Magic Johnson has made a six figure pledge to commemorate a trailblazer. On May 9, 2025, Xavier University held a ceremony to commemorate Norman C. Francis, the first Black president of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU), who also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush, notes WWLTV. Francis previously attended the school before pursuing a law degree at Loyola University New Orleans, LA. Upon returning to his alma mater, he wore various hats, beginning as the dean of men, then advancing to director of student personnel services (1963), assistant to the president for student affairs (1964), assistant to the president in charge of development (1965), executive vice president (1967), and president (1968), a position he held for 47 years, the university’s website mentions. On campus, Francis was responsible for the construction behind most of the buildings across four decades. He also helped establish a core curriculum that positioned...

It’s raining Black excellence at Southland College Prep Charter High School! For the 11th year in the row, its senior class, which is predominantly Black, have all been accepted to college, Black News reports. In fact, $50 million in merit and need-based scholarships have already been offered to students, with that number expected to exceed $60 million. “And the amount of money rises each year,” senior Lundyn Williams told CBS News. Dr. Blondean Y. Davis, Southland’s CEO and superintendent of Matteson School District 162, told Black News: “Our students faced unprecedented challenges, and they addressed every one of them and more than met them.” Davis adds when she founded the Chicago, IL, area school in 2010, she was told by others that “students from our area would not be able to access the Ivy League or top schools in the country.” Clearly, she has proven doubters wrong. “I have been accepted to 43 different schools and applied to 51,” Williams mentioned, according to CBS News....

Eight promising students have received support from Rick Ross.

Redefining luxury within the Black community goes beyond improving price points for the average consumer. It’s about ensuring quality, accessibility and overall catering to our interests as a community. When entrepreneur Kwame Molden co-founded his designer watch company, Springbreak (SPGBK) Watches — alongside his co-founder Maurice Davis — he envisioned a brand that would merge education with cultural tastes and ultimately redefine the watch industry for Black consumers. Prior to creating their company, Molden noticed the relationship between Black consumers, foreign designers, and their products. While we often covet after these brands, they do little to give back to the community they take so much money from. “The problem we’re trying to solve in our community is that expensive and foreign companies, watch companies, in particular, are perceived as high value, but their products are unattainable for the average person,” he tells AfroTech. “We as a community grow up looking for...