Fayetteville State University is a public historically black university in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Historically Black Fayetteville State Universityin North Carolina has received funding from the National Aeronautic and Space Administration to establish a free, immersive summer program for high school students interested in STEM fields. The program will provide students with the opportunity to participate in NASA-related research without any financial obligations. Students will learn on-campus at Fayetteville State University and receive a stipend from NASA.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore — $1 Million
University of Maryland Eastern Shore, historically Black university in Princess Anne, Maryland.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shorehas received over $1 million in federal funding to establish a doctor of veterinary medicine degree program in the School of Veterinary Medicine. Once established, the program will be the second of its kind at an HBCU and the first in the state of Maryland.
Winston-Salem State University — N/A
Winston-Salem State University, a historically black public university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Clayton Scott has established the Dr. Clayton A. Scott #Mike Murrell Endowed Scholarship Fund at his alma mater, historically Black Winston-Salem State Universityin North Carolina. The scholarship will support graduates of the local Statesville High School in continuing their education at Winston-Salem State University.
Alabama A&M University — $ 1 Million
Historically Black Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, AL.
Historically Black Alabama A&M Universityhas received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to launch the Bridge to Doctorate program. The initiative aims to support underrepresented scientists and engineers interested in pursing doctoral degrees in STEM fields. Students who are accepted into the program will receive a stipend of $32,000 per year, financial assistance for educational expenses, and professional development opportunities.
University of Arkansas Pine Bluff — N/A
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) is a public historically black university in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
The Department of Human Sciences at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff has received a grant from VentureWell to establish a new food and nutrition entrepreneurship certificate program. Students who enroll in the historically Black university’s new program will learn about sustainability, business, public health, and food manufacturing, with a particular focus on underserved communities.
Congratulations to all the HBCUs for these outstanding contributions!
Honda Battle of the Bands (HBOB), the nation’s premier showcase for Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching bands, will bring its high energy and sound to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Saturday, February 1, 2025.
Six talented HBCU marching bands will perform live at the 2025 Invitational Showcase, making HBOB history as Honda brings the tradition and culture of HBCU schools to the West Coast for the first time.
“Honda continues its commitment to powering the dreams and success of HBCU students by providing experiences and opportunities like Honda Battle of the Bands,” said Yvette Hunsicker, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility and Inclusion & Diversity at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Bringing Honda Battle of the Bands to California will provide a platform for these young musicians while expanding awareness of the rich legacy of HBCU schools.”
Music and entertainment fans in Southern California and from all over the country can look forward to six different bands taking the field in 2025, where they will demonstrate their unique sounds and extraordinary ability to get the crowd on their feet.
The bands will be selected through a voting process that includes HBOB fans, HBCU band directors and students, and Honda representatives. Starting July 15, fans can visit www.hondabattleofthebands.com to vote for the HBCU marching bands they want to see perform at the 2025 Invitational Showcase in Los Angeles.
“SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park look forward to hosting the first West Coast appearance of Honda Battle of the Bands,” said Christy Castillo Butcher, senior vice president of Booking and Programming for SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theater and Hollywood Park. “Our global stage is set to showcase these collegians’ talent and celebrate music and culture.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Honda Battle of the Bands to our great city,” said Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts. “Over the years we have crowned NBA, NFL, and Olympic champions. Now, the City of Inglewood will be home to a new group of champions when six HBCU marching bands take the field at SoFi Stadium in 2025.”
Driving the Legacy of HBCUs
“I appreciate Honda’s commitment to supporting and showcasing the dynamic music and culture of America’s HBCUs. Honda Battle of the Bands has become a wonderful and energizing tradition that allows students to create, compete, and come together in solidarity with fellow HBCUs,” said California State Senator Steven Bradford. “The financial support provided by Honda is critical to the mission of our nation’s HBCUs.”
Honda has supported HBCUs for 35 years, acknowledging their critical role in providing higher education and opportunities for advancement within the Black community. This support includes scholarships, programs, and initiatives that celebrate the dreams and potential of HBCU students, shaping them into future Black leaders. Through HBOB and the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, Honda has impacted the lives of more than 300,000 students and awarded over $14 million in grants in support of HBCU education programs and facility improvements.
Ahead of HBOB 2025, Honda reaffirmed its longstanding commitment to HBCU music education through a $500,000 grant to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. The grant is dedicated to awarding scholarships that will power the academic ambitions of HBCU student musicians across the country. To learn more about the scholarship program, visit https://www.tmcf.org/students-alumni/scholarship/tmcf-honda-hbcu-scholarship/.
For the latest HBOB news, follow along on social media:
Honda and Historically Black Colleges and Universities For 35 years, Honda has supported HBCUs, acknowledging their critical role in providing higher education and opportunities for advancement within the Black community. This support includes scholarships, programs, and initiatives that celebrate the dreams and potential of HBCU students, shaping them into future Black leaders. Honda has impacted the lives of more than 300,000 students and awarded over $14 million in grants in support of HBCU education programs and facility improvements.
To advance its leading investment in HBCUs, Honda is a member of the HBCU Partnership Challenge, a Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus initiative that brings together government, industry and HBCUs to create strategic, more sustainable HBCU partnerships. Honda also has partnered with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and UNCF to provide annual scholarship funding to support HBCU students pursuing an education in engineering, supply chain management, and manufacturing-related fields.
About SoFi Stadium SoFi Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, is located at Hollywood Park, a nearly 300-acre sports and entertainment destination being developed by Los Angeles Rams Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke in Inglewood, Calif. The 3.1 million-square-foot SoFi Stadium is the largest stadium in the NFL, as well as the first indoor-outdoor stadium.
It seats approximately 70,000, expandable up to 100,000, with more than 260 luxury suites and more than 13,000 premium seats. SoFi Stadium was host to Super Bowl LVI in 2022, the College Football National Championship in 2023, WrestleMania in 2023, the annual Starco Brands LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk, and was ranked the No. 1 stadium in the world for top-grossing concert and live event ticket sales in 2023.
SoFi Stadium is set to host eight FIFA World Cup ‘26 matches, Super Bowl LXI in 2027, and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic Games in 2028. Adjacent to the stadium and sitting under the same roof canopy are the 2.5-acre American Airlines Plaza and the 6,000-seat YouTube Theater.
The Florida A&M Board of Trustees convened a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the next steps following a historic $237 million donation that the Rattlers received during their Spring commencement ceremony.
The donation was given by the Issac Batterson Seventh Family Trust and CEO Gregory Gerami, who also served as the keynote speaker for the ceremony.
During the nearly two-hour meeting, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to commission an external investigation to look into the details of the substantial donation.
The #FAMU BOT just voted unanimously to have a thorough, independent investigation completed into the purported $237 million donation since its inception to determine what happened.
perform an independent audit and analysis of the process, policies, and financial controls
recommend actions via a written report
provide updates to the Board of Trustees “based on a timeline established by the external firm.”
The news comes after days of controversy regarding the donation. Last week, President Robinson announced that the school was putting a “pause” on the gift “pending additional information that’s come to his attention.”
The Vice Chair of the FAMU Board of Trustees, Deveron Gibbons, requested President Robinson and Board Chair Kristin Harper to hold a public meeting to address the lack of transparency regarding a donation.
Gibbons believes that little information has been shared about the nature of the donation.
According to the agreement, Gregory Gerami pledged to donate “14 million shares of stock of intrinsic value worth at least $239,000,000” to FAMU. The agreement also stated that Gerami planned to donate an additional $61 million over the next decade.
Additional details revealed that donor Gregory Gerami had a major donation fall through at a South Carolina university in 2020.
“We don’t know who did what and when it happened. It is my opinion that we need someone who is completely free of involvement with the university to conduct an outside investigation,” Trustee Belvin Perry Jr. said during Wednesday’s meeting.
Trustee Craig Reed said he believed the board had a portion of information regarding the donation but not all of it.
Shawnta Friday-Stroud, Florida A&M University’s vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the FAMU Foundation — also announced her resignation from her vice president role amid the controversy around the dubious $237 million donation. She will, however, remain dean of the university‘s School of Business & Industry.
During the meeting, FAMU President Larry Robinson apologized for any “missteps” and stated that he takes full responsibility for the matter and the fallout regarding the gift. “It would truly be transformational. I wanted it to be real and ignored the warning signs along the way,” Robinson said.
“I wanted it to be real and ignored the warning signs along the way,” Robinson told the board. “The public announcement at commencement was premature at best, and I apologize to all who witnessed it and shared their joy and jubilation.”
“It is my belief that with the guidance of this board, we will arrive at a process much more transparent when it comes to such large gifts in the future,” he added.
He also apologized to Board of Trustees Chair Kristin Harper, who was seen tearing up in the graduation ceremony at the news of the gift.
“I should have never been put on the spot or used for a convenient photo or video op for a gift that I knew nothing about,” Chair Harper said.
Bounded by a non-disclosure agreement, Harper was not included in the inner circle that knew about the details of the gift. But she did sign the gift agreement and was featured in the promotion of the donation on the university’s social media page.
During the meeting, Harper also expressed her frustration and disappointment for the reason behind Wednesday’s meeting and the implications it could “undoubtedly have on donor trust and confidence.”
“I fully support your decision to cease this transaction. I only wish the decision would have been made during the six months spent on developing the gift and before a public announcement would have been made that could tarnish the reputation of this university,” she said.
The investigation is said to determine what happened during the process that led to accepting the donation and ensure compliance with policies, processes, and financial controls. It will also recommend any necessary corrective actions in a written report under the leadership of the Board of Trustees’ Audit and Compliance Committee chair, Michael White.
Board members are expected to receive regular updates about the investigation once it begins.
During the Zoom meeting, discussions about an external investigation took up all the time, leaving no opportunity for Robinson or Friday-Stroud to provide further information about the gift or answer the trustees’ unanswered questions.
Florida A&M University is a public historically black land-grant university in Tallahassee, Florida.
Board members Trustee Otis Cliatt II and Vice Chair Deveron Gibbons were frustrated and unsatisfied with the turn that the meeting took as they understood the main purpose of convening was to provide clarity on detailed logistics about how the gift came about.
“We are here today to do one thing, and that is to find out the facts related to this particular donation — what happened and when it happened,” Gibbons said. “I’m sitting here with over 100 questions that are written down here right now.”
“This should not have happened and in light of that, we need to get the facts,” he added. “This is uncomfortable, and I’m upset that I have to sit here and be doing this right now when all it took was normal due diligence.”
Cliatt believed that Harper jumped the gun with her proposal for an external audit early on in the meeting before base-level information was shared to understand the scope of the unclear gift situation.
He also shared his sentiments of unhappiness regarding revelations of the major donation.
“I am not happy with the university making that decision, I’m not happy with the president of the university asking the board chair to sit in a photo op and I’m not happy with the board chair for sitting there in a photo op,” Cliatt said.
“We are the governing body. We don’t do things without asking questions. We’re here because the university did things without asking questions.”
When asked by a trustee how the university would respond to mounting questions about the donation, Robinson said he wouldn’t.
“In light of an impending investigation, I will say very little about this,” Robinson said, adding administrators will be pushing out positive news on the university’s impact on students and the community.
As the Board of Trustees moves forward with tackling the still unclear gift situation while an investigation will soon be underway, trustee Kelvin Lawson says facing another elephant in the room — accountability — is on the horizon.
“At the end of the day, it is going to become an accountability issue,” Lawson said during the special meeting. “We’re going to need to make some decisions as a board on how we move forward.”
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a new record in Federal funding and investments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) totaling more than $16 billion from Fiscal Years (FY) 2021 through current available data for FY 2024.
This new reported total is up from the previously announced over $7 billion and captures significant additional actions already undertaken. The total of more than $16 billion includes over $11.4 billion between FY2021 and FY2023 through Federal grants, contracting awards, and debt relief for HBCUs; over $4 billion between FY2021 and FY2023 for HBCU-enrolled students through federal financial aid and educational benefits for veterans; and, so far in FY 2024, over $910 million has been secured for Department of Education programs strengthening HBCUs as institutions.
“As a proud graduate of Howard University, I know firsthand that our HBCUs are centers of academic excellence. For generations, these anchors of our communities have played a pivotal role in building and contributing to America’s leadership at home and abroad,” said Vice President Harris.
“That is why President Biden and I have delivered an unprecedented $16 billion to our Nation’s HBCUs. We know that when we invest in the success of our HBCUs, we are investing in the strength of our Nation – today and for generations to come.”
President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to ensuring whole-of-government investment efforts in HBCUs continue at full momentum through the rest of FY 2024.
These historic funding levels demonstrate the Administration’s ongoing commitment to HBCUs, which serve as an engine for upward economic mobility in our country. The Administration is also focused on working to ensure HBCUs have the resources to provide a high-quality postsecondary education.
For more than 180 years, HBCUs have been advancing intergenerational economic mobility for Black families and communities, developing vital academic research, and making our Nation more prosperous and equitable. Despite representing only 3% of colleges and universities, HBCUs play an outsized role to support the economic mobility of African Americans, producing 40 percent of all Black engineers, 50 percent of all Black teachers, 70 percent of all Black doctors and dentists, 80 percent of all Black judges, and the first woman and Black Vice President of the United States.
Overall, HBCUs greatly contribute to the economic success of America, providing college access to twice as many Pell Grant-eligible (low-income) students as non-HBCU institutions. Additionally, social mobility research by the United Negro College Fund finds that HBCUs support nearly five times more students than Ivy League and other top-ranked institutions in facilitating movement from the bottom 40% of U.S. household income to the top 60%.
A CEA report, published this morning [LINK], further underscores that HBCUs are engines for upward mobility and additionally discusses new research showing that HBCU enrollment has considerable positive effects on bachelor’s degree completion and household income later in life. The report details how these successes have occurred in the context of historic underfunding of HBCUs. It also discusses a recent resurgence in applications to, and enrollment in, HBCUs which highlight the high value that students have placed on these institutions in recent years.
Since Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has committed to advancing racial equity, economic opportunity, and educational excellence, including by reestablishing the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Between FY 2021 – 2023 the Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic actions to support HBCUs:
Invested over $11.4 billion in HBCUs, which includes:
Nearly $4 billion for HBCUs through the American Rescue Plan and other COVID relief legislation. These grants funded through the Department of Education and other agencies have helped HBCUs support students’ ability to meet basic needs; support campus operations, staffing, teaching, and educational programs; and keep campuses and the surrounding communities on the path to an equitable recovery;
$2.6 billion from the Department of Education to build institutional capacity at HBCUs. These efforts support the growth and sustainability of HBCU degree programs; increase and enhance human, technological, and physical infrastructure for research; strengthen positioning to secure direct partnership opportunities; and create sustainable fund development;
Over $1.6 billion to HBCUs through Federal grants, cooperative agreements, and other competitive funding opportunities that drive the advancement of academic and training programs, community-based initiatives, and research innovation across national priorities such as medicine and public health, climate science, agriculture, emerging technologies, and defense;
Almost $950 million to support HBCUs in growing research capacity and related infrastructure to better compete for Federal research and development dollars;
Nearly $719 million in grant funding to expand STEM academic capacity and educational programs; and in other high-wage, high-demand fields such as computer science, nursing, and allied health;
Over $150 million in Federal contracting opportunities awarded to HBCUs, including for research and expansion of STEM education programs at the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Transportation, Department of Energy, and U.S. Agency for International Development;
$1.6 billion in capital finance debt relief for 45 public and private HBCUs. Discharging these debts has enabled these institutions to focus resources on supporting students, faculty, and staff while recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic; and
Over $2.4 million in Project SERV funds to support HBCUs affected by more than a dozen bomb threats in 2022. These grants have helped restore safe learning environments and invest in student mental health and well-being for students.
In addition to the over $11 billion provided to HBCUs, the Biden-Harris Administration has provided over $4 billion to support the success of HBCU-enrolled students through:
$2.8 billion in need-based grants and other Federal programs, including Pell Grants, Federal Work-Study, and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, to assist HBCU students in affording a postsecondary education; and
Nearly $1.3 billion to support Veterans attending HBCUs through the GI bill and other college, graduate school, and training programs delivered through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
While more must be done to ensure equity for HBCUs and their students, the Biden-Harris Administration is delivering landmark first-of-its-kind results:
The Department of Defense U.S. Air Force established the first-ever HBCU-led University Affiliated Research Center (UARC). Led by Howard University with seven other HBCUs and funded at $90 million over five years, efforts will focus on advancing the deployment of autonomous technologies for Air Force missions. Participating schools include Jackson State University, Tuskegee University, Hampton University, Bowie State University, Norfolk State University, Delaware State University, Florida Memorial University, and Tougaloo College.
The Department of Commerce established the first-ever Connecting-Minority-Communities program delivering funding for 43 HBCUs to purchase broadband internet, purchase equipment, and hire IT personnel to tackle the digital divide impacting HBCUs. Several HBCUs also recently launched an HBCU CHIPS Network in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology to increase the coordination of the resources at the colleges and universities and jointly contribute to the workforce development needs of the semiconductor industry. Chips are critical in powering our consumer electronics, automobiles, data centers, critical infrastructure, and virtually all military systems.
The Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will provide $4.2 million in grant funding to HBCUs, through the EPP/MSI Cooperative Science Center program.
The Department of Agriculture announced a $262.5 million investment to support 33 projects across U.S. institutions of higher education designed to train the next generation of diverse agricultural professionals. Through the USDA NextGen program, the projects are led by 1890 land-grant institutions (historically Black land-grant universities), 1994 land-grant institutions (Tribal Colleges and Universities, AlaskaNative-Serving Institutions, and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, Hispanic-ServingInstitutions), and institutions of higher education located in the Insular Areas. This historic investment will provide training and support to more than 20,000 future food and agricultural leaders through 33 projects executed by more than 60 institutions across 24 states and Insular Areas.
The Department of Energy announced the inaugural $7.75 million Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Clean Energy Education Prize, a competition that will support HBCUs in developing programming to strengthen the participation of K-12 and community college students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The competition, which has announced its first 10 winning HBCU teams, is supporting the creation of clean energy community networks to inspire the next generation of students to work in STEM fields related to clean energy.
The Department of Education provided nearly $25 million to HBCUs under the Research and Development Infrastructure program to transform their research infrastructure, including strengthening research productivity, faculty expertise, physical infrastructure, and partnerships leading to increases in external funding.
The Department of Transportation announced Prairie View A&M University in Texas as the first-ever HBCU to lead a University Transportation Center. Prairie View A&M and 11 other HBCUs were among 34 schools to receive a portion of a $435 million grant for the development of interoperable technology systems, which allow equipment, software, and applications to work together, communicate, and exchange data.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is pioneering efforts to close opportunity gaps in STEM, including nearly $12 million for eight HBCUs to support programs in artificial intelligence and machine learning and create a more diverse pipeline of talent for careers in data-intensive space-based Earth science.
The White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through HBCUs established the Executive HBCU Space Lab, a new collaboration between HBCUs, the Federal government, and industry partners to increase HBCU engagement in space-related federal contracting. The Executive HBCU Space Lab is a solutions-oriented initiative that will release resources including SpaceTechConnect, a free platform to highlight space-related capabilities at HBCUs.
The Department of Health and Human Services National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences established HBCU-Connect, a new initiative with HBCUs to inspire the development of environmental health science leaders from diverse backgrounds. HBCU-Connect is a multifaceted effort to strengthen ties between the institute and faculty and students at academic institutions that are often underrepresented in the sciences.
The Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau launched the Maternal Health Research Collaborative for MSIs, providing roughly $30M in research support to seven HBCUs over five years. The funding will build the capacity of HBCUs to conduct Black maternal health research to fully understand and address the root causes of disparities in maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, and maternal health outcomes; and to find community-based solutions to address these disparities and advance health equity.
The Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health funding to HBCUs totaled $147.5 million to support research, training, research capacity building, and outreach efforts. NIH funding included endowment awards to strengthen the research infrastructure of the HBCU award recipients to conduct minority health and health disparities research. Other NIH funding has assisted several HBCUs in contributing towards building a diverse scientific workforce, including mentorship and student training programs and career development opportunities for faculty.
The National Science Foundation launched Advancing Research Capacity at HBCUs through Exploration and Innovation (ARC-HBCU) to support participation in an intensive, facilitated workshop that brings together HBCU faculty, staff, research administrators and academic leadership focused on the exploration of innovative and promising approaches for addressing the research capacity needs of HBCUs.
The National Science Foundation, as part of Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity (GRANTED) initiative, awarded the Atlanta-based HBCU consortium a $14 million competitive grant to establish a hub that promotes equity in the national research ecosystem and serves as a model for other HBCUs and emerging research institutions. The consortium includes Spelman College, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Clark Atlanta University.
The National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on STEM, in support of the CHIPS and Science Act, established an Interagency Working Group (IWG) on HBCU, TCU, and MSI STEM Achievement. The Council provides a coordinated federal approach to carry out sustained outreach activities to increase clarity, transparency, and accountability for federal research agency investments in STEM education and research at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, including such institutions in rural areas.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced awards totaling $5.5 million for HBCUs to conduct housing and community development research to support the production of affordable housing, support homeownership, advance the use of renewable energy, and address infrastructure inequity affecting underserved communities.
The Department of Justice has increased both the number of HBCUs applying for grants and its HBCU approval rate. Over the past five years, DOJ's grant awards to HBCUs have increased 83% (from $900,000 in FY18 to $5.2 million to HBCUs in FY23).
This past week has been a win in the books for three HBCU softball teams!
Softball teams at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) began to emerge in the early to mid-20th century. While exact dates may vary depending on the specific institution, many HBCUs started developing softball programs as opportunities for women to participate in sports and compete against other schools.
These programs have since grown and evolved, becoming an integral part of the athletic offerings at many HBCUs. In the past few weeks, these HBCU softball teams have stood out in a major way and we are here for it!!!
Stillman College Softball — First HBCU To Win NAIA Softball Tournament Game
Stillman College’s 2024 Softball Roster via SC Athletics.
Three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings propelled fifth-seed Stillman College into the HBCU record books in a 7-3 victory over fourth-seed Indiana University Southeast at the NAIA Opening Round.
It was not only a historic win as Stillman’s first NAIA tournament victory in program history, but the first-ever victory by a historically black college and university (HBCU) in the NAIA Softball Opening Round. Stillman (36-13) also matches its single-season program wins record set last year at 36.
Next up will be top-seeded, and NAIA No. 7, Jessup University (36-9) of Rocklin, California. The game will start Day 2 of the Opening Round at 1 p.m. Tuesday at William Carey University’s Joseph & Nancy Fail Field.
Jackson State University — 2024 SWAC Title Champions
Jackson State University 2024 Softball Roster via JSU Twitter/X.
The Jackson State Lady Tigers are in the NCAA Tournament after winning their first SWAC tournament since 2011. They are playing with confidence, having won four consecutive games, including twice against No. 1 seed Florida A&M in the conference tournament.
Freshman Sofia Gonzalez pitched a complete game in a 3-1 victory over the Rattlers on Friday. Jackson State coach Kevin Montgomery, who is in his fifth season, has led the team to a steady climb to the top.
The Tigers, Southwestern Athletic Conference champions, will face No. 9 seed and Southeastern Conference semifinalist LSU in the Baton Rouge Region.
Morgan State University — 2024 MEAC Title Champions
Morgan State University 2024 Softball Roster via MSU Athletics.
Morgan State, who was recently crowned the 2024 Meac Champs, has also earned a trip to the NCAA Division I softball tournament.
MSU rallied from the loser’s bracket to eliminate Maryland-Eastern Shore, South Carolina State, and North Carolina Central. The Bears then swept crosstown rival Coppin State 5-1 and 6-0 on Saturday to secure their first conference title since 2021.
The Bears, who had to win four games in two days to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship, will face No. 10 seed and Atlantic Coast Conference champion Duke on Friday, May 17 at 2:30 pm.
What’s better than one HBCU?! Twoooo!!! The twin daughters of Real Housewives of Potomac’s Gizelle Bryant and Pastor Jamal Bryant, Angel and Adore, recently announced their college decisions on Instagram. Both daughters have chosen to attend two prominent HBCUs.
Angel will be attending Spelman College, while Adore will be going to Hampton University. The twins shared their news by posting pictures of themselves in their college shirts,–beaming with pride.
Underneath Angel’s Instagram post, her loving parents commented with excitement. Her father wrote, “I’m you guys’ biggest fan!! I’m cheering for you.” Their mother, Gizelle, commented, “My cuties.”
On April 30th, their father, Jamal, posted a cute birthday tribute on Instagram, sharing the twins’ college decision. He captioned the post:
“Help me wish @angeljbryant and @adorecbryant a happy birthday…. I can’t believe they have turned 18 and are headed to college. The world will be better because they were born!”
The twins are proudly carrying on the legacy of their mother, Gizelle Bryant, who attended Hampton University, and their father, who went to Morehouse College. Their eldest sister, Grace, recently finished her first year at FAMU.
Earlier this year, Gizelle confirmed that her twins had already chosen their college on the popular show “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” ahead of the “Real Housewives of Potomac” Season 8 reunion.
“The twins have been accepted to college [and] they know where they’re going,” she said on February 25th. She added, “The Bryant girls are on the move.” We look forward to seeing the twins thrive on and off their college campuses.
During the NBA Draft Combine on Monday, USC Trojans Guard, Bronny James demonstrated a strong three-point shooting ability while being mentored by an HBCU coach chosen to assist at the Chicago event this week.
According to HBCU Gameday, James completed a shooting drill, making 19 out of 25 shots from behind the three-point line. Although there was no defense, he was on the move, which introduced fatigue and still displayed an impressive touch.
L’Tona Samuels Lamonte, the head women’s basketball coach at Winston-Salem State University and a former point guard, was one of the coaches involved in the drill. She can be seen in the video passing the ball to James as he moves along the three-point line, and her voice can be heard as one of his most vocal supporters as he continues to make shots.
Bronny just went a full minute and 15 seconds without missing in movement shooting drill, which is also a test for conditioning, shooting when tired. Impressive stuff here pic.twitter.com/SD6p95cK07
At the end of the drill, Lamonte was the first coach to congratulate James as he walked off the court. Lamonte, along with WSSU head men’s coach Cleo Hill Jr. and strength and conditioning coach Kerry Harbor, were selected to work at the combine earlier this month.
“I think it’s a great honor and a blessing to be invited by the NBA to be a part of their draft combine,” said Lamonte.
“What a great way to go and learn more about our craft from the highest level, and bring that knowledge back to our athletes, the university, and the CIAA. I think Coach Cleo, his staff, our Men’s Basketball team, and Virginia Union were a great representation for our conference and have opened the door for this wonderful partnership.”
Winston-Salem State and Virginia Union played in the third annual NBA HBCU Classic at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis during NBA All-Star Weekend. Lamonte’s role during the combine is to work all of the on-court sessions and she was front and center during the action on Monday with James. Coaches from both of these HBCU institutions see the great opportunity that working at the combine offers.
“This is a great opportunity to attend the NBA combine and work with professional coaches to help young men prepare for the next chapter in their life of playing professional basketball,” said Jay Butler, head coach of the VUU women’s basketball team.
“I can’t thank the NBA enough for allowing our Virginia Union Men the opportunity to play on All-Star Weekend and now giving me the chance to attend the NBA Combine in the same year.”
There has been widespread speculation that if a team were to draft Bronny James, they could also acquire the services of his father, Lebron James, the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.
The world will have the opportunity to see how well James compares to other NBA prospects on Tuesday when he competes in a five-on-five action.
Howard University professor Nikole Hannah-Jones and students Jacob Smith, Zoe Cummings and Trinity Webster-Bass discuss their work for “1619: The College Edition” in a panel discussion. (Source: Latrel Caton)
Ten student newsrooms at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will receive almost $200,000 to enhance campus newsroom technology, business operations, audience engagement, and reporting. The grants, provided by the Center for Journalism & Democracy at Howard University through its Newsroom Innovation Challenge, were announced on Friday.
“HBCU student newsrooms brim with talent, but often lack the resources needed to give students access to the cutting-edge technology and operational support that so many of their peers at predominately white institutions have,” Nikole Hannah-Jones, the center’s founder, said in a statement.
The money will also allow the newsrooms to pay stipends for student journalists, many of whom are unable to volunteer at their campus news organizations because they need to work jobs that pay.
.@HowardU's Center for Journalism & Democracy (@C4JDHowardU) plans to award some $200,000 to 10 HBCU newsrooms through its inaugural Newsroom Innovation Challenge. https://t.co/i4Zi85l1RM
— Diverse: Issues In Higher Education (@DiverseIssues) May 14, 2024
Additionally, the newsrooms will receive funding to hire contributing writers, which can be renewed by application for up to five years. The newsroom teams will include a faculty adviser, a student staff member and two additional students who will be responsible for implementing the various growth plans.
The Trilogy, the University of the District of Columbia’s campus paper, has not been published in a decade, back when many current students were in elementary school. But with the grants received through the Center for Journalism & Democracy, UDC students will bring the paperback. Texas Southern University will use its award to launch a physical newsroom with computers and field kits for its staff. It will also be able to pay editors.
The news of the Newsroom Innovation Challenge awards comes just a month after the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT announced its HBCU Science Journalism Fellowship, a fellowship program to provide HBCU students with training, mentorship and early-career support for reporting on science, health and environmental issues.
That fellowship’s inaugural cohort includes 10 journalists, representing Howard University, Morgan State University, Florida A&M University, North Carolina A&T State University, and Hampton University.
Florida A&M University has announced the closure of its campus on Tuesday due to expected storms and recovery from last Friday’s tornado.
This decision comes after the campus reopened remotely on Monday for the first day of its summer semester, following the impact of three EF-2 tornadoes that swept through Tallahassee a few days ago and severely affected the historically Black college and university campus.
The university has stated that classes are scheduled to resume remotely on Wednesday.
🚨 #FAMUAlert The #FAMU Recovery efforts on Day 3 of cleanup consisted of University officials on the ground to ensure if it is safe for students to return. Stay tuned for more updates all week. Classes are remote until further notice. 🎥: Javonni Hampton #FloridaTornadopic.twitter.com/mnBbHDA7RT
— Florida A&M University (@FAMU_1887) May 14, 2024
“The closures include the Quincy Farm, the FAMU Viticulture Center, and The Durell Peaden Jr. Rural Pharmacy Education Campus in Crestview,” the university said in a Monday afternoon release.
“The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering is still without electricity and will be closed Tuesday.”
While FAMU announces its campus closure, Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College still plan on being open Tuesday as of 5:30 p.m. Monday afternoon.
FAMU declared a state of emergency last Friday after the storm, saying that the violent weather knocked out electricity, damaged roofs, downed trees, and utility lines, blocked roadways, and scattered debris across the campus.
According to the Tallahassee Democrat, electricity has been restored to the main campus, but at least 15 buildings — including the Grand Ballroom, the Banneker Buildings, and the old Plant, Operations and Maintenance (POM) Building — suffered some form of roof and water damage. The flashing on Lee Hall was also damaged, according to Kendall Jones, associate vice president Facilities, Planning, Construction, and Safety.
FAMU President Larry Robinson and senior administration officials held a virtual townhall meeting Sunday evening to update students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders on the progress of the university’s recovery efforts.
Florida A&M University will hold a virtual town hall 6 p.m. E.T. Sunday, May 12 to share details of the recovery operations following Friday’s violent storm.
— Florida A&M University (@FAMU_1887) May 12, 2024
“We have a really great team of experts who are working on this in collaboration with city, county and state officials,” Robinson said during the townhall. “A lot of people have reached out to us, and we really appreciate them. Once again, we beg your patience. It’s going to take us a few days to get back on our feet, but we are making amazing progress.”
As the next round of storms approaches the capital city, a temporary American Red Cross shelter has been established at FAMU’s Al Lawson Center on Althea Gibson Way. As of Sunday night, 60 people had registered to seek shelter, and the university’s Police Department is providing additional security for those staying there, according to the university.
The National Weather Service is forecasting several lines of storms as they move east through the Big Bend on Monday and into Tuesday.
This story is developing and we will keep you updated as more info becomes available.
Monroe Nichols, D-Tulsa, Chair of the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus, has issued an official call, urging the Oklahoma State Legislature and Board of Regents to prioritize funding for Langston University.
“Over the last decade Langston University has been funded at 45 cents in state appropriation for every dollar invested by the federal government. During that same time period, OSU was funded at a rate of $3.14 in state appropriation for every federal dollar invested,” Nichols said.
“This imbalance threatens to cripple Langston’s ability to fully support students. In just the last 10 years, Langston has been underfunded by $159,008,794 in state appropriation.”
Over the last decade alone, Oklahoma has underfunded @LangstonU by $160M. It’s time to fully invest in Oklahoma’s only HBCU! pic.twitter.com/dG8VnLOWcc
“As chair of the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus, I call on legislative leaders to ensure there is equality in the state match amount for Langston moving forward, starting with an increase of $17,533,643 (3.14:1 match) in funding this budget year. This is critical to the state’s economic future.”
Data from a 2021 report by The Century Foundation shows endowments for HBCU students, both public and private, range between around $7,265-$24,989. Endowments for private and public non-HBCU students range between $25,390-$184,409.
In September 2023, the Federal Government released a report that estimated the Oklahoma Legislature underfunded Langston by more than $400 million since the college was founded.
The letter was sent from the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was sent out to 16 governors in each state that had a land-grant HBCU that was established under an 1890 law.
Langston University is a public land-grant historically black university in Langston, Oklahoma.
The law told states that to observe equality more they would have to equally disperse funding between a land grant institution founded in 1862 with an HBCU. In this case, Langston was meant to receive an equal amount of funding compared to other colleges and universities in Oklahoma.
Langston is the only Historically Black College in Oklahoma and the westernmost HBCU in America. Underfunding this institution has a significant negative impact on Black wealth creation and economic opportunity in Oklahoma.
Investing in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) is crucial for promoting inclusivity and equality in higher education. HBCU institutions have a proud legacy of providing education to black students who were otherwise excluded from mainstream universities due to racial discrimination.
HBCUs continue to serve a vital role in providing access to higher education for underrepresented minorities, offering an environment where students can learn, grow, and thrive without the barriers of systemic racism.
However, many HBCUs struggle with inadequate funding, which can lead to a lack of resources and opportunities for their students. By providing financial support to HBCUs, we can help improve their infrastructure, faculty, and programs, and promote a more supportive and inclusive environment for all students.
Investing in HBCUs is not only a matter of social justice, but it also benefits society as a whole by creating a more diverse and educated workforce. It is an opportunity to emphasize the importance of equality within post-secondary education and to ensure that everyone has access to the tools and resources needed to succeed.
WASHINGTON — A senior White House official met with a small group of students and faculty at Morehouse College on Friday, amid some objections on campus to having President Joe Biden deliver the commencement address there this weekend, according to a White House official and a Morehouse administration official.
During the meeting with Steve Benjamin, who heads the White House Office of Public Engagement, some of the students expressed concerns about Biden overshadowing their graduation, the White House official said. The official added that some students were worried in particular about the controversy surrounding Biden’s policy toward Israel and his handling of the war in the Gaza Strip taking center stage at Sunday’s ceremony.
They also told Benjamin they do not want to hear a campaign speech, the White House official said. Benjamin, in turn, tried to assure the students that Biden’s appearance at their graduation would focus on celebrating their accomplishments and his hopes for their futures.
The previously unreported details of the meeting highlight the challenge college commencement season has become for Biden and other top administration officials as protests against Israel’s war in Gaza have taken shape on campuses across the country. Biden is scheduled to deliver two commencement addresses — one at Morehouse College on Sunday and another at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on May 25.
The president’s Morehouse visit comes as his re-election campaign is trying to win over young and Black voters, particularly in battleground states like Georgia, as polling shows his support from those constituencies has softened since 2020.
Nine students and faculty members attended the meeting, which the Morehouse official said was scheduled for 90 minutes but lasted more than two hours. The official said the group represented a range of views on the college’s decision to have Biden deliver its 2024 commencement address — from those who are looking forward to Biden’s address to others who have concerns or oppose the decision. The official called it “a fair representation of all voices and opinions.”
Everyone was given the freedom to speak to exactly the way they feel,” the Morehouse official said.
The New York Times first reported that Friday’s meeting took place.
Since Morehouse College announced last month that Biden would deliver its commencement address, some students and faculty members have raised concerns and apprehension about Biden delivering the address, though the school has not seen the large protests that have played out on other college campuses.
Morehouse College, a private, historically black men’s liberal arts (HBCU) college in Atlanta, GA
The Morehouse official said Friday’s meeting was scheduled before the commencement speaker announcement in anticipation of the backlash from some students and faculty members. Both the White House and Morehouse officials characterized Friday’s meeting as productive.
The White House official said Benjamin spoke to the group about the work the Biden administration believes it has done to benefit college students and Black communities around the country.
The official said Benjamin brought students’ thoughts back to the White House, though conceded it was unclear if the meeting had changed any of the participants’ minds. Morehouse declined to share the names of any of the attendees.
By Aaron Gilchrist and Nnamdi Egwuonwu via NBC News
Mariam Creighton, a member of the volleyball program at Albany State University, was tragically killed in a shooting at an Atlanta lounge early Sunday morning. Police responded to a call regarding a person being shot at the Elleven45 Lounge at 2110 Peachtree Road NW around 2:30 a.m. Upon arrival, they found six individuals who had been shot.
Creighton, who was only 21 years old, was a talented volleyball player who attended Albany State University, an HBCU in Georgia.
She was killed alongside 20-year-old Nakyris M. Ridley, according to Fulton County Police. The shooter reportedly opened fire during a fight inside the club, injuring four other people in addition to the two who were killed. All six victims were between the ages of 20 and 30.
We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of our student-athletes – Mariam Creighton. The Golden Ram athletics community extends heartfelt condolences to Mari’s family, friends, and teammates during this incredibly difficult time. pic.twitter.com/UrTGDs18v3
— Golden Ram Athletics (@ASUGoldenRams) May 13, 2024
Creighton’s family told Atlanta News First that she was with friends celebrating a birthday at the club when she was shot. Police are searching for the shooting suspect. They have not yet provided any description of the suspect. Albany State confirmed that Creighton played volleyball for the Golden Rams.
Four others – two men and two women – were taken to area hospitals in stable condition and are expected to survive.
For nearby workers and residents, it feels like a growing problem.
“Bennett Street was just this incredible, artistic, hopping, exciting place,” said Amy Brown Edelstein. “That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore, and that’s unfortunate.”
“We at Elleven 45 are profoundly affected by the recent tragic events. Our hearts go out to all those impacted, and we extend our deepest sympathies to the individuals and families who have suffered loss and injury. The safety and well-being of our patrons and staff have always been our paramount concern. To ensure a thorough investigation in cooperation with local law enforcement, we will be closing our doors today.”
Mariam_Creighton_2023_Headshot | Photo Courtesy of Albany State University.
Creighton previously competed at fellow SIAC HBCU Benedict College before coming to Albany State. Dr. Kristene Kelly, Albany State Director of Athletics posted about Creighton’s passing on X, formerly known as Twitter.
We are heartbroken over the loss of Mari. What a beautiful soul. Our Albany State RAMily is devastated by this news. Our thoughts are with Mari’s loved ones. 😔 💔 https://t.co/3gJe6KimoI
“We are heartbroken over the loss of Mari,” Kelly wrote. “What a beautiful soul. Our Albany State RAMily is devastated by this news. Our thoughts are with Mari’s loved ones.”
Police said they’re reviewing surveillance video from inside the club for leads. They also said they were planning on interviewing the surviving victims along with other witnesses.
The investigation remains ongoing. If you have any information, contact the Atlanta Police Department at 404-658-6666. To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com. Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case.
2021 NC Central Football vs WSSU www.nccueaglepride.com – Photo by: Kevin L. Dorsey
The New York Jets have signed former North Carolina Central defensive back and kick returner, Brandon Codrington, after his impressive performance at the rookie minicamp.
Codrington confirmed the news on his social media account. He showcased his skills with other players during the minicamp, which earned him a contract with the Jets.
This is a significant achievement for HBCU athletes as none were selected in this year’s NFL Draft. According to ESPN, Codrington has signed on as a cornerback with the NY Jets.
The Raleigh, NC native was one of several HBCU prospects who earned an invite to a rookie minicamp following the NFL Draft.
According to HBCU Gameday, Brandon Codrington was a building block for North Carolina Central under Trei Oliver. He joined the team as a freshman in 2019 and was named third-team All-MEAC as he ranked third in the MEAC with a punt return average of 7.8 yards, and averaged 18.8 yards per kickoff return.
Two years later he garnered All-MEAC First Team honors as the third-leading punt returner in NCAA Division I-FCS with a MEAC-best 15.0-yard punt return average in 2021. Codrington scored two touchdowns on punt returns as a senior in 2023, both of them for 80-plus yards. He scored on an 81-yard punt return against Winston-Salem State in the opener and added an 85-yard score against Howard later in the season.
Get ready for an exciting turn of events as Codrington is put to the test to see if he has what it takes to make it with the New York Jets!
A job scam targeting high school and college students defrauded a North Carolina A&T student of $2,400.
“It’s just emotionally, financially devastating for me,” Ariana Duval told ABC11.
Duval is finishing up her junior year at NC A&T. She received an email regarding a paid research opportunity for this summer and thought it would be perfect for her.
“It talked about having a $450 weekly pay, and that we have great research experience,” she said.
The email that alerted Duval to the opportunity mentioned a professor at NC A&T. “It’s a real professor’s name, and I tried to do my light research to make sure it was not a scam,” Duval said. She applied for the job, got hired, and was emailed instructions about the next steps.
She got a check for $2,400. The check had the NC A&T logo in the corner.
“They gave me that check for office supplies at the expense of the research department.”
Her bank deposited the check, and then she got more instructions on what to do with that $2,400.
“They told me to Zelle that and send that money to their ‘sales representative’ who would give me the office supplies since it was going to be for a remote research position,” Duval explained.
So she did as she was instructed. She sent the $2,400 through the payment app, Zelle, and before she could start her new job, her bank let her know the check was bad.
“When the bank realized that the validity of the check was a bogus check, they took the money out of my account, and now I’m in a deficit,” Duval told Troubleshooter Diane Wilson. Duval now owes the bank the $2,400.
“It feels like, it’s just like a hole I can’t crawl out of. It’s just emotionally devastating. I cried so much yesterday because I should have never answered the email. I should have never done any of these things,” Duval said.
This scam continues to strike students at NC A&T, as the University sent this alert last year about the scam impersonating faculty members and has a warning on its website about jobs, summer employment, and internship scams.
“Information Technology Services (ITS) security experts are warning North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University students and faculty to watch out for an e-mail job-offer scam that is phishing for students personal information and using fake checks to get it.
The e-mails so far are coming exclusively from fake gmail accounts that scammers are using to impersonate A&T faculty members. The messages promise research assistant jobs, often with exorbitant pay for working remotely, and seek resumes of those who are interested. The resume information is then used to perpetrate identity theft and may be used to target the student in future scams.”
This scam is also impacting students across the county. The Better Business Bureau said employment scams are a top complaint.
“If you’re getting a job offer, typically you have to interview for a job. If it’s something that pops out of nowhere too good to be true and all you just have to pay for equipment, big red flag,” BBB’s Alyssa Parker said.
If someone asks you to send money you’ve just received through a payment app to another person, it’s a red flag that suggests the activity is probably illegitimate.
Additionally, when you receive an email from someone, make sure to closely examine the email address of the sender. For instance, when Duval was targeted by a scammer, the scammer claimed to be a professor, but the email address used was from Gmail rather than from an educational institution ending in .edu.
Xavier University of Louisiana, located in New Orleans, recently canceled an address to be delivered by United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
This decision was made due to a series of protests from students and the community regarding Thomas-Greenfield’s voting record at the UN.
In an email sent on Wednesday, the university president, Reynold Verret, announced the decision to reverse its choice of commencement speaker.
“Everyone’s goal is to have a commencement ceremony that appropriately honors the graduates and their achievements,” Verret wrote in the email, according to WGNO.
“The vast majority of students want to be able to enjoy a commencement ceremony free of disruptions. Therefore, we will not be moving forward with the commencement speaker as originally planned.”
The school initially revealed that Thomas-Greenfield would be the commencement speaker last Sunday. Following the Sunday news of the speaker lineup, nearly 1,800 people signed a petition demanding a new commencement speaker.
Xavier University of Louisiana is a private, historically black, Catholic university in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield has repeatedly voted against a ceasefire in Gaza, resulting in the decimation of all 13 universities in Gaza, the loss of over 30,000 lives with thousands more remaining in the rubble from violence, and the continuation of the genocide in Gaza,” the petition says.
“Palestinians in Gaza draw upon the experiences of their brothers and sisters in America during the segregation era.”
The student-led petition asked the university to bring a commencement speaker that “represents” the school’s mission statement and to “end the politicization of our Commencement ceremony.”
“It is with regret that I share that our planned speaker, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, will not be joining us to deliver the Commencement address,” Garimella said in the email.
Pro-Palestine protestors on university campuses across the country have shown their displeasure with President Biden and his administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war and the humanitarian crisis impacting Palestinians in Gaza.
The Louisiana HBCU is the second school, after the University of Vermont (UVM), to make the decision. Suresh Garimella, UVM’s president, announced the decision in an email to the university community.
Xavier University of Louisiana’s 2024 Commencement was held on Friday, May 10, 2024, at the Convocation Center Annex Building.
2024 Howard University Graduates. Courtesy of Howard University Instagram.
On Saturday, the class of 2024 at Howard University celebrated their graduation ceremony at Capital One Arena. The College of Nursing and Allied Health Services at the same university received special recognition.
The graduation ceremony for the nursing school was rescheduled after a chaotic incident that took place on Thursday at Howard University in D.C.
“We apologize for the events you endured this week, but we stand here to salute you,” said Howard’s president, Dr. Ben Vinson III during Saturday’s commencement.
It was a three-hour ceremony for the largest graduating class in school history.
“After Thursday, I did not think I was going to walk, and it was a terrible experience,” said Justice Hodges, a graduate of the college of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences.
Earlier in the week, he was set to walk across the stage and receive his diploma at a ceremony on campus, like most of his fellow graduates.
“Three minutes into it there was a fight already on the other side, the inside. It was total chaos in there,” said Mylove Tetterton, Hodges’ mother who came in from New Jersey.
She said she saw people banging and kicking on the doors of the auditorium to get in and graduates walking off the stage when they noticed their family members didn’t make it inside. A large crowd drew to watch the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences students graduate, but the crowd grew upset and chanted “let us in” when they were denied entrance to the building.
“I think they said the fire department shut it down, because they know they were probably going to tear that place up,” said Tetterton. She thought she might never see her son receive any diploma.
“Because of the size of the room and because our relatives sometimes do not know how to act, the fire department is now here to shut us down,” Dean Gina S. Brown said.
However, a D.C. Fire & EMS spokesperson said on Friday that they did not shut the event down. They said they instead came to the scene because of a medical call. A witness told WJLA someone had broken glass at Cramton Auditorium during the incident.
“At 6:42 p.m. we responded to the Cramton Auditorium for a medical call at the request of campus police. The patient was evaluated and refused transport and D.C. Fire and EMS departed,” wrote Noah Gray, the Chief Communications Officer for D.C. Fire and EMS.
The ceremony for the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences was scheduled to take place at Cramton Auditorium from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, according to the Howard University website.
“I told you Thursday night that you were unstoppable, did I not?” said Dean Gina Spivey Brown at Saturday’s ceremony. “We prepared so many students of excellence, you all, that there was an overwhelming support of family, friends and loved ones. They wanted to get in so bad that they were breaking down the doors, because that’s what we do at Howard.”
After Thursday’s ceremony was abruptly canceled, Brown came up with a plan B, allowing all 280 graduates of the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences to take the big stage.
“She said okay, after commencement, we’re going to give you your degrees and all of your awards and we’re going to let you guys walk,” said Hodges. “I feel very happy, I feel like our voices were heard and we were accommodated well. I thank Howard for that.”
Tetterton is thankful she could stick around. “We stayed a little bit longer, but they showed them that extra support and sympathy for the other day, so I was happy about it,” she said.
via Howard University Instagram.
Some parents questioned why the school didn’t issue tickets or use a larger venue such as the Burr Gymnasium.
Howard University chief communications officer Lydia Sermons said “running out of space for graduations of individual colleges had not been an issue in past years”. She said this year’s graduating class is “the largest in Howard University history,” combined with many students not having a normal high school graduation in 2020 due to the pandemic has drawn huge crowds for graduations this year.
She pledged that the school would plan in the future to try to prevent a repeat of what has happened at some graduations this year.
Howard University reportedly graduated 2,839 students in 2024, ranging from 18 to 83 years old.
