2008 Woodie Awards
AAAS work to bring diversity
Student organization uses skills to establish more connected USC
Sierra Kelly
Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: News
Throughout recent years and over past decades, the Association of African American Students have worked to bring diversity to USC.
Ken Price, the 1968 president of the association, made a large impact through the group. Price recently passed away.
Other leaders of AAAS, both past and present, helped to carry on Price's legacy. Past leaders such as Aisha Taylor, Rico Reed and Tevra Johnson, and the current president, Amber Guyton, work to bring more diversity to USC.
The organization celebrated its 40th anniversary Tuesday night with a gala honoring influential African-Americans in the USC community.
Rico Reed, a 1999 alumnus, was a print journalism student and a graphic designer for The Daily Gamecock when he attended USC.
Reed said he currently works with the national resource center for students in transition.
"I started out working with AAAS since my freshman year and that's how I got started," Reed said. "During my sophomore year I was glad to come in and work because I had graphic design experience. My senior year I knew I wanted to run for president; I ran and won the election."
Reed said he served as the president for AAAS in 1998-1999.
Reed said the year he was president he pulled his staff together and really put them in the communities. He said the people that are involved now will leave behind a legacy to remember.
Aisha Taylor, an 2002 USC graduate, said she was the youngest AAAS president when she was inducted at 18 years old.
Taylor said she currently owns Taylor Maid Professional Career Consulting and is a licensed minister.
Taylor said AAAS had one of the most successful years during her presidency because they continued a lot of the traditions.
"During that year was also the time we were trying to get the Confederate flag removed from the top of the State House," Taylor said. "We also staged a boycott against The Gamecock because they were printing ads for no reason. We did a lot of activism during our Black Cultural Week."
Ken Price, the 1968 president of the association, made a large impact through the group. Price recently passed away.
Other leaders of AAAS, both past and present, helped to carry on Price's legacy. Past leaders such as Aisha Taylor, Rico Reed and Tevra Johnson, and the current president, Amber Guyton, work to bring more diversity to USC.
The organization celebrated its 40th anniversary Tuesday night with a gala honoring influential African-Americans in the USC community.
Rico Reed, a 1999 alumnus, was a print journalism student and a graphic designer for The Daily Gamecock when he attended USC.
Reed said he currently works with the national resource center for students in transition.
"I started out working with AAAS since my freshman year and that's how I got started," Reed said. "During my sophomore year I was glad to come in and work because I had graphic design experience. My senior year I knew I wanted to run for president; I ran and won the election."
Reed said he served as the president for AAAS in 1998-1999.
Reed said the year he was president he pulled his staff together and really put them in the communities. He said the people that are involved now will leave behind a legacy to remember.
Aisha Taylor, an 2002 USC graduate, said she was the youngest AAAS president when she was inducted at 18 years old.
Taylor said she currently owns Taylor Maid Professional Career Consulting and is a licensed minister.
Taylor said AAAS had one of the most successful years during her presidency because they continued a lot of the traditions.
"During that year was also the time we were trying to get the Confederate flag removed from the top of the State House," Taylor said. "We also staged a boycott against The Gamecock because they were printing ads for no reason. We did a lot of activism during our Black Cultural Week."
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