dream Academy, the Oakwood 

University is proud to confer its first honorary 

doctorate upon Wintley phipps, an outstanding 

alumnus and this year’s Commencement speaker. 

dr. Warren and dr. Mcdonald assist Wintley 

phipps into his doctoral robes. 

Michelle Spencer, president of the OU Class of 

2009, accepts of the challenges posed by Commencement 

speaker Wintley phipps, on behalf of 

the class. 

Everyone was happy—and some were ecstatic— 

to get those degrees. 

dr. Baker still seemed pleased to be able to wish 

the new alumni well, even after shaking more than 

300 hands. As president, he recognizes the privilege 

of sharing this milestone with each graduate. 

if the past is any indication, the potential in them 

for stellar service to God and to the communities 

we share is immeasurable. the OU family salutes 

the Class of 2009. 

16 OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY | SPRING 2010 www.oakwood.edu 

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www.oakwood.edu OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY | SPRING 2010 17 

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Sounds are simply 

heavenly as choir 

festival shifts to VBC 

Singers from three states nourish 

tradition of black spiritual hymns 

By: Keith Clines 

times Staff Writer 

february 22, 2010 

(reprinted with permission) 

T he lilting voices in song flowed through the 

walls of the Von Braun Center South Hall and 

into the hallway late Sunday afternoon. “That 

sounds good,” a passer-by said. And that was just the Tennessee 

State University choir warming up in a side room 

for the Festival of Spirituals VI held in the South Hall. 

The Tennessee State choir was among choirs from 11 

colleges, most of them historically black colleges and 

universities, and two churches at the three-hour event. 

The force of about 500 voices from all of the choirs 

joining together to open and close the biennial music 

festival hosted by Oakwood University more than filled 

the cavernous hall. 

“I thought it was excellent,” Lucy Douglas said, after 

the mass choir sang “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” “It’s 

wonderful when you have an amalgam of the community 

coming together to celebrate spiritual hymns.” 

The festival, held every other year, has previously been 

held at Oakwood University Church, but outgrew that 

venue and moved to the South Hall this year. 

Jason Ferdinand, the director of the Oakwood choir, said 

it’s the music’s heritage that keeps the crowds coming. “I 

think just the Negro spiritual itself,” he said. “You can’t 

help but be grabbed by it.” 

FESTI AL 

The Oakwood Aeolians and the Alabama A&M 

University choir, both with more than 50 members, are 

probably the largest of the choirs that came from three 

states. 

The choir members look forward to the festival as 

much as the public does, Ferdinand said. “It’s a chance 

for them to show what they’ve learned so far this year,” he 

said. 

Jacci Clemmons and Joy Norman of the Aeolians are 

both sophomores at Oakwood participating in the festival 

for the first time. “We’ve heard a lot about it from different 

choirs,” Clemmons said. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot of 

talent in there. I’m excited.” Norman said there’s a lot of 

camaraderie among all the choirs’ members. “We kind of 

trade stories about learning music,” she said. 

The festival, Norman said, is a celebration of tradition. 

The term “Negro spiritual” doesn’t bother her. Music, 

she said, is universal, crossing races, geography and time. 

Though human experiences may change, emotions stay 

the same, Norman said. “Negro spirituals deeply express 


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1. Alabama A&M University Choir 

2. The Aeolians of Oakwood University 

3. First SDA Church Chorale 

4. Excelsia of Central SDA Church 

5. Fort Valley State Philharmonic Chorale 

6. Mass Choir’s concluding number brought the 

crowd to its feet! 

7. Tennessee State University Choir 

8. Fisk University Choir 

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“ It’s wonderful when you 

have an amalgam of 

the community coming 

together to celebrate 

spiritual hymns.” 

those core emotions,” Norman said. “It’s important to keep 

those emotions alive.” 

Along with Oakwood, Alabama A&M and Tennessee 

State, other historically black colleges and universities choirs 

participating in the festival were Miles College, Talladega 

College, Fort Valley State University, Fisk University and 

Alabama State University. The University of Alabama African-American 

Gospel Choir and the choirs from Jacksonville 

State University and Troy University participated, as did 

choirs from Oakwood University Church and First Seventhday 

Adventist Church. 


Technology and 

Oakwood university 

A Partnership for the Future 

akwood University obtained 

its first computer in the early 

1960s for use primarily in the 

Business Department. To that 

point, everything pertaining 

to the running of the college, student 

records and education, was paper driven. 

The students had no access to technology. 

Their access even to telephone 

service was limited to pay phones in the 

dormitories. An all-day ordeal, registration 

found students rushing from 

station to station clutching a handful of 

papers and forms, searching for enabling 

signatures. Note-taking in class was an 

art as teachers sped through complicated 

lectures. Some students found shorthand 

a valuable asset. 

Books were the primary sources of 

reference. The library was the study hall 

of choice. Today’s students also make 

wide use of the library, but they can 

do so from the comfort of their dorm 

rooms, but this is getting ahead of the 

story. An institution of higher learning 

must maintain a file on its current 

students (classes taken, grades earned), 

but also on each person who has graduated 

from the institution and earned a 

degree. These files, often decades old, are 

preserved on acres of paper. That this 

process of record-keeping alone, labor 

intensive, space devouring, prone to loss 

and destruction, kept Oakwood viable 

through its first half century of life is 

itself a miracle. 

The typical student attending Oakwood 

University in 2010 carries in his/ 

her backpack a notebook, a Blackberry, 

one or more jump drives, an Ipod/MP-3 

player, and a phone/digital camera. He/ 

she is experienced in the operation of 

these technological devices and dependant 

on them for communication and information. 

The test for a truly electronic 

campus is providing a venue where such a 

student can “plug in” on the educational 

experience. 

Effective use of technology on campus 

must be supported by investments in 

hardware, software, infrastructure, 

professional development, and support 

services. Over the last decade, we, as a 

nation, have invested more than $66 billion 

in school technology (QED, 2004). 

Over the years, Oakwood has committed 

millions in funds to enhance its claim 

to be a technology enhanced campus. 

The McKee Business and Technology 

Complex, where the Department of 

Information Technology is located, is the 

first building erected on the Oakwood 

campus to be fully technology enabled 

from the ground up. Students could 

plug their laptops in and access the web 

in each classroom and the auditorium. 

Since then, wireless capability has 

been added. The recently completed 

Bradford-Cleveland-Brooks Leadership 

Center, the renovated Moseley Complex 

classrooms, and the Holland Hall dorm 

rooms are also technology-enabled. 

But it takes more than several modern 

buildings to create an electronic 

campus. How can Oakwood ensure 

that the promise technology holds for 

student achievement is realized? What 

factors need to be in place to support 

the effective use of technology? The first 

answer is a major undertaking recently 

completed. The entire campus—all of its 

major buildings—have been joined into 

a network of buried fiber-optic cabling. 

This has allowed high-speed Ethernet 

connection to the web in all classrooms, 

study areas, and dorm rooms. Each 

student can use the campus internet provider 

and is given a free email address, if 

wanted. Flat-panel monitors in each of 

the buildings provide news and information. 

Now we are getting somewhere, 

but the state-of-the-art continues to 

move, and the question is, how do we 

keep up? 

What resources can Oakwood 

administrators use to help them plan for 

technology that will have a positive impact 

on student achievement, and how 

can we justify that investment? To an- 


swer these questions, we must consider 

the research on the relationship between 

technology and student achievement. 

Even a decade ago, access to technology 

was limited, and wiring schools was 

one of the nation’s highest education 

priorities. Ten years and a substantial 

investment in funds has presented an 

entirely different picture. According to 

the Fourth Annual Report on Teacher 

Quality, “virtually every school with access 

to computers has Internet access (99 

percent), compared to only 35 percent 

of schools in 1994.” And, according 

to the National Center for Education 

Statistics (NCES) (Parsad and Jones, 

2005), “In 1994, 3 percent of public 

school instructional rooms had Internet 

access, compared with 93 percent in 

2003. And between 1998 and 2003, the 

student-to-connected-computer ratio 

went from 12-to-1 to 4.4-to-1.” 

Does technology make the student a 

more efficient learner? Different technological 

instruments serve different 

purposes in the classroom. For example, 

“word processing and e-mail promote 

communication skills; database and 

spreadsheet programs promote organizational 

skills; and modeling software 

promotes the understanding of science 

and math concepts. It is important to 

consider how these electronic technologies 

differ and what characteristics make 

them important as vehicles for education” 

(Becker, 1994). 

Technological tools available in classrooms 

today range from word processors 

to online collections of scientific data 

and historical documents. As I mentioned 

earlier, Oakwood students can 

access campus library collections—and 

the collections of other interconnected 

libraries—online from their dorm 

rooms. Laptop computers (which grow 

thinner and lighter and more powerful 

every year), closed-circuit television 

channels, and two-way distance-learning 

have proved valuable in the classroom. 

Even the cell phones that many students 

now carry with them can be used to 

learn (Prensky, 2005). 

Each technology is likely to play a 

different role in students’ learning. Many 

wonder if making facts easy to obtain 

is taking something out of the process 

of research. If time is not expended in 

locating the fact (online search engines 

make the locating of information rapid, 

accurate, and efficient), does that mean 

that true learning does not take place? 

Certainly not, “students can learn ‘from’ 

computers—where technology used 

essentially as tutors and serves to increase 

students’ basic skills and knowledge; 

and can learn ‘with’ computers—where 

technology is used a tool that can be 

applied to a variety of goals in the learning 

process and can serve as a resource 

to help develop higher order thinking, 

creativity and research skills” (Reeves, 

1998; Ringstaff and Kelley, 2002). 

Many different types of technology 

can be used to support and enhance 

learning. Everything from video content 

and digital moviemaking to laptop computing 

and handheld technologies has 

been used in classrooms, and new uses of 

technology such as pod-casting are constantly 

emerging. Oakwood University 

has confronted the challenge of wireless 

access. This capability is now available in 

many of the campus buildings, and soon 

will be available outside on the campus, 

everywhere students congregate. 

Technology has been shown to make 

learning more efficient. Careful use can 

be a benefit to teachers and staff of an 

institution of higher learning. Oakwood 

University will continue to expend funds 

on campus technology development 

because the institution cannot afford 

to fall behind schools with which it 

competes for students. Nor can it give 

back advances in efficiency of financial 

and academic record-keeping. We are far 

from where we were fifty years ago, but 

are we even anticipating the advances 

of the next decade? What form will the 

electronic campus of even the near future 

take? It is likely that each year will find us 

at a technological crossroads. May Oakwood 

University continue its example 

of being at the first rank in computer 

technology. 


Edward Earl Cleveland was born March 11, 1921, in Huntsville, 

Alabama, to William and Eunice Cleveland. Hearing 

prominent black orators of the day with this father had a 

profound effect on the young boy, and Earl began preaching to 

live congregations at the age of six. 

Earl began studying for the ministry at Oakwood Junior 

College in 1939. While at Oakwood, he met Celia Marie 

Abney, whom he married in 1943. Celia was a perfect partner 

in ministry for Earl. A consummate musician, she played the 

piano and organ and organized and conducted choirs. Supporting 

her husband’s ministry, she became one of the church’s 

most effective Bible workers. Their happy union lasted 60 

years, until her death in 2003. 

Elder Cleveland’s initial years in ministry, as a self-supporting 

preacher, were difficult at times. He had no car and many 

times lunch was a small bag of potato chips. Eventually he 

received a call from the Southern Union Conference. As the 

result of his first tent meeting, 83 converts were baptized. His 

evangelistic ability impressed the church leaders and he was assigned 

to do just evangelism, which delighted Elder Cleveland. 

In 1943, his ministry expanded to include a radio broadcast; 

his wife, Celia, organized a radio chorus, which became very 

popular in the community. 

Elder Cleveland was appointed as evangelist for the newly 

formed South Atlantic Conference in 1946, and was selected 

as Southern Union evangelist just four years later. He was 

voted as associate ministerial secretary of the General Conference 

in 1954. The tent meeting he conducted later that year in 

Montgomery, Alabama resulted in 500 baptisms, an unheardof 

number at the time. 

In 1956, Elder Cleveland conducted meetings on the South 

Side of Chicago, baptizing 200 souls and rebaptizing 25. 

Music was becoming an important part of his campaigns. The 

talents of the Cathedral Quartet (Elbert Shepperd, Benjamin 

Reaves, William Scales, and James Edgecombe) enhanced 

Elder Cleveland’s ministry, as well as the musicianship of T. 

Marshall Kelly and Charles E. Brooks. 

Elder Cleveland’s worldwide ministry launched in 1957 

when he was called to conduct meetings and evangelism field 

schools in Kampala, Uganda. Almost 200 were baptized, 

including the brother of the crown prince of Uganda. Also 

in 1957, his evangelistic crusade and ministerial field school 

Monrovia, Liberia, resulted in 100 baptisms. Further successes 

were realized in Accra, Ghana. 

In 1958, at the conclusion of a series of meetings in the 

Capitol Arena in Washington, D.C., Elder Cleveland baptized 

262 individuals, the largest baptism held to that time in the 

Allegheny Conference territory. 

In 1960, Elder Cleveland was invited to preach “behind 

the Iron Curtain.” The 13 public meetings he conducted in 

Warsaw, Poland resulted in 50 baptisms. Meetings were also 

conducted in several cities in Finland and Denmark. 

Two years later, Elder Cleveland accepted a challenging 

call to visit India. In the fall of that year he conducted a field 

school for 45 pastors and Bible workers in Mumbai (then 

Bombay) during the day. In the evening he conducted evangelistic 

meetings where about 500 attended each night, in spite 

of local laws preventing large gatherings. Elder Cleveland also 

preached in Rangoon, Burma. That same year, he traveled to 

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where, once again, a large field school 

was conducted, and a church of 150 was started. Meetings in 

St. Louis in 1964 resulted in 150 baptisms as well. 

In the summer of 1965, two large tents were pitched sideby-side 

in New York City, with a total seating capacity of 

3,000. Elder Cleveland conducted a large field school, attended 

by local ministers and a class from the SDA Theological 

Seminary during the day, and evangelistic meetings at night. A 

program to feed the hungry with food donations from crusade 

attendees was conducted as well. A total of 400 persons were 

baptized, and a new church was organized. 

Elder Cleveland’s largest meeting, and the most extensive 

evangelistic outreach by the church to that date, took place in 

1967. Trinidad had been considered for some time a fertile area 

for the gospel. After an extensive preparatory effort, more than 

100 ministers from the Inter-American Division participated 

with Elder Cleveland. The attendance at the two large tents in 


E.E.Cleveland 

Port-of-Spain ranged from 4,000 to 6,000. By the end of the 

crusade, more than 1,000 persons had been baptized, establishing 

a powerful Adventist presence in the Caribbean. 

In 1968, Elder Cleveland conducted a crusade in New 

Orleans, Louisiana, which added 229 souls to the church. He 

again taught his methods to a group of seminarians during the 

summer campaign. In 1970, a crusade in Oakland, California, 

resulted in 250 baptisms. News of his evangelistic enthusiasm 

reached “down under,” and Elder Cleveland found himself 

preaching in Australia. Crusades in Sydney and Melbourne 

produced hundreds of baptisms. 

Detroit, Michigan, was the venue for a different kind of campaign--one 

targeted toward the inner city. The meetings were 

held in a hall, rather than a tent, and a storefront was opened 

during the day, which was named the Better Living Center. 

From this venue, food was distributed, and free medical and 

dental screenings were given. This innovative program became 

a model for future inner-city crusades. 

Elder Cleveland entered a new phase of his General Conference 

ministry when he was appointed head of the Mission 

72, and Mission 73 programs (followed by Missions 74-76). 

He was chosen to develop an overall outreach strategy 

for the church while continuing to conduct public 

meetings. For years, Elder Cleveland had been active 

in pushing the church toward an outward-looking 

philosophy. Now he pushed his concept of every 

Adventist minister, pastor or administrator, becoming 

an evangelist. In 1982, he conducted meetings 

in Columbus, Ohio, and two years later he 

conducted his last major meeting, 

in Nashville, Tennessee. 

When Elder Cleveland 

retired from the General 

Conference in 1977, he 

joined the religion and 

theology faculty at 

Oakwood College, 

because of his love for 

R E M E M B E R E D 

By Bill Cleveland 

mentoring a new generation of evangelists. His connection 

with Oakwood dated from the 1950s when, at the invitation of 

then President Garland Millet, he conducted short seminars in 

evangelistic methods. This long affiliation became the inspiration 

for the Pastoral Evangelism Council, began in 1981. This 

weekend of seminars has grown to become a fixture in the 

church’s calendar for more than 25 years. 

As the new century dawned, Elder Cleveland continued to 

fill preaching appointments, including a three-week crusade in 

Las Vegas in his mid-eighties. Elder Cleveland was one of the 

church’s most prolific authors. He wrote numerous articles for 

Adventist Review, Ministry, Message, and other church magazines. 

He wrote 16 books, including: Come Unto Me, Mine 

Eyes Have Seen, Free at Last, Sparks from the Anvil, and Ask 

the Prophets. 

Many honors came in his later years, including honorary 

doctorates and a book on his life. But perhaps the greatest 

honor was the establishment of the Bradford-Cleveland-Brooks 

Leadership Center at Oakwood University. There, Elder Cleveland’s 

evangelistic methods will be taught to future church 

leaders. A collection of his writings and sermon notes are 

preserved at the SDA Seminary at Andrews University, 

and a website has been developed (www.eeclevelandministries.org) 

where resources for evangelism will 

be available online to ministers around the world. 

On August 30, 2009, at the age of 88, Elder 

Cleveland passed to his rest, full of faith and 

expectation of the resurrection. He is remembered 

by hundreds of ministers, pastors, Bible workers 

and church administrators, as well as lay members 

and friends, who had been touched 

by the life and ministry of E. E. 

Cleveland. 


In Memoriam 

“...but the members all alike should have a mutual interest in 

and care for one another. And if one member suffers, 

all the parts share the suffering; ...” 

Our hearts go out to the families of: 

– 1 Cor. 12:25-26 (Amplified Bible) 

Anderson, Lucinda – mother of Linda Webb, former director of CAS 

Andrews, Cordelia Mae – mother of Deborah Claborn (Physical Plant) and Karen White (President’s Office) 

Battle, Sr., Maurice T. – former General Conference Associate Secretary 

Blackmon, Alma Montgomery -- former director of the Aeolians (1973-1985) 

Bradford-Braxton, Vera -- sister of Charles E. Bradford, aunt of dr. Calvin B. rock 

Bradford-Rock, Eva -- mother of dr. Calvin B. rock, former president 

Cotton, Linnie Cotton – mother of Sabrina Cotton, Vp for financial Affairs 

Dawkins, Ralph J. -- father of regina dawkins Jacob, CAS 

Dawkins, Ray Etta -- mother of regina dawkins Jacob, CAS 

Engram, Grace A. -- wife of robert Engram, in information technology 

Gibbs, Lucille – mother of dr. Craig Newborn, pastor , Oakwood University Church 

Goodson, Ruth Hall – sister of dr. kathleen dobbins, Math faculty 

Gunn, June K. – mother of dean theodore Gunn, Jr., Student Services 

Hannah, Alexandria -- niece of Lisa Moncur, President’s Office 

Hughes, Eugene -- father of Sgt. francis hughes, OU public Safety 

Johnson, Abraham -- father of Alberta Bailey, public Safety & transportation 

Lacy, Gladys – mother of dr. Lucile Lacy, Music faculty 

Mallory, Sr., Lloyd B. -- father of Geraldine Mallory-thompson, New Beginnings 

Mosley, Jimmie Lee Fanroy -- mother of dr. Jennifer Mosley Stone, Vp - OU Alumni Association 

Nixon, Harry – father of philip Nixon, Assistant Vp, division of Student Services 

Patridge, Dr. Gaines R. -- former dean of Students at Oakwood College in the 1960s 

Pierre-Louis, Joni Mae Robinson -- former director of the Aeolians (1956-65) 

Powell, Joseph T. -- chaplain at Oakwood College in the late 1970s/early 1980s 

Robinson, Reginald O. -- member, Oakwood University Board of trustees 

Rogers, Janelle -- wife of student Jimmie rogers 

Singleton, Harold D. – pioneer in the Lord’s work 

Smith, III, John -- brother of Sgt. david r. Smith, public Safety & transportation 

Smith, Queen Esther – mother of dr. ron Smith, member of OU Board of trustees 

Taylor, Jr., Herbert Grady -- brother of Charles taylor, telecommunications 

Terront, Gregory – OU Market/Sodexo employee 

Utley, Lillie -- mother of patricia Barnes, history department 

Watson, Alexander -- father of dr. Janice Watson, Communication faculty 

Webb, Sr., Norton Hugh -- husband of Linda Webb, former director, CAS 

Wright, Walter -- former member of the OU Board of trustees 

This listing represents the loved ones of the Oakwood “family” at large who have passed away 

as of the date of publication. We thank God for the blessing of allowing us to know them. 


Archivist and former director of 

Alumni Affairs retires 

Minneola W. Dixon retired in 2009 after 

a career of nearly 40 years at Oakwood. 

Since 1989, she had served as the university’s 

director of the Department of Black 

SDA Historical Research Center (the 

Archives). This department, which she 

brought to prominence, preserves not only 

photographs, documents, and artifacts 

from Oakwood’s past, but also chronicles 

the Black SDA Work in North America since its inception. 

After graduating from Oakwood University in 1951, Minneola 

(Dabney) Dixon worked for a total of 19 years for the 

Southwest Region Conference, the Oklahoma City Board of 

Education, and three federal government agencies. Responding 

to a call in 1970 from OU former president Frank W. Hale, 

Mrs. Dixon and her four children moved from Oklahoma City 

to Oakwood, where she served as the administrative assistant to 

Adell Warren, business manager. From that position, she was 

promoted to become the first director of the Student Employment 

Office, in 1978, by Dr. Calvin B. Rock. 

As an alumna of Oakwood University, Dixon was elected 

vice president of the OU National Alumni Association in 1975, 

where she served as coordinator of Alumni Homecoming 

Weekend activities until 1980. Dixon was called to fill the position 

of director of alumni relations in 1984. 

When called to succeed Clara Rock as college archivist 

in 1988, Dixon threw herself into a career which she says 

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she never dreamed of doing and had not the slightest 

knowledge about how to accomplish it. To fully prepare 

herself for her archival appointment, Minneola returned 

to the classroom, receiving her master’s degree in Library 

Science and Information Studies from the University of 

Alabama in 1990. 

The University Archives and the University Museum, 

normally sedate places, became active places, which gave 

vitality to their surroundings. Calls were received from 

around the world field, requesting photos and information 

from the most comprehensive resource on Black Adventism 

in North America. Dixon’s knowledge and the manner 

in which she met her demanding schedule reflected her 

dedication and outstanding professionalism. 

At the annual Recognition of Service Banquet in April 

2009, she was honored along with other faculty and staff 

who were also retiring. At her 80th birthday celebration 

in July 2009, Dixon’s family honored her with a banquet 

attended by more than 200 family members, faculty, and 

friends, to wish her well, and offer congratulations for the 

years of dedicated service to Oakwood University. As a 

gift from her children, she received a Caribbean cruise. 

Though retired, Dixon is still writing her column for a 

weekly local newspaper, writing radio scripts, and producing 

the “Oakwood Heritage Moments” program on Praise 

90.1 FM WJOU. She also keeps up with her 13 grandchildren, 

and 4 great-grandchildren. 

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decision relative to location, cost, and services 

available. These arrangements will never 

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Campus Business 

Remembering that Huntsville belongs 

to all of us, and that it’s up to all of us to 

Keep Huntsville beautiful, Oakwood Administrators 

suspended classes on Thursday, 

September 17, to enable over 400 

students, faculty, staff, and administrators 

to participate in AGAPE Huntsville 

2009, a biennial event devoted to community 

service. Oakwood volunteers took the 

time from their busy office and classroom 

schedules to lend a helping hand at Huntsville’s 

Burritt Museum, Huntsville Depot, 

Early Works Museum, Huntsville Library, 

the Hays Nature Preserve, University Place 

and Ridgecrest Elementary Schools, Ditto 

Landing, and an Adult Handicap Home 

to repair, clean up, paint, rake leaves, weed, 

dust, and plant flowers and provide other 

necessary services. 

To make Agape Day possible, Oakwood 

partnered with Operation Green Team, 

an organization which endeavors to make 

Huntsville a role model for Alabama and 

the Nation in terms of landscape beauty, 

cleanliness, and environmental consciousness. 

The goals and objectives of this cityfunded 

organization are education, beautification 

efforts, maintaining a sustained 

litter reduction, and improving waste 

handling practices in the community. 

Operation Green Team is affiliated with 

Keep America Beautiful, Inc. 

Leigh Carter, a freshman from Atlanta, 

Ga., thought that Agape Day was part of a 

class assignment, but as she got involved her 

mindset changed. She saw that barriers [to 

communication] can be broken through participation. 

Oakwood senior Laurie Pierre, of 

Paris, France, wanted to participate in Agape 

Day and give back to the community before 

she leaves college. Sophomore James Kelly, 

from Bronx, NY, believes that doing these 

projects in the community reminds people 

that the school cares, and [our involvement] 

can be used as a witnessing tool. 

Dr. Susan Baker, Oakwood’s First Lady 

and faculty member in Allied Health, helped 

Oakwood students do housework at a local 

COLLEGE dAyS 2009 

More than 750 potential students and their chaperones visited the campus for the 

annual College Days program, Oakwood’s “open house,” October 11-13, 2009. Some 

groups were able to travel by air to Huntsville, but the majority traveled in cars, vans, 

and buses from all over the United States and Canada. While visiting the campus, our 

guests met and talked with current Oakwood University students, experienced residential 

life, received information on scholarships and financial aid, met their future professors, 

toured the city of Huntsville, and participated in recreational activities. As a result 

of College Days, 627 applications were received from students hoping to enroll in either 

the spring or fall semesters of 2010. 

Oakwood helps 

keep huntsville Beautiful 

Dr. John Anderson, VP for Academic Affairs, calls the Agape volunteers to attention. 

adult group home. She stated, “It has got 

to be the cleanest house in Huntsville!” 

She enjoyed the spirit of the students 

wanting to get involved and showing the 

community that Oakwood cares about 

them. 

Each participant received an Agape 

Huntsville 2009 T-shirt to commemorate 

this special celebration of civic service. 

Everyone returned to campus, tired, 

but energized, to a culmination rally in 

the newly renovated Blake Center Cafeteria. 

fALL WEEk 

Of prAyEr 

Pastor Ivor Myers, senior pastor of 

the Templeton Hill SDA Church 

in Central California, was the guest 

speaker for the Fall Week of Revival, 

which was held October 18 -24, 

2009. Pastor and Mrs. Myers are the 

hosts of the 3ABN program, “Battle 

of Faith.” The focus of Pastor Myers’ 

messages was “The Real Oil Crisis,” 

discussing the role of the Holy Spirit 

in our lives. 


enowned Speakers Make Guest 

Appearances at OU 

The campus welcomed several dynamic 

speakers over the past year as part of 

the weekly student chapel presentations 

sponsored by the offices of Spiritual Life, 

Student Services, and the ongoing “Open 

Your Mind Lecture Series,” which began 

in September 2009. The guest speaker 

list included Walter Kimbrough, Kemba 

Smith, Cornel West, Tim Wise, Tony 

Campolo, and Samuel “Billy” Kyles. 

Dr. Walter Kimbrough, 12th president 

of Philander Smith College in Little 

Rock, Arkansas, is one of the youngest 

college presidents in the nation, and is the 

first college president from the hip-hop 

generation. Kimbrough’s presentation 

about the dismal enrollment and graduation 

numbers of black males in higher 

education officially kicked off the Open 

Your Mind Lecture Series on September 

14, 2009. 

Kemba Smith followed later that 

year, on October 19, when she lectured 

the OU student body about Mandatory 

Minimum Drug Sentencing. As a newlywed, 

mother, advocate, consultant and 

public speaker, Smith has received recognition 

for her courage and determination 

to educate the public about the devastating 

social, economic and political consequences 

of current drug policies. 

Dr. Cornel West, one of America’s 

most provocative public intellectuals, 

kicked off the spring 2010 segment. He 

spoke to Oakwood students at chapel 

on January 19 about “The Legacy of Dr. 

Martin Luther King, Jr.” West’s writing, 

speaking, and teaching weave together 

the traditions of the black Baptist 

Church, progressive politics, and jazz. 

The New York Times has praised his “ferocious 

moral vision.” 

Tim Wise, one of the most prominent 

anti-racist writers and activists in the 

U.S., continued the series on February 1 

with his presentation. He has provided 

anti-racism training to teachers nationwide, 

physicians and medical industry 

Dr. Cornel West Nia Long Dr. Walter Kimbrough Kemba Smith 

professionals on how to combat racial inequities 

in health care. Wise is the author of 

Between Barack and a Hard Place: Challenging 

Racism, Privilege and Denial in the 

Age of Obama, which explores the issues 

of race within the context of 

the Obama presidency. Wise 

has been a guest on hundreds 

of radio and television programs, 

worldwide, and his 

writings have appeared in 

dozens of popular, professional 

and scholarly journals. 

Dr. Tony Campolo, ordained 

minister and professor 

emeritus at Eastern 

University in St. Davids, 

Pennsylvania, was the guest 

speaker for chapel on February 

2. Named by Christianity 

Today as one of the 25 most 

influential preachers of the 

last 50 years, Campolo made 

headlines in the 1990s when 

he agreed to be a spiritual 

counselor to President Bill 

Clinton. 

Campolo is also a media 

commentator on religious, 

social, and political matters, 

having made countless 

appearances on television 

programs like Nightline, 

Crossfire, Larry King Live, CNN News and 

MSNBC News. 

Pastor Samuel “Billy” Kyles was our 

guest for our February 23 student chapel. 

He is the only living person who spent the 

final hour of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 

life with him that fateful night of his assassination. 

Kyles has pastored the Monumental 

Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, 

since 1959 and has 

maintained his involvement 

with civil rights work since 

the 1960s. 

Actress Nia Long is scheduled 

to visit the OU campus 

as we close out this year’s 

lecture series. Building a 

reputation as an actress of 

exceptional range, Long has 

delivered outstanding work 

in box office hits, independent 

features and television. 

Her big break came when 

she played Will Smith’s 

love interest in the hit show 

The Fresh Prince of Bel- 

Air. Since that time she 

has starred in a number of 

big screen films including: 

Boyz In the Hood, Made in 

America, Soul Food, Boiler 

Room, Best Man, In Too 

Deep, Big Mama’s House, 

Big Mama’s House 2 and 

Stigmata. Talented enough 

to take on a variety of projects, 

Long has expanded her 

range to directing. 

This article was the collaborative effort of the Office 

of Public Relations. 


tEN OU StUdENtS 

StUdy ABrOAd 

Adventist Colleges Abroad (ACA) is a consortium of 

Seventh-day Adventist Colleges and Universities in North 

America and Australia that operates under the auspices of 

the Office of Education of the North American Division 

of Seventh-day Adventists located at the General Conference. 

Most international campuses have more than 

one educational institution on site — “schools within 

the school.” They might better be called a collection of 

small institutes. In no case are they organized like a North 

American college campus, except for the Universidad Adventista 

del Plata in Argentina, where Oakwood students 

Kristina Blair, Dara Gbolohan, Nadia Luckett, Terry-Ann 

Montaque, Erica Pelote, and Megan Starks are attending 

this year. Other Oakwood students studying abroad this 

year include Frederick Keith, II, who is studying in Italy, 

and Rachel Carr, Melinda Graves, and Royal Williams, 

who are studying in Spain. 

OU ALUM dEBUtS At 

kENNEdy CENtEr 

The Vocal Arts Society of Washington, D.C., sponsored 

Oakwood alumna Brandie Sutton, Soprano, in a solo recital, 

at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing 

Arts on March 13, at 6:00 p.m. An Oakwood graduate, 

Sutton has achieved many successes and is expected to deliver 

an inspiring tribute to African-American composers. 

youth Motivation task force 2009 

On October 26, the Career Development and Testing Department 

hosted the 2009 Youth Motivation Task Force (YMTF) 

workshop, with special guests Dr. Alvin Jackson and Florida State 

Representative Ronald Brisé. The events began at a “Q&A” dinner 

in Oakwood’s newly remodeled dining hall, where students, faculty 

and staff in attendance had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Jackson 

and Representative Brisé in an informal setting. Education of today’s 

young people and current issues, such as the H1N1 virus were 

both topics brought up in the round-table discussion session. 

Jackson, also known as “Ohio’s Doctor,” gave his thoughts on motivating 

the young people of today to get their education. He suggests 

that Oakwood has provided the environment for them, which 

is the first step; however, they have to take the next step. Jackson advocates 

working towards goals, as he did coming from a poor family 

in Southern Georgia. He also encourages others to get involved with 

programs such as the Youth Motivation Task Force, because you 

SpiritUAL LifE’S 

Prayer Room 

OpENS 

The newly furnished 

Spiritual Life Prayer Room 

opened October 29, 2009, 

with a ribbon-cutting 

ceremony. Located in the 

Office of Spiritual Life, the 

room is under the direction 

of Celestine Robinson, 

administrative assistant and 

student missionary coordinator, and OU chaplain, Rupert Bushner. 

OU students who need a little quiet time to pray and reflect 

on spiritual things now have a comfortable place to which to go 

when the church is closed. 

The Prayer Room is the first of many planned for the OU campus, 

and is available to students, faculty, and staff for 15 minutes 

at a time. The room is designed to be an intimate place where 

a single person may pray, or a group of four people may pray 

together. Although prayer is the 

main focus of the Prayer Room 

concept, it will also be a place 

for grieving and, by appointment 

with Chaplain Bushner, 

Communion. 

may never know what seeds you plant. Jackson also spoke at the 

YMTF Chapel. 

Representative Brisé, an Oakwood alumnus (Class of ‘99), 

shared his journey to the State House, encouraging students to 

strive toward their goals. He shared his journey about the struggling 

college student that he was, to the successful man he is today, 

setting goals and making every effort to reach them. 

The YMTF events concluded with a luncheon at the McKee 

Business & Technology building that recognized individuals 

who helped make YMTF successful. Attendees included University 

President Baker, USM President Toson Knight and representatives 

from the YMTF Community Consultants. Speaker 

Michael A. Cox concluded that, “Everybody who comes with 

you, can’t go with you,” to remind students that events such as 

YMTF encourage and motivate, but in the end, each is accountable 

for charting the path to his or her own success. 


And Still We rise 

Justin Edward Gordon, of Columbia, Maryland, graduated from Oakwood 

University in May 2004 with a B.S. in Pre-Physical Therapy. On August 

15, 2009, Justin Gordon was conferred the Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) 

from Shenandoah University, Winchester, Virginia. Dr. Gordon was offered 

and accepted a position at the Orthopaedic Clinic in Daytona Beach, Florida. 

As of October 12, 2009, he successfully passed the National Physical Therapy 

Licensing Exam and the State of Florida Laws and Rules Exam and is now a 

fully licensed physical therapist. He gives God all the praise for these accomplishments. 

Erica D. Roberts, a second-generation Oakwoodite (mother, Bertha Bryant 

Roberts, class of 1979), graduated magna cum laude in 2005 with a B.A. 

in International Studies. She went on to complete a semester abroad at the 

University of Costa Rica. In the fall of 2006, Erica matriculated to Howard 

University School of Law. After completing her first year, Erica ranked in the 

top 25 percent of her class. While at Howard, Erica had the honor of serving on 

the Howard Law Journal. Her article, entitled “When the Storehouse Is Empty, 

Unconscionable Contracts Abound: Why Transplant Tourism Should Not Be 

Ignored,” was published in the spring 2009 edition of the journal. Ms. Roberts 

graduated from Howard University in May 9, 2009. She sat for the Illinois 

Bar Exam in July 2009 and was notified on October 1 that she had passed. In 

November 2009, Attorney Roberts joined the Chicago office of the law firm, 

Jenner & Block. 

Lewis A. Booth, II, was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, and 

graduated from Oakwood University in 2007 with a B. S. in Accounting. He is 

currently a candidate for graduation in May, 2010, from the Southern University 

Law Center and has been elected as Editor-in-Chief of the Southern University 

Law Review, 2009-2010 academic year. The Southern University Law 

Review, a student-edited scholarly publication, is published twice a year. The 

Law Review consists of law student writings, as well as contributions from outside 

authors. The Southern University Law Review is a reliable reference source 

for practitioners and judges. It serves as a forum for legal scholars and is listed in 

the Index to Legal Periodicals and Current Law Index. The publication is also 

available on the WESTLAW electronic research database and the LexisNexis 

electronic database. 

As Editor-in-Chief of the Southern University Law Review, Mr. Booth will 

coordinate the general management of the Law Review. He will also review and 

have the final determination as to all material published in the Law Review. 

Notwithstanding the required vote of the Editorial Board, the Editor-in-Chief 

has the final determination as to what is published in the volumes of the Law 

Review. 

His selection as Editor-in-Chief is considered one of the highest honors 

available to a law student and member of the Law Review. He has secured a 

position as an IRS Tax Attorney, based in Houston. 

Anika Salim graduated from Oakwood University in 2007 with a B.S. in 

Biology. She completed her M.P.H. in Environmental Epidemiology at Loma 

Linda University in 2009. She is currently working with the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C., as an environmental health 

fellow with the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH). She works 

in the National Center for Environmental Research, in the Office of Research 

and Development. A report Ms. Salim completed while at Loma Linda was recently 

compiled into a published document on the World Health Organization 

yes She did 

By Jasmine Jenkins 

Christal Williams began her quest to 

become Miss UNCF during the latter part of 

fall semester 2009. While attending an interest 

meeting, she said to herself, “I can do this.” 

Christal’s diligence was rewarded on January 

17, when she was crowned Miss UNCF for 

Oakwood University 2010. Now Williams 

has the fortunate opportunity to represent 

Oakwood University to the nation. 

She was determined to accomplish her goal 

by all means. Williams began selling candy, 

Capri Sun juice, and other items to raise funds. 

In addition to going door-to-door, Williams 

began writing letters to members of the OU 

faculty and staff, various Regional conferences, 

and local churches. Although there was no response 

from the letters, Williams did not give 

up. Williams said she appreciated the whole 

experience and the encouragement she received 

from Barbara Stovall, director of Alumni Relations. 

She received funds from her family, her 

church family, and the J. L. Moran Chapter of 

the Oakwood Alumni Association. 

Christal said her journey was a “humbling 

experience.” The campaign for Miss UNCF 

enabled Christal to break out of her shell. She 

became vibrant and gained networking opportunities. 

Christal is very excited to represent 

Oakwood University. She had the chance to 

meet the other queens from various historically 

black colleges and universities (HBCUs) at the 

National UNCF Pre-Alumni Conference in 

New Orleans. Williams said, “It was fun to see 

the other queens and enjoy the spotlight.” 

Williams will represent Oakwood at two 

other occasions—on March 4 in Birmingham 

and on March 7 in New York. Christal is a senior 

biological science major. Following graduation, 

she plans to obtain her master’s in public 

health, once she’s completed medical school. 


Devotional 

Bragging rights— 

Black history Month 

in America The 

By Jonathon Thompson, ph.d. 

U.S.A. has claimed bragging rights for being 

the “bastion of liberty.” This country has elected its 

first African-American president, Barak Obama. But 

racially, is all well in America? Are we, in fact, living in a 

post-racial era? Or are we still living in denial? 

Societal Cosmetic Change! 

Black History Month has come and gone, again. 

We have witnessed great change in America, and many 

ceilings holding back achievement for Blacks have been 

shattered. But today, in 2010, most African-Americans 

still relate to the words of Langston Hughes: “Life 

for me ain’t been no crystal staircase”! If there is one 

legacy to pass on from the likes of Thurgood Marshall 

to Maya Angelo, it would be that the path to freedom 

is the path of struggle, sacrifice, and eternal vigilance! 

You can never take freedom for granted. The landscape 

has changed; but the structure and content of racism 

remain. 

No signs exist today reading “Colored Only,” yet 

health care is subtly rationed to the poor, Blacks, and 

Hispanics! Credit rating systems routinely deny Blacks 

low interest mortgages and small business loans. Black 

males are 15 percent above the nation’s average for 

unemployment. Sticking one’s head in the sand could 

be fatal, for “those who fail to learn from the past are 

destined to repeat it!” Is it possible that the bad old days 

of a racially oppressive America could return? 

Ellen White wrote: “The same spirit that held the 

colored people in slavery is not dead, but alive today, 

and ready to spring into activity” (Southern Work, 

67.2). How society feels about people of color and how 

God feels about them differs like night and day! When 


Israel was in bondage, God said, “I have seen your misery . . 

. heard your cry . . . know your sorrows and have come down 

to deliver you!” (Exodus 3:7, 8). He cares when His children 

suffer oppression. “God is no respecter of persons,” Paul writes 

in Acts 10:34. In The Southern Work, Ellen White draws 

parallels between the Hebrew slaves and slavery in America! 

She says, the same God who called Israel My son, while in 

slavery! Has just as much regard for African slaves! She stated 

that “Christ Himself ” directed in the freeing of “His people” 

(Southern Work, 41.3). 

Rooted Branch, Real Change! 

Isaiah 11 unfolds God’s plan for real change of heart. Out of 

Jesse’s stump a shoot will grow, and a Rooted Branch will bear 

fruit! The Branch is: 

God incarnate in human flesh! 

God reaching us where we are! 

God establishing roots in Jesse’s lineage! 

Jesus Christ filled with the Spirit’s wisdom, counsel, power, 

and the fear of the Lord! 

Accordingly, continuing awareness of African-American 

history is a must. A people without a history is like a tree without 

roots. Take away a people’s history, and you rob them of 

their identity, strip them of their dignity, and deny them their 

birthright. 

Christ is a global, transforming presence! He replaces the 

mindset for world domination and offers a “whosoever will” 

invitation for all races to join the divine initiative for real 

change. 

In verse 3, Isaiah writes, “He will not judge by what He sees 

with His eyes. Nor will He decide by what He hears with His 

ears.” God is above pre-judging people based on stereotypes, 

ethnic hatred, and racial gossip. Verse 4 announces His righteousness 

in demanding justice for the poor and needy of the 

earth. God neither creates nor blames the victim; He mediates 

justice for the victim. 

The Negro spiritual is right: “Trouble won’t last always.” 

For a nation to not learn the lessons of history, to spurn God’s 

appeals, to reject His warnings, to stone His prophets is to put 

that nation on a path to destruction. Ellen White accurately 

applies Isa.11:11 to God’s work and God’s people in the endtime 

(Early Writings, 74). 

What makes that relevant to us in 2010? When the Lord 

reaches out His hand to recover the remnant, He doesn’t 

exclude any group—the poor and needy, the Gentiles and the 

outcasts, the sons and daughters of Africa. All are His people! 

Who Gets Bragging Rights? 

No nation can yet claim bragging rights to being the ideal postracial 

nation. However, God does not withhold His blessings because 

He sees what people can be and will do when filled with His 

Spirit! The same Spirit that filled Jesus, the Rooted Branch, waits 

to fill each of us! He expects a people to become a vine, growing 

branches that bear fruit of justice and equality! 

None of us is here by chance or accident! God has called us 

here for a purpose. There’s a job for each of us to do, and no one 

else can do it quite as effectively. The White House announced last 

summer that 70 percent of African-American children are being 

raised in single-parent homes! There is danger of the collapse of 

the black family in America! Negative social indicators such as 

rising crime, violence, and poverty plague black communities. 

But if the descendants of Egypt and Cush are willing to 

embrace their heritage and calling, the Holy Spirit will use them 

to “repair the breach” and “restore paths to dwell in.” “Righteousness 

exalts a nation!” “And he shall go before him in the spirit and 

power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, 

and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a 

people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17). God’s Word contains a 

message that is tailor-made for today’s crises. 

God needs youth who’ll represent His high expectations for 

them. You were created for something higher than a street corner 

hangout, a police lineup, and an extensive rap sheet! We are made 

in the image of God to: 

Commune with the Almighty and worship the Creator! 

Be God’s people and reflect His glory! 

Do God’s work and be His ambassadors! 

Isn’t it time to stand up to the challenge before us? According 

to 2 Corinthians 6:2, now is the time to rise up to your calling, 

potential, and opportunity! 

Jesus deserves bragging rights on our lives. 

He is the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the dead, and 

the Ruler of the kings of the earth. 

He loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood. 

He has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God 

and Father—to Him be glory and power for ever and ever. 

Why not join God’s diplomatic corps and give Jesus bragging 

rights on your life? 

Dr. Thompson is the director of the E.G. White Estates Branch Office at Oakwood 

University. 


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Oakwood University Magazine Spring 2010

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