Today is Monday, but if we could we would be reliving last weekend. AFRICON shut down downtown Los Angeles with four days of events. If attendees ever felt disconnected from the global Black Diaspora, event organizers Amplify Africa and the Africa Channel made sure they wouldn’t leave feeling the same way.
From panels, pitch competition, a gala, a music festival, and other events AFRICON was the place to be. It all kicked off on Wednesday May 25th at the invite-only Africa Day celebration at E-Central Hotel headquarters in Downtown Los Angeles. Director and producer Kweku Mandela hosted the event alongside Prince Joel Makonnen Haile Selassie, a descendant of the last Emperor of Ethiopia.
Thursday May 26th was an eventful day opened up with networking, a marketplace and exhibition, an entertainment professionals mixer, and more. A key event was “Bridging the Unspoken Gaps: Within the Diaspora and to the Continent,” which included speakers like musician Jidenna, actor and CEO Nate Parker, Afrochella Festival Abdul Abdullah, plus broadcaster and radio host Julie Adenuga. Other events included “Black Media: Controlling Our Own Narrative,” “Civil Rights and Advocacy in the Black Diaspora,” and “The Growing Business of Media/Entertainment in Africa.”
During the day, panels on Friday May 27th included “Leveraging the Power of Social Media,” “Starting and Building a Career in Tech,” “Deconstructing the Standard of Beauty,” “Investing in Africa’s Future,” and “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay: Mental Health Matters.” By the time evening fell, there were plenty of places to go. Not only attendees were getting ready for a fun Afrovibes rooftop party at the W Hollywood hotel, hosted by Afrochella and PVO. They had to get done up for the AfroBall, a dazzling annual event honoring the best and the brightest. Organizers looked to raise at least $500,000 to support the thousands of Goma inhabitants, who were in the DR Congo city when Mount Nyiragongo erupted after nearly 20 years. The event was the perfect way to eat, network, and celebrate the diaspora for a purpose.
Saturday, the final day of AFRICON, was anything but sad. If anything, it may have been the most joyous day. Attendees were able to reflect on three full days of events, meeting new people, and even supporting entrepreneurs. After all of that, there was even more planned! From 1-8pm was the Afro Music Festival at Baldwin Hills Mall, and then the Afrolituation x RNB Houseparty that ran at the Vermont in Hollywood all night!
To learn more, follow Amplify Africa on Instagram. Be sure to keep a lookout for AFRICON 2023 next year!
A Livingstone College alumna who made history in more than one way will be honored in North Carolina! Learn more in the story from staff at Because We Can.
North Carolina has dedicated a historical marker to the first Black woman licensed to practice law in the state, WFAE news reports.
Ruth Whitehead Whaley was born in 1901, growing up in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and attending a school where her parents were teachers. From high school, she went on to pursue her education at Livingstone College, marrying her husband Herman Whaley in 1920. It was Herman who would convince her to pursue a law degree, Whaley becoming the first Black woman to study law at Fordham University in New York and the first Black woman to earn a law degree from the school. She passed the bar exam in 1925, becoming one of the first women to practice law in New York.
While Whaley was extremely accomplished, she was still impacted by the pervasive racism of the time, returning to her home in Goldsboro in 1933 to earn her law license. While she was granted a license to practice in the state, it was more of a ceremonial license than an official one and she was never truly acknowledged for the history-making moment, becoming the first Black woman in the state to ever earn a license to practice law.
“She couldn’t easily practice law here so she had to move to New York. But she still came back and went through the process and got her license here. I think that’s a real interesting side of the story,” said Ansley Wegner, a member of NC’s highway historical marker program.
As a result of the challenges she faced, Whaley returned to New York where she continued her private practice, serving as an expert in civil service law and winning several landmark cases. In 1945, Whaley ran for a New York City Council seat, becoming one of the first Black women to be nominated by a major political party in the U.S. Whaley then went on to serve as secretary of the NYC Board of Estimate where she worked on municipal policy, city budgets, contracts, franchises, land use, and water rates from 1951-1973.
Whaley passed away in 1977 and now almost five decades after her death, she is finally being acknowledged for her pioneering contributions. Recently, North Carolina dedicated a highway historical marker in her honor, acknowledging her as the first African American woman licensed to practice law in the state.
The Ruth Whitehead Whaley marker is at the corner of Ash and Jones streets in Goldsboro, North Carolina, not far from where Whaley grew up.
Thank you for your contributions and your sacrifice, Mrs. Whaley! Because of you, we can!
After a 25-year hiatus, the federally funded TRIO-Upward Bound Program will return to Fisk University. The program will increase the number of low-income, first-generation students in the metro Nashville area who will obtain their high school diploma and go on to earn their college degrees. Fisk was among a select group of institutions winning competitive grants awarded by the Department of Education for the cycle 2022-2027. Totaling $1,437,642 over a five-year period and $287,528 annually, Fisk University will partner with area high schools to stem the rates of lagging academic performance of students from low-income backgrounds. The funds also are intended to abate the troubling intersection of students who are both from low-income families and potentially first-generation to attend college.
“This is truly great news for the entire Fisk University community,” said Fisk University President Dr. Vann R. Newkirk, Sr. “Considering the fact that Fisk University has not operated an Upward Bound program over the last two decades, this is a tremendous accomplishment.”
As a historian, Dr. Newkirk relished the fact that when the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) created the first Upward Bound Summer in 1965, in response to President Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty,” Fisk was one of only 17 institutions participating in the pilot Upward Bound program. Fisk was also among a handful of institutions whose Upward Bound activities emerged from similar efforts developed by Educational Services, Inc. Those early initiatives and this recent award reinforce Fisk University’s commitment to fostering opportunities for the achievement of academic success.
Fisk University will provide support for 60 area high school students that will include intensive academic advising/counseling, college entrance exam preparation, parental support, college financial aid planning, financial literacy, FAFSA training/assistance, course selection assistance, academic assessment, scholarship assistance, career planning, cultural enrichment, support for re-entry, alternative education, and special populations and core curriculum instruction. Effective outcomes will be measured by increases in the number of students participating in the program who will complete their secondary education and enroll in and graduate from postsecondary institutions.
Upward Bound services will take place throughout the regular academic year at the participating schools, at Fisk University, and through remote learning. Summer programming will include structured academic exposure, supervised residential life, and a slate of relevant cultural activities and events. Commitments of support include the target schools, area community organizations, and local businesses.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to have some impact with low-income students and families,” said Fisk University Board of Trustees Chair Mr. Frank Sims.
Upward Bound proposal developer and special assistant to President Newkirk, Dr. Kenneth E. Jones, said he is looking forward to ensuring that the objectives of the grant are met and seeing positive outcomes for underserved students in the Nashville metro area.
While most HBCUs work around the clock to to keep their HBCUs clean and looking updated, it often comes at a hefty cost that burdens the school. Luckily some HBCUs have alumni like Grambling State University graduate Eric Bowie. Bowie connected with his employer and found a way to bridge the gap with paint! Learn more in the release from Grambling State University release below.
(l-r) Grambling State University President Rick Gallot is pictured with a portion of the 900 gallons of paint donated by Benjamin Moore. He is joined by Senior Manufacturing Manager and 2002 alumnus Eric Bowie and Interim Facilities Maintenance Director Damien Chatman. (Photo Credit: Kanesha Douglas/Grambling State University)
Despite the gray clouds overhead today, Grambling State University were surrounded by a portion of the 900 gallons of high quality paint donated by Benjamin Moore. Valued at $81,000, the donation was garnered by the advocacy of 2002 alumnus Eric Bowie who serves as Senior Manufacturing Manager at Benjamin Moore.
When Bowie was appointed to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion board for Benjamin Moore, he wanted to use his platform to educate fellow colleagues about HBCUs and ways the company can help. The idea to donate paint, however, started from a conversation Bowie had with GSU President Rick Gallot on opportunities to partner with the institution. When it came to the ask for the donation, Moore said his employer exceeded his expectations.
“I was thinking 50 gallons, 100 gallons,” Bowie said. “When I talked to the powers that be, they were like, ‘oh no, we can do more.”
“We appreciate gifts that are in time, talent, and treasure,” said President Gallot. “Today’s gift to the university pretty much covers all three. We’re in the middle of terms in our student housing. Painting is a natural part of what we do [at this time of the year]. The savings the university will realize with the donation is something that will go a long way.”
Interim Director of Facilities Maintenance Damien Chatman said the paint can be used in many areas on campus including classrooms, campus living and housing, and select equipment.
From left: President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President, Rohini Kosoglu. Photo Credit: Rohini Kosoglu
Burdening student loan debt affects the lives of millions of current and former college students across the country. The Biden-Harris Administration has made loan forgiveness and other financial relief a top priority, but many aren’t clear on if such a proposal is legally feasible. Thankfully, a new development is showing that not only is it feasible— it’s happening! HBCU Buzz spoke to Rohini Kosoglu, who serves as Domestic Policy Advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris, to learn more.
Just this week, Harris announced that the Biden-Harris Administration secured federal loan forgiveness for former students of the for-profit Corinthian Colleges. The move alleviated debt for over 500,000 people. The schools, which were based in California but operated nationwide, closed in 2015 after access to federal funds were severed by the Education Department. “I first became involved, as many of you know, in the fight to stop Corinthian nearly a decade ago,” said Harris in a White House press briefing. “As Attorney General of California, I led the California Department of Justice, and we sued Corinthian. And we won because our investigation discovered that Corinthian had engaged in false and deceptive advertising.”
As more details have been released, the extent to which Corinthian Colleges exploited students has been appalling for many. “What we know is that Corinthian Colleges used deceptive and fraudulent practices,” Kosoglu shared. “They targeted demographics, where they went after single mothers, single fathers, veterans, those who were living at or below the poverty line. We also saw in their internal documents phrases that they were looking for people that were ‘isolated’ and people that were having ‘low self esteem.’ So those are the kinds of behaviors that we’re talking about.”
Additionally, the institutions promised debt-riddled students jobs that never came to fruition. “Their ads falsely promised students that if they attended certain programs, they would be guaranteed a job after graduation, raising the hopes of people who worked so hard for the bit of money they had to pay to get in these programs,” said Harris. In some instances not a single student was able to secure a job. In others, the job placement rates were inflated. “For example, in 2011, they paid a temporary employment agency to hire graduates for short-term jobs. Some students told us they were placed in jobs that only lasted for two days. Two days. That, of course, is not gainful employment, but Corinthian counted it as a successful job placement. Fraud.”
Everest College, one of the Corinthian Colleges. Photo Credit: Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
As a result of the single largest loan discharge made by the Department of Education, borrowers with debt from Corinthian Colleges will not have to take any additional actions regarding their federal loans. The historic legal decision widens the likelihood that borrowers of HBCUs and other accredited colleges and universities may be granted some relief as well. “There’s no question that we know that the cost of college and higher education is certainly something that we have to tackle,” Kosoglu reassured. “The President and Vice President have been focused on making sure that they will continue to keep fighting for help as it pertains to Pell Grants, and making sure students have what they need to attend colleges. The President’s budget increases the amount of funding to give help for places like HBCUs, colleges around the country, additional funding for teachers, and Title I schools.” Together, the President and Vice President have ongoing plans to work with Congress and continue to secure additional funding.
Americans who may be affected by other financial woes may receive targeted relief as well. “Just this spring the Vice President announced a series of actions around medical debt, which is one of the largest forms of debt that families hold today,” said Kosoglu. “That involved medical debt relief for veterans, that also involved calling on the credit scoring companies to make it easier for people that have medical debt in place.” Additionally, Harris is even attacking the race barrier that communities of color are experiencing in real estate valuation. “When they’re trying to sell their home on the market, people of color have been having issues getting those homes appraised at a fair rate as compared to white homeowners. So this is the kind of work that the Vice President has been engaging in to ensure that justice is being served.”
If you know a high school student interested in journalism, Howard University has the perfect program for them! Learn more in the staff report by the Philly Tribune below.
Photo Credit: Philly Tribune/Submitted Photo
High school students who are interested in multimedia journalism will be able to get experience through a 10-day virtual workshop.
The program, which will be held from June 20 to July 1, will be open to U.S. high school students in ninth through 12th grades and new graduates who will be entering college in the fall.
The deadline for application submission for the program is Friday, June 10 by 11 p.m.
The program will focus on how to use the power of multimedia journalism to cover health and wellness in underserved communities.
The workshops will be held virtually from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The free workshops include sessions on reporting, interviewing, scriptwriting, editing, multimedia, social media, ethics, professional development and other topics. Students will work under the guidance of a talented pool of professional journalists along with Howard professors, college students and alumni.
They will learn how to write news stories, capture audio, shoot and edit video, take photos, use interactive tools, incorporate social media and build a portfolio of their work.
Students will develop an understanding of interrelated social issues — such as housing and hunger — that contribute to making communities unhealthy. Their work will be published and distributed by the award-winning Howard University News Service and VoicesofTomorrow.news. Participants are also eligible for Dow Jones News Fund scholarships.
“We’re honored that Howard was again selected to host a Dow Jones News Fund Workshop and train young reporters to cover health inequities,” said Howard University professor Yanick Rice Lamb in a statement. “It’s a great program with amazing students.”
The workshop is sponsored by the Dow Jones News Fund, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Department of Media, Journalism and Film in the Cathy Hughes School of Communications.
The William W. Sutton Administration Building on Mississippi Valley State University’s campus in Itta Bena. (Photo Credit: Molly Minta/Mississippi Today)
Incarcerated people at two prisons in the Delta will be able to start earning four-year degrees from Mississippi Valley State University this fall for the first time in more than two decades.
Valley State’s Prison Educational Partnership Program (PEPP) is part of a growing number of colleges providing classes in prison with Second Chance Pell, a federal program that is restoring access to income-based financial aid for incarcerated people.
Seven colleges and nonprofits currently offer for-credit college classes and vocational courses in prisons in Mississippi, but PEPP will be the first program run by a Historically Black college in the state.
Provost Kathie Stromile Golden said that’s significant because while people of any race can participate in the program, in Mississippi, incarcerated people are disproportionately Black. PEPP will be a way for them to form a connection with an institution of the Black community on the outside.
Stromile Golden said she views prison education as ensuring incarcerated students know their communities haven’t forgotten about them.
“Many of the people who are incarcerated are parents and relatives of our students,” Stromile Golden said. “It’s in our best interest to do something like this, because these are the very same people who will come back to our community.”
The university has accepted about 50 incarcerated students for the first semester of classes at Bolivar County Correctional Facility and the Delta Correctional Facility, a prison in Greenwood for people who violated parole. The Second Chance Pell program is limited to incarcerated students with a high school degree or GED diploma who will eventually be released.
Rochelle McGee-Cobbs, an associate professor of criminal justice who will be the director of PEPP, worked with faculty and administration over the course of last year to set up the prison education program. She made multiple trips to the prisons to meet with potential students, bringing paper applications because they didn’t have access to computers to apply online.
The students expressed interest in business administration, computer science and engineering technology courses, so those are the majors that Valley State is planning to offer, McGee-Cobbs said.
She doesn’t know yet what courses PEPP will offer in the fall, because that will depend on the students’ transcripts, which she drove to Bolivar County on a Thursday in June to collect.
“Here at Mississippi Valley State University, regardless of where a student is at when they come in, we try to make sure that we nourish them,” McGee-Cobbs said. “We try to make sure that we cater to the needs of each student.”
Stromile Golden said Valley won’t know until the fall how many faculty are going to teach in the program. Instructors will be paid for travel to the prisons, but the university is working out whether instructors will reach courses as part of their regular load or as an additional class.
Faculty who elect to participate in the program will receive training from Jamii Sisterhood, a nonprofit that works to increase the number of Black people teaching in prisons. Stromile Golden said the training, which is supported by a grant from Project Freedom, will emphasize culturally competent approaches to teaching incarcerated students without adopting a “savior” mindset, which can be demeaning.
“Teaching inside is not the same as teaching outside,” she said.
Valley State’s incarcerated students will have access to the university’s counseling and financial aid offices. Stromile Golden and McGee-Cobbs are also working to partner with re-entry programs to assist students when they are released
College prisons like PEPP, supported by federal financial aid that incarcerated people need to afford classes, were the norm for decades. That changed when President Bill Clinton revoked access to Pell Grants in the 1994 crime bill as a way to look “tough on crime.” Hundreds of college prison programs shut down, cut off from the public funding that made them viable.
Over the last 15 years, as incarceration has become more expensive due to the growing population, lawmakers have started revisiting prison education programs, which studies repeatedly have shown reduce recidivism.
Second Chance Pell, the program Valley State is participating in, was started in 2015 as an “experiment” by President Barack Obama’s administration to give incarcerated people access to Pell Grants. In December 2020, Congress passed a law restoring full access, regardless of a person’s sentence, to Pell Grants.
In Mississippi, Burl Cain, the Department of Corrections commissioner, has supported prison education programs and restoring access to Pell Grants for incarcerated people as “a huge opportunity to cut costs.” Cain has met with Holmes Community College and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, which also participate in the Second Chance Pell program.
“We need this training and skills in the prison to cut costs because not only do classes keep prisoners focused and calm, we need the training so they can train other prisoners to help us run the prison,” he said in an MDOC press release.
The emphasis on prison education as a way to reduce recidivism can also be seen in the guidelines for Second Chance Pell.According to a USDOE fact sheet, participating schools should “only enroll students in postsecondary education and training programs that prepare them for high-demand occupations from which they are not legally barred from entering due to restrictions on formerly incarcerated individuals obtaining any necessary licenses or certifications for those occupations.”
Stromile Golden said that Valley State’s prison education program is also a form of “restorative justice,” an approach to criminal justice that involves addressing how an act of harm has affected a whole community, not just the perpetrator and the victim.
“For African Americans, this is part of our legacy, and we are all steeped in the Baptist church code that says, ‘forgive, forgive, forgive.’ But for the grace of God, easily any of us could be on the other side of it,” she said. “From my perspective, it’s the right thing to do. It’s needed. It’s a win-win for our community.”
Bowie State University graduate Austin Dean wed his longtime love Imani Kai in a unique art gallery wedding for the ages. Her hair and makeup, for example, were inspired by the legendary Josephine Baker! Learn more about their beautiful story in the Vogue article by Alexandra Macon below.
Imani Kai and Austin Dean’s romance began with a Facebook friend request. “We met through our mutual friend Shane back in 2012 when we were both in college,” Imani, who is now a global PR associate for Tiffany & Co as well as the founder of a jewelry brand called Goude, remembers of her first encounter with her photojournalist husband. “I didn’t think much of it when he sent me the friend request, but we messaged back and forth and decided to get together the following day.” He was attending Bowie State University and she was home in Bowie, Maryland, for summer break. “He pulled up to my house in his 1997 Honda Accord, and I’ll never forget walking out of my garage and seeing him sitting on the trunk of his car in cut off shorts, mismatched socks, and distressed Vans,” Imani says. “I instantly thought, ‘Wow, he’s so cool.’”
When the summer came to an end, it seemed as though their courtship had as well. Imani returned to school in upstate Maryland. The two remained friends but didn’t talk much. “Then one day he called me, and we talked for like three hours,” Imani says. “We spoke every day after that and made it official when I came home for holiday break.” Once they graduated, they began navigating the world of adulthood as 20-somethings in a long distance relationship. “We never lived in the same city,” Imani says. “We were always having to travel at least two hours to see each other.”
After almost six years together, the distance really started to take its toll. They broke up and didn’t speak or see each other for almost a year. Then, in 2019, Imani moved to New York to take a job at a fashion brand. Austin reached out and discovered she’d moved to the city. “He came up to visit for a weekend, and we had a lot of talks, mainly about how we still loved each other and how we could still envision our life together,” she recalls. “About a month later, he told me he was moving to New York, and we started all over again, but this time as mature, independent adults and not college kids. Sometimes it’s good to give things a second chance!”
They got engaged in March of 2021. “I feel like I always knew Imani was ‘the one,’” Austin says. “There were hella times when I just stopped and looked at her like ‘Yea, I’m going to end up marrying this girl.’” He worked with Majee, a New York City-based custom jewelry designer, to create the perfect ring. “Imani and I had a trip planned to Miami, and I decided that was the perfect moment to actually propose,” Austin says. “Trying to plan from another state was a lot though, so I had an epiphany: ‘Why not propose on the plane?’” This way the two could treat their trip to Miami as a celebration as soon as they touched down.
“I had the ring in my pocket the whole time we were at the airport, and was so nervous she would see it,” Austin admits. “I gave the stewardess a look, and she gave me the thumbs up. The captain made an announcement, and then I pulled Imani into the aisle, popped the question, and presented her with the ring at 30,000 feet in the air. She said yes and the whole plane went crazy with applause. We got a picture with the captain and crew. Imani was speechless. She literally didn’t say two words until we got to the hotel room, and I turned around and she was on the floor bawling. That’s when I knew I had really taken her breath away. I was just so happy I could give her that special moment. I’ll cherish flight 1249 forever.”
The wedding was planned for April 1, 2022 at the VisArts Gallery in the couple’s home state of Maryland. “We wanted to have the wedding in Maryland because it’s where we’re both from, and it’s where our relationship began,” Imani says. “We searched for a venue that spoke to our love of art and culture. VisArts was our first and only venue visit, and we liked it because it wasn’t super grand, nor super plain. I wanted very minimalist decor and because of all the amazing art exhibits, it didn’t take much to make the venue look like something.”
They tried not to overthink anything. “We just went with what felt right to us,” Imani explains. “We went for a modern, minimalist theme incorporating only two colors: black and white. We planned all of the details ourselves, and we were thoughtful about making sure our families felt involved in the process as well.” On the day of the wedding, planner Margie Bennett stepped in to handle production.
All of the decor was white, including the florals, the lighting, and table settings. Centerpieces were large orchid floral arrangements designed by the bride’s mother, Sylvia Cannon-Treadwell. “My mom has been designing floral arrangements since I was a child both as a hobby and as a business endeavor,” Imani says. “So it was really special to have her as our florist.”
For wardrobe, the bride wanted to wear something non-traditional. “A friend of mine—the incredible costume designer, Dorothy Driggers—called me a month or so after I got engaged and offered to create a custom wedding gown for me,” Imani says. “All I had to do was buy the materials. I thought, ‘How lucky am I that an amazingly talented designer wants to create something for me?!’ I knew it would be special.”
The two took inspiration from haute couture runways of the ’90s and early ’00s to create a modern cape-style gown with dramatic high shoulders and a plunging neckline. “Dorothy is incredibly skilled and knowledgeable about every part of building a bespoke garment,” Imani explains. “She was sure to incorporate every intricate detail I asked for. Originally, I wanted the dress to be simple and clean, with no embellishments—but once we started the process, I figured let’s just go all out! Let’s bring the drama! So, we added custom crystal appliqués to the shoulders.” Dorothy also hand-placed Swarovski crystals down the back of the cape.
Completion of the dress took six months of fittings, with Imani traveling to DC on weekends to meet Dorothy at her studio. “Each time I came back and saw the dress at a different stage I would get more and more excited,” she says. “At my final fitting the night before the wedding, I danced in it. I twirled. I remember jokingly thinking to myself, ‘If everything else goes crazy at least I will look amazing!’”
The bride’s hair and makeup was inspired by Jospehine Baker. “I envisioned my head covered in crystals, so I went with a custom crystal headpiece from SuReina Bridal that framed my face,” Imani says. “It was the perfect touch to complete my look and was just dramatic enough to intrigue you and complement my dress.”
On the day of the wedding, the venue’s walls were lined with portraits of the couple featuring captions that illustrated the timeline of their nearly 10 years together. The ceremony began with Imani and Austin’s parents entering and honoring their lost relatives with a memorial candle lighting. Then each member of the wedding party walked down the aisle individually. “To be honest, it was kind of like a fashion show,” Imani jokes. “I wanted Austin to have his own special moment, so following his groomsmen, he walked down the aisle to Kanye West’s ‘No Child Left Behind,’ and everyone cheered him on.”
Imani’s father escorted the bride down the aisle while Stevie Wonder’s “As” played in the background. “I was just trying so hard not to cry,” Imani remembers. “The ceremony was my favorite part of the night and truly felt like a breath of fresh air, you could feel the love in the room…from Austin, but also from our friends and family. I saw multiple people wiping away tears, and it dawned on me just the amount of support we are so blessed to have. All the butterflies that I had quickly went away once I saw Austin at the end of that aisle. We concluded the ceremony by carrying on our families’ tradition of jumping the broom!”
After the service, the newlyweds did a quick photo session with their photographer Jay Collier while their guests enjoyed signature cocktails and hor d’oeuvres. Once everyone was seated, the couple made a grand entrance that segued into a first dance to Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “You’re All I Need To Get By.” “We practiced the dance for months so that by the time the wedding came we would know it like the back of our hand even if nerves—or alcohol—kicked in,” Imani says. “Then, we literally danced all night! The best compliment we received was that the entire night was 100% us…our guests really came into our world for the evening and you could tell everyone loved it.”
Photo: Jay Collier I was really inspired by Josephine Baker for my hair. Maurice Benjamin incorporated swirls and waves to achieve a super feminine clean look that paired well with my headpiece.
Photo: Jay Collier All eyes were on us as the ceremony started.
Photo: Jay Collier While saying our vows to each other, Austin began to tear up. It was such a beautiful, heartfelt moment.
Photo: Jay Collier Seriously, not a dry eye in the house!
Chris Paul is welcoming another year highlighting HBCU players. Learn more in the Arizona Republic story by Duane Rankin below.
May 10, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; Suns Chris Paul (3) and Mavericks Frank Ntilikina (21) watch free throws during game 5 of the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs (Photo Credit: Patrick Breen/The Republic)
Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame continue their collaboration with the second Boost Mobile HBCU Challenge hosted by Chris Paul and Boost Mobile HBCU Tip-Off later this year.
“We are so excited for the second year of our HBCU Challenge,” said the 12-time All-Star in a news release.
“It is great to work with our partners to give these student-athletes a national stage they may not otherwise have. I hope these events gives these players an experience that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives. I sincerely appreciate the collaboration of the Basketball Hall of Fame, Mohegan Sun and MGM. We love Boost Mobile as a partner because of their commitment to HBCU schools and athletes in partnership with this event.”
The HBCU Tip-Off will be played at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., for a second straight year Nov. 15-16 featuring Clark Atlanta University, Virginia Union University, Johnson C. Smith University, and Xavier University of Louisiana.
May 8, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) talks to his teammates after fouling out of the game against the Dallas Mavericks during game four of the second round of the 2022 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. (Photo Credit: Rob Schumacher/The Republic)
“Chris Paul has been a committed supporter of HBCUs and has diligently worked to create opportunities for the student-athletes at these institutions,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, in a news release. “The Hall of Fame is excited to build on last year’s success, and we look forward to watching both of these tournaments in an exciting two weekends of basketball.”
Last year, Virginia Union won the HBCU Tip-Off championship game over Winston-Salem State University, 59-55, after beating West Virginia State University, which later defeated Morehouse College in the consolation game.
“We are excited about defending our crown next season at the Chris Paul HBCU Tip-Off Tournament,” said Virginia Union coach Lester “Jay” Butler in a news release. “This is a first-class tournament, and we are honored to be invited back for the second year. I can’t thank Chris Paul enough for giving Virginia Union University a platform to showcase our talent on a big stage.”
The HBCU Challenge is set for Dec. 17-18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas featuring Norfolk State University, Hampton University, Texas Southern University and North Carolina A&T State University.
Norfolk State guard Andre Bottoms takes a shot during the shootaround ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against Grambling at the HBCU Challenge hosted by Chris Paul at Footprint Center. (Photo Credit: Jenna Ortiz)
Last year’s HBCU Challenge was played at Footprint Center last November. Norfolk State finished 2-0 with wins over Hampton and Grambling University.
“It’s exciting to be back a part of the Chris Paul HBCU Challenge, said Norfolk State coach Robert Jones in a news release. “Last year’s experience was amazing and first class. With this platform, it will continue to shine a national light on HBCU culture, players and coaches. We can’t wait to get to Vegas.”
Morgan State University lost to Grambling, but defeated Hampton in its second game.
“We are proud to be a part of the CP3 HBCU Classic again,” said Hampton coach Edward “Buck” Joyner in a news release. “The classic was a first-class event last year presented by Chris and CJ (Paul). We were able to expose our athletes to an amazing experience while simultaneously gaining exposure for our basketball program. We are truly grateful to Chris for what he has done for Hampton University men’s basketball, but more importantly for the advocacy, intentionality, resources, time, and opportunities he is dedicating to the advancement of our Historically Black Colleges and Universities.”
CJ Paul, who played at Hampton, is Chris Paul’s older brother.
A collective shift in mindset from a deep pool of successful HBCU alumni may go a long way toward balancing the recruiting landscape. Learn more in the Sports Illustrated story by Jason Jordan below.
Diddy, a Howard alum, could craft NIL deals to send top prospects to Washington, D.C. (Photo Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports)
“I don’t even make a million!” Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders tweeted in response to Saban’s unsubstantiated claim that Sanders paid Travis Hunter, the No. 1 prospect in the SI99 recruiting rankings, the inordinate amount.
Saban’s knee-jerk reaction is part sour grapes and likely, part shock; Hunter is the first five-star football recruit to pick an HBCU in the modern recruiting era. This comes two years after Makur Maker became the first five-star basketball recruit to pick an HBCU when he committed to Howard in 2020.
There was an uptick in HBCU interest among elite prospects after the killing of George Floyd in 2020, as an abundance of Black Lives Matter protests and marches brought out countless world leaders, celebrities and athletes to speak against racism, inequality and police brutality.
The country’s top Black prospects, who make up the vast majority of the SI99 recruiting rankings, were trading in their customary social media posts announcing offers from college basketball heavyweights like Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Duke to shoutout offers from HBCU like Howard, Hampton and North Carolina A&T.
Maker committed to Howard two months after Floyd’s murder and said his goal was “to make the HBCU movement real so that others will follow.”
The united front reignited longstanding “what if” backchannel barbershop conversations about young Black stars teaming up at an HBCU and pulling off the unthinkable in March.
“That’s definitely been something that’s been talked about for decades,” Howard coach Kenny Blakeney says. “NBA stars have been saying ‘what if’ for a long time. The interest has always been there from top prospects.”
In 2009, John Wall, the No. 1 prospect in the country at the time, took an unofficial visit to North Carolina Central. Wall and NCCU coach LeVelle Moton grew up in the same neighborhood in Raleigh, and Wall refers to Moton as “unc,” short for uncle, “til this day.”
Still, in the end, Wall went on to commit to Kentucky, and a year later he went No. 1 in the NBA draft to the Wizards.
“It sounds great, but, I’ll just be honest, most of us don’t want to gamble with our career,” says Omaha Biliew, an elite 2023 wing who is down to Iowa State, Kansas, Oregon and the NBA G League. “We know that if we go to certain Power 5 schools that we’ll be seen all the time, we’ll play against the best, we’ll play in March, all of that. We just haven’t seen it work out for someone at an HBCU. It’s gonna take some guys to jump out there and set it off.”
While interest in HBCUs isn’t a new phenomenon among elite prospects, to further Biliew’s point, a lack of resources has been the culprit keeping both athletes from committing and HBCU coaches from applying the full-court recruiting press on top prospects.
“A lot of the kids that are getting those big NIL deals are kids that we’re not gonna get anyway,” Norfolk State coach Robert Jones says.
NBA Hall of Famer Chris Webber famously criticized HBCUs in the book Forty Million Dollar Slaves, which highlights subpar facilities and a lack of TV deals.
“A lot of people put that pressure on me to go to an HBCU, like ‘Come on, Chris, you can change it around, you can change it around,’” Webber writes in the book. “Playing on BET is not good enough for me. I want the world to see. In a way, I feel guilty because we could have changed that rhyme. But we had to do what was best for us at that time. But we talked a lot about going to Black colleges.”
It certainly can’t help the cause that federal funding for HBCUs has been in a free fall for nearly 20 years. The American Council on Education found that from 2003 to ’15 funding for private HBCUs declined by 42%. In ’18, the Government Accountability Office found that public HBCUs had deferred maintenance backlogs of $67 million.
On the bright side, the White House in March announced more than $2.7 billion in funding for HBCUs through the American Rescue Plan.
“NIL is pulling the curtain back,” Moton says. “A lot of those coaches’ biggest fears are coming to fruition because for so long they’ve convinced the world that they’re the James Naismith Jr. of basketball. The reality is, name the top two or three coaches in college football and basketball and they all benefited mostly from players that look like me. They know that. It just takes one guy to step out there and usher in the new wave, and then another will follow and then another.”
The operative question is, with NIL in play as potentially the ultimate equalizer, could deep-pocketed HBCU boosters sweeten the pot enough to lure more stars?
Per new NCAA guidelines, boosters are free to enter into NIL agreements with prospects—provided they operate independent of the university and its athletic department. They are not permitted to push contracts to persuade prospects to enroll.
In the same way that Miami alum John Ruiz, a billionaire entrepreneur and lawyer, has signed more than 100 active athletes to marketing deals through his companies, rich and famous HBCU alums like Nick Cannon and Diddy, who both attended Howard, could craft a hefty NIL deal through one of their many companies or Oprah Winfrey, a graduate of Tennessee State, could have a top prospect sign on with Weight Watchers through NIL.
If said prospect somehow happened to consider their alma mater his new dream school, it’s merely the icing on the cake.
“Oh man, you’d have to take Oprah’s call!” Biliew says. “I mean that’s Oprah!”
Most big NIL news comes out just after a player signs on with a school, meaning the legwork is often done beforehand and behind the scenes.
When Kansas State transfer Nijel Pack committed to Miami on April 23, Ruiz tweeted: “The biggest LifeWallet deal to date, two years $800,000.00 total at $400,000.00 per year plus a car. Congratulations!!!”
Oprah Winfrey, the first Black female billionaire, graduated from Tennessee State in 1986.
As Jones points out, “There are a lot of powerful alumni at HBCUs, what it boils down to is if they feel like athletics is that important?”
The answer to that million-dollar question could run up an identical tab in NIL money.
Jones isn’t confident about that possibility coming to fruition soon, but he says in order to change the game via NIL, “the mindset has to change” among VIP alumni.
“A lot of HBCU alumni don’t quite see the importance of sports like Power 5 alumni do,” Jones says. “For example, they don’t fully understand the potential return on the investment for a successful basketball team playing in March.”
At Norfolk State, donors sit at the highest tier for $25,000 contributions, a small price to pay for the $1.6 million payday Jones and the Spartans earned after winning the play-in game before falling in the first round in the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Howard recently struck a deal with Jordan Brand to outfit its athletics teams for their upcoming seasons.
“There’s no doubt about it, the NIL could be the ultimate equalizer,” Blakeney says. “To know that you have some alums like [Diddy] that love this university, what a great picture and vision that could be. That’s just how things work in the NIL space.”
The potential downside of NIL for HBCUs, at least at this stage, is the ability for high-major schools to swipe their best players, who could play immediately using the NCAA’s new one-time transfer waiver.
“It’s rich guys chasing pretty girls, and the Power 5’s are the rich guys,” Moton says. “That’s where NIL hurts us. If we’ve got a freshman that comes in and produces and doesn’t have a solid foundation but has desires to play at a high level, which they all do, he’s gone. Let’s be honest, most schools are being lazy and recruiting off the rosters of low to mid-major schools. I think seeing a NIL deal with an HBCU and a five-star prospect could begin a trend.”
Jones isn’t holding his breath; he’s more focused on securing what he deems to be “more realistic” options as it pertains to NIL.
“Don’t let all the headlines fool you. Outside of those Power 5 schools, the NIL deals are really small,” Jones says. “So, if we can compete through NIL and beat out a Conference USA school for a kid that, theoretically, we shouldn’t have is a strong start. But we’re not gonna do Oscar Tshiebwe $2 million numbers with NIL, it’s hard enough raising money alone at HBCUs. I’m a realist; those deals aren’t gonna happen for us right away … maybe never. But on a smaller scale, we could win with NIL. Just have to shift the mindsets of the alumni base.”
Civil rights leader, Morehouse Man and community titan Charles Cherry Sr. is getting a building named after him in Daytona, Florida! Learn more in the The Daytona Beach News-Journal story below.
Daytona Beach’s Midtown Cultural & Educational Center is going to be named for Julia T. And Charles W. Cherry, Sr. Pictured is Daytona Beach City Manager Deric Feacher in the spring of 2021 when he was interviewing for the top city government job and speaking to residents at the Midtown neighborhood community center. (Photo Credit: Nadia Zomorodian/News-Journal)
The Midtown Cultural & Educational Center, a top quality community center with everything from a dance studio to a computer room, is getting a new name.
Daytona Beach city commissioners unanimously agreed at their meeting Wednesday night to rename the 10-year-old facility the Julia T. and Charles W. Cherry, Sr. Cultural & Educational Center.
Charles Cherry, Sr., was a longtime Daytona Beach city commissioner, head of the Volusia County branch of the NAACP, civil rights leader and managing editor of the Daytona Times newspaper. Julia Mae Troutman-Cherry was a teacher, an assistant counselor of women at Bethune-Cookman University and an active member of Hope Fellowship Church.
“I think these are two very, very worthy people to have a facility named after them,” said City Commissioner Ruth Trager.
City Commissioner Paula Reed, whose zone includes the city-owned community center on George Engram Boulevard just east of Nova Road, led the effort to rename the 24,830-square-foot facility.
One idea was to call the building the Julia T. and Charles W. Cherry, Sr. Community Center, but Mayor Derrick Henry didn’t want to lose the references to education, culture and the Midtown neighborhood.
The Julia T. and Charles W. Cherry, Sr. Midtown Cultural & Educational Center, however, sounded like too long of a name to be stretched across the top of the building, Henry said.
Since the area around the building also encompasses Cypress Park and Cypress Aquatic Center, the three facilities could collectively be called the Midtown complex, Reed said. Henry liked that idea.
“I don’t think you could have done a better job of bridging our past and our future,” the mayor said.
Who was Charles Cherry, Sr.?
The Midtown Cultural & Educational Center opened in 2012, and it remains one of the city government’s nicest and newest buildings. It’s been used for everything from meetings, to COVID vaccines to basketball games.
The large building includes a gymnasium with basketball courts, dance studio, music studio, kitchen, computer room and meeting rooms.
In 1969, civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy, at left holding the sign, came to Daytona Beach to join a march to Cape Canaveral to protest the launch of the Apollo 11 because so much money had been spent on that and not trying to eradicate poverty. Pictured at right is Charles Cherry Sr., a city commissioner, head of the local NAACP and community leader in Daytona Beach until his death in 2004. (Photo Credit: Charles Cherry II)
Charles Cherry, Sr., died in 2004, eight years before the building opened. But now his name will be on the community gathering spot, and it will be a chance for both kids and adults to learn about him.
Cherry was born in Georgia in 1928, and he graduated from Morehouse College in 1949. He served in the U.S. Army from 1950 to 1952 during the Korean War.
He was a father of three and husband for 51 years.
He was a realtor, entrepreneur, bail bondsman, newspaper editor, Campbell Street High School teacher and Bethune-Cookman business professor. He served as the Zone 6 Daytona Beach city commissioner from 1995 until November 2004, when he died.
Cherry was the first Black person to be admitted to the Daytona Beach Board of Realtors in 1967.
He was president of the Volusia County Branch of the NAACP from 1971-1980, and from 1995 to 2001. He also held state and national positions within the NAACP in the 1970s and 1980s.
From 1985 to 1991, he was the founder and president of a Daytona Beach chamber of commerce that represented small businesses that didn’t feel adequately represented by the city’s main chamber of commerce.
He organized and unionized hotel maids and city garbage collectors. And one of his proudest achievements was helping to free two Black men who had been on death row for 12 years for the murder of two white gas station attendants. In 1975, Florida Gov. Reuben Askew pardoned both men.
Cherry’s activism led to death threats, and he had body guards and 24-hour security at his home. The Cherry family lived in a custom-built, two-story building on Orange Avenue that had solid concrete walls to protect them from bomb blasts.
Don Terrell just crossed his dream fraternity, and despite his obstacles he couldn’t be happier. Learn more in the Blavity News story by Danteé Ramos below.
“Embrace the challenge no matter how hard it is,” Terrell said.
Photo Credit: On Sight Photography & More LLC
After the death of his wife, Don Terrell, 68, embarked on a journey of healing and living his life to the fullest by achieving lifetime goals he once put off to be a devoted husband and father to four daughters.
BlavityU had the chance to speak with Terrell about becoming a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity in his 60s, what he learned from the organization and what life has taught him thus far.
Celebrating five years of being a Kappa, Terrell said it was always on his list of things to accomplish.
“It’s been a lifelong dream. I wanted to join when I was an undergraduate at Kent State University, but I didn’t have the proper understanding of what Greek organizations meant,” Terrell said when reflecting on his college years.
Always interested in being a part of a Black organization, Terrell shared how he and a classmate planned to start an on-campus club that educated students on Afrocentric foundations, but life took a turn for Terrell, prompting him to leave his education behind.
“Actually, a friend of mine and I were almost going to start another organization based on the African Foundation, but as time went on, I dropped out of school, got married, had children, and always dreamt of having an association with a Greek organization,” Terrell said.
Wanting to finish what he started, Terrell went back to school to obtain his Bachelor’s degree from Central State University in 2008.
“Once I put my education on hold, and I was able to get back in school and graduate — I just needed to join because I wanted to finish or accomplish what I started off doing,” he said.
“Also, after I put my 42 years in at General Motors when I retired, I wanted to belong. I wanted to become active. I wanted to do things. So I looked at the Black fraternities, and the Kappas ironically approached me,” he added.
Photo Credit: On Sight Photography & More LLC
Terrell refers to Black Organizations as Black liberation, a tool to bring the Black community together.
It’s “real simple, it’s Black liberation,” Terrell said when describing what Black organizations mean to him at this current stage in his life.
“We don’t have many Black organizations, strong organizations. One of the main organizations is the Black churches,” Terrell said.
“Greek organizations, I feel, are right up there, close to Black churches. And there’s only, like, a handful of black organizations that have a common unity, a unified organization that can bring the Black community together and informs the community as well,” he said.
Outside of wanting a college experience for himself, Terrell ensured that all four of his daughters attended and graduated from four different HBCUs.
Terrell and his late wife knew the importance of funding and supporting Black organizations and Colleges. His daughters each picked an institution that fit their personalities.
Photo Credit: Kuu Productions
“This is a strange story. Before any of my children started College, I think this was back in the 80s. Me and my wife would always catch the national news, 7 p.m. news. And it seemed like every week; we were hearing about Black HBCUs or Black colleges in financial trouble and closing or being taken over by the state. Me and my wife looked at each other and said, ‘wow, that is crazy,” he said.
“We can’t afford to lose our Black colleges. All we have is the Church and our Black colleges and universities,” Terrell said, explaining why HBCUs were a must in his household.
Photo Credit: Kuu Productions
Throughout the trajectory of his life, Terrell has learned to embrace the life changes but, most importantly, has reflected on what he would have done differently if given a chance.
“In high school and school in general. I wish I would have paid more attention,” he said. “I wish I coined this, but, as I got older, I realized that life is full of challenges, and I kind of coined a word like ’embrace the challenge no matter how hard it is.”
“And if I had listened to the wisdom and direction that I was given at a younger age and absorbed as much knowledge and information that was out there and more mentorship,” he continued. “I would love to have someone just be a mentor, and help me navigate besides my parents. Because back then, your parents only were so knowledgeable about the intricacies of higher education and skillsets, and stuff like that,”
Congratulations Terrell on writing your next chapters all on your own!
A high-powered Howard University alumna has been selected to serve in not one, but two executive leadership positions at her alma mater! Learn more in the story by Misha Cornelius at The Dig below.
Photo Credit: Rhonisha Franklin / R. Dione Foto
Howard University is pleased to announce Allison Morgan Bryant, Ph.D.,will serve as chief of staff and assistant vice president of corporate relations effective immediately. She replaces Paul Monteiro, who served as Howard’s chief of staff since 2017 and Debbi Jarvis who served as senior vice president of corporate relations since 2018.
“I am incredibly excited to announce Dr. Allison Morgan Bryant will serve as Howard’s chief of staff and assistant vice president of corporate relations,” said Wayne A. I. Frederick, president of Howard University. “Dr. Morgan Bryant’s extensive experience and her commitment to Howard University’s mission will ensure her success in this new role. I also want to thank Mr. Paul Monteiro for his commitment and years of excellence in service as Howard University’s chief of staff, as well as Ms. Debbi Jarvis for her leadership in the Office of Corporate Relations.”
Morgan Bryant has served the University since 2009. Morgan Bryant previously served as assistant dean of innovation and administration and associate professor of information systems and supply chain management at the Howard University School of Business. She formerly served as the department chair for information systems and supply chain management and the director of the Office of Special Programs in the School of Business.
“It is my distinct honor to continue to serve my Alma Mater at this pivotal time in the history of the University,” said Morgan Bryant. “I am also thankful for the opportunity to contribute to the continued growth, success, and sustainability of Howard University.”
Morgan Bryant’s research focuses on online health information, human information searching behavior, diversity of the information technology workforce, and the socio-cultural impact of technology. She has published articles on the impact of individual differences on user behavior, diversity in the global workplace, information searching behavior, and gender and information technology with specific focus on social networks and work-life balance among women.
Morgan Bryant has received grants from Facebook, the National Science Foundation, Boeing, and the General Motors Foundation. She continues to coordinate technology initiatives, including the annual #Bison Hacks Hackathon at the School of Business. She also worked as a technology consultant at Accenture, and as a usability intern at the United States Census Bureau.
She is a member of the KPMG Ph.D. Project, the Association for Computing Machinery, and the Association for Information Systems. She was honored in 2015 as one of the Howard University School of Business alumni exemplars.
An alumna of Howard University, Morgan Bryant holds a Ph.D. in information sciences and technology from The Pennsylvania State University and a B.B.A. in computer information systems and analysis from Howard.
Joyce Yerwood made history as Stamford, Connecticut’s first Black woman doctor in the 1940s. Her legacy continues to live on, with a street renamed in her honor.
According to the Stamford Advocate, “Dr. Joyce Yerwood Way” is anticipated to be the new name of the portion of Fairfield Avenue between West Main Street and Richmond Hill Avenue in Stamford. City representatives voted unanimously late last week for the commemorative tribute. Now, it is up to the full Board of Representatives to pass the resolution.
Yerwood was a trailblazer in the medical field. Born in 1909, the Texas native pursued medicine while enduring ongoing racism and sexism. However, her passion for serving others helped her push past obstacles.
According to News One, in 1928, Yerwood graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Samuel Huston College in Austin, Texas. She then attended Meharry Medical College, where she and her sister were the only two women in their first-year program. After medical school, she completed her internship in Kansas City, Kansas, and then a residency in Philadelphia. Throughout this time, Yerwood made a name for herself as a pioneer in public health. She later started her own practice in Port Chester, New York.
After 18 years in Port Chester, Yerwood moved her practice to Stamford. As the first Black woman physician in Fairfield County, she dedicated 50 years to “providing quality medical care for low-income women, children, and families,” according to the Board of Representatives’ resolution.
Additionally, Yerwood’s efforts extended beyond healthcare and leaned into community engagement and empowerment. In 1943, she breathed life into the Stamford Negro Community Center, renamed The Yerwood Center in her honor in 1975. The Center is now operated by The Boys & Girls Club, pursuing its beloved founder’s mission of offering a myriad of educational and cultural programs for Black youth.
Yerwood, who died in 1987, will have a commemorative naming celebration during a scheduled Juneteenth event in Jackie Robinson Park.
Yerwood’s granddaughter, Joyce Carwin, said their family is “extremely excited and happy that this is finally happening.”
“As I grew older, I became aware of how important my grandmother was to the Stamford community,” Carwin said, as per News One. “She was fierce and fearless. She did not let the color of her skin or her gender stop her.”
The recent racial profile experience of Delaware State University‘s lacrosse team has affected everyone involved differently. One student recently shared what that day was like for her, and how it has impacted her life since. Learn more in the story from Andre Richards at NJ.com.
Nahkaleigh Hayes-Jones of Manchester, Ocean County, and a midfielder on the Delaware State University lacrosse team, says a traffic stop in which the girls’ belongings were searched, including underwear, was mentally traumatic. The university has since filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Justice Department.
Nahkaleigh Hayes-Jones has had some time to think about what happened to her and her teammates on a bus ride home from a series of away games her Delaware State University lacrosse team played in Central Florida last month.
As their team’s bus drove along I-95 through Liberty County in Georgia on April 20, a white sheriff’s deputy stopped their Black driver for an alleged moving violation. A cadre of white deputies with a drug-sniffing dog quickly followed.
She recalled the emotionally traumatic event. The officers made threats, rummaged through their clothes and other belongings, and worst, there was the assumption that she and her teammates, competitive athletes who hail from a historically Black university, had drugs on them.
“I just never thought something like this would happen to me,” said the 19-year-old student who is now back home in Manchester for the summer break. “To have to go back to school after something like this and go through final exams was just traumatizing.”
Hayes-Jones, a midfielder and criminal justice major, said the team usually plays cards or video games as they travel between games.
“It’s pretty peaceful on the bus rides,” she said. “We have about three away games per season, so when the bus was pulled over, I was confused considering the driver only used the left lane to pass a vehicle. And it was just like, why are we getting pulled over?”
On the body camera footage of the stop, a deputy says he stopped the commercial bus because the driver passed a vehicle in the left-hand lane. Trucks aren’t allowed in that lane. Then, he clearly explains why the girls’ belongings were searched. “Bunch of dang schoolgirls on the bus … probably some weed.”
Hayes-Jones said cops told them they were searching the bus because a police dog picked up a scent. Deputies told the group they were looking for drugs, like meth and heroin and that if they had marijuana, they should know it’s not legal in Georgia.
Hayes-Jones said what bothered her was that the deputies said they should let him know if they had anything before the search. They should just let them know now and try not to give them any more trouble. “Give them any more trouble, what trouble?”
Only one of the 25 members of the Hornet lacrosse team questioned the deputies’ legal reasons for the search. She says everyone complied, including the driver, two adult coaches and the entire team. They intentionally did not push back so as not to exacerbate the situation.
“For about 45 minutes they took bags off the bus and went through our luggage,” Hayes-Jones remembered. “One officer pulled out my friend’s underwear out of her bag with his finger and threw it on the ground, which is really weird — the whole situation was very disturbing.”
The officers opened a wrapped gift a teammate got from her aunt in Florida. It turned out to be a journal.
During the stop, many of the players called home. Hayes-Jones called her mother, Alesia Hayes.
“I asked her is everything all right?” Hayes said from her home in Ocean County. “She sent me videos of the cop while he was on the bus. And I said, why are cops on the bus? And she said, ‘well, they are searching through our bags.’ And I was like, are you serious? For what? She said because the police dog got a ‘hit’ on the back of the bus. The bus is so high, I was confused because the engine is in the back.”
The discovery netted no drugs or drug paraphernalia.
The driver apologized to the team. He told the student-athletes that the search was wrong and shouldn’t have happened.
Soon after the stop, Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman held a press conference. “I do not exercise racial profiling,” Bowman, a Black man, told the media. He also said no personal items on the bus were searched.
Delaware Gov. John Carney has called the stop “upsetting.” Members of Congress have said it was “deeply disturbing.” The university has filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice. In it, they call the stop, “brazen, illegal, and discriminatory conduct.”
Jasmin Jones recently graduated from Rowan University with a degree in criminal justice. She is also a young Black woman and an athlete.
“I was honestly, really taken aback by the video, I could kind of feel how tense it was, I could really relate to what they were feeling in that moment. I know how scary it is to be in the presence of law enforcement, and especially when they’re accusatory, and you kind of have to be on the defense.”
Jones, chief of staff for The Total Justice Project, a nonprofit organization that investigates police misconduct said the power dynamic between a police officer versus regular citizens is intimidating. She said, “…nothing resulted from the search, but it could have had the potential to really go in a different direction, which is something many young Black people fear.”
Kelly Harris, the director of Africana Studies at Seton Hall University, said this case exemplifies an instance where the police could be telling the truth and are wrong at the same time.
“They could have pulled the bus over for a routine incident. However, because racism is so entrenched in our society, treating Black suspects differently has been normalized — to the point that many police do not recognize their shortcomings,” he said.
“Thinking the worst about Black people, from all walks of life, is the type of thinking that is very much a part of the collective American conscience.”
Nahkaleigh’s mother sees a change in her daughter since the incident.
“She’s very hesitant. She gets kind of paranoid. She’s skeptical of police officers when she sees them now. Afraid they’re going to stop and pull her over, and I have to calm her down. I’m like, ‘you’re not always going to get pulled over now for something stupid.’”
Hayes-Jones isn’t so sure. After what happened to her, she’s questioning if she wants to be a part of a system that treats Black people like this.
“This happened to me. I don’t know; it’s something I’ve never experienced before — I don’t want to experience it again.”
A Fisk University senior has created an organization to bring the fashion and modeling dreams of hers and others to life. Learn more in The Tennessee Tribune story below.
The Beginning Modeling Organization (or The Beginning), a student organization on campus, unites different types of fashion-oriented students. The first student engagement organization of its kind on Fisk grounds ever, The Beginning was founded in 2021 by senior Genesis Williams.
The Beginning Modeling Organization (or The Beginning), a student organization on campus, unites different types of fashion-oriented students. The first student engagement organization of its kind on Fisk grounds ever, The Beginning was founded in 2021 by senior Genesis Williams.
Nashville, Tenn. (TN Tribune)—The grounds of Fisk University host many opportunities to be involved, engaged, and active on campus. The institution currently operates with over 30 student-based clubs, organizations, and groups. One of Fisk’s latest initiatives in this area is the recent implementation of a fashion organization.
The Beginning Modeling Organization (or The Beginning), a student organization on campus, unites different types of fashion-oriented students. The first student engagement organization of its kind on Fisk grounds ever, The Beginning was founded in 2021 by senior Genesis Williams. She’s possessed a sense of fashion since her adolescent years. “I consider myself a whacky lady, so when I observe people on campus I am personally looking for like-minded creatives.” she said during the interview. The idea for this project came to Williams after realizing the university did not offer a fashion-related major. So far, The Beginning is focused on building portfolios for its members and “creating a fashion presence” in the local community.
Bobbi Crosby, who is currently serving as Miss Beginning, is Beginning’s coronation representative. She hopes the organization helps others gain confidence in themselves, just as it did for her. “More and more I’m gaining self-love from all the opportunities this organization has given me.”
Genesis Williams
As a result of the birth of this modeling troupe, more students are having a newfound respect for physical appearance beyond Dress for Success Wednesdays. Genesis, the founding president, agrees. “The Beginning enhances Fisk University’s campus by allowing the student body to feel alive. I genuinely feel as if since The Beginning has emerged, we have brought back people’s oomph since Covid snatched it away.”
After their debut in the fall of 2021, the Beginning Modeling Organization enjoyed great success. The organization earned a special showing on a popular Instagram page dedicated to highlighting Historically Black Colleges & University fashion culture- HBCU drip, hosted an educational 5-day week of knowledgeable sessions, executed the first-ever flash mob on campus in Fisk’s cafeteria, and implemented community service work such as a clothing drive, environmental cleanups and more.
“At first I was hesitant to join The Beginning because I didn’t think fashion was something I would be passionate about, but day by day my passion has grown stronger and stronger. I have become more photogenic and more confident in who I am and what I wear,” said Jordan Henry, a lead model in the upcoming fashion show.
“Fashion is art.” stated Vice President of The Beginning, Tamiya Bowden in discussing her hope for the future. “As a senior, I hope to see The Beginning go further out of the normal realm of creativity and to build strong relationships with its peers at other institutions. The Beginning is its own organization, and I want to see the seed we planted here at Fisk University grow and bloom beyond measure.”
Since Genesis manifested her craft in her final semesters of school, she wishes to remain involved with the organization. She has been exercising due diligence to establish a new chain of command in order to ensure a smooth transition to the upcoming academic year. “My vision is that after I graduate, The Beginning will continue for years to come…that the creativity being poured into it, the portfolios that are being generated, will be a catalyst for the creation of a department focusing on fashion and design to emerge at Fisk University.” Williams said.
Fisk University looks forward to seeing what the future has in store for The Beginning Modeling Organization.
