Deion Sanders Named Head Football Coach at Colorado

Deion Sanders, known as "Prime Time" during his Hall of Fame playing career and has since transitioned into "Coach Prime," has been named the 28th full-time head football coach at the University of Colorado, athletic director Rick George announced Saturday evening.

Sanders, 55, joins the CU program from Jackson State University (Jackson, Miss.), where in three seasons the Tigers compiled a 27-5 record and won back-to-back Southwestern Athletic Conference championships competing on the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level; that mark includes a 12-0 record this season. Jackson State defeated Southern, 43-24, in the SWAC title game on Saturday.

"There were a number of highly qualified and impressive candidates interested in becoming the next head football coach at Colorado, but none of them had the pedigree, the knowledge and the ability to connect with student-athletes like Deion Sanders," George said. "Not only will Coach Prime energize our fanbase, I'm confident that he will lead our program back to national prominence while leading a team of high quality and high character."

At Jackson State, Sanders achieved tremendous success on and off the field as a fierce advocate for additional exposure and a level playing field for all Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Sanders brought national attention to HBCUs, pushing for opportunities to highlight its talent and the culture. In March 2022, Sanders held a Pro Day featuring athletes from four other schools in the state of Mississippi to provide a platform in front of 22 NFL teams and the Canadian Football League. In April 2022, Jackson State became the first HBCU to have its spring football game televised live nationally on ESPNU.

"Deion Sanders' stature transcends sports, and his hiring elevates not only the football program but the university as a whole," said CU Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano. "I'm thankful Deion has chosen to join our Buffalo family and I applaud Rick George for a truly inspired choice. This is an exciting new chapter in the long, storied history of Colorado football and I look forward to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our students, supporters and fans to cheer on "Coach Prime" and our student-athletes next fall."

Sanders first game as head coach for the Buffaloes will be next Sept. 2 at TCU, currently ranked third in the College Football Playoff standings. His first home games follow on Sept. 9 against long-time rival Nebraska, with in-state rival Colorado State on tap the following Saturday. Those two foes open the 100th season of CU's historic Folsom Field.

Keke Palmer Wins Best Supportig Actress Award From New York Film Critics Circle

Keke Palmer pulled of what some might call an upset at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards.

The charasmatic actress won the award for best supporting actress by the New York Film Critics Circle for her role in Jordan Peele's and Universal Pictures’ “Nope.”

Hopefully this recognition by the NYFCC will give Palmer a book going into the upcoming awards season. Congratualtions Keke!

Founded in 1935, the Circle’s membership includes critics from daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, magazines, and qualifying online general-interest publications. Every year in December the organization meets in New York to vote on awards for the previous calendar year’s films.

Black Author Tiya Miles wins the 2022 Cundill History Prize

Author Tiya Miles was awarded the $75,000 Cundill History Prize, which recognizes the best history writing in English, for All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake.

In a unanimous decision, the 2022 jurors decided to award Miles the prize for her “superbly written” story of an enslaved mother and her daughter, which traces the lives of three generations of Black women through one object: a cotton sack.

“All That She Carried is a history that reminds us about what makes us human,” said juror Martha S. Jones in a statement.

The book brings determined research and eloquent compassion to the story of an enslaved mother and her daughter just as they are doomed to be separated, and then discovers how one mother’s love survived across time and space in the form of a simple cotton sack. We learn how the past still shapes our present and how we might use its hard won lessons to face the hardship of our own times. Miles deploys dogged research and elegant prose to reveal how the survivors of slavery’s crime against humanity left a legacy that undergirds our present-day strivings for justice. As jurors we had the welcome opportunity to read All That She Carried over and again; it is a book I will share with the people in my life as a model of historical scholarship and a beacon for finding our way.

Check out the book at Amazon

Congressman Steven Horsford Elected Chairman of Congressional Black Caucus

The Congressional Black Caucus announced its new leadership for the 118th Congress on Thursday.

Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) was elected as its the new chairman.

Others elected to the Black Caucus Executive Committee were Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) is first vice chair; Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) is second vice chair; Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) is secretary; and Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.) is the caucus’s new whip.

Horsford responded via Twitter on his new leadership position:

I am honored to serve as Chair of @TheBlackCaucus for the 118th Congress. Our work as the “conscience of the Congress” will be as important as ever, as we advocate for economic prosperity, voting rights and protecting our democracy. pic.twitter.com/21rHY4A7ym

— Rep. Steven Horsford (@RepHorsford) December 1, 2022

Congressional Black Caucus Statement on The Passing of Congressman Donald McEachin

The Congressional Black Caucus released the following statement after the death of Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) due to Cancer on Monday:

“It is with profound sadness that we join the people of Virginia and the McEachin family in mourning the loss of our dear friend and colleague, the honorable Congressman Donald McEachin. Congressman McEachin was a tireless advocate for the people of Virginia and our nation. He dedicated his life to advancing America’s working families, creating economic opportunities, and promoting environmental justice for all. He leaves an unparalleled legacy of excellence and integrity, and we will honor that legacy with our continued dedication to the issues which he championed”, said Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty.

“Congressman McEachin was an outspoken and active member of our CBC family, and his presence will be sorely missed. We send our heartfelt condolences to his loving wife Colette, their dear children Mac, Briana, and Alexandra, grandchild Gael, and the entire McEachin family. May his memory be a blessing.”