Maurice D. Gipson, J.D., Ph.D. is Appointed 15th President & CEO of Philander Smith University

The Philander Smith University Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Maurice D. Gipson as the institution’s 15th President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. The announcement was made during a press conference held Thursday afternoon on the Philander Smith University campus.

Dr. Gipson had served as interim president since August 2024, following the service of longtime trustee Dr. Cynthia A. Bond-Hopson, who led the institution as interim from June 2023 to July 2024. The Board had previously engaged a national search firm to identify candidates for the role. Following a thorough and deliberate process, the Trustees affirmed Dr. Gipson’s appointment, citing his proven leadership and deep connection to the University’s mission.

“We are incredibly proud to name Dr. Maurice Gipson as our 15th President and Chief Executive Officer,” said Board Chair Dr. Tionna Jenkins, a 2001 alumna of the institution. “He brings not only the experience and strategic insight needed for this moment, but also a heartfelt understanding of what makes Philander Smith University so special. We believe his leadership will help shape a bold and meaningful future for our students and our institution.”

Dr. Gipson is no stranger to the Philander Smith University community. He previously served a four-year term on the Board of Trustees, including leadership roles as Chair of the Governance Committee and Vice Chairman.

Prior to stepping into the presidency, Dr. Gipson served as Vice Chancellor for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity at the University of Missouri, where he was a senior executive for the 30,000-student flagship campus. There, he oversaw a division of more than 120 staff and managed a multi-million dollar budget. He previously held leadership posts at Arkansas State University and the University of Texas at Austin and served in various roles at Wiley College and Huston-Tillotson University.With over a decade of higher education leadership experience, Dr. Gipson is a seasoned administrator and accomplished scholar. His academic expertise spans African American history, Black nationalism, and the Black freedom struggle—subjects he has taught as a faculty member and presented internationally, including at the Black Power Conference in Frankfurt, Germany. He is currently working on a book chronicling the Black Freedom Struggle in Arkansas.

A native of Ferriday, Louisiana, Dr. Gipson is a graduate of Louisiana State University and holds a Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center, with a civil rights emphasis. He also earned a master’s degree in history from Missouri State University and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Mississippi. He is a licensed attorney.

“I am deeply honored to lead this historic institution at such a critical time,” said Dr. Gipson. “Philander Smith University has long been a place where transformation takes root—for students, for families, and for communities. As someone who has served as a trustee, a faculty member, and now as president, I am committed to ensuring that our momentum continues and that our mission is amplified.”

Dr. Gipson has strong connections to Philander Smith University and the local community. His mother-in-law, Linda Lyons Medley, is a proud member of the Philander Smith Class of 1973, and his wife, Jasmine, is a native of Little Rock and a graduate of Little Rock Central High School.

Following the resignation of Dr. Roderick L. Smothers, Sr., in May 2023 after eight years of leadership, Dr. Gipson’s appointment marks a new era of stability and progress for the institution, reflecting a renewed commitment to academic excellence and student-centered innovation at this private, Historically Black College and University.

An inauguration for Dr. Gipson will follow at a later date.

HARTBEAT AND SUNDIAL MEDIA GROUP ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP TO LAUNCH ESSENCE-BRANDED FAST CHANNEL

Hartbeat, the global entertainment company founded by Kevin Hart, and Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG), a human connections company and home to iconic brands like ESSENCE, AFROPUNK, and Refinery29, today announced a partnership to launch an ESSENCE-branded FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) channel. This collaboration addresses a significant gap in the streaming landscape by creating the first major streaming platform specifically designed for Black women, combining SMTG's robust content library with Hartbeat's award-winning, premium production and creative capabilities.

The partnership emerges at a pivotal moment when Black viewership on Connected TV (CTV) and FAST platforms is experiencing explosive growth, yet programming specifically tailored to Black women remains underserved across major streaming platforms. According to recent industry data, Black households over-index significantly in CTV consumption, with streaming viewership among Black audiences growing 40% year-over-year, while targeted content remains severely underrepresented.

"Hartbeat has consistently identified and served underrepresented markets," said Jeff Clanagan, President and Chief Distribution Officer of Hartbeat. "This ESSENCE-branded FAST channel represents another strategic opportunity to create authentic content for an audience that has been overlooked by traditional streaming platforms. We're not just launching a channel – we're creating a cultural destination."

"For decades, we've built iconic brands like ESSENCE and AFROPUNK that celebrate and serve diverse communities through powerful content and unforgettable experiences," said Kirk McDonald, CEO of Sundial Media & Technology Group. "This partnership with Hartbeat allows us to extend those brands into the streaming ecosystem for the first time, creating a dedicated platform where Black women can see themselves authentically represented in premium entertainment."

The FAST channel will feature a dynamic mix of acquired programming from SMTG's extensive library and original content produced through the partnership. Hartbeat's production team will develop exclusive content that celebrates Black women's experiences, achievements, and cultural contributions.

"This groundbreaking partnership highlights ESSENCE's commitment to innovation and premium storytelling, ensuring Black women are not only seen, but centered, in the next frontier of media," said Michele Ghee, ESSENCE Chief Content Officer. "We're proud to introduce an ESSENCE-branded FAST channel that elevates the voices, experiences, and culture of our audience, offering access to curated, empowering content whenever and wherever she wants it. We're not just launching a channel; we're creating a new space for our community to see themselves reflected and celebrated in bold, authentic ways. "

An integral part of this partnership includes leveraging the relationships of Hartbeat and ESSENCE to engage with established Black women actresses, writers, and directors, providing them with a platform for creative freedom and empowering them to produce authentic content. It will provide sustainable funding for premium programming and create new revenue streams for Black women creatives, while delivering authentic brand messaging that resonates with the target demographic.

The collaboration harnesses the combined power of two iconic brands in Black culture. For 55 years, ESSENCE has served as the definitive voice of Black women, celebrating their beauty, brilliance, and influence across generations. SMTG's powerhouse portfolio of platforms reaches millions of culturally engaged consumers and commands deep audience loyalty, anchored by tentpole experiences like the ESSENCE Festival of Culture® and Beautycon™.

Hartbeat provides world-class production capabilities, digital distribution expertise, and proven success in creating culturally relevant content that resonates with diverse audiences. Hartbeat's track record includes building the Laugh Out Loud Network into the #1 cultural comedy network; producing acclaimed series including "Number One on the Call Sheet" for Apple TV+" and "Fight Night" on Peacock; and championing diverse voices, launching programs like Women Write Now, which champions Black female writers in Hollywood.

The channel will launch across all major Connected TV, YouTube, and FAST platforms, leveraging Hartbeat's extensive distribution network to ensure maximum reach and accessibility for Black women across all viewing preferences and devices.

Renowned Sculptor Selma Burke Honored in a Powerful, New Invitational African American Art Show

Phillips’ Mill Community Association proudly announces a powerful new exhibition, The Selma Burke Invitational African American Art Show, paying homage to one of America’s most notable sculptors and art educators of the 20th century, an artist who just happened to call New Hope home for the last 40 of her 95 years. This signature exhibition will feature more than 60 works by many African American artists Burke mentored, taught, and inspired, including James E. Duprée and Kimberly Camp; the exhibition will be on view from May 31 through June 29, 2025.

Born in Mooresville, North Carolina, in 1900, Selma Burke rose to national prominence through her contributions to American art, namely her extraordinary artwork and dedication to teaching others. She became an integral figure of the Harlem Renaissance, founded the Selma Burke School of Art, and earned her MFA from Columbia University. She later founded the Selma Burke Art Center in Pittsburgh and eventually settled in New Hope, Pennsylvania, leaving an indelible mark on the local arts community through her leadership at the Solebury School and Robert McClellan’s New Hope School of Art. In 1977, she also founded the Bucks County Sculpture Show, which is still held annually today.

Burke’s work can be found in major institutions, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the James A. Michener Art Museum, the Studio Museum of Harlem, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. She is perhaps best known for her relief portrait of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which became the model for the dime.

The exhibition showcases a dynamic range of contemporary and historical works by Burke-mentored and -inspired artists, including celebrated New Hope resident James E. Duprée. "James was invited to exhibit in the show Artists for Goode (1984–85)," recalls Mary Flamer, PMCA Board Member and Chair of the Selma Burke Show Committee. "Ms. Burke attended the event and immediately took a liking to him, supporting his later exhibitions at the Studio Museum in Harlem." Duprée’s work is held in the Philadelphia Museum of Art collections, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York, and Kunsthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen.

Award-winning artist Kimberly Camp, also featured in the show, fondly remembers Burke’s generosity. “Selma Burke was extremely generous to us back in the ’70s and ’80s, letting us know we could come to her studio. I can remember meeting her at a National Conference of Artists meeting. She was very involved with the organization’s Philadelphia chapter,” recalls Camp, a former president and CEO of the Barnes Foundation and founding director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Experimental Gallery. Camp’s paintings and distinctive dolls have been exhibited in over 100 shows, including the Smithsonian and a recent exhibition at the Hunterdon Art Museum. Camp will display three dolls at Phillips’ Mill, including a possible tribute piece to Burke herself. “I love that Phillips’ Mill is doing this tribute to Selma Burke because women artists, especially Black American women artists, are often tossed aside,” says Camp. “Most museum collections still have not made progress in this area.”

Joining Duprée and Camp, are more than two dozen artists whose works have been loaned directly or sourced from essential collectors such as Trenton arts champion Lawrence Hilton. Expect to see works by Chakaia Booker, Adjoa Jackson Burrowes, Frank Bowling, Wendell Brooks, Willie Cole, Lamerol Gatewood, Lonnie Holley, Curlee Raven Holton, Kenneth Lewis Sr., James Little, Vivian McDuffie, Lisette Morel, Nell Painter, Janet Taylor Pickett, Danielle Scott, Danny Simmons, Ron Tarver, and Mickalene Thomas. The exhibition also features historical works by renowned artists such as Faith Ringgold, Romare Bearden, Edward Bannister, Thornton Dial, Herbert Gentry, Richard Hunt, Wifredo Lam, Norman Lewis, and Hale Woodruff.

Mary Flamer is excited to be bringing this exhibition to Phillips’ Mill, introducing many of these esteemed artists, whose works are included in museums, collections, and galleries internationally, to the local area for the first time. She notes that over the years, Black artists like Selma Burke have helped preserve the nation’s history and culture. “Art explains things that sometimes words can’t,” says Flamer. “Through her art, Selma portrayed strong figures, many Black women, which challenged stereotypes and celebrated Black art, history, and culture.”

The Selma Burke Invitational African American Art Show runs May 31–June 29, 2025 and is partially made possible by a generous grant from the Bucks County Foundation. Gallery hours are Saturdays and Sundays, 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Admission is $7; free for PMCA members. Most artwork will be available for purchase. Interested collectors should contact Holly Lovejoy, Selma Burke Show Committee Member, at Selma@phillipsmill.org.

THE BLACK WOMEN'S SUMMIT COMES TO OAKLAND ARENA ON AUGUST 2, 2025

Join U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Joy-Ann Reid, Yara Shahidi, Tamika D. Mallory, Angela Rye, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Jemele Hill, Ilyasah Shabazz, and Maryum Ali — with guest performer Theresa tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D.

The Black Promoters Collective proudly presents The Black Women's Summit, an all-day women's conference taking place Saturday, August 2, 2025, at the Oakland Arena in Oakland, California. This impactful event will bring together some of today's most influential voices across politics, media, activism, and the arts for a powerful day of inspiration, education, and collective celebration.

This is more than a conference. It's a movement. A space created to reflect, rise, and reignite the extraordinary power of Black women across generations.

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 6, 2025, at 10:00 AM local time via Ticketmaster.com. Presales begin Thursday, June 5 from 10:00 AM to 11:59 PM local time via the code BPC.

Headlining the summit are dynamic speakers and trailblazing change-makers including:

• Jasmine Crockett - U.S. Congresswoman
  
  
• Joy-Ann Reid – Journalist, Author, documentary film producer and social & political Commentator
  
  
• Yara Shahidi – Award-winning actress, producer, & and the breakout star of ABC's Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated series black-ish
  
  
• Tamika D. Mallory – Bestselling author, award-winning social justice leader, and movement strategist
  
  
• Angela Rye – Award-winning host, social justice advocate, lawyer, commentator, and self-described empowermenteur
  
  
• Nikole Hannah-Jones – Author of the 1619 Project & Pulitzer Prize winner from the NY Times
  
  
• Jemele Hill – Emmy Award-Winning Journalist and Author
  
  
• Ilyasah Shabazz – Author, Activist, and Daughter of Malcolm X
  
  
• Maryum Ali – Author, Activist, and Daughter of Muhammad Ali
  
  
• Guest Performer, Theresa tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D

Throughout the day, attendees will engage in transformative conversations centered around culture, policy, community, leadership, and the legacy of Black women. From personal truths to powerful calls to action, each session is designed to uplift, educate, and connect.

"This isn't just a gathering. It's a celebration of Black women's empowerment. We are honoring the past, amplifying the present, and shaping the future together." — Lionel Bea, SVP, Black Promoters Collective

For the latest updates and to purchase tickets, please visit bpctickets.com.

Nominations are now open for the 2025 EBONY POWER 100 List

Black excellence has a home, and for eight decades, that home has been EBONY. Today, as the iconic and beloved Black-owned media company prepares to celebrate 80 years of championing and elevating the Black identity through powerful storytelling, around the globe, we are now proud to announce that nominations are open for the 2025 EBONY Power 100 List.

The EBONY Power 100 captures lightning in a bottle—the dynamic forces who aren't just participating in culture, but transforming it. As part of our enduring mission to amplify and celebrate Black voices, we recognize the visionaries who turn obstacles into opportunities, the innovators whose dreams become our daily reality, and the voices that resonate from boardrooms to recording studios, research labs to movie sets. From activists to actors, innovative scientists to business leaders, these are individuals who not only break barriers, but are redefining what's possible for future generations, while embodying the spirit creative expression that has defined EBONY for decades.

Past honorees include Cynthia Erivo, USHER, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Deion Sanders, Gayle King, and Pat McGrath.

Submissions are now open for the 2025 EBONY Power 100 list. The full list of 2025 EBONY Power 100 categories include:

• Artists in Residence
• Business Disrupters
• Community Crusaders
• Entertainment Powerhouses
• Generation Next
• Influential Creators
• Leaders in Sports
• Media Mavens
• Music Innovators
• Stem Trailblazers

To learn more about EBONY Power 100 and to nominate visit:
https://www.ebony.com/ebony-power-100-nomination-form.

All nominations must be submitted by June 13, 2025. Final honorees will be celebrated at the highly anticipated EBONY Power 100 ceremony in Los Angeles November 2025.

For inquiries about the EBONY Power 100 contact:

• For EBONY Power 100 list inquires - EP100@ebony.com
• For sales and brand partnerships – Duryea Ruffins, druffins@ebony.com
• For PR & marketing - Deon Harris, dharris@ebony.com