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Clark Atlanta University has received a $10 million grant to advance its students. WSB-TV Atlanta reports the money awarded to the historically Black university will make data science accessible by creating a program under the National Data Science Alliance (NDSA). In five years, “the NDSA will expand the number of Black people earning data science credentials by no fewer than 20,000.” “This is a monumental accomplishment for the HBCU community as a whole. Clark Atlanta University has deep roots in conducting data science research that promotes equity, including the seminal works of scholar and former faculty member W.E.B. Du Bois on these hallowed ground,” CAU President George T. French Jr., Ph.D. said, according to WSB-TV Atlanta.
When Wally Amos founded Famous Amos Cookies in 1975, he was navigating one of the most challenging times of his life. Newly divorced and struggling with the tides of pursuing Hollywood success, he went on to find major success in sweet treats. However, his success was not a solo effort. With early backing from celebrities like Marvin Gaye, Amos was able to sell approximately $300,000 worth of cookies in his inaugural year. The cookie brand is now paying it forward with the second round of entrepreneurial grants. In a May 19 press release, Famous Amos announced a partnership with the National Black Chamber of Commerce to launch the second cycle of the Famous Amos Ingredients for Success Entrepreneurs Initiative . The entrepreneurial program is designed to offer grants and mentorship as essential tools and resources to assist Black business owners. Participants will engage in a pitch contest that provides a high-level overview of their business, why it will become a successful...
According to a study, Black women are four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. In response, the Love Delivered Initiative will pledge $225,000 over the next three years to provide doula services for Black families and doula education grants for aspiring birth coaches. On a mission to save lives, the Love Delivered Initiative — an initiative created by Carol’s Daughter founder, Lisa Price, and Mama Glow Foundation founder and world-renowned doula, Latham Thomas — will pledge $225,000 over the next three years to provide doula services for Black families and doula education grants for aspiring birth coaches. “Birth is meant to be a joyful, transcendent and empowering event. Everyone deserves to have access to safe, affordable, respectful and dignified care throughout the perinatal continuum. Mama Glow doulas approach care from a trauma informed framework and can help to support families impacted by injustice and inequity, grounding them with tools...
It’s #GivingTuesday 2021, and Nike has awarded All Star Code with a $500,000 grant. The leading computer science nonprofit, also known as ASC, reported in a press release provided to AfroTech that this is the largest single donation it has received since its founding in 2013. The organization plans to use the grant award to scale its web development and leadership training programs for young minority men. “Addressing systemic racism in America requires urgent action and sustained engagement – and Nike is committed to both,” All Star Code Executive director Danny Rojas said in a press release. “We are so proud to be a part of this commitment and thankful to Nike for their fervent support.” ASC runs a free, six-week education program over the summer that’s supported by leading tech companies including Google and AT&T. The generous gift is part of Nike’s Black Community Commitment, which focuses on supporting organizations that center their work on social justice, education and...
Serving as the leading bank of Florida A&M University (FAMU) , The Wells Fargo Foundation has placed a generous contribution to spur women and minority-owned businesses. The $100,000 grant is a part of Wells Fargo’s continued partnership with FAMU to commit a total of $500,000 across Orlando and Tallahassee, FL. The funds will back the creation of a small business incubator and support the project’s staff operations, business development, and expansions goals. “As FAMU’s official bank, we are pleased to see Wells Fargo stepping up its commitment to small business development. This initiative will catalyze entrepreneurship and reap dividends for years to come,” says FAMU President Larry Robinson in an official press release from the FAMU Forward. The incubator will sow seeds of promise for many minority businesses who participate. In an interview with Tallahassee Democrat, Shawnta S. Friday-Stroud- vice president for University Advancement and director of the FAMU Foundation- noted...
Howard University sweethearts Eddie C. Brown and C. Sylvia Brown have just made the largest alumni donation the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has ever received. According to the university, the couple pledged $5 million, which will be allocated toward Graduation Retention Access to Continued Excellence (GRACE), a need-based fund established by Howard University President Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick in 2014. “We are extremely grateful to Eddie and Sylvia for making this historic gift to Howard University,” Frederick shared in a press release. “The GRACE Grant has helped to eliminate financial barriers to education for Howard students, and I am thrilled that the Browns were inspired to commit such a generous gift to this important fund. My hope is that students will be inspired by their story and generosity and that others in our alumni community will consider the many ways they, too, can impact current and future generations of Howard students.” For Eddie and Sylvia,...
Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY — her multi-platform media company and arts collective — and Google have partnered up to launch a new $500,000 feature film grant designed specifically to support emerging creatives from underrepresented communities. “Having started my filmmaking journey by self-funding projects, this is a full-circle moment,” DuVernay said in a statement. “I’m pleased to partner with Google and ARRAY’s grant advisory committee to identify an emerging writer/director to bring their vision to the screen. Inclusive storytelling is at the heart of ARRAY’s mission and we’re proud to also provide access to ARRAY Crew in order to further ensure that the set of the grantee’s film reflects the full array of the world around us.” According to Forbes, the award-winning director hopes this grant — referred to as The Array + Google Feature Film Grant — will clear a path for the next woman or person of color filmmaker to create their first feature-length film, and also foster a community of...
Although many business owners have access to millions of dollars in government grants every year, accessing government grants still remains a resource that is not used as often as it should. Many people are under the impression that the grant process is too complex. Today, probably now more than ever, business owners should be taking advantage of the opportunity when it presents itself. A government grant can be an incredible thing for your business , but you have to know how to get one. With the various rules and regulations surrounding government grants, it may seem easier to find a PS5 or an Xbox Series X than apply and get approved for a government grant. For those who have never applied for a government grant, we understand the process can be extremely overwhelming. You may be thinking, “Will it be worth it to apply for a government grant?” The answer is a resounding yes! Here are a few tips for applying for a government grant. Tip #1: Have a plan The majority of grants are...
Hampton University was recently awarded $17.7 million as a recipient of The Reimagine Workforce Preparation Grant Program. In collaboration with the Virginia Board of Workforce Development and Old Dominion University, the historically Black institution will use the funding to establish the Virginia Workforce Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. It will serve as an incubator for aspiring entrepreneurs with hopes of it growing the city’s economy. “Hampton’s proposal is especially promising,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who visited the campus last week. “This program is for all students of all ages, especially adult learners seeking new knowledge and skills to grow their own businesses. I’m excited to see how this Center will expand Hampton’s influential role in this community and throughout Virginia.” Hampton University Awarded $17.7 Million Grant to Establish the Virginia Workforce Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center: https://t.co/bM1xLymx4S...
Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly common in people’s day-to-day lives. That also means people are now more aware of what can happen if AI isn’t responsibly created. For example, AI has the potential to spew out loads of misinformation, as seen when the former non-profit OpenAI tested a text generator and deemed it too dangerous to release. That can be particularly dangerous when people don’t know where to go to fact check information. A joint Harvard-MIT program hopes to combat some of AI’s issues by working to ensure future AI developments are ethical. Today, the program announced the winners of the AI and the News Open Challenge. Winners will receive $750,000 in total. The challenge was put on by the Ethics and Governance in AI Initiative . Launched in 2017, it’s a “hybrid research effort and philanthropic fund” that’s funded by MIT’s Media Lab and Harvard’s Berkman-Klein Center. “As researchers and companies continue to advance the technical state of the art, we...
NASA announced that its Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) chose five minority-serving community colleges in an effort to establish new STEM courses. MUREP engages underrepresented populations through different initiatives. These multi-year grants are awarded to assist minority institution faculty and students in research of pertinent missions. Bronx Community College, College of the Desert, Los Angeles Pierce College, Passaic County Community College and Prince George’s Community College will be receiving a total of $1.4 million in order to create new STEM courses. These new additions help prepare students to be future members of NASA’s workforce. The chosen colleges will partner with a NASA center or facility in order to accomplish the goals and objectives outlined by MISTC (MUREP Innovations in Space Technology Curriculum) for the duration of a 15-month period for up to $330,000. Read more about what each college will be focusing on here .
Howard University’s College of Engineering and Architecture is the recipient of a $1 million grant from The National Science Foundation’s HBCU Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering (HBCU-RISE) that will fund a cyber security research project. “Security Engineering for Resilient Mobile Cyber-Physical Systems” will innovate the cybersecurity field with tasks such as developing reproducible mobile cyber-physical system units, designing and evaluating a federated framework for incident detection and response systems and designing, evaluating and validating the proposed framework, according to the NSF’s official Award Abstract . Howard University’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Computer Sciences Associate Dean Moses Garuba and Associate Professor Danda B. Rawat are the principal investigators of the project. In a press release by Howard University , Dean Achille Messac, Ph.D., College of Engineering and Architecture said, “I am delighted to see our faculty...
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) announced its initiative to help underrepresented ethnic minorities, first-generation college students and working adults with families get an education and explore STEM fields earlier this month, giving 33 colleges and universities the chance to highlight diversity and inclusion. In 2017, 24 schools were chosen in the Inclusive Excellence initiative, and now the 57 total schools will be gifted $1 million in grant money to split up over the course of five years ($200,000 per year). HHMI says that the 57 schools selected are expected to identify opportunities to build campus capacity for inclusion of students from diverse backgrounds, engage in the process of culture change by experimenting with approaches from faculty training to revising curricula, and to reflect on the impact of their efforts, discover areas to improve and share results with the scientific community. Nearly 600 schools applied for the grant, and 140 were invited to submit...