N.C. A&T student featured in Toyota commercial
By Sheyla Fairley
North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, rising senior Rachel James has been featured in a commercial for the 2023 Toyota Prius by the BlackDoctor.Org (BDO), a leading online health resource for African Americans.
According to an article, every year “BDO conducts a five-part video series with Toyota to raise awareness about health and wellness in the Black community” and James was a perfect candidate to reach HBCU students because of her passion for film and production which led to creating her show, “The Real Spill,” an informal news show about “campus tea and events for students to connect with and get information about things that’s going on.”
“We wanted to highlight her as an HBCU student and at the same time highlight the 2023 new version of the Toyota Prius,” said Alex Fridge, creative director at A&D Media Group Inc. “There were a lot of parallels between her entrepreneurial spirit and the car’s features. Visually we wanted to tailor the story with what she has been able to do and what the car can do.”
For more information, read the full article here.
Partnership between Howard University and UDC to produce more healthcare workers
By Sheyla Fairley
The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and Howard University — both located in Washington, DC — have formed a partnership to produce more homegrown healthcare workers by creating a new program called PHIT4DC.
According to an article, the program allows “almost anyone, from high schoolers to working healthcare professionals, to enroll in public health informatics and technology courses” and is geared towards students from “Wards 7 and 8, who will focus their training on patients and residents in that area.”
“When we’re talking about our communities in D.C., especially our underrepresented communities, we know that we need people we can trust,” said Charletta Washington, PHIT4DC program director at UDC. “So, if and when the next public health emergency comes along, we know that we have a workforce that’s ready to engage the communities that are sometimes left out of the conversation.”
For more details, read the full article here.
Inaugural HBCU First Look Film Festival to take place at Howard
By Sheyla Fairley
Howard University, Washington, DC, will host the inaugural HBCU First LOOK Film Festival from November 10–12, 2023. As stated in a release, the HBCU First LOOK Film Festival is “a one-of-a-kind event dedicated to celebrating Black filmmakers, producers, and writers while also serving as a pipeline for HBCU students in film and television to cultivate their talents.”
“There needs to be more of an effort in our culture of connecting our students with alumni and really trying to build post-career opportunities for HBCU students when they graduate and so at the end of the day, the HBCU First Look Film Festival is a way to make sure everybody has an opportunity in this industry,” said Sheila Eldridge, the founder of the HBCU First LOOK Film Festival.
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff receives donation from Alumni couple for football and golf programs
By Sheyla Fairley
University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, Pine Bluff, AR, alumni Bill and Sharri Jones presented their HBCU with a $110,000 gift for renovations with the $100,000 towards the Golden Lions football team locker room and $10,000 dedicated to the Golden Lions golf program.
“UAPB has been instrumental in shaping both my life and career, and it is our honor and pleasure to give back to my beloved alma mater to positively impact the lives of its students-athletes,” said Sharri Jones in a release. “We believe that these enhancements for UAPB Athletics will continue to elevate the educational and athletic experience.”
Former Clark Atlanta University grad launches app to prevent hate crimes and violence
By Sheyla Fairley
Maria Watkins, a 64-year-old graduate of Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA, is the founder and CEO of RTC Protech, an app that aims to prevent police brutality and hate crimes.
According to an article, Watkins decided to develop “a subscription-based app to promote personal safety that would provide an effective solution to the problem of increased violence, police misconduct, hate crimes, and other dangerous encounters.”
“By using technology for personal safety, we can better protect our families and loved ones. RTC Protech fiercely opposes police misconduct and a breakdown in interactions between the public and the police. Every person deserves to be treated with respect, given the benefit of the doubt, and not assumed guilty based on their skin color,” commented Watkins.
Read the full article, here.
