Howard alumni are taking over the restaurant scene in Washington, DC. In 2012, Denville Myrie Jr. began selling Jamaican jerk chicken from the comfort of his Howard University dorm room, which filled a gap for quality late night foods, according to information on his company website. Students took great interest in Myrie’s cooking, and he would carry on with the food service beyond the campus walls. He was able to hire his peers as delivery drivers when he relocated into a town house, and his employees would serve Howard University six days a week. Myrie’s vision was also aided by Kadeem Todd, who also attended Howard University and serves as a co-owner in the business, according to Fox 5. The business, named Jerk at Nite, became so successful, a food truck was purchased in 2014, with jerk oxtail serving as one of its standout menu offerings. Over time, two additional food trucks were purchased with the goal of establishing a storefront for what would become Jerk at Nite. In 2019, a...

Nakia Booker’s introduction into the art world began as a young child learning different mediums of art from her grandfather. Decades later, the Southern University and A&M College graduate has returned to her roots through her brainchild The Black Artivism Capsule. The curated collection is now a home for 26 creatives to share their realities with the world through a Black lens. Featured artists include Raphael Adjetey Adjei Mayne, Ashley Nesmith, Khalid Thompson, and the late Crystal Kirk. The spread will feature the Black experience through all its facets such as civil unrest, health crises, and snapshots of a more hopeful future. “The place where I was at this time when all this was going on — I was feeling upset, angry, frustrated, like everybody else.  This project I started during the pandemic gave me hope and joy because it is timeless. It captures the past, present, and future so when you look at it you’ll be reminded of where we used to be and where we are now,” Booker...

Some of the biggest household names in entertainment got their higher learning at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) – even our own Vice President Kamala Harris. What’s admirable about these celebrities is that they have not only supported these great American institutions by matriculating from them, but they also seize every opportunity to pour back into the universities that set them up for success. Whether through monetary donations, visits or initiatives, these alumni have always shown love to the Black educational experience. From Spelman to Hampton to Clark Atlanta University and so forth, these beloved celebrities are the product of HBCUs. So, we’ve seen firsthand what these colleges are capable of producing. Globally-recognized filmmakers, actors, entertainers and more are a testament to the richness of HBCU culture. For those who have long since graduated, they still take the opportunity to pay it forward when they can. Here’s a few celebrities who have gone...

Emerging indie artists are about to get the opportunity of a lifetime at one of the biggest global live music phenomenons this summer, and an Historically Black College and University (HBCU) alumni-founded company is behind it all. Music Breakr — a new platform connecting artists and influencers to help “break” new music — has teamed up with Rolling Loud — the biggest festival brand in Hip-Hop — and digital finance platform Ahead for a two-year partnership to commence “Ahead Start to Rolling Loud,” a contest that offers aspiring artists the opportunity to perform live at Rolling Loud Miami 2021. This time around, the contest itself — presented in partnership with both Music Breakr and Black content creator house Collab Crib — invited any and all up-and-coming rappers to showcase their talents via Instagram for a chance to submit an original song to be judged by the Breakr team. All artists who submitted their music were then boiled down to eight finalists before one lucky artist was...

Harvard University President Lawrence S. Bacow received a letter from members of the Harvard Business School’s African-American Alumni Association (HBSAAA) persuading him to consider diversity and inclusion during the business school’s search for the next dean, according to The Harvard Crimson . In June 2020, the business school’s current dean, Nitin Nohria, will retire after spending ten years at Harvard University. The Crimson reports in Nohria’s retirement email to the Business School affiliates, that during his ten years as dean he strived to make progress toward innovation, intellectual ambition, internalization, inclusion, and integration. “Ten years gave us a good run to make progress on our Five I priorities,” he wrote. The HBSAAA’s letter urges the search committee to select a candidate that will boost African American enrollees in the business school’s Master of Business Administration program, executive education program, and the eight doctoral programs. Black Enterprise...

The Rhode Island Black Business Association (RIBBA) is among several organizations impacted by President Donald Trump’s termination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across various sectors. According to The Brown Daily Herald, every January, RIBBA, a Providence, RI -based nonprofit dedicated to closing the racial wealth gap through business development programs for small business owners , requests funding packages from its larger company partners, typically ranging from $7,500 to $100,000. However, some partners have indicated that their funding pool has been reduced this year, with many delaying their funding decisions until April and offering reduced financial packages. “This trend aligns with broader shifts in corporate giving and budget constraints that many nonprofits are experiencing nationwide,” RIBBA President and CEO Lisa Ranglin said in an email to The Herald. According to WPRI Channel 12, Ranglin stated that following Trump’s rollbacks of DEI...

Raleigh, NC -based St. Augustine University (SAU) has lost its appeal for accreditation and will enter a 90-day arbitration process. According to WTVD-11, SAU has been on probation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) for two years. In December 2023, the SACSCOC Board of Trustees voted to remove SAU from membership due to financial and governance issues. After a successful appeal, it was reinstated in July 2024 and remained effective through the end of the year. However, on Thursday, March 6, 2025, the Historically Black College and University announced that the appeal to keep its accreditation had ultimately been denied, per WDTV-11. The university stated that the 90-day arbitration process would ensure that all students graduating by May 2025 receive degrees from an accredited institution. “We have made substantial progress and are confident that our strengthened financial position and governance will ensure a positive outcome,”...

Howard University has received a new distinction. According to Diverse Education, the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has earned the Research One (R1) Carnegie Classification — a first for an HBCU. Not to mention, such an accomplishment is shared with fewer than 150 universities across the country. The criteria entails that institutions allocate at least $50 million toward research and development and award a minimum of 70 research doctorates, the Carnegie Classification website states. Howard University surpassed these expectations in fiscal year 2023, allocating just under $85 million in research expenses and awarding 96 doctorates in a variety of fields — the highest number awarded to Black students at any college or university in America, according to Dr. Bruce A. Jones, Howard University’s senior vice president for research. Dr. Robert T. Palmer, the school’s chair and professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, mentioned, “Howard...