Three historically Black colleges and universities ( HBCUs ) in Mississippi will benefit from a $9.1 million higher education grant the state received to expand artificial intelligence (AI) education , workforce training, and entrepreneurship. According to WJTV 12 News, on June 12, 2025, Governor Tate Reeves announced the grants through the Mississippi AI Talent Accelerator Program (MAI-TAP), aimed at strengthening the state’s workforce and economic future. In addition to the state support, each institution will seek private funding and resources to maximize impact. “This is another bold step forward for Mississippi,” Reeves said. “We’re not just preparing for the future – we’re building it. This investment will help to ensure that Mississippians are equipped with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy.” Administered by AccelerateMS, Jackson State University (JSU) in Jackson received $1.3 million to launch the Executive On Roster (XOR) initiative, which...

The sky is the limit for California high schooler Keion Rothschild. CBS News reports the Vista Oaks Charter School senior graduated with a 4.0 GPA with honors and has been accepted into 24 colleges and universities, including University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Los Angeles; and the University of Southern California. What’s more, he has been empowered with $1 million in scholarships. “Wow, I’m really able to do that,” Rothschild expressed to the outlet. “It really puts it into perspective what you can do when you put your mind to it.” Rothschild’s mother, Onó, commented: “I’m ecstatic for my son and I say this so often; I am just blessed to be his mom.” Rothschild is already charting his future ahead. He has chosen to attend the University of Oregon with a full-ride scholarship made possible through their honors program. He will pursue an English degree to fulfill his aspirations of becoming a screenwriter. But beyond academic goals, his dreams are deeply...

Meharry Medical College will be broadening its reach to Memphis, TN. The Historically Black College and University (HBCU), based in Nashville, TN, has long-term plans to expand to Memphis, TN, as CEO and President James Hildreth told Commercial Appeal. Already, the school held a grand opening for a new medical training facility that will be located at the 23-acre mixed-use campus of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, launching its Office of Memphis Programs. “I see this as a wonderful opportunity to turn the tide on and bring about better health care outcomes in the city of Memphis,” said Rev. Jason Turner of Mississippi Boulevard Church, according to the outlet. The training facility will be timely as Meharry Medical College has often sent its students to hospitals in other states due to outstanding commitments local major hospitals already had to train students from other schools. “One of the things that the branch campus in Memphis will do for us is to allow us to have two...

A Michigan high school student has received $4.7 million in scholarships and will attend Yale University in the fall, according to WDIX. University High School Academy’s Marry Kassa announced on LinkedIn that she will be joining the prestigious Ivy League school, where she landed a full-ride scholarship. In addition to the scholarship from Yale, she has also won a scholarship from Amazon. “I’ll be studying computer science with the plan to get both my bachelor’s and master’s together in 4 years,” she shared on LinkedIn. “Furthermore, I got into Yale before Ivy Day …and was chosen to be a Yale Engineering & Science (YES) Scholar, an invitation only given to less than 100 Yale applicants out of the total pool of 50,000+!!!” Being a YES scholar will allow her to secure a paid research opportunity at a Yale lab of her choice, as well as networking opportunities, Kassa said. The Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship will provide her with $40,000 toward her education and a guaranteed paid...

Actress and trailblazing producer Marsai Martin is taking her commitment to youth empowerment to the next level. Through her nonprofit, Marsai’s Way Foundation , the young mogul has partnered with Seeds of Fortune Inc. to reach 10,000 young women over the next three years with financial education, mentorship, and access to wealth-building resources, according to a press release. The partnership officially kicked off June 6 at the Seed Forum: Women of Color Creating Wealth Summit, an event designed to offer young women a rare opportunity to connect with financial leaders and gain insight into how they can grow into economic powerhouses of their own. “At Seeds of Fortune, we believe education is the foundation of economic equity,” Nitiya Walker, founder and executive director of Seeds of Fortune Inc., said in a statement. “Our partnership with Marsai’s Way Foundation allows us to scale this mission and deliver financial literacy, mentorship, and career access to thousands of young...

A Georgia teenager has reached a huge academic milestone: Getting 53 college acceptance letters and receiving $1.8 million in scholarships, PEOPLE shared. High schooler Jada-Symone Batichon, 18, also thanks her mother and father for their inspiration as the first in their families to go to college. That motivated her to work harder toward her goals. “All of it paid off,” the Wheeler High School graduate told the magazine. Jada-Symone was an accomplished student, maintaining a 4.0 GPA in high school and having completed six high school courses in middle school. She was also involved in student government and the cheerleading team and was a member of the National Honor Society. Dual-enrolled at Kennesaw State University, she obtained a nursing assistant certification from Chattahoochee Technical College as well. Jada-Symone says her academic success would not have been possible without the help of her mother, Dr. Claudia Batichon, who is a technical and agricultural education teacher...

Graduating from college is a special time in a person’s life, and last month, a mother-daughter duo made it even more memorable by both earning their bachelor’s degrees from Alabama State University (ASU). Nicole Cosby and her daughter Kaiya King earned a Bachelor of Science in social work and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance, respectively, the school announced. Cosby first attended Alabama State University in the 1990s. However, she took a step back from her studies to become a wife, a mother, and a licensed cosmetologist , according to WSFA 12 News. In 2023, she decided to refocus on completing her studies at the school. Cosby told the school that she and King did not plan to graduate at the same time. “My daughter applied, enrolled, and was accepted. At the time, I was a full-time salon owner and had completed nonprofit work in underserved communities,” Cosby said. “That work ignited a passion in me to become a licensed professional who could offer the best care to those I...

Although Shaquille O’Neal already boasts a couple of degrees, he’s in the process of earning another master’s degree. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the NBA champion obtained a bachelor’s degree in general studies in 2000, using his mother as a source of motivation. “I left [college] my junior year, so I was only a few credits short. So I go back to school…and I’m loving it, but I’m hating it at the same time. But I’m like, ‘Just let me do it for my mom'”, the four-time NBA champion explained during an interview on the podcast “In-Depth with Graham Bensinger.” O’Neal later pursued an MBA from the University of Phoenix, which primarily offers online classes, but this time, he paid for his friends to also obtain their master’s degrees so he could take courses in a classroom setting, according to SI . In addition, he also holds a doctoral degree in education, which he earned in 2012 from Barry University. Now, O’Neal is in school yet again. This time, he is looking to become a...

T.D. Jakes stresses that the world as we know it will no longer be the same due to AI. The bishop was the 2025 commencement speaker at Morris Brown College in Atlanta, GA. Among the points addressed in his speech, which lasted over 30 minutes, was the importance of understanding the reality of artificial intelligence (AI) and its permanent impact on the workforce . He emphasized that although it is a “traditional graduation,” the times were changing. “I am honored also to understand what a critical time it is that we are celebrating a traditional graduation in an untraditional time,” T.D. Jakes told the audience, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. “Make no mistake about it that as you go forward from Morris Brown, you go forward to face a world that is different than any age or era or period that we have ever seen in the history of this country. It has not been since Henry Ford discovered the automobile or the Wright brothers the airplane that we have seen the impact of what artificial...

Despite his circumstances, high schooler Max Jones never gave up. Jones was brought up in a challenging environment where money was scarce and having a roof over his head was not guaranteed, WDTV 5 reports. He was raised by a single mother and lived with his half-siblings. “She did work a lot when we were growing up, an extreme amount,” Jones told the outlet. When times got their toughest he made the decision to leave his home state of North Carolina and move to Richmond, VA. While attending George Wythe High School in Richmond, and wearing the same clothes in rotation, Jones at one point was living out of his car, which he purchased with his earnings from working at a restaurant. “I went through a lot,” he said to WDTV 5. “I was homeless for a long period of time.” Jones did receive support at times, sleeping in different homes and occasionally receiving food and a complimentary hotel stay, thanks to the generosity of mentors and teachers. “It wasn’t every single day but every...

High school senior Jayme Anderson has been admitted to multiple top colleges. Black News reports Anderson is a student at Forest Hill High School in Jackson, MS, recognized for his discipline in education and his participation in the school’s band. He has a bright future ahead, having been accepted into schools such as Stanford University, University of California Los Angeles, University of California Berkeley, and others. What’s more, he has also received over $10 million in scholarships from more than 50 universities “for his academic excellence and musical talent,” the school district wrote in a post shared on Facebook. “A standout scholar and dedicated member of the Pride of Forest Hill Band, Jayme’s achievements include offers from top institutions like Stanford, UCLA, Penn State, UC Berkeley, and San Francisco State,” the Facebook post read. “We’re so proud of you Jayme and can’t wait to see where your journey takes you next. Anderson joins a group of bright young Black...

Ladies and gentlemen, in case you haven’t been paying attention: we have fully entered the age of the pivot. Whether life changes are forcing you to consider a career change, you’re looking to give yourself a professional edge, or you’ve simply decided to boldly take steps towards the dream career you once considered out of reach, consider this article as the sign you’ve been waiting for to confirm that you can! Never have more resources been available for professionals looking to advance their careers or break into a new field. Take the programs at UC Berkeley Extension, for example. This specialized school of the University of California, Berkeley is on a mission to empower learners at every age and experience level to continue to pursue their career and educational goals. Five UC Berkeley Extension programs are specifically designed to equip you with the skills, credentials and network to help you thrive in business, healthcare, tech or global education. Could one of them be the...

In a story that epitomizes Black excellence, ambition, and resilience, a mother and son are making history together. According to ABC 11, Tamika Stanton and her son, Tomantae Stanton-Jones, were recent graduates of the class of 2025 at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Durham, North Carolina. They walked the same graduation stage, celebrating degrees that represent not only academic achievement but decades of determination. Stanton became pregnant with her son at 15 but did not allow that moment to define or limit her. After earning her bachelor’s degree at NCCU, she returned to pursue her master’s degree in social work, officially earning “Double Eagle” status, according to the news outlet. Stanton-Jones, meanwhile, graduated summa cum laude from NCCU’s School of Law, one of the top HBCU law schools in the country as AFROTECH™ previously reported. He was already building a legacy of excellence inspired by his mother’s unwavering example, as he became a Gates Scholar at...

Several scholarships supporting Black medical students in Cincinnati, OH, are under review, The Washington Post reports. The shift is influenced by a pushback against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts under the Trump administration. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, DEI programs, roles, and initiatives were dismantled at the federal level. This led corporations and universities to adjust their policies in response to pressure from conservative groups. In 2023, the Supreme Court also reversed its stance on affirmative action, effectively ending the consideration of race in college admissions, according to NPR. “I got into medical school in 1972, and I’m not ashamed to tell anybody that it was because of affirmative action,”  Kenneth Davis, a former Black general surgeon who retired in 2020, told The Washington Post. “I wasn’t the dumbest guy in the class. There were the children of faculty, alumni, and donors, and some of them struggled a lot more than I did, so I say...

Magic Johnson has made a six figure pledge to commemorate a trailblazer. On May 9, 2025, Xavier University held a ceremony to commemorate Norman C. Francis, the first Black president of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU), who also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush, notes WWLTV. Francis previously attended the school before pursuing a law degree at Loyola University New Orleans, LA. Upon returning to his alma mater, he wore various hats, beginning as the dean of men, then advancing to director of student personnel services (1963), assistant to the president for student affairs (1964), assistant to the president in charge of development (1965), executive vice president (1967), and president (1968), a position he held for 47 years, the university’s website mentions. On campus, Francis was responsible for the construction behind most of the buildings across four decades. He also helped establish a core curriculum that positioned...