Latest news with #CentralIntercollegiateAthleticAssociation
Axios
30-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Charlotte finalizes its bid to reclaim CIAA this week
Charlotte is on deadline this week to finalize its bid to host the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association's Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament for 2028 through 2030. Why it matters: Charlotte must submit a strong proposal to reclaim the tournament from Baltimore, the current host city and sole competing bidder. A successful bid will boast a premier venue, discounted hotel rates, a financial commitment for student scholarships and a welcoming environment, among other factors. Catch up quick: Charlotte hosted the CIAA tournament for 15 years, from 2006 to 2020, generating $650 million in economic impact, according to the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA). The city lost its bid to host the 2021 tournament to Baltimore. The latest: Charlotte and Baltimore each requested extensions on their bids, Charlotte Business Journal reported. CRVA CEO Steve Bagwell said his organization and others leading the bid had to finalize the deal details and determine whether Spectrum Center would be available to host all games. The CIAA prefers to host the entire tournament at the Spectrum Center rather than splitting rounds with Bojangles Coliseum, as was done in past tournaments. However, Spectrum Center may have scheduling conflicts from other already planned events. Bagwell told Axios on Monday that negotiations are ongoing, but he hoped for a resolution by the Wednesday deadline. He noted that Spectrum Center's ongoing renovations should improve Charlotte's prospects. The CIAA's request for proposals seeks low hotel room rates of $125 for teams, $200 for staff and $225 for fans. Bagwell acknowledged that meeting those targets is unlikely, although he added that the hotel community has been supportive. The bottom line:"I don't know if we'll get all the way there, but I think we'll be able to put a competitive package together," Bagwell says.
Technical.ly
27-03-2025
- Business
- Technical.ly
Key takeaways from CIAA's Tech Summit House: AI, cyber, Black innovation and more
At a time when diversity, equity and inclusion principles are getting dismantled throughout the country, Maryland's biggest city made a basketball tournament an opportunity to showcase Black excellence to the country — including in its tech scene. This year's Tech Summit House took place toward the end of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association's (CIAA) annual contest last month. The historic conference represents historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the East Coast. The CIAA's decision for Baltimore — which has two HBCUs, but no schools in the conference — to host this tournament through 2026 is part of a multi-year agreement that recognizes the city as a hub for Black excellence. While it is foremost about basketball, it goes beyond to showcase Black leadership across different sectors. The Tech Summit House, which this year hosted a mix of innovation-focused programs at the Inner Harbor's Rita Rossi Colwell Center, embodies this concept. 'It is the only tournament that does more than sports,' said Paul Plymouth, director of state government affairs and local engagement for Tech Summit House title sponsor Verizon's Maryland operations. 'It also prioritizes community building, education and innovation.' This year's event featured conversations chock full of lessons about AI, cybersecurity preparedness, youth entrepreneurship, social media and the African diaspora. Here are just a few of them. AI is the next gold rush, but who's mining the wealth? Aaron Dante, host of the 'No Pix After Dark' podcast and 2024 Creator of the Year, recorded a live episode with guest Amen-Ra Mashariki, AI and data strategies director at Bezos Earth Fund. They explored the rapid expansion of AI and the economic opportunity for the Black community. Mashariki drew on history in words of caution about who benefits from this expansion. 'AI is the modern gold rush,' Mashariki said. 'But remember who profited the most in the gold rush — it wasn't the miners. It was the companies selling the picks and shovels.' He contrasted the infrastructure giants, or 'hyperscalers,' (OpenAI, Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, etc.) with the 'gold miners' who sift and refine the gold — or companies like Grammarly that build AI apps and sell to consumers. Finally, at the bottom of the supply chain lies the consumer, like a student who wants to check their writing. Mashariki stressed the importance of developing AI rather than just using it. 'As a community writ large, we're on the bottom of that supply chain,' Mashariki said to the room. 'We need to flip that paradigm and actually start playing a role.' Without Black innovators building AI businesses, the technology will continue to be controlled by a select few, leaving Black communities at a wealth disadvantage — and will likely lead to further algorithmic biases, he said. Constraints breed creativity: Lessons from DeepSeek for HBCUs Mashariki shared another mental model he hoped listeners would take away: how constraints can breed creativity. Earlier this year, the DeepSeek event rattled markets after the Chinese AI company claimed to have produced a more powerful and cost-effective model than household names like OpenAI. This initially shocked markets because it came as a surprise — due to US export controls, Nvidia was selling China less powerful chips than what was available to US companies. Mashariki compared this domestic reaction to the ways that Black people got frozen out of the US economy throughout history — and can organize in the face of these structures. 'This was, euphemistically, the US government looking to put their foot on the neck of China to keep them from gaining AI supremacy,' he said, adding: 'Think about the Black community and how the government, whether it has been local, state or federal entities, have made decisions and policies that have kept the foot on the neck of African Americans throughout history. 'China is in a position where they get garbage technology,' he went on. 'So what did the DeepSeek team do? They literally had to hotwire the cheap technology we sold them to make it even better, faster, and more capable and cheaper to use than what we were doing here.' 'If a small team out of China with inferior technology can change the world, how come we can't get Coppin, Morgan, Bowie, Lincoln [and other HBCUs] together and do the same thing?' he continued to applause from the crowd. Cybersecurity for every generation Another common theme of the summit was cybersecurity preparedness, on which panelists consistently offered advice. When asked about safeguards around data and AI, Tasha Austin-Williams, a principal at Deloitte and executive director of its AI Institute for Government, suggested strengthening data literacy, disabling voice assistants like Alexa and Siri and using 'AI sandboxes.' These sandboxes 'help us have containers that can create prototypes, and enable us to be experimental while also compliant,' she said. Thomas Byrd, VP and senior cybersecurity manager at T. Rowe Price, emphasized a more human touch. 'Be inquisitive, unplug from electronics and connect in real life,' he advised. 'Be analytical of the world.' He also suggested that different generations can fall victim to different cybersecurity threats — and that we ought to learn and teach one another. On an earlier panel, West Muhammad, a 14-year-old cybersecurity expert and Coppin State University's youngest-ever student, urged teens and adults alike to prioritize cybersecurity basics like using strong passwords with special characters, not answering unknown scam calls and verifying sources before sharing things to bigger audiences. 'Misinformation is one of the strongest ways to bring down an organization,' Muhammad said. $10k for early-stage, Black women-led ventures The Tech Summit House wrapped with cheers as founders Aalliyeh Clinton of 2025 RealLIST Startup Monneah's Engineered Materials and Angel Hobbs of Krave, each earned $5,000 by winning a pitch competition. A sizable crowd stayed around to support and hear from the emerging group of Black founders. Throughout the day, conversations kept coming back to a core message: Novel technologies and ventures can either widen the existing digital divide or offer powerful tools to close the racial wealth gap. The difference comes down to who is at the table building these technologies, and for whom. Check out some more photos to see who showed up to CIAA's table: The CIAA tournament will be held next year in Baltimore as well, returning for the sixth consecutive year, but the bidding for the 2027 tournament is currently open.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Angie Stone, Grammy-nominated R&B singer, dies in car crash
The Brief Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone, member of The Sequence, was killed in a car crash Saturday at 63. According to Stone's longtime manager, Walter Millsap III, at around 4 a.m. Saturday morning, the vehicle she was riding in back to Atlanta from Alabama "flipped over and was subsequently hit by a big rig," he told The Associated Press. Stone was scheduled to perform at the halftime show at the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association men's Championship basketball game on Saturday. Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone, known for "Wish I Didn't Miss You" and a member of The Sequence, was killed in a car crash Saturday at 63. According to Stone's longtime manager, Walter Millsap III, at around 4 a.m. Saturday morning, the vehicle she was riding in back to Atlanta from Alabama "flipped over and was subsequently hit by a big rig," he told The Associated Press. Millsap said everyone else in the cargo van survived except Stone. Millsap said: "We are truly devastated by this unexpected and unfortunate tragedy and there are simply no words to express how we feel." Stone was scheduled to perform at the halftime show at the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association men's Championship basketball game on Saturday. CIAA Chaplain Pastor Jerome Barber called for a moment of silence at the game. "She used her incredible talent, passion, and presence to inspire and touch us with strength and hope," Parker said. Apparently, the 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van turned over on Interstate 65 about 4:25 a.m. Saturday before being hit by a 2021 Freightliner Cascadia truck driven by a 33-year-old man from Texas, according to the Alabama Highway Patrol. Angie Stone was pronounced dead at the scene, the highway patrol said. The crash was about 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of the Montgomery city limits. The singer-songwriter made hits like "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" which reached No. 1 for 10 weeks on Billboard's Adult R&B airplay chart, "Baby" with legendary soul singer Betty Wright, another No. 1 hit, and "Wish I Didn't Miss You" and "Brotha." Stone was known for her unique sound in the early 2000s as neo-soul began to dominate the R&B landscape with singers like Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Maxwell and D'Angelo. Her 2001 album "Mahagony Soul" reached No. 22 on the Billboard 200, while 2007's "The Art Of Love & War" peaked at No. 11. Stone grew up in the church in Columbia, South Carolina, where she helped form the singing group, The Sequence. They were one of the first female groups to record a rap songs like "Funk You Up," which has been sampled by numerous artists, including Dr. Dre. After finding success in the early 1980s, Stone later joined the trio Vertical Hold before going solo. ″I'm an only child, so my dad and my mom are my life, and when I was I kid I'd look up to my dad,″ she told the AP. ″He was very influential in what I wanted to do." Stone was hospitalized for congestive heart failure, before turning her life around, losing over 40 pounds and eating healthier, according to the AP. At the time, she was just grateful to be alive and making music. In 2007, she told the AP: "Now, I feel like I'm heading toward a happy ending. I've been in the business since 1979. I've struggled, but now I can truly say I've made it." A Soul Train Lady of Soul award winner, Stone also acted in movies like "The Hot Chick," "The Fighting Temptations," and "Ride Along." She performed on Broadway as Big Mama Morton in "Chicago" and shared her personal side on reality shows like "Celebrity Fit Club" and "R&B Divas: Atlanta."
Washington Post
01-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Angie Stone, R&B singer from the Sequence, dies in car crash
Angie Stone, the Grammy-nominated R&B singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the late 1970s as 'Angie B' in the hip-hop trio the Sequence, died in a car crash Saturday morning. She was 63. Stone was leaving a performance in Montgomery, Alabama, with a band member driving when the accident occurred, her publicist, Deborah R. Champagne, told The Washington Post. She was the only person in the car who died. The veteran entertainer was scheduled to perform a show later in the day at the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Basketball Tournament in Baltimore, Champagne added. The game instead included a moment of silence in her honor. Stone formed the Sequence with her fellow Columbia, South Carolina, natives: Cheryl Cook (known as 'Cheryl The Pearl') and Gwendolyn 'Blondy' Chisolm. They became the first female hip-hop trio to be signed to Sugar Hill Records, a label founded by Sylvia and Joe Robinson and named after a Harlem neighborhood. The group's most popular tune, 'Funk You Up' from 1979, has been sampled in numerous hit songs, including in Dr. Dre's 1995 track 'Keep Their Heads Ringin.'' Stone was also featured in Erykah Badu's 'Love of My Life Worldwide,' a semi remake of the song. In the 1990s, Stone became the lead singer of the R&B group Vertical Hold, alongside Willie Bruno II and David Bright. The members released two albums with hits including 'Seems You're Much Too Busy' and 'Matter of Time.' In the 2000s and 2010s, she established a critically acclaimed solo career and, as a Post album review put it, a 'silky, sample-heavy brand of neo-soul.' From 1999 to 2023, she released 10 albums, peaking in the top 15 with songs including 'Wish I Didn't Miss You,' 'I Ain't Hearin' You' and 'Do What U Gotta Do.' Stone was nominated for three Grammys: for 'More Than A Woman' from her second album, 'Mahogany Soul'; for 'U-Haul' off her third album, 'Stone Love'; and for 'Baby,' from her fourth album, 'The Art of Love & War.' She also found success as a songwriter, penning music for artists such as her former partner, D'Angelo, and the Sugarhill Gang. She was inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame last year. Champagne said Stone was a friend and like a sister to her, and she called Stone a 'prodigy' and a 'brilliant storyteller.' 'She would just tell me stories that I would be like, my mouth would drop. I'd be like, 'Oh my God, really?'' Champagne said. 'She transported you there. That's the kind of talent she was.' Stone had two children, Michael and Diamond, and two grandchildren. Her daughter, Diamond, shared the news of her mother's death on Facebook, saying 'My mommy is gone' with a string of crying emojis Saturday afternoon.
Axios
04-02-2025
- Politics
- Axios
4 quotes from Charlotte's 4 Black mayors
Charlotte's four Black mayors — some of the city's most prominent living history makers — united for a rare discussion this week at the Sarah Stevenson Tuesday Forum in the Belmont neighborhood. During the conversation, they reflected on their upbringings, legacies and the challenges Charlotte faces today. You can watch the full discussion here. Here are some takeaways from the mayors' remarks: Vi Lyles: Red Line is "great opportunity" 2017 — Present "If we get the ability to charge that 1-cent sales tax, I promise you this city will change, and it will change for people of color more than anything else." Why it matters: The Red Line could define the sitting mayor's legacy. The proposed commuter train, connecting Uptown to north Mecklenburg, is decades in the making. The project is finally gaining momentum under Lyles' tenure, and possibly starting construction as soon as 2026. Mayor Lyles spoke of how important it is for the city to create a reliable transportation system that moves people to and from work. Mobility is one of the best ways a city can promote economic mobility. Go deeper: Everything to know about the Red Line Patrick Cannon: Bring the CIAA back 2013 — 2014 (Cannon was arrested in March 2014 after he was elected for public corruption.) "What sense does it make for us to let something go that's on average bringing in $47 million a year to our city? Creating opportunity for many people that look like us, right? We need to continue to go back, I think, sometimes on some things — not all things — but in order to go forward. And I think we have the leadership here to be able to do that because I believe it's about time for that thing to be up in Baltimore, Maryland. It needs to come back to the city of Charlotte." Why it matters: The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association's is a historically Black athletic conference that includes Johnson C. Smith University. Charlotte hosted the CIAA's basketball tournament from 2006 to 2020. In 2021, Baltimore outbid the city for the tournament, which was once Charlotte's largest annual event. Some suggested the city let the tournament slip away and took it for granted. Bringing it back could be a major boost for Uptown's revitalization and a win for the Black community. The CIAA tournament is described as a celebration of Black excellence and HBCU pride. Baltimore is slated to host the tournament through 2026. Mayor Lyles says that council member Malcolm Graham reminds her daily, "We're going to get the CIAA." Anthony Foxx: Still "bullish" on the Gold Line 2009 — 2013 Foxx was the U.S. Secretary of Transportation from 2013 to 2017 under President Obama. "I'm still very bullish on [the Gold Line]. It has a different challenge than the South corridor line did. The South corridor was built along more or less abandoned industrial sites. The street car's being built in a highly (residential) area. So, the development of it is going to have to be much more careful, and it's got to be done with the community. But we're starting to see the Beatties Ford Road corridor become more of a corridor of opportunity." Why it matters: The Gold Line, once dubbed the"biggest political football" of Foxx's tenure, faced strong opposition and remains controversial today. Critics argue it fails to move people effectively, and often gets stuck amid traffic. Still, CATS is pushing forward with a six-mile expansion, including an additional two miles along Beatties Ford Road. It expects to continue gaining ridership by looking at options like signal priority. Go deeper: Why CATS is moving forward with the $845M Gold Line streetcar extension Harvey Gantt: "We have close to a thousand Black millionaires in Charlotte ... Are they visible to you?" 1983 — 1987 "We should have gotten to the point where the city is not the major instrument by which we see economic improvement in our people ... I see [the city government] doing the same thing we were trying to do ... 37 years ago. That's not progress to me." Why it matters: Charlotte's first Black mayor expressed disappointment in the community's partnership toward promoting upward mobility. He says the economy needs the full force of private sector involvement from wealthy Black leaders who build businesses and can join resources.
