He's not heavy, he's my Brother

[get these nets]

Following the suggestion of @boy , we are creating this thread as a rolling source for stories about Black people helping other Black people. Either using their own resources , or resources that they manage. All are free to contribute, I just ask that you post new or current stories, and that you post long articles partially under spoilers.

The image in this post is from a famous painting by African American artist Gilbert Young.

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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. awards historic $100,000 Founders’ Centennial Scholarship
6/26/2020

Cayla Withers who graduated from A.L. Brown High School in Kannapolis, N.C. was awarded Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated’s Triumphant Founder Arizona Cleaver Stemons Centennial Scholarship in the amount of $100,000 on June 19, 2020. Courtesy Photo/Zeta Phi Beta Sorority

Washington, D.C.— Cayla Withers, a recent graduate of A.L. Brown High School in Kannapolis, N.C., was awarded Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated’s Triumphant Founder Arizona Cleaver Stemons Centennial Scholarship in the amount of $100,000 on June 19, 2020.

“While we received over 2,000 applications from very high-achieving graduating seniors, Cayla’s story was special. We were inspired by her strength, bravery and commitment to excellence, even when faced with adversity. That is what Zeta stands for, and what we all should aspire to be,” said Valerie Hollingsworth Baker, Zeta’s International Centennial President.

Spoiler: rest of article

Withers plans to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Virginia in the fall. She graduated with a 4.0 grade point average, volunteered as a tutor and mentor, and participated in extra-curricular activities like the North Carolina Governor’s Page program and National Beta Club, while managing a chronic illness that requires her to travel three hours for monthly treatments.

Emboldened to become a NASA engineer after watching the movie Hidden Figures, Withers’ career goals are to research environmental-friendly rockets and put the first human on Mars. Her legacy as the founder of the National Society of Black Engineers Jr. chapter at her school will give future black students the resources to pursue STEM careers.

“I am my ancestor’s wildest dreams…this scholarship will allow me to accomplish my goals, and one day

inspire kids who look like me, from communities like mine,” Withers wrote in her application.

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, founded in 1920 on the campus of Howard University, is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Zeta has initiated a diverse membership of more than 125,000 college-educated women with over 925 chapters in North America,

Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East. Through scholarships funded by its chapters, Zeta has given more than $3.5 million in the past five years to help students achieve their college dreams. The Founders’ Centennial Scholarship will be awarded annually for five consecutive years in honor of the sorority’s five founding members. The first scholarship awarded was named after Zeta founder and first president, Arizona Cleaver Stemons.

For more information about Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. visit: www.zphib1920.org

http://www.zphib1920.org

 

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Robert F. Smith Creates Initiative to Lessen Student Debt at HBCUs


Smith, the richest Black person in the country, previously paid off the debt of an entire Morehouse College graduating class.


Jun 24, 2020

Robert F. Smith, self-made billionaire and noted philanthropist—and one of Town & Country's summer cover stars—has a plan to help alleviate the burden of student debt for those attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Robert F. Smith, self-made billionaire and noted philanthropist—and one of Town & Country's summer cover stars—has a plan to help alleviate the burden of student debt for those attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Smith's new non-profit, the Student Freedom Initiative, will launch at up to 11 HBCUs in the fall of 2021 (the list of schools has yet to be finalized), offering students in STEM majors a more flexible alternative to the traditional high-interest private loans. Smith hopes to support 5,000 new students every year, once the initiative is underway.

It'll launch with a $50 million donation from the Fund II Foundation, which Smith founded, and is hoping to raise another $500 million by October. Combined with additional investments and graduates' income-based repayments, the initiative is designed to become "self-sustaining."

Spoiler: rest of article

"You think about these students graduating and then plowing so much of their wealth opportunity into supporting this student debt, that’s a travesty in and of itself," Smith explained to Time. He later added, "I think it’s important that we do these things at scale and en masse because that’s how you lift up entire communities."


Smith—the richest Black person in America, according to Forbes—made headlines in 2019 for single-handedly paying off the student debt for Morehouse College's graduating class, at a total cost of about $40 million.

"I was looking at 400 students 400 years after 1619," Smith told Town & Country of that day, when he spoke at Morehouse's commencement. "And they were burdened. And their families were burdened. They had taken on a tremendous amount of debt to get that education. And liberating them was the right thing for me to do. Honestly, I didn’t think it was going to be that big of a deal. I mean, globally. I didn’t realize how many people understood the pain and debilitating effect that student debt has for decades—not just on that individual but on families."

 

[MischievousMonkey]

Dope. What was the topic of the exchange that led to the creation of this thread?

 

[get these nets]

Dope. What was the topic of the exchange that led to the creation of this thread?

There was a thread in TLR about alumni donations to HBCUs. I started to track and post news stories about large donations to those schools. I was told of an old blog that listed donations, contributions, scholarships launched, etc by Black public figures and that I should do the Coli reboot.

 

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Bradley Beal surprises four RBHS students with HBCU scholarships, gifts for college

Jul 03, 2020


Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bradley Beal found a way to connect with his little brothers at Ron Brown College Preparatory High School. Beal, of course, won the 2018-19 NBA Cares Community Assist Award for his work with RBHS, a school he has partnered with for two years now.

On Thursday afternoon, members of the Wizards organization and Ron Brown HS went around the D.C. area to give four graduating students gifts from Beal. Justin Williams, Christian Johnson, Jaden Crosson, and Hassan Brunner, who are all heading to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), each received a special gift box.

Beal’s gift included a college branded hoodie for each Young King’s future university, a Microsoft Surface and keyboard, Between the World and Me by Ta’Nehisi Coates, Radical Dreams Pins, a Wizards and Mystics Black Lives Matter shirt, and more Wizards branded items. Along with each gift box was a letter from Beal and the Wizards telling each student to be on a Zoom call at 4:30 P.M.

On that Zoom call later in the afternoon, Beal praised the students for their hard work en route to graduation.

“I’m speechless,” Beal said. “I’m beyond proud of you guys. For one, you’re the true pioneers of Ron Brown. You guys are the first wave of seniors. That will forever be legendary, a memory you could always hold.”

”I’m even more proud of you guys for going to colleges you all chose to go to – you decided to go to an HBCU. Especially in the time in which we are in now, I feel like those are statement pieces. It’s amazing to see what young, Black men were able to do with the opportunity you guys were given. I remember telling you guys time and time again, take advantage of every opportunity you’re given, no matter what it is in sports, school, teachers, mentoring, programs, whatever it may be. Whatever opportunity you have, seize it – because you don’t always get those moments. We know we’re born with these disadvantages. You guys had a great advantage already going to a school in Ron Brown, which prepares you for college.”

The students figured Beal would be on the call, but they didn’t know what else he had in store for them. Beal, using money from his Community Assist Award $25,000 fund from the NBA, granted $3,000 in scholarships to each of the four students.

Spoiler: rest of article

Williams, the school’s valedictorian, will be heading to Norfolk State to study environmental engineering. He was especially overcome with emotion, as his journey to having the best grades in the senior class has not been easy.

“When I first came to school, I wasn’t really a school type of student, in the wrong crowd,” Williams reflected. “A lot of people don’t know, but my dad’s disabled. The one thing he told me – because he didn’t get to finish college because it happened at a young age – was to finish school. That was my goal, through mental struggles, physical struggles, family struggles, everything, that was the one thing that I had that I could say that I finished.”

Johnson will be attending Howard University to study finance and to play basketball. He’s been extremely close with Beal since their relationship started two years ago. Considering Beal took Johnson and 50 other students on a trip to Howard earlier in the year, the story has really come full circle.

Crosson will attend Hampton in the fall as a five-year MBA business student. He was with his mother and grandmother at his home when he received the gifts. Brunner, who will be headed to North Carolina Central to major in kinesiology, thought school faculty members were just stopping by to check in with him after graduating.

All of the Ron Brown students and staff mentioned how much they have appreciated Beal’s willingness to maintain their relationship.

“It means that he still cares,” Johnson said. “Even through the pandemic, he still shows up for us. I love it, I’m very excited to continue this relationship with him into college.”

Crosson’s mother, Vanya Brown, echoed Johnson’s sentiments: “We definitely appreciate it. He’s [Beal] been so engaged with them. He’s [Jaden] gotten a lot from everything that Mr. Bradley Beal has done for the school.”

After letting the students know about their scholarships, Beal finished the call with words of wisdoms for four of the seniors who have become like his little brothers.

“Now you’re in the real world,” Beal said. “These opportunities are going to be vast, they’re going to come at you from all angles. Seize them all, enjoy every moment of it. Continue to make yourselves proud, your families proud, and me proud. Please continue to grind, continue to be the best that you can possibly can

 

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California Endowment Pledges $225 Million to Target ‘Anti-Black Structural Racism’

Dr. Robert K. Ross

LOS ANGELES – The California Endowment Board of Directors today announced it has approved a 10-year, $225 million pledge of funding support for Black-led organizing, activism, and advocacy in California.

“The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the African-American community, in combination with recent tragic events of racial injustice, remind us that we must push further and harder to achieve meaningful systemic and structural change to advance racial equity,” said Board Chair Dr. Shawn Ginwright, professor of Africana Studies at San Francisco State University.

The identified funding is a long-term commitment by The California Endowment to build and strengthen Black-Led organizations and organizing throughout the State of California. While there will be an immediate infusion of one-time funding support, The Endowment has pledged a decade-long commitment of support to help sustain funding for organizations that are working to reimagine systems built on structural inequality and racism.

Spoiler: rest of article

“We are aware that structural racism in America constitutes a public health crisis,” said Board Vice-Chair Bishop Minerva Carcaño of the United Methodist Church. “Above all, we know that reaching health and wellness in the African-American community will require an investment that addresses the impact of centuries of oppression. But the healing of this community will contribute to the healing of every other community of color. The resourcing of activist, Black-led organizations to lead the critical efforts necessary to overcome racial injustice and inequity will help us all become healthy and well.”

The 10-year pledge of support builds upon existing efforts by the Endowment to fund community organizing and activism in African American-led organizations across California, with a projected $50 million dollar increase in support in the coming decade. “We have witnessed extraordinary, unprecedented multi-racial and multi-ethnic support in the movement for Black Lives in recent weeks,” said President & CEO Dr. Robert K. Ross. “We also intend to enhance support to build and strengthen alliances that cross-racial and ethnic boundaries in the state. California is poised to show the nation that by focusing on anti-Black structural racism, all vulnerable communities will benefit from structural change.”

The Endowment also announced the immediate deployment of $5 million in resources to Black-led groups engaged in health-related racial justice battles now, such as criminal justice, juvenile justice, and policing reform efforts.

The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, was established in 1996 to expand access to, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental affordable improvements in the health status of all Californians. The Endowment challenges the conventional wisdom that medical settings and individual choices are solely responsible for people’s health. At its core, The Endowment believes that health happens in neighborhoods, schools, and with prevention. Learn more at www.calendow.org.

 

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WILLIAM RHODEN

ESPN The Undefeated Names the Fourth Class of Six Rhoden Fellows

August 13, 2020

Six journalism and communications students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) will participate in the fourth class of the Rhoden Fellowship – a one-year sports journalism internship program with The Undefeated that identifies and trains aspiring African American journalists. This Rhoden Fellowship class will begin Monday, August 24, and last through conclusion of the 2020-2021 academic year.

A panel of senior editors at The Undefeated – ESPN’s multiplatform initiative exploring the intersection of sports, race and culture – and award-winning sports columnist William C. Rhoden selected the Fellows from a pool of outstanding applicants from HBCUs across the country.

Spoiler: rest of article

Kevin Merida, senior vice president and editor-in-chief, The Undefeated: “Congrats to the fourth class of Rhoden Fellows. Keep striving. Keep dreaming. You are next. It’s your time.”

Bill Rhoden, head, Rhoden Fellows, columnist and editor-at-large, The Undefeated: “I am excited to welcome a fourth class of talented Fellows into the fold! So grateful to The Undefeated, Kevin Merida, ESPN and the Disney company for continuing to provide this extraordinary opportunity to aspiring young journalists from HBCUs.”

About the Rhoden Fellowship:

Funded by ESPN, the Rhoden Fellowship is a one-year program founded by former New York Times award-winning sports columnist William C. “Bill” Rhoden, who joined ESPN’s The Undefeated in October 2016 to run the fellowship program and serve as columnist and editor-at-large. The fellowship – established as part of The Undefeated’s mission to develop new voices and serve as an incubator for future sports journalists of color – is open to outstanding undergraduate students at HBCUs.

The Fellows will work as stringers during the academic year, covering and reporting sports, as well as general news, at their respective universities for The Undefeated’s HBCU vertical. They also create and produce weekly multimedia content, and host and produce podcasts addressing resonant issues and topics affecting young people. During the summer, the Fellows work 40-hour weeks at ESPN offices in New York City and at The Undefeated in Washington, D.C. where they gain first-hand experience in all aspects of sports journalism.

The 2020-2021 Rhoden Fellows:

Ashton Edmunds – Clark Atlanta University

Ashton Edmunds, a senior mass media arts major from Tallahassee, Fla., is the sports editor for The CAU Panther newspaper, a 2020 summer intern for SLAM Magazine and an inaugural Turner Diversity Fellow at WarnerMedia.

Jayla Jones – Prairie View A&M University

Jayla Jones, a senior business management major from Chicago is a game and feature writer for the Prairie View A&M athletics department. She has written for the student newspaper, The Panther, and enjoys telling athletes’ stories.

Parker Owens – Morehouse College

Parker Owens is a senior communication studies major and journalism minor from Broward County, Fla. He is a news and sports writer for Morehouse’s The Maroon Tiger and a contributing writer for NewsOne.

Jonathan Scott – Hampton University

A U.S. Navy veteran, Jonathan Scott is a senior journalism and communications major from Brooklyn, N.Y. He anchors and produces for The Scripps-Howard News Watch, on WHOV-TV, Hampton’s broadcast station, and is the production assistant for the Hampton University Athletics’ TV show, Respect The H with Eugene Marshall, Jr.

Marissa Stubbs – Florida A&M University

Marissa Stubbs is a senior broadcast journalism scholar from St. Petersburg, Fla. She is the sports editor for The Famuan, Florida A&M’s school newspaper, and a sports reporter. In addition, Stubbs contributes to “The Playmakers,” a weekly sports-talk radio show on WANM 90.5 FM – Florida A&M’s award-winning radio station in Tallahassee, Fla.

Alex Williams – Howard University

Alex Williams is a junior broadcast journalism major and sports administration minor from New Orleans. She is a sports writer for Howard’s The Hilltop newspaper, along with being the sports editor for Her Campus magazine (Howard chapter).

 

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Future's Freewishes Foundation Awards “I’m Still A Dreamer” COVID-19 Scholarships

August 18, 2020
Watch the "F*ck Up Some Commas" rapper present checks and gifts to the selected college students.
In July, Nayvadius "Future" Wilburn announced his FreeWishes Foundation will present special educational grants. A panel of judges selected six incoming freshmen to receive the “I’m Still A Dreamer” COVID-19 scholarship.

“The students who were awarded the 'I’m Still A Dreamer' scholarship are very deserving. We really wish them continued success as they pursue their college education,” states Future.

Stephanie Jester, FreeWishes co-founder and Future's mother, adds, "It's only the beginning of a bright future for those who believe." The 10-year-old FreeWishes Foundation's goal is to cultivate a community of lifelong learners, responsible global citizens, and champions of excellence.

The 2020 "I’m Still a Dreamer" recipients included:

• Ryann Seabrook Phillips – Spelman College
• Sydel Idehen – Mercer University
• Alexis Thomas-Fitzgerald – Kennesaw State University
• Jaela Curtis – Kennesaw State University
• Khadijah Muhammad – Agnes Scott College
• Taia Virginia Galloway – Kennesaw State University

 

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Chicago Football Classic announces scholarship recipients
The pandemic may have canceled the annual football game at Soldier Field, but through its “Winners Win” scholarship program, the Classic will still award scholarships and laptops to 21 Chicago-area students.

Aug 6, 2020

Alexandrea Williams, a student at Morgan Park High School, accepts her scholarship from the Chicago Football Classic organizers during the Chicago Football Classic at the DuSable Museum of African American History, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020.


Pandemic or no pandemic, would-be college students still need the resources to thrive in the next stage of their lives.

The Chicago Football Classic and its annual scholarship program this year is helping 21 Chicago-area students as they start their college careers. Of those, 20 will attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities while one is staying in Chicago to attend Malcolm X College.

Thursday night at the DuSable Museum of African American History, each student received their $5,000 scholarship and a free laptop computer.

Other colleges the students plan to attend include Hampton University, Morehouse College, Grambling State University, Spelman College, Tuskegee University and Howard University.

Spoiler: rest of article

The annual Classic at Soldier Field usually features a game between two Historically Black Colleges and Universities, but COVID-19 forced this year’s game to be canceled.

“Without question, scholarships matter, particularly during this highly unpredictable season in the lives of students, families, and institutions,” Everett Rand, co-founder of the Chicago Football Classic, was quoted as saying. “While historically, our annual college/career fair, epic football game featuring spirited rivalries and the ever-so-amazing battle of bands have been the staples in the Chicago Football Classic programming, it is the scholarship component that is our true goal. Despite the pandemic, the CFC is paying it forward via scholarships.”

Steven B. Clay, a student at Lindblom Academy, accepts his scholarship from the Chicago Football Classic organizers during the Chicago Football Classic at the DuSable Museum of African American History, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020.
Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times


Each Classic board member was asked to nominate a Chicago-area high school senior or City Colleges transfer student; criteria included financial need, confirmed college acceptance and a minimum GPA of 2.7.

Those helping the Classic fund the scholarships include the Illinois Restaurant Association, Kimbark Beverage Shoppe, Chicago Park District, NBC and the Chicago Cubs.

Jonathan Swain, owner of Hyde Park’s Kimbark Beverage Shoppe, 1214 E. 53rd St., is sponsoring De La Salle Institute student Ralen Kimbrough, who plans to attend Jackson State University.

Kimbrough appreciates the boost.

“It’s amazing; this helps because its just me, my dad, and my sister,” said Kimbrough. “Kids need an opportunity to be able to go to school, and coronavirus is pushing everything back. ... Jackson State is a great school for me, and the scholarship will help out with the tuition.”

Swain, who’s also CEO of LINK Unlimited Scholars, understands the value of making sure Chicago’s Black students get the help they need; he cites a 2017 study by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center that states Black students have the lowest college completion rate (45.9%) when compared to other races and ethnicities.

“The more we can help with financial support to make sure their time there [college] is strong, the better off they are,” said Swain, an alum of Duke, Northwestern, and the University of Chicago.

“When we talk about saving Black kids in school, we have to do all we can to make sure that they have all the tools to finish,” he added. “[Ralen] is a great kid; he’s self-aware and really committed to furthering his education. He’s looking to focus on statistics in college. If we think about it, there’s not a lot of Black kids focusing on statistics. And so, especially in a world where we’re trying to understand data in a real way, you know he’s gonna gather tools to make the world a better place.”

 

[get these nets]

Wantchekon leads new effort to propel Black students into top economics Ph.D. programs
Delaney Parrish, Department of Economics
Aug. 20, 2020


Leonard Wantchekon


In 2014, Princeton professor Leonard Wantchekon opened the doors to what is now one of the top-ranked economics programs in Africa. Today, the African School of Economics (ASE), with campuses in Benin and Côte d’Ivoire, offers several undergraduate degrees, four master’s degrees, a Ph.D. program and a pre-doctoral program, all aimed at providing “a greater voice to African researchers and entrepreneurs in the debate over the continent’s development.”

Now, Wantchekon, a professor of politics and international affairs, is bringing his experience building academic pipelines in Africa to universities in the United States. This month, he announced a new partnership between ASE and Hunter College in New York City that, through a collaboration with Princeton University, will take direct aim at the underrepresentation of Black and minority students in the field of economics. Though African Americans make up 12.6% of the U.S. population, only 3.3% of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who earned a Ph.D. in economics in 2017 were Black or African American. As of May of 2018, Black economists made up only 1.2% of faculty in the top 20 economics departments in the U.S.

Through the new initiative, which focuses on enrollment and programming within Hunter College’s master’s program in economics, Wantchekon and his partners hope to create a deep pool of students prepared to earn admissions at top Ph.D. programs, including at Princeton.

“We complain about lack of diversity [in the field], but it’s not just about demanding it,” Wantchekon said. “We have to be supplying it. We have to say ‘It’s on me, as well.’”

Spoiler: rest of article

In addition to working with Princeton economics faculty on the Hunter College campus, students will be given the opportunity to take classes at Princeton, as well.

“We’ve heard a lot of enthusiasm from our faculty about the initiative,” said Wolfgang Pesendorfer, chair of the Department of Economics at Princeton where he is the Theodore A. Wells ’29 Professor of Economics. “From the start we’ve been proud to support this effort by Leonard and his partners at Hunter College, and we look forward to contributing as instructors, researchers, mentors and more.”

Addressing the core pipeline problem
Since its founding six years ago, ASE has launched 20 of its students into competitive Ph.D. programs in the United States and Europe. Having developed an impressive proof of concept in West Africa, Wantchekon feels confident those learnings can inform the new collaboration in the United States.

One significant part of the pipeline problem in economics, Wantchekon says, is the rigorous quantitative training required to be admitted to top economics Ph.D. programs. While some undergraduate students at leading research universities in the U.S. have access to the type of graduate-level coursework required, many don’t. And even within undergraduate economics programs at these institutions, where many students receive this training or mentorship, enrollment of Black students remains stubbornly low. If we rely on these feeder systems to diversify the field, he says, progress will be slow, if it happens at all.

“We have to create a conduit for these students who didn’t go to top-tier research universities. Top economics Ph.D. programs have one Black student every four to five years, but they should have two or three every single year.”


n

When it comes to building a community where underrepresented students can thrive, location matters, according to Wantchekon. In his discussions of the project, Wantchekon stressed the importance of the program’s new campus in Harlem, which he sees as the cultural capital of the African diaspora in the United States.

“The more I thought about it, the more I realized what Harlem means for the African diaspora and the African American community. The political, cultural and social history of African Americans happens, In large part, in Harlem. African American representation in the field is important, and Harlem is the place to make it happen.” Location, he says, is one part of what made working with Hunter College so attractive.

Wantchekon wants students in the new program to embrace their culture and experiences and use them to strengthen their research and contributions to the field.

“For minority students applying to a Ph.D. program, they need math, econometrics and theory. But they also bring in-depth knowledge of the African American and African diaspora experience.” This knowledge is important to the field, he says, and should be nurtured.

Wantchekon also hopes the location will help underrepresented students build a community they can rely on for ongoing support throughout their career.

“Not only will students be trained at the very highest level, but there will be a strong cohort effect. Instead of being the only Black student in your program, you’ll be one of 20, 30 or 40. Support will be provided both inside and outside the classroom, academically, but also socially and culturally.”

While recruitment for the new program will aim to admit at least half of its students from schools in the United States, including historically Black colleges and universities, it will also aim to increase diversity among international students in economics by recruiting Black students and other minorities from Latin America, particularly from Brazil and Colombia, and elsewhere around the globe.

Next steps
The new program will be up and running by fall 2021, with the first students admitted next spring and beginning preparatory work in the summer.

But importantly, Wantchekon notes that the new program is just a first step in his broader plan for addressing the pipeline issue. He sees many more possibilities, in the future, to continue strengthening the collaboration between Princeton and the program at Hunter College.

“Maybe in several years, we’ll have sent 40 or 50 underrepresented students to competitive Ph.D. programs. Think what a difference we can make. And if others get inspired and create similar programs around the country, then we can have several Black students in top Ph.D. programs every year.”

“African American representation in the field is important, and Harlem is the place to make it happen.” — Leonard Wantcheko

 

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UF Law Announces HBCU Pathway to Law Endowed Scholarship
August 25, 2020

Yolanda Cash Jackson


The University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law is honored to announce the creation of an endowed scholarship for graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) seeking to enter the legal profession. The role of trained attorneys in protecting and improving the rule of law has never been more important as our nation grapples with the impacts of systemic racism, a contentious political landscape, and unparalleled uncertainty and loss of life due to a worldwide pandemic. With the recent passing of civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis, this scholarship provides a perpetual path for other graduates of HBCUs to continue his legacy of “Good Trouble”.

Earlier this year, Yolanda Cash Jackson (JD 90) envisioned a program designed to recruit the most academically talented graduates from HBCUs to attend UF Law for their legal education. With her initial gift and other alumni contributions, the HBCU Pathway to Law Endowed Scholarship fund quickly surpassed $100,000 in commitments.

“The Black alumni of UF Law now have a pipeline between the law school and HBCUs to ensure that the legal profession reflects the rich diversity of our nation,” said Jackson.

Spoiler: rest of article

In July, as the country mourned the loss of John Lewis, Hugh Culverhouse (JD 74) was moved to donate $1,000,000 to the new scholarship fund in memory of the late congressman’s life and important legacy to our country.

Lewis’ commitment to fighting racial injustice began with organizing lunch counter sit-ins and participating in the original Freedom Rides. His education at Fisk University, one of 106 HBCUs in the United States, and his leadership role in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) ignited a lifetime of activism and service. After more than 30 years as a member of the United States House of Representatives, Lewis was hailed by his peers as the “conscience of the Congress”.

“Congressman Lewis used every day of his life to help this nation live up to the ideals of equality and justice for all. He knew that we could not be complacent, that racial justice demands continual dialogue and struggle. This scholarship fund will provide graduates of HBCUs with the tools necessary to unleash the full potential of our great Constitution,” said Culverhouse.

Culverhouse’s transformational gift will help UF Law enroll at least five HBCU graduates annually with full tuition scholarships. These students will be recognized as John Lewis Scholars and will enjoy exclusive engagement opportunities with the UF Law Black Alumni network nationwide.



Both Jackson and Culverhouse intend for their gifts to motivate additional contributions from UF Law alumni, friends of the law school, law firms, bar associations, corporate entities, and charitable foundations seeking to honor both John Lewis and the strong tradition of the nation’s HBCUs. The law school will begin a year-long campaign to match the Culverhouse gift and grow the fund to at least $2,000,000 before 2022.

This fund, which is already the largest endowed scholarship fund in the law school’s history.

For more information on how to make a gift to the HBCU Pathway to Law Endowed Scholarship, please call the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at 352.273.0640 or email development@law.ufl.edu.

Prospective students seeking information about scholarship opportunities should contact the UF Law Admissions Office at 352.273.0890 or by emailing admissions@law.ufl.edu.

 

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Black Is Beautiful beer, a brew with a cause, is back in San Antonio
Weeks after it first launched, the Alamo City-born brew is a hit across the world.

August 1, 2020
SAN ANTONIO — Saturday is pick-up day, one of the most important spots on the calendar for Weathered Souls Brewing Company since it started brewing the Black Is Beautiful beer back in June.

“I feel it’s going fantastic,” said Marcus Baskerville, co-owner of Weathered Souls Brewing Company.



“The initiative has definitely grown into a huge statement that the brewing industry has created, and it’s expanded all across the world at this point,” Baskerville said.

One car at a time, San Antonians have also been lining up to show their support.

Baskerville came up with the brew as a unique way to help raise money for organizations making efforts to help Black people.

“As a father, as a local business owner, as somebody who’s been through police brutality, some of the recent stuff has really hit home,” Baskerville said.

Now, millions of dollars later, it’s a movement with momentum that doesn’t show signs of slowing down anytime soon.

“Black is beautiful. There’s nothing to be afraid of, there’s nothing to be scared of," Baskerville said. "It deserves its respect."

The entrepreneur is now thinking bigger and working to expand the Black Is Beautiful beer into other industries. But for now, he couldn’t be prouder of how far it's come.

“It’s a very strong beer to highlight a very strong message, so I think we did a job well done in representing what Black is Beautiful is about, what the initiative is about," Baskerville said. "And we hope that people enjoy it."

Weathered Souls founder Marcus Baskerville (L) presents a check to 100 Black Men of San Antonio President Ivory M. Freeman (C) and Executive Director Dr. Milton Harris (R).

 

[get these nets]

IU education empowers couple to advocate for equality, give back to community
Thursday, August 27, 2020

Franklin and Cora Smith Breckenridge give back to IU.


KOKOMO, Ind. — Earning Indiana University degrees gave Franklin and Cora Smith Breckenridge a platform, which they used to do their part in the Civil Rights movement.

While serving as leaders — Franklin Breckenridge was president of Indiana's NAACP State Conference of 21 Branches for 23 years, while Cora Smith Breckenridge completed three terms as the first African-American member of the Indiana University Board of Trustees — they also gave financially, with a scholarship to IU Kokomo. Friends began the scholarship in honor of Cora’s election to the trustees, and the couple contributed to endow it – to be given each year – with preference to minority students.

“IU allowed us to be educated, to become the type of people we are, and has enabled us to participate and grow and be helpful, and work to erase the racism, discrimination, and inequality that has been the burden and the situation in which we have been as African Americans in this country since our ancestors were brought here as slaves,” Franklin said.

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During Black Philanthropy Month, they hope their example inspires others in their community to give what they can, to benefit the next generation and continue the fight for equality in America.

“It seems to me there's still a need for people to establish scholarships and make it possible for Black students to progress through college and become participating members of our society,” Franklin added, who earned his undergraduate and law degrees from IU. “Education is how we continue to erase the systemic racism in our country.”

Both emphasize they did not come from wealthy or educated families, which would make it easy for them to give — her parents worked in the cotton fields of Alabama before moving to East Chicago, Indiana, where they met and married in 1930. His parents were born in Kokomo and did not receive a high school education.

Cora recalled how scholarships and small gifts made it possible for her to go to college in the 1950s, first at the IU Extension at Calumet, and then IU Bloomington where she met Franklin. When she came home on breaks, family and friends would put a dollar or two in her hands, doing what they could to help her.

Now, she recalls with great fondness graduating debt free, thanks to those small contributions, along with her summer job as a recreation supervisor for the East Chicago Parks Department, and a $200 scholarship from Tri Kappa.

“All of those people impacted our lives, and now we have a duty and an obligation to impact the lives of the young people who come behind us,” she said. “It means a lot to us. Not only did we take, but we have given.”

Their family values education and service, and they are proud of their own IU degrees — two each — and that all three of their children and their oldest granddaughter are also IU degree recipients.

Both have served professionally and in the Civil Rights movement. Cora was a speech language pathologist in Indianapolis, Kokomo, East Chicago, and Elkhart, in addition to her terms as a trustee. Franklin worked to integrate the Indiana State Police, while both marched and led the fight to get minorities appointed to judicial positions in Indiana.

Franklin Breckenridge began his career as a teacher in the Kokomo schools, but the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till, who was accused of flirting with a white woman, propelled him to enroll in IU's McKinney School of Law, Indianapolis.

“When I viewed the body of Emmett Till in the casket, I made up my mind I was going to try do something to keep that from happening to any other Black boy or man in this country,” he said. “l decided working as a lawyer and working in the system was the best way to do it. I've continued that work throughout the rest of my life.”

During his first semesters of law school, he was one of the first teachers in the new Head Start Program, responsible for finding a place to hold classes in the inner city of Indianapolis and going door to door to find and enroll students. He served as state president for the NAACP from 1978 to 2003 and was vice chairman for its national organization 1995-1996. Cora and Franklin both served for 12 years each on the National Board of the NAACP.

“It's been a whole long process," Franklin said. “We've been through the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court case and participated in getting the Civil Rights Act signed by President Johnson and the other civil rights laws passed in this country.”

While Cora is retired, Franklin continues to work as an attorney in Elkhart, though he did retire as a pastor. However, he said, there is still work to be done.

They are inspired by the example of former congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, who passed away in July. He was pushing for reinstating measures removed from the Voting Rights Discrimination Act in 2013 by the U.S. Supreme Court, which now allows for voter suppression.

They agreed with John Lewis, before he died, that he was trying to get voter rights re-established, Franklin Breckenridge said.

“That is his unfinished business, and that's part of the business of all of us who are still alive and fighting.”

Governor Eric Holcomb officially designated August as Black Philanthropy Month in Indiana, at the request of the IU Black Philanthropy Circle. Black Philanthropy Month is a global celebration and concerted campaign to elevate African descent giving.

As part of the designation, people and communities are encouraged to promote the power of giving to transform lives; celebrate the extraordinary legacy of philanthropy; highlight important stories; spotlight good work; and inspire giving, understanding, and generosity in support of improving social, educational, economic, and health outcomes in Black communities.

Franklin and Cora exemplify the spirit of Black Philanthropy Month, with their many years of service. In addition, they set the example by giving both financially and of their time, to smooth the pat for those coming behind them.

 

[get these nets]

Dallas Engineering Firm Presents $50,000 Gift for UT Dallas

Aug 5, 2020

Anthony Mbroh, President of Mbroh Engineering [Image: Courtesy UT Dallas]

A $50,000 scholarship presented by Dallas-based engineering design, consulting, and professional services firm Mbroh Engineering will be the first endowed scholarship for students in the Diversity Scholars Program at the University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) and will also support the UT Dallas chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), according to a statement.

Mbroh Engineering granted UT Dallas the $50,000 gift on Comets Giving Day, which is expected to impact the education of future students at the university.

“I realize that there are top talented young people who would benefit from a little financial support,” Anthony Mbroh, president of Mbroh Engineering, said in a statement. “If the scholarship allows them to focus on achieving excellence, then we will have achieved our goal.”

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Since the Diversity Scholars Program launched in 2010, it has aided more than 200 students in receiving scholarships. The organization has also strived to create an increasingly diverse enrollment of students within the university, according to a statement.

“The students in the program participate in an academic success initiative where they meet monthly with a scholarship advisor and participate in leadership, professional and personal development workshops,” Raul Hinojosa, director of community engagement at UT Dallas, said in a statement. “Mbroh Engineering’s commitment to establish an endowed scholarship for a Diversity Scholar is a life-changing investment in a student’s future.”

The Mbroh Engineering team. [Image: Courtesy UT Dallas]

The commitment was sparked by Mbroh’s college experience at Oklahoma State University. Looking back on the financial aid he received and his participation in the university’s NSBE chapter made Mbroh decide that he wanted to give the same support and encouragement to aspiring engineers.

“As a young man in college following the loss of my mother to cancer, it was through the grace, support and encouragement of many people that I completed my college education and later found success in engineering,” Mbroh said. “If this scholarship helps a gifted engineer continue his or her journey to success, then this is all of the gratitude we need.”

Mbroh also previously made a leadership commitment to the Executive Council at the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science after becoming interested in the school’s approach to engineering and research, according to him.
“The quality of education, particularly in the Jonsson School, is among the best in Texas and across the country,” Mbroh said. “As a Dallas-based engineering firm, having a partnership with a nationally rated top-tier engineering school that happens to reside in our backyard is a perfect match.”

Improving education, however, can become more influential by working with the industry so that students can focus on current issues that coincide with what they learn in the classroom, according to the dean of the Jonsson School Dr. Stephanie Adams.

Mbroh Engineering will be a part of this effort as its team plans to mentor and provide practical education to UT Dallas students.

“Our task is to produce an engineer who is agile and flexible in their thinking and brings a variety of perspectives to the challenges you’re asking them to solve,” Adams said in a statement. “Partners like Mbroh make a Jonsson School education accessible to the diverse community of students whose experiences and ideas we want to include in our problem-solving.”

Along with creating the endowed scholarship, Mbroh Engineering also made a commitment to volunteer on the Jonsson School Executive Council and to support programs such as the Big Idea Competition and Undergraduate Success Scholars. The company’s leaders hope that its efforts will set the tone for others on Comets Giving Day.

“My hope is that people who have created success and now have financial flexibility will reach out to the next generations and provide the same helping hand that was afforded to them,” Mbroh said.