The XFL announced it will host its second annual HBCU Showcase at Clark Atlanta University on June 17th.
The XFL is a professional American football minor league consisting of eight teams located across the United States in mid-sized to major markets.
The event is the second showcase the XFL has held exclusively for HBCU players, having hosted a showcase at Jackson State University in the summer of 2022. 100 players from historically black colleges and universities played in the 2023 XFL season.
“When the XFL says it’s a ‘League of Opportunity,’ we mean it and you can see it in the actions we take to offer equal opportunities to players across the country,” said XFL Senior Vice President of Player Personnel, Doug Whaley. “This showcase at the historic Clark Atlanta University allows us to shine a spotlight on HBCU players and give them a chance to showcase their skills for our personnel evaluators.”
D.C. Defenders head coach Reggie Barlow, who coached at HBCUs, Alabama State University, and Virginia State University applauded the XFL’s efforts to increase HBCU representation within the league.
“Last year, the XFL did a great job of creating a distinct platform for players from HBCUs to showcase their talents in front of coaches from the League, giving them an equal opportunity to be seen and evaluated,” Barlow said in a press release. “I know firsthand the number of talented players that attend a historically Black school who aren’t able to continue their careers past the collegiate level. I’m humbled to be part of a League that gives players – and coaches – of all backgrounds an opportunity to continue their football careers.”
According to the XFL, information on additional showcases will be announced in the near future.
Registration for the XFL HBCU showcase is open now. Players can click here to register.
On Sunday, Spelman College held its commencement ceremony, marking for the fourth time in history the HBCU had multiple valedictorians.
Maya Blasingame, Amaia Calhoun, Chandler Nutall, and Sydney DuPree were all named valedictorians for the class of 2023.
“I feel just really excited and grateful. I think for me, coming in as a biology major, I was like, I’m just trying to make it through it,” Blasingame said.
Credit: BOTWC
According to Spelman’s website, Blasingame will be heading to medical school this fall where she hopes to help underrepresented communities as an aspiring physician.
Calhoun, an economics major, will soon start her career at Princeton University’s Investment Company as an investment analyst.
Nutall, an English major who also served as a Spelman Social Justice Program Fellow and the 81st president of the Spelman Student Government Association plans on attending law school after completing a fellowship in New York.
DuPree plans on staying local in Atlanta to work toward her dream of becoming a casting director. She is currently signed to Atlanta’s Forward Agency.
On their special day, The ladies were also joined by commencement speaker, journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, and actress Tracee Ellis Ross, who obtained an honorary doctorate of fine arts from Spelman.
Both Hannah-Jones and Ross shared powerful words of advice with graduates and their families.
Hannah-Jones urged graduates to “control your own excellence.” “So you work every day to make yourself undeniable in a world that wants to deny you everything,” she said.
Ross encouraged the graduates not to “be afraid to be bad at something,” and to remember the safety and acceptance of their college community as they venture out into the world.
“May the safety and belonging of these walls send you forward in your choice to change the world with the protection of your sisters and your ancestors — and with me, your best friend in your head,” she said.
Congratulations to the entire Spelman College Class of 2023 and the recognized valedictorians, and may their future shine bright!
According to HBCU Sports, Morant was a stat sheet-stuffer for Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee this past season, averaging 11.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, helping the Lady Mustangs to a 21-11 record in 2022-23.
Morant comes to MVSU after receiving an offer from the university back in January. The Devillettes finished 2-27 in 2022-23 and went 0-18 in SWAC play last season.
Morant is also following in her father, Tee Morant’s footsteps, by playing at HBCU. Tee Morant played college basketball at Claflin University in the 1990s.
Vice President Kamala Harris hosts 35 young men of color entrepreneurs and business owners, many of whom are HBCU graduates during the “Young Men of Color Small Business Roundtable” at the White House.
On Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris hosted 35 young men of color entrepreneurs and business owners, many of whom are HBCU graduates during the “Young Men of Color Small Business Roundtable” at the White House.
Harris spoke to participants about the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to support small businesses and entrepreneurs amidst historic small business growth.
Participants came from more than 15 states and represented a variety of industries, including health care, space, technology, fashion, and more.
Vice President Kamala Harris participates in a “Young Men of Color Small Business Roundtable”, Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
According to White House officials, in 2021 and 2022, a record 10.5 million applications for new small businesses were filed, the strongest two years on record, and since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office, small businesses have created 3.1 million jobs.
Additionally, the Administration launched a whole-of-government effort to increase by 50% the share of federal contracts for minority-owned small businesses in 5 years, which amounts to a $100 billion investment in minority-owned businesses.
“We fully understand that when our entrepreneurs and our small-business leaders are strong, America is strong. Because what you do is the work that is, yes, about innovation, it is the work that is spurred by creativity, it is the work we always want to encourage that is about aspiration and ambition, and it is the work that really is the undergird of — of the economy of the United States of America” Harris said when speaking with the entrepreneurs.
Many Historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) graduates were in attendance for the roundtable discussion.
And when I think about our small-business leaders and each of you, I know who you are. You are not only leaders in business, leaders in innovation, entrepreneurs, but you are also civic leaders. You are community leaders. You are role models. You hire locally, you mentor, and you inspire.
– Vice President Kamala Harris to participants at the “Young Men of Color Small Business Roundtable.”
Vice President Kamala Harris participates in a “Young Men of Color Small Business Roundtable”, Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
During the roundtable, they discussed ways the Biden-Harris Administration can continue to support and help small businesses to grow, particularly small businesses owned by people of color, and the challenges they face such as “access to capital, access to markets, access to consumers,” according to the Vice President.
“To that extent, yes, we do talk about equity. We actually believe it is a good principle, in spite of what some so-called leaders might try to suggest” Harris said. “We are proud of the fact that equity is one of our guiding principles, proud of the fact that we understand equality is important, but not everybody starts out on the same base.”
Throughout her career, Vice President Harris has committed to lifting up small businesses and entrepreneurs by increasing their access to capital.
While in the U.S. Senate, she worked to secure more than $12 billion in investments for community lenders and other mission capital providers. As Vice President, she has worked to implement this same funding, working to ensure lenders expand their efforts to drive inclusive entrepreneurship and create high-opportunity communities.
Harris has helped ensure that the U.S. economic recovery is the most equitable on record by making sure investments and resources reach communities that have been historically underserved and left behind.
In April, the Vice President announced that Treasury’s CDFI Fund has awarded over $1.73 billion in grants to 603 Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) across the country through the CDFI Equitable Recovery Program. These funds will strengthen the ability of CDFIs to help low- and moderate-income communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and invest in long-term prosperity.
During the summer of 2022, the Vice President announced a first-of-its-kind public-private sector initiative—the Economic Opportunity Coalition (EOC)— a historic public-private partnership of more than 20 private sector organizations that will invest tens of billions of dollars to create opportunity and grow wealth in historically underserved communities.
Patricia Timmons-Goodson, a retired North Carolina Supreme Court justice, will be the next law school dean at North Carolina Central University (NCCU).
Patricia Timmons-Goodson, a retired North Carolina Supreme Court justice, will be the next law school dean at North Carolina Central University (NCCU).
According to the university, Timmons-Goodson will oversee fiscal management, personnel professional development, community outreach, fundraising, and more.
“I’m very elated that former North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson will be joining our team at NCCU and look forward to working with her and her team as we advance the mission of the law school by preparing a significant cadre of the nation’s future jurists,” said David H. Jackson, Jr., Ph.D., provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.
Timmons-Goodson has previously worked as a prosecutor; a legal-aid attorney; a district court judge; and an associate judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
In 2006, she was appointed to the North Carolina Supreme Court by former Gov. Michael Easley, becoming the fourth woman and the first African American woman in the role.
After serving a full term, she retired from the Supreme Court in 2012. Upon retiring, she served 28 years in the judiciary of North Carolina. She is currently a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) and co-chair of the board of the NC Justice Center.
She is also the recipient of many awards including, the Advocates for Justice- Appellate Judge of the Year, Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the UNC William R. Davie Award, the NC Bar Liberty Bell Award, and induction into the North Carolina Women’s Hall of Fame. She holds honorary degrees from Johnson C. Smith University, St. Augustine’s College, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill).
Timmons-Goodson received her bachelor’s and juris doctor degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill and an L.L.M. from Duke University Law School.
She will take her new role as dean of North Carolina Central University School of Law effective July 1, 2023.
Former Morgan State University running back Alfonzo Graham has signed an undrafted free-agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
According to his agent Tim Moorehead, Graham and the Steelers have agreed to terms on a three-year contract.
Graham took to Twitter to announce the news, tweeting “Official a steeler Signed !!!”
Graham’s signing comes after his impressive performance during the Steelers three-day rookie minicamp over the weekend. He earned the opportunity after accepting an invitation from the organization following the 2023 NFL Draft.
While at Morgan State, Graham played two seasons, seeing action in 20 games. He finished with 250 carries for 1,656 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also caught 31 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown, and returned 18 kickoffs for 402 yards, a 22.3-yard average.
In 2022 he carried the ball 196 times for 1,150 yards and eight touchdowns and won the MEAC rushing title and earned All-MEAC honors.
The Morgan State alum also played in the HBCU Legacy Bowl and participated in the HBCU Combine earlier this year.
Rapper and music mogul, E-40 was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Grambling State University over the weekend.
Earl “E-40” Stevens attended Grambling State in the ’80s and said that his time on campus was “some of the best experiences” of his life. “Grambling State really helped mold me to become the man, and entrepreneur that stands before you,” he said.
“I’m proud to set an example for the next generation of leaders, and I encourage everyone here today to use their experience here at Grambling State University to pursue their passions and achieve their dreams.”
40 received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Grambling State University President Rick Gallot.
“This means so much to me – I’ve come a long way,” 40 said, per a press release. “I want to thank God first and foremost. This is a great honor to accept this honorary doctorate in music. I would live to express my appreciation to the administration and the academic community at Grambling State University. I’d also like to thank my family, my friends, and my colleagues for their unwavering support and encouragement throughout my career. As you know, music has been a lifelong passion of mine and it’s an incredible privilege to be recognized for my contributions to the industry, especially on the 50th anniversary of hip-hop music. They said it wouldn’t last that long, but it’s been 50 years.”
Since attending Grambling in 1986, the rap mogul has remained close to the university, offering support.
Earlier this year, he donated $100,000 to support the school’s music department, the World Famed Tiger Marching Band, and to establish a recording studio on campus. Grambling named the studio “Earl ‘E-40’ Stevens Sound Recording Studio,” in his honor.
40 took to Instagram to showcase the prestigious moment he received his honorary doctorate, captioning the video, “I came a long way thank you @grambling1901 & Congratulations to the graduating class of 2023 #gramfam”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed legislation banning the state’s public colleges and universities from spending money on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation banning the state’s public colleges and universities from spending money on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Under the law, Florida state universities are banned from spending state or federal funds to promote, support, or maintain any programs that “advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, or promote or engage in political or social activism.”
“If you look at the way this has actually been implemented across the country, DEI is better viewed as standing for discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Sarasota. “And that has no place in our public institutions.”
DeSantis said that he’s viewed DEI initiatives as a discriminatory practice. “This bill says the whole experiment with DEI is coming to an end in the state of Florida. We are eliminating the DEI programs.”
The new law demands that general education courses “may not distort significant historical events or include a curriculum that teaches identity politics” based on “theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political, and economic inequities.”
This latest move by DeSantis is a part of his war on what he calls “woke indoctrination” in schools. According to NPR, in the last two years, state education officials have rejected dozens of mathematics and social studies textbooks for students in K-12 schools.
DeSantis signed the legislation at the liberal arts New College of Florida, where he has been steering the university in a more conservative direction. Earlier this year, he replaced six members of the college’s board of trustees with conservative allies and accused the school’s leadership of overemphasizing DEI, critical race theory, and gender ideology, which he characterized as not “what a liberal arts education should be,” according to NPR.
Additionally, the law gives university presidents and boards of trustees more hiring power.
HBCU Buzz Partners with Lionsgate and MRC to Present The Blackening HBCU Tour. This summer, seven lucky HBCUs will have the chance to see an early screening of the movie of the summer, “The Blackening.”
HBCU Buzz Partners with Lionsgate and MRC to Present The Blackening HBCU Tour
The movie of the summer,“The Blackening,” is coming early to students attending select Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) thanks to The Blackening HBCU Tour.
“The Blackening” is a new horror-comedy centered around seven Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer.
“We can’t all die first,” reads the tagline for “The Blackening,” responding to the horror genre cliche of killing the black character off first. According to the official synopsis for the film, the new-horror comedy “skewers genre tropes and poses the sardonic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?”
HBCU Buzz is hosting a screening tour of the new horror-comedy film at seven lucky HBCUs from April 28 – June 5.
Not only will students get to see an early screening of the movie but they will also get a chance to partake in a Q&A session with some of the writers and members of the cast.
The film stars Dewayne Perkins (“The Upshaws,” “Saved by the Bell”), Grace Byers (“Harlem,” Empire”), Jermaine Fowler (“Coming 2 America,” “Judas and the Black Messiah”), Melvin Gregg (“Snowfall” “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”), Jay Pharoah (“SNL., “Resort to Love”), Yvonne Orji (“Insecure.” “Vacation Friends”), X Mayo (“Swarm,” “American Auto”), and Sinqua Walls (“Power,” “American Soul”).
The film is directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like a Man, Barbershop), and co-written by Perkins (The Amber Ruffin Show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), and Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem). You don’t want to miss this exciting event! Click here to RSVP.
It’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and HBCU Buzz is highlighting ways to cope with distressing feelings. Here are 5 Mental Health Tips for College Students!
College is a transformative time in a person’s life—a time of new experiences, people, and a new environment. With so many changes happening all at once it may be hard to cope and may cause feelings of stress, anxiety, or depression. If you’re feeling like this, you’re not alone. This Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re highlighting ways to cope with these feelings. Here are 5 Mental Health Tips for College Students!
Set A Routine
Having a routine creates the consistency needed to stay grounded in your everyday life, especially during stressful times. It may also help you to learn self-discipline and give you a sense of control when life feels overwhelming. As college students, it may be hard to keep a routine as days can often be unpredictable, but it has been shown to lower people’s stress levels and help them feel more productive and focused. Try to wake up, eat, study, and exercise around the same times every day to make things easier. You can also implement other healthy habits or things that make you happy in your routine, like skincare, meditation, or reading a book. Whatever you choose implement into your routine, stick to it, and see how much the results benefit you.
Find Your Tribe: Join Clubs or Find People with Similar Interests
Loneliness is a common feeling among many college students. The good thing is there’s a whole campus out there just waiting to meet and connect with you. One of the best ways to meet people with similar interests is by joining a club or organization on campus. Getting involved on campus by joining a group can help you forge friendships as you work toward a common goal and creates a sense of belonging. Also, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and talk to people in your classes, dorm halls, or at campus events.
Set Goals
Setting goals is so important for college students as it helps them clearly identify what they want in life and the steps needed to get there. Having goals allows you to hold yourself accountable and take control of your life, and can even help you gain a sense of self-confidence as you successfully achieve those goals. Your goals can be anything from waking up earlier, maintaining a certain GPA, or getting more involved on campus. It’s important to note that not all goals don’t have to be academic-related—you can also set fun goals like visiting places in your college town, attending social and sports events, and making memories with friends. Just remember to be diligent in approaching your goals but give yourself grace as well.
Practice Mindfulness
College can be an exceedingly stressful environment for college students, and that’s why practicing mindfulness is so important. Mindfulness is defined as “maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.” Practicing mindfulness promotes living in the present and extracting all distractions. This helps to reduce stress and anxiety and boosts levels of well-being, attention, and productivity. Meditation is the most common tool used to practice mindfulness, but there are many other forms as well. In addition to meditation, college students can practice mindfulness by doing breathwork, keeping gratitude journals, spending time in nature, intentively listening to music, and visualizing their best selves to help them increase their confidence.
Ask For Help
Don’t be afraid to ask for help from a licensed professional. Taking on all the stresses of college by yourself is a strenuous task—know that you don’t have to do it alone and consider therapy or counseling. Nearly every college offers on-campus counseling that provides services and resources for anxiety, depression, sexual assault, eating disorders, and other mental health concerns. There’s also nothing wrong with seeking help outside of university resources and finding a professional psychologist, therapist, or psychiatrist on your own.
During his speech, the president took the opportunity to denounce white supremacy, saying “White supremacy … is the single most dangerous terrorist threat in our homeland.” “And I’m not just saying this because I’m at a Black HBCU. I say this wherever I go” he added.
He also echoed rhetoric from his 2020 campaign, calling on the audience to “fight for the soul of the nation.”
“We’re living through one of the most consequential eras of our history with fundamental questions about the stake for our nation,” Biden told the crowd at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. “Who are we? What do we stand for? What do we believe? Who will we be? You’re going to help answer those questions.”
Biden criticized former President Donald Trump without naming him, referencing his statement that “there were very fine people on both sides” at the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, where a white supremacist was convicted of first-degree murder after driving his car into a crowd of protesters and killing a young woman.
“I don’t have to tell you that fearless progress towards justice often meets ferocious pushback from the oldest and most sinister of forces,” Biden said. “That’s because hate never goes away.”
Biden urged graduates to demand elected officials pass gun safety legislation and spoke about his debt relief plan.
“My student debt relief plan would help tens of millions of people, especially those on Pell Grants. Seventy percent of Black college students receive Pell Grants. Many of you, the savings would be significant and even wiping out student debt completely for some,” he said.
Biden added, “But this new Republican Party is dead set against it, suing my administration to stop you from getting student debt relief. The same opposition who received relief loans, I might add, to keep their businesses afloat during the pandemic—members of the Congress, worth thousands, even millions of dollars—most of which didn’t have to be paid back. Yet, they say it’s OK for them but not for you. I find it outrageous.”
Despite drawing strong cheers from the crowd, the president’s message was not entirely well-received.
According to NPR, about a dozen students stood with signs in protest of Biden’s appearance as he delivered his speech.
Graduates hold signs reading “A Black child was lynched yesterday! Jordan Neely” and “Stand up, Fight Back, Black People Under Attack” as Biden, right, speaks at Howard University’s commencement. | Alex Brandon/AP Photo
“A Black child was lynched yesterday!” one sign read, referencing the May 1 killing of 30-year-old Jordan Neely on a New York subway, while another student’s cap said, “Biden and Harris don’t care about Black people.”
Another read: “Stand up, Fight Back, Black People Under Attack.”
A graduate holds a sign reading “Biden and Harris don’t care about Black people” as Biden speaks at Howard University’s commencement. | Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images
NPR reports that in a letter shared with the press, the students said they were “infinitely angered and exhausted by the many forms of ongoing white supremacist violence” in the U.S. The group, represented by the president of the local NAACP chapter, called on Biden to do more than just “ask for investigations and observe our struggle.”
“We as graduates stand united for change, for Black Lives globally,” the students said in a statement according to AFRO News. The news source reported that The White House had no comment.
Ahead of his speech, President Biden was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by Howard President Wayne A. I. Frederick. Frederick described Biden as “a favorite son of the capstone” with an “unmatched record for justice, empowerment, and peaceful advancement of humanity.”
HBCU Buzz CEO, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Luke Lawal Jr. is set to release his debut book “RICH BLACK POOR BLACK,” hitting bookstores everywhere on June 15th.
HBCU Buzz CEO, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Luke Lawal Jr. is set to release his debut book “RICH BLACK POOR BLACK,” hitting bookstores on June 15th. Pre Order here
Lawal is best known for founding the social platform HBCU Buzz, a community connected on what’s happening across Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) campuses around the country while giving audiences the opportunity to share a common interest. Since 2011, HBCU Buzz has been a leading resource for HBCU news, insights, and editorials from the Black College community.
“The book cover conveys an expression of duality in racial disparity tackling the perception of wealth. The tales of two worlds and how to merge them to become one to leverage financial wealth + success.” – Rachel Motley, Designer
Lawal is now adding author to his list of roles with the release of his debut book, “RICH BLACK, POOR BLACK.“
“RICH BLACK, POOR BLACK”is a financial literacy book, in which Lawal tells a story on how to attain and sustain financial stability and create general wealth through the pillars of Mental Health, Physical Health, Social Health, and Spiritual Health as a guide for Generation Z, according to a press release.
“When I had the idea to write RICH Black, POOR Black I knew that I wanted to tell my story on my journey to success through what feels like a conversation with readers. I want them to gain knowledge on different approaches and ways to attain financial wellness , while being a guide to understanding that we as people of color have the ability to create the life we want through being disciplined by mindset.”
– Luke Lawal Jr.
Lawal’s debut novel covers the keys to becoming financially literate by covering topics such as Creating Wealth, with Intellectual Health and Social Health as means to acquiring the ability to create and multiply your wealth. He shares the real-life practices that helped him achieve success and said his hope is “that it provides through closely examining how social health within our immediate community of mentorship is instrumental for guiding one’s steps to success.”
We all possess the power and skills to create the lifestyle that we want for ourselves through stability that can lead to generational wealth. RICH Black, POOR Black tells the story of how changing our mindset beyond the belief that in order to create wealth, you must be born into it, to realizing that we all have the skillset to create and multiply our wealth.
– Testimonial by Terrence J, Author, Entrepreneur & Philanthropist
“RICH BLACK POOR BLACK” is now available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and Books A Million and will be available in select stores on June 15th.
On Wednesday, New York Giants President and CEO John Mara became one of the six people honored with the first-ever HBCU Impact Award for their contributions to the success of the inaugural HBCU NY Classic in 2022.
The award acknowledges the individual’s positive impact on HBCUs, diversity, inclusion, and justice. Since Mara was not able to attend last year’s event, he recently met with event President & CEO Albert Williams to accept his 2022 HBCU Impact Award in person.
“I am humbled to be a recipient of the HBCU Impact Award,” said Mara. “The Giants are committed to continuing our involvement in initiatives that help promote diversity and inclusion in our community and beyond.”
Mara was recognized for his trailblazing legacy and extraordinary contributions to the African American community, urban culture, and the world.
The other 2022 HBCU Impact Award recipients include Vice President Kamala Harris, Spike Lee, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Known as the world’s largest HBCU Homecoming, the HBCU New York Classic is a multi-day celebration of HBCU culture and community activities culminating with two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) football teams facing off at MetLife Stadium, according to Fan Nation. Each year, the parent company of the Classic, Sports Eleven 05, LLC, and its Board of Directors, select a group of distinguished individuals and corporations to receive the HBCU Impact Award for the work they have accomplished in support of HBCUs.
Five of the six 2023 HBCU Impact Award recipients will be announced in the coming weeks. The sixth and final “People’s Choice” recipient will be chosen by fans this summer from ten nominees who will be revealed next month.
Selma University has been awarded $750,000 from the National Park Service (NPS) for repairs and renovations to Pollard Hall.
The funding is part of a $9.7 million investment by NPS to preserve historic structures on the campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) through the Historic Preservation Fund.
“I’m thrilled to announce that the National Park Service is investing $750,000 to preserve the historic Pollard Hall on the campus of Selma University,” said U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell. “This funding will enable Selma University to make critical repairs to Pollard Hall to ensure that the rich legacy of this cherished institution lives on for generations.”
Pollard Hall was originally built in 1916 and served as an administrative center for visitors and a meeting place for Black educators like Booker T. Washington. It was also home to several of the university’s presidents. The building is named after former university president, Robert T. Pollard, who helped Selma University expand its campus, increase enrollment and course offerings, and eliminate the school’s debt, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama.
“The historic structures on Selma University’s campus are dear to us and tell the story of a people who banded their meager resources to build a better life for themselves and their posterity,” Selma University President Stanford Angion said. “These structures must be preserved and shared with the public. I am tremendously grateful to Representative Terri Sewell and the National Park Service for helping us to move forward in our efforts to preserve the rich history of Pollard Hall.”
This grant project will help repair Pollard Hall’s roof, HVAC system, electrical and plumbing systems and install an elevator. The grant recipient will also contribute $496,414 in matching funds.
Pollard Hall is not the only building that is being renovated on Selma University’s campus. Dinkins Hall is also being repaired through funds from the National Park Service. Selma University received $600,000 total from the National Park Service and the Alabama Commission on Higher Education in 2022.
“These grants enable historic educational institutions to preserve the story of African American education and the campuses where new experiences and stories continue to evolve today,” National Park Services Director Chuck Sams said in a statement. “Through the Historically Black Colleges and Universities grants program, the National Park Service supports our HBCUs in the preservation of their historic campus structures and history.”
It’s National Nurses Week, a week designated to show our appreciation and thank nurses for all that they do. But as more and more nurses leave the profession due to poor working conditions the national nurse shortage continues to grow.
It’s National Nurses Week, a week designated to show our appreciation and thank nurses for all that they do. But as more and more nurses leave the profession due to poor working conditions the national nurse shortage continues to grow.
Although the national nursing shortage dates back decades, study shows that it’s been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a new survey from AMN Healthcare, close to a third of nurses nationwide say they are likely to leave the profession for another career due to stress and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The survey showed that about 94% of nurses said that there was a severe or moderate shortage of nurses in their area, with half saying the shortage was severe. Around 89% of registered nurses (RNs)said the nursing shortage is worse than five years ago. Moreover, the report shows that at least 80% of thosesurveyed expect the shortage to get much worse in another five years.
Additionally, the AMN Healthcare survey findings indicated younger nurses were also less satisfied with their jobs compared to older generations and were least likely to recommend the job to others. Only 42% of Gen Zers and 43% of millennials said they would encourage their peers to pursue nursing as a career, compared with 62% of baby boomers.
“Our survey data illustrates the growing dissatisfaction and wellbeing struggles among nurses — and the workforce challenges that this is escalating,” Landry Seedig, AMN Healthcare’s chief operating officer, told NBC News
A higher percentage of nurses also reported dealing with a greater deal of stress at their job than in previous years, the survey said. Four in five nurses experience high levels of stress at work, which is an increase of 16 points from 2021.
Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, a 26-year nursing veteran and president of the American Nurses Association told NBC News “didn’t get a break” in between the surge of Covid patients and as those patients started to decrease. “As Covid patients started to decrease, we started to get people coming back to the hospital who held off their medical treatments” during the pandemic, Kennedy said. “Now they’re even sicker than they would have normally been.”
This overload of patients contributed to the nurse’s decision to go on strike back in January. Around 7,000 nurses in New York went on strike over a contract dispute with hospitals in the city. The nurses were looking for higher wages, safer working conditions, and an increase in staffing to ease the shortage.
National Nurses United (NNU), the largest union of registered nurses in the U.S. has lobbied Congress hard to pass legislation that addresses staffing ratios and improves workplace safety provisions.
According to the NNU, the problem is a staffing crisis rather than a shortage of nurses.
Scripps News reports that NNU Co-President, Jean Ross says hospitals have been adding more ancillary staff—other licensed or certified personnel that help nurses—to protect their bottom line.
“The staffing crisis didn’t just happen. It’s been around for years. Unions have been sounding the alarm that organizations were putting profits before patients,” RN and President of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, Jane Hopkins said. Employers “had cut staffing so bad, that there was no room for flexibility” she continued.
Ross says that the hospital industry has “engineered” the nursing staffing crisis. “It’s a constant struggle to get them to not try to replace us with non-registered nurse personnel, but it isn’t going to help the situation that we’re in now when there are enough registered nurses in this country. But they’re refusing to hire them because it affects their bottom line,” she said.
According to NNU President, Deborah Burger, low staffing leads to a heavier workload, more stress, and burnout for the remaining staff, as well as a negative impact to patient care.
This National Nurses Week, National Nurses United is pushing for better working conditions by lobbying in support of five bills on Capitol Hill, including one that addresses nurse staffing standards.
The bill, S. 1567, would establish minimum registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratio requirements in hospitals, resulting in higher-quality care for patients according to one of the bill’s sponsors.
“There is an urgent opportunity today for health care systems, policymakers, regulators, and academic leaders to coalesce and enact solutions that will spur positive systemic evolution to address these challenges and maximize patient protection in care into the future,” said Maryann Alexander, NCSBN chief officer of nursing regulation.
Stillman’s departure follows a recent string of colleges and universities abandoningpopular college rankings, as well as criticism from the nation’s schools chief.
Stillman President Dr. Cynthia Warrick said the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings does not accurately represent the impact that Stillman has on the community, the state, or the nation.
“Even though we’ve got these students getting PhDs and getting great jobs and starting their own businesses and we’re producing teachers and our Honda Quiz Bowl team won a national championship, we don’t get any credit for that,” Warrick told AL.com.
“If the data were more fair, then you’d have more HBCUs higher in the ranking system because of the outcomes they produce,” she added.
Stillman received an overall score of 40 out of 100 in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2022-23 rankings. Researchers ranked the college 63rd out of 132 southern regional colleges, and 59th out of 77 HBCUs.
Warrick commented on how U.S. News uses graduation rates as its number one measurement quality in terms of the ranking and how that is problematic for smaller schools like Stillman.
“How they measure graduation rates is based on first-time, full time freshman and following them through six years,” she said. “The current cohort rankings today is the 2015-16 years when Stillman was having serious financial challenges. We lost over 200 students, with a 27% graduation rate.”
According to AL.com, Warrick said that she did not think the rankings accurately account for Stillman’s student body demographics or internal efforts to improve diversity and career outcomes.
“Stillman has found that the circumstances of poverty challenges these students to make decisions that call them in and out of enrollment,” Warrick said. “Yet, Stillman remains committed to them. How does U.S. News measure our commitment? I opine that it does not.”
The U.S. News and World Report surveys colleges annually based on graduation and retention rates, social mobility, academic reputation, faculty resources, student selectivity, funding, donations, and student debt. Researchers say they collect most of their data directly from schools but use similar guidelines to other federal databases.
Warrick told WVUA23, that withdrawing was a tough decision, but she feels the metrics are flawed, misleading to prospective students and don’t accurately reflect the quality of a Stillman education.
“I think what should happen if U.S. News wants to continue and have a fair rankings process, they should have some kind of external ranking process,” Warrick said. “They should have some type of external panel of experts to talk about these factors so we can get a fair ranking system because I think competition is good. We don’t want to avoid competition. I think if you have all the data together, we would get more students,” Warrick said.
