Mother and son graduate from Albany State University together

By Sheyla Fairley

Roderick Hubbard and his mother, Yolanda Hubbard, both received their graduate degrees from Albany State University, Albany, GA, on May 6, 2023.

According to an article, the mother-son duo are “no stranger to an ASU graduation” as Roderick now holds three degrees, while Yolanda has two degrees from the university.

“We are very proud of our daughter and grandson for their achievements. I can’t say enough about the Hubbard family’s belief in lifelong learning and education. They both continue a long legacy within the Hubbard family of obtaining undergraduate and graduate degrees from Albany State University and accomplishing great things. We come from a long line of ASU graduates, and it is important to me that our children, their children, and their children’s children see these accomplishments so they may earn their degrees from ASU as well,” said Dorothy Hubbard, the family matriarch and former mayor of Albany.

For more information, read the full article here. 

Rapper E-40 receives honorary degree from Grambling State University

By Sheyla Fairley

Legendary rapper Earl “E-40” Stevens received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Grambling State University, Grambling, LA, during their 2023 commencement ceremony.

According to an article, E-40 “attended Grambling State in the ’80s” and his experiences there molded him into the man he is today.

“I want to thank God first and foremost. This is a great honor to accept this honorary doctorate in music. I would live to express my appreciation to the administration and the academic community at Grambling State University. I’d also like to thank my family, my friends, and my colleagues for their unwavering support and encouragement throughout my career,” expressed E-40. “As you know, music has been a lifelong passion of mine and it’s an incredible privilege to be recognized for my contributions to the industry, especially on the 50th anniversary of hip-hop music. They said it wouldn’t last that long, but it’s been 50 years.”

For more details, read the full article here.

Huston-Tillotson University and Casoro Group Education Foundation launch scholarship program

By Sheyla Fairley

In partnership with Huston-Tillotson University, Austin, TX, the Casoro Group Education Foundation, the non-profit arm of the minority-owned real estate investment firm Casoro Group, established the Casoro Group Education Foundation Real Estate Scholars Program.

As stated in a release, students accepted into the program will be “paired with a mentor from the Foundation, who will offer career guidance and assist them in connecting and networking with others in the industry,” pursue “bachelor’s degrees in business administration and take courses covering a broad range of topics related to real estate,” and receive “$7,500 per year in Pell Grant funding and participate in career enrichment activities.”

“Real estate is one of the oldest and best avenues for wealth generation, but many young people are only aware of more public-facing roles, such as realtors, and aren’t aware of the wide variety of careers available or do not see themselves represented in the industry,” said CGEF board member and secretary Jessica Lee-Wen. “We hope this program with Huston-Tillotson leads not only to personal success for individual students but also an overall improvement in the pipeline for minorities and women in the industry.”

Retired NC Supreme Court justice elected as NCCU law school dean

By Sheyla Fairley

North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, has named Patricia Timmons-Goodson, retired North Carolina Supreme Court associate justice who was the first African American woman to serve on the state’s highest court, as the new dean of its School of Law. She will take on the role July 1, 2023.

“I’m very elated that former North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson will be joining our team at NCCU and look forward to working with her and her team as we advance the mission of the law school by preparing a significant cadre of the nation’s future jurists,” said David H. Jackson, Jr., Ph.D., provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Read the full article, here.

Dow Jones and Columbia Journalism School launch initiative to promote newsroom diversity

By Sheyla Fairley

As stated in a release, Dow Jones, a global provider of news and business information, and Columbia Journalism School, New York, NY, have launched the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Media Collective, a talent incubator “designed to enhance newsroom diversity and promote financial literacy for participating students” from Dillard University, New Orleans, LA; Howard University, Washington, DC; Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA; Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD; Spelman College, Atlanta, GA; and Texas Southern University, Houston, TX.

“We’re proud to partner with Dow Jones in offering this dynamic, transformative opportunity to an outstanding group of students,” said Dr. Jelani Cobb, dean of the Columbia Journalism School. “We’re investing in and training diverse talent to elevate and safeguard the strength of a free press that can build trust among all communities. I cannot overstate the importance of this experience to support journalism education, financial acumen and to build a strong pipeline of diverse talent for news organizations.”