FREESTYLE DIGITAL MEDIA RELEASES HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY “GREENWOOD AVENUE PROJECT”

Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, has just released the historical documentary feature GREENWOOD AVENUE PROJECT, which is now available to rent/own on all North American digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms, as well as on DVD, starting April 25, 2025. A portion of the documentary's proceeds will be donated to Tulsa nonprofits supporting Greenwood rebuilding efforts.

In addition, Grammy-winning music producer Madukwu Chinwah wrote and produced the original track “Do Something” for GREENWOOD AVENUE PROJECT soundtrack. His song, along with composer cues and other tracks inspired by the film, will be released on all platforms on April 17 through Londyn Town Music.

A century after the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, the documentary GREENWOOD AVENUE PROJECT follows Greenwood Avenue's ongoing fight against segregation, racism, and hate while rebuilding its Black-owned businesses and homes. In 1921, Tulsa, Oklahoma, had a population of around 2.1 million, with just over 100,000 living in the city. Back then, racism was widespread, and it was inevitable that a riot would occur. On May 31st of that year, 3,200 white residents affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan carried out an 18-hour massacre in Greenwood, a prosperous African-American neighborhood in Tulsa. This tragic event, known as the Tulsa Race Massacre, left hundreds dead and thousands homeless and cast a dark shadow over the city's history. Tulsa was experiencing economic growth, driven by the oil industry, but it was also marked by severe segregation. The city's Black population of 10,000 primarily resided in Greenwood, a thriving business district often called "Black Wall Street." This prosperous community was targeted by the white mob, resulting in one of the most severe incidents of racial violence in U.S. history. This 105-minute documentary highlights and explores the aftermath and rebirth of Black Wall Street.

Written by Todd Roberts, Terry Baccus and Karen Reese, GREENWOOD AVENUE PROJECT was directed by Karen Reese and Terry Baccus and produced by John Wayne S. III and Karen Reese. Writer/editor Todd Roberts has worked on several films about Black America and produced over 400 documentary-style TV episodes across 22 countries. As an award-winning storyteller, his work has aired on National Geographic, TLC, PBS, and The Travel Channel. Those interviewed and profiled in the documentary include Terry Baccus, George Thomas, Bishop Carlton Pearson, Heather Nash, Jennettie P. Marshall, Mayor GT Bynum, and Bryce Harris.

“GREENWOOD AVENUE PROJECT captures the allure of Deep Greenwood -- not just in its moment of destruction, but in the resilience that followed,” said filmmakers Karen Reese and Terry Baccus.

“This is a story not only of loss, but of revival -- a journey from devastation to recovery -- that shows how a united community can rebuild and stand as a lasting model of Black entrepreneurship and economic empowerment,” said Tulsa resident Jennettie P. Marshall.

Freestyle Digital Media negotiated the deal to acquire GREENWOOD AVENUE PROJECT directly with the filmmakers and Londyn Town Pictures.

THE GREENWOOD AVENUE PROJECT website: www.greenwoodaveproject.com

“GREENWOOD AVENUE PROJECT” Trailer

NAACP and the LDF sue the U.S. Department of Education

The NAACP, and the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), acting on its behalf, filed a federal lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Education's attempts to prohibit and chill lawful efforts to ensure that Black students are afforded equal educational opportunities. The Education Department issued a "Dear Colleague" Letter on Feb. 14, followed by a "Frequently Asked Questions" document on Feb. 28 and a certification requirement on April 3 — all of which include factual inaccuracies and misinterpretations of civil rights laws and threaten the termination of critical public education funds. The defendants named in the suit are the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor.  

 

The lawsuit alleges that the Education Department's communications to recipients of federal funds present a legally flawed and unsupported interpretation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit additionally alleges that the Education Department is intentionally discriminating against Black students through its efforts to defund federal grantees based on erroneous facts and interpretations of law. The Dear Colleague Letter and related certification already have had devastating consequences for educational communities across the nation. The plaintiff is asking the federal district court to enjoin the Education Department from moving forward with its enforcement actions, as articulated in the "Dear Colleague" Letter and related certification requirement.  

 

"The Department of Education's recent "Dear Colleague" letter and other communications are not only deeply misleading — they are a gross distortion of reality that attempts to erase the lived experiences of millions of Black and Brown children in this country," said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. "The Department of Education, tasked with a responsibility to protect the civil rights of all children, has instead claimed systemic racism doesn't exist — effectively sanctioning the very discrimination that our civil rights laws were designed to prevent. Meanwhile, children of color consistently attend segregated, chronically underfunded schools where they receive less educational opportunities and more discipline. Denying these truths doesn't make them disappear — it deepens the harm. We are asking the court to act swiftly to our request and will continue to advocate for students of color to be treated fairly and equitably." 

 

"For decades, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has worked to ensure that all students — including Black students who have historically faced and continue to face barriers that deny them equal educational opportunities — can receive the necessary support, tools, and resources to thrive academically," said Michaele N. Turnage Young, Senior Counsel and Co-Manager of the Equal Protection Initiative at the Legal Defense Fund. "Yet, in direct conflict with its mission, the Office for Civil Rights has baselessly characterized vital efforts to advance racial equality to themselves be racially discriminatory, thus weaponizing the anti-discrimination laws against the very communities they are meant to protect. These threats have incited a wave of chaos, uncertainty, and fear within our classrooms, cultural centers, and student and parent groups across the country, and run afoul of our nation's ideals. We ask the Court to enjoin these actions by the Department of Education — and will continue to fight until the constitutional promise of racial equality in education, set forth in Brown v. Board of Education,has been fulfilled."  

 

"Every student should have an equal opportunity to receive a quality education," said Katrina Feldkamp, Assistant Counsel at the Legal Defense Fund. "The current Administration's attacks are a threat to longstanding efforts to ensure truthful, inclusive curricula and instruction; equal access to selective programs; affinity groups where students of various identities can find support and belonging; and policies and programs that eradicate bias in discipline and hiring. These threats seek to undo decades of progress towards equality for all in public education. We proudly represent the NAACP, whose members include Black parents and students in every state of our nation, to protect and uphold Black students' rights to equal educational opportunity." 

 

The filing today follows the previous advocacy challenging the U.S. Department of Education's recent efforts to dial back progress towards racial justice, including another lawsuit filed to stop the Trump Administration from dismantling the Education Department. 

 

Read the full lawsuit here. A virtual media briefing will be held today at 1pm, registration link here.  

 

Hampton University Wins 2025 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship

After more than 122 rounds of intense gameplay, Hampton University emerged victorious at the 36th Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC), America's premier academic competition for Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students, securing a $100,000 institutional grant from Honda. Over 200 students and coaches from 32 HBCUs competed in the HCASC National Championship Tournament, which was held near the American Honda corporate headquarters in Torrance, California.

"Congratulations to the scholars from Hampton University for their incredible achievement in winning the 2025 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge championship title," said Jasmine Cockfield, Honda Campus All-Star Challenge project lead at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "HCASC provides HBCU students with a national platform to pursue their passion for learning and love of knowledge, while building leadership skills, and forging lifelong friendships. We applaud the tremendous dedication and academic talent shown by all the students who participated in this year's program."

Honda Campus All-Star Challenge is a dynamic, year-round program that highlights the academic talents of HBCU students nationwide. Each four-student team competes in an exhilarating head-to-head showdown, rapidly answering questions on topics ranging from history and science to math and pop culture. HCASC encourages students to broaden their knowledge across diverse subjects while honing their leadership and teamwork abilities. Competing against peers from other HBCUs, participants build networks, receive mentorship from HCASC alumni and Honda associates, and create "Friends for Life." Beyond the competition, Honda offers development seminars to equip students with the skills they need to thrive after graduation.

Hampton University Clinches First HCASC National Championship

In a two-game sweep during the HCASC National Championship final match, Hampton University triumphed over Tennessee State University by accurately answering questions on history, science, literature, religion, the arts, and pop culture. Hampton University outperformed teams from 31 HBCUs at the National Championship Tournament, after winning regional competitions throughout the academic year. This year, 60 HBCUs participated in the annual HCASC program.

The winning team was coached by Stella Nelms and includes team captain Miles Cross, a freshman majoring in History and Pre-Law from Douglasville, Ga.; Jaron Haynes, a freshman majoring in Business Administration from Snellville, Ga.; Skai White, a sophomore majoring in Mathematics from Stockbridge, Ga.; and Donte Wyatt, Jr., a sophomore majoring in Biology from San Diego, Calif. This marks Hampton University's 30th appearance in the HCASC National Championship Tournament and its first win.

"I am so proud. Seeing our Hampton team grow together and develop, trusting each other to get to this point is amazing," said coach Nelms. "Knowing everyone can see how they've come together as a team and a family, that's what HCASC is about."

Runner-up Tennessee State University received a $40,000 grant from Honda. The third and fourth place finishers – Morehouse College and Tuskegee University – were each awarded a $26,000 grant from Honda. Howard University, Lincoln University-Pennsylvania, North Carolina A&T State University, and Prairie View A&M University rounded out the "Great 8" teams in the HCASC Finals. Honda is providing more than $500,000 in institutional grants to the participating schools.

As a bonus for this year's tournament, Honda joined forces with Thurgood Marshall College Fund to award individual grants to the students from the winning and runner-up teams. The scholars from Hampton University each received $2,500 while the scholars from Tennessee State University each received $1,500.

REV. SHARPTON ISSUES STATEMENT AFTER MEETING WITH PEPSICO EXECUTIVES

Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), issued the following statement after meeting with PepsiCo leadership at the company’s global headquarters in Purchase, NY this morning.

“This morning, I and several members of NAN met with PepsiCo Chairman Ramon Laguarta and CEO of PepsiCo North America Steven Williams for more than an hour to discuss our grievances over reports they were rolling back nearly $500 million in DEI commitments. It was a constructive conversation, which PepsiCo agreed to hold within the 21 days we gave them to meet. We agreed to follow up meetings within the next few days. After that continued dialogue, NAN Chairman Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson and I, both former members of the company’s African American Advisory Board, will make a final determination and recommendation to the organization on what we will do around PepsiCo moving forward, as we continue to deal with a broader swath of corporations with whom we will either boycott or buy-cott.”

https://www.africanamericanreports.com/2025/04/rev-sharpton-issues-statement-after.html

HBCU$™ Helps Historically Black Colleges Overcome Billions in Underfunding by Supporting Alumni & Student Entrepreneurs

HBCU$™, an alumni giving and wealth building network created to help offset decades of disparities in public funding for Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) by supporting the entrepreneurs they produce, is officially launching on May 1, 2025.

Tennessee State University graduate Dorsey West created HBCU$™ after learning of a 2023 analysis by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture that found between 1987 and 2020, HBCU land-grant institutions received approximately $12.6 billion less in state funding than other land-grant institutions, and his alma mater had been underfunded by $2.1 billion during this period.

HBCU$™ promotes HBCU alumni & student owned businesses through their free online marketing platform and business owners donate a portion of any additional revenue generated back to the college of their choice.

"With unprecedented budget cuts happening at the national and state levels, HBCUs are going to need increased financial support from the private sector, as well as their alumni. I created HBCU$™ to maximize contributions from both sources," explains West.

"Consistently patronizing companies that contribute money back to Historically Black Colleges & Universities creates a self-sustaining cycle that can help close the funding gap for these institutions and provide long-term economic growth for businesses within the HBCU$™ network," West continues. "So, it's a win-win for the HBCUs and their entrepreneurs."

Consumers can join the HBCU$ email list now at https://hbcus.biz. to receive exclusive offers and early access to their membership site. HBCU alumni & student business owners can request to have their products and services promoted at no cost including video podcast interviews, member profiles and an online directory of participating companies by sending an email to promote@hbcus.biz.

About HBCU$™

HBCU$™ is an alumni giving and wealth building network created by Tennessee State University graduate Dorsey West, to provide consistent financial support to Historically Black Colleges & Universities and the entrepreneurs they produce. HBCU$™ promotes HBCU alumni & student owned businesses through their free online marketing platform, and these entrepreneurs donate a portion of any additional revenue generated back to the college of their choice. For more information, visit https://hbcus.biz.