Bestselling author Roxane Gay is CCNY's 2025 Langston Hughes medalist

Roxane Gay, the New York Times bestselling author and noted scholar, is the City College of New York's 2025 Langston Hughes Medal recipient. She'll receive the Medal at CCNY's 46th annual Langston Hughes Festival, Feb. 13-14. This year's event commemorates the centenary of the Harlem Renaissance, that intellectual and cultural revival of African-American literature, music, art, theater and scholarship of which Langston Hughes was a central figure.

The medal is awarded to highly distinguished writers from throughout the African American diaspora. It recognizes honorees for their impressive works of poetry, fiction, drama, autobiography and critical essays that help to celebrate the memory and tradition of Langston Hughes. Past award winners include:

• James Baldwin;
• Gwendolyn Brooks;
• Toni Morrison;
• August Wilson;
• Maya Angelou;
• Octavia Butler;
• Edwidge Danticat;
• Zadie Smith;
• Michael Eric Dyson;
• Rita Dove;
• Jamaica Kincaid;
• Lynn Nottage; and
• Carlson Whitehead. 

A prolific writer, Gay has authored and edited numerous books. The list includes her 2014 debut An Untamed State, the New York Times bestsellers Bad Feminist and Hunger; the nationally bestselling Difficult Women, and the World of Wakanda for Marvel. Click here for a full list of her books.

Gay's writing appears also in Best American Mystery Stories 2014, Best American Short Stories 2012, and Best Sex Writing 2012.  Among the many literary magazines frequently publishing her work are: A Public Space, McSweeney's, Tin House, Oxford American, American Short Fiction, and Virginia Quarterly Review. Read more here.

In 2020, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade, Queerty -- the online news and entertainment publication that covers LGBTQ-related topics, including news and politics -- named Gay among the 50 heroes "leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people." She was also included in the 2022 Fast Company Queer 50 list.

Gay is a graduate of Norwich University (B.A.), the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (M.A.) and Michigan Technological University (Ph.D.).

The Langston Hughes Festival commences Thursday, Feb. 13, with a student symposium. The evening ceremony will include a reading by Gay, and a conversation between her and author Edwidge Danticat, the 2011 Langston Hughes medalist.

Concluding the program on Feb. 14, Valentine's Day, will be the first Langston Hughes Festival Fundraising Breakfast.

"The 2025 Langston Hughes Festival Theme is Black Love, and we will celebrate Black Love in all its iterations," said Jervette R. Ward, Festival Director and Chair of CCNY's Black Studies Department. "In addition, in honor of both Gay and Danticat, this special two-day Harlem Renaissance Centennial will include a celebration of Haitian music and food."

Both Gay and Danticat are of Haitian heritage.

NAACP President Condemns Trump Administration’s Roll Back of DEI Programs

In a flurry of Executive Orders enacted on President Trump's first day in office, the controversial Administration has chosen to roll back all federal programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. The move represents a significant regression from the previous Administration's approach to centering racial equity and remedying the systemic racism deeply entrenched in our nation's governing practices. 

NAACP President Derrick Johnson released the following statement condemning President Trump's Executive Order Rolling Back DEI in the Federal Government:

"It is outrageous that the President is rolling back critical Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. DEI programs help ensure that everyone can prosper. It's clear that President Trump does not value equal opportunity. 

His appalling executive order will only worsen America's racial hierarchy and benefit the oligarch class. This executive order threatens public services that benefit all Americans; it's an attempt to consolidate power and money to a few wealthy individuals. And poor and working-class people will pay the price. 

This is all part of a calculated strategy to redefine the role of government, privatize essential public services, and further discrimination. Elections have consequences and it's clear that this election has put a target on Black America's back." 

The data makes it clear: organizations with diverse workforces have a strategic advantage over those who don't. According to McKinsey, Companies in the top quartile for being ethnically and culturally diverse are 36% more profitable than those in the bottom quartile. 

To learn more about NAACP's work to advance a more inclusive economy, visit our website. 

Rick Smith Sr. Appointed President of Dallas College Northlake

Rick W. Smith, Sr. has been named president of Dallas College Northlake in Texas. His presidency will begin on February 3.

Dallas College Northlake is a public community college and one of seven campuses within the Dallas College system. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the system as a whole enrolls nearly 67,000 students, 20 percent of whom are Black.

Dr. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications from the University of Louisville, an MBA from Kennedy Western University, a master’s degree in philanthropic studies from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, and a doctor of education degree from Bradley University in Illinois.

SOURCE: JBHE

Congressional Black Caucus Statement on President Biden’s Historic Clemency Action

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus today celebrated President Biden’s historic clemency action.

Today’s clemency announcement follows a December 11th letter from the Congressional Black Caucus which called on President Biden “to prioritize the commutation of sentences for individuals serving disproportionately long prison terms, particularly those who would receive significantly shorter sentences or have access to early release if they were sentenced under current law and practice."

“The Congressional Black Caucus applauds President Biden for this act of clemency in pardoning nearly 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses who are serving disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy, and practice.

“As President Biden prepares to leave office, he has now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in our nation's history, solidifying a lasting legacy of upholding the values of criminal justice reform and equal protection under the law.

“For years, the CBC has been the leading voice in this fight. During this administration, President Biden has been our partner in this work, standing beside us in our commitment to justice. Following President Biden’s recent commutations of individuals on death row, we laud today’s act to prioritize the reduction of our federal overpopulation crisis, second chances for Americans to rebuild their lives, and the reunification of families.”

NAACP Commends President Biden’s Clemency Actions During His Final Hours in the White House

In the wake of President Biden's announcement of pardoning five individuals including Marcus Garvey and commuting the sentences of two more, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson released the following statement:

The NAACP commends President Biden's leadership and commitment to justice demonstrated by today's pardons. Righting these wrongs highlights the systemic inequities that have – for too long – plagued our criminal justice system.

By pardoning and commuting individuals who have shown profound personal growth and dedication to serving their communities, President Biden has taken a meaningful step toward restoring their dignity and showing that this country believes in second chances.

But our work does not end here. Make no mistake, the NAACP will continue to fight on behalf of Black Americans who have been disproportionately impacted by the justice system.