Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Set to Become HBCU Athletic Conference on July 1, 2024

The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference released the following statement on its name change to the HBCU Athletic Conference:

We are thrilled to announce that the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference is set to undergo a remarkable rebranding, emerging with a new name "HBCU Athletic Conference" and tagline "Where Winners Thrive". We are also announcing the contract renewal of Hope Credit Union (HOPE), the title sponsor for our basketball and baseball championships and our official banking partner.

Overview:

The HBCU Athletic Conference represents a dynamic evolution in our commitment to excellence and the empowerment of student-athletes. As we embrace this new identity, we are excited to showcase the vibrant legacy of our member institutions. We have set out to share stories of impact at the intersection of heritage and higher education.

In addition to our new brand identity, our banking partner, Hope Credit Union, has agreed to renew its contract for three years becoming the largest sponsorship contract in conference history.

CBS and the NAACP Developing New Soap Opera Centering on Black Family

CBS Studios and NAACP Venture announced they are developing a new daytime drama series for the CBS Television Network titled “The Gates,” with veteran writer Michele Val Jean (“The Bold and the Beautiful,” “General Hospital”) set as writer and showrunner.

Val Jean, who exited “The Bold and the Beautiful” last month as a scriptwriter after writing more than 2,000 episodes of daytime dramas and winning multiple Daytime Emmy and WGA Awards, will also serve as an executive producer for “The Gates” alongside Sheila Ducksworth, Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson and Kimberly Doebereiner.

The potential series will follow the lives of a wealthy Black family in a posh, gated community. It will be produced by the CBS Studios/NAACP production venture in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble. P&G, in particular, might sound familiar to soap fans as the company helped pioneer the genre with the likes of “As The World Turns,” “Guiding Light,” and “Another World.”

“‘The Gates’ will be everything we love about daytime drama, from a new and fresh perspective,” said Sheila Ducksworth, president of the CBS Studios NAACP venture. “This series will salute an audience that has been traditionally underserved, with the potential to be a groundbreaking moment for broadcast television. With multi-dimensional characters, juicy storylines and Black culture front and center, ‘The Gates’ will have impactful representation, one of the key touchstones of the venture.”

[SOURCE: SOAPOPERANET]

Congressional Black Caucus Issues Statement on University of Florida decision to eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion offices

Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Steven Horsford (NV-04) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement on the University of Florida decision to eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion offices:

“The decision today by the University of Florida to eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and to fire staff focused on creating a more inclusive learning environment, is far out of step with the standards and values expected of a public institution of higher education that is a member of the American Association of Universities, and which receives its accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

“Contrary to Governor DeSantis’ claim that ‘DEI is toxic’, it is intolerance that is toxic. Since the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, DEI programs have come under attack on college campuses, in the corporate sector and beyond – this being the latest example. The University of Florida, as a public institution that receives federal funding, should be evaluated for potential civil rights violations.”

NABJ Appalled by Gray TV Affiliate KMOV’s Use of ‘Colored’ on Air

The National Association of Black Journalists released the following statement after an incident in which a St. Louis TV news anchor at KMOV referred to Black homeowners as “colored.”

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is appalled and disappointed by a recent incident at KMOV, Gray Television’s affiliate in St. Louis. While teasing a story about Black homeowners and appraisals, an anchor referred to the homeowners as “colored.”

It is upsetting that such a slur would make it to air. The term is outdated, offensive and racist. We are concerned that no one in the KMOV newsroom caught this error, and we question KMOV’s editorial process when it comes to cultural awareness.

Given that St. Louis’ population is 43% Black, and the city is no stranger to racial strife, we would hope KMOV would be more sensitive in how it covers the Black community.

While we understand that there have been multiple on-air apologies and KMOV management has met with local leaders, that is not enough. KMOV and Gray TV should retrain their employees on diversity, equity and inclusion issues while investing in recruiting and retaining Black employees on and off-air.

Management at KMOV has reached out to NABJ to learn how to educate the newsroom on issues within the Black community.

“We look forward to these discussions with KMOV’s management,” said NABJ President Ken Lemon and Vice President-Broadcast Walter Smith Randolph. “However, this further shows the fight for equal treatment and fair coverage is not over. We hope these discussions will be fruitful and yield documentable results.”

NABJ will continue to monitor this station and the efforts of Gray TV to enhance its processes and protocols to eliminate this and similar issues.

Dr. Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman Appointed President of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman has been named president of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine for the 2024-2025 term. The society, based in Washington, was established to optimize equitable health outcomes for all birthing people by serving as a professional voice for clinicians and researchers who study high-risk pregnancy care.

Dr. Gyamfi-Bannerman is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and the Yen Endowed Chair of the department of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Prior to her current appointment, she was the Ellen Jacobson Levine and Eugene Jacobson Professor and vice chair for faculty development in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University in New York, where she taught for 16 years.

When the COVID-19 pandemic spread throughout the United States, Dr. Gyamfi-Bannerman’s team at Columbia University was one of the first to examine the infection in pregnant women. Her efforts led to her appointment as co-chair of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ COVID Task Force. Her academic accomplishments have won her numerous awards including the research award from the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, as well as recognition for Research Excellence from the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

“I appreciate the support I have received from my faculty and trainee colleagues here at UC San Diego along with colleagues from around the world,” said Dr. Gyamfi-Bannerman. “Together we will work to advance our field and our reach, improving patient outcomes and eliminating health disparities.”

Dr. Gyamfi-Bannerman received her bachelor’s degree in biology and her M.D. from the University of Miami in Florida. She holds a master’s degree in biostatistics from Columbia University.

[SOURCE: JBHE]