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.
The Results For The Top HBCU DJs’ Final Round Are In!
In 1935, the term “disc jockey” was coined by American radio commentator Walter Winchell while describing Martin Block, an early radio announcer. Block is thought to be the first to play pre-recorded music on the radio during a broadcasting he called Make Believe Ballroom, where he played records to give the impression that he was broadcasting from a ballroom. Years later, in 1943, the first DJ dance party was held in Otley, England by Jimmy Savile, who also became the first DJ to ever use twin turntables. The turning point in the history of DJing came in 1955 when Bob Casey brought in the two turntable system and sound systems were developed in Kingston, Jamaica. DJing has evolved and become more prevalent throughout the years, making its way from block parties to nightclubs, to raves, and college campuses.
Historically, black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are known for many things—black excellence, community, and of course student life and social gatherings. Social gatherings on HBCU campuses would not be complete without a DJ. No matter what the event is, whether it’s on-campus or off-campus, DJs set the mood and can make or break a party. By playing off the crowd and feeding off their energy, a good DJ keeps the crowd hype and the event lively.
Most HBCUs have a go-to DJ for events and we want to know who your favorite is. Your votes for the best of the best among the top 5 DJs you previously voted for are in!
North Carolina A&T University alumna, NaTasha Yvette Williams has been nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in Broadway’s “Some Like it Hot.”
North Carolina A&T University alumna, NaTasha Yvette Williams has been nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in Broadway’s “Some Like it Hot.”
“Some Like it Hot,” tells the story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime.
Williams is up for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for her performance as band leader Sweet Sue in the musical.
Williams graduated from NCAT’s Theatre Arts Program in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) in 1992. CAHSS has since honored Williams with the Alumni Achievement Award in 2021.
The actress has portrayed Aretha Franklin in “A Night with Janis Joplin,” and has appeared in George “Porgy and Bess” and “The Color Purple.” She previously performed with the Indianapolis Symphony, Naples Philharmonic and Baltimore Symphony orchestras. In 2021, she starred in the Broadway family comedy “Chicken and Biscuits.”
Her Tony-nominated performance in “Some Like it Hot” has been well received, garnering ample rave reviews.
“Every time NaTasha Yvette Williams was on the stage as the acerbic Sweet Sue, she threatened to run away with the entire show,” said Entertainment Weekly.
The 76th Annual Tony Awards will air live Sunday, June 11, at 8 p.m. on CBS from United Palace Theatre in New York City.
Award-winning actress Tracee Ellis Ross is set to receive an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Spelman College during HBCU’s commencement ceremony.
Award-winning actress Tracee Ellis Ross is set to receive an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Spelman College during HBCU’s commencement ceremony.
“I’m excited to join the Spelman sisterhood,” Ross posted on her Instagram. “What a wonderful honor.”
Ross’s impressive career has spanned over three decades as she has made quite the name for herself outside of being the daughter of legendary singer Diana Ross.
She is known for her lead role on the comedy television series ABC’s “Black-ish” and UPN’s “Girlfriends.” Ross has earned a Golden Globe Award and nine NAACP Image Awards for her work on “Black-ish.”
In addition to her credentials as an actress, Ross is also the CEO and Founder of Pattern Beauty, which focuses on healthy hair and “encourages each hair texture to take up as much space as it desires,” as the brand is designed to support people with curlier hair textures
Ross also served as the executive producer and narrator of “Hair Tales,” a docuseries that explores the relationship between Black women’s identities and their hair.
Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones will join Ross at the commencement to deliver the keynote address and will also receive a Doctor of Humane Letters. Hannah-Jones is the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the 1619 Project and a staff writer at the New York Times Magazine.
Spelman’s commencement ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 21 at 3 p.m. at the Georgia International Center in College Park.
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, a time to celebrate and recognize those hard-working educators and the impact they’ve made on so many lives.
Teachers play an immensely important role in the development of a student as their guidance can make a lasting difference in a student’s life.
While we recognize teachers and their hard work and dedication, we also must acknowledge the national shortage of teachers.
A recent study found that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the preexisting, long-standing teacher shortage. According to the study, the shortage is not a function of an inadequate number of qualified teachers in the U.S. economy, but, there are just too few qualified teachers willing to work at current compensation levels given the increasingly stressful environment facing teachers.
As a result, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are playing a significant role to overcome this national teacher shortage.
According to the Associated Press, although only 7% of all teachers nationwide are Black, half are graduates of an HBCU.
Former teacher Lavar Edmonds recently completed a study that found Black students performed better in math when they were taught by HBCU graduates. Edmonds’ study showed both Black and white HBCU-trained teachers are more effective with Black students.
This research suggests that the training received at HBCUs contributes to what makes an effective teacher.
“If you’re on an HBCU campus, there’s a particular potential for a wealth of knowledge, you can sort of learn and absorb when you’re in a community, a climate that is made for and by Black students and Black professors,” said Edmonds.
MiKaila White, a recent Tennesee State University graduate and early education major said her HBCU taught her how to form connections with many types of people—a skill that has allowed her to pour into her first-grade classroom. “I want my students to know that they are valued and loved for who they are,” she said. “That they don’t have to be perfect, that they don’t have to toughen up, that they don’t have to hide their vulnerability. That they can be curious, creative, and compassionate human beings no matter what the world tells them.”
White said that she wants to be a role model for her students and the “light” that she needed as a child. “I want to show children who look like me that anything is possible, that they can achieve greatness, that their dreams are within reach,” the TSU alum proclaimed.
Black students may benefit from learning from Black teachers as research has shown that when students are taught by teachers who share their racial or ethnic background, they are more likely to achieve academic success.
Aliya Rashid-Austin, an Alabama A&M University alum and a special education teacher with over 20 years of experience recalled only having one Black teacher while growing up in Seattle and not experiencing another until she attended her HBCU. She knows firsthand the importance of Black students experiencing learning from a Black teacher. She says Black teachers may offer black student’s their “experience, love, support,” and are often able to relate to them on a deeper level. “Who else can share and tell you about the experience of being Black, both positive and negative, more than a Black teacher?” Rashid-Austin said.
The Biden Administration says HBCUs play a role in building a more diverse teaching workforce. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Education announced $18 million in awards for HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions. These grants will increase high-quality teacher preparation programs for teachers of color, strengthen diversity in the teacher pipeline, and address teacher shortages.
As we ring in graduation season, we ring in a new class of HBCU educators ready to shape and inspire the next generation.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Clean Energy Education Prize, a competition designed to help HBCUs develop programming to strengthen the participation of K-12 and community college students in STEM fields.
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Clean Energy Education Prize. This competition will help HBCU institutions develop programming to strengthen the participation of K-12 and community college students in science, technology, engineering, and technology (STEM) fields.
The new $7.75 million prize competition seeks to inspire the next generation of students to work in STEM fields related to clean energy.
By helping to build a diverse STEM pipeline to support America’s clean energy future, this prize supports President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative. This initiative directs 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution.
“The clean energy transition is an opportunity to offer new, inspiring careers to communities that have been historically underrepresented in STEM fields,” said Terrence Mosley, Senior Advisor for Diversity and STEM in DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “Enlisting HBCUs, and the ideas, perspectives, and expertise of their networks, can help the U.S. grow a strong, representative STEM workforce and improve the research quality and innovation needed to accelerate the field of clean energy.”
According to the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, there are over 100 HBCUs in the United States which account for 3% of all post-secondary institutions, yet HBCUs graduate 17% of all Black students. 40% of the Black students pursuing graduate degrees in STEM fields attended HBCUs for their undergraduate studies.
The DOE hopes this prize will better prepare HBCUs with the resources and infrastructure needed to train a critical portion of the clean energy workforce.
“HBCUs are drivers of innovation and key partners in rural and urban communities, and I am extremely happy to support the Department of Energy HBCU Clean Energy Education Prize,” said Dr. Dietra Y. Trent, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs for the Department of Education. “This prize is a continuation of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to increasing the strength and capacity of these renowned institutions that have historically been undervalued, and will help further develop programming that inspires the next generation of critically important STEM professionals at our two- and four-year HBCUs.”
The HBCU Clean Energy Education Prize’s goal is to expand clean energy learning opportunities for younger generations, build robust programming that provides opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, and establish partnerships that lead to clean energy career opportunities.
The prize is open to all 100+ HBCU institutions across the United States and schools are eligible to compete in one or both prize tracks:
The Inspire Track supports the development and expansion of HBCU-hosted clean energy summer or academic break programs for K-12 and community college students. Submissions open for this track in May 2023 and close in August 2023.
The Partnership Track supports building partnerships between HBCUs and other universities to provide opportunities that will equip HBCU students with the skills needed to succeed in the clean energy industry. Submissions open for the Partnership Track in September 2023.
Visit Herox.com/HBCU to learn more about how to compete in this prize.
Texas Southern University is expanding its aviation program with plans to open a two-acre training facility at Ellington Airport.
On Wednesday, Houston officials approved the agreement between Houston Airports and Texas Southern for the creation of the Aviation Education Facility at Ellington Airport.
The agreement will span for five years and Houston Airport Systems will invest up to $5 million under a separate contract to develop the facility.
According to officials, the facility will include: a 22,000 square foot hangar, 20,000 square feet of aircraft apron, 7,200 square feet of office and training/classroom space, 12,000 gallon above-ground aviation fuel tank, and vehicle parking.
“The city of Houston is proud of its partnership with Texas Southern University, and we are excited to witness the aviation students’ education and careers take flight. The air transportation industry in Houston and across the United States is growing and provides career opportunities for those with the skills needed to succeed,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Earlier this year, the city provided $1 million in seed money to create a transformational health center at TSU. This project also will transform lives and help students prepare for the future.”
Texas Southern University is one of nine HBCU aviation programs in the country, and more than 500 aviation and aerospace-related companies operate in Houston.
The university’s Director’s of Aviation, Dr. Terence Fontaine expressed his gratitude and excitement for the new aviation training facility.
“The Aviation Science Management program at Texas Southern University is thankful for this investment the City of Houston and Houston Airports are making in our students and in the future of aviation” said Executive Director of Aviation Dr. Terance Fontaine. “Likewise, we appreciate the unwavering support our program has received from President Lesia Crumpton-Young, Regent James Benham and the entire Board of Regents to get us to this point. We are honored to be the first tenants in this new lease space. This opportunity provides an enhanced environment for student learning opportunities as we work to address our nation’s critical aviation needs. Furthermore, it provides space for our fleet of eight aircraft to be housed inside and protected from weather conditions, thus allowing us to preserve them for extended use.”
According to Chron, Texas Southern’s Aviation Science Management program currently has 103 students under three concentrations, including aviation management, professional piloting, and maritime transportation or drones.
The Aviation Education Facility at Ellington is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2024.
