Historic marker to honor African American tennis club

A tennis club for African American players that hosted International Tennis Hall of Famers Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe is being honored with a historic marker.

The North Carolina Highway Historical Marker will be dedicated Thursday at the site of the Algonquin Tennis Club, which was created in 1922 by the American Tennis Association. The association was formed to support African American players who were then banned from the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association.

The members met in private homes for 12 years before the Algonquin Tennis Club House was purchased in 1934.

The club closed in 1964, and its historic clubhouse burned down several years later. The ceremony will be held at the W.D. Hill Recreation Center, located in the same area.

The Durham Committee on Negro Affairs was formed at the club in 1935 and remains active today as the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People.

[SOURCE: AP NEWS]

Sen. Cory Booker’s statement on Newark Water Crisis

U.S. Cory Booker (D-NJ) released the following statement via Twitter regarding the Newark Water Crisis:

Newark’s water emergency demands our federal government’s immediate attention. Everyone deserves clean, safe water—it's shameful that our national crisis of lead-contaminated water disproportionately hits poor black and brown communities like my own.

African American Charlotte (NC) Mayor receives racist & threatening letter

Charlotte North Carolina Mayor, Vi Alexander Lyles and more than a dozen city leaders, all of them African American except for one, received a letter in the mail to their respective offices that was threatening and racist. Now, police are taking a close look.

The letter read in part, "...Each of you despicable BLACK democrats should be tarred and feathered and run out of town (my town) on a rail..."

Watch this story below.

Stacey Abrams open to being a VP candidate

Former Georgia state Rep. Stacey Abrams (D) isn’t running for president in 2020, but she said she’s open to being vice president for any of the candidates.

Abrams, who was narrowly defeated in the Georgia governor race last year by Republican Brian Kemp, told The New York Times that she has no plans to run for Senate or president in 2020 but is “certainly open to other political opportunities.”

When pressed on whether such an opportunity might include the vice presidency, Abrams said she would be “honored to be considered” for the position by any candidate. However, she said her focus at the moment is on the primary and fighting voter suppression.

“In the end, no matter where I fit, no matter which ones of our nominees win, if we haven’t fought this scourge, if we haven’t pushed back against Moscow Mitch and his determination to block any legislation that would cure our voting machines, then we are all in a world of trouble,” she told the Times.

[SOURCE: AOL.COM

1,000 HBCU students to receive free access to textbooks from UNCF, Cengage partnership

1,000 HBCU Students to Receive Free Access to More than 22,000 Cengage Course Materials, Online Homework Access Codes, Study Guides and More

Cengage and UNCF have announced a program to provide 1,000 students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with free, semester-long subscriptions to Cengage Unlimited. UNCF, the largest educational organization supporting and advocating for minorities for nearly 75 years, will administer the program and select the recipients on behalf of Cengage.

“Every student should have an equal opportunity to succeed, and having the right learning materials can have a critical impact on performance,” said Michael Hansen, CEO, Cengage. “The high cost of textbooks have prohibited this for many students. This is why we launched Cengage Unlimited – to make quality learning more affordable. UNCF has helped thousands of learners, enabling opportunity for minority students through its financial support and public advocacy. We are proud to partner with UNCF to ease some of the financial burden these students face and ensure they are equipped with the tools they need to reach their full potential.”

Cengage Unlimited is the industry’s first all-access digital subscription for college textbooks and course materials. A subscription offers access to more than 22,000 Cengage eBooks, online homework access codes and study guides for $119.99 a semester, no matter how many products they use. A subscription also includes free access to resources from Evernote, Kaplan, Quizlet and Chegg.

In the 2018-2019 academic year, Cengage Unlimited saved students more than $60 million.

“For 75 years, our motto ‘A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in,’ ® has remained at the forefront of everything we do,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF. “We must continue to invest our time and money in better futures for young people around the country. Partners like Cengage are vitally important to this work and we are pleased to have them as an ally in helping to educate the next generation of leaders.”

Program eligibility is based on several factors, including financial need, a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, an essay and letter of recommendation.  Five hundred subscriptions each will be awarded for the Fall 2019 semester and the Spring 2020 semester.  Applications are being accepted through August 29, 2019 for the fall semester. Applications for the Spring 2020 semester will open on November 4, 2019.

For more information on eligibility and to apply for the program click here, or visit: https://scholarships.uncf.org

According to a recent study by Morning Consult on behalf of Cengage, textbook costs are the second largest stressor facing college students today after paying for tuition.  In the same study, 60 percent of African American students noted they have opted not to buy required textbooks and course materials, and 52 percent said buying course materials has a big impact on their finances while in school.

About Cengage

Cengage is the education and technology company built for learners. As the largest US-based provider of teaching and learning materials for higher education, we offer valuable options at affordable price points. Our industry-leading initiatives include Cengage Unlimited, the first-of-its-kind all-access digital subscription service.  We embrace innovation to create learning experiences that build confidence and momentum toward the future students want. Headquartered in Boston, Cengage also serves K-12, library and workforce training markets around the world. Visit us at www.cengage.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

About UNCF

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at more than 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org, or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.