Issue 18
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Dear Reader,
I am pleased to provide Issue 18, which continues to chronicle the accomplishments of HBCU alumni, among others from varied academic backgrounds. This issue highlights a newly created blog by Howard alumna and former University of Maryland professor Zenobia D. Bailey. Bailey’s blog features many topics on aging, which she states should be celebrated and considered as ways to age “purposefully.” Also, this issue cites the recent appointment of Timothy Scotton as vice president for finance at Cleveland State Community College. Scotton earned a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.
Additionally, Dr. Sholnn Freeman highlights a conference co-led by Esther Mukewa Lisanza, Ph.D., and Leonard Muaka. Ph.D., on the preservation and future of African languages and knowledge systems.
Finally, this issue features a special tribute to my oldest sister, the late Dr. Jacquelyn Scotton Joyner, retired supervisor of mathematics, Richmond, VA Public Schools. Dr. Joyner’s widely influential role as educator and instructional specialist is nationally recognized. She received a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina Central University and a master’s and doctorate from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her contributions in the field of education will continue to be impactful for this and future generations.
These individuals are examples of the continuing legacy of HBCUs as forces of global leadership and perpetual impact. Thank you for visiting with us online,
Sincerely,
Gwendolyn S. Bethea
Editor
Zenobia D. Bailey, Professional Health and Wellness Life Coach, Creates Blog Featuring Elderly Topics
Zenobia D. Bailey, professional integrated health and wellness coach, author, and educator, has created a blog that addresses subjects that traditionally challenge the elderly population. These subjects, examined from different perspectives, are also cause for thankfulness and joy. She states her purpose below:
A Purposeful Living Journey
I am committed to elevating the aging experience to one deserving of the respect and acknowledgment it deserves. This blog is a platform where stories, valuable insights, and resources are shared. The beauty of purposeful living and the fulfilment of the possibilities that come with age await us. I happen to believe that this, now my 7th decade, is indeed the BEST season of my life and hope others who are young at heart will welcome the discoveries that await us.
Contact Me at
zenobiabailey.com
Questions or Comments
You can send a message or ask a general question using this form. I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible.
429 E Dupont Rd, Fort Wayne, IN, USA
For more information, contact https: zenobiabailey.com
Cleveland State Community College Names Tim Scotton as the new Vice President for Finance (from the Cleveland State Community College website)
Cleveland State Community College welcomes Tim Scotton as the new Vice President for Finance. Scotton was the Comptroller at Lee University for two years before coming to Cleveland State. He has more than 20 years of experience in finance and accounting, including positions in government, manufacturing, logistics, and higher education.
A Bradley County native, Scotton says he grew up on the Cleveland State campus. His mother worked in the Business Office at the college for 25 years, and he remembers playing on campus after school with his brother. “Cleveland State feels like a homecoming to me; it is part of my family story,” said Scotton. “I’m excited about the possibilities to work with my colleagues to continue to add to the rich history of the college.”
Dr. Andy White, Cleveland State President, said, “I am excited Tim has joined our leadership team at Cleveland State. His broad accounting experience and financial expertise will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our fiscal foundation and support our academic mission of serving students.”
Scotton earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. He was a legislative auditor in the Tennessee Comptroller’s office, an accountant with the City of Chattanooga, an accounting manager with Express Global Systems LLC, along with other finance positions.
Scotton said, “At Cleveland State, we’re here to help people reach their goals and achieve their dreams through the lens of education, but the accounting principles are the same – use the resources wisely and track the plan. Together, we can achieve what is best for the college.”
Scotton and his wife, Lakeisha, have been married 17 years and have two teenage sons.
Howard University Hosts the Second African Indigenous Knowledge and Languages International Conference
By Sholnn Freeman, Ph.D.
Howard University hosted the Second African Indigenous Knowledge and Languages International Conference on Feb. 20–21, 2026, bringing scholars, students, and community practitioners together for two days centered on innovation in African languages and cultural knowledges.
Howard University is a national leader in African languages, offering one of the most extensive and consistently enrolled African language programs in the United States.
Esther Mukewa Lisanza, Ph.D., and Leonard Muaka, Ph.D., co-led the conference, bringing global attention to the preservation and future of African languages and knowledge systems.
Dr. Lisanza is an assistant professor in the Department of African Studies and director of the undergraduate program, and Leonard Muaka, Ph.D., is chair of the Department of World Languages and Cultures in the College of Arts and Sciences. The conference was conceived last year to coincide with International Mother Language Day, observed globally on Feb. 21.
“Every year on the 21st, the world celebrates Mother Language Day,” said Lisanza. “African languages are part of that story, and we believe Howard University has an important role in highlighting them.”
“Languages can die just like human beings, and their death is caused by us if we fail to act,” Muaka added. “This conference was a call to action for communities and the diaspora.”
Dr. Lisanza states that Africa is home to more than 2,000 languages, many of which have been threatened by colonialism in the past and continue to be threatened today. In fact, about 80 percent of those languages are considered “minority languages,” which means that they are not official languages in African countries.
Paul Banahene Adjei (left) and Akinloye Ojo, keynote speakers at Howard University’s African Indigenous Knowledge and Languages International Conference, highlight the role of elders and language in African knowledge systems.
One major highlight was the opening keynote by Paul Banahene Adjei, Ph.D., of Memorial University of Newfoundland, which centered on the role of African elders in education. These voices tend to be marginalized in Western educational systems, yet are extremely important across Africa. On Saturday, Akinloye Ojo, Ph.D., of the University of Georgia challenged audiences to view African languages as contemporary and active tools for knowledge and innovation.
Alongside international scholars, Howard faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates contributed to the program by presenting research papers across multiple sessions at the conference. Sessions covered topics including traditional medicine, food systems, and community-based practices, areas that organizers say resonate well beyond academia.
Lisanza said an emphasis of the conference is the promotion of intergenerational transmission of knowledge. In her own research, Lisanza involves young people in documenting herbal knowledge from elders, including the names of plants, their uses, and the knowledge passed down within their communities.
“It’s not enough for elders to hold this knowledge,” she said. “It must be passed on to young people, including through language.”
Organizers anticipated between 100 and 150 participants, with both in-person and virtual attendance. Participants were expected from Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mali, Canada, Haiti, Brazil, and the United States.
The conference took place at Howard University’s Health Sciences Library, with programming beginning Friday. and continuing Saturday, Douglass Hall, Room 120.
Lisanza and Muaka said non-indigenous languages such as English and French are often used in government and education, leaving many African languages without institutional or social recognition. The imbalance has long shaped how African languages are valued and transmitted across generations.
“These languages are threatened by linguistic domination from former colonial languages,” Muaka said. “Many Africans feel they must learn colonial languages and forget their own, and that mindset accelerates language loss.”
Howard University enrolls roughly 1,200 students each year in African language courses. The university faculty teach Swahili, Somali, Yoruba, Wolof, Zulu, Amharic, Arabic, and Akan, representing different regions of the African continent.
Muaka said it is important for younger generations to understand that African knowledge systems are relevant and necessary.
“If these languages die, the knowledge they hold dies with them,” he said.
For more information about the Second African Indigenous Knowledge and Languages International Conference, contact Esther Lisanza via esther.lisanza@howard.edu or Leonard Muaka via leonard.muaka@Howard.edu.
Dr Sholnn Freeman, a Howard alumnus, is senior editorial writer for the Howard University Office of University Communications.
The 2nd HU African Indigenous Knowledge and Languages International Conference
(A brief synopsis of the conference results)
By Esther Mukewa Lisanza
The 2nd HU African Indigenous Knowledge and Languages International Conference was highly successful, building on the momentum of last year’s gathering. A total of 300 participants registered for the conference, and 75 papers were presented in both virtual and in-person formats. Sixty dedicated volunteers ensured that the conference ran smoothly. The majority of volunteers were Howard University students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The actual number of conference participants exceeded 300.
In sum, the conference reinforced the urgency of preserving and using African indigenous languages as vital carriers of cultural identity, history, and knowledge systems. Participants emphasized the importance of intergenerational transmission of knowledge, meaningful policy reforms, and the integration of African indigenous languages into education and research. The event also strengthened global collaboration and affirmed African languages as dynamic instruments for innovation and sustainable development. Finally, there was a clear call to action to empower local communities, elders, and youth as central agents in sustaining and advancing African indigenous knowledge and languages.
IN MEMORIAM
A Tribute to Dr. Jacquelyn S. Joyner
By Gwendolyn S. Bethea and Gail S. Baylor
Dr. Frankie Jacquelyn Scotton Joyner was born in 1936 to Reverend H. Franklin and Mrs. Lina Scotton in High Point, NC. She was the family matriarch – oldest of nine siblings – Charles, Harry, Ted, Teresa, Gwendolyn, Rebecca, Gail, and Richard. She was a dedicated mentor, community member, educational professional, and loyal friend to many. Jacquelyn departed this life on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.
Leaving High Point with her parents, she lived in Washington, DC for a short while and then began her early childhood education in Philadelphia, PA when her parents moved their young family again during the 1940s. After returning to High Point, NC, she attended Fairview Elementary and William Penn High Schools. When Jackie (as she was lovingly called) was ready for college, after being named high school valedictorian at William Penn, she chose North Carolina Central University (f/k/a North Carolina College), a premier HBCU in the state. In college, she joined Alpha Kappa Alpha and was a senior counselor. She earned a degree in mathematics graduating in 1959. Jackie once stated that the most satisfying part of her life was the “positive experiences which had many religious underpinnings.” In later years, Jackie earned both a Master of Education degree and a Doctor of Education degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Dr. Joyner attributed her success in school to good teachers “who taught you how to survive - they said we had to work harder to excel in that kind of climate.” In 1959, upon learning of her mother’s illness, Dr. Joyner cared for her younger siblings for one year, postponing her teaching ambitions, while her mother recuperated away from home. She became a librarian at the local “blacks-only” library while she assumed this responsibility.
She later achieved her goal of becoming a teacher, starting out in Danville, VA. Dr. Joyner joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Pi Lambda Mu after moving to Richmond, VA. She was a charter member of the High Point, NC AKA chapter and a fifty-year member of the Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc in Richmond, VA. In addition, she was a charter member of the Commonwealth (VA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, where she started the Young Achievers program (the Young Achievers is a program for young men under the Commonwealth (VA) Chapter). She was a charter member of the Carrousels of Richmond, VA chapter.
Dr. Joyner was a member of 31st Street Baptist Church, Richmond, VA, where she and her husband, Dr. William H. Joyner, were faithful members for many years. There, she served as a member of the Progressive League and the Missionary Ministry. Dr. Joyner 's life exemplified excellence and commitment to service beginning with her first and second teaching positions in Danville and Richmond at East End Middle School and eventually leading to a supervisor of mathematics position in the Richmond Public School System.
She became a peer reviewer of mathematics textbooks, meeting on several panels hosted throughout the U.S. She championed and led initiatives to improve the educational achievement of students from myriad backgrounds and stations in life.
She met the love of her life, the late Dr. William H. Joyner, a native son of Richmond, VA, in 1962. Dr. Joyner was also a community leader who was an influential figure in the field of education. They were married for 60 years.
The Drs William and Jacquelyn Joyner Educational Foundation has been established in their honor at the 31st Street Baptist Church, Richmond, VA.
Dr. Gwendolyn S. Bethea and Gail S. Baylor, Esq. both Howard alumna, are authors of this tribute to their sister,