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Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were founded to offer Black students the opportunity to pursue higher education. They weren’t admitted into primarily white institutions, causing HBCUs to not only become a resource for education but a safe space. To this day, Black students, non-Black students of color and white students attend HBCUs for the purpose of advancing their studies and expanding their cultural awareness. Through donations and some government funding , HBCUs continue to make this possible for their student body. As grants and loans are offered, so are university scholarships. Here’s what we know about the best HBCU scholarships. Scholarships Offered By HBCU Partners To the surprise of some, HBCUs do offer full-ride scholarships. Students who meet certain criteria can also combine partial scholarships with grants. More than 75% of students at HBCUs receive grants, and 13% of students pursue loans. The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) awards more than...
A movement that was birthed out of the COVID-19 quarantine has raised millions of dollars to support Kamala Harris’ quest as the first Black woman president of the United States. “Win With Black Women” (WWBW) is a mantra and group conceptualized by Jotaka Eaddy, a social impact consultant in politics and technology who founded Full Circle Strategies. She understood the importance of community early on as a high school student looking to attend a conference geared towards those seeking law careers, Fortune reports. Raised in a humble environment in South Carolina, the $3,000 cost for the conference was out of reach for her parents. However, through the support of Black women church-goers she was able to attend. “Black women in my church and in my community sold chicken dinners and held bake sales to raise money to send me to that conference and to put me on an airplane that many of them have still never been on,” Eaddy said, according to Fortune. She went on to make history as the...
Naomi Osaka has scored another investment. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the tennis athlete launched the media company Hana Kuma with Stuart Duguid in June 2022, in collaboration with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Co., which serves as its financing, operations, and producing partner. In April 2023, Hana Kuma closed a $5 million funding round that included participation from SpringHill and other investors to support its team and programming and create “a more robust business plan.” The move was part of a spin-off that would give the company more independence. “We really want to see her build her own version of SpringHill,” Carter said then, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “We’ve worked really hard to get SpringHill where it is, but now we want to help others to do the same, and to do it different than as we have done at SpringHill, and to do it in their own way and their own voice.” Just over a year since its last investment, Hana Kuma has attracted...
Piersten Gaines’ Pressed Roots is now on location No. 4 and counting. Houston Chronicle reports that the blowout bar for textured hair has opened a new salon in Houston, TX. Located in the Centre at Post Oak, the new spot accommodates 50 hair stylists, the outlet details. Before having four brick-and-mortar locations in Dallas, Arlington, Plano, and now, Houston, Gaines and the Pressed Roots team did popups around the time the company’s vision first came to life in 2018, as previously reported by AFROTECH™. After having her share of poor experiences at hair salons, Gaines created the company’s business model to fill the void of access to affordable, quality styling for textured hair of all types. “We spend a lot of money, a lot of time in salons, and the level of services just do not match the money we’re spending,” Gaines told Fortune. “Our goal is to make quality hair care accessible.” Moreover, to ensure that hair health, time, and top-tier customer service are prioritized for...
A salon that was born to fulfill the needs of people with textured hair and make them feel satisfied when going to the salon for their hair care desires continues to thrive, and the reason might be the intentionality behind the business. “I had a lot of really terrible salon experiences throughout my life,” said Piersten Gaines, founder and owner of Pressed Roots, in an interview with Fortune. After recognizing that this experience isn’t the same for patrons of hair businesses like Drybar, a chain of blow dry bars, Gaines reflected on her relationship with getting her hair done. She wanted to ensure that people who looked like her could afford to receive quality treatment. “When I learned about these blowout bars where people could just walk in and trust that no matter whose chair they sat in, they were in good hands – I had never had any experience like that,” she continued. After pitching the concept of Pressed Roots to investor Kevin O’Leary from the famous “Shark Tank” series...
Naomi Osaka has made herself known as not only a professional athlete but a boss with numerous business ventures. Within her creative bubble, the mom-to-be has tapped into media. As previously reported by AfroTech, Osaka launched her media company Hana Kuma in partnership with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Company in June 2022.
As a teen, Hitmaka had a dream of pursuing music. Little did he know that it would become a reality well before he even hit his adult years. Born Christian J. Ward, the heavy-hitting producer grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, IL. However, despite the fact that his parents didn’t always believe in his dreams of becoming a musician, one legendary rapper did — ultimately changing the course of his life forever.
Hitmaka’s story just might be the epitome of divine timing. In fact, the heavy hitter producer, whose real name is Christian J. Ward, first hit the scene at age 14 when he signed to Bloodline Records — the music label headed by the late legendary DMX. At the time, the aspiring artist — who now holds the title of Vice President of A&R at EMPIRE — was operating under the stage name Iceberg.
Naomi Osaka has called on young Black athletes like herself to spread more awareness of suncare for melanated skin. As previously reported by AfroTech back in 2021, the tennis champ launched her skincare line, KINLÒ, to provide affordable products for healthy skin. Now, Osaka has onboarded student-athletes who are making an impact to join her in amplifying her message. Courtesy of KINLÒ
