Spelman College is expanding its partnership with the National Education Opportunity Network (NEON), formerly known as the National Education Equity Lab. The collaboration provides high school students from Title I schools — those serving large numbers of low-income families — with access to college-level courses for credit, according to a university press release. Since launching in spring 2023, the partnership has grown significantly, from one course with 50 students to nearly 300 students enrolled across two Spelman-led classes in 2025. To date, the initiative has reached more than 767 high school scholars from 47 schools in 19 cities, including New York City; Nashville, TN; Jackson, MS; Charleston, SC; and Washington, DC. The first course, “The Education of Black Girls,” was developed and taught by Andrea Lewis, Ph.D., director of Spelman’s Student Success Program and associate professor of education. The class allows high school students to explore identity, race, gender, and...

Spelman College is the latest HBCU to receive funding from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. CBS News reports Scott signed the Giving Pledge after divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019. She vowed to donate over half her wealth, and she has been doing so ever since, with some allocated to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She made early rounds in 2020, with Spelman College receiving $20 million toward scholarships and its endowment. Fast-forward to 2025, and Scott has doubled down on her pledge and invested an additional $38 million in unrestricted funding. The commitment will support financial aid and the school’s technology infrastructure. “This investment is a powerful affirmation of our mission and our commitment to educational excellence and equity,” Spelman Interim President Rosalind “Roz” Brewer said in a statement, according to CBS News. “The flexibility of this gift allows us to move more swiftly to strengthen the entire student experience,...

Howard University intends to use its latest investment to train medical professionals. The Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has received $80 million in unrestricted funding from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, according to The Washington Post. She previously invested $40 million in 2020. Scott has been making her rounds across several HBCUs, including Morgan State University. Her $63 million investment in the HBCU was the largest in the school’s history (individual or organizational), as AFROTECH™ previously reported. As it relates to Howard University, Scott’s investment has led to “a boost of confidence,” according to Wayne A.I. Frederick, Howard’s interim president. “It also says that what you’re doing, based on our own evaluation, we think is important. And we think you’re doing it well enough that we can trust you with that type of gift,” Frederick said. The investment will train medical professionals at Howard, one of four HBCUs with a medical...

SNIPES USA, the leading footwear retailer connecting streetwear culture with community and creativity, has launched a series of campus activations at Historically Black Colleges and Universities ( HBCUs). Through its Pay It Forward initiative, launched in 2022, SNIPES has funded HBCU scholarships and campus programs at Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Morgan State University, Central State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T), Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), Norfolk State University, and Hampton University, according to a news release shared with AFROTECH™. The initiative is rooted in SNIPES’ HBCU strategy, built on three core pillars: cultural celebration and connection, educational empowerment, and sustainable community integration. “Our work with HBCUs goes far beyond a campaign — it’s a commitment,” SNIPES USA Chief Marketing Officer Kelley Walton...

Howard University is introducing a new artificial intelligence certificate program as part of its broader effort to integrate AI education and research across campus. The announcement was made during the university’s AI Initiative Town Hall, held on Oct. 16, according to a press release, where administrators shared updates on new academic programs, research opportunities, and partnerships with major tech companies. The forthcoming AI certificate program, expected to launch in fall 2026, will be available to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. It’s one of several projects under the university’s AI Initiative, launched in 2024 to prepare students and faculty for the expanding influence of AI in education, business, and society. Dr. Anthony Wutoh, Howard University’s provost and chief academic officer, co-chairs the AI Advisory Council and said the initiative aims to keep the institution at the forefront of AI innovation and implementation. “I want to make sure we’re...

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) has opened the Joyce F. Brown Academic Building, its first new academic facility in nearly 50 years, named in honor of outgoing president Dr. Joyce F. Brown, according to a press release from the institute. FIT is part of the State University of New York (SUNY). The 10-story, 100,000-square-foot building, located in New York City, features 26 energy-efficient classrooms and studios, collaborative student spaces, and the Knitting Lab, which is now the largest campus knitting and weaving facility in the country, per the release. Students, faculty, alumni, and industry professionals attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 23, 2025, ELLE reports, recognizing Dr. Brown’s 27 years of leadership since she assumed the role in 1998. Among her milestones, she is also FIT’s first Black president and first woman president, as previously reported by AFROTECH. Throughout her tenure, she has focused on expanding educational access and creating...

The impact of the reversal of affirmative action is proving to be harmful for Black students. Black Student Enrollment Declines In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court banned affirmative action in college admissions, meaning race-based admissions could no longer be considered in college decisions. Two years later, data reveal the outcome of that decision. AP News reports that enrollment data from 20 colleges show a decline in the enrollment of Black students. Most of the colleges surveyed have a smaller population of Black students than in Fall 2023, with some campuses logging Black students as low as 2% of their first-year class. The study included Columbia University, Harvard University, Emory University, Yale University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith College, Amherst College, Haverford College, Carleton College, Swarthmore College, Wellesley College, Tulane University, Williams College, Cornell University, Colgate University, Bates College, University of...

The Nigerian government, in partnership with Google and Apolitical, has launched the AI Government Campus to train civil servants in artificial intelligence (AI), Techpoint Africa reports. According to the outlet, the program offers structured online courses covering AI fundamentals, ethical frameworks, and practical applications for government operations, with assessments to track participants’ progress. At the launch event in Abuja, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani emphasized the government’s commitment to integrating AI into civil service processes. “We see artificial intelligence as a major driver of productivity across our key sectors,” he said. “We are putting resources into ensuring AI becomes native to our civil service — to accelerate the time we spend on processes and deliver better outcomes for citizens,” he continued. Adewolu Adene, Google’s government affairs and public policy manager for West Africa, highlighted the company’s role in...

A hub has opened in Houston’s historic Third Ward to combat health and housing disparities. Urban Public Health and Housing On Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2025, Texas Southern University unveiled a new Institute, Urban Public Health and Housing, which resides in the W.R. Banks Child Development Center, according to a news release . The 6,000-square-foot hub will address public health, affordable housing, and community wellness. It was also a focus area for the late Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who secured a $2 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration for the initiative, the Houston Chronicle reports. She wanted Third Ward to be the “example to impoverished communities around the nation.” “It’s a reinvestment in the future of urban public health, housing, and community empowerment,” said Michelle John, Texas Southern’s vice president for research and innovation, according to the outlet. The hub will offer conference and workforce training rooms,...

Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN, announced a $500 million capital campaign to expand programs training Black physicians, dentists, and scientists, The Tennessean reports. Named for the college’s upcoming 150th anniversary in 2026, the campaign, “Campaign 150,” is the largest in the institution’s history and has already secured $400 million in early donations. Dr. James Hildreth, president and CEO, said the funds will support scholarships, academic and clinical training, debt reduction, and infrastructure improvements. “Those who invest in us are not just changing individual lives — they are uplifting those underserved communities that need our graduates most,” Hildreth told The Tennessean. Approximately $20 million will be allocated to scholarships for the School of Dentistry, the only dental program in the Southeast at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Dr. Juan A. McGruder, senior vice president for institutional advancement, described the campaign as a...

The Obama Presidential Center is on track to open next year on Chicago’s South Side. The Obama Foundation confirmed the timeline on its website, noting that followers can receive exclusive updates and previews leading up to the 2026 grand opening, and also shared details about what to expect at the 19-acre campus in Jackson Park. Former President Barack Obama posted a video of the development on Instagram. In his post, Obama described the center as “a hub for change,” where people from around the world can come together to connect, learn, and take what they gain “back to their own communities.”   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Barack Obama (@barackobama)   The center is designed to be a gathering place for learning, civic engagement, and culture, according to the foundation. It will tell the story of the Obamas’ journey from community organizers on the South Side to national and global leadership, while creating opportunities for visitors and local residents to...

An investment has been made to support scholars at Virginia-based Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). $150K Boost According to 13News Now, Google Data Centers’ Community Development and Engagement team has invested $150,000 in the Virginia Humanities HBCU Scholars Fellowship, which supports HBCU-affiliated writers, community scholars, faculty members, and doctoral candidates. This is accomplished through funding, academic publishing, and peer support networks, access to the University of Virginia’s library systems and archives at the Library of Virginia, among other avenues, per information on the fellowship’s website. The fellowship backs individuals whose work spotlights the state’s history, considers marginalized stories, and explores South Atlantic themes. “It’s heartening to see that the private sector values and supports this work,” said Yosef Medina, director of the fellowship, per 13News Now. “This funding represents more than the support it will provide...

Christopher McGinley, an M.D./Ph.D. candidate in biomedical sciences at the Howard University College of Medicine, has been named a recipient of the 2025 Thermo Fisher Scientific Antibody Scholarship Award. According to a university news release, McGinley will receive $5,000 in recognition of his academic performance, leadership, and research in biomedical sciences. The Thermo Fisher Antibody Scholarship Program provides financial awards to undergraduate and graduate students conducting research in antibody, immunology, or molecular biology. Recipients are selected based on academic achievements, research proposals, and leadership activities. McGinley graduated summa cum laude from West Chester University of Pennsylvania with a degree in cell and molecular biology. At Howard University, his research focuses on how the endogenous molecule Neuregulin-1 guides brain repair after stroke. Using advanced mouse models, he studies the spatial and temporal mechanisms involved in...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed Assembly Bill 7 (AB 7), a proposal introduced by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, D-Los Angeles, that would have allowed colleges and universities to give admissions preference to descendants of enslaved people in an effort to address the long-term effects of slavery, the Los Angeles Times reports. The bill passed both the State Assembly and Senate before reaching the governor’s desk in October. Supporters said the measure recognized the continuing effects of slavery and systemic inequality in access to higher education. The California Faculty Association and several civil rights groups, according to Politico, supported the legislation, stating that it aligned with the state’s broader discussions on reparations and equity. AB 7 would have given colleges the option — but not the obligation — to consider whether an applicant was a descendant of an enslaved person as one of several factors in admissions decisions. The bill was written to comply with...

During the 2025 Congressional Black Caucus Week in Washington, DC, five Howard University students earned first place in the inaugural Microsoft AI Policython. According to a university news release, the event, hosted by the Black at Microsoft DMV Chapter, brought together students from Howard University, the University of the District of Columbia, and Coppin State University to develop and present policy solutions for real-world issues involving artificial intelligence. The Howard team, known as Truth and Service Solutions Inc., included junior psychology major Janeen Louis, junior political science and economics major Fatumata Dia, senior computer science major Kyla Hockett, junior computer science major Soluchi Fidel-Ideabuchi, and senior mathematics major Sydney Helstone, per the release. The team was supported by Dr. Talitha Washington, executive director of Howard’s Center for Applied Data Science and Analytics. Over the course of the competition, students worked with...