Angela Bassett is set to be honored in Atlanta, GA. In May 2024, the legendary actress will receive an honorary degree from Spelman College, according to WSB-TV 2 in Atlanta. What’s more, it was announced that Bassett is set to give the commencement speech to the HBCU’s class of 2024. “Spelman College is honored to have acclaimed actress and director Angela Bassett to bring words of inspiration to our graduating Class of 2024,” Spelman College President Dr. Helene D. Gayle said, according to the outlet. She continued, “Her work has had a tremendous impact both on and off the screen and serves as an example for our students to lead in their own spaces.” In addition to Bassett, Spelman College will honor Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, award-winning journalist Rose Scott, and Reverend Dr. Yvette Flunder. Gayle says she looks forward to the honorees being a source of inspiration for not only the class of 2024 but also their families and the overall Spelman College...

A long-time factor for a medical test for kidney transplant evaluations has been rectified, which has lessened a massive barrier for Black patients in need of a new kidney. Previously, the eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) test that is used for kidney transplant waitlist evaluations included race and outdated studies that inaccurately showed that Black patients’ kidney function was different than other racial groups and underestimated the extent of their illness, according to ABC News. Today, race is no longer taken into consideration. This came after reassessment from the National Kidney Foundation and the American Society of Nephrology in 2020, which determined race had no connection to kidney function. As a resulted, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network enacted the update in 2023. “That really was problematic, but it was very widely accepted,” said Martha Pavlakis, former chair of the kidney committee with the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network,...

A bright future in education awaits the students of Benjamin E. Mays High School in southwest Atlanta, GA. WABE, a local PBS station, reports that on Friday, April 19, 2024, the class of 2024, made up of 272 seniors, gathered for assembly and were surprised with a visit by Kevin James, the 19th president of Morris Brown College in Atlanta. James, who has maintained the post since 2020, per 11Alive, had good news for them. He began by giving a brief history lesson on the college, which had lost its accreditation in 2002 due to challenges stemming from debt and financial mismanagement, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Nearly two decades following the defeat, it had announced in 2021 that the college had regained its accreditation, becoming the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to do so. “It’s so many HBCUs that have lost their accreditation that are still closed today,” James told the class of 2024, according to WABE. “That usually is a death sentence for an...

Harvard University is searching for a new president and has tapped a Black woman business executive to assist with the “challenges and opportunities facing the University.” According to The Harvard Crimson, Vivian Y. Hunt was appointed as the new president of the board of overseers. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Harvard Crimson (@theharvardcrimson) For the 2024-2025 school year, the Harvard Business School alumna, who has been described as “a voice for diversity and impact at scale” by the school, is set to lead the board. The outlet details that three overseers serve on Harvard University’s presidential search committee and the president of the overseers has been one of the three in the institution’s past five searches. Tyler Jacks, the founding director of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT and fellow Harvard University alumna, is joining Hunt as board vice chair. Jacks was a member of the presidential search committee that selected former...

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...