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$100 million gift from Lilly Endowment to United Negro College Fund will support HBCU endowments

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 politicians strip historically Black university of its board

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

85 years after a racist mob drove Opal Lee’s family away, she’s getting a new home on the same spot

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 for first time as vice president

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 and the teaching of ‘divisive concepts’

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 Colleges, 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.

Biden Administration Expands Federal Registered Apprenticeships

Written By Bennett Leckrone An apprenticeship can offer students real-world experience and an affordable path to employment — and a new executive order is set to expand those programs in the federal government. President Joe Biden signed an executive order in early March that aims to create more registered apprenticeships in the federal government and promotes the hiring of students who participated in those programs. Registered apprenticeships “are a proven strategy to expand equitable training pathways to good-paying jobs, including union jobs,” a Biden administration fact sheet on the executive order reads. Bolstering registered apprenticeships has been a major workforce strategy for the Biden

Biden Budget Proposes Pell Grant Increase, More Money for HBCUs

By Matthew Arrojas President Joe Biden is pushing for continued investment in college affordability and access, but to a lesser extent than in past years. Biden released his budget proposal for fiscal year 2025 on Monday. While his higher education priorities like college affordability and support for minority-serving institutions (MSIs) seemingly remain unchanged from past years, his budget notably dials back the sticker price of many of his priorities. He requested a $750 increase to the maximum Pell Grant, which would bring the maximum award to $8,145 annually. For reference, he called for a $820 increase in his fiscal year 2024 budget proposal.

Congresswoman Nikema Williams Proposes New Grant Intended To Help Entrepreneurs From HBCUs

By Christopher Rhodes Black entrepreneurs often face significant hurdles to starting new businesses, but Congress may make things a bit easier. Congresswoman Nikema Williams (D-GA) hopes to support Black-owned businesses by creating a new federal grant to HBCUs to fund these endeavors, and her plan has already gained traction. Grants for minority-owned businesses As reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Rep. Williams introduced the Minority Entrepreneurship Grant Program Act on Nov. 17. As proposed, the act would set up a new program within the Small Business Administration to provide grants to students seeking to start businesses. The grants would be available to HBCUs and other minority student

NAACP calls on Black student-athletes to boycott Florida public colleges over anti-DEI policy

By Daniel Arkin The head of the NAACP is calling on Black student-athletes to reconsider their decisions to attend public colleges and universities in Florida, challenging a new state policy that bars those institutions from using government funds on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. In a letter sent Monday to current and future student-athletes of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NAACP leader Derrick Johnson implored college-bound Black athletes to “choose wisely.” “Diversity, equity, and inclusion are paramount to ensuring equitable and effective educational outcomes,” Johnson said in a statement accompanying the letter, which was first reported by NBC News. “The value

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