Bowie State student goes viral for ASL performance at Super Bowl  

By Sheyla Fairley

Bowie State University, Bowie, MD, nursing student Justina Miles is a deaf American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter who became an online sensation at Super Bowl LVII for signing Rihanna’s 13-minute performance during the halftime show, as well as signing award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph’s pre-show performance of the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

“It’s not only for me to share this experience with the whole world, but to really bring that empowerment to millions and millions of Black deaf people all over the country, who’ve never really seen that before,” said Miles in a release. “And so they should feel inspired, and that’s the same way I feel. I feel like that is truly lifting every voice, even my voice.”

NASCAR to launch new business program at Bethune-Cookman

By Sheyla Fairley

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is partnering with Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, FL, to launch NASCAR’s Campus Lab Program at the university this fall semester.

According to an article, the initiative is designed for BCU “business majors and minors interested in pursuing a career in the sports industry” and will provide them with “hands-on experience using a specialized curriculum.”

“The NASCAR Campus Lab Program will provide exposure to the motorsports industry, career readiness guidance, and valuable real-world experience for Bethune-Cookman students,” said Caryn Grant, senior director of NASCAR Diversity & Inclusion. “We look forward to developing the next generation of sports professionals while strengthening NASCAR’s relationship with this historic university.”

For more details, read the full article here.

ECSU student part of effort to talk to lawmakers about HBCUs

By Sheyla Fairley

A week after the announcement that lawmakers had formed a bipartisan historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) Caucus, Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, NC, senior Rachel Roundtree was among several HBCU students who advocated for their schools for HBCU Advocacy Day.

According to an article, Roundtree expressed that “the General Assembly needs to show a true and deep commitment to HBCUs” because “HBCUs are critical for her peers because they offer ‘first-generational’ college students affordable tuition.”

“They allow us to network with people who have similar journeys and career pathways,” Roundtree said. “HBCUs contribute greatly to North Carolina, creating jobs, building communities and increasing diversity. We today ask, and demand, that HBCU communities be protected at all costs.’’

For more information, read the full article here.

‘The Cosby Show’ actress and Howard alumna Phylicia Rashad appointed Toni Morrison Endowed Chair in Arts and Humanities

By Sheyla Fairley

Howard University, Washington, DC, has announced Phylicia Rashad, dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts, as the university’s inaugural Toni Morrison Endowed Chair in Arts and Humanities.

“Toni Morrison left her mark as one of the greatest figures in American literature, and her legacy is one that continues to inspire future generations of writers and thinkers. By establishing an endowed chair in her name, we hope to deepen our students’ exposure to literary and other creative arts and to continue to remember Ms. Morrison’s legacy. Dean Rashad is the perfect choice for this position, and I look forward to her contributions in this role,” said Howard president Wayne A. I. Frederick.

Read the full article, here.

HSSU launches STEM-focused college to meet demand for ‘the fastest growing degree field’ on campus

By Sheyla Fairley

Harris-Stowe State University, St. Louis, MO, has announced the creation of a new college focused on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) that will be led by Dr. Harvey R. Fields, Jr., who previously worked at Washington University, St. Louis, MO, as the associate dean.

“Harris-Stowe has an exemplary track record of generating positive impact, strong outcomes and enhanced possibilities for underrepresented and under-resourced students,” Dr. Fields said in a release. “Furthermore, HSSU contributes to the improving status, standing and attractiveness of the Greater St. Louis region as a preferred location for individuals, families and businesses. I fully identify with and embrace the Harris-Stowe mission. I am proud to join president LaTonia Collins Smith’s stellar leadership team, as the founding Dean of the College of STEM.”

HSSU president Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith has also stated that Dr. Fields is “a visionary who has demonstrated his ability to positively impact scholars” and that his “unwavering dedication to helping under-resourced students achieve success syncs perfectly with HSSU’s core values.”