Showing 60 results for:
AFROTECHU
Popular topics
All results
After spending significant dollars in DEI efforts, the University of Michigan has closed two offices tied to equity and inclusion. The Detroit Free Press reports that the public research university has spent nearly $250 million on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in recent years. However, the university has now decided to dismantle its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) and the Office for Health Equity and Inclusion (OHEI).” “Student-facing services in ODEI will shift to other offices focused on student access and opportunity,” the school said in a statement on its website, according to the outlet. The statement also read: “The DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan, the umbrella strategy for schools, colleges and units, will be discontinued, along with DEI 2.0 unit plans, related programming, progress reporting, training and funding. Individual leads, who have supported DEI efforts in schools, colleges and units, will refocus their full effort on their core...
Virginia Union University (VUU) students can become certified doulas on campus, making it the first historically Black university in the state to offer such a class. On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, the private, Richmond, VA-based HBCU announced a partnership with the birth center Birth In Color and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to launch a six-month doula training certification program, according to WRIC Channel 8. VUU’s announcement came just ahead of World Doula Week, which runs from March 22 to March 28, 2025. In an interview with AFROTECH™ , Mama Glow Foundation founder Latham Thomas described a doula as a birth “producer” who provides emotional and physical support, education, and advocacy tools during childbirth. While some people view doulas as less educated or non-compliant, Thomas noted that they are just as important as other healthcare professionals, especially in a society where women, particularly Black women, are expected to advocate for themselves. “Black women...
High school senior Chase Matthews is making history in Georgia. WSB-TV Atlanta reports that as Matthews looks ahead to her next chapter after graduating from Westlake High School in South Fulton County, Georgia, she’s celebrating a record-breaking number of scholarship offers to support her higher education journey. She has already been accepted into colleges in every state, totaling 155 acceptance letters. Some of the schools include Florida A&M University, Howard University, Ohio State University, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. “Just hard work, hard work,” said Matthews’ College Advisor Sean Moore, according to WSB-TV Atlanta. Furthermore, the outlet also noted that Matthews has received $6 million in scholarship offers, one of the highest for a high school senior in the state’s history. “Chase exemplifies excellence,” mentioned Gregory Minnis, Westlake High interim principal, per the outlet. Matthews has not yet decided which school she will attend, but the prospects of...
New funding has been raised for an online learning platform helping students avoid the debt of college. Campus was created by Tade Oyerinde, also its chancellor, to provide quality education to students through accredited, career-focused degree programs led by professors from top higher learning institutions such as Stanford University, University of California – Los Angeles , and Howard University. According to its website, Campus offers online associates degrees in business administration and business administration with applied artificial intelligence (AI) concentration to participants nationally. For its Sacramento, CA, campus, it has specific offerings for students in-state such as an associate’s degree in paralegal studies as well as one in AWS cloud administration. This campus also provides certification in medical assisting, medical billing and coding, phlebotomy, technical support, barbering and cosmetology, and other programs for California residents. Furthermore, to...
High School senior Mantavius Presley has a bright future ahead. As a student at Douglas County High School, located at Douglasville, GA, Presley has prioritized more than just his academics to make a meaningful impact within and beyond school walls. According to WSB-TV 2, he serves as president of Future Business Leaders of America and the National Honor Society , as well as vice president of the student government and Class of 2025. In addition, Presley has taken on leadership roles as the manager of the junior varsity and varsity cheer teams and is a member of the yearbook staff, all while dedicating over 1,100 hours to community service, per Atlanta News First. As he prepares to walk the stage in the spring, Presley’s next chapter in higher learning is already in motion. He has received acceptances from more than 58 colleges and universities. Among the interested academic institutions are The University of Alabama, Mercer University, and Historically Black Colleges and...
Some Harvard University students will soon be able to attend the institution free of charge, thanks to a new initiative aimed at making education “affordable to more students than ever,” particularly for those from middle-class families. On Monday, March 17, 2025, the Boston, MA-based Ivy League institution announced that starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, students from families with annual incomes of $100,000 or less will receive free tuition, food, housing, health insurance, and travel costs. They will also get a $2,000 start-up grant in their first year and a $2,000 launch grant during their junior year to “help support their transition beyond Harvard .” Additionally, Harvard will be tuition-free for students from families with annual incomes up to $200,000. “Putting Harvard within financial reach for more individuals widens the array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that all of our students encounter, fostering their intellectual and personal growth,” said...
After receiving major backlash, President Donald Trump is now less likely to dismantle the Department of Education. ABC News reported that an executive order had been drafted requiring Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take any measures as permitted by law “to close the department, according to sources familiar with the matter.” “My vision is aligned with the President’s: to send education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children,” McMahon said in a memo, according to the outlet. Officials allegedly scheduled the executive order for signing on Thursday, March 6, 2025. However, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, President Donald Trump will not sign the order. “This is a tremendous victory for those of us who are standing up and holding the line and pushing back against the endless chaos that we are seeing from the Trump administration,” an education leader said, according to ABC News. The decision not to...
You can now file reports of discrimination based on race or sex to the U.S. Department of Education. According to a press release by the U.S. Department of Education, it has launched a portal called EndDEI.Ed.Gov , which parents, students, teachers, and community members can use to report incidents of “illegal discriminatory practices” at K-12 schools funded by the government. The form requires an email address, the name of the school and district, and a description of the incident. The aim is to ensure that “students have access to meaningful learning free of divisive ideologies and indoctrination.” “For years, parents have been begging schools to focus on teaching their kids practical skills like reading, writing, and math instead of pushing critical theory, rogue sex education and divisive ideologies—but their concerns have been brushed off, mocked, or shut down entirely,” said Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty in a news release. “Parents, now is the time that you...
Fawn Weaver established a scholarship to carry the torch of excellence surrounding Nearest Green. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Weaver is the CEO and co-founder of Uncle Nearest, a whiskey brand valued at over a billion dollars. The brand was born after she came across a 2016 New York Times article while traveling in Singapore. The article featured an image of Jack Daniel alongside a group of men, with Nathan “Nearest” Green—known as Uncle Nearest—positioned in a way that ensured he wouldn’t be overlooked. In 1864, Green, who was enslaved, began teaching Daniel how to make whiskey in Tennessee. Daniel went on to sell whiskey throughout Lynchburg, TN, and the business formed into the popular brand Jack Daniel’s. Green’s role had been lost over time despite him being the master distiller at the Jack Daniel Distillery and the first African-American master distiller on record in U.S. history. As a whiskey maker, research shows he became the wealthiest African American in Lynchburg,...
Students from across the country can benefit from the AFROTECH™ Conference. You don’t need to be a professional or a graduating college student to make an impact at the annual Black tech mecca. Learning is a lifelong process, and by attending the conference, you’ll gain access to a dynamic lineup of speakers and corporations covering topics such as entrepreneurship, wealth building, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and more. Additionally, attending AFROTECH™ presents countless networking opportunities—its first year in Houston, Texas, in November 2024 drew more than 37,000 attendees. Morgan State University junior Mivette Garcia had several expectations when she attended the AFROTECH™ Conference for the first time in 2024—expectations shaped by her pursuits as a business administration and management major, an intern at the university’s Entrepreneurial Development and Assistance Center, and the owner of a virtual beauty boutique that she hopes to expand to include beauty...
Howard University has received a new distinction. According to Diverse Education, the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has earned the Research One (R1) Carnegie Classification — a first for an HBCU. Not to mention, such an accomplishment is shared with fewer than 150 universities across the country. The criteria entails that institutions allocate at least $50 million toward research and development and award a minimum of 70 research doctorates, the Carnegie Classification website states. Howard University surpassed these expectations in fiscal year 2023, allocating just under $85 million in research expenses and awarding 96 doctorates in a variety of fields — the highest number awarded to Black students at any college or university in America, according to Dr. Bruce A. Jones, Howard University’s senior vice president for research. Dr. Robert T. Palmer, the school’s chair and professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, mentioned, “Howard...
The iconic words from Big Sean, “Last night took an L, but tonight I bounce back,” could easily be the anthem for Jalen Hurts’ collegiate journey. His story isn’t just about wins and stats; it’s about resilience, growth, and the kind of determination that doesn’t flinch in the face of adversity. From being benched on the biggest stage in college football to becoming one of the NFL’s brightest stars, Hurts’ path proves that setbacks are just setups for comebacks. Jalen Hurts’Hometown Roots Born and raised in Houston, TX, Hurts grew up with football in his DNA. According to ABC 13, at Channelview High School, he played under the watchful eye of his father, Averion Hurts, who was also the team’s head coach. It was there that Hurts started turning heads with his dual-threat capabilities, proving he could hurt defenses both through the air and on the ground. His high school career was impressive enough to attract offers from top college programs nationwide. Alabama: Early Glory, Tough...
Morgan State University is on a mission to determine the reasoning behind a decline in Black male enrollment and retention in higher education. According to The Baltimore Sun, the Historically Black College and University based in Baltimore, MD, has established a task force aimed at helping reverse the ongoing trend, both at Morgan State and potentially at HBCUs nationwide. Morgan State President David K. Wilson said the trend has become a critical concern for the university’s campus and students are worried as well. “Morgan has long been a leader in providing access and opportunity for Black males seeking higher education,” Wilson said . “The ongoing decline in Black male enrollment at HBCUs is a clarion call for action, and we will not stand idly by.” He continued, “This task force will engage in rigorous research to understand the forces at play and develop evidence-based strategies to ensure that more Black men not only enroll at Morgan but thrive and complete their degrees.”...
DEI terms are being removed from some public colleges. According to a landing page from The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 17, titled “Responsibility of Governing Boards Regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives,” on June 14, 2023. The bill restricts diversity, equity, and inclusion offices, as well as the programs, activities, and trainings across public institutions of higher education. It went into effect in January 2024. “DEI programs have been shown to be exclusive, they have been shown to be ineffective and they have shown to be politically charged,” Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, the ban’s author, stated on the Senate floor, according to The Texas Tribune in February 2024. “Many of these programs have been weaponized to compel speech instead of protecting free speech.” An internal memo shared in November 2024 by TikTok user momuniversity, who was a UT Austin educator at the time, provided updated...
Apple is on the lookout for bright developers. The tech giant will soon be jumpstarting its 2025 Swift Student Challenge, which was created to empower rising developers, creators, and entrepreneurs. Its website mentions they will be tasked with scaling their ideas into an application leveraging tools that include Swift Playgrounds and Xcode. Previous winners include Keitaro Kawahara of Japan (PuzzlePix), Ruoshan Li of China (Deep Blue Tangram), and University of Alabama at Birmingham student AJ Nettles, who submitted an application named CryptOh. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, his app includes an interactive guide that explains the importance of password security and serves as a password manager and generator. “I wanted to make it easier for people to store their passwords and not have them on a random sticky note on the edge of their computer,” he told AFROTECH™. Nettles was among the 50 Distinctive Winners out of 350 winners of the challenge in 2024, and he was able to meet...