TO:
DCCCD Board Members
FROM:
Dr. Wright L. Lassiter, Jr.
DATE:
September 20, 2013
RE:
Weekend Memo #343
LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT FREDERICK DOUGLASS
This past June, a 7-foot bronze statue of the abolitionist Frederick Douglass was unveiled
at the nation’s Capitol. The unveiling provided an opportunity to honor a figure whose political
legacy looms large, but whose personal life is not well known.
Students of American history during the post-Civil War period know that he was born a
slave in Maryland in the early 1800s and later wrote an autobiography, Narrative of the Life of
Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. It is generally remembered that he escaped from
bondage and became a statesman, abolitionist, and activist in the women’s suffrage movement.
I came across several comments by Steven Weitzman, sculptor of the statue, where he cited
five things that the average American might not know about Douglass. The results of his research
fell into five areas: (1) He worked across the aisle in Congress. (2) He held several government
positions. (3) He was a twice-married supporter of women’s rights. (4) He often found himself
in difficult political positions. (5) His statue stands in a place built by slave labor.
Working Across the Aisle
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Republican House Speaker John Boehner called the statue “a fitting tribute to one of
the greatest Americans and voices for freedom who ever lived.”
Douglass was a staunch Republican, as were many early African-American voters.
He had the ear of President Lincoln on matters concerning slavery and the treatment
of black soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
While he had the ear of the president, he was often frustrated by his delayed support of
emancipation.
He later called Lincoln the nation’s “greatest president.”
During the 1888 Republican National Convention, he was a speaker and became the
first African American in a major party roll call vote to have his name put forth for the
nation’s president.
He also conferred with President Andrew Johnson on supporting the right of blacks to
vote.
He Held Government Positions
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Douglass served as minister and general counsel to the Republic of Haiti.
He spoke at the 1892 Chicago World’s Fair, where he detailed Haiti’s journey as a
colony founded on slave labor to one governed by former slaves. In that speech, he
drew a connection to the African-American struggle for freedom in this country.
He was the first black U.S. marshal and served in the nation’s capital.
Twice-Married Supporter of the Rights of Women
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Douglass’ first wife was a free black woman (Anna Murray) who shared his passion and
commitment to the cause of abolition. She helped him escape slavery and the couple
eventually adopted the last name, Douglass. They had five children.
They were heavily involved in printing an abolitionist newspaper and helping support
his wife’s Underground Railroad efforts as she aided runaway slaves on their journey
north.
Helen Pitts, the white daughter of an abolitionist, was his second wife. Together, they
were active in the women’s rights movement.
He spoke at the Seneca Falls Convention on women’s rights.
He Was Often in Difficult Political Positions
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Frederick Douglass and John Brown disagreed on tactics to start an armed slave revolt.
He was also at odds with longtime friend and women’s suffrage advocate Elizabeth
Cady Stanton over the 15th Amendment, which prevents the government from denying
citizens the right to vote because of race.
He publicly expressed frustration with President Lincoln’s latent support of
emancipation.
He said of President Andrew Johnson: “Whatever Andrew Johnson may be, he certainly
is no friend of our race.”
The Statue Stands in a Place Built by Slaves
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It is no small symbol that the Douglass statue stands in the U.S. Capitol, a landmark
built partly with slave labor. They quarried the stones used in the columns, walls, and
floors.
The statue stands prominently in Emancipation Hall and is one of the first big visuals
seen by visitors when they arrive.
The statue is the first to represent the District of Columbia and joins statues of Martin
Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and Sojourner Truth.
It was noteworthy for Texas African Americans that the statue was unveiled on
“Juneteenth,” a day in 1865 when African-American slaves in Texas were finally told they were
free.
It is always rewarding to ferret out little historical nuggets, colleagues.
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Cedar Valley College
Empower Series from Comerica Bank — The upcoming 2013 Empower Series workshops at Cedar
Valley College are: “Your Roadmap for Success” - September 21st - Irvin Ashford, Jr., senior vice
president, public affairs - director of community development and external affairs, Comerica Bank;
“Preparing for Home Purchase” - October 19th - Valerie Cole, certified credit counselor, Money
Management International; “Breaking Business Barriers: A Discussion and Q & A” - November
16th - Karen Parkhill, vice chairman and chief financial officer, Comerica Bank. The first Empower
Series workshop on September 21st will be held in the “M” Building — Rooms M121 and M122 —
from 9:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend these free workshops.
Our Staff Serving the Needs of Veterans — Cedar Valley College employees Anna Mays, Patricia Davis
and Dr. Hamaria Crockett participated in the League for Innovation in the Community College
Veteran Student Success Summit, held at the NYLO Hotel in Dallas, September 16-17th. The event
was coordinated by Central Piedmont Community College. The objective of the summit was to
share data and best practices on serving the needs of military veteran and active duty students.
Representatives from League member colleges heard speakers from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public
Broadcasting (WTVI PBS Charlotte); Victory Media, Inc. (sponsor of Military Friendly Schools®);
Student Veterans of America; and the American Council on Education. Everyone shared updates
and discussed partnerships regarding their initiatives in supporting student veterans. Cedar Valley
College student veteran and part-time employee Judy Dabney served on a panel that discussed
“How can we help veterans find translatable civilian jobs and meaningful careers?”
Building Community — Patricia Davis, executive dean of community, resource and economic
development, represented Cedar Valley College at a meeting hosted by Northwood University and
sponsored by Time Warner Cable Business Class on September 19th. The meeting featured Lorie
Vincent, executive director of West Texas Economic Development Corporation, who discussed
regional economic development partnerships that work. This directly connects to the March
Community Visioning event hosted by Cedar Valley College with the purpose of engaging
community leaders in a regional economic development strategy designed to level the playing field
when it comes to creating our own competitive advantages.
Collaborative Efforts in STEM, Dual Credit and College Readiness — On September 16th, Texas
Commissioner of Education Michael Williams visited Lancaster High School and received a briefing
on the work of Lancaster ISD to implement the science, technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM) curriculum and grant with grades 6-12. Cedar Valley College representatives Olivia Guerra,
director of college readiness; Gurol Green, program services coordinator; and Anna Mays, vice
president of student services and enrollment management, conveyed the initiatives of the college to
expand dual credit and improve college readiness of Lancaster High School students. Michael
Williams and Dr. Michael McFarland, Lancaster ISD superintendent, expressed the appreciation of
the Texas Education Agency and Lancaster ISD, respectively, for the collaboration of Cedar Valley
College.
El Centro College
El Centro College Bill J. Priest Campus has received a $500,000 grant through the Skills
Development Fund Incentive Opportunity program. This grant will fund the purchase of additional
state-of-the-art equipment for the welding and industrial technology labs, including a robotic
production welding system and a computerized numerical control mill. This is the second year El
Centro College Bill J. Priest Campus has received funds under this program, which are awarded to
colleges with high-performing Skills Development Fund contracts.
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Students enrolled in Business 1301 at El Centro College West Campus continue to reap the benefits
of a campus partnership with the West Dallas Chamber of Commerce. At the chamber’s recent
Focus on the Future Luncheon, it was announced that an additional $10,000 would be donated to
provide tuition for El Centro College West Campus students who are enrolled in the business
classes. (The chamber currently sponsors in-county tuition for students enrolled in the course.) The
students participate in practical learning opportunities, mentorship programs and soft skill
workshops as they explore careers in business.
Atmos Energy Corporation recently donated $10,000 to El Centro College West Campus to support
students enrolled in environmental science and geology classes. The funds, which will be used over
the next five years, will go toward course sponsorship, a textbook lending library for science
textbooks, and transfer assistance and career preparation for students who want to pursue careers in
natural energy.
History was made on September 6th when the El Centro College Psychology Club held its first
meeting. The club is designed to assist students in connecting with El Centro College faculty to
form mentoring relationships; promote the understanding of psychology as a human and behavioral
science; provide information about transferring to four-year institutions with a major in
psychology; and provide guidance regarding graduate study in psychology and also career and
research opportunities. The co-presidents of the club are students Israel Baasha and Vaughn
Johnson. El Centro College’s Melissa Weston and David Goomas serve as the club’s faculty
advisors. Weston stated that their goal is to get students involved in research and methods, which
are key components of critical thinking. Goomas additionally views the club as an opportunity to
incubate students into the supplemental instruction program.
Eastfield College
Advancing Student Success — On September 4th, Dallas Mavericks beat reporter Earl Sneed kicked off
the speakers series for the Men’s Empowerment Coalition (MEC) at Eastfield College. He delivered
an inspirational message for young men to develop a mindset for success and work toward achieving
their goals. The purpose of the MEC is to engage and retain minority male students by involving
them academically, socially, culturally and professionally in their campus and community. The
coalition’s theme for this year is “It takes a village.” Courtney Brazile, Eastfield College faculty
member and advisor for the Male Leadership Initiative, will host a variety of dynamic speakers
monthly to inspire and instill leadership in male students. Brazile and the MEC officers represented
the college at the NAACP Garland Branch 23rd Annual Freedom Fund Brunch on September 14th.
Enabling Employee Success — Congratulations to Eastfield College President Dr. Jean Conway for
being nominated for an Altrusa International of Richardson, Texas Foundation’s Outstanding
Women of Today award! As her accomplishments and contributions to education are exceptional, it
is no surprise that she is a nominee in the education category. Award winners will be announced at
the Outstanding Women of Today Awards Luncheon, which will be held at the Hyatt Regency
North Dallas/Richardson on October 25th.
Congratulations to Johnetta Boldon, Eastfield College Police Department administrative
assistant, honored as Employee of the Quarter for July, August and September. Boldon is the
model of Eastfield College’s high standards and student-centered values. Her abilities in office
management and making tough decisions made her stand out among the many nominees. As
this quarter’s awardee, she received a balloon bouquet, a $100 gift card, a personal parking
permit (for three months) and her name will be placed on the Employee of the Quarter plaque.
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LeCroy Center
Serving our District — The LeCroy Center’s eCampus team spent the summer preparing to take the
DCCCD eCampus Online Classroom to cloud computing. This migration included updating the
Learning Management System (Blackboard LMS) and moving from a self-hosted environment to
one managed by Blackboard’s cloud hosting environment. Updated features include a new userfriendly entry point, new navigation menu and an easy interface for student communications and
group collaboration. Based on research, reports and user feedback, the LeCroy Center and the
DCCCD selected the cloud hosting system to eliminate the cost of purchasing and maintaining
hardware and software annually. Start up for the fall semester has proceeded smoothly.
STARLINK presents a timely professional development program, “Rethinking Practices to Increase
Retention and Completion.” The program features one of the leading spokespersons in the country
on community colleges, Dr. Terry O’Banion. O’Banion, a former DCCCD vice chancellor, is
president emeritus of the League for Innovation in the Community College, where he served for 23
years and led the League in becoming an international organization serving more than 700 colleges.
He is considered a distinguished authority on community colleges and a leader in research on
teaching and learning, and faculty development. The program will be available online September
9th-23rd. STARLINK is a nationally recognized and award-winning producer of faculty and staff
development programming.
Service to our Faculty — The Faculty Access to Supportive Technology (FAST) Team will present two
webinars during September: “FAST Tech Tips” (September 17th, 2:30 p.m.) and “Faculty to
Faculty Webinar” (September 24th, 2:30 p.m.). These one-hour programs are designed to help
faculty enhance online instruction. “FAST Tech Tips” will introduce faculty to using Twitter feeds
within eCampus, creating and using avatars, and creating and using Google Search Stories. Eastfield
College Professor Dr. John Barrett will be the featured presenter for the “Faculty to Faculty
Webinar” program. Barrett taught at Richland College for more than 38 years and is currently
teaching English 1301 at Eastfield College. He will share practical tips, such as helping students
understand different learning styles, strategies for overcoming writer’s block and encouraging
students to think on a metacognitive level about their learning experiences. eConnect registration is
required for the FAST webinars.
Richland College
Sustainable Community Building — Richland College’s LEED Platinum-certified Sabine Hall science
building is currently featured in “Learning by Design,” an article in the September/October issue of
Richardson Living. The article showcases the contemporary science lab learning environment that also
teaches students and visitors about environmentally conscious facilities that minimize the negative
impact of a building’s carbon footprint. Also included in the issue is the article “Designs in Giving,”
which shows student artwork created for examination room walls at Richland College service area’s
Network of Community Ministries Children’s Clinic. This service-learning experience, provided by
Richland College Art Professor Vicki Mayhan, gave student artists the opportunity to make a
significant contribution to an important community outreach facility by creating art to help calm the
examination room experience for young patients. (See enclosed publication.)
Student Success — For the third consecutive year, Richland College has been awarded the Military
Friendly Schools® designation by Victory Media, Inc., a media group for military personnel
transitioning into civilian life. Victory Media annually compiles a list honoring the top 20 percent of
colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to provide a
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supportive environment for America’s military service members, veterans and spouses as students
and to ensure their success on campus.
Employee Success — Congratulations to Dr. Michael Crawford, choral music associate dean, on being
selected to receive the 2013-14 Richland College Administrator of the Year Award. Serving the
School of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts, first as interim dean and music co-coordinator,
and currently as associate dean and director of the Chamber Singers, Jazz Singers, and RichMen,
Crawford actively encourages and challenges students to succeed by leading their participation in
many local, state and national concerts and competitions, and Richland College and DCCCD
musical performances. He frequently serves as an adjudicator and a clinician, and as the musical
talent coordinator of the Richardson Wildflower! Festival.
Institutional Effectiveness — Richland College full-time and adjunct History 1301 faculty and full-time
Education 1300 and English 1302 faculty participated in the first Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)
Faculty-in-Training Professional Development “Changing and Learning” Module 1 session on
September 18th. Becki Williams (QEP professional development curriculum coordinator) and Ron
Stout, Nicole Coffelt, Patrick Moore and Bonnie Blackman (QEP professional development
champions) will lead the training in four, one-hour, face-to-face QEP modules this semester.
Participants prepare for each face-to-face professional development session by reviewing the QEP
curriculum modules online at the Richland College QEP ePortfolio website.
North Lake College
Our Students — On September 17th, the North Lake College Student Life Center hosted the Fall
2013 Welcome Back Party and Constitution Day event. The occasion had a patriotic theme and
included a visit from Uncle Sam himself, who distributed books containing a copy of the U.S.
Constitution. Hot dogs with all the fixings, peanuts, popcorn and Cracker Jack were available to
participants. Representatives from approximately 20 clubs and organizations visited with nearly 400
students to encourage and promote their involvement at North Lake College. Blaze, the school
mascot, joined in the festivities and posed for pictures with students and staff at the Marketing and
Public Information photo booth.
The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) had its fourth annual induction ceremony on
September 18th in the North Lake College Student Life Center. Approximately 60 guests attended
the ceremony at which 20 new members were inducted. Among those present were North Lake
College’s Christa Slejko, interim president, and Virginia Jones, director of the Student Life Center.
NSCS has experienced phenomenal growth at North Lake College during the last few months, with
current membership in excess of 250 students.
North Lake College TRiO Student Support Services held two workshops on September 20th in the
Student Life Center. “Math Mania” provided students with fun and creative hands-on math
activities to help develop successful math study skills. “TRiO Student Club Rush” was presented by
the TRiO Student Club officers. The presentation provided an overall view of TRiO Student Club
goals and activities. The workshops were open to all students, staff and community members, and
certificates of attendance were provided to attendees.
Our Community — On September 19th, North Lake College and the Irving International Women’s
Consortium (IIWC) co-hosted the 7th Annual International Potluck: Food for Thought. This event
is designed to encourage women who live, work, worship or study in Irving to network and
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celebrate together. The event was free and featured entertainment and cuisine from around the
world. At its last event, IIWC awarded scholarships to three North Lake College students.
Brookhaven College
Community Engagement — Dirt was turned at the official groundbreaking for Brookhaven Trail on
September 18th. The trail project is a partnership among Dallas County, the Town of Addison, the
city of Farmers Branch, Brookhaven College and the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
Brookhaven College President Dr. Thom Chesney was just one of the speakers among two mayors,
a county councilman and DCCCD Chancellor Dr. Wright Lassiter at the groundbreaking event. All
commented on the fact that the new trail represents a new way for the community and college to
connect.
Employee Success — The Brookhaven College Counseling Center team has been selected as a finalist
for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) 2013 Texas Higher Education Star
Award for its SkillsShops (workshops). The Star Award recognizes exceptional contributions
toward meeting one of the Closing the Gaps by 2015 goals. Programs must meet the goals to close
the gaps in student participation, student success, academic excellence and research. SkillsShops
address student issues on dozens of topics ranging from test-taking tips to understanding personal
relationships, from time or money management to personal safety. As a result of the workshops,
participants have achieved higher success rates. SkillsShops were created and programmed by
Brookhaven College’s Beverly Neu Menassa (assistant dean of student services), and Shirley Walker
and Virginia Clemente (professional counselors), along with the efforts of and ideas from Rhonda
Dalrymple, Laura Gambill and Maribel Pena-Lyons. Award winners will be announced at the 13th
Annual Star Awards Ceremony, which will be held in Austin, November 22nd.
Student and Employee Success — The first issue of The Windmill, a Brookhaven College “zine,” was
revealed to the campus at a release party on September 17th. (A “zine” is a small magazine, usually
written by nonprofessional writers.) The Windmill publishes stories, poems, photography and
artwork submitted by Brookhaven College students and employees, and selected by the journalism
students. Brookhaven College’s Daniel Rodrigue, journalism professor, and Aaron Clark, English
professor, coordinated the “zine,” and the students spent much of the summer laying out the
publication for print.
Institutional Effectiveness — In addition to the longstanding district awards for Employee of the Year,
the Piper Professor nominee and others, this year, Brookhaven College employees will have an
opportunity to select a program or concept that did not succeed. Brookhaven College President Dr.
Thom Chesney initiated and will underwrite an award to acknowledge that, although not all
innovations succeed, there is value in learning from and celebrating the occasional unsuccessful
attempts to innovate and improve what Brookhaven College does.
Mountain View College
Have you heard the term, “Reach for the stars?” Former astronaut José M. Hernández did just that
when he became the first migrant farm worker to be a NASA astronaut. An impressive achievement
in itself, this accomplishment is even more amazing when one realizes the journey he took to get
there. Through its STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) SUCCESS grant,
Mountain View College partnered with STEM initiatives, LULAC National Educational Service
Centers, and NASA to provide a NASA Space Science Day at the college, September 6-7th, at which
Hernández shared his inspirational journey with more than 600 attendees. The September 6th event
focused on the community and provided an avenue for participants to explore STEM-related fields,
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careers and experiments. There were display tables from Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El
Centro and North Lake colleges and the DCCCD District Office. A host of area universities and
colleges and nonprofit groups also participated in the event. In addition, NASA displayed a Martian
meteorite (Mars rock). On September 7th, area middle school students and educators participated in
a full day of NASA experimental lead activities. Special thanks go to the many Mountain View
College Phi Theta Kappa members and Student Ambassadors who volunteered their services for
both days of the event.
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