Ochsner Health is southeast Louisiana’s largest nonprofit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare delivery system. The two institutions have agreed to establish a joint College of Medicine.
According to the university, the new medical school will create a strong physician pipeline that addresses longstanding inequities within the healthcare system and aims to diversify the medical field.
To launch the College of Medicine, Ochsner and Xavier will form a nonprofit corporation, create a new curriculum, and use the facilities, personnel, and administrative processes of both institutions. A board of directors nominated by Ochsner and Xavier will govern the new College of Medicine. Each institution will appoint an equal number of directors.
Xavier president, Reynold Verret says it is their mission to increase diverse representation in practicing physicians and research.
“Our purpose is to remedy prejudicial and inequitable structures in health care in the United States and abroad and to embark on a journey that advance health equity for all the peoples of this nation. The need for physicians of color is great.”
– Xavier president, Reynold Verret during a news conference announcing the partnership
According to NOLA.com, Verret said the project would likely cost $100 to $200 million. Ochsner and Xavier officials have not yet decided where the school would be, however, several said it would likely be somewhere on or near Xavier’s campus. Officials have not yet released a timeline for the first class.
Ochsner and Xavier have a long-standing partnership dating back to the early 1980s when Ochsner and Xavier’s College of Pharmacy came together to offer more clinical training sites for pharmacy students. Xavier’s College of Pharmacy is the oldest in Louisiana and has for years been among the top in the nation in producing African American graduates with Doctor of Pharmacy degrees.
Xavier’s College of Medicine would become the fifth Black medical school in the U.S.
The establishment of the College of Medicine furthers Xavier’s mission of advancing healthcare excellence and education for the next generation. It will bring new opportunities in improving the health of marginalized populations in Louisiana.
“Our work with Ochsner and other partners who hold close to their hearts a vision of healing a broken world is a testament to Xavier’s mission to promote a more just and humane society,” said Verret. “Xavier was bestowed that mission by our founders St. Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament almost a century ago. Our dedication to preparing more Black health care professionals in our fight against health inequity is our answer to the call of our nation’s critical need and makes their legacy proud.”
Talladega College will soon join Fisk University as the next HBCU with a gymnastics program through a partnership with Brown Girls Do Gymnastics.
On Saturday, Talladega College President Gregory J. Vincent and the Brown Girls Do Gymnastics founder Derrin Moore announced the new partnership at the HBCU Gymnastics Alliance Collaboration in Atlanta.
“This historic moment will have a lasting impact. Establishing a women’s gymnastics team at Talladega College will expand opportunities for HBCU student-athletes to compete in a rewarding sport that fosters discipline, confidence, and success,” said Vincent in a statement.
Brown Girls Do Gymnastics (BGDG) and Talladega College have partnered with the HBCU Gymnastics Alliance to launch the college’s first-ever women’s artistic gymnastics team.🌪️🤸🏾♂️ #talladegacollege#onecommunity#onetalladega
“Developing our first-ever women’s gymnastics team will also promote student and alumni engagement and pride; enhance the college’s brand; and help create a pipeline of diverse gymnasts.”
– Talladega College President Gregory J. Vincent
“While there are over eighty intercollegiate women’s gymnastics teams in the nation and many gymnastics clubs, Talladega will be one of only two HBCU teams,” added Talladega College Vice President and Athletic Director Michael Grant. “Having a team will give our athletes greater visibility and recognition.”
Brown Girls Do Gymnastics (BGDG), which also has a partnership with Fisk, prides itself on providing more opportunities for black and brown gymnasts to compete. This is in addition to creating awareness surrounding issues such as injury prevention, coaching, recruiting, and judging.
The organization also promotes camaraderie among HBCUs via diverse gymnastics events and activities, including an annual conference.
Talladega College will host the 8th Annual BGDG Conference, which will be held July 18 – 21, 2024.
Bowie State University recently named its new stop-motion animation space in honor of Ayoka Chenzira, Ph.D., division chair for the arts, chair of the Department of Art & Visual Culture, and professor at Spelman College.
An award-winning artist and recognized pioneer in Black independent cinema, Dr. Chezira is a graduate of New York University, Columbia University/Teachers College and is the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in digital media from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Chenzira is also the first African American female animator and one of a handful of Black experimental filmmakers.
Ayoka Chenzira
BSU proudly honored Chenzira last month, naming the stop-motion animation space “Studio Ayoka Chenzira.”
According to a news release, BSU’s new studio will allow students to develop, animate and produce stop-motion and experimental animated productions, short films, and unique digital storytelling experiences. The space is a green screen studio outfitted with digital, stop-motion animation equipment and cameras.
While working in the studio, students will also have the opportunity to combine stop-motion with other genres of animation and filmmaking including 2D, 3D, pixilation animation, motion graphics, sci-fi, and virtual productions in the future.
“With an increased adoption of animation in the film and advertising industries, there will be a growing need for skilled professionals to work in the field,” said Professor Williams, chair of Bowie State’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts and host of the all-day stop motion animation event where Dr. Chezira was honored.
Bowie State is the only HBCU in the nation with a stop-motion animation studio.
Simmons College of Kentucky has announced that it is entering a partnership with the University of Kentucky (UK) to provide more courses for students interested in working in legal or educational fields.
Simmons College of Kentucky has announced that it is entering a partnership with the University of Kentucky (UK) to provide more courses for students interested in working in legal or educational fields.
On Tuesday, Simmons College President Dr. Kevin W. Cosby and UK Provost Robert DiPaola signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” that will allow several collaborative opportunities for both schools.
WAVE reports the collaboration will first focus on educational opportunities for students within Simmons College to participate in programs from three UK colleges: The J. David Rosenberg College of Law, the College of Arts and Science, and the College of Education.
Under the agreement, the two schools will offer “opportunities for students of both institutions to further professional and personal development,” a release from Simmons College said.
Simmons New Chief of Staff, J. Michael Brown, will lead the pre-law and constitutional studies concentration at the school. Brown previously served as Executive Cabinet Secretary under the administration of Gov. Andy Beshear and as Justice Secretary under former Gov. Steve Beshear’s administration.
According to the Courier-Journal, Brown said the upcoming pre-law and constitutional studies courses will not be offered as a new law school but will instead be aimed at “creating critical thinkers – preparing people to go into an environment which may be foreign to them, even doing very well in undergraduate school, and succeeding.” He hopes to begin to offer classes next fall.
UK students and faculty members will also be able to attend events at Simmons covering topics like civil rights and constitutional law, the release said, and the schools will explore collaboration on speaking engagements, student organization events, and exploration of live courtroom proceedings.
Brown said the collaboration with UK “is an initiative that we are willing, ready and able” to educate the next generation of law students.
North Carolina Central University will receive a $213,500 federal grant after it was targeted in bomb threats against historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) last year.
North Carolina Central University will receive a $213,500 federal grant after it was targeted in bomb threats against historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) last year.
Director’s Learning, Empowering and Advocating for Diversity (LEAD) workshops to train faculty to recognize the impacts of racial trauma and PTSD and “to support students and aid in the overall safety climate at the university.” The workshops will be held over six sessions.
A part-time case manager who will respond to campus crises and help with follow-up care to impacted students, and support campus police services.
Overtime pay for five police officers and six Residential Life staffers responding to campus evacuation and after hours.
Ed Reed, the recently appointed head football coach of Bethune-Cookman and Pro Football Hall of Famer, has issued an apology following a string of explicit videos speaking on the conditions at the university.
Ed Reed, the recently appointed head football coach of Bethune-Cookman and Pro Football Hall of Famer, has issued an apology following a string of explicit videos speaking on the conditions at the university.
On Sunday, Reed took to Instagram live to rant about the amount of trash he encountered on campus and within the football facilities. In the video, he was seen on a golf cart driving the campus and cleaning the football facilities with the players.
Reed went on to claim that his office was not cleaned out either upon his arrival as head coach.
Nov 24, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Former Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed is shown on the sideline before the Atlanta Falcons game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Reed also said that Deion Sanders, the former head coach at Jackson State, “wasn’t wrong” about the lack of resources at HBCUs.
“Prime was not wrong about what he was saying,” Reed said. “All y’all out there with y’all opinions full of crap. Don’t know [expletive], but needless to say.”
In a video, Reed said that he is here to help HBCUs. “I see it all too clearly. All of our HBCUs need help. And they need help because of the people who’s running it. Broken mentalities out here” he said.
Reed has since apologized for his comments and said his language was “unacceptable” and that he “fell victim” while addressing online critics during the viral rant.
“I(n) regards to my social media and comments about the University, staff and other institutions, I would like to sincerely apologize to all BCU staff, students and alumni for my lack of professionalism,” Reed said, via HBCU GameDay. “My language and tone were unacceptable as a father, coach and leader. My passion for our culture, betterment and bringing our foundation up got the best of me and I fell victim while engaging with antagonists on social media as well. I am fully aware of the hard working folks at our school who are also fighting to make things better and more financially sound. I am encouraged from my communication with my AD and our administration and understand it’s a work in progress. My passion is about getting and doing better and that goes for me, too.”
Bethune-Cookman announced in December that Ed Reed would be taking over the football program. He has yet to be formally introduced and revealed that he had been working for a week and a half without a contract.
Atlanta restaurateur and Clark Atlanta University alumnae, Pinky Cole has been nominated for an NAACP Award for “Outstanding Literary Work” for her book Eat Plants B*tch.
Atlanta restaurateur and Clark Atlanta University alumnae, Pinky Cole has been nominated for an NAACP Award for “Outstanding Literary Work” for her book Eat Plants B*tch.
She posted a video documenting the moment she received the nomination news while riding in a car with her fiancé and team.
“God really has a sense of humor!” she captioned her post referencing the situation of her segment on the Today show being canceled just a day before.
Cole had made headlines for a lawsuit from a former employee accusing her of taking tips from staff and not paying minimum wage, resulting in her segment getting canceled one day before she was set to make the appearance.
Cole posted a lengthy statement to social media to deny claims made against her in a lawsuit. “The people who know me, know I ONLY operate in integrity, so this is a wicked narrative especially when this is nothing more than an allegation,” she said.
“To get a call that I was removed from tomorrows show because they don’t want to be involved in the storylines, is bizarre to me, but all good,” Cole added.
It appears to be true for Cole that when one door closes, another one opens.
The NAACP Image Awards ceremony will take place live and in person for the first time in three years, on Saturday, Feb. 25, and will air on BET at 8 p.m. ET.
Most colleges have a marching band, but there is nothing like an HBCU band. The unity and showmanship, the captivating choreography, and the excitement from the crowd all come together to encompass the feeling of Black joy and HBCU pride.
The marching band is a significant part of the HBCU experience, dating back to 1946 when Dr. William P. Foster began incorporating dance steps into Florida A&M’s The Marching “100” band routines. As BestColleges reports, “He and the Marching “100” pioneered a new style that entertained audiences with high-stepping, horn-swinging showmanship infused with Black culture and Black excellence.” Today, almost all HBCUs have a marching band that embraces this innovative style and performance tradition.
Marching bands play a key role at HBCUs and in Black music and performance history. They bring in the crowd at football games for their electrifying halftime performances and are usually the main attraction for the homecoming parade. Many bands have also entertained audiences at events at the local, national, and international levels.
A competitive spirit is a big part of HBCU band culture so we have to ask, which HBCU band is the best?
You voted, we listened. Here are the results for this year’s Top HBCU Bands!
Spartan Legion – Norfolk State University
The award-winning Norfolk State UniversitySpartan “Legion” Marching Band takes the top spot this year! The “Legion” was founded in 1975 and consists of 250 staff and student musicians, dancers, and flags from states nationwide, including, the Virgin Islands and the Bahamas. The “Legion” exhibits a presence evocative of the storied “Spartans”. They have had quite the performance year, having performed at Pharrell Williams’s Mighty Dream business forum, the celebration of Missy Elliott Boulevard, and the Rivers Casino opening in Portsmouth. NSU’s Spartan Legion also got to perform in the 2023 Rose Bowl Parade in California for the first time ever, and most recently at Mercedes Benz Stadium for the Battle of the Bands.
The Marching 100 – Florida A&M University
FAMU’s Incomparable Marching “100” is this year’s runner-up for the top HBCU band. The nationally acclaimed band has performed at NFL Super Bowl games, the Olympics, presidential inaugurations, and Bastille Day in France, and has been featured in films, documentaries, commercials, and numerous publications. They are also featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture. This performance year, the Marching 100 performed at the Louis Vuitton Men’s Fashion Show in Paris, the Chosen-1’s Invitational high school basketball tournament in Los Angeles, the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl game in Mobile, Alabama, and more.
Human Jukebox – Southern University and A&M College
Coming in third place is the Southern UniversityHuman Jukebox. The self-proclaimed “Often Imitated But Never Duplicated,” band prides itself on the unique ability to “execute precision drills better than any other marching ensemble in the country.” The Human Jukebox has performed internationally, at Super Bowls, Presidential Inaugurations, Rose Bowl Parades, and Radio City Music Hall, and has collaborated with famous artists and community activists. This past year the band performed at the historical LSU-SU halftime show and landed an exclusive deal with the premium athletic brand, Starter, to launch its brand new HBCU series for 2023.
Blue & Gold Marching Machine – North Carolina A&T State University
NCAT’sBlue and Gold Marching Machine comes in fourth place this year. Some accolades for this band include being winners of the Honda Battle of The Bands, 2003 Defeat the Beat Champions, the official band of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise, and the lead band for the 2012 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The band performs at a variety of school and community functions and consists of approximately 200 members from very diverse majors and concentrations. This performance year, The Blue and Gold Marching Machine performed at the Detroit Lions season opener, the Gotham City Invitational at E.E. Smith High School in Fayetteville, NC, the National Battle of the Bands in Houston, TX, and more.
Sonic Boom of the South – Jackson State University
Coming in fifth place is JSU’sSonic Boom of the South. The “Sonic Boom” has performed many halftime appearances for the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, and Cincinnati Bengals and was featured in a television special for Motown’s 30th Anniversary and the 34th NAACP Image Awards. They performed at the Inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and was the featured performer for NBATV’s first-ever broadcast of a collegiate basketball game in 2021. This performance year, the “Sonic Boom” performed at the 2022 Celebration Bowl, the Southern Heritage Classic, the BoomBox Classic, and more.
Before Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights icon he was a curious student at Morehouse College. Learn about who he was as a student with 5 facts about Martin Luther King Jr’s HBCU Experience!
Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most prominent faces of the civil rights movement and his legacy and mission continues to live on. He dedicated his life to equality and justice, fighting against oppression and segregation through nonviolent protests and action. Dr. King’s words and methods continue to resonate with all those seeking justice in the United States and around the world.
He accomplished so much and made many strides for change with his 39 years of life. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, was the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), helped organize the “March on Washington,” where he gave his renowned “I Have a Dream” speech, led the Selma to Montgomery March, and was the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize at 35 years old. His leadership resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s impact on the world is momentous and is often taught in classrooms as early as grade school. We know about his accomplishments in the civil rights movement, but what about his life before that?
Before Dr. King became the face of Black History, he was a student at Morehouse College. He entered Morehouse as an early-admission student at the age of 15 in 1944 and graduated in 1948 as a man ready to change the nation. It was at Morehouse that he furthered his knowledge of social justice and philosophy that would help guide his work in civil rights.
Here are 5 Facts About Martin Luther King Jr’s HBCU Experience!
HBCU Family Legacy
Dr. King wasn’t the first one in his family to attend Morehouse College. He comes from a legacy of Morehouse men, starting with his grandfather, Rev. Adam Daniel Williams (class of 1898), and his father Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. (class of 1930). His family legacy continued with his brother, Rev. A.D. Williams King, (class of 1960), and with his sons Martin Luther King III (class of 1979), and Dexter Scott King (attended 1979 to 1984). Dr. King’s mother Alberta Williams King, attended high school at Spelman Seminary and received her teaching certificate at Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute, now Hampton University, and continued her studies at Morris Brown College. His sister, Christine King Farris is also an HBCU alum as she received her BA in economics from Spelman College in 1948 on the same day King received his BA in sociology from Morehouse.
He Shared A Deep Bond With The The School’s Famed President, Dr. Benjamin Mays
Dr. Benjamin Mays was Morehouse’s president from 1940-1967 and is widely regarded as the architect of the college’s reputation, according to the university. King described Mays as “one of the great influences in my life.” Mays introduced Dr. King to Gandhi’s teachings and his method of nonviolent protest. According to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project, Mays challenged Morehouse students to struggle against segregation rather than accommodate themselves to it. In his weekly chapel address and newspaper columns, Mays urged the students to be “sensitive to the wrongs, the sufferings and the injustices of society” and to “accept responsibility for correcting these ills.”
Mays and Dr. King remained close until King’s death in 1968. Mays delivered King’s eulogy. “Our friendship goes back to his student days at Morehouse College,” Mays said. “It was my desire that if I pre-deceased Dr. King he would pay tribute to me on my final day. It was his wish that if he pre-deceased me I would deliver the homily at his funeral. Fate has decreed that I eulogize him. I wish it might have been otherwise, for, after all, I am three score years and ten, and Martin Luther is dead at thirty-nine.”
He Became Deeply Interested in Political & Social Issues at Morehouse
In his autobiography, Dr. King said that “there was a free atmosphere at Morehouse, and it was there I had my first frank discussion on race.” During his freshman year, his interest in social and political issues grew. He read Henry David Thoreau’s “Essay on Civil Disobedience,” and made his first contact with the theory of nonviolent resistance. “Fascinated by the idea of refusing to cooperate with an evil system, I was so deeply moved that I reread the work several times,” Dr. King said.
The summer before his junior year King wrote a letter to the editor of the Atlanta Constitution, responding to several racially motivated murders in Georgia. In the letter, King summarized the goals of black citizens: “We want and are entitled to the basic rights and opportunities of American citizens: The right to earn a living at work for which we are fitted by training and ability; equal opportunities in education, health, recreation, and similar public services; the right to vote; equality before the law; some of the same courtesy and good manners that we ourselves bring to all human relations”
While at Morehouse, he worked with organizations that were trying to make racial justice a reality and joined the Intercollegiate Council, an interracial Atlanta student group that met monthly to discuss various social issues. Through participation in this organization, Dr. King saw white people as “allies” for the first time. “I had been ready to resent the whole white race, but as I got to see more of white people, my resentment was softened, and a spirit of cooperation took its place,” he said.
He Was Very Involved in Extra Curricular Activities
According to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project, a friend of King’s, Walter R. McCall, recalled that King was an “ordinary student” during his time at Morehouse: “I don’t think he took his studies very seriously, but seriously enough to get by.” Although King didn’t have exceptional grades, he was a very involved student. King was president of the sociology club, a member of the debate team, student council, glee club, minister’s union, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. King also joined the Morehouse chapter of the NAACP. He won second prize in the John L. Webb oratorical competition in 1946 and 1948 and played on the Butler Street YMCA basketball team.
He Was Influenced By His Morehouse Professors To Accept The Call Of Ministry.
In his autobiography, Dr. King admitted that although his parents instilled in him the “urge to serve humanity,” he didn’t start out with an interest in ministry, and instead considered becoming a lawyer or a doctor. As a sociology student, he said that his studies made him skeptical and he saw the gap between what he learned in Sunday school and what he was learning in college. It wasn’t until he studied a course in Bible that he realized there were truths within the Book that “one could not escape.” He was influenced by Dr. George Kelsey, a professor of philosophy and religion, and Morehouse president, Dr. Benjamin Mays. “Both were ministers, both deeply religious, and yet both were learned men, aware of all the trends of modern thinking. I could see in their lives the ideal of what I wanted a minister to be” Dr. King said. He entered ministry his senior year of college with an inescapable “sense of responsibility.”
Filmmaker Spike Lee has partnered with the talent firm, The Gersh Agency to create the Spike Fellows Program, a new fellowship designed to support students at the Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC.)
Filmmaker Spike Lee has partnered with the talent firm, The Gersh Agency to create the Spike Fellows Program, a new fellowship designed to support students at the Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC.)
According to Deadline, “The Spike Fellows Program is based on the principle that access plus exposure will create opportunities.” It’s inaugural class will consist of five graduating students from AUCC, who will receive academic debt relief, industry mentorship, post graduate internships, and full-time employment, all provided by Gersh according to the news release.
GARY GERSHOFF/WIREIMAGE
Spike Lee graduated from Morehouse in 1979 and has been a longtime supporter of HBCUs
“I know firsthand the education one receives at a Historically Black College and University,” Lee said in a statement. “I am who I am because of my grandmother [Zimmie Jackson] and my mother [Jacquelyn Shelton Lee] who both graduated from Spelman College. I am who I am because of my grandfather [Richard Jackson Shelton] and my father [William Lee] who both graduated from Morehouse. It’s on the campuses of Spelman and Morehouse where they met, fell in love and got married. As my elders often told me, ‘Deeds not words’.”
“From the jump, from the get-go, I knew when (not if) I opened a crack in the door, I was bringing as many Black and Brown folks with me in front and behind the camera”
– Spike Lee
Gersh’s Head of Culture, Jayson Council is set to lead the program. “As an HBCU graduate, I am extremely proud of Gersh and Spike for their commitment to growing opportunities for AUCC graduates” he said in a statement.
Lee and the agency have made a multi-year commitment to the program and its first cycle starts this month. They also plan to expand the program with more fellows and more resources in the future.
“As industry leaders, we’ve always taken seriously the responsibility to build a more diverse, dynamic ecosystem in which people of all ethnicities, backgrounds and experiences can thrive,” said Gersh Senior Managing Partner, Leslie Siebert in a news release. “We are honored that Spike has chosen us to be his inaugural partner, and we are proud to welcome the five inaugural Spike Fellows into our organization.”
Honorary Howard University grad and iconic actress Angela Basset made history at the Golden Globe Awards on Tuesday as the first performer to win an award for an acting role in a Marvel film.
Honorary Howard University grad and iconic actress Angela Bassett made history at the 2023 Golden Globes on Tuesday as the first performer to win an award for an acting role in a Marvel film.
She took home the award for Best Supporting Actress in a film for her role as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Prior to Bassett’s win, only four actors, and no women, had been nominated for a Golden Globe for a superhero film.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 10: Angela Bassett, winner of the Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture award for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” poses in the press room during the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 10, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/FilmMagic)
This marks Bassett’s second Golden Globe win, as she previously won the award for Lead Actress in a Film, Comedy or Musical for the 1993 Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got to Do with It.
During her acceptance speech, Bassett spoke about the loss of her ‘Black Panther’ co-star Chadwick Boseman, who died of colon cancer in 2020.
“We embarked on this journey together with love. We mourned, we loved, we healed and we were surrounded each and every day by the light and the spirit of Chadwick Boseman.”
– Angela Bassett, 2023 Golden Globes Acceptance Speech
“We have joy in knowing that with this historic ‘Black Panther’ series, it is a part of his legacy that he helped to lead us. We showed the world what Black unity, leadership and love looks like, behind and in front of the camera” she said.
Bassett and Boseman have a history dating back to 2000 when she received her honorary doctorate from Howard University.
Boseman, who was also a Howard alum, was the student assigned to escort her around the university that day. In an interview on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, she said that Boseman reminded her of this encounter during the premiere party for Black Panther. “I couldn’t believe that he held that back from me until this very moment,” the actress said. “While we were shooting, yeah, the entire time. But he finally, he shared that.”
In Bassett’s speech, she also thanked Marvel fans for “embracing these characters and showing us so much love.” “We just made history with this nomination and with this award. It belongs to all of you and all of us,” she said.
According to Variety, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has generated $767.8 million globally, making it the sixth-highest grossing movie of 2022.
Fisk University made history on Jan. 6 at the Super 16 gymnastics invitational in Las Vegas as the first historically Black college or university to compete in NCAA gymnastics.
Fisk University made history on Jan. 6 at the Super 16 gymnastics invitational in Las Vegas as the first historically Black college or university to compete in NCAA gymnastics.
The team was established just 14 months ago and placed fourth overall with a score of 186.700 against established programs Southern Utah, Washington, and North Carolina.
“It feels really cool,” top recruit Morgan Price told ESPN. “We have a lot of eyes on us because we are the first and because we are making history, so it’s just so exciting to be a part of the first team ever.”
Credit: Fisk University Facebook
Price turned heads competing in all four individual events, earning the meet’s highest score on the vault with a score of 9.9.
The Bulldogs were led under the direction of coach Corrinne Tarver, the first Black gymnast to win an NCAA all-around title in 1989, who said the team’s goal this season is to leave “everything on the mat.”
Tarver told Good Morning America that she hopes the team will inspire more diversity within NCAA gymnastics.
“Well honestly I want the team to go out there every single competition, do the best that they are capable of doing,” said Tarver. “Overall I am hoping that we are a blueprint for other HBCUs to add a gymnastics program.”
Human trafficking is a huge problem happening all around the world every day, but can often go unseen, especially for Black women.
Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.
Sexual exploitation and forced labor are the most commonly identified forms of human trafficking but it can also be domestic servitude, forced marriage, organ removal, etc. Some victims are people you may interact with on a daily basis and are forced to work under extreme circumstances in exotic dance clubs, construction, health and beauty services, or restaurants.
“They are hidden from view. You don’t recognize them in the back kitchens, shops, gas stations, and in hospitality. They are also tucked away in fields. They don’t come out and ask for help. It’s a different kind of slavery than long ago,” says Dr. Lucy Steinitz, Catholic Relief Services senior technical advisor for protection. “They are beaten, violated, and told they are worthless—that no one else wants them anymore.”
Millions are forced into this modern-day slavery, and research shows that African-American women are the most vulnerable.
Although African Americans make up 13.6 of the population, 40% of sex trafficking victims are black women, the highest percentage of any race, according to the National Black Women’s Justice Institute. Rights 4 Girls, reports that Black children comprise 53% of all juvenile prostitution arrests—more than any other racial group.
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) reports that in an interview with the Urban Institute, traffickers admittedly believed that trafficking Black women would land them less jail time than trafficking white women if caught.
It’s clear that Black women and girls are being trafficked at alarming rates, but why?
Lower Socioeconomic Status
According to the U.S. Department of State, “U.S. and global data show human traffickers disproportionately target those in positions of socioeconomic or political vulnerability due to discriminatory policies, who are often people of color or part of a racial minority.” Because of the historic systematic oppression of African Americans, they are more likely to experience poverty than their racial counterparts. Black girls are more likely to experience family instability, poverty, and disconnection from the education system, according to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Dr. Kisha Roberts-Tabb, Ph.D., Human Trafficking, Gender Responsive, and LBGTQ Specialist at Cook County Juvenile Courts, said because of social inequalities present in America for many years African Americans often find themselves in “…situations of poverty, of absentee fathers and incarcerated parents,” contributing to their lack of resources. The disparities in access to economic means or opportunities for African Americans make it easier for traffickers to exploit or compel victims into sex trafficking or forced labor. “Predatory and exclusionary practices that keep certain racial communities from attaining financial stability and building generational wealth provide traffickers ample opportunity to offer tempting alternatives,” said the U.S. Department of State.
The Sexualization and “Adultification” of Black Girls
The Center on Poverty and Inequality conducted a study that found that adults viewed black girls as less innocent and more adult-like than white girls. “What we found is that adults see black girls as less innocent and less in need of protection as white girls of the same age,” said Rebecca Epstein, lead author of the report and executive director of the Center on Poverty and Inequality at the Georgetown University Law Center. When compared to white females, the people supposed Black females “need less protection,” “know more about adult topics,” and “know more about sex.” The hyper-sexualization of Black women dates back to slavery as they were stigmatized as overly sexual, seductive jezebels to justify the white man’s assault on their bodies. The stereotype has carried on to today and contributes to the racial bias and criminalization of Black girls, rather than seeing them as victims. The unfair racial bias of the justice system may allow traffickers to get away with their crimes, and victims not to receive the justice they deserve. Law Professor Cheryl Nelson Butler says “Hyper-sexualized stereotypes about minority teens continues to drive their prostitution and sexual exploitation. Lawmakers presume that minors have consented to prostitution even when the minor is below the age of consent.”
Inequalities in Foster Care
Reports indicate that a large number of child sex trafficking survivors in the US were at one time in the foster care system. According to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), Black children make up twenty-three percent of the foster care system despite making up fourteen percent of children in the U.S. Black children are overrepresented in the foster care system and are sexually abused twice as much as their white counterparts with the system, according to CBCF. Furthermore, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange reports that “despite the claim that children placed in the child welfare system are there for their protection, 86% of suspected sex trafficking victims were children and youth who were reported missing from child welfare and foster care services in 2016. Many Black girls go unprotected in the foster care system and are “structurally disadvantaged by systematic racial disparities within the foster care system.”
Sexual Abuse
According to Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), sexual and physical abuse are two of the top contributors in increasing the chances of sex trafficking. The Institute For Women’s Policy Research reports that Sexual violence affects Black women at high rates. “More than 20 percent of Black women are raped during their lifetimes—a higher share than among women overall.” Women who experience partner violence pose a higher risk of being sex trafficked, according to CBCF. Many women are trafficked by their partner or someone they know. “Of women who called the National Hotline, 36.9 percent were trafficked by their partners,” the Polaris Project reported. Along with psychological and economic abuse, sex traffickers are likely to employ physical and sexual violence over women to maintain control.
What Can We Do?
Help prevent human trafficking by spreading awareness, supporting anti-trafficking organizations, and educating yourself about the red flags and indicators of trafficking. Contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline to connect with services and support for human trafficking survivors, or to report a tip: call 1-888-373-7888, text 233733, or chat online.
Langston University has been gifted ownership of the former KWTV Oklahoma City building by KWTV’s parent company, Griffin Media.
KWTV, known as News 9, moved to a downtown location in mid-November. Langston officially took possession of the building on January 3.
Next TV reports that the TV station will be the home of Langston’s Center for Media and Community Advancement.
(Image credit: KWTV)
“If we abandon this building, there is going to be a hole in this community, and we just did not want to leave this community alone,” David Griffin, Griffin Media chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “So, we went on a search to see how we could be a part of something bigger than ourselves. And then it just dawned on me, Langston has a journalism program.”
“There is an entire business behind news production,” Langston University president Kent J. Smith said. “From computer technology to marketing and sales, our students will have the benefit of learning here. Now we can think of Oklahoma City and our Oklahoma City campus in an entirely different realm that we just could not before.”
KWTV talent will teach classes and mentor students at Langston.
“If you’re looking for something to believe in that will fundamentally change not only Langston University but journalism as a whole there is no doubt in my mind that this is it,” Smith said. “If you cannot get excited about that I do not know what gets you excited.”
Spelman College will become the first HBCU to grant a bachelor’s degree in documentary filmmaking thanks to a $1 million endowment from the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation.
Spelman College will become the first HBCU to grant a bachelor’s degree in documentary filmmaking thanks to a generous donation.
The all-women’s college has been gifted a $1 million endowment from the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation to create a new center focused on documentary media studies. The Jonathan Logan Family Foundation supports organizations that advance social justice by empowering world-changing work in investigative journalism, documentary film, and arts & culture.
The new center will be established in the Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., Center for Innovation & the Arts. According to the university, the documentary film program and the motion capture room and corridor will bear the Foundation’s name.
Spelman College president, Helene Gayle expressed her gratitude in an official statement. “We are grateful to the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation for this generous contribution to Spelman College to establish the new Center for Documentary Media Studies, which will help deepen the intersection of the arts, technology, and entrepreneurship for our students,” Gayle said.
“This support creates pathways for our professors and students to develop innovative and groundbreaking work through our liberal arts curriculum.”
– Spelman College President Helene Gayle
“Our gift to Spelman comes at a time when hearing new voices in the documentary field is more vital than ever.” Jonathan Logan, president & CEO of the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation added. “The talented women of Spelman College have insights to share and important stories to tell, and documentary film is a powerful way to bring them to light.”
Spelman College also announced that it will name the Documentary Production Lab within the Center for Innovation & the Arts, in honor of Dr. Ayoka Chenzira as a result of this gift.
Dr. Ayoka Chenzira is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and division chair for the Arts at Spelman and the Diana King Endowed Professor in Film and Filmmaking, Television, and Related Media.
“I am grateful to the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, known for its commitment to storytelling from underrepresented communities and advocacy for social justice, for recognizing our program. The generous new gift will allow our students to be the next group of emerging Black women documentary filmmakers to produce their creative and bold ideas for films in a state-of-the-art facility,” said Dr. Chenzira. “It is a surprise and an honor to have a production lab in the Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation & the Arts bear my name. I am forever grateful to the Foundation and Spelman College.”
Scheduled to open in the fall of 2024, the Center for Innovation & the Arts will serve as “a learning-hub for entrepreneurs and innovators.” The center will be home to Spelman’s arts programs and Innovation Lab, allowing students access to “cross-disciplinary learning opportunities.” The state-of-the-art facility will also house innovative initiatives such as the Arthur M. Blank Innovation Lab, the Center for Black Entrepreneurship, and a Spelman College Museum of Fine Art satellite gallery. The Center is the first new academic facility at Spelman in nearly 25 years.
Clarence D. Armbrister, the 14th president of Johnson C. Smith University (JSCU) announced in a message to students on Tuesday that he will retire at the end of the spring semester.
Clarence D. Armbrister, the 14th president of Johnson C. SmithUniversity (JSCU) announced in a message to students on Tuesday that he will retire at the end of the spring semester.
JSCU Board of Trustees will launch a search for his successor and s expects to have a new president in place by fall 2023.
Armbrister said that he will stay on through early 2024 as a senior advisor to the new president.
“It is a bittersweet moment for me and my family because we love this university and the unparalleled opportunities HBCUs like ours provide for thousands of students across the country each year,” Armbrister said in his letter to faculty, staff and students. “It has truly been a privilege and an honor to serve the JCSU family.”
Armbrister says he plans to pursue personal interests and spend time with his family following his departure from the university.
Steven Boyd, chair of the university’s board of trustees, thanked Armbrister for his leadership and “unwavering love” in a message posted on the school’s website. Boyd said that when Armbrister walked into the room in 2018, he was the clear and unanimous choice to be the 14th president of the school.
Boyd said that Ambrister provided the necessary leadership to effectively overcome challenges such as financial needs, residence hall issues, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Among other achievements, President Armbrister will forever be recognized for the unprecedented public-private partnerships he established through the Mayor’s Racial Equity Initiative, which resulted in the single largest gift the university has ever received,” Boyd said. he $80 million, five-year commitment to support our new strategic business plan has positioned the university to elevate its standing in the Charlotte community and the world of higher education, to one of the most influential and consequential HBCUs in the nation.”
