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Matt Dale Grew Up in Shadows of Birmingham Southern; He’s Doing Everything He Can to Keep it Open

By Sym Posey The Birmingham Times When Alabama State Treasurer Young Boozer last month denied Birmingham Southern College’s application for an almost $30 million bridge loan to keep the school open, dozens of its students made their way to Montgomery for a meeting with the treasurer. Although he did not meet with them, several of […]
The post Matt Dale Grew Up in Shadows of Birmingham Southern; He’s Doing Everything He Can to Keep it Open first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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3 years ago

December 5, 2023

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Matt Dale and fellow Birmingham-Southern College students gather at the state capitol on Nov. 3, 2023 to ask state treasurer Young Boozer III reconsider aid to the institution. (BSC)

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By Sym Posey

The Birmingham Times

When Alabama State Treasurer Young Boozer last month denied Birmingham Southern College’s application for an almost $30 million bridge loan to keep the school open, dozens of its students made their way to Montgomery for a meeting with the treasurer. Although he did not meet with them, several of the students spoke on the steps of the capitol. Among the group was Matthew Dale, a senior studying biology with a distinction in Black Studies.

“Through my personal failures, family issues, and financial troubles, there was one thing that remain constant. The love and dedication to my growth as human being that Birmingham Southern provided,” he said during his prepared remarks. “BCS has always been in my life… This is my home. This is my community. This is my family. In all of us speaking today, you should see we have induvial stories that tie our hearts to the same place [BSC]. Our closure would displace hundreds of beautiful people, leave a vacancy in the heart of Birmingham, and stunt the growth of Birmingham as a city all together.”

See video here

That excerpt summarized what Dale, 21, has meant to his school and his community. A native of Bush Hills, where BSC is located, Dale attended Princeton Elementary School and Phillips Academy. From there he enrolled at Indian Springs School a transition from a “predominately Black school to a predominately white school … a different experience for him,” he said, adding, “The education I got [at] Indian Springs was beyond anything I could ever ask for. They prepared me for the next level.”

Some else prepared him for the next level. Playing soccer. An active soccer player, he started his career with NorthStar Soccer Ministries, a youth ministry that focuses on inner city children, while attending Princeton.

“It gave me a chance to play soccer with children who looked like me…My first coaches were Coach Ben and Coach Andrew. Andrew was a cross country runner for Birmingham Southern and Coach Ben was a soccer player at Birmingham Southern,” Dale said.

“I’ve been playing soccer for as long as a I can remember. My older brother played soccer since I guess the age-appropriate to walk. I followed behind him … Everybody is two years apart.” Dale has an older brother and a younger sister.

While in high school, he used to sneak back into his neighborhood and onto BSC fields. “Birmingham Southern has always been my backyard. Somewhere I can come and play,” he said.

From a young age, Dale said he always had a plan to be active in Bush Hills “hold a role [in my community] where if they [the community] needed something they knew that they could depend on me.”

For example, he originally wanted to be a dentist which would allow him “to hold a concrete position in my community,” he said. “If you think about it, your dentist doesn’t go anywhere. They stay there and practice there.”

Once he graduated from Indian Springs, Dale had planned to attend a Division 1 school for soccer until her tore his ACL his junior year. “I thought everything was over. D1 schools stop talking to me. And after I recovered, I went to this soccer camp. “

It was a college exposure camp.

“After the game, BSC’S soccer coach, Corey Smith approached me and said he loved the way I played and told me I had a promising future at Birmingham Southern,“ said Dale, who went on to play soccer there.

Eye-Opening Experience

Once he entered college, right after he [pledged Alpha Phi Alpha], Dale said he was looking for a class to take and came across Pillars of Africana Thought. “Being in that class was the most eye-opening experience I have ever had,” he said. “As a Black man in America, we see, and we understand things to a certain extent. But when you can see that formulated into words in a classroom it comes as an awakening moment. It was insane to see that my lived experiences were formulated into words on paper to be a subject that people study. It intrigued me and it change the way that I viewed everything.”

Dale is optimistic that BSC can say open. He expects to return in the near future.

In his speech at the state capitol, he said, “As I prepare to graduate, I will pursue a master’s degree in the public health and then a Ph.D. in African American studies with hopes to come back to Birmingham Southern and provide and even better experience through professorship.”

Among Dale’s awards and achievements:

–Golden Brother of the Year | Presented by Black Male Initiative 2022

–Rising Leader Award | Presented by Birmingham Southern College 2022

–Outstanding Sophomore | Presented by Birmingham Southern College 2022

–Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award | Presented by Birmingham Southern College 2022, 2023

–Standout Junior | Presented by Birmingham Southern College Acts of Initiative Award | Presented by Birmingham Southern College 2023

–Dan K. Anderson Award | Presented by Birmingham Southern College 2023

–Black Student Union Scholarship | Presented by Birmingham Southern College 2023

— Mortar Board Birmingham Southern College 2023- Present

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

The post Matt Dale Grew Up in Shadows of Birmingham Southern; He’s Doing Everything He Can to Keep it Open first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found Darius Cooper with nine seconds left for the game winning touchdown as his team beat the Tennessee Titans 24-20 in Nashville. Hurts finished the day 26/37 for 264 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 […]
The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 yards. During the final drive Hurts went 6-8 with 61 passing yards and the touchdown. Titans defensive tackle — and team captain — Jeffery Simmons said this week that the way to defend Jalen Hurts is to make him “play quarterback.”

Hurts said to Simmons after today’s game: “You started that sh**. I had to finish it.”

Running back Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger in the first half but he ultimately finished the game. He had four carries and nine yards and one catch for eleven yards. He will get an MRI for his injury, but admitted to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network he was fine.

Caleb Williams leaves game against Vikings with apparent lower-body injury

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was helped off the field with a right leg injury with 7:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Williams was down, writhing in pain after scrambling to his left. After departing the injury tent, Williams raised his right fist, acknowledging the crowd while expressing his frustration. Testing will commence on Monday to find out more details about his injury.

“We’ll know tomorrow,” Johnson admitted regarding Williams’ injury. “He’s in good spirits. He’s a team player.”

Williams finished the day with 138 passing yards and one interception.

“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee — that was my first inclination,” Johnson said. “But, a hamstring could be pretty damaging as well. So, we’ll see. We’ll see how bad it is tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

Bryce Young once again dominated the Falcons

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is 5-1 against the Atlanta Falcons and is undefeated at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Today, Young threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Panthers to a 34-3 dismembering of the Atlanta Falcons. Georgia Tech alumnus Darren Waller caught two touchdowns and linebacker Devin Lloyd returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown.

Cooper Rush started his second straight game for the Falcons and it did not go well. The partisan crowd voiced their displeasure after Rush completed 10/17 passes for 86 yards and two interceptions. Jack Strand entered the game for Rush prompting cheers from the Falcons fans. The rookie threw a pick-six on his first career pass attempt. Strand was the first QB to accomplish that feat since Sam Darnold in 2018 and is the first Falcons player to do that since Brett Favre in 1991. Strand finished the day with 59 passing yards and 16 rushing yards.

According to reports, quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. is expected to make his season debut this Thursday at the Green Bay Packers. His return should help the Falcons. They are the first team since the 2008 Rams to not run any plays in the red zone after the first two games to open a season.

The bright spots for the Falcons today were the Spelman College Jaguarettes performing with the Falcons cheerleaders and Florida A&M’s marching band, The Marching 100, also performed during halftime!

Jayden Daniels gets carted off after apparent arm injury

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He was later ruled out.

Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow to the same arm during week nine of last season against the Washington Commanders, which led to him being shut down for the remainder of the season.

The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Negotiation framework stages, tactics, and winning strategies from AutoNetwork

Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt deliver the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework in Episode 8 of The Color of Our Money Is Green. This episode covers the three foundations of every effective negotiation, the full seven-stage negotiation sequence with exact language for every stage, and five of the most common dealership tactics with the specific response each one requires.
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Why signing preliminary paperwork isn’t the same as signing the final contract
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“The Color of Our Money Is Green: A Buyer’s Guide to What Cars Actually Cost” — stan.store/RGist
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AutoNetwork helps serious car shoppers inspect any new vehicle online before walking into a dealership. I’m Roosevelt — I’ve been reviewing cars and shaping digital car buying and credit union auto leasing since before YouTube car reviews existed.
You’ll find detailed walkaround reviews, POV test drives, and buyer-focused breakdowns covering comfort, space, features, and real-world value.

How to use the channel:
Watch the walkaround of the car you’re considering
Visit AutoNetwork.com for the full review
Check CouponsOffersAndDeals.com for current dealer specials
Walk in already knowing what you want — and what it should cost

AutoNetwork.com
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Affiliate disclosure: some links earn a small commission at no cost to you and help support the channel. Insta360 is one of those partners.

The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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The post Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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