Add “federal patent office partner” to Alabama A&M’s résumé. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office — which likes to call itself “America’s Innovation Agency” — announced this week it’s expanding its Community Engagement Office footprint into the Southeast, and Huntsville’s own HBCU made the cut, alongside a group of Georgia schools including Clark Atlanta, Morehouse
More
By Matt Rourke The 2026 HBCU Swingman Classic, held at Citizens Bank Park, marked another major milestone for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their baseball programs. The annual showcase, now in its fourth year, has grown into a premier event for highlighting the talent and history of HBCU baseball, bringing together players from
More
Homecoming at an HBCU is more than a weekend — it’s a cultural institution. The bands, the step shows, the tailgates, and the reunion energy make it one of the most anticipated events on any campus calendar. But something is shifting in how students and alumni actually plan and budget for the occasion, and the
More
The 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, also known as ESSENCE Fest, was held in New Orleans, LA, this weekend, July 3-5. ESSENCE Fest, which started in 1995 to celebrate ESSENCE Magazine’s 25th anniversary, expanded into the nation’s largest annual African American culture event. The well-known “party with a purpose” honors Black culture, music, empowerment and more over a massive
More
By Alexandra Marquez, Frank Thorp V and Melanie Zanona Republicans are starting to scramble to find both a temporary and a permanent replacement for Graham, who in June won the GOP Senate primary in South Carolina and was expected to cruise to re-election to a fifth term in November. Hours after GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death, President Donald Trump said Sunday that
More
By Victoria Mejicanos The AFRO will host its annual Washington D.C. Tea at the National Press Club on Sept. 12, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. This year’s tea will be hosted in collaboration with The Washington Informer and will honor historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the D.C. area. The AFRO High Tea will once
More
R&B legend Bobby Brown is bringing star power to an HBCU fundraising event as Southern University prepares for its 4th Annual Southern University Athletics Gala. The Grammy Award-winning R&B legend has been announced as the official headliner for the event, scheduled for Aug. 22 at the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge. Southern University
More
HBCU athletics at Grambling State University is getting another major boost from the state of Louisiana. Grambling State announced that the 2026 Louisiana Legislative Session will provide up to $24 million for several of the university’s strategic priorities, including an additional $6 million to continue construction of its new indoor athletic facility. The funding comes as
More
Some sneakers become icons. Others become mythology. The Air Jordan 11 has occupied both spaces for more than three decades. It has evolved from Michael Jordan’s championship shoe into perhaps the most celebrated silhouette in sneaker culture. It has been worn with NBA uniforms, tuxedos, and even in Hollywood. Now, one of the rarest versions
More
Quinn Gray on FAMU football’s legacy, returning as Rattlers head coach Quinn Gray was hired as FAMU football’s 20th fulltime head coach on Dec. 23, 2025. The former Rattlers quarterback was Albany State’s head coach. Florida A&M was ranked No. 10 in the first-ever Black College Football preseason poll. The ranking follows a 5-7 losing
More
