The Rev. Clifford A. Jones Sr., the keynote speaker at the Founder’s Day Convocation, dared students to live exemplary lives, in keeping with the high standard set by the university’s founder Dr. Simon Green Atkins.
“We cannot con-descend to try to be what others want us to be,” Rev. Jones, senior minister of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte told the audience, “You are a unique gift from a Divine Creator and with the gift [of life] comes responsibility.”
Jones’ address was one in a series of activities held during the 111th Founder’s Day Celebration. Ceremonies opened with a wreath placing service in the courtyard of the Kenneth R. Williams Auditorium, following by a welcome from Chancellor Harold L. Martin and a reading by Simona Allen, granddaughter of the late founder Dr. Simon Green Atkins.
WSSU began as the Slater Industrial Academy . It was a one room school house with one teacher and 25 students. The year was 1892.
Dr. Atkins served as president of the university from 1892 to 1904 and then from 1915 to 1934. Like other historically black colleges, WSSU came into being after the Civil War to provide educational opportunities to newly freed African slaves. Atkins founded WSSU on the principals of reconciliation and racial cooperation. He is remembered for saying that “education is primarily an effort to realize in man his possibilities as a thinking and feeling being.”
Kasseem Smith, a WSSU sophomore, said “Founder’s Day Convocation makes you realize that Dr. Atkins had to make a lot of sacrifices for this university.
Smith added that he appreciated “all of the sacrifices that Dr. Atkins made to found Slater Industrial Academy in order to further the education of blacks.”
Rev. Jones opened his keynote address by borrowing words from the lyrics to a song titled “Get Low” by rappers Lil John and East side Boys: “Let me see you get low, you scared, you scared? Drop it down to the floor, you scared, you scared? Now back, back, back it up.”
Jones said “getting low” and accepting dares to prove that you are not scared can lead to personal destruction. He challenged students to take responsibility for their actions, and work hard as Dr. did. Chancellor Martin presented a token of appreciation to Dr. Jones for his keynote address.