Elizabeth City State University will present in April a special concert honoring two jazz greats.

The John Coltrane/Miles Davis Centennial Celebration is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 14 at the Floyd L. Robinson Auditorium inside the Mickey L. Burnim Fine Arts Center. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Scheduled to perform are the university’s Jazz Ensemble with guest artists Dr. Steven Cunningham, Cedric Easton, Dennis Figgs, Christian Howes, Stephanie Sanders, Shannah Boone and Jeremy Ward, and a special performance by the Arts of the Albemarle River City Strings.

“Join ECSU for a night when history, artistry, and community come together to celebrate the enduring legacy of jazz and the icons who defined it,” organizers said.

The program is part of Elizabeth City State’s Community Connections performance and lecture series, and is sponsored and supported through a combination of student fees and a private donation from Phyllis Bosomworth, a former member of the university’s Board of Trustees.  

While there is no charge to attend, those interested are encouraged to register in advance through www.ecsu.edu/community-connections. For additional information, contact ecsucommunityconnections@ecsu.edu.  

The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that it had partnered with Greyhound in expanding bus service to Elizabeth City State University to make it easier for people to access the state and national intercity bus network.

“We’re thrilled about this new on-campus Greyhound stop that will benefit the university and city alike,” said Brennon Fuqua, director of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Integrated Mobility Division, in the announcement. “This is the latest example of how working in partnership on transportation projects and goals increases access to a robust, reliable and safe transportation network statewide and, ultimately, beyond.”

The new stop at the university’s K.E. White Center offers two trips per day, seven days a week. The expanded service also increases travel options to destinations such as Richmond, Myrtle Beach, and elsewhere along NCDOT’s Coastal Plains Connector. Greyhound buses provide passengers with onboard Wi-Fi, comfortable seats, and charging outlets at every seat, the department said.

“Elizabeth City State University is proud to strengthen our partnerships within our community and beyond,” said Nichole Lewis, assistant vice chancellor and dean of students at ECSU. “This new Greyhound stop provides our students, faculty, and the wider community with affordable and reliable access to and from campus. It’s a meaningful addition that also opens greater access to our campus venues and facilities, furthering our commitment to making ECSU a choice destination for education and engagement.”

Officials said the new stop highlights ongoing work the Integrated Mobility Division has been doing to increase transportations options, access to new destinations and align transit options and schedules with other available transportation modes, like NC By Train, the state’s intercity passenger rail service and Amtrak which provides passenger rail service nationwide. It also meets NCDOT’s commitment to ensuring access to necessary goods and services, healthcare and educational opportunities, officials said.

“The new ECSU stop offers students, faculty, and community members a convenient, affordable way to stay connected,” said Karina Frayter, head of communications at Flix North America. “Working alongside ECSU and NCDOT on this project underscores our commitment to making essential travel more accessible for university communities across North America.”

Passengers can book tickets and learn more about Greyhound’s service by visiting Greyhound.com or using the Greyhound mobile app.

Dr. Karrie Dixon, who has led Elizabeth City State University since 2018, has been elected as the new chancellor for North Carolina Central University.

Dixon is succeeding Johnson O. Akinleye, who is retiring June 30 after eight years leading the N.C. Central in Durham. She will begin her appointment on July 1.

The UNC Board of Governors, which is the policy making body for the University of North Carolina System, announced the appointment Thursday.

“Being a part of this incredible community of scholars, innovators and leaders on the sloping hills and verdant green is a dream come true,” Dixon said in a release. “NCCU embodies grit, innovation, leadership, purpose and legacy, and I am committed to building on our rich traditions and ensuring that our students, faculty, staff and alumni have the tools and opportunities necessary to succeed. I can’t wait to engage with all the possibilities that Durham has to offer.”

According to the Board of Governors, Dixon grew enrollment at Elizabeth City State “by nearly 70%, raised $24 million in private gifts and built partnerships that led to nearly $300 million in state and federal funding for facilities, infrastructure and academic programs” and raised employee morale from lowest in the UNC System to the highest.

UNC System President Peter Hans recommended Dixon following a national search that drew more than 50 candidates, resulting in three finalists endorsed by the N.C. Central’s Board of Trustees, according to the board.

“Karrie Dixon has been a widely admired leader in our university System for more than two decades,” Hans said. “She’s known for building great teams and taking on big challenges with honesty and optimism. I’m excited for NC Central and grateful to Chancellor Dixon for her commitment to this state.”

N.C. Central’s Board of Trustees Chair Kevin Holloway said that the university is “thrilled to have a dynamic new chancellor in Dr. Karrie Dixon to accelerate the growth of our great institution so our students and graduates can fully compete in a global economy.”

A first-generation college graduate, Dixon holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from N.C. State University, a master’s degree in speech communication from UNC Greensboro, and a doctorate in higher education administration from N.C. State University.

Dixon has worked within the UNC System for 23 years, moving up the ranks in academic positions at the system office, including as vice president for academic and student affairs, senior associate vice president for academic and student affairs and assistant vice president for academic and student affairs.

Previously she was assistant vice provost at N.C. State University, and before that served as a program assessment consultant in N.C. State’s Department of Chemical Engineering. She was an adjunct assistant professor at N.C. State’s College of Education, and taught communication at N.C. State and UNC Greensboro.

“This is a great day for North Carolina Central University,” said UNC Board of Governors Chair Randy Ramsey. “Karrie Dixon has made enormous contributions to eastern North Carolina during her years of service to Elizabeth City State University and will now be a tremendous leader for another of our state’s important public HBCUs. I congratulate her and look forward to seeing what this new chapter holds.”

The Max Roach Centennial Celebration and Jazz Festival is scheduled for April 11-13 in Elizabeth City.

Hosted by Elizabeth City State University’s Department of Music and Visual Arts, the festival will include jazz history workshops, master classes, K-12 workshops and live performances on the college’s campus and in Elizabeth City. All programming is open to the public at no charge.

Roach, who died in 2007, was an African American drummer, composer and band leader praised for his instrumentation and jazz prowess.

Elizabeth City State Music Professor Douglas Jackson sees the event as an opportunity to explore the roots of jazz music.

“Max Roach was born in Newland, N.C. in Pasquotank County. Elizabeth City State University shares this same geographical reference,” Jackson said in an earlier release from the college. “The recognition of Max Roach is also a recognition of the contributions made by jazz musicians born in North Carolina, including Billy Taylor, John Coltrane, Nina Simone and Thelonious Monk.”

Jackson is leading the effort along with local partners including the Museum of the Albemarle, which is hosting the festival opening night reception with special guest, Elizabeth City native, A. B. Spellman, Thursday, April 11.

Related: Bebop drummer Max Roach kept coastal NC connections

Spellman, who won in 2024 Grammy Award in the category Best Classical Compendium for the project “Passion for Bach and Coltrane,” has written essays and poetry for Rhythm magazine and taught at Morehouse College, Emory University, Rutgers, and Harvard University.  In 1975, Spellman became director of Arts in Education Study Projects for the National Endowment for the Arts, and retired in 2005. 

Guests can meet Spellman in the lobby starting at 6 p.m. before the program begins at 6:45 p.m. in the auditorium with Veronica Downing of ECSU/ WRVS Jazzy 89.9 Radio Show, Honey Vibes Weekend Radio Show and the JazzHead Podcast. Light refreshments will follow.

“We are thrilled to present this festival to the community,” Jackson said. “It is through the arts that we discover what a rich history we have throughout the state and the scope of jazz music.”   

The Max Roach Centennial Celebration and Jazz Festival 2024 is sponsored by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Elizabeth City State University Foundation officials are rolling out the red carpet March 9 to recognize two state senators and four alumni selected for the 2024 Chancellor’s Legacy Awards to be presented during the annual Founder’s Day Scholarship Gala.

The award “recognizes individuals, businesses, corporations, and foundations who have best demonstrated the standard of excellence that defines and shapes ECSU as an institution,” according to the university.

Doors open at 6 p.m. for the event and the program begins at 7 p.m. at the K.E. White Graduate Center in Elizabeth City. Tickets are $150 each and can be purchased online.

Sen. Warren Daniel, R-Burke, and Sen. Gladys Robinson, D-Gulliford, are among the recipients and alumni, Phyllis Elmore, Lenora Jarvis-Mackey, Gwendolyn Sanders and James E. Swimpson.

Elmore, a 1982 graduate, is an avid supporter and has organized several trips from the Washington, D.C., and Maryland areas introduce students to the university.

Jarvis-Mackey, class of 1966, has been the president and chief executive officer of River City Community Development Corp. since it was founded more than 30 years ago.

Sanders, who graduated in 1977, serves as the president of the Elizabeth City Chapter of The Links Inc. and parliamentarian of the Elizabeth City Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. She retired from ECSU in 2023 as the deputy chief of staff in the Office of the Chancellor.

James Swimpson, a 1962 graduate who was accepted to the university called Elizabeth City State Teachers College, had a 30-year career in the financial aid office. He was recognized with a historic marker Oct. 13, 2022, as the only surviving member of the original five student activists that in 1960 sat at a whites-only lunch counter in Elizabeth City.

The gala, which the university foundation calls it’s “premiere fundraiser,” has raised $1.6 million to support the General Scholarship Fund since it began in 2003.