The Home Depot Retool Your School Program encourages and recognizes innovative projects that contribute to the campuses of accredited Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Since its inception, the program has awarded grants to HBCUs for campus renovations, repairs, and enhancements, and has awarded 184 campus improvement grants totaling over $5.2 million. This year, the program has quadrupled its investment into HBCUs by introducing new needs-based grants and student-focused opportunities.
The program launched the official entry application last month, and by entering, the accredited HBCUs are included in the HBCU Online Voting Challenge.
In the HBCU Online Voting Challenge, the schools will compete for the most votes via the Retool Your School official website, social media, and designated Home Depot events.
The top ten schools per Cluster with the most votes will win a Campus Improvement Grant and move forward in the program to submit a proposal for a campus improvement project.
Under the Cluster System, each accredited HBCU is assigned to one of three groups based on school size/enrollment data. This is to better equalize each school’s opportunity to submit a proposal. Respondents will be divided into the following three Clusters :
Cluster 1, which includes those Respondents with a student enrollment of 4,000 or more;
Cluster 2, which includes those Respondents with a student enrollment between 1,201 and 3,999;
and Cluster 3, which includes those Respondents with a student enrollment of 1,200 or less.
Online voting began on Monday, February 27, 2023, at 12:00 a.m. EST and will end Sunday, March 26, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
During the voting period, people can vote for participating schools via the official website, social media (Instagram and Twitter), or manual in-person voting during Home Depot-sponsored events.
Total votes will reflect all votes from the beginning of the voting period and website voting will be unlimited during the voting period.
Social media votes are defined as votes that use the school’s designated hashtag on Twitter, and/or Instagram on an original post, and the user’s account must be public in order for the vote to be counted.
Twitter original tweets and retweets count as votes and Instagram votes are counted if it is an original in-feed post and an original story post. Only the first mention of a hashtag in a post or story will count as one vote. Multiple mentions of a hashtag in a single post or story will only count as one vote.
For more information regarding The Home Depot’s Retool Your School voting rules, click here.
The only HBCU participants in NFL’s combine are seeking ways to increase numbers at the annual scouting event.
After nearly three years since the NFL announced its support for enhanced diversity policies, the Arkansas-Pine Bluff offensive lineman Mark Evans II and Florida A&M’s linebacker Isaiah Land were the only players from HBCUs at this week’s NFL’s annual scouting combine. That’s half of last year’s total of four, which was the most in a single draft since 2019.
According to The Associated Press, the players believe there should be more HBCU representation at the combine and are striving to set an example for other players.
Mark Evans the star offensive lineman from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
“I feel like they’re making progress, but I feel like it most definitely should be more than two,” Evans said. “I feel like there are a lot of good players out there and I feel like we should be represented more.”
The UAPB offensive lineman even offered suggestions on players from HBCUs that he feels deserve the opportunity to be an NFL combine participant. He recommends linebacker Jordan Lewis of Southern University, Lewis’ college teammate and 2023 Legacy Bowl defensive MVP Jason Dumas, and North Carolina Central offensive lineman Robert Mitchell.
Land aims to give inspiration to other HBCU football players. “I try to put my best foot forward every time because I just want to give hope to those guys at the HBCU level, like you know you could make it to this point,” he said. “You’ve just got to stay consistent, and you’ve got to have that underdog mentality.”
Evans shared the linebacker’s sentiments and promised to help provide more exposure to HBCUs if makes an NFL roster.
Since losing its accreditation in 1997, Knoxville College is planning to submit its application for reaccreditation approval in April.
The school regained authorized status in Tennessee, which allows them to confer credentials. If the school is able to regain accreditation, students will be able to access federal financial aid funding and state funding opportunities, including the Tennessee Student Assistance Award, which offers repayment-free financial aid to students from low-income backgrounds.
“KC lost accreditation for a number of reasons, one of those being financial stability. Financial aid for students is one of the largest conduits of state dollars to the institution,” said Dr. Brittany Mosby, director of HBCU Success, a branch of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission focused on the health and sustainability of the state’s HBCUs. “In the 2021 school year, about $10 million went to HBCUs in the state through financial aid, and the year before that it was $12 million. That’s one of the reasons why accreditation is so important.”
Dr. Dasha Lundy, executive vice president and chief operations officer of Knoxville College, said Dr. Kevin James, president of the newly accreditated Morris Brown College helped guide KC on their mission to regain accreditation.
“He did it, so we can do it too,” said Lundy. “[James] believes in HBCUs, so he said yes. He’d been through it and he knew the pitfalls. He knew how to guide the team. If we did this by ourselves, it would have took longer” she added.
James helped connect KC with the University of Tennessee (UT) Knoxville. Dr. J. Patrick Biddix, professor and program coordinator of the Higher Education Administration Ph.D. program at UT Knoxville, said he was excited for the chance to collaborate with KC as it’s a historic staple of the Knoxville community.
“You can teach students what it’s like to work at state or private institutions, but an HBCU is special. It’s different, it’s needed, it’s necessary,” said Biddix. “HBCUs come with a tremendous amount of history. A lot of the learning took place for the students beyond accreditation, in understanding the importance and necessity of HBCUs in this country.”
Knoxville College is east Tennessee’s only HBCU and was founded in 1875 by the United Presbyterian Church for the education of newly freed men and women. During the 20th century, the school also had a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Notably, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the 1960 commencement speaker.
Biddix’s team of graduate students began working with KC leadership and James in June 2022.
They spent months on end sifting through, compiling, and aligning the information needed for the thorough accreditation process. According to Diverse Education, some materials, like the faculty and student handbook, had to be created from scratch and then reviewed by KC’s Board of Trustees for approval.
“The process of creating and understanding the materials, the pieces for the accreditation process, and the opportunity to work with a board of trustees toward approval and revision—that’s an incredibly valuable experience for the students,” said Biddix.
They are now in the final process of reviewing the hundreds of documents that make up their accreditation application, hoping to fill the abandoned campus full of students soon.
“When we think about retention rates, especially with Black males—HBCUs are still significant. We may not have a billion-dollar endowment, but we can depend on our sister institutions to help us,” said Lundy. “That’s what it’s all about. We’re here to serve people. This is a collaboration to show institutions can come together, not worry about who is taking whose students—it’s about lifting people and giving education to more people.”
“Bel-Air” Comes to Atlanta In Recent Event on Clark Atlanta’s Campus
Last Wednesday, HBCU Buzz helped bring Peacock’s record-breaking original drama series “Bel-Air” to Atlanta through an exciting “Clips and Conversations” event with cast members Olly Sholotan and Cassandra Freeman and showrunner/executive producer/writer, Carla Banks Waddles. The event happened on Clark Atlanta University’s campus at the Davage Auditorium.
“Bel-Air” is a reimagined version of the beloved sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” set in the modern day. It’s told through the dramatic lens of Will and the Banks family as they navigate personal challenges and their family dynamic.
Last year, in its first season run, the show became the most-streamed original series on Peacock. Coming off of such a successful first season, Waddles, Sholotan, and Freeman came out to CAU’s Davage Auditorium to promote season two and talk with AUCC students.
“I just want to do a show that the Black community can be proud of, and look back and go, “I’m thankful that show was on the air,” Waddles said. She said she wants “Bel-Air” to be reminiscent of the original series, in that it dives deep into timely topics and issues within the Black community. Topics such as mental health, social activism, father-son dynamics as well as the identity issues of being Black in America.
During the Bel-Air: Clips and Conversations event, Waddles gave the scoop on how audiences will see these themes explored in season two.
Doors opened at 4:00 pm, and students entered the stadium to take their seats. Before the event started, everyone took a moment of silence to acknowledge the fatal shooting of CAU student,Jatonne Sterling.
Guest DJ Rayymon Beatzandinfluencer and event host,Paige Shari’ Addisonworked the crowd and the CAU student media team was also on the scene, getting hands-on experience by helping set up and taking video of the event. Addison kept the energy going by testing the audience’s “Bel-Air” knowledge in a game of trivia. Students were able to win show merch including hoodies, hats, and pendants.
Later, Waddles, Sholotan, who plays Carlton Banks on the show, and Freeman, who plays Aunt Viv, were all welcomed to the stage and the ‘Clips and Conversations’ began. Along with the audience, they watched five clips from season two and then gave insight into each scene.
Sholotan shared how he relates to his character’s identity issues, as he has faced his own issues being a first-generation American who lived in Nigeria till age ten. “Something that we really explore this season is Carlton’s relationship with his dad, Uncle Phil, and how he feels this shadow that Uncle Phil’s accomplishments have casted on his life, and as a first-generation American I think of this all the time,” Sholotan said. “My parents basically swam across the Atlantic for me to be here, so I have to be greater than great, and I think that’s a burden I would argue every single person in this room feels to a certain extent…if one person can watch our show and feel seen, and recognized and validated then I think we’ve done our job.”
Freeman’s character also faces some challenges this season as she strives to take her power back and reclaim her narrative as an artist. As a Black woman, Freeman said she relates to Aunt Viv’s struggles with other people trying to silence her. “A lot of this season is about how do you claim your own narrative even when people won’t give you the microphone?” the actress said.
Freeman also gave uplifting advice to the students struggling to find their voice.
“Be patient in your twenties and allow life to reveal to you what your voice is because my greatest success, and those around me, is when you stop apologizing for who you are,” she said. “Stop apologizing, do you on purpose.”
After all the clips were shown, students got the chance to ask their questions for the cast and take pictures with them.
Aspiring singer and actress, CAU freshman Kayah Brazil said she was grateful for the insightful advice the panelists gave. “It’s nice to hear from people who already made it to the position that you want to be in.”
CAU senior, Gracen Fling said the event was “so much fun and so informative,” and will take the advice Freeman gave out to heart. “One of the things I picked up from Ms. Cassandra Freeman was not being afraid to take up space. I feel as though as Black women, we’re often encouraged to feel little and degrade ourselves in which we limit our own abilities. So I really appreciate her affirming us as Black women and telling us to take up space, because we deserve to.”
The new season of “Bel-Air” is now streaming on Peacock with new episodes dropping Thursdays through April 27.
Fans can get even more of the record-breaking drama series “Bel-Air,” as Peacock recently announced that it has been renewed for a third season.
On Wednesday, FAMU announced the former NFL player’s hire as an athletics ambassador and consultant.
“Anyone familiar with Chad knows that he has always been a great ambassador for FAMU,” FAMU vice president and director of athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes said in a released statement. “It’s time to make it official. I am happy that we could reach an agreement to formalize his role with the university.”
Chad Ochocinco (green hoodie) poses with FAMU wide receivers after practice for the 2021 Orange Blue Classic on Friday, Sept. 3, 2021. Devin P. Grimes/FAMU Athletics
Johnson played 11 seasons in the NFL, finishing his career in the league with 766 receptions for 11,059 receiving yards and 67 touchdowns.
The athlete has been an avid supporter of the FAMU Rattlers for some time, often publicly showing his support on social media. He has also stopped in football practices, as he visited the team before the 2021 Orange Boom Classic in his hometown, and was present during the 2022 Orange Blossom Classic.
“I fell in love with FAMU after attending my first (Florida) Classic in 1984 with my grandma, and the rest is history,” Johnson said in a statement.
Since the announcement of his new position, Johnson has posted a series of tweets expressing his gratitude.
Such a great feeling to see things come full circle 🙏🏾
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have produced countless prominent women leaders and trailblazers over time. March is Women’s History Month and there’s no better time to celebrate their contributions. Here are some women pioneers who have impacted history that came from HBCUs!
Oprah Winfrey – Tennessee State University
Oprah Winfrey is a talk show host, media executive, actress, and billionaire philanthropist. She graduated from Tennessee State University in 1986 with a degree in speech communications and performing arts. She’s best known for being the host of the beloved talk show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which aired for 25 seasons, from 1986 to 2011. The show won 16 Daytime Emmy Awards and its success helped her become the world’s first Black woman billionaire in 2003.
Kamala Harris – Howard University
Kamala Harris is a proud graduate of Howard University, having earned her B.A. in political science and economics there. On January 20, 2021, she became the first woman, the first African American woman, the first Indian-American, the first person of Asian-American descent, and the first graduate of an HBCU to be sworn in as the Vice President of the United States of America. As she said in her election acceptance speech, she “may be the first, but [she] will not be the last.”
Bessie Coleman – Langston University
Bessie Coleman was an American aviator and the first Black woman to earn a pilot’s license in the U.S. When she was eighteen, she saved enough money to attend the Colored Agricultural and Normal University (now Langston University), but only completed one semester because she could no longer afford tuition. Because flying schools in the U.S. denied her entry, she taught herself French and moved to France, earning her license from France’s well-known Caudron Brother’s School of Aviation in just seven months. Coleman was known for performing flying tricks and specialized in stunt flying and parachuting. Her legacy lives on as an inspiration and a pioneer of women in the field of aviation.
Althea Gibson – Florida A&M University
Althea Gibson was the first African American tennis player to compete at the U.S. National Championships in 1950, and the first Black player to compete at Wimbledon in 1951. She attended Florida A&M University on a sports scholarship and graduated from the school in 1953.
Janice Bryant Howroyd – North Carolina A&T State University
Janice Bryant Howroyd is a North Carolina A&T alumna, an entrepreneur, businesswoman, and author the first black woman to own and operate a billion-dollar company in the U.S. She is the founder and chief executive officer of the ActOne Group, the largest privately held, minority-woman-owned personnel company founded in the US. The employment agency business hit No. 3 on the 2011 industrial/service companies list with $1.4 billion in revenues and has over 17,000 clients across the globe and a presence in 19 countries.
Wilma Rudolph – Tennessee State University
The legendary athlete, Wilma Rudolph was the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at a single Olympics. Despite being told as a child she would never walk again, she overcame her disabilities and became known as “the fastest woman in the world.” Rudolph studied education at Tennessee State University, where the indoor track and dormitory are named in her honor.
Lillian E. Fishburne – Lincoln University
Lillian E. Fishburne is the first African American woman to become a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. She is one of only 41 African Americans who have achieved the honor of being a flag officer in the United States Navy as of January 2010. Fishburne obtained her B.A. in 1971 from Lincoln University (Pennsylvania), and later enrolled in the U.S. Navy Women’s Officers School in Newport, Rhode Island, where she was commissioned as an Ensign.
Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles – Founders of Spelman College
The founders of Spelman College, Sophia B. Packard, and Harriet E. Giles were two missionary women who journeyed together from New England to Georgia with the mission of creating an educational opportunity to uplift recently freed Black women. On April 11, 1881, Packard and Giles, supported by a village of allies and advocates, began the Spelman legacy. With only a pad and pencil, they held the very first class of the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary in the basement of Father Quarles’ Friendship Baptist Church. Within just three months, enrollment had increased to eighty students, and soon after, the student body grew to over 200 students, ranging in age from 16 – 52. In the summer of 1882, business magnate and philanthropist, John D. Rockefeller became a devoted investor of the Seminary, affording Packard and Giles the opportunity to purchase the present campus site, then occupying five frame buildings on nine acres of land. In 1884, the school was renamed Spelman Seminary in honor of Rockefeller’s wife, Mrs. Laura Spelman Rockefeller and her parents Harvey Buel and Lucy Henry Spelman, both activists in the antislavery movement. In 1924, our name was changed to Spelman College.
Mary Mcleod Bethune – Founder of Bethune-Cookman University
Mary McLeod Bethune, the inspirational founder of Bethune-Cookman University was an educator, a civil and women’s rights pioneer, and an activist. As one of the most influential women of her generation, Dr. Bethune opened a boarding school, the Daytona Beach Literary and Industrial School for Training Negro Girls in 1904. She created “pencils” from charred wood, ink from elderberries, and mattresses from moss-stuffed corn sacks. She also founded the Mary McLeod Hospital and Training School for Nurses, which at the time was the only school of its kind that served African American women on the east coast. Eventually, Bethune’s school became a college, merging with the all-male Cookman Institute to form Bethune-Cookman College in 1929. It issued its first degrees in 1943.
Elizabeth Evelyn Wright is the founder of Voorhees College. When she was ten, she and her family moved to Talbotton, GA for her to have better educational opportunities. She caught the attention of a northern teacher who encouraged her to apply to the Tuskegee Institute. George W. Kelley, a Massachusetts judge, funded her schooling and she completed Tuskegee Institute in 1894. While at Tuskegee, Wright’s role models were Booker T. and Margaret Murray Washington. The Washingtons inspired Wright’s commitment to uplifting and educating African Americans, which led to her interest in teaching. In 1897, she started the Denmark Industrial School in Denmark, SC in a room above an abandoned store. As the school grew, Ralph Voorhees, a northern philanthropist, donated around $5,000 for about 280 acres of land. As a result, in 1902, the first building of Voorhees Industrial School was opened after completion, named in honor of Ralph Voorhees. Wright continued to honor her mentors by modeling the school after the Tuskegee Institute.
The Votes Are In! Check Out Your Picks for the Top HBCU Dance Teams!
Just as the marching band is an integral part of the HBCU experience, so are the majorette-style dance teams.
HBCU dance teams bring infectious energy and excitement to sports games, pep rallies, and parades through their high-energy synchronized style of dance. In the 1960s, majorette dance teams rose in popularity at HBCUs infusing jazz, West African, and hip-hop dance styles.
According to Essence, “the original majorettes, or “Dansmarietjes” in Dutch, were carnival dancers who used batons. It wasn’t until the idea reached the American South’s high schools and colleges that it came to include a mixture of jazz-ballet and hip-hop dance.”
The first known majorette performance dates back to 1968. Alcorn State University’s majorette team, the Golden Girls made their debut at the 1968 Orange Blossom Classic against Florida A&M. They donned long, golden boots and gold capes, a classic majorette look that has carried onto today. The original Black majorette teams were known for their intricate headdresses accented with feathers and rhinestones. Today, they are known for their extravagant glittery outfits, fringe, and statement gloves that emphasize their movements.
“The majorette dance style is a very unique mixture of stunting, marching, [and] energetic fast clean movements rooted from the Southern areas of the United States,” Dayjasia Wright, the captain of the Golden Girls told Essence.
Tuskegee will open up their tournament run against the two-seed West Alabama. They also finished with the best record in the SIAC in the regular season finishing with a 20-8 overall record and a 15-5 record against the SIAC.
Winston-Salem State will face off against Indiana (Pa.) as they enter the tournament coming off winning their second CIAA championship in the past three seasons.
Lastly, Miles College is against Nova Southeastern. The team finished with a 20-6 overall record and a 15-5 conference record in the regular season. They went on to claim their third SIAC title in the past four seasons following their win over Benedict.
Seven of the eight regional tournaments, consisting of eight teams each, will be conducted on March 11, 12, and 14 while one regional tournament also consisting of eight teams will be conducted on March 10, 11, and 13. The eight regional champions will advance to the quarterfinals in conjunction with the 2023 NCAA Division II Men’s Elite Eight. The quarterfinal, semifinal, and championship games will be conducted at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana, on March 21, 23, and 25.
West Virginia State will face Shippensburg in the first round, Elizabeth City State will open up its tournament run against the reigning national champion Glenville State, and Tuskegee will face off against Tampa in the first round.
After a successful season in which the Yellow Jackets finished with a 22-5 overall record and a 17-5 record against the Mountain East Conference, this will be their first national tournament appearance since 2004.
BRACKET ALERT 🚨
The 2023 #D2WBB tournament is going to be a fun one. Who's your pick?! 👀
As for The Vikings, they finished the regular season with a 16-10 and are in the running to claim their first CIAA championship in school history.
Tuskegee had the best season finishing with a 23-3 record in the regular season and a perfect 21-0 record against the SIAC. They claimed their second SIAC tournament title in three years, winning by an average margin of 25.3 points.
The championship game will be contested on April 1 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, in conjunction with the NCAA Women’s Final Four.
On Thursday, more than 700 students at Elizabeth City State University received an invitation to a private email group titled “Welcome to the Caucasian Student Group.”
The email, sent by Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Tiffany Hinton, stated the group’s purpose to be for Hinton to share important school-related and identity-based information with students – including student association, scholarship, and inclusion group meetings.
However, the school’s efforts did not go over well with students according to WAVY.
“I just think this was a poorly thought out idea and it was executed in a way that hit very deep with all of us,” ECSU junior Keegan Williams, who is Caucasian, told the news network.
Within the email, it noted that people who received the email were added to the identity group “based on your admission demographic information.” It said inclusion was an institutional value and that ECSU sought “to move diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts forward.”
“To see, you know, an important official of the school basically take the demographics off our application from when we were just freshman, and use that to group us together… it was a little degrading, to say the least,” Williams added.
“Honestly, it seems more exclusive than inclusive,” ECSU student Lauren Jackson told WAVY.
The school shut down the email group hours after it was created and sent out another email to students saying that while the groups were developed “to create space, build community and promote a sense of belonging within the ECSU student body,” it would suspend the use of identity-based affinity email groups in order to get more feedback.
“The Office Of Diversity and Inclusion created identity-based affinity email groups for students at their request,” said an email from Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Interim Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Dr. Gary Brown. “In response to our students, the University has suspended the use of identity-based affinity email groups so additional feedback can be collected to further support diverse communities.”
University officials said it is committed “to ensuring our environment is and remains an inclusive and welcoming campus for all students, faculty, staff and visitors.”
Williams hopes that the university will focus on more pressing issues in the future.
“I would like to see the University focus on things more pertinent to running a University,” Williams said, “and let the student body kind of handle themselves.”
Student journalists at several different HBCUs recently got the chance to interview the cast of “Creed III” through the HBCU Creed III Campus Collective.
Student journalists at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) recently got the chance to interview the cast of “Creed III” through the HBCU Creed III Campus Collective.
The HBCU Creed III Campus Collective is an initiative aimed to increase HBCUs students’ exposure to media. They utilized students on campus for campus activations at 16 different schools and conducted the first-ever hybrid HBCU Press Conference with an emphasis on journalism.
The initiative was inspired by director and star of the film, Michael B. Jordan’s deep commitment to HBCUs and cultivating black excellence.
For the campus activations, the Creed Collective got student ambassadors at 16 HBCU campuses to set up branded promotional tables with snacks and “Creed III” branded giveaways. Students lined up for a chance to obtain additional giveaways and each student who participated entered into a raffle to receive a premium item.
Participating HBCUs include: Bowie State University, Clark Atlanta University, Coppin State University, Dillard University, Florida A&M University, Howard University, Meharry Mechanical College, Morehouse College, North Carolina A&T, Prairie View A&M University, Spelman College, Tennessee State University, Texas Southern University, Tuskegee University, and Xavier University of Louisiana.
HBCU students also had the opportunity to participate in a “Creed III” media junket with cast members, Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors, andMila Davis-Kent.
Jordansaid it was important for him to give HBCU student journalists an opportunity to gain real-world experience. “I love the confidence they have, the questions that they’re asking, they’re tentatively listening, they care. So, it’s good for us to show up and give them the opportunity to do what they love doing,” he said.
The press conference took place in Atlanta on Thursday, February 23, 2023, and was available to student participants virtually as well.
During the press conference, students from different HBCUs were able to ask the stars of the film questions, to which they answered candidly as well as gave advice to the aspiring journalists and filmmakers.
When asked if he’d ever thought he would direct and star in a movie of such caliber as “Creed,” Jordan humbly said that he never thought about it but always knew he wanted to be great at something.
“I feel like, you know, no matter what field you’re in, no matter what you care about, if you obsess over and you’re passionate about it, and you’re relentless, I feel like you’ll have some success,” the movie star said.
As a director, Jordan said it was important to assemble aspiring writers and producers from HBCUs to participate in a press conference because “we got to close the gap from somewhere.”
He declared that there is not enough diversity and Black representation on film sets. To remedy this, he feels that it is imperative for him to use his platform to lay the foundation for creative talent from HBCUs to get their foot in the door.
When talking about his commitment to HBCUs, Jordan said that he’s “in it for the long haul.”
“This is chess, this is the long game,” Jordan remarked. “We want people who look like us to have those same opportunities to be successful as well. So you got to look at all the pieces on the board, we got to stop looking at ourselves as victims and start taking what we deserve, and to instead start acting like we belong here. That’s something that I really firmly believe in.”
The highly anticipated “Creed III” film appears in theaters on March 3.
Everything Legendary, founded by Morgan State University alum, Duane “Myko” Cheers and Bowie State University and Howard University alumna Danita Claytor, is bringing the flavor to plant-based foods.
The two were influenced to enter the plant-based market to create healthy foods for their mothers, who were both facing illnesses.
“My mom had been battling with lupus for 35 years, and she had been a strict vegan for over 30 years. Danita’s mother was battling cancer at the time and we were trying to get her on a healthy regimen, but she didn’t like the taste of any of the plant-based food. So as we entered into the plant-based market, we wanted to create a product that was flavorful, yet healthy,” said Myko.
Based in Hyattsville, Maryland, Myko and Claytor have been building their business since 2019. It has grown from its pop-up sampling and guerilla-marketing introduction to a well-received national product rollout.
They found major success after landing an investment deal with Mark Cuban as a contestant on season 12 of Shark Tank, which helped them launch their product in grocery stores nationwide.
Everything Legendary is sold in 5,000 grocery stores and has multiple partnerships with lucrative brands such as Live Nation, General Mills, and more.
Myko and Claytor pride themselves on offering soy-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free products with chef-inspired ingredients. With ingredients so clean, their goal is for a 7-year-old child to be able to pronounce them all listed on the Nutrition Facts label.
According to Myko, what sets Everything Legendary apart from its competitors is that the products are “actually healthy.” “Read the ingredients,” he said. “We are also the largest African-American manufacturer of plant-based meats in the country. We offer soy-free products and our Nutrition Facts label is the cleanest compared to our competitors.”
Serving the HBCU community is an immense priority for Myko and Claytor as they have recently brought Everything Legendary to Bowie State’s food halls—and they don’t plan on stopping there. Their goal is to expand the food company to be available at every single HBCU across the country, then roll it out to all colleges and universities nationwide.
The co-founders are also launching a few new plant-based products that are geared specifically to Black culture soon.
As for advice for others wanting to follow in their footsteps, the duo said, “You have to truly love what you do. You have to build an amazing team. Start now and perfect later. Things won’t always be perfect, but you have to keep trying.”
Clark Atlanta University has identified the victim as Jatonne Sterling, a sophomore college baseball player for the school from Chicago.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers found Sterling suffering a gunshot wound, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to Channel 2 Action News, authorities say that they believe Sterling knew his killer and was shot during an escalated dispute.
“We believe this was an incident, possibly an escalated dispute, between he and an acquaintance. So, it’s not going to be random, it seems to be targeted,” Lt. Germain Dearlove told FOX 5.
Atlanta Police told WSB-TV that students at the AUC are not in any danger despite their search for the shooter.
The university’s athletics department paid tribute to Sterling on social media, writing: “Clark Atlanta Athletics send its condolences to Jatonne Sterling’s family and friends. Gone too soon. Please keep Jatonne’s family in your prayers.”
According to 11 Alive News, police are continuing to search for the shooter. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call Atlanta Police or 911.
A candlelight vigil is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Lyke House Catholic Newman Center.
The program is run by the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative.
Additional schools that will receive funding are Norfolk State University ($3,898,789), Virginia Union University ($2,987,765), Virginia State University ($2,799,180), Shaw University ($5,000,000), Maryland Eastern Shore and Morgan State University, and more.
During her speech at Benedict College, Harris said that affordable, high-speed Internet is “an essential part of everyday, modern life.”
“I have heard so many stories about what it means when folks don’t have Internet. Students who have to sit in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant just to be able to submit their homework on public Wi-Fi,” Harris said, before announcing the administration’s $65 billion plan through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to put high-speed Internet in every home.
White House senior advisor Mitch Landrieu told ABC11 that the funds are currently on their way.
“The idea is really simple is to make sure that everybody has access to high-speed internet so they can have access to knowledge, level the playing field, and have the greatest opportunity to succeed in their life,” Landrieu said.
In recent years, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have seen a significant increase in exposure and media coverage. Since 2020, these institutions have had an impressive rise in enrollment. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, “the percentage of Black students enrolled at HBCUs fell from 18 percent in 1976 to 8 percent in 2014 and then increased to 9 percent in 2020.”
Schools like Morehouse College, Morgan State University, and Howard University have even seen increases as high as 60 percent in undergraduate applications. This increase may be credited to the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement. As students witnessed civil unrest and the killings of innocent Black people, they felt drawn to schools where they are the majority and that give them a safe space to be themselves.
“We saw the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, and then we saw students say, ‘Hey, I want to go to a Black school. I want to be safe. I want to enjoy my time,” Paulina Webber, a senior at Dillard University, told NPR.
HBCUs’ time in the spotlight can also be attributed to the election of Howard alum, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the efforts of the Biden-Harris Administration to support them. Moreover, Black colleges have continued to gain visibility by drawing high-profile student-athletes and coaches like Deion Sanders and Eddie George. Although HBCUs seem to finally be getting the recognition they deserve, they are still in dire need of support.
Despite the spike in exposure and enrollment, HBCUs continue to be chronically underfunded. According to Forbes, compared to their predominantly white counterparts, the nation’s Black land-grant universities have been underfunded by at least $12.8 billion over the last three decades.
HBCUs are a vital part of American history and the higher education system and must be protected. Not only do they provide a safe space for Black students, but they are the producers of Black excellence, innovators, and leaders. There is a part we can all play in the preservation and the continued success of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Find out a few ways below how to be an HBCU ally!
Join an Alumni Association
Joining the alumni association of your HBCU is a great step to becoming an HBCU ally. It allows you to network with other alumni who share the same goal of bettering your alma mater and puts you in the perfect position to give back. You can help organize scholarship and school supply drives, assist with recruitment, and provide motivation for current students. Check out our HBCU alumni association list to find and join the national alumni association for your school today.
Donate Directly to an HBCU
Investing in HBCUs makes a huge difference, and even a little goes a long way. As so many HBCUs remain underfunded, donations are crucial for many institutions. Lack of funding has prevented HBCUs from performing at their highest ability and has made it harder to offer students affordable financial aid. Donations can help with student aid, educational programs, campus improvements, and more. You can donate directly to an HBCU by going to their website and giving whatever you can.
Spread Awareness
Advocate for HBCUs by spreading awareness about their impact and importance. Support and spread the word about notable, inspiring HBCU alumni, and tell your own story of how attending an HBCU impacted your life for the better. Change the negative narrative about HBCUs and instead talk about the benefits, rich history, and uplifting atmosphere that can only be found at an HBCU. You can also spread awareness about the underfunding and lack of resources at HBCUs by writing a letter or email to your legislator or calling your politicians, urging them to take action.
Offer Your Time & Talents
You don’t always have to donate money to make a difference, donating your time to help an HBCU student matriculate through college also helps. Offer your time and talents to an HBCU by mentoring, volunteering, tutoring, leading a workshop, or speaking at an event. These are all meaningful ways to give back and can make a difference in a student’s life and academic career.
Hire HBCU Graduates
If you are in a position of power and have a say in who is hired at a company strive to hire HBCU graduates. With more HBCU alums in high and impressive positions, it would show the world the value of an HBCU education and spread more awareness.
Howard University‘s Swim and Dive Team has made history with its first championship in 34 years.
The only all-black college swim team took home the 2023 title of the Northeast Conference Men’s Swimming and Diving champions on Saturday in Geneva, Ohio, after finishing in second last year.
“It’s the first conference title for our men’s program in 34 years, and it feels amazing,” saidNicholas Askew, coach of Howard’s swimming and diving team. “It just feels phenomenal to know that there’s this group of young men and young women who believed that it was possible, even when we were first getting started and all kinds of things were not going our way.”
It was a successful weekend for Howard’s Swimming and Diving team as they racked up an impressive amount of awards.
Olympic Trials qualifier Miles Simon broke the meet record in the 200-meter individual medley and was named the NEC Outstanding Swimmer, while Jordan Walker was named Outstanding Diver for the 47-member squad.
The swimming staff was also recognized as the NEC Swimming Staff of the Year for the second season in a row. In addition, diving coach Courtenay Miller received the conference’s Outstanding Dive Staff honor.
Although the historic moment for the team was important to Askew, he noted that overall support for HBCU athletic programs is “crucial” for their survival.
“We talk about being the only HBCU [with a swim team], but that comes with a warning tag. We don’t want to be a program that’s cut because, even as a competitive program, NCAA swimming is the number one to cut sports and in all of athletics,” Askew said. “We have to be very careful as to the support financially being in the stands, being able to send words of encouragement to the young men and women who are part of the program, as well as to administration.”
