HBCU alumna celebrates the success of her Black-owned company Brilliant Girl
By Sheyla Fairley
Shaneisha Dodson, graduate of Grambling State University, Grambling, LA, is celebrating the success of her company Brilliant Girl, which creates dolls of color for young girls.
According to an article, she founded her company to “create more representation in the toy and doll industry” as there were not a lot of “Black dolls on the store shelves” when she grew up in Arkansas, which led her to eventually create “the Sugamama doll, the first ever Black 18-inch superhero doll.”
Dodson has since heard from many women who shared “the same story of growing up and not seeing themselves represented” which inspires her to “continue creating products that promote positivity because she fully understands the impact that self-efficacy can have on a person’s growth.”
For more details, read the full article here.
Former president Barack and first lady Michelle Obama join Rustin screening at HBCU First Look Film Festival
By Sheyla Fairley
At the inaugural HBCU First Look Film Festival, former U.S. president and first lady Barack and Michelle Obama joined dozens of talented filmmakers and activists at Howard University, Washington, DC, for a special screening of the Netflix film Rustin.
According to an article, the biopic is about Bayard Rustin, “an openly gay activist who organized the ground-breaking 1963 March on Washington—the event perhaps best known as the site of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.”
“These days, we’re so obsessed with that 15 minutes of fame. Everybody wants to be an influencer. Everybody wants to be liked. But it turns out that’s not where change happens. We can honor the legacy of Rustin and others by taking our place in this long march towards true equality,” stated Obama.
For more information, read the full article here.
Filmmaker David E. Talbert launches HBCU Next program at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts
By Sheyla Fairley
Jingle Jangle and Almost Christmas director/writer/producer David E. Talbert is launching HBCU Next, a fellowship program that will bring aspiring Black filmmakers from historically Black colleges and universities to the USC School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) Summer Program, Los Angeles, CA.
As stated in a release, participants of the program will gain “essential career insights and the creative skills required to develop more authentic portrayals of Black experiences and culture within screenwriting, filmmaking, and the evolving media landscape.”
“Our overall objective is to foster an environment for students from HBCUs and USC to engage in cultural exchange, learning from one another’s experiences and backgrounds, and to provide access to an education conducive to giving Black storytellers a pipeline to the entertainment industry,” said Talbert.
Howard grad becomes the first Black president of the Academy of Physicians in Clinical Research
By Sheyla Fairley
As stated in a release, Dr. Leonard Weather, Jr., RPh, MD, FAPCR, graduate of Howard University, Washington, DC, makes history as the first African American to be “elected President of the Academy of Physicians in Clinical Research (APCR).”
The APCR is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to “advancing the fields of clinical practice, academic research, and pharmaceutical industry engagement in clinical research.” The organization’s mission encompasses “the prevention and cure of diseases, as well as safeguarding the welfare of patients and study subjects through the acquisition, dissemination, and evaluation of knowledge concerning medicine and device development.”
Dr. Weather has made many contributions to the medical field as a distinguished gynecologist but also as a “a health educator, professor, ordained minister, artist, author, and photographer.”
HBCU students present fashion show at the Embassy of France to promote sustainability in the fashion industry
By Sheyla Fairley
On November 10, 2023, fashion enthusiasts and climate advocates gathered at La Maison Française, Embassy of France, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Versailles, an event where Americans and French came together to raise money for the restoration of the Palace of Versailles with a fashion show.
According to an article, the “Battle of Versailles” revolutionized “the fashion industry by breaking down barriers and fostering diversity on the runway” and this year the HBCU Sustainable Fashion Showcase was able to harness the legacy of the 1973 fashion show by “spotlighting sustainable fashion as a potent instrument for addressing environmental issues, fostering diversity and inclusion, and encouraging innovation.”
Read the full article, here.
