The 2022-2023 School Year has officially ended, which means the countdown to homecoming season is on! 2022 featured a homecoming season for the record books, as Spelhouse shocked the world by having Drake appear at their homecoming concert along 21 Savage! Alabama State’s homecoming game versus Jackson State sparked a viral moment that birthed the “Who Is SWAC” meme, Norfolk & Morgan State as well as NCAT & Campbell had all-time classic homecoming games that left fans glued to their seats. But, most of all, the HBCU community got to be outside for the first full, non-restricted homecoming season since COVID.
Below are the dates for 2023 HBCU Homecomings by date and school. Please note that, as of this writing, Homecoming dates haven’t been announced for: Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Paul Quinn, Fisk, Texas College, Philander Smith. We will update the list as more information is given or if anything changes.
Teniya Morant, sister of Memphis Grizzlies’ All-Star Ja Morant, announced her commitment to Mississippi Valley State University. Teniya broke the news via her Instagram on Wednesday. Mississippi Valley was the first Division 1 basketball program to offer her a scholarship in January. Grambling then followed. Morant, a 5’3″ guard, recently graduated from Houston High School where she averaged 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Morant led Houston High School to a 19-12 record, including a 9-4 record in their district.
Mississippi Valley State University’s basketball program faced a challenging season, finishing with a difficult 2-27 overall record and no wins in the SWAC. The Devilettes have had 10 consecutive losing seasons, with their last winning season occurring in the 2012-2013 school year where they went 17-15 (12-6 in the SWAC). Mississippi Valley loks to return to winning ways with the addition of Morant to the roster.
Justin Lewis, Houston High girls basketball coach, spoke about Morant in a quote obtained by online publication, The Commercial Appeal, saying, “They’re getting a tenacious player that gives it her all on the floor. Somebody that’s going to be vocal. She’s going to work hard.”
Check out highlights from her senior season below!
Update: As of right now, there isn’t any reports from local news outlets about the bomb threat at Jarvis Christian College, which is said to have been reported to campus police on May 16th. The tweet below is the only acknolwedgement of the threat. We will continue to keep you updated.
There was a bomb threat at Jarvis Christian College today. Another HBCU.
The first reported bomb threat was at St. Phillips College MLK Campus in Alamo, Texas. St. Phillips College is a historically black community college that enrolls 11,000+ students. My San Antonio reports that campus police evacuated students from the institution around 1:30 PM CST on Monday, March 15th. An all-clear was given at 3 PM. On Tuesday at 1 PM CST, as reported by KAGS, Prairie View A&M received a bomb threat. University officials evacuated campus and the staff was instructed to continue remote work for the duration of the day and in-office work would return on Wednesday. The University issued an all-clear via Twitter at 3:54 PM CST.
The University Police Department has issued an all-clear. Campus personnel should continue remote work through the rest of today, and return to campus at their normally scheduled time tomorrow,Wednesday, May 17.
Jackson State also received a bomb threat on Tuesday, in which the Mississippi-based HBCU evacuated campus and transitioned to virtual work. Jackson State officials, after investigation by the Jackson Police Bomb Squad and the Jackson Fire department, issued an all-clear at 3:23 PM.
The JSU Department of Public Safety in partnership with the Jackson Police Department Bomb Squad, and Jackson Fire Department responded to a bomb threat made to campus earlier today. pic.twitter.com/oHrcZZ3mfS
Today, FAMU also received a bomb threat causing a evacuation from campus. A FAMU alert went out about a bomb threat received via telephone at 12:46 PM EST. After a search by the FAMU Police Department and Tallahassee Police Department, an all-clear was issued by the University at 3 PM. So far, no motive or further investigation into possible suspects has occurred for either of the four threats to HBCU campuses this week. It also hasn’t been reported if the FBI and other federal agencies have been notified of these threats and are investigating.
We will continue to keep you notified of any updates.
SB 266 is officially law in the State of Florida, on Monday. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the controversial bill into law, an expansion of the “Stop W.O.K.E. ACt” to curtail the teaching of “critical race theory” and funding of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives at public colleges and universities in the state. We first reported of the bill last summer as draft legislation uncovered by independent journalist Jason Garcia. A version of the bill (HB 299) was also introduced in the Florida House of Representatives, alarming higher education advocates around the nation due to vague language that could be interpreted as banning multicultural organizations such as the National Pan-Hellenic Council from state college & university campuses.
In a signing ceremony at New College of Florida, DeSantis championed the passage of the bill. “We are eliminating the DEI programs, we’re gonna treat people as individuals,” DeSantis stated, “In reality, what this concept of DEI has been is an attempt to impose orthodoxy on the university. And not even necessarily in the classroom, but through the administrative apparatus of the university itself,”
The higher education version of the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act” prohibits Florida state colleges and universities from spending federal or state-allocated money on programs that “advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion” as well as spending on programs that “promote or engage in political or social activism.” The definition of “political or social activism” that is prohibited is left to be defined by the university system’s state Board of Governors. DeSantis, as governor, appoints 14 of the 17 members to that board. Along with mandating reporting certain research expenditures to the Board of Governors, the bill changes the way general courses are established, requiring the colleges and universities to seek approval for certain courses.
The law, set to take effect July 1st, faces significant legal challenges. An argument can be made that the law violates the first amendment, as it protects against government censorship. Critics of the law argue that prohibiting how professors teach and how schools allocate money infringes upon the first amendment rights of the professors. It also stifles academic freedom. The law also can affect the way that institutions are accredited by accreditation agencies such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. SACSCOC accredits many of the HBCUs in the southern region of the United States, including Florida A&M University which will be affected by the passage of SB 266. The bill could violate the standards by which the colleges in the system must abide as laid out by the accrediting agency. An institution losing accreditation has negative effects, including transfer credits not being taken at other accredited institutions as well as the inability to apply for federal financial aid at the unaccredited school.
We will continue to keep you updated on hbcupulse.com as well as HBCU Pulse Radio about the further effects of the passage of the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act” as well as possible legal challenges.
Tones of Melanin founder Ashley Jones will be a featured entrepreneur on ABC’s “Shark Tank” Season 14 premiere on May 19th. Tones of Melanin is the first HBCU apparel brand to appear in front of the Shark’s in the show’s history. Jones will also be featured in an exclusive interview with HBCU Pulse Radio. The interview will air on SiriusXM Channel 142 HBCU, as well as on HBCU League Pass+, YouTube, and podcast platforms, coinciding with the release of the Shark Tank episode at 5 PM EST/4 PM CST.
Tones of Melanin has garnered significant attention for its commitment to capturing the essence of HBCU campus culture through fashion-forward athleisure apparel. As the only licensed HBCU Athleisure brand created by an HBCU woman graduate that is available in major retailers such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Belk Stores, and Follett College Bookstores, Tones of Melanin is a trailblazer in the industry.
Jones, who founded Tones of Melanin just over three years ago, is thrilled to be showcasing her brand on national television and sharing her story with a wider audience. In her exclusive interview with HBCU Pulse Radio, Jones will discuss her journey as an entrepreneur and the inspiration behind Tones of Melanin. Listeners will gain insight into how Jones has successfully established Tones of Melanin as a leader in the HBCU Athleisure market, as well as her plans for the future.
Don’t miss the chance to see Ashley Jones pitch Tones of Melanin on “Shark Tank” on May 19th at 8 PM EST/7 PM CST on ABC, and tune in to the exclusive interview with HBCU Pulse Radio at 5 PM EST/4 PM CST on May 19th on SiriusXM Channel 142 HBCU, HBCU League Pass+, YouTube, and podcast platforms.
This is an audio transcript of the “Randall’s Thoughts” segment of HBCU Pulse Radio on SiriusXM. To hear the audio version of this commentary, click below!
Yes, so on today’s Randall’s Thoughts I want to talk about commencement season. Commencement season is an amazing time in college life. It signifies the end of your collegiate journey and the start of what we sometimes consider real adult life. Due to the pomp and circumstance of commencement, colleges often go out and get heavy hitter speakers to motivate the graduating class. Just this Spring we’ve seen Oprah at Tennessee State, Rickey Smiley at Miles College and Morris Chestnut at North Carolina A&T.
Howard always seems to get the heaviest of hitters to grace the stage as the commencement speaker. So, this year, the Mecca invited our 46th President of the United States Joe Biden to address the Spring 2023 Howard University Graduates. President Biden was also given an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters. President Biden is the seventh sitting US President to speak at Howard’s commencement which is amazing. But, of course, what should be a positive moment has turned negative. People have turned President Biden’s speech into a political ploy to weaken support for his re-election campaign.
The stir this time comes from President Biden openly condemning White Supremacy in his commencement address.
But on the best days, enough of us have the guts and the hearts to st- — to stand up for the best in us. To choose love over hate, unity over disunion, progress over retreat. To stand up against the poison of white supremacy, as I did in my Inaugural Address — to single it out as the most dangerous terrorist threat to our homeland is white supremacy. (Applause.) And I’m not saying this because I’m at a Black HBCU. I say it wherever I go.
This one moment from the speech took on a life of its own with detractors saying that he was “pandering” to black voters by speaking about white supremacy and racism at an HBCUs. To say that President Biden is pandering saying this at Howard during his address is absurd. Listen, it’s ok if you have a valid critique but folks are obsessed with finding anything to challenge the Biden/Harris administration.
Let me give you an example of valid criticism I have. I’ve watched nearly every speech that President Biden has given at an HBCU during his tenure. His commencement remarks seem to always have the sound of a campaign stump speech. I’m not the biggest fan of that, as I believe that commencement speeches should be all about giving words of encouragement to the graduate as well as a few tips for the journey ahead. President Biden’s commencement speech remarks sometimes sound as if he’s listing his accomplishments with black people and reaffirming his commitment to standing against racism and white supremacy.
But, that very critique that I have oddly enough is defense against these baseless claims that he’s pandering with his comments. President Biden’s condemnation of white supremacy and his talk about restoring the soul of the nation isn’t new! He does, in fact, say this everywhere that he goes!
Let me give you an example. Here’s President Biden in December 2021 addressing the Fall graduates of South Carolina State.
And finally, we continue to confront the oldest and darkest forces in this nation: hate and racism. Despite all the laws enacted through the struggles we know, we knew we could make progress. But what I didn’t realize is you can defeat hate, but you can’t eliminate it. It just slides back under a rock. And when given oxygen by political leaders, it comes out ugly and mean as it was before.
We can’t give it any oxygen. We have to step on it. We have to respond to it. (Applause.)
Doesn’t that sound oddly familiar to his remarks at Howard University? I’ll do you one better! You might say “Well, South Carolina State is an HBCU! He was pandering there too!” Well, here’s President Biden in May 2022 speaking at his alma mater the University of Delaware during their Spring Commencement.
I decided to seek the presidency. When I had concluded — I was a professor at Penn — I was never going to run again. And then, Charlottesville.
In the United States of America, in the 20th century — 21st century — people coming out of fields at night carrying torches. Close your eyes. Remember what you saw. Their veins bulging, preaching the same hate — white supremacy; chanting the same Nazi phrases — not figuratively, literally — that were being chanted in the ‘30s in Europe. Torches lit again.
Did you hear that? President Biden spoke again about the ills of White Supremacy at a PWI! No one said a word about it! But now, seven months from 2024, it’s a problem. He’s “pandering”. All of this is just campaign speak. I can play even more of his speeches to prove the premise that the President said for himself: he says this everywhere he goes. Don’t fall for it. As we head towards November 2024, we’re going to see many coordinated political attacks and propaganda aimed at the black community to depress our vote. We can’t fall for it! We must always make sure we’re up on the facts and always lead conversations with truth. After all, that’s what our HBCUs have prepared us to do.
The bill also goes after Pell Grant funding. The Department of Education released a fact-sheet on April 25th highlighting how the GOP proposal of cutting educational programs by 22% would affect several functions of the department. The GOP bill would eliminate mandatory funding for Pell Grants, which means that the funding could change each year instead of staying stable like it is currently. This would also open up cuts to Pell Grant funding in the future. This move would affect African-American students, specifically those who attend HBCUs.
As we reported in August,UNCF reports that over 70% of HBCU students are Pell-Grant eligible, with black students making up 72% of Pell Grant recipients amongst all colleges. That number outpaces Asian students (36% of Pell Grant recipients) and white students (34%). The Pell Grant program, which is the largest federal student loan assistance program for undergraduate students offered by the US Department of Education, is a form of need-based financial aid that was established in the Higher Education Act of 1965. This legislation also established the designation of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for institutions of higher learning that were created before 1964 with the specific purpose of educating African-American students. The program was named after the chief sponsor of the legislation, Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island.
Eliminating the FAFSA verification requirement: Under the Trump administration, some students who applied for Pell Grants were selected for verification, which required them to provide additional documentation to prove their eligibility for financial aid. The Biden administration has eliminated this requirement for most students, which has helped to simplify and streamline the application process.
Simplifying the FAFSA form: The Biden administration has proposed simplifying the FAFSA form by reducing the number of questions and making it easier for students to transfer their tax information directly from the IRS.
Increasing outreach and support: The Biden administration has also increased outreach and support to help students apply for Pell Grants and other forms of financial aid. This includes expanding the role of the Federal Student Aid (FSA) office in providing information and assistance to students and families, as well as partnering with community organizations and schools to help students navigate the application process.
The 2023 NFL Draft left HBCU supporters around the nation distraught. After an explosive NFL season that culminated in a high scoring and closely contested Celebration Bowl, only one HBCU Player was taken off of the draft board. Isaiah Bolden, Jackson State Defensive Back, was taken with the 245th pick in the 7th round by the New England Patriots. Notable HBCU Prospects, such as Isaiah Land, Xavier Smith and Mark Evans II were notable snubs as HBCU supporters struggled to come to terms with the lack of black college representation in the draft.
However, the talented HBCU prospects in the 2023 draft class weren’t out the game for long. Several NFL teams signed prospects as Undrafted Free Agents, still giving the young men the opportunity to play at the highest level. Below is a list of the HBCU players signed to Undrafted Free Agents Deals. This list will be updated as more HBCU Prospects are signed.
Earlier this week, HERO Media and Urban Edge Network announced that they are entering a partnership. Hero Media, a 100% Black owned and certified media and technology company, and Urban Edge Network LLC (UEN), a Black-owned media company and premier advertising network with owned publishers that focus on distributing content from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other black targeted audiences are working together to to create an even larger network focused on helping brands directly engage and invest in Black and diverse owned publishers at scale.
The partnership will operate as a division of the Hero Media Network and both entities believe that the partnership can help close the gap by providing more opportunities for brands to connect with diverse owned media beyond their own inventory.
We had the opportunity to speak briefly with Joe Anthony, the founder of HERO Media, about the partnership.
Randall: Why are Urban Edge and HERO Media collaborating on this endeavor?
Joe: Whenever you are able to bring together individuals who have significant resources, and relationships, there is strength in numbers in what you can do as far as impact. Urban Edge has a very specific product and inventory that Hero Media didn’t previously have, and Hero Media has access to advertisers and brands that are looking to make pre qualified investments. Our network and the strength of it, with the products and services it provides is why it makes this so important and different.
Randall: What could the possible impact of this partnership be in changing the advertising landscape for black companies? How can small black-owned media companies succeed in this media landscape and increase their advertising opportunities?
Joe: A lot of advertisers right now are looking for efficiency and ability to engage multiple publishers at once. Most major successful media companies these days are a part of conglomerates. There is an efficiency in being able to engage these holding companies and advertise several assets in their portfolio at once. The diverse-owned media industry should learn how to create their own collectives, pull resources, and learn how to collaborate in order to create compelling offerings for advertisers.
Disclaimer: HBCU Pulse is a streaming partner of HBCU League Pass+ and Urban Edge Network facilitates advertising for our company.
One of Tennessee State University’s most notable alumni is making their return to campus!
Billionaire media mogul and TSU alumna Oprah Winfrey will be headlining Tennessee State University’s undergraduate commencement. The university announced Winfrey as well as Graduate Commencement and Speaker U.S. Congressmen Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi), in a release this morning. Winfrey & Thompson will be addressing 800 graduates across both days. Winfrey speaking at the Nashville-based HBCU is significant. Winfrey is a 1986 graduate of Tennessee State University, where she majored in Speech Communications and Performing Arts. She won a full scholarship to Tennessee State after she won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant.
“Commencement is always a special time for our students and their families, as it marks a major milestone in our students’ lives and a sign of success for them,” says Tennessee State President, Dr. Glenda Glover, “To have Ms. Winfrey as our speaker will be a life changing moment for graduates and the University. She is someone who has walked the TSU campus as a student, sat in some of the same classroom, and knows first-hand the value of a TSU education. Ms. Winfrey and Congressman Thompson are trailblazers, history makers and HBCU graduates, adding to the excitement and anticipation for both commencement ceremonies.”
Oprah Winfrey came to prominence as host of the nationally syndicated daytime television talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show. The show ran from 1986 to 2011, becoming the highest rated talk show in history. After becoming a millionaire in 1986, she opened HARPO Studios in Chicago. This allowed her to get full ownership of the show, hiring her own people to produce and promote the program. She became a billionaire in 2003, becoming the first black female billionaire in history. She expanded her media empire, launching the O Magazine and the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
Winfrey will address the graduates on Saturday, May 8th at 8 AM CST.
