Dr. Brian Bridges Appointed New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has announced his selection of Dr. Brian Bridges as the state’s new Secretary of Higher Education. Bridges, who is UNCF’s Vice President of Research and Member Engagement, is leaving UNCF to assume his duties beginning Nov. 16.

Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF, said “Brian Bridges is a great choice to be New Jersey’s new Secretary of Education. He has led our research and institutional transformation work at UNCF, driving our strategy to ensure that our Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) produce ever stronger results for the students they serve. Brian is a passionate, committed, and relentless advocate for justice, equality, and equity in the academy. All of us at UNCF will miss Brian, but we know that he will continue to champion the urgent cause of higher education access and affordability, and he will lead a new era of innovation and transformation for all of New Jersey’s colleges and universities and their students.”

As New Jersey’s Secretary of Higher Education, Dr. Bridges will use his higher education experience and leadership skills to help guide the governor and the New Jersey state legislature in carrying out its critical mission to make college more affordable and accessible to build a stronger and fairer New Jersey for all. His new role will oversee 78 two- and four-year institutions, serve more than 500,000 students and provide advice and guidance on $1.5 billion of sustainable and responsible funding for those institutions.

“Achieving this level of success comes as no surprise,” said Dr. Lomax. “Since joining UNCF as executive director of the UNCF Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute (FDPRI) in 2012, and then rising to vice president of research and member engagement in 2014, Brian has contributed to the success of UNCF and grown in both leadership and national stature as he positioned FDPRI into the nation’s leading authority on the HBCU value proposition and gained a reputation as a leading voice in African American higher education.”

“For this, and his many major contributions to our organization, we truly thank him, and look forward to watching him as he continues on a path to major success. Congratulations, Secretary Bridges!” said Lomax.

NYPD Assistant Chief Juanita Holmes named new chief of collaborative policing

A 33-year NYPD veteran is continuing to blaze trails as she takes over as the new chief of collaborative policing.

Assistant Chief Juanita Holmes, who used to be in charge of the School Safety Division, is now tasked with fostering partnerships with people, government agencies, and community-based organizations. She is one of the highest ranked African-American women in the department.

Walter Wallace’s mother: They don’t give a damn

The mother of Walter Wallace, the 27-year-old Philadelphia man who was gunned down by officers Monday in front of his family's home said police knew he was having a mental crisis because she told them and begged them not to shoot him.

Watch Mrs. Wallace's full commentd below:

Grand juror in Breonna Taylor case calls proceedings "a betrayal"

In a "CBS This Morning" exclusive, two grand jurors in the Breonna Taylor case told Gayle King that the Kentucky attorney general never presented them with the option to consider indicting officers on more serious charges for Taylor's death.

Watch the entite interview below:

LeBron James, CNN Films to produce documentary on Tulsa race massacre

Lebron James's SpringHill Company is collaborating with CNN Films to create a documentary that examines the history of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, according to news release.

Dubbed "DREAMLAND: The Rise and Fall of Black Wall Street," the film will look at the history of Tulsa, Oklahoma's Greenwood district -- better known as "Black Wall Street" -- and the devastating history of the race massacre that followed.

"We cannot move forward until we acknowledge our past and this is about honoring a prosperous, booming Black community, one of many, that was brought to an end because of hate," Jamal Henderson, SpringHill's chief content officer and one of the executive producers of the documentary, said in the news release.

"With the lack of historic journalism around 'Black Wall Street' and the Tulsa Massacre of 1921, we are honored to be partnered with CNN, which has a long-standing record of credible and groundbreaking journalism," he continued.

James will serve as one of the executive producers of the film, along with Salima Koroma who will be the director.

"CNN Films could not be more proud to partner with The SpringHill Company for this long-overdue recognition of the tragedy of what happened in Greenwood, and to contribute to the reconciliation that comes with the acknowledgment of history," said Amy Entelis, executive vice president for talent and content development for CNN Worldwide in a news release. "Salima Koroma's vision will yield a truly thoughtful film."

[SOURCE: CNN]