Federal judge rules against Stacey Abrams group in voting rights lawsuit
A federal judge on Friday found that Georgia election practices challenged by a group associated with Democrat Stacey Abrams do not violate the constitutional rights of voters, ruling in favor of the state on all remaining issues in a lawsuit filed nearly four years ago. “Although Georgia’s election system is not perfect, the challenged practices violate neither the constitution nor the VRA,” U.S. District Judge Steve Jones in Atlanta wrote, referring to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He detailed his reasoning in a 288-page order. The lawsuit was filed in November 2018, just weeks after Abrams narrowly lost the governor’s race to Republican Brian Kemp. Throughout
Xavier CEJHS Director asked to prepare mental health modules to help Ukrainian psychologists
By Xavier University of Louisiana Dr. Cirecie West-Olatunji, Director of Xavier’s Center for Equity Justice and Human Spirit (CEJHS), was asked to create mental health modules to train Ukrainian psychologists. These modules will help psychologists assist Ukraine refugees during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Dr. West-Olatunji is a professor in Xavier’s counseling education program and the Director and founder of Xavier’s Center for Traumatic Stress Research (CTSR). She has initiated several clinical research projects focusing on culture-centered community collaborations designed to address issues rooted in systemic oppression, such as transgenerational trauma and traumatic stress. Dr. West-Olatunji is aware that the emotional
Unity Support Helps Spelman Expand Gaming+ Programs
Courtesy of Spelman College Spelman College plans to send more women of color into the gaming industry. The nation’s premier liberal arts college for African American women just got a helping hand with a $300,000 three year grant from the Unity Charitable Fund, administered by Tides Foundation, to develop a gaming curriculum supported by Unity Technologies. Unity was an early funder for Spelman’s Innovation Lab, a campus-wide source for creative inquiry, unconventional research, experimental pedagogy and exploratory play. The new grant will allow the lab to extend gaming efforts to students at other Atlanta University Center institutions, including Clark Atlanta
Keep Black Love Alive – Spelman Women’s Research and Resource Center and chromatic black™ Sponsor Well-Being Advocacy Forum –
Courtesy of Spelman College Keep Black Love Alive: Black Women Defining a Healthy 21st Century is a national well-being advocacy call to action to address the health and wellness of communities of color across the country. The first hybrid (in-person and virtual) forum will take place on from noon – 2:30 p.m., Thursday, June 23, 2022 at The Woodruff Arts Center located at 1280 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta, GA 30309. Admission is free. “We are seeding the future, bringing the genius of our community together to dream a world of optimal well-being for people, community, and planet,” says Abeni Bloodworth,
Howard University Offers Screenings for Prostate, Colon, Breast Cancer
By Sholnn Z. Freeman The Howard University Cancer Center closes out National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week (June 16-22) and Cancer Survivors Month in June with “More Than Conquerors: Stories of Survivorship, Hope and Courage.” National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week is an initiative of the Food and Drug Administration Oncology Center of Excellence. The goal is to marshal community-based stakeholders to build knowledge surrounding cancer clinical trial participation and minority population specimen donations to national genomic databases for cancer research. On Wednesday, June 22, from 6-8 p.m., the Cancer Center will host “More Than Conquerors.” This storytelling event will feature cancer survivors at various stages in
The NBA Visits Wilberforce University
By Wilberforce University Members of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ front office cruised the campus recently. Representing the Cavs’ hospitality development, human resources and diversity and inclusion departments, three Cavs employees spent time getting to know students and staff and learning the university’s history. The Cavs’ Kevin Clayton, Alberta Lee and David Kone’ initially traveled from Cleveland as guests of Central State University, but they took a quick turn around SR 42 to N. Bickett Road to visit neighboring Wilberforce, the nation’s first, private, historically Black college/university. While meeting members of the Student Government Association, Athletics Director Derek Williams, Dr. Parris Carter,
FAMU COVID-19 Testing Site Marks Two-Year Anniversary
By Andrew Skerritt Monday, April 25, 2022, marks the second anniversary of the Florida A&M University (FAMU) COVID-19 Testing Site. As the scale of the pandemic became evident two years ago, FAMU in collaboration with the Bond Community Health Center, the Leon County Health Department, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and other partners opened a testing site at Bragg Memorial Stadium to meet the needs of residents of Tallahassee’s south side and other under-served areas. Daily, lines of people, some from as far as Georgia and Alabama, walked up to get tested. What began as a short-term initiative to
Jackson State University Communications Named a Finalist for 2022 PRSA Anvil Awards
Courtesy of Jackson State University The Jackson State University (JSU) Office of University Communications has been selected as a finalist for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Anvil Awards for Best Use of Social Media. Of the hundreds of entries submitted, only those the Anvil Judges deemed to have exceeded an extremely high threshold for quality have made it through to the shortlist. The winners will be announced on Thursday, May 19, 2022. “Thank you to the Public Relations Society of America for recognizing Jackson State University among our national peers as having one of the top social media campaigns of the year,” said Alonda
Historic hearing takes turn into familiar territory on race and crime, experts say
By Janelle Griffith Some senators’ questioning of Ketanji Brown Jackson is an attempt to portray her as “soft on crime,” legal experts said. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearings may have been historic, in that she is the first Black woman nominated for the Supreme Court. But they have not been without precedent, at least with regard to questions on crime and race that she faced from some Republican senators, such as Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who have tried to portray her as “soft on crime.” Civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill, who is president and director-counsel emeritus of the NAACP Legal Defense and
TSU to Expand Its Online Digital, STEM Literacy Program Across Africa; Four New Countries Show Interest
By Emmanuel Freeman Tennessee State University is continuing to bridge the digital divide through a dual enrollment partnership for underserved students in Africa. The university is expanding the program to include four new countries on the continent that have expressed interest. TSU officials say Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, and Zambia want to join Liberia and South Africa, where students are taking online courses in coding and creating concepts taught by TSU professors. The program is part of a STEM literacy partnership with the African Methodist Episcopal Church that gives students digital resources to develop their technology skills. All participating students receive an