Texas Southern Founders Day

Texas Southern celebrates first annual Founders Day with political and social commentator Jeff Johnson September 14, 2010

At 10 a.m. students, faculty , and staff gathered in the H& PE arena for the celebration of Founders Day. Separated by the different schools but combined as one university, everyone grew knowledgeable about the history of TSU.

In 1927, segregation was very much alive and African Americans were fighting for their rights to do everything. Work, where to live, where to eat, and even receiving a college level education were only dreams for African Americans.

On September 14, 1927 the Houston Public School Board agreed to fund two junior colleges one for Whites and one for African Americans. “American Dream not yet need be deferred “said Barbara Jordan from the screen displaying the video presentation.

Political and social commentator Jeff Johnson took the stage to articulate to us the legacy of the university. Johnson challenged the students to think about what it was like to be black back in 1927 and what efforts would you have made. He talked about the integrity of the school and students taking initiative to continue invoking the Tiger pride.

“ I am not concerned about if you like what I have to say…. I am wondering how intellectually gangster are you going to be?” said Johnson.

He also talked about being influential in the community and encouraged the students to redefine the letters of TSU and to think about the history of the school. He simply stated that if students were going to have to be just as powerful as those students who came 83 years ago.

T for training S for submit and U to represent unmovable. He then explained the importance of your hands and how you must use them to get what you want.

“What are you going to do with your hands, will you sit on them and ignore the God given talent you have inside of you?... We want to use these hands to life up the founders of TSU” said Johnson.

The Founders Day program ended with the school song sung by the TSU Jazz choir as student and staff headed to the plaza where the celebration continued.

Many gathered in the plaza to enjoy festivities and converse about the first annual Founders’ Day. Even though classes were not cancelled, President Rudley encouraged all professors to

“Jeff Johnson was amazing! I have seen him before on BET but it was long ago. He was very encouraging today and he is very motivating” said Vanya Gamble an Internship Coordinator for the School of Communications.

The plaza was filled with several booths representing the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, School of Business, the School of Science and Technology and many more schools. There were many educational and informational activities.

There was also free food , drinks, and even a scavenger hunt for a scholarship. TSU police department officers were even in attendance to share their safety precautions they are taking to secure the campus.

“I like what President Rudley is doing with the campus and I believe this was a successful first annual Founders Day” said Ashley Bradford a junior at TSU.