Brooke Kelly<\/strong> Community and university leaders across the nation would like to end hazing at universities and other schools by 2015.<\/p>\n In response to the November death of Florida A&M drum major Robert Champion Jr., groups came together Tuesday to launch the National Anti-Hazing\/Anti-Violence Task Force.<\/p>\n The Rev. R.B. Holmes Jr. organized the task force and serves as its chairman. Holmes is president of the National Save the Family Now Movement Inc. and pastor of the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church of Tallahassee, Fla.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have come together to organize a historic National Anti-Hazing \/Anti-Violence Task Force to provide solutions and strategies to eradicated hazing from black college campuses and to develop proactive programs and events to address the escalation of violence in Black America,\u201d Holmes said in a statement.<\/p>\n Champion\u2019s parents, Pam and Robert Champion Sr., joined the task force at the National Press Club.<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes everybody. It\u2019s not just a Champions\u2019 thing. It\u2019s everybody, and everybody must be on board if we are to end and get rid of it,\u201d Pam Champion said. Florida Memorial University President Henry Lewis gave a statistical report about hazing deaths, citing Hank Nuwer\u2019s website that documents143 hazing-related deaths from 1838 to 2011. At historically black universities and colleges and predominately black institutions, nine students have died from hazing, initiation or pledge-related accidents.<\/p>\n \u201cSome experts agree that the numbers are much greater due to the underreported nature of hazing incidents and the keep-silent attitude that goes on in our student body,\u201d Lewis said.<\/p>\n Members of the task force praised anti-hazing legislation Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., intends to introduce this month.<\/p>\n \u201cThe legislation that Wilson has proposed is right on target for helping us develop a national framework,\u201d Lewis said. George Cooper, president of South Carolina State University and of the Council of 1890 Universities, is co-chair of the task force. \u201cWe all consider this as an important issue for our campuses. As presidents, we all provide assurances to parents and students that we have a safe environment for students that attend our universities,\u201d Cooper said.<\/p>\n An autopsy confirmed the death of Champion, 26, was a homicide caused by blows to the body, which resulted in shock caused by severe bleeding. The 12-point, three-year plan includes an anti hazing\/anti-violence conference next month in Orangeburg, S.C., a March 25 anti hazing\/anti-violence awareness Sunday, community forums, a youth summit, a kindergarten-to-high school initiative and media programs.<\/p>\n Champion\u2019s family formed a foundation in their son\u2019s name, and the task force intends to encourage HBCUs to establish Robert Champion scholarships. Brooke Kelly is the former Managing Editor of The Blue& White Flash, who is currently interning with the Scripps-Howard Foundation Wire in Washington DC.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Brooke Kelly Scripps Howard Foundation Wire Community and university leaders across the nation would like to end hazing at universities and other schools by 2015.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_plus_post_options":"{}","editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/839"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=839"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/839\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nScripps Howard Foundation Wire<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nRobert Champion Sr. said, \u201cWe need to get a sense of urgency so we can rid this thing. I think the only way we can do that is create some tougher laws, make people accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nForty-four states have anti-hazing laws.<\/p>\n
\nHe said he and other presidents of HBCUs have the opportunity to elevate the level of discourse.<\/p>\n
\nAccording to news reports, there were a variety of reasons for the attack, including Champion\u2019s attempt to gain respect on the band bus he rode, his sexual orientation, his disapproval of hazing and his eligibility for chief drum major.<\/p>\n
\nOther groups participating in the campaign include the National Newspapers Publishers Association, the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education and the King Center for Non-Violent Social Change. The National Conference of Black Mayors and the National Association of Black Psychologists are also working with the task force.<\/p>\n