Earlier this afternoon, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. released a communication confirming its National President, Cheryl A. Hickmon, has sadly passed away. She was recently elected as 27th National President this past November.
Hickmon was initiated into the sorority through the Alpha Xi Chapter at South Carolina State University. While studying at the HBCU as part of the Class of 1984, she pursued her B.S. in Professional Biology. By the time of graduation, she had become president of the Alpha Xi Chapter. She went on to become a Clinical Laboratory Project Manager and Senior Clinical Technology Supervisor.
Despite Hickmon’s busy professional life, DST was never far from her heart. With experience she gained in her initiating chapter, she went on to do work on a regional level. She served as President of the Hartford Alumnae Chapter of Hartford, Connecticut for two terms. During her tenure she focused on increasing fundraising to fund scholarships for students in the area. She also helped to bring in new members. She also served as Committee Chair in the chapter for several committees. Regionally, she was a leader for years. She served as Regional Director for the Eastern Region for four years. She lead the sorority’s South Atlantic region as Regional Representative for two years.
Hickmon’s appointment as National President happened only recently during the sorority’s 55th National Convention in held last November in Atlanta. Prior to that election, she was already a known powerhouse at that level. She had served as National First Vice President, National Secretary and more.
The HBCU Buzz Team offers our condolences to the family, friends, and membership body of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. National President Cheryl A. Hickmon.
Johnson C. Smith University announced today the appointment of Maurice Flowers as head coach of the Golden Bulls football team. Flowers, a 1996 graduate of JCSU, was selected after a national search. He most recently served as head football coach at Fort Valley State University. His first day on the job is today.
“We conducted a national search for a head coach who would take Golden Bulls football to the next level in every aspect,” said JCSU President Clarence D. Armbrister. “Coach Flowers stood out as the right person for the job at this point in the University’s history. I’m happy to welcome him back to his alma mater and look forward to his leadership as he builds a winning tradition that makes all Smithites proud.”
Flowers is charged with building a winning tradition on the gridiron and working with the campus community to foster academic achievement and leadership development for football student-athletes.
“I’m pleased and excited to welcome Maurice Flowers as the new Golden Bulls head football coach,” said Stephen Joyner Sr., director of Athletics. “Coach Flowers impressed the search committee with his leadership skills, knowledge of football and how to build a strong football program as well as his commitment to developing well-rounded student-athletes, who achieve academically and serve as campus leaders.”
Joyner said Flowers can draw from his connection to JCSU and the Charlotte community as he hits the ground running to build on JCSU’s historic place in college football history.
“Coach Flowers’s passion for collegiate athletics and understanding of the role of sports in connecting colleges to their communities bring a fresh perspective to football at JCSU,” Joyner said. “As a former Golden Bulls football and basketball athlete, Coach Flowers has a love for his alma mater and is dedicated to building on a tradition that began in 1892 when JCSU won the first ever Black college football game. I’m happy to welcome him home and give him my full support as we begin this new era.”
Flowers, who earned a bachelor’s degree in communications, said he’s thrilled to be back at his alma mater, where he started his college coaching career, and is excited about the work ahead.
“I am incredibly grateful and honored to return home to my alma mater as the head football coach at Johnson C. Smith University,” Flowers said. “My family and I are thrilled to be back, and excited to see my coaching career come full circle with this opportunity. I want to thank President Clarence Armbrister, Athletic Director Steve Joyner, and the rest of the search committee for their confidence in me to build a Golden Bulls football program that reflects the excellence that is Johnson C. Smith University.”
At Fort Valley State University, Flowers led the team to a 5-5 finish (3-3 SIAC) in the 2021 season. Due to COVID-19, the 2020 fall season was cancelled. Flowers completed a non-conference schedule in spring 2021 finishing 2-0. He opened the 2021 fall season with a resounding 30-0 win over Tuskegee University in the ESPN-televised inaugural Boeing Red Tails Classic. Flowers had seven All-SIAC selections, as well as three players selected to play in the 2022 HBCU Legacy Bowl.
Prior to FVSU, Flowers served as the Fayetteville State University offensive coordinator in 2017 and 2019. Both years his offense was one of the top offenses in the CIAA. He helped lead the team to the CIAA South Division titles and the CIAA championship game, averaging 34 points per game. Six offensive players earned All-CIAA recognition in 2019.
Flowers began his collegiate coaching career in 2010 at JCSU as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. JCSU finished the 2011 season with a victory over SIAC Champion Miles College in the Pioneer Bowl.
Flowers was a high school head coach in Charlotte, first at Olympic High School then West Charlotte High School, before moving on to Chester High School in South Carolina. He’s coached more than 50 players who earned college scholarships, including quarterback Tony McNeal (Clemson).
Flowers attended East Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, where he was All-Conference in both football and basketball before bringing his talents to JCSU as a student-athlete. He was named College Football Preview Magazine All-American Quarterback three years in a row while serving as team captain for the Golden Bulls. He was also a forward on the 1988-89 JCSU basketball team. He and his wife, Tonya, are the proud parents of three daughters.
Missouri Governor Mike Parsons has listed Harris-StoweState University as one of the institutions set to receive a portion of a $470M budget for construction. Get the full story from Kurt Erickson at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch below.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson delivers his State of the State address Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019, in Jefferson City, Mo. (Credit: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Missouri may be poised to embark on a major building spree using $2.8 billion in federal pandemic relief funds.
In outlining his budget plan Wednesday for the fiscal year beginning July 1, Gov. Mike Parson laid out dozens of major brick-and-mortar projects he wants to launch, arguing in a speech to lawmakers that spending the federal money on one-time expenses will not leave the state facing a financial cliff when the money runs out.
“Providing essential services to Missouri citizens and businesses is the role of state government,” budget documents noted.
Parson budget chief Dan Haug said most of the American Rescue Plan Act money must be spent by 2026, meaning there is a rush to get the money approved by the Legislature.
“These are big projects that are going to take a while to get going,” Haug said.
The projects represent a cross-section of state government, including:
• Nearly $470 million for university building projects, including a new academic building at Harris-Stowe State University, an expansion of the Arnold campus of Jefferson College and upgrades at University of Missouri-St. Louis and St. Louis Community College.
The entrance to Harris-Stowe State University’s Henry Givens Jr. Campus on Compton Avenue is photographed on Thursday, April 28, 2016. (Credit: Christian Gooden)
• $250 million to expand broadband internet access and $30 million on the construction of 100 cell towers.
• $411 million on drinking water, storm water and wastewater projects, including identifying water service lines containing lead.
• $250 million in matching funds to cities and towns for local development projects.
• $69.3 million to help build a 86-mile section of the Rock Island Corridor recreational trail from Eugene to Beaufort, including a bridge over the Gasconade River.
• $43 million to build a new arena and buy land for additional campgrounds at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia.
The Missouri Budget Project, which tracks state spending, urged Parson to earmark the federal funds for a number of the same projects he outlined on Wednesday.
“Every Missourian deserves the opportunity to thrive, with quality housing they can afford, a job that lets them provide for their families, and a strong community,” said budget project director Amy Blouin. “By investing in the things that help all of our families succeed, we can build a stronger foundation for our state’s economic prosperity.”
Clark Atlanta University alumna Pinky Cole has graced the latest over of ESSENCE along with her partner, fellow entrepreneur Derrick Hayes. The cover makes them the first restauranteurs to grace the longstanding magazine’s cover! Get the full story from Jennifer Ogunsola at Essence below.
PINKY COLE AND DERRICK HAYES | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DREA NICOLE
FOR THE ENTREPRENEURS BEHIND SLUTTY VEGAN AND BIG DAVE’S CHEESESTEAKS, A LOVE OF FOOD AND COMMUNITY—AND NOW EACH OTHER—HAS TURNED THEIR MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR BUSINESSES INTO A FAMILY AFFAIR.
“Let me tell you something about me,” says Aisha “Pinky” Cole. “I’m so confident in myself that two things are either going to happen—either you’re going to love me and be inspired, or you’re going to be intimidated.”
During a recent appearance on the nationally syndicated radio show The Breakfast Club, these words from Cole stood out. The quote exemplifies who and what Cole represents: At just 34, she has built a vegan empire while becoming a cultural phenomenon. And no, these words of power and self-esteem aren’t being thrown around loosely. Four years ago, Cole created Slutty Vegan* in Atlanta. You’ve most likely heard of it, eaten it or wanted to eat it. And if you -haven’t, your chance to do so has just increased, as Cole is scheduled to open a new Slutty Vegan every month this year in a different city.
The rise of the provocatively named plant-based burger joint has seemingly been discussed everywhere. This summer, you’ll also be able to buy Cole’s first cookbook, Eat Plants B*tch(Simon & Schuster), and make your own -mouthwatering vegan dishes. “It’s plant-based recipes for the meat eater, because my target audience is not the vegan,” she explains.
DERRICK HAYES WEARS AMIRI PAJAMA TOP AND BOTTOMS, $2,380, NEIMAN MARCUS ATLANTA AND AISHA “PINKY” COLE WEARS LAFAYETTE 148 BLOUSE AND PANTS, $1,496, NEIMAN MARCUS ATLANTA. JEWELRY, SUBJECTS’ OWN. | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DREA NICOLE
In August 2018, Cole—who goes by Pinky, a nickname given to her at birth by her godmother because she came out so pink—opened Slutty Vegan in a shared kitchen. Several weeks later, as the brand’s popularity grew, she launched her food truck. Four months later, on January 13, 2019—a date that holds special significance for Cole, as it is the anniversary of the founders’ day for her beloved Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.—she opened her first brick-and-mortar store. By 2020, amid a global pandemic, she cut the ribbon on her second and third locations in Atlanta. As the world seemed to be falling apart, the Slutty Vegan brand was experiencing powerful growth, drawing daily celebrity sightings and massive crowds of people from all over the world.
Chaka Zulu, Atlanta music veteran, cofounder of the Disturbing Tha Peace label and longtime manager for rapper Ludacris, was one of Cole’s early customers. He then became her manager. “She showed such grace in success,” Zulu recalls, describing what so impressed him about Cole. “Not in the long-term success, but in the success of the moment, which can make you stop working. That affirmation of 3,000 people standing in line on the first day could have slowed her down. I’ve seen that happen to a lot of people. And I saw her, in the moment, be graceful to receive it. And then I saw it propel her, all within that one day. And that’s why I was like, Yeah, she’s got it.”
The Baltimore native successfully opened three locations created a new bar and restaurant concept, Bar Vegan, in one of Atlanta’s highest-profile developments; became a multimillionaire; and started The Pinky Cole Foundation, which has provided scholarships to juvenile offenders in Atlanta, created scholarship funds for students enrolled at Cole’s alma mater, Clark Atlanta University (CAU), and donated 100,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables to feed those who are food insecure. And that’s just in her first two years in business.
Today, almost four years after serving her first vegan burger out of the shared kitchen, she has established herself as a philanthropist, a humanitarian and an unstoppable, moneymaking, money-giving entrepreneurial genius. That’s because it’s much bigger than burgers and fries for Cole. For her, the magic is in serving her community.
“When I look back at 2020, it was really love at first sight. But at the time we didn’t know that’s what it was.”
PINKY COLE
Oscar–winning actress Viola Davis was introduced to Slutty Vegan on Instagram like everyone else. Intrigued, she booked the food truck while on set filming. From there, the relationship grew, and she has now become one of Cole’s biggest supporters.
“We were in a pandemic where we were watching George Floyd, Ahmad Arbery and Breonna Taylor on a loop,” Davis reflects. “And it was a constant reminder that we were, and have been in this country, the leftovers. It’s amazing how people come to life when they are cared for, when they’re -literally thought about in any way—their health, their joy, their comfort. And perhaps the secret sauce to her company, other than absolutely awesome food, is that she cares about her people.”
Cole’s service to her people would actually lead her to the love of her life. But while she may be open to share much of her life with the world, she’s been mum about a few things, including her beau. So we decided to pay the Slutty Vegan CEO a visit to get the scoop on all the things that we couldn’t Google.
Tucked away 30 minutes outside of Atlanta is a community filled with pristine luxury homes that for sure belong on Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing—or even on the early-2000s documentary-style show MTV Cribs. We’re given two addresses—one for the security gate and another for the recently purchased home of Cole, her significant other and their baby girl. Everything inside the gate is top-notch, including the 51,000-square-foot country club and the 27-hole golf course you drive past on the way to Cole’s home. The residents here might as well be royalty.
A visit to her Instagram feed reveals Cole’s new motherhood, but while she shared glimpses of her bundle of joy, she kept the world guessing about the identity of the father. “To be honest, there was a business concern that I am in the vegan community and he’s not,” she admits. “But what I realize is who cares what people say. Even though we’re different, we can still exist together and still love each other—because we are tapped into each other’s hearts. And,” she adds defiantly, “whoever’s got something to say about that can kick rocks.” It’s clear that Cole goes hard for who and what she loves.
Her partner’s name is Derrick Hayes—but if you’re around him long enough, you’ll hear Cole and those closest to him affectionately call him D. An entrepreneur and philanthropist born and raised in West Philadelphia, and now the father of three girls, Hayes smiles with approval as his woman firmly shuts down the potential haters. “Yeah,” he says, looking at her with admiration. “She said it. We don’t judge each other.”
“I think that our relationship is symbolic of what the world should look and feel like,” says Cole, whose two best friends separately encouraged her to date the fellow entrepreneur. “It should look and feel like a place where there is no judgment. Just because you might not believe in the things that I believe in, doesn’t mean that we can’t come together in friendship, love and spirituality.”
In fact, Cole and Hayes have been loving, supporting, building, creating and enjoying each other in plain view for a while. The public saw them together all the time but just didn’t know how deeply connected they were. As the CEO and owner of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks in Atlanta, Hayes, too, is one of the city’s most captivating entrepreneurs, philanthropists and cultural leaders.
Five years ago, fellow Philly native and Grammy Award–winning rapper and actress Eve stopped by his first restaurant, a 700-square-foot space at a gas station, while filming a movie. Blown away by just how delicious and authentic her cheesesteak was, and how well it represented their hometown, Eve promised to post her chicken cheesesteak to her social media accounts, and it’s been all uphill from there. Celebrities like the Migos, Meek Mill and Lena Waithe have also been fervent supporters, but it’s the lines of everyday Atlantans wrapped around the corner at his two locations that tell Hayes how far he’s come.
“We are able to use this one thing over everything, and that’s love—not just ourselves but the community.”
DERRICK HAYES
Actress, producer, director and Emmy Award–winning writer Waithe first found Hayes on Instagram and started rocking with him while he was working out of the gas station. She believes what makes him special is that “he doesn’t run away from his past. He embraces all of himself, and his business feels inclusive.”
The 34-year-old seems to have it all together now, but that wasn’t always the case. Like many young Black men in inner cities throughout the country, who lack resources and feel there’s no other way to provide for themselves and their families, Hayes once fell into the trap of selling drugs. “I got arrested, and I was looking at some time,” he reveals. Hayes recalls going to court every day thinking that his life was over. “I thought, If I get out of this, I’m straightening my life up. I remember before walking into the courtroom when I was supposed to get sentenced, my sister called and prayed for me. That day was the third time the DA didn’t show up. The judge said he would give the DA five minutes and then he would throw the case out,” he says.
Hayes admits those were the longest five minutes of his life, waiting to hear if his sister’s prayers had worked. Those five minutes until the judge hit the gavel and threw his case out also changed his story. The entrepreneur continues to be deeply thankful for his second chance. “While I was walking out, the detective who was supposed to testify against me was coming in,” he remembers, “and I realized how close I came to losing my freedom, and now I had to change my life.”
He’s reflective as he recalls losing his father and best friend, who he called “Big Dave,” to lung cancer. Hayes had promised him that he would do great things in life, and feels he can finally say that promise has been kept.
Cole’s father, too, imparted the kind of drive that continues to propel her to places that might seem out of reach for many. Few people know that on the day Cole was born, her father’s future was snatched away as he was sentenced to life in prison. He had been found guilty of operating a criminal enterprise that included distribution of cocaine and -possession with intent to distribute. He also owned and operated several legal businesses, including popular nightclubs in Baltimore. He remained in prison throughout Cole’s childhood, physically unable to be a present father for her. However, she sees her hustler’s spirit as his gift to her.
For both Cole and Hayes, their business ventures aren’t just about food—they’re about being of and for the people. And one thing about the Baltimore and Philly natives: They really love Atlanta and go hard for the community there. “We are able to use this one thing over everything, and that’s love—not just for ourselves, but for the community,” says Hayes, recalling how, when the pandemic hit, he went straight into service mode, feeding frontline workers at nearly 40 hospitals across metro Atlanta.
Giving of themselves is what brought the two together. “Remember we tried to bail out 100 inmates the second, third day of knowing each other?” Hayes says to Cole. “We couldn’t do it, because it was last minute. And then, sad to say, I think the following week Rayshard Brooks got murdered. That was our first time really giving back together. When we did that, I saw how powerfully people resonated with us doing something together. So we wound up saying, ‘All right, well, let’s build a business together.’”
That was the beginning of their joint entrepreneurial legacy. “We started a life insurance campaign, where we provide Black men in Atlanta who make $30,000 or less with life insurance that they don’t have to pay for,” explains Cole, who adds that Prudential recently signed on to the venture as a partner. “And to give back in the name of Rayshard Brooks, we partnered with Clark Atlanta to provide $600,000 worth of scholarships for kids, and a brand-new car and life insurance for his family. We bought this house in August of 2021, but before this, in December of 2020, we bought another house as an investment property. And we’re about to buy some more.”
ON COLE: AN ALEX PERRY GOWN, $2,400, AND SCHUTZ HEELS, $128, NEIMAN MARCUS ATLANTA. VINTAGE CHANEL EARRINGS, STYLIST’S OWN. HAYES WEARS A HIDEOKI BESPOKE SUIT, $3,490, HIDEOKI BESPOKE ATLANTA, AND SUITSUPPLY SHIRT, $119, SUITSUPPLY.COM. | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DREA NICOLE
The two also opened Dinkies—get it, Derrick + Pinky—a vegan Philly cheesesteak concept inside Pinky’s Bar Vegan, and this past Thanksgiving, they fed the entire city of Atlanta. Meanwhile, the ink is almost dry on a deal with a major retail company for Hayes’s egg rolls and seasoning line and Cole’s chicken dip, spinach dip and vegan bacon. The duo is now creating and establishing partnerships and collaborations with major brands such as Pepsi and Puma to push the culture forward.
In the midst of our conversation, I hear their assistant confirming their plans to fly out to Denver the next morning to meet with Robert F. Smith, the Black billionaire tech investor and philanthropist who paid off the student loan debt of Morehouse College’s graduating class of 2019. Cole and Hayes are building relationships and making deals that young, Black restaurant entrepreneurs couldn’t dream of until now. Next up, Hayes will open a new location not too far from one of Cole’s current spots. And over the next two years, he’s planning 10 additional locations and eight food trucks. And Cole, who worked as a television producer before becoming a restaurateur, is going back to her journalism and entertainment roots. “I’m doing a documentary called Sluttify,” she says. “It’s about the media rise of Slutty Vegan during the pandemic. I also just created Slutty Productions, and I’m doing a show with journalist Jacque Reid about those who are Black and missing in America, because we need to amplify those stories.”
As we’re talking, Cole’s mom is nestled on the couch in the family’s living room cooing to her granddaughter, D Ella Hayes, while bonding with Hayes’s 88-year-old grandmother, who now lives with them. The family Cole and Hayes have created together is simply beautiful. “Now that I look back at 2020, it was really love at first sight,” says Cole, who just signed a shoe and handbag deal with a major shoe company, for a line to debut later this year. “But at the time, we didn’t know that’s what it was.”
Now, everyone is basking in the love Cole and Hayes have for each other and for their community. “I think people look at them and see themselves,” Waithe says. “They inspire others to take their destiny into their own hands. They make it clear that the road was long and difficult, but they continue to wake up every day and get things done. I admire them both a great deal.” While y’all are focused on “Ciara’s Prayer,” it’s Pinky and Derrick’s prayer—confidence, philanthropic heart, soul mate vibes and a Midas touch—for us.
*Essence Ventures founder and chairman Richelieu Dennis is an investor in Slutty Vegan.
This article originally appeared in the January/February 2022 issue of ESSENCE magazine, available on newsstands now.
North Carolina Central University alumnus Andre’ Leon Talley has sadly passed away at age 73. He is mourned not only by his HBCU, but by friends, fans, and family around the globe. He was widely known for working with the leading designers, publications and models of the world. But just as significantly, he had a penchant for pushing the envelope in all areas of his life. Learn more about him in the NBC News story from Dennis Romero below.
(Credit: Andre’ Leon Talley Captured by NCCU)
“He had a penchant for discovering, nurturing and celebrating young designers,” his social media account said in announcing his death.
Trailblazing fashion journalist André Leon Talley died Tuesday in New York at the age of 73.
His death was confirmed on his Instagram account. The cause of death was not provided.
A former creative director and editor-at-large at Vogue, Talley shaped fashion and trends for decades but was never afraid to break the rules.
Talley was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Durham, North Carolina, by his grandmother, Bennie Frances Davis, who he said had a flair for fashion and influenced his attraction to the industry.
He said he ventured to the Durham library as a child and discovered Vogue, starting his relationship with the publication as a devoted reader.
Working as an assistant for Andy Warhol put Talley in a powerful position for the worlds of art and culture. That decade he became the Paris bureau chief of Women’s Wear Daily and contributed fashion coverage to The New York Times. In 1983, he went to work for Vogue as a fashion news director and later as a creative director.
He left Vogue in the 1990s, returned as editor-at-large, and left for good in 2013 to chase an opportunity to run Numéro Russia, a style publication, but left after a year. As Barack Obama ascended to the White House, Talley was tapped to advise the first family on fashion.
In the following years he appeared on the reality television hit “America’s Next Top Model” as a judge, an ultimate arbiter, which was his way.
Talley’s gaze was intense and intimidating, his 6-foot-6-inch frame a preview of the wit and intellect behind his fashion criticism.
In 2017, Talley addressed the trend of men in rompers — the short version of jumpsuit — telling St. Louis Magazine: “The romper trend is not something that is universal. I don’t see Kanye West going out in a romper, or Drake, Justin Bieber. Certainly not Leonardo DiCaprio. James Corden could pull off a romper.”
Talley and Diana Ross dancing at Studio 54 in New York, 1979 (Credit: Getty Images)
Talley’s influence reached beyond the runway and glossy pages: He appeared in the 2008 big-screen version of “Sex and the City,” the Vogue documentary “The September Issue,” and “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” a documentary about the designer. He was also the subject of the 2018 documentary, “The Gospel According to André.”
“Over the past five decades as an international icon was a close confidant of Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld, Paloma Picasso and he had a penchant for discovering, nurturing and celebrating young designers,” the social media post reporting his death said.
He has said that, growing up, Vogue’s description of Capote’s Black and White Ball, a society party supreme, as a refined world where “bad things never happened” sparked desire and imagination, The New York Times wrote in its review of his 2020 memoir, “The Chiffon Trenches.”
Talley’s memoir was noted for dishing on his tumultuous relationship with another Vogue fashion deity, Anna Wintour. But it also brought a new understanding of his own childhood and attraction to fashion runways — and how race in America was a key to his fabric.
His voice was more than sniping. He used it to encourage inclusion in an industry that has its racial archetypes. He was a constant voice of encouragement for the under-recognized overachievement of Black culture, particularly in the realm of style.
Rihanna. Janelle Monáe. Kerry Washington. Lupita Nyong’o. When they walked at the Met Gala, what he called the Super Bowl of fashion, he cheered for them like a proud parent. “How beautiful is your dress,” he told Washington.
His sense of properness and pageantry in fashion dates back to his days of going to church with his grandmother. He often made the distinction that this was not just church, but Black church.
“In the Black South, the church culture was almost like a finishing school,” Talley told Garden & Gun in 2018.
He told the magazine one of his proudest moments was when Edward Enninful became the first Black man to lead British Vogue and he said to Talley, “You paved the way.”
Information about Talley’s survivors and services was not immediately available Tuesday night.
When he began his studies at Morehouse College in 1944, Martin Luther King Jr. was the third member of his family to do so. His father, Martin Luther King Sr., and his grandfather had both chosen the prestigious school for how it shaped youthful boys into Morehouse Men. Now, in collaboration with MTV Entertainment Group, Dr. King’s alma mater is honoring MLK’s impactful work with a short film that delves deep into his life and legacy.
(Credit: Julian Wasser/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images )
Starting in a timely fashion on this year’s national MLK holiday, the MTV Entertainment Group has been intentional about ensuring that viewers across its mammoth platform can take in the moving short film “Here We Are.” Written and produced by faculty of the Morehouse College Cinema, Television, & Emerging Media Studies (CTEMS) program and Morehouse’s Class of 2022 seniors, the film highlights how the Class of 1948 alumnus made his mark on the civil rights movement, and how he continues to support Black liberation. Now, viewers will be able to watch the film honoring his legacy by tuning into nine separate channels: MTV, VH1, Country Music Television (CMT), Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Logo, TV Land, Pop TV, and Smithsonian Channel.
In addition to its platform, MTV Entertainment Group provided the funds and resources to elevate Morehouse’s seniors through this groundbreaking collaboration. “MTV Entertainment Group is committed to using our platforms to lift up voices that need to be heard, so we felt there was no better way to honor Dr. King than to give this opportunity to the living embodiment of his legacy, the students at Morehouse College,” shared MTV Entertainment Group chief marketing officer Jason White. “This is also an extremely talented group of up-and-coming filmmakers, and they’ve created a powerful piece that we’re proud to air across all our channels.”
(Credit: Morehouse College)
CTEMS faculty, staff, and students all united to bring “Here We Are” to fruition. According to academic program chair Dr. Stephane Dunn, the significant collaboration fits perfectly among the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities the college is known for. “Providing unique learning experiences outside of the physical classroom is imperative for a robust educational program,” said Dunn. “The team effort for this national brand allowed us to showcase the research and intellectual productivity as well as the professional experience and skill development possible at Morehouse. We hope this opens the door for additional partnerships and funding that helps us scale our departments’ capabilities and impact.”
As for the college’s seniors who worked on “Here We Are,” the project has solidified the importance of their Morehouse education in a global context. Seniors like Chase Stokes for example, will now value the collaboration with their peers and faculty as a way to shine a light on the value of teamwork. “Working with my peers from the CTEMS program was such a great experience because it gave us the opportunity to discover each other’s strengths,” said Stokes. “The faculty were instrumental in helping us hone and guide our skills. Now that this project will be aired on such a major platform, the world will see the magnitude of what Morehouse College has to offer.” “Here We Are” has become the perfect way to elevate the next generation of storytellers, who are led by the shining legacy of the alumnus who came before them.
Florida A&M University alumnus Vincent Evans has just earned a top role in Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)! Get the full story from the official release below!
(Credit: Robert Braggs)
Vincent Evans joins the Congressional Black Caucus from the White House, where he serves as Deputy Director of Public Engagement & Intergovernmental Affairs in the Office of the Vice President. Before his tenure within the Biden-Harris Administration, Evans served as the Southern Political Director for Biden for President before later being appointed as Political Director to then-Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), the Vice Presidential nominee. Additionally, Evans served on the senior staff for Congressman Al Lawson (D-FL) from 2017 to 2019, with a portfolio that included state and local issues. In addition to helping elect federal and state political candidates in Florida, he has worked in the Florida Senate and later in city government as the chief aide to the city commissioner in Tallahassee, where he was responsible for developing and implementing policy priorities and strategies. Evans is a Florida A&M University graduate and a North Florida native.
“I am deeply honored to be named the executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus,” Vincent Evans said. “I started my career in Washington working for a member of the CBC, so I know first hand the tremendous leadership and impact this Caucus has in Congress and across the country. As we write the next chapter of the CBC story, I am excited for the opportunity to lend my experience and passion for supporting the collective vision of this storied Caucus.
(Credit: Lawrence Jackson/The White House)
For the 117th Congress, the CBC has members in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, representing more than 82 million Americans, 25.3 percent of the total U.S. population, and more than 17 million African-Americans, 41 percent of the total U.S. African-American population. In addition, the CBC represents almost a fourth of the House Democratic Caucus. The CBC is engaged at the highest levels of Congress with members who serve in House leadership. Representative James E. Clyburn (D-SC) serves as the Majority Whip in the House of Representatives, Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) serves as Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, and Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) serves as co-chair of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. In addition, five CBC members serve as chairs on full House committees, and 28 CBC members serve as chairs on House subcommittees.
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will celebrate the grand opening of the Harold L. Martin Sr. Engineering Research and Innovation Complex with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of the complex Thursday, Feb. 17, at 11 a.m.
The program will feature remarks from N.C. Sen. Gladys A. Robinson, representatives of the UNC Board of Governors and Board of Trustees and other university leaders. N.C. A&T Chancellor Martin, the facility’s namesake, will deliver the occasion.
The Martin Complex, a 130,000-square-foot building equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, open concept laboratories, high bay areas and makerspaces, stands four stories high as a prominent fixture of innovation in the East Greensboro community.
In 2016, North Carolinians passed the $2 billion Connect NC Bond, which funded numerous projects across the state, including updates to state park facilities, construction projects for community colleges, and support for the expansion of STEM offerings at several universities across the state.
A&T received $90 million aimed to bolster its development and training of the next generation of exceptional engineers and computer scientists matriculating through seven College of Engineering (COE) departments and to enhance the research productivity of prominent faculty researchers. A&T is widely recognized for graduating more African American engineers than any university in America.
A&T broke ground on the construction site in 2018 and held a “topping out” ceremony in the fall of 2019, with 40% of the facility complete. Two years later, contractors finalized building efforts on time and within the allotted budget.
The Martin Complex received a silver certification from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the global standard in rating green buildings for efficiency and sustainability. The facility is at the intersection of Market and Dudley streets and is one of several new or proposed facilities in the surrounding area already budding with innovation, collaboration and entrepreneurship.
In the final stages of construction now, Bailey Village at Downtown East, also on East Market Street, will offer 172 luxury apartments, restaurants and a national grocery store among other retail opportunities. Additionally, The Resurgent – a proposed mixed-use development at Market Street and Benbow Road – will provide similar opportunities for economic revitalization with a promise of prioritizing sustainability.
Those in the Jacksonville community surrounding Edward Waters University will be able to enjoy its new fitness center thanks to a donation from the city of Jacksonville! Get the full story from the David Bauerlein of The Florida Times-Unionbelow.
(Credit: Bob Mack/Florida Times-Union)
Edward Waters University will add a new fitness center to its campus by using $500,000 from the city of Jacksonville for workout space that also will be open to neighborhood residents during some weekday hours.
Residents would not pay any charge to use the fitness center for at least five years. Edward Waters then could charge an unspecified “nominal fee” for the next five years of the agreement.
City Council President Sam Newby said the fitness center expands on other city-school partnerships with Edward Waters such as the New Town Success Zone and the Schell-Sweet Community Resource Center.
“I think this will be the third and final leg in making this community more safe and more healthy,” Newby said.
Newby, who is a graduate of the college, introduced the legislation. City Council unanimously approved it Tuesday.
The fitness center would be used by students, faculty and staff of Edward Waters. It would be open to the public for at least 20 hours a week, giving residents of the surrounding New Town neighborhood and a broader area of northwest Jacksonville a place to work out.
The hours for the public would be 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. The center would be closed on weekends.
The closest fitness center to the university is the Winston Family YMCA about two miles away in the Brooklyn neighborhood of downtown. The Johnson Family YMCA is about 3.5 miles away from the university.
Edward Waters would use the $500,000 to renovate the cafeteria of its James Weldon Johnson Building on West Ninth Street and purchase exercise equipment. The college would be responsible for staffing the fitness center and maintaining the equipment.
The city provided $8.4 million in 2017 to Edward Waters for constructing an athletic field used for the school’s football games and renovating student dormitories.
Edward Waters has said the football field will be open to the community by giving resident access to a walking track around the field and having youth football games on the field.
Agnes Scott College students who want to attend medical school will have a pathway to do so at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM).
The colleges announced two programs that enable qualified undergraduates and post-baccalaureate pre-medical students to get a jump on the admissions process at MSM. The aim is to increase diversity among medical school students and ultimately doctors, which could lead to better health outcomes.
“When students that have traditionally not been steered into medicine and science, such as women, have opportunities to learn more about the possibilities of such careers, we see a stronger and more diverse clinical workforce,” said Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and CEO of MSM, in a statement.
Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, president of Morehouse School of Medicine. SPECIAL
Unlike Morehouse College, which is an all-male, historically Black college (HBCU), MSM admits a broad range of students.
Agnes Scott is an all-women’s college.
The Early Commitment Program is designed to connect juniors at Agnes Scott with MSM.
A separate initiative called the Pre-Medical Linkage Program targets post-baccalaureate and graduate students who aspire to attend MSM.
Leocadia “Lee” Zak, president of Agnes Scott College ELIZABETH TAYLOR FRANDSEN VIA AGNES SCOTT
Both programs aim to “drive professional success for Scotties,” said Leocadia Zak, president of Agnes Scott, in a press release announcing the partnership.
The school is currently finalizing its list of qualified candidates, said Jennifer Spann, senior director of communications and marketing at Agnes Scott.
“We have approximately 20 competitive students we are going to recommend for the inaugural year,” Spann told Atlanta Business Chronicle in an email, adding that the school anticipates the application pool will increase in the future.
Officials at MSM will conduct student interviews this spring and make the final decisions on acceptance.
This alliance is just the latest to link Agnes Scott students to graduate-level education at Atlanta-based institutions.
Last year, billionaire philanthropist John Brown and his wife Rosemary established a scholarship fund at Emory University. The $5 million gift helps pay for alumnae of Agnes Scott and Spelman College who want to attend Emory’s Goizueta Business School.
The partnership with MSM will enable participants to skip what is known as the “glide year”—a period when students typically apply for medical school and participate in internships and other training to prepare for their future careers in healthcare.
Great news has emerged regarding an ambitious South Carolina HBCU president! Benedict College President and CEO Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis was recently elected to the Board of Trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on College. The SACSCOC is the official accrediting body granting degree to higher education institutions in the southern states. According to Benedict, the Southern Association of Colleges and School Commission on Colleges serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices among several diverse institutions in the southeast. Get the full story from the Benedictrelease below.
Credit: Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis
Congratulations to Benedict College President Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis on her election to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on College Board of Trustees. Dr. Artis’ three-year term will begin in June 2022. The SACSCOC is the body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the southern states
“I am extremely honored to serve as a Trustee for an organization that is committed to the quality of higher education,” said Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, President and CEO of Benedict College. “I am proud of the noble mission of the Southern Association of Colleges and School Commission on Colleges which assures the educational effectiveness of its member institutions.”
Dr. Artis will help to guide the Commission’s work and implementation of the accreditation process. She will be responsible for determining Commission policy, reviewing and making decisions regarding the accreditation of institutions. Additionally, she will serve on one of the assigned standing committees
SACSCOC President Belle Wheelan said, “ Dr. Artis was nominated by her colleagues in SC and the SACSCOC Nominating Committee forwarded her nomination to the membership for their approval. Her exceptional work in higher education speaks for itself. She will bring her vast experience to all of the members of SACSCOC to help them maintain high-quality standards.”
A NASA pitch competition will become part of a White House HBCU initiative, all to uplift our scholars and give top talent the resources to succeed. Check the release from NASA below for the full story!
Students participating in NASA’s MITTIC Challenge showcase their spinoff technology concepts in a poster session at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. (Credit: NASA)
NASA and the Department of Education are collaborating to enhance the federal Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Scholar Recognition Program using NASA entrepreneurial expertise.
“NASA is excited to formalize our participation and see the innovated ideas HBCU scholars will bring to the competition.” said MUREP manager Torry Johnson. “Since 2018, MITTIC has provided students at Minority Serving Institutions a glimpse into NASA’s Technology Transfer Program and a unique opportunity to explore their entrepreneurial interests using NASA’s technology portfolio.”
Through this “mini MITTIC” pitch competition, teams of HBCU scholars will investigate selected NASA intellectual properties for potential uses in the commercial sector. The teams will work closely with NASA’s MITTIC team and subject matter experts while creating “Space Tank” pitches to explain the commercial viability of their proposed ideas.
NASA has a long history of facilitating the transformation of its technologies into commercial products and services. NASA’s Technology Transfer Program, managed by the Space Technology Mission Directorate, the agency’s headquarters in Washington, ensures that the innovations developed for exploration and discovery are broadly available to the public, maximizing the benefit to the nation.
Through the HBCU Scholar Recognition Program, the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity annually recognizes students from HBCUs for their accomplishments in academics, leadership, and civic engagement. Over the course of an academic school year, HBCU scholars participate in professional development through monthly classes and have access to a network of public and private partners.
Partnerships, such as the White House initiative’s work with NASA, have helped increase participation in and awareness of the HBCU Scholar Recognition Program.
Since the inception of the initiative’s student programming in 2014, NASA has helped it engage with cohorts of HBCU scholars and provided access to NASA networks, training, resources, and partners.
“Our relationship with NASA validates the Biden-Harris Administration’s and the initiative’s commitment to enhancing STEM in the HBCU space,” said Arthur McMahan, senior associate director for the Initiative. “This opportunity provides our outstanding HBCU Scholars with the tools and experiences needed to succeed in the 21st Century economy and beyond.”
Through their relationships with NASA, community-based organizations, and other public and private partners, HBCU scholars will also share promising and proven practices that support opportunities for all young people to achieve their educational and career potential.
The 2022 HBCU scholar application is expected to be released Jan. 11, 2022. The initiative will provide more information about the activities of the HBCU scholars on its website. HBCU scholars will begin working with NASA as soon as they are accepted into the recognition program and present their team pitches during the Annual National HBCU Week Conference in September.
For more on the Space Technology Mission Directorate and NASA’s Technology Transfer Program, visit the link here.
Band culture is an iconic piece of the HBCU experience, and it heightens football games that are already the most exciting spectacles in town! Get the full story from Rod Carter at news station KSNT below.
(Credit: WNCN)
At Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the marching bands often steal the show. While people come for football games, it’s the halftime show that really cements the experience.
Whether it’s the fast pace of the “Sound Machine” at North Carolina Central University or the slow methodical “Snake Walk” of the famed Marching 100 at Florida A&M University, the pageantry of marching bands at HBCUs is something that cannot be duplicated.
Even PepsiCo sees it. They recently released a commercial called “The Halftime Game, ” featuring bands from schools like FAMU and Jackson State University.
“It’s like none other. You want to strike up the band if you’re a football player,” said Tiffany Greene, ESPNHBCU color analyst and Florida A&M grad. She knows the experience firsthand. She sees it every Saturday in the fall.
“It’s the soundtrack for the football game. So, there is no football game without a band,” she said. “I would argue they are equally as important as the football team.”
At North Carolina Central, when it comes to The Sound Machine, drum majors Donnell Troy Jr. and Hasan Gaddy aren’t playing around.
“Being in the marching band, you create more of a family ora, so when you’re here, you say, I actually feel like home,” Troy said.
“The culture is very different. It’s very fun to be in and just have fun,” Gaddy added.
The marching band at NCCU was founded in 1938. Band Director Thurman Hollins said the 130-plus piece band and its rich history really teach as much as about life as it does music.
“We represent the entire school all in one ensemble,” he pointed out.
That includes when it comes to class. It’s about striking the right chord for success.
“That’s part of our daily announcements ya know… go to class. We break them into clusters of students by major within the band, so they can mentor each other and tutor each other,” added Hollins.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities depend on the draw of the band in more ways than one. Not just to fill the stands to entertain the crowds, but to be an educational pied piper of sorts — luring students to attend the schools to continue a culture of academic legacy.
That is on full display in a recent McDonald’s commercial featuring a Shaw University grad and her son who is marching in his mother’s footsteps.
“This is something that I never would’ve dreamed of in my wildest dreams to be a part of that project,” said Shaw’s Band Director Andrae King.
And like the commercial shows, band is a great way to attract students, both legacy and first timers alike.
COVID-19 infections have ramped up all over the nation, and HBCUs are being proactive to protect their student body. As a result, The University System of Maryland has created a mandate for students to get boosters. Students at HBCUs Bowie State University and Coppin State University will be among those affected by the mandate. Get the full story from CBS Baltimore staff below.
Credit: Coppin State University
The University System of Maryland is requiring students returning for the spring semester and living on campus to get a booster shot against COVID-19, the organization announced Friday.
The policy impacts the University of Maryland and all its satellite campuses, Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Frostburg State University, Towson University and University of Baltimore, among other institutions.
Citing CDC findings that boosters offer the best protection against COVID-19, the organization encouraged all students, faculty and staff to get the additional shot.
Each university will announce its own deadline for getting the shot and any other COVID-19 protocols before students return to campus, the school system said.
Students who have been exempted from getting vaccinated against COVID-19 are not subject to the new policy.
“Recent data show that boosters offer added protection against COVID, reducing symptom severity, including in cases of Omicron infection,” the university system said in a press release. “Our available vaccines shorten the duration of illness and infectiousness, reducing transmissibility and spread in settings such as congregate housing.”
Last April, USM decided to require all students, faculty and staff get vaccinated before the fall semester.
“I’d like to frame my remarks not only as System chancellor, but as a physician—a pediatrician. My entire career has been focused on children, through early adulthood,” Chancellor Jay A. Perman said. “As a physician, everything I do in my practice requires a risk/benefit analysis. There is no free ride.”
Gene Wade has been selected as the CEO of the Propel Center, a center dedicated to preparing the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs! Learn more about the Morehouse College graduate from the PR Newswire release below!
Gene Wade, CEO, the Propel Center
The Propel Center, the global HBCU technology and learning hub intended to level the playing field and open greater doors of opportunity for their students, has announced the naming of respected social entrepreneur and education advocate Gene Wade as chief executive officer.
Wade most recently served as Founder and CEO of Honors Pathway in Oakland, California, a social venture that enabled low-income students to attend their first year of college at no cost while receiving over 500 hours of in-person coaching and mentoring. He also serves on several non-profit boards, including the Pahara Institute, Portal Schools, and Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area, ideal foundations for his new role with Propel Center.
Over his 25-year career, Wade also co-founded and led several entrepreneurial social ventures, including UniversityNow, which developed a self-paced online learning management system designed to lower the cost of higher education that was acquired and is currently serving hundreds of thousands of online students; Platform Learning, which developed a network of free after school tutoring programs that served over 50,000 students; and LearnNow, the first national network of public charter schools founded and led by African Americans.
Before cementing his name as one of the nation’s foremost education entrepreneurs, Wade worked as a corporate attorney. He is the holder of an M.B.A. degree from The Wharton School, a J.D. from Harvard Law School and earned his B.A. degree from Morehouse College.
Apple and Southern Company have each stepped forward to support the project as founding partners, providing experts and critical programming, and investing a total of $50 million towards the $100 million goal for the development and launch of Propel. “The Propel Center requires a strong and savvy leader that is not afraid to be an innovative disruptor,” said Chris Womack, president and CEO of Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company. “Gene Wade has the experience and vision Propel needs to create ground-breaking opportunities that will make a difference for HBCUs and their students.”
Anthony Oni, chairman, agrees that Wade’s appointment is the right choice at the right time. “Ultimately, in order to solve the systemic issues that we’re trying to address in higher education and workforce development, it’s going to take a reimagining of how we prepare students,” Oni states. “Propel Center is a shared layer of resources to augment the incredible work that’s already taking place at HBCUs, but with an opportunity to co-build curriculum with both HBCUs and industry leaders; to give students access to what industry leaders are thinking, creating and developing today and in the future.”
“I’ve dedicated my career to building innovative education solutions, business models and technology platforms that directly address the preparation challenges facing African American and low-income students,” says Wade. “Propel represents a unique opportunity to continue this work, and help radically transform how we prepare students to lead and participate in the innovation economy.”
Described as a “global HBCU headquarters,” Propel Center is designed to provide innovative curricula, advanced technology support, unprecedented career and leadership opportunities, strategic resources, preparation and access across the Black collegiate community to support their work in producing the next generation of leaders who will champion equity, justice and entrepreneurship. Among the available curriculum options will be mobile app development, agricultural technologies, augmented reality, social justice and entertainment arts, along with career preparation and entrepreneurship tracks.
Featuring state-of-the-art learning technology, the 50,000 square-foot, custom-designed Propel Center facility and campus will support the entire HBCU community through a robust virtual platform accessible to all HBCU students and faculty, located in Atlanta.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are in Atlanta today visiting the campuses of Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College! The first speech, which will start at 3:50 p.m. ET, will be a conversation surrounding voting rights. Get the full story from Melissa Quinn at CBS News below.
(Credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)
President Biden is poised to visit Atlanta on Tuesday where he will push Congress to send to his desk legislation that will overhaul the nation’s voting rights laws to counter a raft of new changes pushed by Republicans at the state level.
Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will speak at the Atlanta University Center Consortium on the grounds of Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University, located in the congressional district represented by the late John Lewis.
In their remarks, Mr. Biden and Harris are set to urge lawmakers to pass the Freedom to Vote Act, which would establish national election standards, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would reinstate a core provision of the Voting Rights Act gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013 that required states with a history of racial discrimination to seek Justice Department approval before changing their election rules.
“The next few days, when these bills come to a vote, will mark a turning point in this nation,” the president will say, according to an excerpt from the White House. “Will we choose democracy over autocracy, light over shadow, justice over injustice? I know where I stand. I will not yield. I will not flinch. I will defend your right to vote and our democracy against all enemies foreign and domestic. And so, the question is where will the institution of United States Senate stand?”
Traveling with Mr. Biden to Georgia is Senator Raphael Warnock and members of the state’s congressional delegation, as well as former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Absent from the president’s speech, though, will be Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate for governor, which Mr. Biden said before departing the White House is because of a scheduling mix-up.
The president told reporters the two are on the “same page,” and Abrams took to Twitter on Monday to applaud Mr. Biden for his visit and speech, thanking him for “for refusing to relent until the work is finished.”
Asked about the risk of not advocating for voting rights legislation given the difficult landscape in the Senate, Mr. Biden called it a “defining moment.”
“People are going to be judged: Where were they before and where were they after the vote. History is going to judge us,” he said. “The risk is making sure people understand just how important it is.”
The speech from the president is viewed by the White House as an extension of his condemnations of the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol during remarks marking its one-year anniversary. The president used his fiery speech last week to pledge he would “allow no one to place a dagger at the throat of our democracy.”
Mr. Biden’s visit and address in Atlanta is also aimed at the Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said he will soon bring the voting rights legislation to the floor despite expected unanimous opposition by Senate Republicans.
If Republicans filibuster the bills as expected, denying Democrats the 60 votes they need to advance legislation in the 50-50 Senate, Schumer has pledged to bring forward changes to the Senate rules that would lower the threshold for the measures to advance in the upper chamber with a simple majority.
“If Republicans refuse to join us in a bipartisan spirit — if they continue to hijack the rules of the Senate to turn this chamber into a deep freezer — we are going to consider the appropriate steps necessary to restore the Senate, so we can pass these proposals and send them to the president’s desk,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Monday.
But Schumer still faces an uphill battle to changing Senate rules that would make it easier for voting rights legislation to clear. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, both moderate Democrats, generally oppose changing the chamber’s rules.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, meanwhile, accused Schumer of mounting “an attempt to attack the core identity of the Senate.”
McConnell also accused Democratic leaders of “trying to use a big lie to bully and berate their own members into breaking their word, breaking the rules, and breaking the Senate.”
