Howard University Graduating Class of 1900. The photograph was taken outside the Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel. Credit: Public Domain.
Education

Five HBCUs Leading the Charge in Creating Black Excellence

WORD IN BLACK — The 2022 proclamation from President Biden for National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week pointed out their incredible contributions to society: “HBCUs have produced 40 percent of all Black engineers and 50 percent of all Black lawyers in America. Seventy percent of Black doctors in our country attended an HBCU, and 80 percent of Black judges are alumni of these schools.” […]

Business

OP-ED: We Must Work Together to Support the Sustainability of HBCUs in America

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The loss of Title IV funding would drastically affect around 80 percent of the student bodies at HBCUs and would have a consequential negative impact on the future of these vital institutions of higher education. Endowments at HBCUs pale in comparison to those at the U.S.’s top ranked colleges and universities, with the overall endowments at all the country’s HBCUs accounting for less than a tenth of Harvard’s. The gap in funding between PWIs and HBCUs isn’t just because of smaller endowments, it’s also because state lawmakers keep funds off HBCU campuses – in North Carolina, for example, legislators awarded N.C. State an extra $79 million for research while N.C. A&T – the nation’s largest HBCU – was given only $9.5 million. […]

Education

A good education ‘by any means necessary

By Kevin Chavous  Executive Counsel American Federation for Children At age 6, Mical spent the majority of his first school year kicked out of class for behavioral issues, including angry and violent outbursts. His Great aunt […]

Education

Study: College completion gap between rich, poor widens

By CHRISTINE ARMARIO LOS ANGELES (AP) — The gap in bachelor-degree attainment between the nation’s richest and poorest students by age 24 has doubled during the last four decades, according to a report released Tuesday. The […]

Education

The Way Forward for Black Students

By Honorable Peter C. Groff  For good reasons many African Americans have wonderful memories of their time in public schools. Among those recollections are the family and community legacies, the favorite teacher and the lifelong […]

Education

Hinds County judge blocks state takeover of LeFlore County schools

JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) — Hinds County Circuit Judge Winston Kidd has blocked the state’s takeover of the Leflore County school district.

Kidd ruled Monday that the district is owed a formal hearing before the state can depose the current superintendent and school board.

The state has said it used another section of state law and no formal hearing was required before the governor declared a state of emergency. Gov. Phil Bryant declared an emergency in Leflore County Sept. 17, the same day Kidd first stepped in… […]

Education

Education chief: Maybe start school later in day

WASHINGTON (AP) — A later start to the school day could help teenagers get the most from their classroom time and local districts should consider delaying the first bell, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday.

School districts would still be free to set their own start times, Duncan insisted in a broadcast interview, but he pointed to research that backs up his comments that rested students are ready students. Duncan said he would not be telling local school leaders when their first bells should ring and said it was up to local leaders to make the decisions on their own…. […]