Alabama A&M Makes History as First HBCU Band to Lead Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
They’re the first HBCU to kick off the parade! 256 students from Alabama A&M University’s Marching Maroon and White are set to travel more than 900 miles to kick off the 97th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, USA Today reports. Held annually in New York City, Alabama A&M is not the first HBCU band to […]
Sha’Carri Richardson & Noah Lyles Named 2023 USATF Athletes of the Year
They’re making the ancestors proud! 23-year-old Sha’Carri Richardson had an impressive year, winning 100m, 4x100m gold, and 200m bronze at worlds, NBC Sports reports. Her hard work has now paid off, with Richardson winning the USA Track and Field (USATF) Jackie Joyner-Kersee Woman Athlete of the Year award. This is a first for the young […]
Serena Williams & Civil Rights Icon Ruby Bridges Set to Be Inducted Into National Women’s Hall of Fame
It’s a monumental moment! Two icons, tennis phenom Serena Williams and civil rights pioneer Ruby Bridges, are set to be inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, NBC News reports. Bridges and Williams have been added to the 2024 inductee class, along with eight other honorees announced this past spring. Both women have contributed […]
Johnson C. Smith’s New Esports & Gaming Trifecta Program Is Setting an HBCU Standard
They’re charting a new path! Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) launched its Esports and Gaming Trifecta program in January 2020, making history as the first HBCU to offer the program to students. The program features an Esports and Gaming management academic arm, an Esports Lab, and a competitive Esports Club, which has already begun making […]
Howard University Alumna Named First Ever Beyoncé Reporter
This is a huge moment for the culture! Howard University graduate Caché McClay has just been named as the first-ever Beyoncé reporter for The Tennessean and USA Today Network. A Cleveland, Ohio, native, McClay has worked as a writer and digital producer at Hearst Television, NBC News, BBC News, and most recently at TMZ covering […]
Esi Eggleston Bracey Appointed New Chief Marketer of Unilever
It’s the ninth-largest marketing company in the world! Esi Eggleston Bracey got her start at Procter & Gamble Co., working closely with the chief brand officer on global cosmetics. When P&G sold that business to Coty, Bracey became the head of global cosmetics there before stepping down in 2017 and joining Unilever the following year, […]
Meet 15-Year-Old Shyla Brown, the Number One Ranked African American Junior Golfer
She’s got her eye on the prize! Shyla Brown was just eight years old when she began playing golf, crediting her parents with sparking her interest in the sport, WFAA news reports. “Both of my parents played. You know, when you’re that young, you kind of take up what your parents are doing. I found […]
Boston Teacher Makes History as First Black Man to Become Massachusetts Teacher of the Year
His students cheered! De’Shawn Washington is a fourth-grade teacher at Maria Hastings Elementary School in Lexington, Massachusetts, Boston 25 news reports. A dedicated and committed teacher, Washington was recently named Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, making history as the first Black man to receive the state’s highest honor for educators. Congratulations to newly named Mass. […]
Chick-fil-A Commits Second Round of $500K to Morris Brown College Leadership Initiative
They’re preparing students for the hospitality industry! In 2021, Chick-fil-A committed $500,000 to Morris Brown College alongside the construction of a new 150-unit on-campus hotel, Black Enterprise reports. The hospitality project included an instructional space for students, making Morris Brown the first and only historically Black college or university (HBCU) in the nation to launch […]
Pharrell’s Black Ambition Prize Awards $3.2M to 36 Black & Brown Startups
They’re closing the opportunity gap! Pharrell’s Black Ambition nonprofit launched in 2020 with the goal of supporting Black and brown entrepreneurs through vital funding, virtual training resources, and events in an effort to close the wealth and opportunity gap, PR Newswire reports. Since its inception, the company has helped over 5,000 founders, awarding 101 prizes […]