Someone has released a “secret video” from a gathering of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity members that shows Ques popping and shaking their booty according to a Facebook post that has gone viral.
In a Facebook post that has gone viral, members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., a black fraternity founded on the campus of Howard University, can be seen pulling their pants down and booty popping during a stroll.
The Facebook post, which was posted by Boy King Clemons on Friday, reached over 6 million views last week.
A secret video that was released has ROCKED the legendary Black fraternity Omega Psi Phi. The video shows a SECRET GATHERING of the Black men.
The following video was taken at a secret meeting of Q-Dawgs members. It’s not clear why the members have their pants down, or what they intended on doing with each other.
A flood of commenters on Facebook shared their opinions on the video, most not in support.
“Why have BLACK MEN become so obsessed with showing each other their asses?…And WHY are BLACK WOMEN still “confused”…Most MEN are BI…Society makes them live a lie…That’s why so many BLACK WOMEN end up sick with AIDS….Deal with reality!”
Check out the video below, and tell us what you think!
HBCUs are some of the most stylish campuses in the world. Howard University, specifically, is a campus where some students will “pop out” just because. Overall, the goal for many students is to simply showcase their personality through what they wear on a daily basis.
Check out these two Stylish Students of the Week: Brijon and Khalil below.
Khalil Roberts is a Public Relations major/Graphic Design Minor from Connecticut. He describes his style as being “very 2003 Carrie Bradshaw, drinking a coffee, running down the streets of NYC.” He gets his style by mixing preppy trends with streetwear to create a comfortable but well put together look.
Brijon Lashley ‘sstyle is just as dynamic and free as she is:
“It’s versatile. I don’t have “a look.” I dress how I feel I am that day.”
You can catch Brijon on the yard in anything from a graphic tee and Adidas to a boho-chic dress with sandals.
Today, UNCF is launching #PreserveHBCUs a 24-hour social media campaign to urge the Senate to provide at least $5 million for the HBCU Historic Preservation Program, as passed by the House, before Congress adjourns. Taking place during National Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Week, this day of action engages HBCU alumni, stakeholders and supporters to help preserve over 700 historic buildings on HBCU campuses.
“HBCUs have a significant place in American history and provide incredible value and values to minority and low-income students, and to the communities in which they reside,” said Cheryl Smith, UNCF senior vice president of public policy and government affairs. “The HBCU Historic Preservation Program serves an essential purpose to HBCUs, which have a special place in the fabric of American history, culture and education. We look forward to working with the Senate to ensure final passage before the 114thCongress adjourns.”
No federal funds have been provided since 2009 for the restoration of historic buildings at HBCUs; however, this year there is a chance to secure funding in the FY 2017 budget. Last month, the House unanimously passed H.R. 295, a bill that would re-authorize $10 million annually through 2023 for the HBCUs Historic Preservation Program, and the Clyburn amendment to appropriate $5 million for FY 2017, but no funding has been recommended by the Senate.
“Thanks to Congressman James E. Clyburn (D-SC), a proud HBCU alumnus, this important bill is moving one step closer to the finish line, but further action is desperately required,” said UNCF President and CEO, Dr. Michael Lomax. “HBCUs are indeed national treasures and we invite everyone to join us today in supporting the restoration of more than 700 historic buildings on HBCU campuses.”
HBCU historic preservation was a signature UNCF initiative from 1995 through 1999, when UNCF partnered with the National Park Service to support the rehabilitation of historic structures on 10 HBCU campuses. Historic preservation remains a UNCF strategic priority today as several HBCUs this year are celebrating or approaching 150 years of existence.
Here’s how you can join UNCF today to #PreserveHBCUs:
Everyone knows that Howard University is the “mecca” of black culture and education, with that being said, it is also the mecca of black fashion. This past weekend, Howard students, alumni and friends gathered for the resurgence of the legendary International Yard Fest. For those of you who don’t know, Yardfest is like one huge party on the yard. This year, Yardfest featured artists like Faith Evans, Fabolous, Wale and Lil Uzi. In addition to all of this great talent, the yard itself was full of some really dope style.
Check out some of our favorite looks from this year’s Yardfest:
Grammy-nominated singer Keri Hilson and award-winning playwright, author, and filmmaker David E. Talbert make a visit to Howard University homecoming, and add to the excitement.
While we are sure time was made to join in on the fun and festivities, Hilson and Talbert both found time to sit down with me and give HBCU Buzz the scoop on upcoming holiday film “Almost Christmas” — in which Hilson is cast, and Talbert along with Will Packer are producers.
Almost Christmas is a holiday drama where an entire African-American family makes its way back together for the first time since the passing of its matriarch. The widowed father, played by Danny Glover, makes one request, being for his family to survive a few days under the same roof without killing one another. The film shows the funny, electric, typical tendencies of the African American home and the underlines the importance of black community. The star-studded cast featuring Danny Glover, Gabrielle Union, Nicole Air Parker, Kimberly Elise, Mo’Nique, Omar Epps, Jessie Usher, J.B. Smoke, Romany Malco, Keri Hilson, and DC Young Fly is one reason to have you running to theaters. I will also be running to theaters because two HBCU grads wrote and produced the film.
Writer and director David E. Talbert is a graduate of Morgan State University, producer Will Packer is a graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. David E. Talbert is the mastermind behind films including First Sunday and Baggage Claim and 14 touring stage plays that have received an unprecedented 24 NAACP theatre nominations. Will Packer of Will Packer Productions is an emmy-nominated producer responsible for eight films all opening number one at the box office. If you enjoyed Ride Along, Ride Along 2, Think Like A Man, Think Like A Man Too No Good Deed, Takers, or Stomp They Yard, you can thank him!
Having the opportunity to sit down with Talbert, one of the masterminds behind this production and Keri Hilson, one of the celebrity actresses, was an absolute pleasure.
D: “Well first of all, my HBCU experience taught me to do WHATEVER to survive and to make it happen. A professor told me you can make it happen, watch it happen, or ask: what happened?” Talbert shared that at HBCUs, he enjoyed being surrounded by others who genuinely want to see you win. He recalls showing his very first play to a professor by the name Clinton Holmes, and after received positive feedback that was such an encouragement for him at the time, as he was venturing into a new space with his first play.
B: Just for fun, if you had to attend any HBCU do you have an idea which you’d enjoy the most?
D: Talbert playfully screams “Morgan State!!!”
K: “I’d say Spelman.” Keri shares how she grew up not too far in Decatur and has of coursed heard of the one-of-a-kind Atlanta University Center (AUC containing Superman College, Morehouse College, and Clark Atlanta University) experience.
B: How did you come up with the idea for the movie?
D: “It was important for me to show the life of an African American family with a strong patriarch. There are no films with black fathers holding it together, showing his vulnerability and pushing through.
B: How did you cast Keri Hilson?
D: Talbert explained that while in a meeting in his office Keri was playing with a basketball net and he jokingly told Keri if she made a shot, she would have a role waiting for her in the movie. “Before I could stop her, she slam dunked the basket! No no, really though, Keri showed me she was serious. She followed up with me, called me the next day, showed up the day after that! I’ve been a fan though forever..”
B: What was your favorite part about this experience ?
K: I enjoyed all of the learning. I appreciate any opportunity to be a student. Literally sitting there at the table, witnessing creative genuises — I was a sponge!
B: Has this increased your acting interest? Can we expect any upcoming roles or to see you in more films?
K: “Yes, yes,and yes!” she shares that this experience has encouraged and inspired her career.
B: David if you had to be one character, who would you choose?
D: “J.B. Smoove. For Sure. He is up to no good and is a train wreck really. I gravitated toward his role and had a lot of fun”
B: What is your favorite message in the film?
K: Time is of the essence. Appreciate each person in your family and love them no matter what”
B: What is something you try to include in each film. Is there one message?
D: “There isn’t one message but all have to have purpose. For this film, the message is as crazy as family is, they are family, and you can’t choose them. Love them.”
B: Keri is there anything else you’s like to share with your fans?
D: blurts out “she has an album coming!”
K: “Yes, I do actually! I want to say to my fans, thanks so much for your patience and anticipating me on the airways again, it is coming. Be sure to check out this film!”
B: As a successful HBCU grad, is there something you’d like to say to HBCU students?
D: “Yeah! Everything you think about, and all of your dreams.. I had! Had all of the struggles! I remind them (HBCU students) when I go back that I am you, you are me. You see my achievements, they can be yours. I am just a cat who was eating Top Ramen (noodles) in the dorms who made it through college because of my friends and professors.
The cast of “Almost Christmas” spent their weekend as Rattlers at Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) homecoming, to not only promote their new film, but to spread knowledge and advice to students preparing for life after college.
Actors Omar Epps, Romany Malco, DC Young Fly and Executive Producer Will Packer who is also an alumnus of FAMU, joined students in a round-table discussion on Friday, that centered around the elevation of Blacks and how Black Hollywood was contributing to the movement of higher education in the Black community.
“One of the ways is just by being here and allowing them to see successful people that they the students may not have access to,” said Packer. “When I was at FAMU I didn’t know anyone in Hollywood or have someone that I could point to and say ‘Hey, I wanna be like him.’ So just being here and interfacing with people that look like them, that have gone into a very challenging industry and are successful, can be inspirational and that’s part of what we want to do,” said Packer.
Malco expressed that presence can suffice in some cases, but during a time where black awareness is at a high, everyone should be doing their part to push positivity and the education of Blacks.
“There’s an opportunity,” said Malco. “People are paying attention. People wanna hear what we have to say and it is important that in every opportunity that we get, in every song, every movie, every moment, that there’s got to be more to the narrative than just getting crunk. I feel as though this movie is a prime example, but every one of us has a platform. There’s the social media platform. So, it’s not just what is Black Hollywood doing, it’s what is the Black community doing on a global scale,” said Malco.
Packer switched gears and asked each of his cohorts to speak on their experience and what students should prepare for before leaving school. DC Young Fly was the first to offer a synopsis on how opportunities weren’t always afforded to him, but he pressed on until he broke ground.
“I’m from the hood,” said DC Young Fly.
“Everybody knows I’m from Atlanta, west-side born and raised. Throughout the years I never really saw myself being this successful. I knew I was going to do it, but I just didn’t know how. I was always in the streets, I was selling cocaine, robbing people, getting into shoot-outs. I was a good kid, but I ended up in wrong direction. But I kept at it and trying to make it right.
There are going to be so many doors that are slammed in your face, but a door is going to open up. Don’t look at somebody smacking your hand as the end. God is going to always be there and he just wants to see how you’re going to react when things don’t go your way,” said DC Young Fly.
It was then mentioned that a part of the HBCU experience is networking. Building a network with fellow classmates is a part of the college experience whether attending an HBCU or any other university. Epps stressed that it is the most important thing a student can do while obtaining an education.
“There’s value in network,” said Epps. When each of you go into your respective careers and you come out of the college experience and go into the professional, corporate world, there’s no network. You’re just another black face in that building with all them degrees and now you’re thrown into that machine, but the power is right here.
In Hollywood everything is connected, and with Black Hollywood it’s the feeling of being a rat in a cage and everybody is chasing their piece of cheese, and when you get the cheese, you wanna keep it instead of spreading it right here, or spreading it right there. We create our own network. So, in terms of my personal journey I was fortunate to have some of my closest friends as peers. We do the same thing, and we’ve always stayed connected. One went into writing, this one went into directing, and that’s the invisible connection that you can’t let them see. You have to keep that bond from where you’re at right now to where you are going, because the network is powerful,” said Epps.
The cast spent the remainder of the weekend interacting with the on-campus radio, newspaper, and the frenzy of students that were anxious to meet their acquaintance. During half-time of the FAMU vs. Hampton homecoming game, they took to the field to watch FAMU’s world renowned “Marching 100” marching band perform. The cast even got their hands dirty and served students and community members soul food outside of the football game. FAMU brought home the win and gave the “Almost Christmas” cast the complete essence of what it’s like to be a Rattler.
Millennials—the demographic between the ages of 18 and 35—have toppled baby boomers and are reportedly more than 74 million strong in the U.S. What’s more, minorities constitute a big makeup of that population. According to a Brookings Institute report citing data from the Census Bureau, minorities make up 27% of the total millennial population. That millennial group represents 47% of the money-earning minority workforce.
THE MINDS OF MILLENNIALS
It seems these days so many outlets are trying to get into the minds of millennials. A recent Harvard University survey of millennials ages 18 to 29 found that only 11% expressed trust in “Wall Street,” which includes banking and finances overall.
Using MFourDIY, the market research industry’s all-mobile, do-it-yourself platform for designing and carrying out studies, MFour recently conducted a survey of millennials across the representative U.S. millennial population by sex, age, race/ethnicity, income and employment status. MFour posed some 30 questions to millennials who make up about 60% of its million-member active panel, all of whom participate in research via MFour’s on the Go app for smartphones and tablets.
Here are some of the insights from MFour on how millennials manage their money.
MOBILE BANKING
Only 18.1% of millennials said they prefer to do their banking in person. Roughly two-thirds had been to the bank in the past month. What’s more, 61.2% of millennials preferred to do their banking with mobile apps, with 82.7% having used a mobile banking app during the past month. Mobile was the most-preferred banking method across all racial, ethnic, and age groupings as well as income brackets, according to the MFour survey.
Asked how confident they are in the security of banking/finance apps, 62.9% were confident or very confident and 27.4% were neutral. Only 9.7% stated any concern. Mobile apps such as PayPal and Venmo edged out cash as the way millennials most prefer to transfer money to family and friends, MFour discovered.
PC PAYMENTS AND CHECKS
Only 71.6% of millennials had used a personal computer for banking during the past month. That figure fell to 66.7% for the youngest age bracket, 18-24. The survey further revealed that younger millennials also were less likely to use a PC to make a payment—51.1% in the past month, compared to 61.2% of millennials overall.
When asked about their preferences for checks, millennials made it clear that they don’t want a physical check as a gift. In fact, only 10% said they wanted checks from family and friends. Moreover, only 17% of the MFour respondents had written a check during the previous week, while 26.6% said it had been six months or more since they’d written a check, and 24% said they had never used a check.
However, MFour did point out that 87% of millennials do have a checking account—more than any other banking product. It’s just that mobile is their transaction of choice.
This article was written by Carolyn M. Brow , a writer at Black Enterprise, where it was originally published. It is published here with permission.
On October 21, after a two-year hiatus, Howard University Homecoming Steering Committee resurged one of Howard’s greatest homecoming traditions-International Yardfest. The rebirth instilled enthusiasm and excitement from Howard students which erupted from performances of Common, Lil Uzi Vert, Faith Evans, Wale, Fabolous, and Will Tha Rapper.
Due to crowd control issues, Yardfest banned live music from the scene leaving Big Sean as Yardfest’s last headliner in 2013. Undoubtedly, complaints and disapproval from Howard students overflowed.
2016 Howard graduate, Matthew Holmes shared his experience:
“The homecoming committee wanted us to understand the power of yardfest and its meaning to homecoming. I was aggravated but understood why it was taken away for a while.”
Senior, Safir Monroe, expressed his thoughts:
“I felt angry. Homecoming is supposed to be an event to have fun and having performers at Yardfest was the one aspect that was missing from it. I am happy that it was able to return for my senior year.”
Although Common and Evans’ career launched before the birth of most of Howard’s undergraduate population, both acts were accepted with uncontrollable energy. “I was actually surprised to perform at Howard. Initially, I thought my performance would be for alumni- assuming that the students wanted someone fresher and younger,” Evans said. “Overall I was honored and excited.”
Common performing “Black America Again” at International Yardfest.
Common performed “Black America Again” allowing the audience to focus on social issues and challenges affecting the black community which to some students was labelled as “preaching.” A poignant moment occurred when he rapped, “I know that Black Lives Matter and they matter to us,” ensuring his consciousness of reality.
I was actually surprised to perform at Howard. Initially, I thought my performance would be for alumni- assuming that the students wanted someone fresher and younger.
The heavy rainstorm did little to dampen the students’ spirit. Reactions from the sight of Philadelphia rapper Lil Uzi Vert confirmed this. His performance of “Money Longer”, “You Was Right” and “Ps & Qs exhilarated the crowd. Sophomores Bryce Ellen and Kaitlyn Whiting recounted their encounter with Lil Uzi Vert.
“Since I was near the front, I could hear the weight of the crowd behind me. As soon as Lil Uzi appeared, everybody started screaming and tried to bum-rush the stage,” said Ellen.
Whiting agreed, “Everyone went crazy when Uzi came out. Somebody’s drink wasted all over my white shirt and my friend dropped her phone and got stepped on and now it’s cracked.”
The five-hour free concert concluded with unexpected D.C. natives Wale and Will Tha Rapper. Although Wale’s set was no more than twenty minutes, his rendition of “Bad” had the crowd emotionally attached leading to an outbreak of chaos that transformed its way into a rhythm with “No Hands.”
Will Tha Rapper’s “Pull Up Hop Out,” according to sophomore Sherielle Henry, “had the crowd going from one to ten. Everyone was LIT. It was full of singing, dancing, and jumping.”
The reappearance of Yardfest left freshmen like Rebecca Johnson in awe:
“I was unaware of the two-year gap, but aside from the rain, it was amazing. The vibe was great, there wasn’t really much conflict. Wale and Lil Uzi Vert surprised me. It was like a real Coachella type thing. I loved it.”
Yardfest’s revival received positive reviews from current students and alumni via social media. Howard’s music festival was thoroughly enjoyed by all classifications eagerly waiting for the potential 2017 has.
Jackson State University students participated in “5 Days of Giving” on campus to give back for a good cause.
As Jackson State University Homecoming quickly approaches, students are thrilled about the entire week and what is to come. More specifically, they are excited that Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz will be performing at their Homecoming concert, however, the ticket cost was not so attractive.
To address this issue the Campus Activities Board launched their “5 Days of Giving.” For five days from 12-1 they gave out a specific amount of homecoming concert tickets in exchange for 10 non-perishable items. In total, by the end of the week, they raised over 12,000 non-perishable items.
Last week a local food center, Stewpot was broken into and many items were deemed stolen. Stewpot received the majority of the donations so that they can restock their shelves. Items will also be donated to Gateway, Salvation Army, and Stewpot again on Monday. Over 1,000 students on campus received a concert ticket, that was originally being sold for $30.
Campus Activities Board President Larry Strickland released a statement:
“Our primary goal was to be of service not only to the student community but to the community that surrounds our school. We hear the concerns of the students and acted immediately and by doing so killed two birds with one stone. I’m excited to see what the 2016-2017 CAB Administration has in store this academic school year. Stay tuned!”
The JSU Homecoming Concert will be on Tuesday, October 25th at 8 p.m.
Rock Hill, S.C.- Junior Aaliyah Howard and freshman Channelle Wong finished in first and second place, respectively to lead the Albany State women’s cross country team to the 2016 SIAC championship. The 4K event was held in Rock Hill, S.C. and featured 12 conference teams and 69 competitors.
Albany State, who last won the title in 2012, recorded a total time of 1:49:31.42 to run away from the rest of the field. Benedict College, the 2015 league champion, finished second with a time of 1:51:24.52. Paine College, who is coached by former ASU track athlete Michael Hamer, finished in third place, clocking in at 1:55:22.27.
Clark Atlanta was the fourth place team with a time of 1:56:16.32, and Kentucky State (1:55:52.77) earned the fifth place spot.
Individually, Howard won the event with a time of 20:42.87, and Wong finished at 20:50.55. The Lady Rams also had two other Top 10 finishers in sophomore Raelyn Brown (21:44.33), who placed seventh, and ninth place finisher freshman Kashia Darville (21:58.22).
Howard was named the SIAC Most Valuable Player of the meet. Wong, Brown and Darville were also named to the all-conference team for finishing in the Top 10. ASU head coach Kenneth Taylor was named the 2016 SIAC Coach of the Year, but he credited assistant coach Robert Smith for generating the team’s success.
Sophomore Shamicah Tardy (24:15.45) finished in 31st place, and freshman Roneisha Scott recorded a time of 24:46.43 to place 34th.
Rock Hill, S.C.- Freshman Robert Grooms (28:28.41) earned seventh place to lead the Albany State men’s cross country team to a second place finish at the 2016 SIAC Championships, which were held in Rock Hill, S.C. The 8K run featured a total of 75 competitors from 10 conference schools.
Albany State, who finished in third place at the 2015 championships, placed six of its seven runners in Top 15 and recorded a total time of 2:23:36.35. The Golden Rams finished behind Morehouse College. The Maroon Tigers won the league title with a total time of 2:18:48.42. Benedict College garnered third place, clocking in at 2:22:25.92.
Tuskegee was the fourth place team with a time of 2:39:27.01. Clark Atlanta (2:41:35.02) placed fifth.
In addition to Grooms, sophomore Kamil Jones recorded a time of 28:30.30 to earn eighth place, and Khaleed Barrett (28:30.90) was also a Top 10 finisher in ninth place.
Grooms, Jones and Barrett each earned 2016 SIAC All-Conference honors for finishing in the Top 10. Jones was also a member of the all-conference team in 2015.
Junior Jamorris Hill narrowly missed earning top honors in the meet. He finished with a time of 28:47.26, which was good for 11th place. D’Shaun James (29:19:48) and Joshua Ajiero (29:26.03) placed 13th and 14th, respectively. Martin Jones was 23rd with a time of 31:12.49.
David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader and Donald Trump supporter, will get a spot on the debate stage in Louisiana’s Senate race, according to Politico.
From The Week:
“When Duke, 66, learned he would be invited to participate, he said it was “amazing” but that he is concerned about his safety: “Dillard is pretty supportive of Black Lives Matter, and I’ve been pretty critical of them,” Duke said.”
Duke, a white supremacist, former Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, and a firm supporter of Trump, announced that he was running late this summer, reports Politico, adding “GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump had inspired him and drawn more followers to his cause. Other Republicans in the state have disavowed him and the Republican National Committee and Louisiana GOP explored booting him out of the party.”
The debate is scheduled to be held at historically black college or university (HBCU) Dillard University in New Orleans on Nov. 2.
President Barack Obama released a proclamation on Friday declaring October 23 through October 29, 2016, as National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week. You can read his entire statement, from the Office of the White House Press Secretary, below:
America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are living monuments to the cause that has driven each generation of our citizens in the task of perfecting our Union — helping ensure that all people can experience the fullest measure of equality, justice, and possibility. Embodying the notion that the ability to pursue a higher education should be an opportunity available to all, rather than a privilege for a few, these campuses were built from a determination to widely and profoundly expand the reach of our country’s promise. During National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week, we celebrate this aspiration and reaffirm our support for HBCUs.
Rendered possible by the extraordinary sacrifices and commitment of women and men who resolved to make real and enduring the new birth of freedom that echoed across our country following the end of the Civil War, the rise of these proud institutions marked the beginning of a new chapter in our national narrative. With each generation, HBCUs have shaped America for the better in indelible ways. From a pastor who would give voice to equality’s cause to the great-grandson of a slave who would reach the bench of our highest court; from pioneers of medical and scientific breakthroughs to creators of innovative and prosperous businesses; from artists who expand the boundaries of expression to historians who illuminate our past and help us write our future, so much of the progress that has come to define America has been carried forward by graduates, academics, and leaders of these colleges and universities.
Since I took office, my Administration has focused on expanding opportunity and opening doors of higher education for more people. We have increased Pell Grants, expanded student loan assistance going directly to students, cut taxes for those paying tuition, allowed students to cap their Federal loan payments at 10 percent of their income, and created the College Scorecard to assist prospective students in understanding their options for pursuing a higher education. Today, more Americans are earning a degree in post-secondary education than ever before, and HBCUs are playing an important role. In the 6 years since I signed an Executive Order bolstering the White House Initiative on HBCUs, we have helped ensure that more students have greater opportunities and that these institutions can benefit from a fuller range of Federal programs and assistance. HBCUs and community colleges help build our Nation’s economy and strengthen the middle class, which is why I am working to make 2 years of community college free for hardworking students across our country through America’s College Promise — a proposal that also helps 4-year HBCUs provide more low-income students with up to 2 years of college for free or at reduced tuition.
This week, we recognize the ways in which HBCUs are central to our experience as a Nation and recommit ourselves to the work that lies ahead. Let us honor the spirit in which these institutions were constructed by reaffirming the enduring truths at their core, and let us continue endeavoring to ensure all people have the chance to access higher education and secure ever greater opportunity.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 23 through October 29, 2016, as National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week. I call upon educators, public officials, professional organizations, corporations, and all Americans to observe this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that acknowledge the countless contributions these institutions and their alumni have made to our country.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-first.
John B. King Jr., the secretary of education and an education champion, will give a speech in Arlington on Oct. 24 to address the progress of the country’s 107 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
HBCUs, as defined by the Higher Education Act of 1965, include: “…any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans…” Today, HBCUs offer all students, regardless of race, an opportunity to develop their skills and talents. These institutions prepare students to serve domestically and internationally in public and private sector professions.
Paris Dennard is the new head of strategic communications for TMCF, or the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that serves as a voice of historically black colleges or universities (HBCU). He is also a Trump supporter.
It is an unlikely union, as Dennard and TMCF President Johnny C. Taylor, according to The Atlantic, explained if he can be both an advocate of black colleges and a vocal voice in the Republican party at the same time. The answer is yes:
“I am an advocate by the nature of where I work. Johnny [Taylor] makes that very clear,” he expanded, “so I will speak up and talk about HBCUs in the political sphere.”
Taylor toldThe Atlantic that he sees Dennard, a graduate of Pepperdine University in Malibu, as an asset and not an issue.
Grammy-nominated singer Keri Hilson and award-winning playwright, author, and filmmaker David E. Talbert make a visit to Howard University homecoming, and add to the excitement.
K: I enjoyed all of the learning. I appreciate any opportunity to be a student. Literally sitting there at the table, witnessing creative genuises — I was a sponge!
Paris Dennard is the new head of strategic communications for TMCF, or the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that serves as a voice of historically black colleges or universities (HBCU). He is also a Trump supporter.
