May 20, 2025

Howard University Commencement 2025 Sets Graduation Record

Howard University just made history with its 157th Commencement ceremony, honoring its largest graduating class to date. On Sunday, May 11, the university conferred degrees to 3,167 students, a 13% increase from the previous year, reinforcing Howard’s position as a global leader in Black excellence and higher education. Students from 44 U.S. states and 29

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HBCU Tris Pharma Partnership for Student Development

Founded in 2000, Tris Pharma, Inc. is a leading privately-owned biopharmaceutical company inthe U.S. Tris Pharma is using its industry-leading capabilities and innovative, proprietary technologies to develop and market therapies that uniquely solve some of the most difficult treatment challenges in these diseases and conditions. Over the past two decades, they have established a foundation

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S. Epatha Merkerson $1M Donation to Talladega College

Award-winning actress S. Epatha Merkerson has made a generous $1 million donation to Talladega College, an Alabama HBCU, according to multiple media reports. Merkerson served as the keynote speaker for the Alabama-based institution’s 150th commencement ceremony, held on May 4. Talladega College is the oldest private historically Black college in the state. Rica Lewis-Payton, chair of

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HBCU Commencement 2025 Atlanta Ceremonies Highlights

Clark Atlanta usually holds its commencement a day earlier. Morehouse School of Medicine and Morris Brown College held their graduation ceremonies Saturday. Bishop T.D. Jakes, Morris Brown’s commencement speaker, pledged a $100,000 gift to the college. “You’ve come too far not to get up. Fight until you build your business, company, find a cure for cancer,

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NC A&T Mielle Partnership Funds HBCU Track & Field

By Stephen J. Gaither North Carolina A&T, the nation’s largest HBCU, has announced a groundbreaking multi-year partnership with Mielle, a leading textured hair care brand, marking a \$200,000 investment in its nationally ranked track and field programs. This move further solidifies the role of HBCU athletic programs as key spaces for brand alignment, empowerment, and

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Wendy McMahon Forced Out as CBS News President

By Michael M. Grynbaum, Benjamin Mullin and Lauren Hirsch The president of CBS News, Wendy McMahon, was forced out of her post on Monday, the latest shock wave to hit the news division amid an ongoing showdown involving President Trump, “60 Minutes” and CBS’s parent company, Paramount. Ms. McMahon told her staff in a memo that “it’s become

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T.D. Jakes Morris Brown Donation Inspires 2025 Grads

Courtesy of Morris Brown College Morris Brown College received a huge surprise from Pastor T.D. Jakes, during its 2025 commencement ceremony after he announced a donation of $100,000, Atlanta News First reported. The Potter’s House leader made the pledge towards the end of his moving speech geared toward resilience, legacy, and leadership, securing payment for more than 150 workforce

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Magic Johnson HBCU Donations Propel Xavier Centennial Gala

By Lexx Thornton Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association. Well, this NBA vet and trailblazer set the standard for donating and funding HBCUs.

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Justice Dept Civil Rights Exodus and Mission Overhaul

By Ryan Lucas The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is in upheaval amid a mass exodus of attorneys as the Trump administration moves to radically reshape the division, shelving its traditional mission and replacing it with one focused on enforcing the president’s executive orders. Some 250 attorneys — or around 70% of the division’s lawyers

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Student Loan Defaults Spike Under Trump Repayment Policy

Student loan delinquencies have surged, according to the New York Federal Reserve’s latest household debt report released May 13, following the Trump administration’s decision to end the Biden-era pause on reporting missed payments. According to the Fed, a serious federal student loan delinquency occurs when a borrower misses payments for 90 days or more. That

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