Historic Conference and Gala Will Honor the 60th Anniversary of the Black Panther Party

Sixty years after the Black Panther Party was founded in Oakland, California, the two foundations carrying the legacies of the Party's co-founders are joining forces for a landmark anniversary gathering.

The Black Panther Party 60th, a four-day conference and gala running October 15–18, 2026, in downtown Oakland, will bring together Party veterans from across the country alongside community members, scholars, activists, artists, and a new generation of leaders. The event marks six decades since Dr. Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Party in Oakland in October 1966, when a local organization challenging police brutality grew into an international movement advocating for political empowerment, economic justice, education, healthcare, housing, and human rights.

At the center of the anniversary is the coming together of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation and the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, each carrying forward the legacy of one of the Party's two co-founders. The foundations share a commitment to preserving the Party's history, ensuring its story is told accurately, and connecting its lessons to the challenges facing new generations.

"The Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation is proud to work with It's About Time BPP and other Panther veterans to bring this landmark event to Oakland on the 60th anniversary of the Party's founding," said Fredrika Newton, President and co-founder of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation. "We see this conference as a kick off to a new generation of revolutionaries who will take the legacy and lessons of the Black Panther Party forward."

The Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation was founded 31 years ago by Fredrika Newton, and the Party's Chief of Staff, David Hilliard. Since then, the Foundation has worked to preserve and promote the Party's history and legacy, including placing the first permanent sculpture in Oakland and opening the Black Panther Party Museum.

The collaboration between the foundations representing Newton and Seale carries particular significance during this anniversary year, for all the discord that COINTELPRO sowed, it was not lasting. Together, years later, these legacies are joining forces to assure that the Panther history is remembered, told and shared accurately, and with accessibility to younger generations of organizers.

"For 60 years, people have interpreted, debated, and too often distorted the history of the Black Panther Party," said Courtney S. Parker and Marcus King, co-founders of the Bobby Seale Legacy Foundation. "There is tremendous power in the foundations of the Party's two founders coming together around a shared responsibility: preserving this history and making sure future generations have the opportunity to learn directly from it."

That history cannot be understood without the federal campaign designed to erase it. Through the FBI's counterintelligence program, known as COINTELPRO, the government surveilled, infiltrated, disrupted, and sought to discredit the Party and its leadership. FBI documents later revealed efforts to exploit internal divisions, spread disinformation, undermine community support, and prevent the emergence of what the Bureau described as a unifying Black leader. Members were imprisoned, organizations were destabilized, and lives were lost.

Images of armed Panthers became some of the most recognizable representations of the organization, yet the Party also built an extensive network of community-based Survival Programs designed to meet people's immediate needs. These efforts included the Free Breakfast for Children Program, community health clinics, education programs, food distribution, transportation assistance and other initiatives rooted in the belief that communities could organize to address their own needs while working toward broader systemic change.

Six decades later, the work that was done to mobilize and activate the community continue to resonate and the conference gives attendees as chance to explore it through a slate of events at sites around Oakland, a series of workshops run by former Panthers, community organizers and other allies, culminating in a gala and a community day with Panthers at Lil' Bobby Hutton Park. Tickets can be purchased by visiting bpp60.org.

"The 60th anniversary is a moment to look to the future," said Dr. Xavier Buck, executive director of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation and founding director of the Black Panther Party Museum. "By bringing together Party veterans, scholars, organizers, and a new generation of revolutionaries, this conference will explore how the Party's legacy can continue to inspire action, strengthen communities, and shape the movements still to come. The history of the Black Panther Party is not simply something to preserve; it is a legacy to learn from, build upon, and carry forward into the next 60 years."

Black Panther Party 60th Anniversary
October 15-18, 2026, Downtown Oakland
Schedule – bpp60.org  **  Instagram - @bpp60th

4TH ANNUAL HBCU FIRST LOOK FILM & TV FESTIVAL RETURNS TO HOWARD UNIVERSITY

The 4th Annual HBCU First LOOK Film & TV Festival (HBCUFLF) returns to Howard University November 5 -7, with STARZ as its inaugural presenting sponsor.

Under the theme "How to Be the Next," the three-day Festival will create an immersive experience connecting students and emerging creators with HBCU alumni actors, filmmakers, producers and industry leaders through screenings, master classes and interactive, hands-on sessions.

Actors and content creators Laya DeLeon Hayes (Doc McStuffins, Why Did I Get Married Again) and DaSan Frazier (Tough Love: Atlanta, Straw) will serve as the festival's 2026 I Aspire Ambassadors and host the Salute THEM Awards luncheon, where winners of the HBCU First LOOK Film Challenge, selected from more than 450 entries, will be announced and awarded $5,000 and internship opportunity.

The luncheon will also celebrate the 2026 I Aspire 25, recognizing HBCU alumni across five categories: Visionaries, Changemakers, Storytellers, Filmmakers and Entrepreneurs. This year's honorees include Michael Strahan, Eva Marcille, Jamila Mustafa, Colby Muhammad Nixon and Tone Bell, among others.

HBCU First LOOK's growing network of entertainment, media and brand partners is central to its professional development mission, helping build the pipeline of HBCU talent through industry insight, direct interaction and career-building opportunities.

STARZ, home to the critically acclaimed and award-winning drama "P-Valley" and the iconic "Power" franchise, continues to take the lead by creating opportunities for women and underrepresented audiences in front of and behind the camera. The network will participate in key programming during the festival, further underscoring its commitment to supporting diverse talent and emerging storytellers.

As one of the founding sponsors of the Festival, ANDSCAPE will celebrate its 10th anniversary, highlighting a decade of powerful storytelling at the intersection of sports and culture. The celebration will feature a special Clips & Conversations tribute with award-winning producers, Sheila Matthews and Jesse Washington, showcasing memorable stories and ANDSCAPE's cultural impact.

The 2026 lineup includes producer Autumn Bailey-Ford, who will examine the increasingly global nature of film production, and actress and filmmaker Nicky Micheaux, who will lead a master class on the rise of vertical storytelling. Grammy Award-winning producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis will explore the relationship between music and film.

Creator-focused sessions will feature Alexis Powell, creator of The Jennifer Hudson Show's viral "hit" Spirit Tunnel; Howard University alumnae and content creators Jade & Jadah; media personality Jamila Mustafa; and independent filmmakers and producers the Vanzant Brothers.  Actress and I Aspire 25 honoree Kennedi Reece, who appears on CBS' Beyond the Gates and featured in Netflix's upcoming A Different World reboot, will participate on a leading lady panel.

New this year, aspireTV hosts a Clips & Conversation spotlighting its expansion into original scripted programming with New State of Mind, an HBCU-set comedy from producer Bentley Kyle Evans that follows first-year students navigating college life.

"HBCU First LOOK was created to build a pipeline that turns exposure into experience," said Sheila Eldridge, founder of the HBCU First LOOK Film & TV Festival. "This year, 12 Howard University students are helping produce the festival, lending a direct voice to programming and interactive elements presented. It's truly produced by students, for students—giving them a seat at the table and an active role in bringing the festival to life."

Black Girl Vitamins will host Fueling Your Future; a two-day wellness and career activation centered on how physical well-being supports the sustainability needed for creative careers.  TV One returns with a 'red carpet' readiness experience supports Micheaux's master class on vertical storytelling.

Additional partners include HBCUgo.tv, Storytellers Lab, Café Mocha Network, the Howard University Radio Network and the D.C. Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment (OCTFME).

The HBCU First LOOK Film & TV Festival will take place at the Armour J. Blackburn University Center at Howard University, 2397 6th Street NW, Washington, D.C. For registration, programming updates, media coverage and additional information, visit www.hbcufirstlook.com and info@hbcufirstlook.com. 

On all social platforms @HBCUfirstlook  #hbcufirstlook #Elevatefilmmakers #TAKETHELEAD,  #BeTheNext

Joe Ricks to Chair the ACBSP Board of Directors

Joe Ricks, the JP Morgan Chase Professor of Sales & Marketing and chair of the division of business at Xavier University of Louisiana, has been named chair-elect of the board of directors for the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), one of the world’s premier accrediting organizations for business education. As chair, Dr. Ricks will help shape the strategic direction of an organization that serves hundreds of institutions across more than 60 countries. He will serve one term as chair-elect and assume the chair’s role during the 2027–2028 academic year.

“Serving as chair-elect of ACBSP is both a tremendous honor and a meaningful opportunity to contribute to the future of business education,” said Dr. Ricks. “I am proud to represent ACBSP and Xavier on the international stage and to collaborate with outstanding educational leaders who are committed to preparing students for success in a rapidly evolving global economy.”

A veteran of the U.S. Army and the Louisiana National Guard, Dr. Ricks has been a XULA faculty member for more than two decades. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Southeastern Louisiana University, an MBA from the University of New Orleans, and a Ph.D. in marketing with a minor in cognitive psychology from Louisiana State University.

Montford Point Retired Marine Henry B. Edwards Receives Congressional Gold Medal Award

More than eight decades after stepping forward to earn the title of United States Marine, Montford Point Marine Henry B. Edwards received recognition for a legacy that helped shape the Marine Corps for generations to come. Edwards, 97, was presented the Congressional Gold Medal by Maj. Gen. Douglas K. Clark, deputy commander, Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces South, during a ceremony at Bethel Ame Church in New Orleans on Sept. 27, 2026.

Edwards was born March 28, 1929, in Chickasaw, Alabama. After graduating from Mobile County Training School in Plateau, Alabama, in 1946, Edwards enlisted in the Marine Corps that same year. His path took him to Montford Point at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where he was among the approximately 20,000 African American men who trained between 1942 and 1949, becoming part of a generation whose service helped break racial barriers within the Marine Corps.

After completing training, Edwards served overseas in Saipan and San Juan, before being honorably discharged in 1947. Though his time in uniform was brief, his commitment to public service continued for decades. In 1948, Edwards enrolled at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he pledged to the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, participated in the Honor Society Association and earned his degree in 1951.

Edwards later served as a supervisor at Brookley Air Force Base in Mobile, Alabama, an automotive repair instructor at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and as an automotive instructor at a vocational school back in Mobile. His career eventually led him to federal service with the U.S. Department of Labor, where his assignments took him to Dallas, New Orleans, Memphis, Tennessee, and Jackson, Mississippi, before retiring in 1987.

His dedication to selfless service also extended into his community and church. Edwards spent years serving in leadership roles at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in New Orleans and within the Ninth Episcopal District, as well as at Pine Grove AME Church in Mobile. In 1953, Edwards married Irma Frye Edwards. Their family grew across generations, and the young Marine who once arrived at Montford Point became a father, grandfather and great-grandfather of five. Nearly seven decades later, Edwards stood before another generation of Marines as Clark presented him the Congressional Gold Medal.

“There will be no discrimination, prejudice or immoral conduct in my organization,” Clark said. “You are a legacy, and we all thank you for your selfless service and the path you paved for the Marines who followed.”

This recognition represents more than a single moment in Edward's lifetime. His story spans from Montford Point to federal employment, faith, family and decades of community service. Serving as a reminder of a legacy of service across a lifetime.

SAG-AFTRA AND SOUNDEXCHANGE HONOR COMMON WITH 2026 ARTIST IMPACT AWARD

SAG-AFTRA and SoundExchange presented Common with the 2026 Artist Impact Award at an intimate luncheon on September 24 at The Luckman Club at Soho House West Hollywood. Leaders from across music, film, television and media such as Anthony Anderson, NO I.D., DeRay Davis, and D-Nice gathered to honor the Grammy, Oscar and Emmy-winning musician, actor, producer and entrepreneur.

The Artist Impact Award honors an artist whose work crosses creative boundaries. It recognizes contributions across music, film, television and media that have shaped culture, expanded artistic possibility and inspired new forms of storytelling. Common's career in music, acting, production and entrepreneurship reflects the cross-disciplinary spirit the award was created to celebrate.

"Common is an artist in the fullest sense, bringing integrity and purpose to everything he creates while lifting up the community along the way," said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. "As AI reshapes our industry, honoring him is also a reminder that progress must move forward with artists, not at their expense. Protecting every performer's voice, likeness and creativity ensures the next generation can build careers as remarkable as his."

"Common's creative voice has shaped culture across disciplines and helped expand what is possible for artists who refuse to be defined by a single category. His career reflects the modern creative economy: artists are music makers, storytellers, actors, producers, entrepreneurs, and advocates, often all at once. That range deserves recognition and protection," said SoundExchange President & CEO Michael Huppe.

In accepting the award, Common shared a few words on the award and the industry today. "As artists, whether through comedy, acting, storytelling, music, songwriting, or playwriting, we bring light and joy into the world. I'm grateful to be here because SAG-AFTRA and SoundExchange have stood up for artists, and I've seen that firsthand. Paul Robeson called artists 'the gatekeepers of truth' and 'civilization's radical voice.' Thank you, SAG-AFTRA and SoundExchange, for advocating for our voices."

SAG-AFTRA and SoundExchange share a longstanding commitment to artists behind the music; making sure they are recognized, protected and fairly paid for their work. Together, they advocate for policies that strengthen artists' rights, from securing fair compensation when music is played on AM/FM radio to establishing federal protections against unauthorized AI-generated replicas of performers' voices and likenesses. Both are working to build a more sustainable music industry, one where creativity and technology can thrive together and every artist shares in the value their work creates.