Campus News - Page 423

Nikole Hannah-Jones chose HBCU Howard over UNC. Here’s why that’s significant

By Leah Asmelash After months of grappling with the university over her tenureship, Nikole Hannah-Jones announced Tuesday she would not stay on at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, choosing instead, along with writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, to join the faculty of Howard University, one of the most prestigious historically Black universities in the country. It’s a significant decision, as Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) don’t always have the pull or the resources that predominantly White institutions have to bring in big-name faculty. But Hannah-Jones, who has spent the better part of a month watching her worth be debated by the UNC-Chapel Hill

Phylicia Rashad pens letter to Howard students and parents: “I offer my most sincere apology”

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By Keely Aouga and Laura Ly Actress Phylicia Rashad sent a letter to Howard University students and parents on Friday, offering “[her] most sincere apology” for tweeting in celebration of Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction being overturned. “My remarks were in no way directed towards survivors of sexual assault. I vehemently oppose sexual violence, find no excuse for such behavior, and I know that Howard University has a zero-tolerance policy toward interpersonal violence,” Rashad wrote. In May, Rashad, an alumna of Howard University, was appointed dean of its recently reestablished College of Fine Arts. On Wednesday, Rashad tweeted, “FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is

UNC board grants tenure to Nikole Hannah-Jones amid outcry from Black faculty and students

By Nicquel Terry Ellis The board of trustees at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill voted Wednesday to grant tenure to award-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones after facing backlash from Black students and faculty who said the board’s initial failure to do so reflected a history of systemic racism at the school. The board’s 9-4 vote came after it met in a closed session for nearly three hours. When the board moved to a closed session, video surfaced on social media of law enforcement forcefully removing protesters from the meeting room. Following the vote, board chair Richard Stevens said the board had “endured

Students sue Indiana University in federal court over vaccine mandate

By Rebekah Riess and Steve Almasy The eight students filed a lawsuit Monday in US District Court in Indiana asking a judge to prevent the school from enforcing it, saying it is in violation of the 14th Amendment and state law. The 116-page filing comes after Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, a Republican, issued an opinion last month saying the school’s initial vaccine policy “clearly runs afoul of (a new) state law.” “Indiana law and numerous cases have held public universities to be ‘arms of the state,’ and therefore required to abide by the mandates set out in this new law,” Rokita

Supreme Court effectively delays challenge to Harvard affirmative action policies for several months

By Joan Biskupic The Supreme Court on Monday effectively postponed action on a major challenge to Harvard’s use of racial affirmative action, likely putting off for several months a case that could end nationwide practices that have boosted the admission of Black and Latino students for decades. The high court issued an order asking the Biden Department of Justice to offer its views on the case, which for the nine justices’ own internal politics, means they postponed having to make a decision on whether and when to hear the controversy. The Supreme Court set no deadline for the filing in the dispute brought on behalf

They were denied diplomas and blocked from crossing the stage for how they celebrated graduation

By Nicquel Terry Ellis and Alisha Ebrahimji Devarius Peters wanted to celebrate graduation day wearing a pair of Black leather Alexander McQueen shoes. Ashley Saucedo and Ever Lopez, both graduates of different schools in different states, wanted to carry the Mexican flag to honor their roots. But for all three students, their plans were thwarted by school officials who denied them their diplomas and blocked the high school graduates from crossing the stage. Each school said the graduates were violating a school policy and refused to make an exception even as their families watched from the audience. In Peters’ case,

Morgan Freeman and a University of Mississippi professor donate $1M to college’s policing program

By Amir Vera, Dave Alsup and Jamiel Lynch Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman and University of Mississippi Professor Linda Keena donated $1 million to the school in order to establish a new center focused on policing. The new Center for Evidence-Based Policing and Reform at the University of Mississippi looks to “build relationships and share data with policing agencies as well as use the data to enhance the preparation of students in criminal justice,” according to a Tuesday news release from the school. It will be “the only one of its kind at a Mississippi university and one of a few

Wilberforce University cancels student debt for 2020 and 2021 graduates. That’s more than $375,000

By Mirna Alsharif Wilberforce University will cancel student debt for 2020 and 2021 graduates, according to a news release. The president of the historically Black university made the announcement during 2021 commencement exercises Saturday, noting the total amount of cleared debt will be more than $375,000. “As these graduates begin their lives as responsible adults, we are honored to be able to give them a fresh start by relieving their student debt to the university,” President Elfred Anthony Pinkard said. Students were seen cheering and dancing after Pinkard made the announcement, according to CNN affiliate WHIO. This initiative does not

Ahmed Muhammad becomes first Black male valedictorian in Oakland Tech’s 107-year history

By Devin Fehely Graduation day is always special for high school seniors, but there was just a little extra pride when Oakland Tech held its commencement ceremony Saturday. When Ahmed Muhammad walked up to the microphone, he became the first Black male to ever give the valedictorian address. A straight-A student, star athlete and young entrepreneur, Muhammad had nearly a dozen of the country’s best schools among them Stanford, Princeton and Harvard to just name a few hoping he would attend their university next year. Ultimately, he has chosen to stay close to home and attend Stanford in the Fall

Howard University will name its College of Fine Arts after Chadwick Boseman

By Leah Asmelash Two decades ago, Chadwick Boseman graduated from Howard University with a degree from the College of Fine Arts. Now, that school will bear his name. Howard University announced Wednesday that its newly reestablished College of Fine Arts will be named for the actor, one of its most famous alumni, as the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts. When Boseman attended Howard, the school decided to integrate the College of Fine Arts into the College of Arts & Sciences, to the chagrin of Boseman and other students, the university said. In 2018, the university announced its plans

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