Happy Labor Day From HBCU News.
New International African American Museum opens at prominent site of the slave trade
By Scott Tong The new International African American Museum , which opened last month in Charleston South Carolina, stands at a location that is itself drenched in history. The museum is on Gadsdenâs Wharf, where ships carrying enslaved people from Africa arrived to bring them into bondage in America. Gadsdenâs Wharf was one of the nationâs largest trans-Atlantic slave ports, says Tonya Matthews, president of the museum. Historians estimate nearly half of enslaved Africans who came to America arrived and entered at the port complex in Charleston. âIt was a major point of commerce,â Matthews says. âAnd a big part of that commerce
16-Year-Old HBCU Grad Makes History As Youngest Full-Time Teacher
By Nahlah Abdur-Rahman Shania Shakura Muhammad is making history in the field of education. The 16-year-old earned numerous degrees and is the youngest full-time teacher in the U.S. According to Afrotech, the young achiever earned her Bachelorâs degree with honors two years ago from Oklahoma Community College and Langston University, an HBCU. She continued her academic pursuits to obtain two more degrees in specialties such as child development. This background led her to pursue her already groundbreaking career in teaching. Upon accomplishing her most recent academic milestone, the HBCU graduate announced that her journey would not have been paved without the
Crowd erupts after GOP silences âTennessee Threeâ Democrat on House floor for day on âout of orderâ rule
 Republican lawmakers on Monday voted to silence a Democratic member of the so-called Tennessee Three during an already tense House floor session after determining the young Black member violated newly enacted rules designed to punish disruptive members. The move was directed at Rep. Justin Jones, which prohibited him from speaking and debating on bills for the remainder of the floor session. The vote prompted loud cries and chants that drowned out proceedings for several minutes even after the House speaker ordered the gallery to be cleared out. Moments prior, Jones had been criticizing legislation that would have allowed more law enforcement officers in schools
In Jacksonville, a grief-stricken community grapples with being a target
By Curtis Bunn Jheam Johnson had just settled into his seat on a bus in Washington, D.C., that was about to embark on a 15-hour ride to Jacksonville, Florida, when he heard that a mass shooting had taken place five minutes from his home. The invigorating spirit he felt having just attended the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington transitioned instantly into âan array of emotions,â he said, none of them good. âYou hear about these tragedies happening all over the country all the time. But a part of your brain doesnât connect that it could happen right where you live.
Chicago Community Trust CEO stepping down to lead historically Black womenâs college in Atlanta
By Mitch Dudek Dr. Helene D. Gayle is stepping down as CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, one of the cityâs oldest and largest philanthropic institutions, to become president of Spelman College in Atlanta. Gayle, who led Chicago Community Trust for five years, plans to step down in June to take her new post. Her appointment still needs to clear the schoolâs board. Spelman is a private, historically Black, womenâs liberal arts college. Under her leadership, Chicago Community Trust focused on advancing racial and ethnic equity to overcome a growing wealth gap. âI have traveled and worked across the globe
Minnesota names first Black chief justice of state Supreme Court, Natalie Hudson
By Claretta Bellamy Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday promoted Natalie Hudson to be chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, making her the first Black person to lead it. Then-Gov. Mark Dayton appointed Hudson as an associate justice in 2015. She will lead the high court when current Chief Justice Lorie Gildea retires in October. âJustice Hudson is one of our stateâs most experienced jurists. She has a strong reputation as a leader and consensus builder,â Walz said in a statement. âI am confident that she will advance a vision that promotes fairness and upholds the dignity of all Minnesotans.â
Little Rock schools will allow African American class to count for graduation, in break from Arkansas state officials
By Jamie Lynch  In a sharp break from Arkansas education officials, the Little Rock School District said in a news release it will offer AP African American Studies for credit. Earlier this month, state education officials said students enrolled in the controversial Advanced Placement course would not receive credits toward graduation. âAs part of our commitment to providing a rich and comprehensive learning experience, we will continue with our plans to offer the AP course,â the districtâs release said Wednesday. âWe will also continue to work closely with the College Board regarding content and curriculum.â CNN has reached out to the state
Supreme Court asked to hear Virginia high school admissions case about race
A parents group backed by a conservative legal organization asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to consider whether an admissions policy aimed at diversifying an elite Virginia high school is racially discriminatory. The case over how students are selected to attend Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology came to the court two months after its conservative majority barred colleges and universities from considering race as a factor in admissions. But unlike the higher education cases, the admissions policy adopted in 2020 by Virginiaâs Fairfax County School Board for the state-chartered magnet high school was on its face race neutral. The Alexandria-based
Starbucks told to pay $2.7 million in lost wages to manager fired after arrest of 2 Black men
A judge has ordered Starbucks to pay an additional $2.7 million in lost wages and tax damages to a former regional manager who was earlier awarded more than $25 million after alleging she and other white employees were unfairly punished following the high-profile arrests of two Black men at a store in 2018. In June, Shannon Phillips won $600,000 in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages after a jury in New Jersey found that race was a determinative factor in Phillipsâ firing, in violation of federal and state anti-discrimination laws. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that U.S. district judge Wednesday ordered Starbucks to pay Phillips another $2.73 million