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America's Oldest Park Ranger, 93 Year-Old Betty Reid Soskin, Hopes to Inspire Women of Color

By goodblacknews on May 20, 2015
America's Oldest Park Ranger Hopes To Inspire Women of Color Everywhere With Unique Career
America’s Oldest Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin (photo via bet.com)
If your first thought regarding park rangers resembles something close to a pesky bear and picnic baskets, you clearly haven’t met Betty Reid Soskin, 93, America’s oldest living park ranger.
The nonagenarian, who’s been a member of the National Park Service since she was 85, says she’s not sure that she ever really wanted to be a park ranger, but there’s no way she’s stopping now.
“I still love this uniform. Partly because there’s a silent message to every little girl of color that I pass on the street or in an elevator or on an escalator…that there’s a career choice she may have never thought of,” Soskin said in a recent interview on The Today Show.
Starting her historic career as a file clerk for a segregated union auxiliary in 1942, Soskin then moved to a white neighborhood after World War II, where she received death threats for attempting to build a home there.
Eventually, she found her home among the tons of visitors at Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, Calif., where she’s been since 2003.
A walking time capsule, Soskin has made a great joy out of recalling her life to anyone who is interested as she serves as tour guide for the park exhibit “Untold Stories and Lost Conversations,” about the history of wartime women laborers.
She also shares her personal stories as both a political activist and a Black woman in the workforce.
‘Since I’m working from memory, my work tends to be ‘in the moment’ and depends upon my ability to respond to questions out of a well that seems bottomless at times,” she said.
And she’s not planning on retiring any time soon. She clocks in five days a week and says, “And as long as that’s true, and as long as I’m developing new questions, then I’m going to go on living it.”
article by George Chapman Jr. via bet.com

Born On This Day in 1925: Minister and Human Rights Activist El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (aka Malcolm X)

By goodblacknews on May 19, 2015

Malcolm X Red Headby Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)

Born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska and known primarily as Malcolm X,  El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz‎ was an African-American minister for the Nation of Islam and a human rights activist who rose to national and international prominence in the 1960s.

He was a courageous advocate for the rights of blacks, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans, and one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in U.S. history.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley and published in 1965, remains an important, seminal work to this day, and the Spike Lee-directed feature film Malcolm X garnered critical acclaim as well as an Academy Award nomination for Denzel Washington.

To more fully appreciate the genius of this man, it pays to hear him speak for himself. Even if you just watch the first two minutes of the video below, you will have done yourself an immeasurable favor:

United Negro College Fund Announces New Michael Jackson and Ray Charles Scholarships

By goodblacknews on May 19, 2015

michael-jacksonr-ray-charles
Musical legends Michael Jackson and Ray Charles (photo via eurweb.com)

The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is putting the icon status of Michael Jackson and Ray Charles towards a great cause with the establishment of two new scholarship programs.
A press release reveals the Michael Jackson scholarship will provide financial assistance to communication arts and social science students attending a UNCF college/university during the upcoming academic year.
To qualify for the scholarship, high school seniors must plan on enrolling at a UNCF member school in the fall. Proof of acceptance at the UNCF college/university must be submitted. Depending on the financial need of the student as verified by the attending University or College, the scholarship will provide an award totaling up $5,000.
In addition to the Michael Jackson scholarship, the release detailed the intent of the Ray Charles Endowed Scholarship, which is set up to help African-American students with high academic promise that have significant financial need.
Endowment scholarships, which are renewable for up to one year, will be awarded to students who meet the recommended eligibility criteria. Criteria includes students being an African-American junior enrolled full-time at a UNCF member HBCU and having a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. In addition, students must have a demonstrated unmet financial need that is verified by their college or university.
For more details on the Michael Jackson UNCF Scholarship, click here. More information on the Ray Charles Endowment Scholarship can be found here.
article by Qwest7 via eurweb.com

Beyoncé Travels to Haiti For United Nations Humanitarian Mission

By goodblacknews on May 17, 2015

Beyonce in HaitiBeyoncé recently traveled to Haiti in an effort to assist the United Nations on a humanitarian mission.
According to Vibe, with her organization BeyGood, Beyonce visited towns throughout the country to help with food, water and other imperative resources including medical attention from the UN doctors.
Haiti U.N. mission spokeswoman Sophie Boutaud de la Combe said Saturday that Beyonce made the visit to see what progress has been made since the 2010 earthquake that devastated the country.
De la Combe says the singer visited Haiti with Valerie Amos, undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator and that she was also able to “meet some of the people who were affected by it.”
Beyonce posted several pictures to her Instagram account documenting her trip to Haiti with a simple caption that reads, “Haiti. Humanitarian Mission with the UN.”
It wasn’t immediately clear how long Beyonce’s stop in Haiti was or exactly where she visited.

The country is still recovering from the 2010 tragedy that shattered Haiti’s capital and surrounding areas and claimed as many as 300,000 lives.

article by Dominique Hobdy via essence.com

MC Lyte Joins Board of Trustees at Dillard University, Helps Promote #EducateOurMen Initiative

By goodblacknews on May 17, 2015

mc lyte, dillard univeristy,
Dillard University Board of Trustees Member MC Lyte (photo via eurweb.com)

Philanthropist, rapper and hip-hop pioneer MC Lyte has taken her community involvement to new heights, as she now sits on the board of trustees for Dillard University in New Orleans.

Through her Hip Hop Sisters Foundation, Lyte had previously provided college scholarships to four young women, and this time around, sought to take on a different mission, encouraging black men to pursue their education through the organizations signature initiative, “Educate Our Men,” (#EducateOurMen) born within Dillard.

“More than just a necessity, given the percentages of men to women at Dillard, immediately we just thought how can we raise the awareness of the education to be had at an HBCU [which] is like none other,” said Lyte.

According to Dr. Walter Kimbrough, President of Dillard University, what began a simple meeting of the minds turned into a full fledged opportunity for Lyte to leverage her renowned platform, and implement change on Dillard’s campus.

Dr. Kimbrough passionately shares how he and Lyte’s partnership began.

“Last April MC Lyte’s foundation president, Lynn Richardson, reached out and said MC Lyte wanted to meet with me. I told her okay, let me know what her schedule looks like and I will come out. She said no, we’re coming to you. So they came and indicated that MC Lyte wanted to do something with HBCUs, and has done a scholarship in the past (U. of Wisconsin). So, the idea was to do scholarships for young men to attend Dillard, explains Dr. Kimbrough, “A pleasant surprise. But we kept talking and they wanted to be more involved in Dillard. So we ended up talking about doing a course- I Cram to Understand: Hip Hop, Sex, Gender and Ethical Behavior. It was already on the books at Dillard (minus hip hop) so we just refreshed it. She came and did an open lecture for the campus plus a special session for the class.”

Lyte lectured the course at no costs to the university and stayed in touch with Dr. Kimbrough after the lecture to further discuss the schools needs and how she and her platform may be of assistance.

“Because of her sincere interest, we thought it would be great to have her be part of the board of trustees, said Kimbrough, “ It will be a new experience for her, and I think a good one to learn more about higher education, and she has a platform that can benefit Dillard.”

Lyte speaks highly of Dr. Kimbrough’s sincere passion as well, and both seem excited for the fruits of their blossoming partnership.

“He’s [Dr. Kimbrough’s] always had a really great relationship with hip hop in general, with the culture and a mass amount of respect for what it is that we do, said Lyte,“It feels like a natural collaboration.”

Through this particular initiative with Dillard, the two, are seeking to bring male enrollment numbers up and improve learning outcomes.  Lyte believes Dr. Kimbrough’s moxie and dynamic understanding for the #EducateOurMen cause, makes Dillard the perfect inaugural home for the initiative.

MC Lyte and Denzel Washington at Dillard University (photo via eurweb.com)
MC Lyte and Denzel Washington at Dillard University (photo via eurweb.com)

“For me, there is no other school to do it with but, Dillard,” said Lyte, “Education gives one opportunity, gives an outlook and allows someone to dream of something better– of making their circumstances better, of providing for their families and providing for their children.”

Lyte explained her reason for becoming an artist was always to inspire others and to use any influence gained along the way to shine light on issues that deserved acknowledgment– and hopefully with the help of Dr. Kimbrough, and Dillard University, they will do just that, for a community of people, who Lyte believes, have been overlooked.

Recently, she oversaw the 2015 graduation where acclaimed actor Denzel Washington was the commencement speaker and received an honorary degree.
article by Brittany Dandy via blackenterprise.com (additions via eurweb.com)

Pro Football Hall of Famer Bobby Bell Earns College Degree at Age of 74

By goodblacknews on May 15, 2015

bobby-bell-college-degreeMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Bobby Bell sat down in the chair, his black gown draped over his shoulders, the black cap tilted just perfectly and the white tassels hanging to his right.
A representative from the University of Minnesota asked the 74-year-old Pro Football Hall of Famer if he wanted to wear the graduation attire while he was doing interviews with the media.
“Are you serious?” Bell said with wide eyes and a playful grin. “I waited long enough to wear these.”
Fifty-two years after he left campus for pro football, Bell returned to earn his degree in Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies and walk in graduation ceremonies on Thursday. He played in two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, won a national championship and was a two-time All-American as an offensive lineman and defensive end at Minnesota. But for him, nothing compared to being able to walk across the stage, receive his diploma and fulfill a promise he made to his father when he left tiny Shelby, North Carolina, for Minnesota in 1959.
“This is the top of the pyramid, man,” Bell said. “This is the top of the pyramid.”
Bell was part of the glory years with the Gophers, teaming with the likes of Sandy Stephens and Carl Eller to make Minnesota one of the premiere programs in the country. He won the Outland trophy as the nation’s top lineman and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting before he was drafted by the Chiefs in 1963.
Bell was 13 credits shy of his degree when he entered the working world, both for the Chiefs and General Motors. He played in two Super Bowls and carved out a pro career that got him enshrined in the Hall of Fame, but he never forgot about the promise he made to his father to make education a priority.
His father has long since passed away, but Bell still made it a point to get his degree and proudly wore a watch his father gave to him when he got on the plane for Minnesota almost 60 years ago.
“I know he’s looking down and saying, ‘I told you you could do it,’” Bell said.

Ronald Nelson, Accepted at Every Ivy League College, Opts for 4-Year Full Scholarship from University of Alabama

By goodblacknews on May 14, 2015

Ronald Nelson
Houston High School senior and incoming University of Alabama freshman Ronald Nelson (Photo via businessinsider.com)

High-school senior Ronald Nelson had an incredibly hard decision to make this year about college — mainly because he got into all eight Ivy League universities.

In the end, he decided on the University of Alabama and rejected offers from all eight Ivy League schools.
Nelson also rejected offers from Stanford, Johns Hopkins, New York University, Vanderbilt, and Washington University in St. Louis.
He decided to pass on these big names in favor of UA for two big reasons: He got a full ride from Alabama and got into its selective honors program.
“It took a lot of soul searching for me to push that first ‘accept’ button for Alabama,” Nelson said. “Of course there’s a bit of uncertainty.”
It’s easy to see why Nelson got into UA’s honors program and every single Ivy League school. As a student at Houston High School in Memphis, Tennessee, he has a 4.58 weighted GPA, has taken 15 AP courses, and achieved a 2260 out of 2400 on his SAT and a 34 out of 36 on his ACT. He’s the senior-class president of his high school, a National Merit Scholar and National Achievement Scholar, and a state-recognized alto saxophone player.
Despite his achievements, Nelson did not receive a performance-based scholarship from the Ivy League schools. None of them offer merit scholarships, nor do several other prestigious universities, such as Stanford.
Like many top universities, each of the Ivy League schools vows to meet the full financial need of any student who gets admitted. However, this doesn’t mean they’re covering every student’s tuition. Rather, they use factors such as a family’s income, assets, and size to determine “demonstrated” need.
Each school offered Nelson some financial aid, he said, and “some of it could have been manageable for the first year.”
After that first year, though, his aid package would shrink; his older sister graduates from college in 2016 and his parents would then only be supporting one child’s tuition. The change, according to Nelson, would be “pretty drastic.”

16 Year-Old Thessalonika Arzu-Embry to Enter Ph.D. Program

By goodblacknews on May 14, 2015
Thessalonika Arzu-Embry
Thessalonika Arzu-Embry (Daily Herald)

Thessalonika Arzu-Embry is ahead of her class… way ahead.  The 16-year-old, who lives with her family at Great Lakes Naval Station, has a masters degree and is now going for her doctorate.

She was home schooled and started college at 11. This fall, she’s starting a Ph.D. program in aviation psychology.  “I feel honored for the opportunity to help others at an early age. I feel very glad to enter college and help people,” Arzu-Embry said.

In addition to her scholastic success, Arzu-Embry has already written three books.

article via abc7chicago.com

Courageous Passenger Kenneth Smith Hailed As Hero After Tackling Gunman On Megabus

By goodblacknews on May 14, 2015

Hero megabus passenger Kenneth Smith (Photo via
Hero megabus passenger Kenneth Smith (Photo via WMAQ-TV)

A passenger on a Megabus that was heading north from Chicago has been hailed as a hero after he reportedly subdued an armed man who fired at least one shot minutes after the bus started its journey.
Kenneth Smith, 28, told the Chicago Tribune that he had just settled into his seat late Tuesday when a loud noise resounded through the bus. Smith was traveling to Minneapolis to visit his 6-year-old son.
“It was real loud,” Smith told WMAQ-TV. “We didn’t know what it was until we saw the gun.”
Police said the gunman discharged his weapon in the bathroom of the bus. He then approached the driver and allegedly began harassing her. A witness said it appeared the gunman also attempted to grab the steering wheel, per WMAQ-TV.
That’s when Smith intervened, confronting the man and telling him to return to his seat. The suspect reportedly did as he was told, but came back moments later, with a gun.
“He came back downstairs, he was grabbing at his hip, I had already seen that and I told him he was getting too close,” Smith told WMAQ-TV. “As he kept coming that’s when I rushed him, I choked him, he fell to the floor, the clip came out of the gun and that’s when I saw it so I pulled it out, gave it to my cousin and I held him down until the police arrived.”
According to WGN-TV, the bus stopped at the Des Plaines Oasis, where the gunman was taken into police custody. Police said charges are expected to be filed against the suspect.
Passengers on the Megabus praised Smith’s quick action.
“He saved us,” Ken Hasley told WMAQ-TV. “The bus could’ve crashed or anything the way that guy was aggravating the bus driver so that guy right there is a hero.”
article by Dominique Mosbergen via huffingtonpost.com

Mom Chauncia Rogers Teaches 5 Year-Old Daughter Ava About Women in Black History Through Innovative Dress-Up Photo Project

By goodblacknews on May 12, 2015
Ava as Attorney General Loretta Lynch

According to the U.S. Department of Education, we learn most rapidly during the early years of childhood. More importantly, a child’s first five years are most critical to the development of security and self-confidence. To the black community, this simply suggests that we began teaching our children to take pride in who they are, our culture and our history at an early age.

It can be quite a challenge to find creative and effective methods when teaching young children about their ancestry. However, in February freelance journalist and copy editor Chauncia Boyd Rogers came up with a unique idea. She decided it was time to teach her 5-year-old daughter, Ava Noelle Rogers, about eminent woman in black history.

To ensure Ava retained the information, Chauncia decided to create a photo project implementing what Ava likes best…playing dress up. Chauncia dressed her daughter as several prominent black women and took pictures so that Ava would never forget the experience and she put them on Facebook.

NBCBLK contributor Alicia Hadley recently spoke with Chauncia and Ava about the details of their creative project.

AH: How did you come up with the idea?

Chauncia: I had a Timehop photo and it showed me and Ava in 2011 at our church’s Black History program. During that program, every week in February, one of the teens at church dressed as an historical [black] figure and did some sort of presentation as that figure. So I just wanted to borrow from that.

Ava as Josephine Baker
Ava as Josephine Baker

And Ava, she just really likes to repurpose things around the house. So I said, “I’m just going to use Ava’s simplicity-take things around the house and make them work for the pictures. And it will be a way for her to enjoy it.”

I wanted Ava to learn about black history. She didn’t participate in my church’s celebration in February 2011 because she had just turned one. But she turned five in December 2014 and I felt that at this age, she would be more receptive to the information.

Ava as poet Phillis Wheatley
Ava as poet Phillis Wheatley

I’m also from St. Louis. We just moved to Orlando about a year ago and Michael Brown was my niece’s cousin. He’s on her dad’s side of the family and so the entire situation is very close to home. My cousin and my aunt live on the street he was killed on. I grew up in Ferguson. I lived in Ferguson from age three to nine. I see what’s going on in St. Louis and right now a part of me is glad that I’m away in Orlando because it’s just traumatic and dramatic. But then a part of me wants to be out there doing what I can to help. I guess the situation in my hometown is another thing that inspired me. I just want Ava to know that she can be better, and that she can do better.

AH: There have been so many significant black women who have helped shape our society. How did you decide which women made the cut?