By Lydian Bernhardt, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences interim communications director

When: 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept.7.

Where: N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion, 3020 McConnell Road, Greensboro, NC 27405

Who: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T and the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners

Details: Visit theresiliencefilm.com for more information and register here for the showing.

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Aug. 30, 2022) – Food security, or having enough to eat, is a statewide problem that only increased in the wake of COVID 19, according to national hunger-relief organization Feeding America. In Guilford County alone, the food insecurity rate is nearly 14 percent.

Luckily, many are hungry to help.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T and the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) have partnered to host documentary screening and panel discussion centering around food security: who has it, who needs it, and what policy-makers, educators, community organizations and students can do to help.

The event will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion, 3020 McConnell Road in Greensboro. Refreshments will be served at 5 p.m., followed by a screening of the award-winning documentary “Resilience: Food for All” at 6 p.m.  A panel discussion will follow, featuring local elected leaders, experts, and stakeholders to explore the importance of food system resilience strategies for our communities and access to healthy food. Visit the website theresiliencefilm.com for more information and register here for the showing.

“This film sheds light on a lesser-known obstacle facing many North Carolina residents,” said filmmaker Chris Baucom. “Our counties, with partners like N.C. A&T and N.C. Cooperative Extension, are working hard to increase food security for our residents. This event is the perfect opportunity to unite the local community around this issue and discuss how it affects Guilford County and our state.”

The two-time award-winning documentary spotlights food insecurity in North Carolina and its effects on residents across the state: from urban tech hubs to remote areas and from the mountains to the coast. It explores the challenges of food access exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and how people are working to strengthen food system resilience in local communities.

The filming began under the watch of former NCACC President Ronnie Smith.

“In 2020, during my term as president, it was clear to me that North Carolina's food insecurity and food system needed to be addressed,” said Smith. “This led to the production of this film – the association’s first – to raise awareness about the challenges of food access and how everyday heroes are working to strengthen food system resilience in communities across North Carolina.”

The College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences is ready to help with the daunting task of alleviating hunger, said Dean Mohamed Ahmedna.

“We take our role as an educational institution very seriously, and that includes education about how to grow and share healthy food,” Ahmedna said. “The fact that East Greensboro, where N.C. A&T is located, is in a food desert only strengthens our resolve to provide the research and advice people need to help solve this problem.”

What: Food Security Event featuring a screening of “Resilience: Food for All” followed by a panel discussion with local elected leaders, experts, and stakeholders

When: 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept.7.

Where: N.C. A&T University Farm Pavilion, 3020 McConnell Road, Greensboro, NC 27405

Who: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T and the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners

Details: Visit theresiliencefilm.com for more information and register here for the showing.

Photo cutline: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University horticulture students harvest and weigh produce from the student and community farm, which donates thousands of pounds of produce to people in need each year.

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Aug. 31, 2022) – The 2021 State of the Climate Report released today reveals evidence of another year of a warming climate, with new record highs and frequency of extreme weather events across the globe.

According to the report, “the global annual average atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was 414.7 parts per million (ppm) … which was 2.3 ppm greater than 2020 amounts and was the highest in both the modern 63-year record as well as the highest in the last million years.” Scientists also observed respective records for methane and nitrous oxide concentrations. These three gases comprise the major atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations that contribute to global warming.

Other findings include:

• Earth’s warming trend continued.
• Ocean heat and global sea level were the highest on record.
• La Niña conditions lowered sea surface temperatures.
• Temperatures were mixed in the Southern hemisphere.
• The Arctic was cooler overall, but some records were set.
• Tropical cyclone activity was well above average.

More than 530 scientists in more than 60 countries contributed to the 32^nd edition of this report, an annual, internationally peer-reviewed assessment compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Environmental Information, and published by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. The report’s layout includes observation of oceans, the tropics, high latitudes and specific regions across the globe.

Ademe Mekonnen, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Physics at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, has served as the chapter editor of the African region for seven consecutive years.

“We found a lot of extreme events for the African region, like devastating floods, and not only are they extreme, they are intense,” said Mekonnen. “It looks like the rainy season was heavier and shorter in some areas, but if you go only several hundred kilometers away, it’s a completely dry climate.”

Mekonnen referenced areas like east central Sudan, which garnered widespread media attention in 2021 after more than 835,000 people were impacted by the worst flooding in the country’s history, according to the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs.

“For example, when floodwaters rise and do not recede, this affects the movement of people and goods. Some people have died as a result,” Mekonnen said. “Livestock, crops, water quality and even the economy and other areas necessary to sustain communities, are all affected.”

Mekonnen said these extreme weather events and their effects are also seen in areas across the world: “There is some signature of a change in climate and these weather events are increasing in frequency and strength.”

To read the report, visit the American Meteorological Society’s website.

By Lydian Bernhardt, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences interim communications director

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Aug. 30, 2022) – Fourth-year students in North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s fashion merchandising and design program will get the professional advice and build the connections they need to succeed in the luxury fashion world through a historic year-long collaboration between the program, fashion agency Harlem’s Fashion Row and luxury-goods conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy.

For 10 weeks, key industry experts from HFR and luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co, part of the French conglomerate, will Zoom into the fashion class taught by Devona Dixon, Ph.D., to share practical knowledge and experiences on topics such as jewelry design, branding and innovation in a 10-week-long lecture series called “Tenacity Talks.”

The partnership marks a groundbreaking commitment from LVMH to support of HFR's mission of discovering, mentoring and showcasing the emerging talent of color through multiplatform, high-visibility events and pipeline-building programs.

The fashion merchandising and design program, in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, was one of just three historically Black college and university programs nationwide selected to participate in the series, said Brandice Daniel, CEO of Harlem’s Fashion Row, in the first lecture of the series.

“The goal of this program is to prepare all of you to come into this industry when you graduate from college, which you will be able to do because you will have gotten the connections and knowledge that you need, you will have heard what it takes and you’ll understand,” said Daniel.

As part of the program, some students will travel to New York City’s fashion district this fall to experience luxury first-hand with a tour of Tiffany & Co.’s flagship store and headquarters. The group of 16 students and three program faculty members will engage with Tiffany & Co. executives and participate in several seminars hosted by Tiffany’s. The relationship will continue in the spring, Dixon said.

“Many HBCU students have never been to New York or the other fashion capitals of the world, and do not have the familiarity with luxury brands that it takes to be successful,” Dixon said. “This is a transformative opportunity for our students.”

The lecture series marks another step in the relationship between N.C. A&T’s fashion program and Harlem’s Fashion Row. In June 2021, the program received a $100,000 award from clothier The Gap and the agency’s nonprofit arm Icon 360 as part of their “Closing the Gap” initiative, begun in 2020 to support designers of color.

During the Aug. 24 class, moderated by senior Jacole Davis-Evans, Daniel discussed her entry into the fashion industry and what she called “cliff jumping,” or taking necessary risks to achieve success.

“It was a dream of mine to move to New York and work in the fashion industry,” Daniel said. “When I moved to New York from Memphis, Tennessee, that was risky. That was a cliff jump. So what did I do to prepare myself? I started coming to New York every year so I could get comfortable with it. Starting a company from scratch? Another cliff jump. I am making cliff jumps every week, to be honest with you.”

Daniel also discussed how the industry has changed since she started Harlem’s Fashion Row in 2007.

“One of the conversations that was really difficult to have (then) was race,” she said. “Brands didn’t want to talk about it, the industry didn’t want to talk about it … then, things started to shift a little bit around 2018. There were a lot of articles that were coming out, there were a lot of conversations about race.”

This growing discussion, coupled with the 2020 murder of George Floyd, was the beginning of a huge shift by retail, fashion and specialty luxury brands to not only build more inclusive staff, but also to train underrepresented fashion students to work in the industry, Daniel said.

“This is where you all come in,” she said. “This is an industry that is ripe for change. And it needs to change.”

Junior Mya Harris called the first session “inspiring.”

“I feel that this class is going to be very beneficial for us as HBCU students to hear the stories and get the advice from very powerful people in the industry,” Harris said. “Brandice left us with great quotes to keep us motivated.”

Dixon offered her gratitude to Daniel, HFR, Tiffany & Co. and the incoming guests.

“Thank you very much, Brandice, Harlem’s Fashion Row, and everyone we’ve worked with over the summer,” said Dixon. “We will definitely take advantage of every opportunity so we can see all of these wonderful faces in New York at some point, in HFR or in some capacity at retailers, agencies and everywhere.”

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Aug. 19, 2022) - Catch the Wellness Wave, a virtual health fair aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles will take place Sept. 10 using the vFairs platform.  

The event is free and targets families and individuals in North Carolina. People interested in registering can do so here.   

Catch the Wellness Wave will offer a variety of activities and sessions to promote health and wellness, including virtual food demonstrations, exercise demonstrations, and workshops. Attendees will be able to access all events from the comfort of their homes. The fun begins at 9 a.m. and continues until 4 p.m. In addition to gaining knowledge about nutrition, health and fitness to benefit the whole family, the first 500 registered attendees will receive a swag bag.  

Other activities will include a scavenger hunt and a photo booth to capture the virtual experience. Shewana McSwain, the Try Healthy SNAP-Ed coordinator with Extension at N.C. A&T, urged people to register so that they can:  

● Receive tips to improve their health.  

● Get moving with exercise instructors.  

● Learn how to shop for healthy foods on a budget.  

● Participate in a virtual scavenger hunt and be eligible to win one of two $25 gift cards.  

● Collect healthy recipes to make at home.  

● Connect with vendors in the virtual exhibit hall and receive helpful resources.  

● Pick up tips to encourage kids to eat healthy.  

● Win a swag bag by being one of the first 500 registered attendees.  

Registered participants for Catch the Wellness Wave simply need to log in at the event link on the day of the event. Participants also will be able to download slides and background documents offered during workshops and at virtual vendor booths. 

About Cooperative Extension at North Carolina A&T State University

Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T provides research-based information to North Carolinians with social, cultural, and economic barriers to upward mobility so that they can make decisions that improve their communities and their lives. As the outreach arm of the university’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Extension includes subject-matter specialists and county-based agents and paraprofessionals who deliver programs through centers across the state. Extension professionals use a variety of delivery methods – from one-on-one demonstrations to videoconferencing and online computer assisted training – to address the needs of individuals, small farmers, families, youth and communities with limited resources. 

About North Carolina A&T State University
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is the nation’s largest historically Black university, as well as its top ranked (Money magazine, Best Colleges). It is a land-grant, doctoral university, classified as “high research” by the Carnegie Foundation and a constituent member of the University of North Carolina System. A&T is known for its leadership in producing graduates in engineering, agriculture and other STEM fields. The university was founded in 1891 and is located in Greensboro, North Carolina.