FACT SHEET: President Biden Student Loan Relief Plan

A three-part plan delivers on President Biden’s promise to cancel $10,000 of student debt for low- to middle-income borrowers

President Biden believes that a post-high school education should be a ticket to a middle-class life, but for too many, the cost of borrowing for college is a lifelong burden that deprives them of that opportunity. During the campaign, he promised to provide student debt relief. Today, the Biden Administration is following through on that promise and providing families breathing room as they prepare to start re-paying loans after the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic.

Since 1980, the total cost of both four-year public and four-year private college has nearly tripled, even after accounting for inflation. Federal support has not kept up: Pell Grants once covered nearly 80 percent of the cost of a four-year public college degree for students from working families, but now only cover a third. That has left many students from low- and middle-income families with no choice but to borrow if they want to get a degree. According to a Department of Education analysis, the typical undergraduate student with loans now graduates with nearly $25,000 in debt. 

The skyrocketing cumulative federal student loan debt—$1.6 trillion and rising for more than 45 million borrowers—is a significant burden on America’s middle class. Middle-class borrowers struggle with high monthly payments and ballooning balances that make it harder for them to build wealth, like buying homes, putting away money for retirement, and starting small businesses.

For the most vulnerable borrowers, the effects of debt are even more crushing. Nearly one-third of borrowers have debt but no degree, according to an analysis by the Department of Education of a recent cohort of undergraduates. Many of these students could not complete their degree because the cost of attendance was too high. About 16% of borrowers are in default – including nearly a third of senior citizens with student debt – which can result in the government garnishing a borrower’s wages or lowering a borrower’s credit score. The student debt burden also falls disproportionately on Black borrowers. Twenty years after first enrolling in school, the typical Black borrower who started college in the 1995-96 school year still owed 95% of their original student debt.

Today, President Biden is announcing a three-part plan to provide more breathing room to America’s working families as they continue to recover from the strains associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. This plan offers targeted debt relief as part of a comprehensive effort to address the burden of growing college costs and make the student loan system more manageable for working families. The President is announcing that the Department of Education will:   

• Provide targeted debt relief to address the financial harms of the pandemic, fulfilling the President’s campaign commitment. The Department of Education will provide up to $20,000 in debt cancellation to Pell Grant recipients with loans held by the Department of Education, and up to $10,000 in debt cancellation to non-Pell Grant recipients. Borrowers are eligible for this relief if their individual income is less than $125,000 ($250,000 for married couples). No high-income individual or high-income household – in the top 5% of incomes – will benefit from this action. To ensure a smooth transition to repayment and prevent unnecessary defaults, the pause on federal student loan repayment will be extended one final time through December 31, 2022. Borrowers should expect to resume payment in January 2023.
  
• Make the student loan system more manageable for current and future borrowers by:
  
  • Cutting monthly payments in half for undergraduate loans. The Department of Education is proposing a new income-driven repayment plan that protects more low-income borrowers from making any payments and caps monthly payments for undergraduate loans at 5% of a borrower’s discretionary income—half of the rate that borrowers must pay now under most existing plans. This means that the average annual student loan payment will be lowered by more than $1,000 for both current and future borrowers. 
    
  • Fixing the broken Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program by proposing a rule that borrowers who have worked at a nonprofit, in the military, or in federal, state, tribal, or local government, receive appropriate credit toward loan forgiveness. These improvements will build on temporary changes the Department of Education has already made to PSLF, under which more than 175,000 public servants have already had more than $10 billion in loan forgiveness approved.
    
• Protect future students and taxpayers by reducing the cost of college and holding schools accountable when they hike up prices. The President championed the largest increase to Pell Grants in over a decade and one of the largest one-time influxes to colleges and universities. To further reduce the cost of college, the President will continue to fight to double the maximum Pell Grant and make community college free. Meanwhile, colleges have an obligation to keep prices reasonable and ensure borrowers get value for their investments, not debt they cannot afford. This Administration has already taken key steps to strengthen accountability, including in areas where the previous Administration weakened rules. The Department of Education is announcing new efforts to ensure student borrowers get value for their college costs.

Provide Targeted Debt Relief, Fulfilling the President’s Campaign Commitment

To address the financial harms of the pandemic for low- and middle-income borrowers and avoid defaults as loan repayment restarts next year, the Department of Education will provide up to $20,000 in loan relief to borrowers with loans held by the Department of Education whose individual income is less than $125,000 ($250,000 for married couples) and who received a Pell Grant. Nearly every Pell Grant recipient came from a family that made less than $60,000 a year, and Pell Grant recipients typically experience more challenges repaying their debt than other borrowers. Borrowers who meet those income standards but did not receive a Pell Grant in college can receive up to $10,000 in loan relief.

The Pell Grant program is one of America’s most effective financial aid programs—but its value has been eroded over time. Pell Grant recipients are more than 60% of the borrower population. The Department of Education estimates that roughly 27 million borrowers will be eligible to receive up to $20,000 in relief, helping these borrowers meet their economic potential and avoid economic harm from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Current students with loans are eligible for this debt relief. Borrowers who are dependent students will be eligible for relief based on parental income, rather than their own income.

If all borrowers claim the relief they are entitled to, these actions will:

• Provide relief to up to 43 million borrowers, including cancelling the full remaining balance for roughly 20 million borrowers.

• Target relief dollars to low- and middle-income borrowers. The Department of Education estimates that, among borrowers who are no longer in school, nearly 90% of relief dollars will go to those earning less than $75,000 a year. No individual making more than $125,000 or household making more than $250,000 – the top 5% of incomes in the United States – will receive relief.
  
• Help borrowers of all ages. The Department of Education estimates that, among borrowers who are eligible for relief, 21% are 25 years and under and 44% are ages 26-39. More than a third are borrowers age 40 and up, including 5% of borrowers who are senior citizens.
  
• Advance racial equity. By targeting relief to borrowers with the highest economic need, the Administration’s actions are likely to help narrow the racial wealth gap. Black students are more likely to have to borrow for school and more likely to take out larger loans. Black borrowers are twice as likely to have received Pell Grants compared to their white peers. Other borrowers of color are also more likely than their peers to receive Pell Grants. That is why an Urban Institute study found that debt forgiveness programs targeting those who received Pell Grants while in college will advance racial equity.

The Department of Education will work quickly and efficiently to set up a simple application process for borrowers to claim relief. The application will be available no later than when the pause on federal student loan repayments terminates at the end of the year. Nearly 8 million borrowers may be eligible to receive relief automatically because their relevant income data is already available to the Department.  

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, this debt relief will not be treated as taxable income for the federal income tax purposes.

To help ensure a smooth transition back to repayment, the Department of Education is extending the student loan pause a final time through December 31, 2022. No one with federally-held loans has had to pay a single dollar in loan payments since President Biden took office.

Make the Student Loan System More Manageable for Current and Future Borrowers

Fixing Existing Loan Repayment to Lower Monthly Payments

The Administration is reforming student loan repayment plans so both current and future low- and middle-income borrowers will have smaller and more manageable monthly payments.

The Department of Education has the authority to create income-driven repayment plans, which cap what borrowers pay each month based on a percentage of their discretionary income. Most of these plans cancel a borrower’s remaining debt once they make 20 years of monthly payments. But the existing versions of these plans are too complex and too limited. As a result, millions of borrowers who might benefit from them do not sign up, and the millions who do sign up are still often left with unmanageable monthly payments.

To address these concerns and follow through on Congress’ original vision for income-driven repayment, the Department of Education is proposing a rule to do the following:

• For undergraduate loans, cut in half the amount that borrowers have to pay each month from 10% to 5% of discretionary income.
  
• Raise the amount of income that is considered non-discretionary income and therefore is protected from repayment, guaranteeing that no borrower earning under 225% of the federal poverty level—about the annual equivalent of a $15 minimum wage for a single borrower—will have to make a monthly payment.
  
• Forgive loan balances after 10 years of payments, instead of 20 years, for borrowers with original loan balances of $12,000 or less. The Department of Education estimates that this reform will allow nearly all community college borrowers to be debt-free within 10 years.
  
• Cover the borrower’s unpaid monthly interest, so that unlike other existing income-driven repayment plans, no borrower’s loan balance will grow as long as they make their monthly payments—even when that monthly payment is $0 because their income is low.

These reforms would simplify loan repayment and deliver significant savings to low- and middle-income borrowers. For example:

• A typical single construction worker (making $38,000 a year) with a construction management credential would pay only $31 a month, compared to the $147 they pay now under the most recent income-driven repayment plan, for annual savings of nearly $1,400.
  

• A typical single public school teacher with an undergraduate degree (making $44,000 a year) would pay only $56 a month on their loans, compared to the $197 they pay now under the most recent income-driven repayment plan, for annual savings of nearly $1,700.
  
• A typical nurse (making $77,000 a year) who is married with two kids would pay only $61 a month on their undergraduate loans, compared to the $295 they pay now under the most recent income-driven repayment plan, for annual savings of more than $2,800.

For each of these borrowers, their balances would not grow as long as they are making their monthly payments, and their remaining debt would be forgiven after they make the required number of qualifying payments.

Further, the Department of Education will make it easier for borrowers who enroll in this new plan to stay enrolled. Starting in the summer of 2023, borrowers will be able to allow the Department of Education to automatically pull their income information year after year, avoiding the hassle of needing to recertify their income annually.

Ensuring Public Servants Receive Credit Toward Loan Forgiveness

Borrowers working in public service are entitled to earn credit toward debt relief under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. But because of complex eligibility restrictions, historic implementation failures, and poor counseling given to borrowers, many borrowers have not received the credit they deserve for their public service.

The Department of Education has announced time-limited changes to PSLF that provide an easier path to forgiveness of all outstanding debt for eligible federal student loan borrowers who have served at a non-profit, in the military, or in federal, state, Tribal, or local government for at least 10 years, including non-consecutively. Those who have served less than 10 years may now more easily get credit for their service to date toward eventual forgiveness. These changes allow eligible borrowers to gain additional credit toward forgiveness, even if they had been told previously that they had the wrong loan type.

The Department of Education also has proposed regulatory changes to ensure more effective implementation of the PSLF program moving forward. Specifically, the Department of Education has proposed allowing more payments to qualify for PSLF including partial, lump sum, and late payments, and allowing certain kinds of deferments and forbearances, such as those for Peace Corps and AmeriCorps service, National Guard duty, and military service, to count toward PSLF. The Department of Education also proposed to ensure the rules work better for non-tenured instructors whose colleges need to calculate their full-time employment.

To ensure borrowers are aware of the temporary changes, the White House has launched four PSLF Days of Action dedicated to borrowers in specific sectors: government employees, educators, healthcare workers and first responders, and non-profit employees. You can find out other information about the temporary changes on PSLF.gov. You must apply to PSLF before the temporary changes end on October 31, 2022.

Protecting Borrowers and Taxpayers from Steep Increases in College Costs

While providing this relief to low- and middle-income borrowers, the President is focused on keeping college costs under control. Under this Administration, students have had more money in their pockets to pay for college. The President signed the largest increase to the maximum Pell Grant in over a decade and provided nearly $40 billion to colleges and universities through the American Rescue Plan, much of which was used for emergency student financial aid, allowing students to breathe a little easier.

Additionally, the Department of Education has already taken significant steps to strengthen accountability, so that students are not left with mountains of debt with little payoff. The agency has re-established the enforcement unit in the Office of Federal Student Aid and it is holding accreditors’ feet to the fire. In fact, the Department just withdrew authorization for the accreditor that oversaw schools responsible for some of the worst for-profit scandals. The agency will also propose a rule to hold career programs accountable for leaving their graduates with mountains of debt they cannot repay, a rule the previous Administration repealed.

Building off of these efforts, the Department of Education is announcing new actions to hold accountable colleges that have contributed to the student debt crisis. These include publishing an annual watch list of the programs with the worst debt levels in the country, so that students registering for the next academic year can steer clear of programs with poor outcomes. They also include requesting institutional improvement plans from the worst actors that outline how the colleges with the most concerning debt outcomes intend to bring down debt levels.
 

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More information on claiming relief will be available to borrowers in the coming weeks.

Borrowers can sign up to be notified when this information is available at StudentAid.gov/debtrelief.

Mondaire Jones loses in NY Democratic Primary

Impeachment counsel Daniel Goldman has won the Democratic primary in New York, ousting U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones from Congress.

Jones, who in 2020 became one of the two first openly gay Black men elected to Congress, finished third in the Democratic primary for New York’s 10th District, behind attorney Daniel Goldman and state Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou. Goldman had 26 percent, Niou 24 percent and Jones 18 percent in the race, which The Associated Press called at 12:39 a.m. Wednesday.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman wins New York Democratic primary

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) has fended off his Democratic challengers to win the primary contest in New York’s 16th Congressional District. He is expected to easily win reelection in November’s general election in the Democratic stronghold.

The New York Times declared Bowman the winner with more than 50% of the vote.

“Tonight, we proved to the world that if you lead with peace and with love, you win,” Bowman said in a campaign statement released Tuesday night. “Because when we got to D.C. two years ago — just days before the first attack on the Capitol since the War of 1812 — that is how we led.”

He added, “We introduced the Green New Deal for Public Schools to invest in young people. We brought back resources to support the elderly and children in our communities. We fought back against hate, racism, and anti-semitism.”

Nala Diop Thomas Is Missing

BRONX NY - Nala Diop Thomas is missing.

It was reported to police that the missing was last seen on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at approximately 1100 hours, leaving her residence.

The missing is described as a 15-year-old female, Black, approximately 5’05” tall, weighing 120 lbs., with dark skin complexion, brown eyes and black hair.

She was last seen wearing a black shirt, black shorts and a black hat.

Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to call the NYPD‘s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1–800–577–TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1–888–57–PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers‘ website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

Rep. Val Demings wins Democratic primary to run for U.S. Senate in Florida

U.S. Representative Val Demings, a former police chief of Orlando, Florida, won the Democratic nomination to run for U.S. Senate in the state, Edison Research projected on Tuesday.

She will face incumbent Republican Senator Marco Rubio in the Nov. 8 general election.

We did it, Florida! We won the primary, now it’s time for us to #RetireRubio – watch my speech live now: https://t.co/EAZK2T5Rro #RunningtoWin

— Val Demings (@valdemings) August 23, 2022

Former Louisville cop pleads guilty to lying on Breonna Taylor search warrant

Former Louisville Metro Police Detective Kelly Hanna Goodlett pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of conspiring to violate the civil rights of Breonna Taylor for helping falsify an affidavit for the search of her apartment that ended in her death in March 2020.

Goodlett, 35, admitted the charge before U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings with Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, among those present in the courtroom. She is the first officer to be convicted in connection with Taylor's death.

Goodlett appeared Tuesday afternoon at the hearing inside the federal courthouse on West Broadway with attorney Brandon Marshall, with the former detective answering “yes, your honor,” and “yes, ma’am,” as the judge mostly asked her if she understood her rights and the accusations against her.

She faces a sentence of no more than five years in prison, plus up to a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Her sentencing tentatively is set for 1 p.m. Nov. 22.

[SOURCE: COURIER JOURNAL]

Statement by President Joe Biden Marking Slavery Remembrance Day

President biden released the following statement on Slavery Remembrance Day

More than 400 years ago, twenty enslaved Africans were forcibly brought to the shores of what would become the United States. Millions more were stolen and sold in the centuries that followed, part of a system of slavery that is America’s original sin.

Great nations don’t hide from their history. They acknowledge their past, both the triumphs and the tragedies. Today is a day to reflect on the terrible toll of slavery, and on our nation’s profound ability to heal and emerge stronger. Despite the horrors they faced, these men and women and their descendants have made countless contributions to the building of this nation and the continuous effort to realize the American ideal. I was honored last year to declare Juneteenth a national holiday, another moment to reflect and rededicate ourselves to becoming a more perfect union. And it’s why my Administration will continue the hard, ongoing work to bring true equity and racial justice to our country.

I’m grateful for the efforts of Congress—in particular, Representative Al Green and Senator Elizabeth Warren—to recognize the significance of this day.

Kaepernick & America Set for September VOD Release

The award winning documentary “Kaepernick & America,” which examines the conflict stirred by former NFL star Colin Kaepernick’s sideline protest, will begin streaming on demand on Fri. Sept. 2.

“Kaepernick & America” be available on TVOD platforms including Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV via iTunes, as well as cable on demand services including AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Dish and Verizon Fios.

ABOUT THE FILM

Kaepernick & America explores the intersection between Colin Kaepernick’s anthem protests and the reactions they spurred in the United States, revealing unique insights into America’s ongoing racial turmoil.

FILM SYNOPSIS

It was the summer of 2016, an election year with unrest rumbling through America. There were countless triggers—the murder videos of Philando Castille and Alton Sterling, the counterpunch of Alt-Right and Fake News, Black Lives Matter, Russian meddling—a discordant national cauldron ready to boil over. It was the birth of Trumpism, but nobody knew it yet.

Then, Colin Kaepernick took a knee and America lost its mind. Kaep’s knee touched down on the divide between America’s Black and white tectonic plates, creating an earthquake in the eternal race debate. The aftershocks of his singular gesture have already rippled through our country for years.

Kaepernick himself answered any and all thoughtful questions for a time, then stopped talking. And the resulting quiet has allowed for a thoughtful examination of the man and his story. It reveals layer upon layer of surprises and contradictions. Raised in a white family, he became a Black quarterback, while in fact, he is an adopted, biracial man. Inherently shy, he became the center of attention. The man everyone was talking about was mostly silent. He took a stand by taking a knee.

Kaepernick & America examines the man and his protest, exploring the remarkable conflict stirred by such a symbolic gesture.

Newark NJ Residents March Against Violence

Newark residents took to the streets Saturday for a citywide peace walk.

The walk was a call to action for business leaders, the community and families to help end gun violence.

Herschel Walker declines invitation to debate Senator Warnock

After initially accepting the invitation, Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker says he's declined an invitation to participate in a debate in Macon against Senator Raphael Warnock.

During an appearance in Wrightsville on Friday, Walker said he has no plans to attend the Oct. 13 debate.

Warnock accepted the invitation to participate about a month ago. Walker’s campaign had not responded to the invitation since it was sent in June.

On Friday, Walker said he has no plans to debate in Macon and explained why.

“I'm not going to respond to anything because you know that's not a debate, and you know that,” Walker said. “You've got people that are contributors to his campaign and it's in this room that only two people gonna see it on a Sunday night, I think. NFL Football, I am giving you an opportunity to be statewide so everybody can see what it is, see the contrast between the two of us. I don't know how you can ask for anything better.”

The debate is set for a Thursday night, not a Sunday. It is a co-sponsored debate by 13WMAZ, our Atlanta station 11Alive, Georgia Public Broadcasting, The Telegraph and Mercer’s Center for Collaborative Journalism at Mercer University.

There will have a live audience and the debate will be available across all WMAZ platforms and with our media partners.

[SOURCE: WMAZ]

Sen. Cory Booker Announces Senate Introduction of Enslaved Voyages Memorial Act

U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) has introduced the Enslaved Voyages Memorial Act, legislation that would authorize a memorial in Washington, D.C. commemorating enslaved individuals who were forcibly transported across the Atlantic. The legislation would specifically task the Georgetown African American Historic Landmark Project and Tour to establish a memorial honoring enslaved Africans who endured the Middle Passage. Companion legislation was introduced in the House earlier this year by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). 

By the 19th century, nearly 12 million enslaved Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic. The first enslaved Africans were brought to what would become the United States in late August 1619 – more than 400 years ago. 

“We must never forget the painful reality that millions of enslaved Africans were forcibly transported to this land over hundreds of years of our history,” said Senator Booker. “Although I rejoice in our progress, our nation still has a long way to go to reckon with and overcome the dark legacy of slavery and the violence and injustice that has persisted since its end. I am honored to join Representative Norton and introduce this legislation that will commemorate, honor, and celebrate the contributions of these enslaved people and help ensure that their stories are never forgotten.” 

“Thank you to Senator Booker for introducing the Senate companion to my bill in the House, which passed the Committee on Natural Resources in January,” Norton said. “This bill, to authorize the establishment of a memorial on federal land in D.C. to honor enslaved persons, would honor enslaved persons’ presence, celebrate their contributions to history and recognize their resilience and fortitude. Let us honor the personhood of these individuals, who were repeatedly assumed to have none, so that they will never be forgotten.”

 

The full text of the legislation can be viewed here.

Donald Cravins Jr. Confirmed as First Ever Undersecretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that Donald R. Cravins, Jr. will be the first-ever Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). Under Secretary Cravins will lead MBDA in its service of the nation’s 9.7 million minority business enterprises (MBEs) following the agency’s historic elevation in authority and influence as mandated by the Minority Business Development Act of 2021.

“Mr. Cravins’ confirmation as Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development is a momentous milestone as MBDA elevates and expands its work to support minority businesses across the country,” said Secretary Raimondo. “In his new position, I fully expect him to continue to provide the type of leadership that will lay the foundation for MBDA to usher in numerous opportunities for enterprise growth, research, and development and ensure minority businesses can compete and succeed.”

Cravins was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on August 4, 2022. Prior to joining MBDA, Cravins was a practicing attorney and a member of the Louisiana Bar Association since 1998. In 2004, he was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives, and in 2006 he was elected to the Louisiana State Senate. During his tenure as Louisiana State Senator, Don was heavily involved in post-Hurricane Katrina recovery, working as the Chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee. He was also an active member of the Juvenile Justice Commission of Louisiana and is an active member of the Army National Guard.

In January of 2009, Cravins left the Louisiana Legislature to serve as Staff Director and Chief Counsel for the United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. In January of 2013, he began serving as Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana. Just before his selection as Under Secretary, Cravins served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the National Urban League, where he led the civil rights organization’s corporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative.

"It is an honor to serve as the nation's first Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development. I have spent my life dedicated to fostering and advancing minority entrepreneurship, and I am excited to fully embrace the mission of MBDA,” said Mr. Cravins. “I look forward to leading the team of professionals at MBDA and working to ensure minority business enterprises are provided the support and resources they need to succeed in urban, rural, and tribal communities."

Established by an Executive Order in 1969, MBDA is the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of U.S. minority-owned businesses. In 2021, President Biden signed the Minority Business Development Act of 2021, mandating MBDA’s elevation into a pivotal government leader and prioritizing the success of America’s MBEs like never before. The Act expands the reach and scope of the organization by establishing senate-confirmed leadership, establishing a grants program, building an advisory council, and establishing the MBDA as the United States’ newest federal agency.

Byron Allen’s HBCU Go streamer enters deal with CBS stations to air HBCU football games

Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group (AMG) free-streaming digital platform, HBCU GO -- the leading media provider for the nation’s 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) – proudly announces nationwide clearance for their 2022-23 sports season as part of the new carriage deal with CBS owned-and-operated duopoly stations. Key television markets include: New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Tampa, Detroit, Miami, and Pittsburgh. HBCU GO will kick off the fall sports season on September 3rd with a star-studded pre-season show featuring the nation’s top Gridiron NFL and Black College Hall of Famers and HBCU alums.

With this new carriage deal, HBCU GO is currently in 60 percent of U.S. television households and 70 percent of African-American households. This news comes on the heels of HBCU GO’s recent announcement of the distribution partnership with the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAA) -- that grants HBCU GO cable, linear, streaming, broadcast, VOD, and pay-per-view rights to premier NCAA Division 2 HBCU conference sporting events.

In addition to the newly announced CBS owned-and-operated duopoly station clearances, HBCU GO has secured distribution with group-owned television stations including Nexstar, Gray, Cox, Scripps, Tegna, Sinclair, Lockwood, Allen Media Broadcasting, Hearst, Circle City Broadcasting, McKinnon Broadcasting, Cowles, Graham, Block, Sun Broadcasting, Tougaloo College, Sagamore Hill, and Marquee. HBCU GO programming is available on HBCUGO.TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. Viewers can also access programming by downloading the HBCU GO App.

“Allen Media Group is thrilled that the CBS O&O stations have joined our excellent group of broadcast television station partners to increase the reach of HBCU GO’s high-quality sports programming,” said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. “We are proud to amplify these amazing athletes and HBCUs, while at the same time helping to finance the education of these young adults. Now sports fans across the country will have access to best-in-class games from America’s HBCUs.”

“We are honored to work with our partners at Allen Media Group to bring live broadcasts of HBCU football games to our audiences in 12 major markets,” said Wendy McMahon, President and Co-Head, CBS News and Stations. “As a Louisiana native and football fan, I am personally and professionally proud to play a role in having our stations shine a light on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the student athletes who are living out their dreams both on the field and in the classroom.”

Carlotta Berry Wins the Distinguished Educator Award From the Society of Women Engineers

Dr.Carlotta A. Berry, the Dr. Lawrence J. Giacoletto Endowed Chair for Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana, will be the recipient of the Distinguished Engineer Educator Award from the Society of Women Engineers. Dr. Berry will receive the award in Houston this October during WE22, a gathering of more than 14,000 women engineers and technologists for professional development, education, networking, and career opportunities.

Earlier this year, Professor Berry received the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers’ 2023 Undergraduate Teaching Award and the 2022 Distinguished Educator Award from the American Society of Engineering Education’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Division.

Dr. Berry, a member of the Rose-Hulman faculty since 2006, currently co-directs the institute’s multidisciplinary robotics program, which provides students the opportunity to earn a minor in robotics to recognize their experience and knowledge of robotics-related materials. She also co-founded the Building Undergraduate Diversity (RoseBUD) program, which encourages students from marginalized and minoritized groups to pursue STEM careers.

Professor Berry helped start two advocacy organizations, Black In Engineering and Black In Robotics, to bring awareness to systemic racism in STEM, and build community and connection among higher education allies. She also founded an education consulting firm, NoireSTEMinist, to provide workshops to make career fields in robotics and engineering more accessible and attractive to people of all ages and backgrounds.

Professor Berry holds bachelor’s degrees from Spelman College in Atlanta and the Georgia Institute of Technology. She earned a master’s degree at Wayne State University in Detroit and a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Texas Southern University Teams Up With NASA’s Johnson Space Center

Historically Black Texas Southern University and the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston signed an agreement that will expand opportunities for education, workforce development, and research for students at the university.

Under the agreement, the university and NASA will work collaboratively to facilitate joint research, technology transfer, technology development, and educational and outreach initiatives. The goal is to create a sustained pipeline of diverse talent for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers at the Johnson Space Center and the surrounding companies that provide support for its operations.

As part of the agreement, the universty will host the NASA Technology Infusion Road Tour in September 2022. During this event, faculty and students will have the opportunity to showcase their research capabilities and speak directly with federal agency representatives from around the country. Faculty will also have the opportunity to engage with NASA’s Small Business Innovative Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Program directors and participate in prime contractor briefings. Also, the Space Center will host a one-day Minority University Research and Education Project Innovation and Tech Transfer Idea Competition for university students.

“This agreement is an embodiment of Texas Southern University’s commitment to its guiding principles of innovation, transformation, and disruption,” said Lesia L. Crumpton-Young, president of Texas Southern University. “This partnership will make a difference in the lives of our students and faculty. As the university continues to work tirelessly to provide opportunities for students and achieve unprecedented success at an accelerated pace, it is our belief that this partnership can be a model for other HBCUs throughout the country in changing the landscape of engineering and other STEM disciplines. “

National Black Farmers Association Statement on removal of Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color from Inflation Reduction Act

John Boyd, Founder an President, National Black Farmers Association released the following statement on the removal of Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color from Inflation Reduction Act:

After fighting for debt relief for over 3 decades, Boyd was elated when the Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color was passed and signed into law by President Joe Biden last year in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Boyd met with Biden during the SC primaries to discuss the plight of Black Farmers and it was agreed upon that Biden would address Black Farmer issues. Again, last July (2021), Biden reaffirmed to Boyd he would have a face time meeting with him to discuss the ongoing struggles and delay of America’s Black Farmers getting the long sought-after debt relief.

What could be worse than having another President to overturn legislation you enacted to help Black and other Farmers of Color during a pandemic; repealing your own legislation to take it away while they are being served foreclosure notices in a recession with the highest record of input costs in 40 years while sending hundreds of millions in aid to Ukraine farmers.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Section 22008 repeals the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Section 1005 which provided Black, Native and other Farmers of Color debt relief.

“I’m very, very disappointed in this legislative action,” he said in response to reading the final bill passed by the Senate. “I’m prepared to fight for debt relief for Black, Native American and other farmers of color all the way to the Supreme Court. I’m not going to stop fighting this.”

“Discrimination at USDA against Black Farmers was rampant and severe. Section 1005 Loan Repayment program was a necessary step towards fixing those harms. To acknowledge and correct racism is not unconstitutional or racist.”>

Olympic Gold Medalist, Kenny Monday Selected to Lead Revived Wrestling Program at Morgan State University

Leading the return of NCAA Division I, Varsity-level men’s wrestling to Maryland’s largest Historically Black College or University (HBCU), Morgan State University today announced the hiring of Kenny Monday as the Athletics Department’s new men’s wrestling coach, effective Aug. 24, 2022. Monday, the first Black wrestler in history to win an Olympic gold medal, is a National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, three-time Olympian and former NCAA All-American standout, who brings a championship-level coaching pedigree and an expansive yet impressive resume to a Bears’ wrestling program looking to restart after a 25-year hiatus. Monday comes to Morgan after serving as the director of wrestling and head wrestling coach at Spire Academy, since 2021.

To date, Morgan remains the only HBCU to offer NCAA Division I Varsity-level wrestling. The first full season of Morgan’s new wrestling program is slated for 2023–24.

“Wrestling is officially back at the National Treasure, Morgan State University! With the hiring of Coach Monday and the vast, winning experience he brings from competing at the highest echelons, we are certain to return to our championship glory and become a destination for student-athletes desiring top-level coaching and exceptional academic programs,” said David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University. “It isn’t every day that you can bring in a leader the caliber of Coach Kenny Monday…someone who has successfully competed and coached at the high school, collegiate and professional levels and has won throughout his career. So, when there was a mutual interest in having him become a part of the Morgan family, we made it happen without hesitation.”

In October 2021, the University announced its plans to revive the men’s wrestling program at Morgan with the support a $2.7-million gift from HBCU Wrestling (HBCUW), a new initiative reestablishing wrestling programs on HBCU campuses. The gift, which is among the largest received from a private donor to the University, provides funding for the program and supports up to nine full scholarships annually.

“I am incredibly proud of how we were able to work together with Morgan State to secure such an incredible leader for the program,” said Kerry McCoy, president of HBCU Wrestling. “Kenny Monday is an icon in the world of wrestling and has inspired so many. He has the ability to mobilize the Morgan alumni and the local community to generate support for the program. We look forward to continuing to support him and the program in any way we can.”

Following the announcement, the University embarked on a national search for a head wrestling coach. An inclusive process, the search included input from key internal and external constituents including university leadership, alumni, former wrestling student-athletes, and supporters. The process was comprehensive and competitive, generating huge interest from a variety of qualified candidates vying for the job.

“After conducting a nationwide search of the best talent in wrestling coaching, we are confident that in Coach Kenny Monday, we have selected the right person to restore Morgan’s wrestling program,” said Dena Freeman-Patton, vice president and director for intercollegiate athletics at Morgan. “Coach Monday brings the gravitas and experience to lead a Division I program and attract the top talent in the nation to come to Morgan. We look forward to having him start as soon as possible and build a championship-ready wrestling team.”

Monday’s hire marks the second major coaching selection Freeman-Patton has announced since coming aboard at Morgan last May. The University recently announced the hire of Bears Football head coach Damon Wilson. Next up is the search for a new coach for acrobatics and tumbling, which Morgan added to its sports offerings this past spring.

The University will host a press conference during the week of Aug. 22 to officially introduce Coach Monday. Additional details and confirmation of the day, time and location will be shared as soon as they become available.

“I'm extremely grateful and honored to be named as the head wrestling coach at Morgan State University. Bringing the wrestling program back to an HBCU after 25 years is exciting for me and the entire wrestling community,” said Coach Monday. “I want to thank President Wilson and Athletic Director Dena Freeman-Patton for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to build an incredible program. Every experience in my career has prepared me for this moment, and I can’t wait to get started. Go Bears!”

Before coming to Morgan, Monday served as Spire Academy’s director of wrestling and head wrestling coach. Spire Academy is an international high school and postgraduate sports performance training and education complex. Before his time at the academy, he held positions as head freestyle wrestling coach at the UNC Chapel Hill Training Center; head wrestling coach for the UFC’s Team Takedown MMA and Blackzillion MMA; co-head coach at Oklahoma State University, where he was also a student from 1981–1985; assistant wrestling coach for the 2012 Summer Olympics; and assistant wrestling coach at Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas, Texas. In all, Monday has coached 30 national champions and 50 All-Americans.

As an athlete, his accolades include Olympic gold medalist (1988) and silver medalist (1992), World Champion (1989), USA Free Style Champion (1985, 1988, 1991 and 1996) and three-time All-American and NCAA Champion (1984). He has been inducted into the National Wrestling (2001), Oklahoma Sports (2003) and United World Wrestling International (2016) Halls of Fame.

Individuals interested to learn more about Morgan State Athletics and ways to support Morgan State Wrestling can visit: www.morganbearclub.com or www.morganstatebears.com.

Dr. Ezra Griffith receives Cato T. Laurencin M.D., Ph.D. Lifetime Research Award

At the Opening Ceremony and Awards Program on July 30th 2022, the W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute recognized a stellar individual with its highest annual research award. Dr. Ezra Griffith was the recipient of the Cato T. Laurencin M.D., Ph.D. Lifetime Research Award.

Dr. Ezra Griffith is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and African American Studies at Yale University. He was born in Barbados and received his undergraduate education at Harvard University and his medical education in France at the University of Strasbourg. He is presently a monthly columnist of the American Psychiatric Association’s Psychiatric News.

In 2001, the Morehouse School of Medicine conferred on him the honorary degree, Doctor of Science. He was on the faculty at the Yale School of Medicine from 1977 until 2016. He also taught classes on Black narrative in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Griffith is a former president of the Black Psychiatrists of America, the American Orthopsychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

He has a significant history of administrative leadership in health care settings. From 1989 to 1996 he was Director of the Connecticut Mental Health Center, a collaborative endeavor of the Yale School of Medicine and the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. He was Deputy Chairman for Clinical Affairs in Yale’s Department of Psychiatry (1996–2009) and its Deputy Chairman for Diversity and Organizational Ethics (2009–16).

One of Dr. Griffith’s principal academic interests over the years has been in cultural and cross-cultural psychiatry. A measure of his stature in this area is reflected in his being Chairman of the Committee on Cultural Psychiatry of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry (GAP). His GAP Committee’s publication on suicide among ethnic groups in the United States has received significant praise and recognition, as has the coauthored review on trends in black homicide and suicide. Dr. Griffith has contributed several innovative articles to the literature that have analyzed psychological aspects of religious rituals in Black churches, both in the United States and in the English speaking Caribbean. In the United States, Dr. Griffith’s work on the Black church has been unusual, and it has represented an important beginning in a little-studied area. Curiously enough, until recently, few psychiatrists have been interested in the intriguing healing dimension of the Black church. His work in the Caribbean led to the book, 'Ye Shall Dream' (University of the West Indies Press, 2010), about the Spiritual Baptist religious movement in Barbados.

Dr. Griffith’s interest in Caribbean psychiatric practice has not simply been a theoretical interest. He has consulted to the Governments of St. Kitts and Grenada and has been a Pan American Health Organization consultant in Antigua and Jamaica. He has served as an advisor to Project Hope as they designed psychiatric services for the people of Grenada. Such activity reflects Griffith’s serious interest in Caribbean psychiatry. Dr. Griffith has served as an External Examiner at the University of the West Indies Faculty of Medicine. He delivered Barbados’s first Annual Dr. George Mahy Lecture in 2021.

The area of forensic psychiatry has been a second important interest of Dr. Griffith. He has served on the American Psychiatric Association’s Council of Law and Psychiatry and has chaired their Ethics Committee. He authored several major articles in the field and has written most recently on narrative in forensic psychiatry and the forensic report as performative narrative, as well as about ethics matters. Dr. Griffith served for 20 years as editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. He was also that association’s president. The American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law named him in 2005 their Seymour Pollack Awardee in recognition of his distinguished contributions to forensic psychiatry. In 2010, the American Psychiatric Association presented him its Isaac Ray Award for distinguished achievements in forensic psychiatry. He is the editor of Ethics Challenges in Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology Practice (Columbia University Press, 2018).

Dr. Griffith has written most recently on ethics and matters of diversity, inclusion, and belonging. He has proposed human dignity as a significant factor in rendering social spaces more therapeutic. He is the author of Race and Excellence: My Dialogue with Chester Pierce (University of Iowa Press, 1998) and Belonging, Therapeutic Landscapes, and Networks (Routledge, 2018). He is a co-editor of Black Mental Health (American Psychiatric Publishing, 2019). Race and Excellence is being reissued in 2022 by the American Psychiatric Press. In May 2007, a special presidential commendation of the American Psychiatric Association was awarded to him in recognition of his strong dedication to the well-being of African American patients and his excellent contributions to the field of cross-cultural psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, and African American studies.

He has been the Mossell Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania, the Dana African American Visiting Professor at the University of Maryland, the Earline Houston Memorial Lecturer in Public Psychiatry at Hahnemann University, as well as the Jeanne Spurlock Memorial Lecturer at the George Washington University School of Medicine. In 1997, he presented the Lundbeck Lecture to the Forensic Psychiatry Section of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the UK. In 1999 he delivered the Roy Cooke Memorial Lecture in Kingston, Jamaica. Dr. Griffith presented the Solomon Carter Fuller Lecture at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in May 2001. He has been the 1998 Ernest Y. Williams, MD Distinguished Senior Clinical Scholar of the National Medical Association. He was the Charles Steinberg Visiting Professor of Psychiatry and the Law at the University of Rochester School of Medicine in 2012.

From 2013 to 2015, he served as a Gubernatorial Appointee to the Sandy Hook Commission investigating the Sandy Hook School violence. He received the American Psychiatric Association’s Distinguished Service Award in 2021.