Watch President Biden's entire speech at the NAACP Convention in Las Vegas about the need to address violence, political violence and gun violence against children. He also defended his record and talked about inflation, child care, historical black colleges and universities, and his plans for a second term.
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) released a statement following the conviction of Senator Bob Menendez:
Though this is a sad day for New Jersey, I find solace in the fact that justice was done. I commend the jury for their fairness, impartiality, and commitment to upholding the rule of law.
It is clear following his conviction that Senator Menendez cannot effectively represent the state of New Jersey in the United States Senate. For the good of our great state he must resign.
This spring, Howard University alumnus Virgil Parker (B.A. ’21) and Ph.D. candidate Lyndsie Whitehead were selected as 2024 Fulbright Program Alumni Ambassadors. In this two-year appointment, Parker and Whitehead are tasked with serving as representatives for the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
Parker and Whitehead are two of only 20 ambassadors selected for the 2024 cohort. As Alumni Ambassadors, they have been chosen to provide testimonials about their Fulbright experience at conferences and campus presentations and offer application tips through various forms of multimedia and special events across the United States. The pair have already represented the program at fellow HBCUs Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University.
After graduating from Howard University in 2021, Parker completed a Fulbright exchange in Canada, where he studied cross-border economic policy at the University of Windsor. His research explored means of creating economic equity in U.S.-Canada trade for U.S. business owners who identify as women or members of minority groups. Parker hopes his story can encourage future Fulbrighters eager to share their expertise on an international stage.
“I am very honored and excited to be chosen as an Alumni Ambassador,” says Parker. “Being awarded a grant from the Fulbright program was an honor within itself, so I am very eager to encourage other students to be a part of this experience.”
Parker says he has two specific goals in his ambassador role. “First, I want to motivate more students, especially students of color, to see the importance of traveling to other countries and exploring those cultures,” Parker says. “There is so much out there for us to see in the world, and Fulbright is a great chance to immerse yourself in another country, while benefiting academically.”
“Secondly, I want to debunk any false narrative that a Fulbright grant is too hard to achieve or the application process is too complicated,” Parker continues. “Fulbright does not have a GPA minimum for a reason. They look for well-rounded individuals who are eager to explore a foreign culture, add meaningful value to that host country, and then return home to help make our country better. There are so many ways that students can strive to achieve these goals, and I believe they shouldn’t let anything hinder them from applying to this amazing opportunity.”
A Cathy Hughes School of Communications graduate, Parker was most recently a television producer for News10NBC (WHEC-TV) of Rochester, N.Y., and is currently a Global Goals Ambassador for the United Nations Association of the USA. He aspires to become a filmmaker who can use the power of storytelling to both educate and entertain people about important people and events in history.
“I am very excited to serve in this cohort with fellow Bison Lyndsie Whitehead,” says Parker. “Watching her and many other Howard students commit themselves to public affairs and giving back to their community further amplifies that we should take our time in this world seriously.”
Whitehead also earned a Fulbright grant in 2021, where her research examined the push-pull factors that influence sub-Saharan African students’ enrollment decisions in India, including support services, financial resources, and relationships with faculty and peers. Her research explores strategies for policymakers, administrators, and faculty to gain a deeper understanding of the decision-making processes of international students choosing to study abroad.
“As an African American woman, I have always been intrigued by the African diaspora beyond the geographical boundaries of the United States,” says Whitehead. “I continue to be fascinated with diasporic connections to the African continent. Upon enrolling in the Higher Educational Leadership and Policy Program at Howard, I knew that my dissertation research would undoubtedly have an international focus – it was merely a matter of honing in on the location.”
“Shifts in international student mobility naturally guided me to Africa and the Indian subcontinent. In 2021, the African Union reported that with more than 400 million young adults ages 15-35, Africa has the youngest population globally and with India surpassing a total population of 1 billion,” Whitehead says. “These two regions are and will continue to be critical in shaping the international higher education landscape. If we are not talking about India and its relationship with Africa, especially as it relates to higher education, we’ve missed the target.”
Currently a senior associate at UNICEF-USA and a doctoral candidate in Howard’s higher education leadership and policy program, Whitehead’s career goals include establishing a non-profit organization that integrates insights from her research to provide leadership development, career coaching, and internship opportunities for international students.
“Internationalization is very much a part of Howard University’s institutional DNA. It embodies the very ethos of our campus dating back to 1870 when three Chinese students – Fung Affoo, Choy Awah, and Leong Sing – received full scholarships and enrolled at Howard Normal School,” says Whitehead. “Virgil and I are a part of an extensive legacy of Howard University’s global presence and commitment to preparing international scholars.”
Per the Fulbright website, Alumni Ambassadors comprise an array of different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, states, fields of study, institutions, and world regions in which their Fulbright experience took place. In a highly competitive process, Fulbright Commissions, U.S. Embassies, Fulbright Program Managers, and the Outreach Division convene each autumn to recommend alumni for the program. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs then approves the final selection of Alumni Ambassadors.
Founded in 1946, the Fulbright Program is an international academic exchange program with the goal of increasing mutual understanding and supporting friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Today, the U.S. government oversees an extensive suite of fellowships and scholarships in partnership with more than 160 countries worldwide.
BET Media Group announced “Black America Votes: The Biden Interview,” an exclusive BET News interview special with President Joe Biden airing Wednesday, July 17, at 10 PM ET/9 PM CT on BET. In this critical stage of his re-election campaign, President Biden will sit down with award-winning journalist Ed Gordon for his first on-camera interview on BET and speak directly to Black America. The conversation will focus on critical issues impacting our community and discuss why Black Americans should continue to support his candidacy amidst growing public concerns and calls for him to withdraw.
Black voters played a pivotal role in delivering the Democratic nomination and the presidency for President Joe Biden in 2020. As we approach the 2024 election, the stakes have never been higher for the President and Black America. At this crucial moment, it is imperative for President Biden to directly address the concerns of Black voters and articulate his vision for the future.
This exclusive half-hour special will discuss the growing concern over President Biden’s fitness for office, the state of the economy for Black families, the Project 2025 conservative policy agenda, and the fight to engage Black voters.
Executive Produced by Jason Samuels, this news special complements BET’s “We V.O.T.E.” campaign to increase civic engagement and voter participation within the Black community.
Clips, photos, and the interview transcript of “Black America Votes: The Biden Interview” will be made available at a later date.
The National Civil Rights Museum will host a community symposium on the “60th Anniversary of Freedom Summer” on Saturday, July 27, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the museum. During this hybrid event, courageous activists from the iconic Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) will share experiences of their grassroots efforts to help register Black American voters in Mississippi 60 years ago.
This symposium will feature authors, historians, and filmmakers who will highlight incidents from the pivotal summer of 1964. Co-moderated by Dr. Robert Luckett, author, professor, and Director of the Margaret Walker Center and COFO Center at Jackson State University, and Dory Lerner, the museum’s Education Manager, a panel of surviving SNCC Freedom Summer activists will kick off the event. Panelists include:
A book talk discussion with authors Davis Houck and Devery Anderson will provide a segue to other violent events during Freedom Summer. Houck is the author of Black Bodies in the River: Searching for Freedom Summer, whose 2022 release uncovers the claim that dozens of unidentified Black bodies were discovered in the June 1964 search for civil rights workers Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner. Anderson is the author of A Slow, Calculated Lynching: The Story of Clyde Kennard which resurrects the story of a Hattiesburg civil rights worker who attempted to enroll in University of Southern Mississippi and became victim of an extensive plot to frame, imprison, and ultimately torture and kill him through the denial of health care while incarcerated.
A documentary screening of “Dying to Vote” will be followed by a discussion with filmmakers Loki Mulholland, civil rights icon Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, and Dennis Dahmer, son of the film’s protagonist. The 30-minute presentation tells the story of Vernon Dahmer, a civil rights activist in 1966 Hattiesburg who died of smoke inhalation after his family’s home was firebombed. Dahmer led an effective campaign to register Black residents of Forrest and Lamar Counties, volunteering to even pay potential registrants’ poll taxes.
The community symposium will conclude with a panel on Mississippi Sovereignty Commission, a nefarious member group of white supremacists established in 1956 after the Brown v. Board Supreme Court decision to counteract gains in racial equality in Mississippi and other southern states. Their clandestine tactics included surveillance and investigating civil rights activists, undermining efforts to register Black voters, and financially supporting racial terrorist groups through state tax dollars. Panelists include Houck, Mitchell, and Luckett and is moderated by Ryan Jones, the museum’s Associate Curator.
The event includes lunch for onsite, registered attendees. General admission tickets are $15 for in-person or virtual guests and free for educators. For tickets and more information, visit civilrightsmuseum.org.
