MARIA TAYLOR NAMED HOST OF FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA

Maria Taylor is the new host of Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports, NBC Sports announced today. Football Night is NBC Sports’ flagship studio show, preceding Sunday Night Football — primetime television’s No. 1 show for an unprecedented 11 consecutive years — each week during the NFL season. Taylor debuted on the program as a co-host in 2021.

NBC Sports Executive Producer Sam Flood: “Maria is the perfect choice to carry the legacy forward of anchoring the most-watched studio show in sports.”

In the last 12 months, Taylor – who was named one of 2021’s “Most Powerful Women in Sports” by Adweek – has hosted many of the most-watched events and programs in sports. Following her move to NBC Sports in July 2021, she hosted the Tokyo Olympics, Super Bowl LVI Pregame Show, and Beijing Olympics and Paralympics. Just prior to joining NBC Sports, she also hosted the primetime network broadcast of the NFL Draft and the NBA Finals.

In addition to her hosting roles, Taylor is executive producing and currently in production on an eight-part documentary series on the history of the Black quarterback in the NFL that will stream on Peacock.

Jason Frierson sworn in as US Attorney for the District of Nevada

Jason M. Frierson was sworn in today as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada. Chief U.S. District Judge Miranda M. Du administered the oath of office at the Lloyd D. George U.S. Courthouse, attended by judicial officers, agency partners, and Mr. Frierson’s family, friends, and colleagues.

Mr. Frierson is the first African American to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada. He was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden on November 15, 2021, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 27, 2022.

“I am humbled and honored for the opportunity to serve as our district’s U.S. Attorney,” said Mr. Frierson. “I’m also grateful for my family’s support throughout the nomination and confirmation process. Throughout my career, keeping our communities safe has been a top priority. I look forward to fulfilling the Department of Justice’s mission alongside our dedicated, talented Assistant U.S. Attorneys, staff professionals, and law enforcement and community partners. We share a steadfast commitment to upholding the rule of law, preventing violent crime in our neighborhoods, protecting the civil rights of citizens, and seeking justice for victims.”

As the District of Nevada’s chief federal law enforcement officer, Mr. Frierson will lead a team of over 100 prosecutors and staff professionals with offices located in Las Vegas and Reno.

Prior to his appointment as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Frierson most recently served as both the Speaker of the Nevada State Assembly and an Assistant Public Defender in the Clark County Public Defender’s Office. From 2012 to 2014 and from 2017 to 2019, he served as a Chief Deputy District Attorney in the Clark County District Attorney’s Office. Mr. Frierson was a partner at Surratt Law Practice in Las Vegas from 2014 to 2017.

Mr. Frierson earned his J.D. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law in 2001, and his B.S. from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1996. After graduating from law school, Mr. Frierson served as a law clerk for Justice Myron E. Leavitt on the Supreme Court of Nevada from 2001 to 2002.

Judge says he’ll block Gov. Ron DeSantis’ redistricting plan that disenfranchises Black voters

Rep. Al Lawson

A congressional map approved by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and drawn by his staff is unconstitutional because it breaks up a district where Black voters can choose their representatives, a state judge said Wednesday.

Leon County Circuit Judge Layne Smith said he would issue a formal order Thursday or Friday to keep the maps from taking effect in November’s election. He made it clear he would rule in favor of voting rights groups challenging the maps.

The challenge focuses on a north Florida district now held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Al Lawson. The district runs from Jacksonville west more than 200 miles (322 kilometers) to Gadsden County and nearly half of its population is Black.

Smith said that while the DeSantis map is more compact, the issue of allowing Black voters to choose their representatives is more important.

“The district that has since been enacted and signed into law by the governor does d

isperse 367,000 African American votes between four different districts,” Smith said in a video call with both sides. “The African American population is nowhere near a plurality or a majority.”

Smith said the order will likely replace the DeSantis map with one of two that the Legislature included in a bill and sent to DeSantis in March. The governor vetoed the bill and later called the Legislature back into special session. The Republican-dominated House and Senate chose not to draw a new map, and instead passed the DeSantis map.

“The judge recognizes that this map is unlawful and diminishes African Americans’ ability to elect representatives of their choice,” Lawson said in a statement emailed to news outlets. “DeSantis is wrong for enacting this Republican-leaning map that is in clear violation of the U.S. and state constitutions.”

[SOURCE: AP NEWS]

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron Announces Run for Governor in 2023

Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron said he will run for governor in his state in a video announcement released on Wednesday.

Cameron, a Republican and the first black attorney general elected in Kentucky, filed paperwork to enter the 2023 gubernatorial race earlier on Wednesday morning.

Watch his video below:

I’m proud to announce that I am running for Governor of Kentucky to deliver Bold Conservative Leadership to the Commonwealth. Join us!https://t.co/67s5STj0Jy pic.twitter.com/pdMRIWfbsQ

— Daniel Cameron (@DanielCameronAG) May 11, 2022

NAACP Statement on President Biden's Plan to Lower Internet Costs

The NAACP released the following statement on President Biden's Plan to Lower Internet Costs:

"It's time to democratize the internet. The lack of internet access in America has hit Black and brown communities hard. President Biden's announcement today to provide free Internet to nearly 50 million households is a substantial stride toward building an inclusive economy. Internet access is a necessity in today's world. The pandemic has shined a spotlight on what we already knew to be true: the internet is essential as millions work and study from home, but it has not been afforded to all. Historic underinvestment in infrastructure in Black communities, intentional and as a result of neglect, has left Black communities behind. As we have shifted to a digital economy, this disparity has deepened gaps in achievement and success. The President's plan is a historic investment and proof that the Biden-Harris Administration understands this will be a big deal for families across America and communities of color."

Delaware State President Statement on Lacrosse Team Incident

A Message from University President, Dr. Tony Allen regarding the Delaware State University Lacrosse Team Bus Incident

To the University Community:

On April 20, an incident occurred in Georgia when the Delaware State University Women’s Lacrosse Team was returning home from a game in Florida. Traveling by contract bus, Georgia Law Enforcement stopped the team under the pretext of a minor traffic violation. The belongings of the student-athletes, including suitcases in the luggage racks beneath the bus, were searched by police and drug-sniffing dogs. Videos such as this one taken by one of the players clearly show law enforcement members attempting to intimidate our student-athletes into confessing to possession of drugs and/or drug paraphernalia.

To be clear, nothing illegal was discovered in this search, and all of our coaches and student-athletes comported themselves with dignity throughout a trying and humiliating process.

Our student-athletes, coaches, and the subcontracted bus driver are all safe. I have spoken with many of them, and in the course of investigating this incident in conjunction with our General Counsel and Athletic Director, I have also reached out to Delaware’s Governor, Congressional delegation, Attorney General, and Black Caucus. They, like me, are incensed. We have also reached out to Georgia Law Enforcement and are exploring options for recourse—legal and otherwise—available to our student-athletes, our coaches, and the University.

We do not intend to let this or any other incident like it pass idly by. We are prepared to go wherever the evidence leads us. We have video. We have allies. Perhaps more significantly, we have the courage of our convictions.

News of this incident has hit social media in response to a May 4 article published in The Hornet Newspaper. Written by sophomore Mass Communications major and lacrosse player Sydney Anderson, the piece is thoughtful and well-written, supported by one of several videos taken of the incident. We have already begun to receive inquiries from local reporters. I would not be surprised if this story eventually extends beyond local coverage.

It should not be lost on any of us how thin any day’s line is between customary and extraordinary, between humdrum and exceptional, between safe and victimized. That is true for us all but particularly so for communities of color and the institutions who serve them. The resultant feelings of disempowerment are always the aggressors’ object.

This past January and February during the spate of bomb threats made against HBCUs, it was made clear then that personal nobility, individual virtue, and communal excellence do not exempt us from oppressive treatment. In fact, it seems the opposite holds true; too many people of color in this country, our students among them, experience what W.E.B. Du Bois dubbed “double consciousness,” a wasteful predicament in which people of color live doubly: in talented pursuit of their dreams and in self-conscious defense of their mental and, too often, physical safety.

However, as I said in January, we will never be bullied into believing anything other than what we are— Americans, learners, teachers, builders—useful and honorable people ready to soar. I am proud of our student-athletes, their coaches, the athletic department leadership, and the reporters and staff of the University newspaper. Our mission is a critical one and is as much a part of the American story as any.

Again, I say, “We shall not be moved.”

Together,

Tony Allen, Ph.D.

President

Senate approves Lisa Cook as first Black woman to the Federal Reserve’s board of governors

The US Senate has confirmed Lisa Cook to serve on the Federal Reserve’s board of governors, making her the first black woman to hold the position in the central bank’s 109-year history.

All 50 Democrats in the upper chamber of Congress voted in favor of Cook, a professor of economics at Michigan State University. Vice-president Kamala Harris cast the tiebreaking vote after Republicans voted unanimously against her appointment.

Cook has a doctorate in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and has been a professor of economics and international relations at Michigan State since 2005. She was also a staff economist on the White House Council of Economic Advisers from 2011 to 2012 and was an adviser to President Joe Biden’s transition team on the Fed and bank regulatory policy.

Rutgers-Newark professor wins Pulitzer Prize in criticism

Salamishah Tillet, a Henry Rutgers Professor of African American Studies & Creative Writing and a contributing critic at large at The New York Times, won the Pulitzer Prize in criticism Monday for what the judges called “learned and stylish writing about Black stories in art and popular culture.”

The judges wrote that her work, “successfully bridges academic and non-academic critical discourse.”

Tillet joined Rutgers – Newark in the 2018-19 academic year, and in January, she was appointed executive director of Express Newark, a center for socially engaged art and design. It is a “third space” for students, artists, and activists, bringing together the community, the campus, and the City of Newark.

She graduated phi beta kappa with a bachelor’s degree in English and Afro-American Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Then, she earned her master’s from Brown University and her doctorate in the History of American Civilization from Harvard University, where she studied under Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

She is the author of In Search of The Color Purple: The Story of an American Masterpiece (Harry N. Abrams, 2021) and Sites of Slavery: Citizenship and Racial Democracy in the Post-Civil Rights Imagination (Duke University Press, 2012).

[SOURCE: NJ.COM]

Wiley College Class of 2022 Student Balances Cleared By Anonymous Donor

Wiley College Class of 2022 graduated today with not only their degree but with their balances cleared by an anonymous donor. Over 100 students gathered on the Pemberton Sports Complex Field to participate in Wiley College’s 133rd Commencement Convocation and were surprised when they were informed that their balances were cleared by President & CEO Herman J. Felton, Jr. J.D., Ph.D.

Although Wiley College is committed to access and has reduced its tuition in the past years to $17,500 (tuition, fees, and room and board), students sometimes still will have balances. The COVID-19 Global Pandemic only exacerbated many students’ ability to pay their balances. The announcement of cleared balances for graduates was a welcome surprise as students and parents were demonstrative in the audience when they heard the news.

“Our commitment to our students goes beyond their time while they are enrolled. We are constantly communicating with donors to assist students in these ways so that they can begin their after-college experience with less debt. We are grateful for this anonymous donor who will assist the students in paying off their balances to Wiley College and help us achieve institutional goals of graduating our students with little to no debt .” – President Herman J. Felton, Jr., J.D., Ph.D.

The estimated total for balances owed to the College by the graduating class of 2022 is $300,000.00. The anonymous gift sets graduates on a continued path to success and allows Wiley College to strengthen its commitment to providing an affordable exceptional education. As Wiley College closes the academic semester and prepares for its Sesquicentennial Celebrations beginning in July, this is a great way to end the semester and start the celebration of 150 years of the College’s contributions to the world.

Monty Williams of Phoenix Suns wins 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year award

Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams is the recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year, the NBA announced today. This is the first NBA Coach of the Year Award for Williams, who joins Cotton Fitzsimmons (1988-89) and Mike D’Antoni (2004-05) as head coaches to earn the honor with the Suns.

Williams received 458 points (81 first-place votes) from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins finished in second place with 270 points (17 first-place votes). Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra finished in third place with 72 points (one first-place vote). Coaches were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote

Williams guided the Suns to an NBA-leading 64-18 record in the regular season, the most victories and the highest winning percentage (.780) in a season in franchise history. Phoenix had identical 32-9 records at home and on the road. The Suns tied for the third-most road wins and fifth-best road winning percentage (.780) in a season in NBA history.

Phoenix won a franchise-record 18 consecutive games from Oct. 30 – Dec. 2, 2021. The streak included a 16-0 record in November, tied for the second-most wins in a month without a loss in NBA history, trailing only the Atlanta Hawks’ 17-0 record in January 2015.

The Suns finished first in the NBA in net rating (+7.5), third in defensive rating (106.8) and fifth in offensive rating (114.2), making them the only team to rank in the top five in all three categories. They were 47-0 when leading after the third quarter, the most such wins without a loss in a season in the shot clock era (which began in the 1954-55 season).Williams was named the NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month twice (October/November and January). He and his staff also earned the spot to coach Team LeBron in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.

This is Williams’ third season as the Suns’ head coach. Last season, he guided Phoenix to a 51-21 record and its first appearance in the NBA Finals since the 1992-93 season, finishing in second place in the voting for the 2020-21 NBA Coach of the Year Award. Williams previously served as head coach of the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans for five seasons.

Williams will be presented with a special edition 75th Anniversary commemorative trophy today in celebration of winning the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year Award, gifted in addition to the Red Auerbach Trophy, which he will receive later. The commemorative trophy, composed of a solid crystal basketball, features the NBA 75 logo 3D laser etched and suspended within its center.

The NBA Coach of the Year Award trophy is named in honor of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Red Auerbach. The legendary head coach guided the Boston Celtics to nine NBA championships, including eight in a row from 1958-59 – 1965-66.

The voting results for the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year Award are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP. Complete ballots for each voter will be posted at PR.NBA.com after the announcement of all end-of-season awards.

Kering and the Cannes Film Festival to present the 2022 Women In Motion Award to Viola Davis

Viola Davis is set to be honored with the Women In Motion Award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kering, Pierre Lescure, President of the Festival de Cannes and Thierry Frémaux, Executive Director of the Festival de Cannes, will present the award during the official Women In Motion dinner in Cannes on Sunday, May 22, 2022.

Viola Davis, known throughout the world for her acting roles and her commitment to the rights of women and minorities, is one of the most influential American actresses and producers of her time.

Her talent, hard work, choice of roles and the way she interprets them have earned her the very highest recognitions in the film industry. Viola Davis is one of the few Hollywood personalities to have won a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, four SAG Awards, and what Hollywood calls the Triple Crown of Acting: two Tony Awards, an Oscar and an Emmy, for her roles in the stage play King Hedley II, Fences and its remarkable film adaptation, and the TV series How to Get Away with Murder. This astonishing record also makes her the only African American actress to have received so many nominations and awards for her roles in theater, television and film.

A committed activist, Viola Davis has regularly called for greater inclusion in the film industry and campaigned for gender equality. In January 2018, she took part in a Women's March that included female politicians, women in the film industry and feminists, along with members of the public. In a passionate address to the crowd, she said: “I am speaking today not just for the #MeToos, because I was a #MeToo. But when I raise my hand, I am aware of all the women who are still in silence. The women who are faceless. The women who don’t have the money, and don’t have the Constitution, and who don’t have the confidence, and who don’t have the images in our media that gives them a sense of self-worth enough to break their silence that’s rooted in the shame of assault, that’s rooted in the stigma of assault.” Her emotional speech drew on her personal experience of trauma, poverty and her many struggles in life, along with her incredible resilience. Broadcast on every TV channel, and followed and shared on social media networks, this powerful speech was a source of encouragement, both in the way she spoke and her sense of empathy, for everyone to speak up.

Viola Davis also called out the blatant lack of diversity in the film industry, whether in production, writing or directing, which remains a very powerful brake on equality. Another speech to make its mark on Hollywood and the rest of the world came in 2015, as she received her Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in How to Get Away with Murder. After quoting Harriet Tubman, she told the audience: “The one thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity… you cannot win an Emmy for roles that simply aren’t there.” She was the first African American to win the award.

This lack of diversity in the industry led her to create her own production company, JuVee Productions, with her husband Julius Tennon. The move enabled her to develop many stories and roles that would not have existed otherwise.

In addition to her fight for the rights of women and minorities, Viola Davis also combats the effects of poverty, particularly through her involvement since 2014 with the campaign against undernutrition Hunger Is, and the No Kid Hungry campaign, of which she is a spokesperson since 2020. She plays an active part in many fundraising events, helping schools in the state of Rhode Island where she grew up.

Viola Davis has just published her autobiography, Finding Me. The book immediately became a #1 New York Times bestseller. Finding Me is an intensely personal account, written during lockdown, that reveals her childhood in an underprivileged environment, growing up with what would seem were insurmountable odds. Viola Davis describes what she saw and experienced during her childhood and youth, highlighting the harassment and abuse faced by the most disadvantaged people in society. She also provides a glimpse of how to find your own path in life, embracing your past.

Kering and the Festival de Cannes wish to recognize her activism and achievements by presenting her with the Women In Motion Award. Since its launch in 2015, the program has been rewarding and highlighting women’s creativity and unique contribution to culture and the arts, and their role in helping to transform our vision of the world through their work.

The Women In Motion Awards at Cannes have honored the careers and commitment of iconic women in the film world: Jane Fonda in 2015, Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in 2016, Isabelle Huppert in 2017, Patty Jenkins in 2018, Gong Li in 2019 and Salma Hayek in 2021.

About Viola Davis

Born in 1965 in Saint Matthews, South Carolina, Viola Davis is an American actress and producer. She began her career in the theater in the 1990s, before winning critical acclaim in the film The Help. In 2014, she took the lead role in the TV series How to Get Away with Murder, produced by Shonda Rhimes, for which she won an Emmy Award. In 2016, she starred in Fences alongside Denzel Washington, who also directed the film, and won both a Golden Globe and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She was nominated again for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for Best Actress in 2020 for playing blues singer Ma Rainey in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. She is currently on screen in the series The First Lady, broadcast on Show Time in the United States since April 17, where she plays the iconic Michelle Obama. In April 2022, her memoir Finding Me was released in the United States.

About Women In Motion

Kering's commitment to women is at the heart of the Group's priorities and extends, through Women In Motion, to the field of arts and culture, where gender inequalities are still glaring, even though creation is one of the most powerful vectors for change.

In 2015, Kering launched Women In Motion at the Festival de Cannes with the ambition of highlighting women in cinema, both in front of and behind the camera. The program has since expanded in a major way to photography, but also to art, design, choreography and music. Through its Awards, the program recognizes inspirational figures and young female talent, while its Talks provide an opportunity for leading personalities to share their views on the representation of women in their profession.

For the past eight years, Women In Motion has been a platform of choice that contributes to changing mind sets and thinking on the place of women - and the recognition they receive - in the arts and culture.

About Kering

A global Luxury group, Kering manages the development of a series of renowned Houses in Fashion, Leather Goods, Jewelry: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo, Qeelin, as well as Kering Eyewear. By placing creativity at the heart of its strategy, Kering enables its Houses to set new limits in terms of their creative expression while crafting tomorrow’s Luxury in a sustainable and responsible way. We capture these beliefs in our signature: “Empowering Imagination”.

Rick Lawrence sworn in as Maine’s first Black Supreme Judicial Court justice

Gov. Janet Mills swore in Judge Rick Lawrence on Tuesday as the newest member of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in a historic first for the state’s high court.

Lawrence is the first Black justice on Maine's highest court and comes to the job after 22 years on the District Court bench in Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin counties. He served as deputy chief judge for the district courts in Maine and also as the presiding judge in Androscoggin County’s Unified Criminal Docket’s Domestic Violence Judicial Monitoring Program. Speaking during the swearing-in, Mills said Lawrence’s decades of experience presiding over family court as well as civil and criminal matters will be an asset to the court.

“Bringing that direct, recent and immediate experience of dealing with the nitty gritty of people’s lives is extraordinarily important for the life of the court, to the discussions that they will have behind closed doors, to the conversations about what is happening in real life,” said Mills, a former prosecutor and attorney general.

After taking the oath, Lawrence said he had a stack of legal briefs waiting for his review as part of his new position. But the Portland resident also marked the historic nature of his appointment, which came roughly 22 years after he became Maine’s first-ever Black judge.

"And before I do conclude today what I want to do is express my profound respect and my debt of gratitude for the generations of African Americans who preceded me and did the heavy lifting to make this historic day possible,” Lawrence said.

A Massachusetts native, Lawrence graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law School before working for years as an attorney in Portland in the corporate and regulatory sectors, including as vice president and managing counsel at UNUM Provident Life Insurance Company. He was nominated to the District Court in 2000 by then-governor and now U.S. Sen. Angus King. He will replace Associate Justice Ellen Gorman, who just retired from the court.

[SOURCE: Main Public]

Underground Railroad site in Paterson NJ officially recognized by National Park Service

An Underground Railroad site in Paterson has been officially recognized by the National Parks Service National Underground Network to Freedom.

BBC names actor Ncuti Gatwa as next Doctor Who

Actor Ncuti Gatwa will take over from Jodie Whittaker as the star of Doctor Who, the BBC has announced.

The 29-year-old will become the 14th Time Lord on the popular science fiction show, and the first Black performer to play the lead role.

Scottish actor Gatwa, who was born in Rwanda, is best known for starring in Netflix's sitcom Sex Education.

He said he was "deeply honoured, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared" by his new role.

He added: "This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care.

"I will endeavour my upmost to do the same."

Gatwa will make his debut as the Time Lord in 2023.

[SOURCE: BBC]

Watch Vice President Kamala Harris gives commencement address at Tennessee State University (full speech)

Watch Vice President Kamala Harris' full commencement address to graduates at Tennessee State University on May 7, 2022.

Penn State to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth as holidays

Penn State will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the Juneteenth National Independence Day as official University holidays beginning in 2023, the University announced today (May 6).

“Making these two significant days official University holidays is part of our continuing efforts to align Penn State’s policies with our values in diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Penn State President Eric J. Barron. “Having these recognized as official University holidays will provide students, faculty and staff the opportunity to observe and honor these holidays in their own unique manner.”

For a number of years, Penn State has observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day by canceling academic instruction to allow students and faculty to participate in service activities, observances and festivities. The holiday recognizes the birthday, life and legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and is celebrated on the third Monday of January.

Juneteenth, which is celebrated on June 19 and is sometimes called Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, recognizes the end of slavery in the United States and commemorates the freeing of 250,000 African American slaves in Texas on June 19, 1865. The holiday has been celebrated in the African American community since 1866. It was officially made a federal holiday in 2021 and became an official Pennsylvania holiday on June 19, 2019.

“These are important holidays for all of us to reflect on Black experiences in American history and celebrate the progress that has been made and those who have made that progress possible,” said Marcus Whitehurst, vice provost for Educational Equity. “We still have work to do, and I hope that by celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth in the Penn State community we can continue to work together to advance the ideas that they commemorate.”

The updated policy will give Penn State students faculty and staff the day off on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, and will not impact other University holidays or breaks.

Racial equity concerns lead to UNC's journalism school accreditation being downgraded

On Monday, the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) voted to demote UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media to “provisional” status, stating that the school has fallen short in meeting the council’s standards for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Missing Black Woman Alert: Anna Amith is Missing

OAKLAND PARK, FLA - The Broward Sheriff’s Office Missing Persons Unit is asking for the public’s help to locate a 37-year-old woman missing from Oakland Park.

According to detectives, Anna Laura Smith was last seen Friday, April 15, at around 4:00 a.m. in the area of 131 Northeast 38th Street in Oakland Park. Smith is about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs around 120 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a long sleeve jean shirt and jean pants. According to her family, Smith suffers from a condition that requires medication.

Anyone with information on Smith’s whereabouts should contact BSO Detective Leonard Charla at 954-321-4274 or the BSO non-emergency number 954-764- HELP(4357).

President Biden Announces Karine Jean-Pierre as White House Press Secretary

Today, President Biden announced Karine Jean-Pierre has been promoted to be Assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary Karine will step into the Press Secretary role replacing Jen Psaki, who will depart from the White House on May 13.

She will be the first Black person to hold the position of White House Press Secretary.

Statement from President Biden: “I am proud to announce that Karine Jean-Pierre will serve as the next White House Press Secretary.

“Karine not only brings the experience, talent and integrity needed for this difficult job, but she will continue to lead the way in communicating about the work of the Biden-Harris Administration on behalf of the American people. Jill and I have known and respected Karine a long time and she will be a strong voice speaking for me and this Administration.

“Jen Psaki has set the standard for returning decency, respect and decorum to the White House Briefing Room. I want to say thank you to Jen for raising the bar, communicating directly and truthfully to the American people, and keeping her sense of humor while doing so. I thank Jen her service to the country, and wish her the very best as she moves forward.”

The White House also announced the return of Anita Dunn as a Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President. Dunn rejoins the White House staff from her communications and political consulting firm SKDK, and will assist in advancing the President’s policy and communications objectives.

Karine Jean-Pierre, Press Secretary and Assistant to the President

Karine Jean-Pierre is currently the Principal Deputy Press Secretary and Deputy Assistant to the President. Karine is a long-time advisor to President Biden, having served in senior communication and political roles in the Biden Administration, the Biden campaign, and to then-Vice President Biden in the Obama Administration.

Prior to her role on the campaign, she served as Chief Public Affairs Officer for MoveOn.org and an NBC and MSNBC Political Analyst. Jean-Pierre served as Regional Political Director for the White House Office of Political Affairs during the Obama-Biden administration and as Deputy Battleground States Director for President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. She served as Southeast Regional Political Director for President Obama’s 2008 campaign, Deputy Campaign Manager for Martin O’Malley for President, Campaign Manager for the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Initiative, and Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Legislative and Budget Affairs for two members in the New York City Council.

Previously, she worked at the Center for Community and Corporate Ethics, pushing major companies to change their business practices, and is a published author. Born in Martinique and raised in New York, Jean-Pierre is a graduate of Columbia University.

75-Year Old Black Grandma Graduates From Shaw University

Rebecca Inge, a 75-year-old woman from Raleigh, North Carolina, has graduated from Shaw University, an HBCU. She began pursuing her college degree there 57-years ago.

In 1965, Inge, who was then living in Sanford, Florida, said she left home to pursue a college education at Shaw University.

“I always dreamed of going to med school because I was sick a lot as a child. I dreamed of being a surgeon,” said Inge, adding that she was also interested in engineering.

At that time, she worked in the college’s cafeteria to support her own financial needs while studying. However, she had to put her dreams on hold when she got married and gave birth to her daughter.

Her daughter Marisa Ratliff Dunston, who is now retired after years of serving in the U.S. military, said her mother sacrificed a lot for her family. She said, “She put her life on hold so that I could finish my 21 years, all of my education so that I could be successful today.”

During those previous years, Inge had different jobs including working at NASA during the first space shuttle mission and serving as a safety instructor at Disney World. When her husband died in 2015, she usually stayed with her daughter.

Recently, she decided to continue pursuing her college degree by re-enrolling at Shaw University. There had been a few hurdles due to the huge year gap but everything worked out in the end also with the help of her daughter.

Now, Inge is preparing for her commencement ceremonies on May 8. She is excited to ultimately fulfill her dream.

“You gotta live ’til you die, so why not be happy doing something that makes you happy and get involved?” she said.