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GAO Report: Faculty Diversity Lags in U.S. Universities

Despite gains in faculty diversity at American universities over the last two decades, Black and Hispanic professors remain underrepresented compared to their students and to professionals with advanced degrees in other fields, according to a federal report released Tuesday. Black professional workers in industries such as law, science and engineering make up roughly 9.1% of the workforce, compared to 7.1% of college faculty, according to the report by the Government Accountability Office. Hispanic people represent 8.3% of professional workers, compared to 6.3% of faculty. Faculty diversity can improve the sense of belonging and retention rates for students of color, said Rep.

Obama Foundation Opens 2024-2026 Voyager Scholarship

By Gloria Nlewedim Today, the Obama Foundation opened applications for the 2024-2026 Voyager Scholarship, The Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service. Funded by a $100 million personal contribution from Airbnb Co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky to the Obama Foundation, the Voyager Scholarship provides college students with last-dollar financial aid to help alleviate the burden of college debt, meaningful travel experiences to expand their connections to new communities, and a network of mentors and leaders to support them throughout their careers. As the Voyager Scholarship enters its third year, the Obama Foundation and Chesky remain committed to supporting young leaders who can bridge

Biden Unveils New Student Loan Forgiveness Plan for Fall

Written by Katie Lobosco Biden administration officials on Monday unveiled the details of a new plan to forgive student loan debt, suggesting that millions of Americans could start seeing debt relief as soon as this fall. The new set of proposals, which CNN reported on Friday, have yet to be finalized. It’s President Joe Biden’s second attempt to implement broad student loan forgiveness after his first plan was struck down by the Supreme Court last summer. The president will travel to Wisconsin on Monday — a key swing state this November — to announce the plan. The new policies, when combined with the more narrow

Luther Vandross Foundation Hosts 2nd HBCU Fundraiser

By Quintessa Williams The Luther Vandross Foundation is thrilled to announce that its 2nd annual fundraiser will be held on May 4, 2024, at the Rivers Casino in Philadelphia, PA. The event aims to raise funds to support students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Esteemed radio personality Patty Jackson, from WDAS-FM, iHeart Radio, will grace the occasion as the emcee, promising an evening filled with engaging entertainment and heartfelt tributes. The event will feature performances by the Nat Adderley, Jr. Quartet led by Nat Adderley, Jr., Luther’s cherished musical director; and the talented Patricia Lacy-Aiken, Sounds of Blackness vocalist and one of Luther’s former background singers. At last year’s event,

UNCF Receives Historic $100M Gift From Lilly Endowment

By Annie Ma The United Negro College Fund announced a donation of $100 million from the Lilly Endowment Inc., the single largest unrestricted gift to the organization since its founding 80 years ago. The gift announced Thursday will go toward a pooled endowment for the 37 historically Black colleges and universities that form UNCF’s membership, with the goal of boosting the schools’ long-term financial stability. HBCUs, which have small endowments compared with other colleges, have seen an increase in donations since the racial justice protests spurred by the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. Michael Lomax, president and CEO of

Tennessee Ousts TSU Board Amid Political, Racial Tensions

By Kimberlee Kruesi Trustees of Tennessee’s only publicly funded historically Black university were removed Thursday under legislation signed into law by Republican Gov. Bill Lee. Black lawmakers and community leaders said state leaders, a majority of whom are white, are unfairly targeting Tennessee State University. The legislation cleared the state GOP-controlled House on Thursday in a 66-25 vote, and Lee signed off a few hours later without commenting on the controversial decision to vacate the board. He instead praised TSU as a “remarkable institution” as he unveiled that he already had selected 10 new replacements. “I’m pleased to appoint these highly

Opal Lee Reclaims Childhood Home 85 Years After Attack

Courtesy of the Fort Worth Gazette When Opal Lee was 12, a racist mob drove her family out of their Texas home. Now, the 97-year-old community activist is getting closer to moving into a brand new home on the very same tree-lined corner lot in Fort Worth. “I’m not a person who sheds tears often, but I’ve got a few for this project,” said Lee, who was one of the driving forces behind Juneteenth becoming a national holiday. A wall-raising ceremony was held Thursday at the site, with Lee joining others in lifting the framework for the first wall into place. It’s expected that the

Kamala Harris Visits Puerto Rico, Highlights Recovery Efforts

By Nicole Acevedo Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Puerto Rico early Friday afternoon to embark on her first visit to the U.S. territory since being sworn in three years ago. According to her office, the purpose of the trip is to highlight President Joe Biden’s “commitment to supporting Puerto Rico’s recovery” following hurricanes, earthquakes and the Covid-19 pandemic — with a special focus in promoting the administration’s investments on the island’s infrastructure and economic recovery initiatives. Her five-hour trip included a visit to an area in the town of Canóvanas that received federal housing funds disbursed by the Biden administration to

Alabama Bans DEI Programs in Public Colleges, Offices

By Curtis Bunn Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill Wednesday making hers the latest state to enact bans on diversity, equity and inclusion programs in public colleges and offices. SB 129 requires that DEI offices and initiatives funded by public colleges or government agencies be eliminated or vastly changed. It also seeks to minimize teachings around race, gender or identity, which the bill calls called “divisive concepts.” The Republican-led Legislature passed the bill Tuesday over pushback from Democrats. It will go into effect Oct. 1. The bill classifies “divisive concepts” as assigning “fault, blame or bias” to any race, religion, gender

Virginia Bans Legacy Admissions at Public Universities

Written by Evan Castillio Virginia has banned legacy admissions at its public colleges and universities. Along with 63 other bills, Gov. Glenn Youngkin on March 8 signed House Bill 48 (HB 48). The bill was introduced by state Del. Dan Helmer and bans legacy admissions at the state’s public higher education institutions. The Virginia Senate unanimously voted to pass it in late January, after earlier approval from the House of Delegates. The bill was then signed into law by the governor and goes into effect July 1. “Virginia showed we could work in a bipartisan way to end the practice of legacy preferences,” state Sen.

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