A new move made by a group of education officials in North Carolina has the power to do a state-wide sweep of programs committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at public universities. According to The News & Observer, the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors’ University Governance Committee has approved “a policy that repeals the university system’s existing policy and regulation on diversity and inclusion.” The move will reportedly disband laws in place requiring all 17 public campuses within the state of North Carolina to employ diversity officers as well as drive efforts toward a common goal of fulfilling diversity-related measures. A University of North Carolina System Board of Governors committee voted in favor of policy that would eliminate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion jobs at NC public universities. There was no discussion. https://t.co/9xQvXJFFG8 — philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) April 18, 2024 Per the Raleigh, NC-based outlet, the committee held...

The implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at medical schools is currently in danger. In March 2024, Congressman Greg Murphy (R-NC) introduced the Embracing anti-Discrimination, Unbiased Curricula, and Advancing Truth in Education (EDUCATE) Act. The proposed bill aims to prohibit race-based mandates at medical schools and accrediting institutions, per a news release. In addition, it would stop federal funding to medical schools that “discriminate” against races and ethnicities, have DEI offices, and “force” students and school faculty to assimilate to particular beliefs. “American medical schools are the best in the world and no place for discrimination,” Murphy shared in a statement. “The EDUCATE Act compels medical schools and accrediting agencies to uphold colorblind admissions processes and prohibits the coercion of students who hold certain political opinions. Diversity strengthens medicine, but not if it’s achieved through exclusionary practices. Medicine is...

This Tuskegee, AL-based Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has received a whopping donation. According to a news release, an anonymous donor has donated $20 million to Tuskegee University, which is going toward developing STEM programs and applied research. “This gift will allow us to invest in our students, faculty, programs and infrastructure, enabling us to enhance our academic reputation, enrich the student experience, and continue our work to reach milestones within our strategic plan,” Tuskegee University President Dr. Charlotte P. Morris shared in a statement. “It will provide additional resources for us to implement vital initiatives, further securing the campus, and foster a more dynamic community.” She continued, “We are grateful for this extraordinary act of philanthropy, which will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on our university and its community. This contribution is a testament to our collective efforts and the enduring trust inspired by the Tuskegee...

Duke University is the latest higher educational institute to make changes following the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action in admissions. According to its student publication The Chronicle, the North Carolina college has officially discontinued its Reginaldo Howard Memorial Scholarship Program. Since its inception in 1979, the merit scholarship was created for Black undergraduates, some of whom were required to demonstrate the need for financial assistance. It covered the cost of full tuition as well as room and board for those who were selected to be a part of the program. Duke University announced it is ending a full-ride scholarship program for Black students in the wake of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling https://t.co/dNK2Rst99y — philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) April 12, 2024 “It is very much disheartening to hear that this program that opened the door for me to come to Duke is now being closed essentially, even though it will take on a new form,”...

Knowledge is power, but being able to access it can be an uphill battle for disadvantaged communities. PBS NewsHour reports on Instagram that St. Louis, MO, is a “book desert,” and the likelihood of retaining a significant number of books in a community is low. However, a determined Black woman business owner has stepped in to enact the change she wants to see. According to the outlet, Ymani Wince launched Onyx, a free book vending machine, at the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club, located on the north side of St. Louis. Wince also owns The Noir Bookshop, which provides Black and people of color (POC) literature.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by PBS NewsHour (@newshour) “I started thinking about what were ways that I could get books in the community, and I instantly thought of vending machines,” Wince told PBS NewsHour. “The concept of reading is good, having literacy is good, and I think access to information is a human right, no matter what you look like.” This...

Dawn Staley’s secret to success lies within the connection to her players. The South Carolina Gamecocks Head Coach was overcome with emotions fresh off the team’s NCAA national women’s basketball championship win against the University of Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday, April 7, 2024. This marks Staley’s third women’s national championship, according to CBS News. Reflecting on the University of South Carolina team’s latest victory, Staley expressed during an ESPN interview, “I’m so incredibly happy for our players. It doesn’t always end like you want it to end, much like last year. But my freshies are at the top of my heart because they wanted this, and I hope we can erase whatever pain they had last year not being able to finish it here. So I’m just super proud of where I work. I’m super proud of our fans. It’s awesome.” Dawn Staley, an emotional victory. “We serve an unbelievable God.” 🏆❤️🥹 pic.twitter.com/oNpn5PrW9r — Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) April 7, 2024 The Gamecocks...

Black Girls Code is back with another initiative to educate young Black girls about coding. According to an April 2024 press release, nonprofit Black Girls Code teamed up with GoldieBlox, a STEM-focused children’s multimedia company, for Code Along Jr. The free video-based coding academy is based on Code Along — a Black Girls Code coding program — and is for girls who are ages 7 to 10. Launched live in Los Angeles, CA , Kalani Jewel, a child actress, hosted the coding academy’s live event, the press release details. “Together, we can change the face of technology,” Black Girls Code CEO Cristina Jones shared in a statement. “Kalani, as a vibrant and energetic 12-year-old, is the perfect host for Code Along Jr. She shows girls that tech is fun, not scary. She reaches them at their level and shows them that they can do anything they want. This is so important because tech is at the center of everything we do, and Black girls absolutely have a lot to offer as entrepreneurs, executives,...

Following the death of George Floyd in May 2020, North Central University held a memorial service. During the ceremony, the Minneapolis, MN-based institution announced that it had created the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship, according to a news release. “It is time to invest like never before in a new generation of young black Americans who are poised and ready to take leadership in our nation,” North Central University President Scott Hagan, Ph.D., said per the news release. He added, “So, university presidents, let’s step up together.” Hagan’s call to action for fellow college and university presidents to establish their own George Floyd Memorial Scholarship sparked a movement. Schools such as the University of Minnesota, University of Michigan, Ohio University, and more went on to create their own. However, as the fourth anniversary of Floyd’s passing is coming up, North Central University’s scholarship in his remembrance is receiving pushback. According to NBC News, on March...

La La Anthony is creating an impact in her hometown of New York City, NY, through her foundation, La La Land Foundation and its ThreeSixty program. According to ThreeSixty’s website, the TV personality, actress, and entrepreneur’s foundation launched ThreeSixty as a program to support young men aged 18 to 21 who are incarcerated at Rikers Island, which has been described as “America’s most notorious jail.” The rehabilitation program provides legal services including connecting the men with lawyers and making court appearances on their behalf. In addition, ThreeSixty has workshops that focus on resume-building, work-training, and life skills. In an interview with People, Anthony detailed how her initiative has created life-changing opportunities. She shared with the outlet that after less than a year of being released from Rikers Island, a formerly incarcerated individual, who had been mentored by ThreeSixty, received a full scholarship to study at Columbia University. “It’s really...

With her dual roles as an investor and educator, Tiana Tukes is stretching her influence to the next generation. Tukes is the co-founder of LGBT+ VC, a nonprofit that is designed to provide support to college students interested in venture capital by connecting them with ally and queer venture capitalists, as well as industry professionals, its website mentions. During Tukes’ two-year post at the nonprofit, she immersed herself in efforts catering to the youth, including a partnership with the New York City, NY, mayor’s office to establish an employment program exposing queer and trans students of color to pathways in finance, philanthropy, law, and technology. “Students from immigrant families, first-generation families, who otherwise wouldn’t have had opportunity to see careers beyond working-class blue-collar jobs, because of our nonprofit, we were able to expose them to careers and high-paying, high-equity earning jobs,” Tukes told AFROTECH™. Furthermore, LGBT+ VC established a...

Three Black women are making history at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, NC. According to WXII-12 in Winston-Salem, NC, students Kristi Barnes, Maya Odom, and Breyana Robinson have been selected as recipients of the 2023 Astronaut Scholarship. The scholarship is offered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF), which is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established in 1984 by a group including the six surviving members of the “Mercury 7,” the U.S.’s first astronauts, per its website. The organization provides over 60 scholarships yearly. Additionally, this scholarship is “among the largest merit-based monetary scholarships” distributed to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate juniors and seniors.” Those who are recipients are supported with $15,000 and will receive mentorship and guidance from astronauts, top-tier executives, and industry leaders. “I was thankful to get the scholarship,” Odom, an aspiring...

Pharrell Williams’ action of clearing student debt has contributed to a good cause. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the record producer and philanthropist surprised five NAACP student leaders with the news at the start of the Something In the Water Festival in Washington D.C. on June 17, 2022. Among the recipients at the time were Robyn Hughes, a junior at Southern University; Damarius Davis, an alumni of North Carolina A&T; Jamie Turner, an alumni of Norfolk State University; Channing Hill, a senior at Howard University; and Devan Vilfrard, a senior at Florida A&M University. Breaking: #SomethingInTheWater just announced they’re paying the student debt of all 6 panelists/NAACP members! #CancelStudentDebt pic.twitter.com/BqBS9AqIoc — NAACP (@NAACP) June 17, 2022 “Throughout my 3 years at Howard University I had personally accumulated over $18,000 in student loan debt and that figure becomes multiplied when you add on the loans my parents have accumulated,” Hill wrote in her...

Kai Cenat has turned a vacation into inspiration for advancing youth education. In March 2024, the popular online streamer and YouTuber touched down in the African country of Nigeria for the first time. Cenat documented his experience and aired it on his YouTube channel. During his visit to Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria, he visited Makoko Children Development Foundation School and Orphanage, which serves as both a free school and orphanage for less-privileged children. The school is among some buildings in the Makoko community that float or are on stilts. While visiting the school, Cenat connected with its 23-year-old principal, who told Cenat that the building’s condition is a barrier to teaching students. “This building is coming down, it’s sinking,” the principal explained to Cenat on the documented video. “So, we are looking for support to [break] it down and rebuild it.” Along with the building needing to be reconstructed, he also detailed that it was too small — one...

Six-year-old Taurian Collins is among the most intelligent in the world. KNOE-8 in Monroe, LA, reports the young Louisiana student began reading at just 2 years old. Remarkably, he also triumphed over challenges with both speech and hearing at the tender age. “He wasn’t really talking. He was ‘mama, dada’ and that was a little iffy. I don’t think he was saying 10 words,” Taurian’s mother, Jessica Collins, told KNOE-8. After a visit to the pediatrician, Jessica would learn her son needed his adenoid glands taken out and tubes placed in his ears, areas that can often become inflamed due to sinus or allergy issues, per Mayo Clinic. Within three months, Taurian showed great improvement. “He has not stopped talking since,” she expressed. Taurian’s aptitude for learning was not only displayed within the confines of his home, but at school as well. Due to his results on tests, he applied and was accepted into Mensa, a high-IQ society. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the organization...

Quinta Brunson’s rise in entertainment continues to gain recognition. According to a news release, the Philadelphia, PA, native is set to receive an honorary degree from the city’s Temple University. She will first be presented with the 2024 Lew Klein Excellence in the Media Award for her efforts to uplift underrepresented voices in entertainment on Tuesday, May 7, per CBS News. During the commencement ceremony the following day, she will serve as the school’s commencement speaker and receive her honorary degree. “I am simply honored,” Brunson said i n the news release. Temple President Richard M. Englert, shared in a statement: “We are thrilled to recognize Quinta Brunson for her remarkable achievements and unwavering dedication to her craft. Quinta embodies the spirit of Temple’s commitment to creativity, innovation and social impact. Her talent, authenticity and trailblazing spirit inspire us all.” For Brunson, recognized for her successful ABC series “Abbott Elementary,” where...