Fort Lee renamed after two African American Army officers

Fort Lee will become Fort Gregg-Adams during a redesignation ceremony April 27, honoring two Black officers who excelled in the field of sustainment and made significant marks in U.S. Army history.

Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg rose from the rank of private to three-star general during his military logistics career, which began just after WWII and spanned nearly 36 years. Gregg, now 94, will be the only living person in modern Army history to have an installation named after him.

Lt. Col. Charity Adams was the first Black officer in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps – later known as the Women’s Army Corps – in World War II and led the first predominately Black WAC unit to serve overseas: the storied 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.

“We are deeply honored to have Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams as the new namesakes for our installation,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Simerly, commanding general of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command and senior commander of Fort Lee.

The post is one of nine Army installations being redesignated in accordance with Defense Department-endorsed recommendations from the congressional Naming Commission to remove the names, symbols, displays, monuments and paraphernalia that commemorate the Confederate States of America or those who voluntarily served under the C.S.A. Congress directed the formation of the Naming Commission in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act and charged it with providing these recommendations.

The Commission issued its three-part report to Congress in the summer of 2022. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III accepted all the Commission’s recommendations that September. On Jan. 5, 2023, William A. LaPlante, the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, directed all Department of Defense organizations to begin implementing those recommendations.

“The Naming Commission sought to recommend names that are ‘inspirational to the Soldiers and civilians who serve on our Army posts, and to the communities who support them.’ They delivered exactly that with these two inspiring leaders,” Simerly said, adding: “Their tremendous accomplishments – from World War II through the Cold War – speak to the important history of this installation and to the courage, dignity, and devotion to duty that we strive to instill in every Soldier training here at the home of the Army Sustainment.”

While in-person attendance at the ceremony will be by invitation only due to space limitations, the entire event will be live-streamed on facebook.com/ArmyFortLee.

Full press conference: Brittney Griner discusses her return to basketball court with Phoenix Mercury

WNBA star Brittney Griner discussed her return to the basketball court with the Phoenix Mercury at a press conference Thursday ahead of the team's 2023 training camp. Griner spent nearly 10 months imprisoned on drug charges in Russia before she was freed in December in a prisoner swap. Watch the full press conference below.

BYRON ALLEN TO HONOR GAYLE KING WITH THEGRIO’S JOURNALIST ICON AWARD

Byron Allen’s African American-focused multiplatform media outlet, theGrio, will honor CBS News’ Gayle King with the Journalist Icon Award for her career achievements and service to the country in a star-studded event in Washington, DC. immediately following the annual White House Correspondents’ dinner on April 29.

The event, which will take place at The Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History & Culture, will be hosted by comedian Roy Wood Jr. and guests will be treated to a special concert by music legend Diana Ross.

“Gayle King and Diana Ross are both American treasures, and I can’t think of a better way to honor their excellence than by hosting this event at The Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History & Culture,” Allen said. “I created the Washington, DC Gala to be a spectacular celebration, informative, and a great deal of fun.”

King — who co-hosts “CBS Mornings,” hosts a weekly radio show titled “Gayle King in the House” on SiriusXM and is also editor-at-large of Oprah Daily – has received numerous awards and honors during her illustrious career, including three Emmys, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, the induction into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, and was selected for the TIME 100, Time magazine’s annual list of the hundred most influential people in the world.

Allen is chairman, CEO and founder of Allen Media Group, which owns 27 ABC-NBC-CBS-FOX network affiliate broadcast television stations in 21 U.S. markets and 12 round-the-clock HD television networks serving nearly 220 million subscribers.

AP African American Studies Scholars to Make More Changes to Course

The Advanced Placement Program has worked for several years alongside scholars, higher education institutions, and secondary schools to create an AP course in African American Studies.

We are committed to providing an unflinching encounter with the facts and evidence of African American history and culture. To achieve that commitment, we must listen to the diversity of voices within the field. The development committee and experts within AP remain engaged in building a course and exam that best reflect this dynamic discipline. Those scholars and experts have decided they will make changes to the latest course framework during this pilot phase. They will determine the details of those changes over the next few months.

Ultimately this work must deliver a representative introductory college-level course, and that imperative will guide its development. Hunger for this course has exploded around the country, growing from 60 schools in the first pilot year to 800 schools and 16,000 students in the school year ahead. Every day, there are more stories about how this course is opening minds and changing lives. Regardless of how many students take this course, each one of those students should have access to the full breadth and beauty of this discipline.

In embarking on this effort, access was our driving principle—both access to a discipline that has not been widely available to high school students, and access for as many of those students as possible. Regrettably, along the way those dual access goals have come into conflict. The updated framework, shaped by the development committee and subject matter experts from AP, will ensure that those students who do take this course will get the most holistic possible introduction to African American Studies.

Brick City HBCU Kickoff Classic with Grambling State University and Hampton University Set for September 2 at Red Bull Arena

The City of Newark and event planner KBS Sports Strategies will host the inaugural Brick City HBCU Kickoff Classic, with Grambling State University and Hampton University playing on September 2, 2023, at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ at 3:00 PM ET.

The Brick City HBCU Kickoff Classic is a celebration of the culture and excellence of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The Classic is designed to increase awareness of HBCU’s while also having a direct impact on the City of Newark through the awarding of scholarships, strengthened partnerships, and local economic development.

“Hampton University is appreciative of the invite to participate in the inaugural Brick City Classic and the opportunity to face another legendary HBCU program, Grambling State University. This will be a great weekend for our alums in the New York/ New Jersey area to be a part of a prestigious HBCU classic, reconnect with fellow Hamptonians, and support our football team over the Labor Day Weekend,” said Hampton University President Darrell K. Williams.

The Brick City HBCU Kickoff Classic renews a popular rivalry between two teams that are able to boast of Hall of Fame coaches- Eddie Robinson of GSU and Joe Taylor of HU. Always highly competitive contests, Hampton University and Grambling State University have faced off on the gridiron seven times with Hampton having won six of those match-ups with an average attendance of 46,000. The top five most highly attended HBCU Classics played in New Jersey all feature these two teams with three of the games against each other drawing better than 58,000 fans.

“We are extremely excited to bring Hampton Football back to New Jersey and the Tri-State area for this game against the Grambling State Tigers. Having participated in this long-standing rivalry in the late 1990’s I know the great history and tradition accompanying this match-up. This game provides us with a tremendous opportunity to reconnect with Hampton alumni, supporters, and friends and will allow our world-class university to recruit future Pirates to Our Home by the Sea,” said Hampton University Athletic Director Anthony Henderson, Sr.

Grambling State University Athletic Director, Dr. Trayvean Scott added, “We are excited about the opportunity to compete against Hampton University in the Inaugural Brick City Classic. The history between Grambling State University and the tri-state area goes back many years and has left its mark on HBCU football. This is an opportunity for our alumni and new generation of #Gramfam football fans to be involved in such a historic game”.

The Colonial Athletic Association’s Hampton University and Southwest Athletic Conference’s Grambling State University both look to have breakout years in 2023. HU’s Robert Prunty and GSU’s Hue Jackson will have both teams primed and ready to compete.

"Our players, coaches, fans, and alumni are excited to play in the Brick City Classic against Grambling State University at Red Bull Arena. We know it will be a great atmosphere, and we know it will be a great game with two of the best brands in HBCU football being able to match up -- two very explosive teams. I have a lot of respect for Coach Hue Jackson and the way he does things. You see the growth, you see the explosiveness from his group, and we know it's going to be a heck of a matchup," said Hampton’s Head Coach Robert Prunty.

"We’re extremely excited to play in the Brick City Classic against the Hampton Pirates to start our season. We’re looking forward to going on the road traveling to Newark, New Jersey and playing this game. Let’s Go GramFam." – said GSU head Football Coach Hue Jackson.

“The Brick City HBCU Kickoff Classic is the perfect way to enjoy your Labor Day weekend,” said Kris Smith, CEO of KBS Sports Strategies. “We are working with the City of Newark and Essex County to provide meaningful activations throughout the community. The Classic will promote pathways to STEM and media career possibilities while also providing resources for financial literacy and wellness. Also, to be able to highlight these two world-class institutions and the missions of all HBCU’s, being able to share that and incorporate that into a community that is full of promise and talented students, while also lessening their financial burden through scholarships, is what this is all about.”

"Red Bull Arena is proud to host our venue's first American football game featuring two storied universities, Grambling State and Hampton," said Marc de Grandpré, General Manager, New York Red Bulls. "We consider it a true privilege to host the inaugural Brick City HBCU Kickoff Classic. As we continue to expand and diversify our sports and entertainment event offerings, having college football played in Harrison, NJ this September will be very exciting for all gridiron fans in our area."

Red Bull Arena, home of the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer, will proudly host international sporting events this summer that include a Premier League matchup between Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Newcastle United, Gold Cup group stage matches and the Rugby Sevens event.

Since 2010, Red Bull Arena has hosted some of the top soccer clubs in the world including FC Barcelona, Chelsea FC, Manchester United, Manchester City FC, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich, SL Benfica, Club America, Paris Saint Germain, AS Roma and Juventus as well as international squads including the United States Men’s and Women’s National Teams, Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Czech Republic and Turkey.

Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster on April 24. For suite information email Red Bull Arena at Staphanie.Delorenzis@newyorkredbulls.com. Additional information on tickets and Brick City HBCU Kickoff Classic events can be found at www.BrickCityClassic.com.