February, 2022 - Greater Diversity News

Meet the Founder Helping Black Women Through Virtual Holistic Wellness Coaching and Digital Courses

In an effort to guide Black women on the journey of life, Cassandra Hill, the founder and CEO of Holistic Living Consulting LLC based in Osceola, Arkansas, is working to share a simple but powerful message that wellness can connect

Only Black Governor in the U.S. Since 2019 Interviewed By Students at Prestigious School in Maryland

The highest-ranking official in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), Governor Albert Bryan Jr., recently held a 45-minute virtual Q&A with 200+ Black students at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland (in the Washington, DC area). Bryan is currently

New Collaborative Seeks Investment in Media Organizations as Critical Civic Infrastructure

David Morgan, Founder & President of the Multicultural Media & Correspondents Association (MMCA), and Linda Miller, the manager of the Donald Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI), have each declared that a robust, resilient, and diverse media ecosystem count as essential to

“Ashamed”: Newspapers Apologize for Decades of Negative Coverage on Black Communities

In a stark reminder of the importance of the Black Press established in the U.S. in 1827 by Sam Cornish and John Russwurm, American papers are beginning to analyze their coverage of African Americans. In at least two instances that

A Legacy Worth Leaving – Compassion & Choices offers an End of Life Decisions Guide & Toolkit

We are hardwired to deal with grief, but everyone grieves differently. Acknowledging the complexities and simplicity of grief allow me to live a full life. Sometimes my grief manifests itself as gratitude for another day, sometimes it moves me

Black Press Salutes President Biden’s Supreme Court Nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

Three times the Senate has confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson – twice unanimously. Now, an evenly divided Senate will face the task of confirming Judge Jackson to the highest court in America and, in the process, make her the first

For Diversity in School Boards: Georgia Students Lead the Fight

Maariya Sheikh is just 16 years old, but every day at school she gets a lesson in inequality she says the adults around her should heed. Drawn by a specific academic program, Sheikh chose to attend high school outside the

Minority Equality Opportunities Acquisition Inc. Rings Closing Bell at Nasdaq

The management team and directors were joined on stage by minority business owners, future business leaders and champions of economic inclusion Washington, DC – Minority Equality Opportunities Acquisition Inc. (“MEOA”) announced today the special purpose acquisition company’s (SPAC) participation in

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Supports the Expedient Confirmation of a Black Woman to Become the Next United States Supreme Court Justice

Steeped in far more than historical significance, the confirmation of a Black woman to the highest court of the land would represent yet another significant step in America fulfilling its promise to African Americans who helped build this country. The

Attacking the Right to Vote Has Been Going on for Years

Across the country, we are witnessing the continued trend of Republican leaders passing measures that make it harder for Black and poor people to vote. In Georgia’s Spaulding County, two Republican officials created a new law that only applies to

Gravitas Ventures Acquires Documentary, “Twenty Pearls: The Story of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.”

(CHICAGO) ― Gravitas Ventures has acquired the U.S. and Canadian distribution rights for “Twenty Pearls: The Story of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.,” an intimate documentary film introducing the storied history of Alpha Kappa Alpha, America’s first sorority for

BHERC Call For Entries For The 29th Annual “Sistas Are Doin’ It For Themselves” Short Film Fest Deadline Nears

The signature BHERC “Sistas” Film Festival featuring the work of Black Women Directors returns, offering the public the best from Women Directors in Short Film format from around the globe. (Hollywood, CA) – The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center

Virginia Republican Assistant Attorney General Resigns Amid January 6 Social Media Posts

Monique Miles, Virginia Republican, and former deputy attorney general for Government Operations and Transactions, has resigned after facing a firestorm of controversy when photos of her appeared on social media applauding insurrectionists during the January 6 riot at the

Protecting the Right for All Eligible Voters to Register, Vote, and Have Their Votes Counted

Since the start of the pandemic, Voter Protection Corps has sought to confront the voter suppression issues that persist in every election as well as the new challenges to voting posed by COVID-19. Our mission is to ensure that all

Founder of Sisters Inspire Sisters Network Seeks to Recruit More Black Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals

Monique Denton, a Life Transformation Coach for Black women entrepreneurs and business professionals who is known as the founder of Embrace Your Cake, announces the success of her platform called Sisters Inspire Sisters (SIS) Network where she says the goal

Ancient DNA Helps Reveal Social Changes in Africa 50,000 Years Ago That Shaped the Human Story

Every person alive on the planet today is descended from people who lived as hunter-gatherers in Africa. The continent is the cradle of human origins and ingenuity, and with each new fossil and archaeological discovery, we learn more about our

Zoe Bethel the Reigning Miss Alabama Dies at 27

Zoe Bethel, the former model crowned Miss Alabama for America Strong in 2021, has died. Bethel, who worked as a reporter for Right Side Broadcasting, suffered fatal injuries from a car accident earlier this month, her family said in a

President Biden Begins Supreme Court Interview Process

President Biden reportedly has begun interviewing candidates to succeed Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. The President has vowed to nominate the first Black woman to the high court, and said he expects to announce his selection by the end of

Howard University Receives $2M to digitize Black newspaper archive

Howard University has received a $2 million donation to digitize its Black Press Archives, that contains more than 2,000 newspaper titles including publications like the New York Amsterdam News, Chicago Defender, Washington Informer, Baltimore AFRO, and other historically Black publications.

Ahmaud Arbery Killers Found Guilty of Hate Crimes in Federal Court

A federal jury found Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, and William “Roddie” Bryan guilty on all counts in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. The verdict came on the eve of the anniversary of Arbery’s murder. The McMichaels and Bryan

Washington at the Plow: The Founding Father and the Question of Slavery

BOOK REVIEW: Washington at the Plow: The Founding Father and the Question of Slavery by Bruce A. Ragsdale (Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2021) In Washington at the Plow: The Founding Father and the Question of Slavery, Bruce Ragsdale

Anti-Asian Violence Spiked in the Us During the Pandemic, Especially in Blue-state Cities

It’s widely known that Asian Americans felt – and were – persecuted during the pandemic. But the extent of this violence, and its uneven geographic distribution across the U.S., is now much clearer, thanks to research I conducted with collaborators

How Scammers Like Anna Delvey and the Tinder Swindler Exploit a Core Feature of Human Nature

Maybe she had so much money she just lost track of it. Maybe it was all a misunderstanding. That’s how Anna Sorokin’s marks explained away the supposed German heiress’s strange requests to sleep on their couch for the night, or

Want Better Child Care? Invest in Entrepreneurial Training for Child Care Workers

Christine Heer – a veteran preschool teacher – had long harbored a passion to run a nature-based preschool. So in 2015 she opened Sprouts Farm and Forest Kindergarten in central Massachusetts. Diana Stinson did something similar in 2018 when she

Portland Police Union, City Settle on Tentative Contract

Proponents of police reform see promise in agreement that includes police discipline guide. After a year of negotiation and eight months after deadline, the city of Portland and the union representing the city’s police officers have tentatively agreed on a

“Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul” Part Manifesto, Part History, Part Memoir

A powerful polemic on the state of black America that savages the idea of a post-racial society. America’s great promise of equality has always rung hollow in the ears of African Americans. But today the situation has grown even more

Supreme Court May End Affirmative Action at Universities

The Supreme Court said it will reconsider race-based affirmative action in college admissions. The Monday, January 24, announcement could eliminate campus practices that have widely benefitted African American and Hispanic students. Policies at Harvard University and the University of North

The GOP Takes Aim at D.C. Statehood and Home Rule as Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton Fights Back

With the midterm elections in November, Republicans are positioned to retake the U.S. House and Senate, and killing any hopes of D.C. statehood. Longtime Democratic District of Columbia Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes-Norton has condemned attacks on her city by Republicans who

NC Redraws Maps with Bipartisan Support

The North Carolina Supreme Court entered a Solomonic decision regarding the drawing of district maps in the state whereby the Republicans were required to split the baby or relent. They relented… Today a joint statement issued by House Speaker Tim

How Poisonous Mercury Gets From Coal-fired Power Plants Into the Fish You Eat

People fishing along the banks of the White River as it winds through Indianapolis sometimes pass by ominous signs warning about eating the fish they catch. One of the risks they have faced is mercury poisoning. Mercury is a neurotoxic

Howard University’s Lacrosse Team Met with Racial Slurs at South Carolina Game

Howard University and Presbyterian College officials reportedly have opened an investigation into racist slurs directed at the historically Black school’s lacrosse team before a game in South Carolina this month. As Howard’s all-Black team made its way inside Presbyterian’s Bailey

New Analysis Highlighting Economic Progress and Socioeconomic Barriers Facing Black Americans

The Congressional Black Caucus is committed to advancing Black families in the 21st Century through addressing the economic disparities that have plagued our communities for generations, creating opportunities that combat poverty, and closing the worsening racial wage and wealth gaps

Mary J. Blige Set To Perform During the NAACP Image Awards

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Today, the NAACP and BET revealed the performers and presenters for the “53rd NAACP Image Awards.” Nine-time Grammy Award-winning singer and two-time Academy Award-nominated actress and producer Mary J. Blige will take the stage to perform

The Supreme Court Could Hamstring Federal Agencies’ Regulatory Power in a High-profile Air Pollution Case

On Feb. 28, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in West Virginia v. EPA, a case that centers on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change. How the court

Run for Something’s 2022 Strategic Plan

Where we started Five years ago, on January 20th, 2017, Run for Something officially launched into the world as nothing more than an idea, a website, and a strategic plan. Every year since, in the service of living our values

Girls Still Fall Behind Boys in Top Scores for AP Math Exams

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea After decades of growth, the number of high school girls who take Advanced Placement math exams is now almost the same as the number for boys.

Canadian Trucker Protests Show How the Loudest Voices in the Room Distort Democracy

After Canadian truckers upset with vaccination mandates made their way to Ottawa, they parked their vehicles near Parliament and started making noise – lots of it – blasting their air horns day and night, disturbing the repose of citizens at

BOSS Network Offers $500K in Funding and Free Coaching for Black Women Entrepreneurs

Chicago, IL — The BOSS Network, an online community of professional and entrepreneurial women who support each other through digital content, programs, and event-based networking, announces its BOSS Impact Fund. It has been reported that the single greatest barrier to

After the FDA Issued Warnings About Antidepressants, Youth Suicides Rose and Mental Health Care Dropped

Depression in young people is vastly undertreated. About two-thirds of depressed youth don’t receive any mental health care at all. Of those who do, a significant proportion rely on antidepressant medications. Since 2003, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

DOJ Intervenes in Black Couple’s Home Appraisal Lawsuit

In 2020, Tenisha Tate-Austin and Paul Austin, a Black couple in San Francisco, sought to refinance their home mortgage. Janette Miller, a licensed appraiser, named a defendant in the lawsuit, appraised the couple’s home at $995,000. However, a few weeks

SBA, Black Chambers Back President Biden’s Push for Federal Contracting with Minority Businesses

In December, after the Biden administration announced reforms to the federal procurement process that increased the share of small and disadvantaged businesses in the federal contracting base, U.S. Black Chambers Inc. (USBC) President Ron Busby offered resounding applause. When President

After Super Bowl, Civil Rights Leaders Say NFL Must Tackle Stark Absence of Black Head Coaches

The NFL’s halfhearted attempt nearly 20 years ago at diversity – the Rooney Rule – failed miserably. In the National Football League, where players are overwhelmingly Black, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., the president and CEO of the National Newspaper

Kamau Bell is Wrong; We Don’t Need to Talk About Cosby, We Need to Talk About His Illegal Trials

“The biggest problem is that it’s a distraction that Showtime will use to make money and to denigrate a Black man further, and they can say ‘look, it’s another Black man [Bell] doing the denigrating,” Writer Kamau Bell proclaimed Black

What Do Students’ Beliefs About God Have To Do With Grades and Going to College?

In America, the demographic circumstances of a child’s birth substantially shape academic success. Sociologists have spent decades studying how factors beyond students’ control – including the race, wealth and ZIP code of their parents – affect their educational opportunities and

Guns and Violence Interrupter Erica Ford Continues to Champion the Underserved

Many viewed that the discussion – and subsequent momentous pledges – occurred in Queens counts as significant, particularly for Erica Ford, founder of Life Camp, the nonprofit whose goals and methods center on ending gun violence in underserved communities. When

With Her Speedskating Gold Medal, Erin Jackson Hopes to Inspire More Black Girls in Winter Sports

While the Super Bowl expectedly received all the attention in the sports world on Sunday, February 13, the Winter Olympics provided a most historical moment. Erin Jackson became the first Black woman to win a speedskating medal when she took

Make Good the Promises – Questions of Reconstruction Remain the Challenges of Today

The United States emerged from the Civil War fundamentally changed. For the first time, slavery did not legally exist within its borders. What this meant was the question before the nation. Would four million newly freed people be truly free

“Wisdom From My Father’s Porch” by Dr. Dorrance Kennedy

Dr. Dorrance Kennedy is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. He is a graduate of Hampton University; received his Master of Social Work from Southern University, a Master of Theological Studies degree from Covenant Seminary, and a Doctorate of Education

Meet the Black Neuroscientist Who is on a Mission to Change the World

Shonté Jovan-Taylor is a neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and success strategist who is on a mission to change the world through the power of neuroscience so that more people can unleash their human potential. As a TEDx speaker and a member of

The Bake – Orange Cran Muffins

Hello and welcome back to The Bake! This week’s bake has to be one of my favorite flavor combos yet- orange and cranberry muffins. These fluffy muffins are packed with the sweet and tart flavors of orange and cranberries and

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