May 09, 2025

NCAA shows HBCUs improving, but still behind academically

Newly released NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) data reveals that while HBCUs have made significant long-term gains in academic performance, a disproportionate number of their programs still fall below the APR benchmark of 930—and several are facing penalties from the 2023-2024 cycle. NCAA report over time Over the past 15 years, HBCU programs have seen

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Lee Hall sits atop the hill at the Florida A&M University campus in Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday, June 6, 2024. $237 million donation to FAMU was promised by Gregory Gerami, a 30-year-old who called himself Texas’ “youngest African American industrial hemp producer,” but everything was not what it seemed and the donation is now in limbo. Gerami maintains that everything will work out, but FAMU is not the only small university that has engaged with his major donation proposals only to see them go nowhere. (AP Photo/Mark Wallheiser)

After Trump’s policies canceled their grants, these HBCU scholars try to plan for an uncertain future

“Everything got caught up in all of this political drama,” she said. “It’s extremely disappointing. I’ve been so busy this semester and just trying to regroup since learning about this. I haven’t figured out, you know, what I will be able to do to get that time back.” Get Starting Point A guide through the

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US and UK agree deal slashing Trump tariffs on cars and metals

By Natalie Sherman The US has agreed to reduce import taxes on a set number of British cars and allow some steel and aluminium into the country tariff-free, as part of a new agreement between the US and UK. The announcement offers relief for key UK industries from some of the new tariffs President Donald

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Super Bowl MVP and HBCU legend honored at 2025 gala

By Steven Corder When Doug Williams walked onto the stage at the 2025 Louisiana Legends Gala, the applause echoed far beyond the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge—it reverberated through the heart of HBCU sports history. Williams, a Grambling State icon and the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl, was celebrated as one of six Louisiana

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Anesthesiologist, Honorary Degree Designee Emery Neal Brown on Understanding the Brain, Mentorship, and the Importance of HBCUs

A globally recognized statistician, computational neuroscientist, and anesthesiologist, Dr. Emery Neal Brown’s groundbreaking research and statistical methods have revolutionized how we analyze neuroscientific data, leading to advances in science’s understanding of circadian rhythms and how the brain functions. Throughout his career, he has received the National Medal of Science and a Gruber Prize in Neuroscience,

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HBCU players find alternate route to NFL via UDFA, mini camp

The 2025 NFL Draft saw a modest representation from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), with only one active HBCU football player selected. This continues a concerning trend, as no HBCU players were drafted in 2024 and only one in 2023. Despite this, HBCU athletes continue to find opportunities in the NFL through undrafted free agent (UDFA)

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Tougaloo College Receives Threats Following Powerful Commencement Speech by Rep. Jasmine Crockett

Courtesy of Tougaloo College Tougaloo College, a historically Black institution in Jackson, Mississippi, has reported receiving threats following a commencement address by U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett on May 4, 2025. The college has contacted law enforcement and implemented safety protocols in response to these concerning calls. During her speech, Rep. Crockett, a Democrat from Texas, encouraged

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Pope Leo XIV inherits a packed in-tray, from a world on fire to sex abuse scandals

By Alexander Smith  Pope Leo XIV has inherited a raging battle for not only the soul of the Catholic Church, but also its place in the geopolitical world. The new pope will have to decide whether his global pulpit will continue Pope Francis’ broadly progressive legacy, or revert to a more conservative approach. The first American pontiff will grapple with the spiritual decline

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FAA announces new air traffic control system in hope of taming busy skies

By David K. Li and Jay Blackman The Federal Aviation Administration will embark on an ambitious three-year plan to modernize America’s air traffic control systems and phase out the “outdated technologies that are unable to meet” modern demands, officials said Thursday. The federal government has been under pressure to address mounting traveler concerns in the wake of fatal

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