Latest news with #NorthCarolinaAgriculturalandTechnicalStateUniversity
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
15 Moments That Proved Why This Black History Month Was Black AF
One thing is absolutely for certain, President Donald Trump was NEVER going to get in the way of Black folks celebrating Black History Month. However, this February in particular just felt... eeeextra Black. You feel me? Typically, Black History Month is flooded with small history lessons, remembering our ancestors and prominent leaders as well as acknowledging the Black firsts of every category of life. However, what made this month special were the series of events that occurred that shined a light on how brilliant (and gangsta) the Black community is. From amazing celebrity wins and performances to local residents showing up and showing out, this Black History Month has been Black AF! Keep scrolling to see 15 moments to remember from this year's celebration. In the first few days of Black History Month, a group of neo-Nazi's marched with their swastika flags onto the bridge floating above Interstate 75 in Cincinnati so that every driver could see their emboldened hate, per KEPR TV. Once the Black residents caught wind of it, not only did they confront them and demand they leave but they also snatched up their flags and set them ablaze. They found out exactly who they were taunting that day. We understand there's some drama surrounding the #HillmanTok University trend but let's acknowledge how powerful it was when it started! Thanks to a TikTok from Dr. Leah Barlow, a professor of Intro to African American Studies class at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Black people were inspired to create their own HBCU online. The trend connected hundreds of thousands of educators across a wide variety of subjects to TikTok users with 10-minute, information-packed mini lectures. This trend was not only proof of how educated our community is but how powerful we can be if we put our minds together. 'They used say I spoke too country. Then the rejection came, said I wasn't country 'nough,' sang Beyoncé in her intro track to 'Cowboy Carter.' Not only was her album a statement about reclaiming space in music genres that Black people invented but it was a jab at her previous experience at the CMA's, where she was met by a stiff neck crowd who believed she didn't deserve to be there. Why? Because she's Black. Jokes on them! 'Cowboy Carter' took home a Grammy for Album of The Year becoming the second Black woman to do so and Best Country Album, becoming the first Black woman to do so. Kendrick Lamar's single 'Not Like Us' was not just a single obliterating rap rival Drake but it was a message about cultural appropriation in Hip Hop. The song transcended its catchy tune into commercials, music videos, an epic west coast Juneteenth celebration and more. The song's influence landed four Grammys this year for Best Rap Song, Best Song, Best Music Video and Best Rap Performance. Everyone present for the award show couldn't help but bop to it every time Kendrick went up to grab his trophy. Speaking of Lamar, can we talk about how gangsta this Super Bowl performance was? 'The revolution bouta be televised. You picked the right time but the wrong guy,' the rapper bellowed in the introduction to his performance. His set was packed with symbolism almost as if he wanted y'all to keep talking about it after it was over. Samuel Jackson's chilling narrations as 'Uncle Sam,' an all Black dance team making up the colors of the American flag, Serena Williams crip-walking on Drake's grave, calling out the unfulfilled promise of giving Black folks 40 acres and a mule all in front of President Donald Trump?! - I mean, he proved why he won that Pulitzer. As we continue of the topic of the Super Bowl, let's congratulate this majority-Black team for their epic win. They swatted away questions about President Trump's presence at the game, WHOOPED the Kansas City Chiefs by the second quarter and took home the win. Not only did they win, Philadelphia won. Despite being on the losing team for the Super Bowl, this once in a lifetime opportunity was a true blessing for DeAndre Hopkins. Before professional football, he was the son to a mother who was the survivor of an acid attack, Sabrina Greenlee. Amidst her struggle to recover, he went as far as saving her from taking her own life, Greenlee told The Root. Even before the Super Bowl, he contemplated if football was even for him until he received the blessing of being drafted to the Kansas City Chiefs. They might have lost but Hopkins still had a win. Where do we even begin? Onijah Robinson took over the internet after flying to Pakistan to marry a 19-year-old man she fell in love with online, per The Express Tribune. However, when the man's family took him into hiding on her arrival, Robinson refused to leave. Instead, via various local interviews, she demanded money, land and a flight back home to New York. Her northeast attitude in a foreign place had social media users both entertained and worried for her. Reports say on her way back to the U.S., she was detained in Dubai. Though, we don't really know where she is now. The only other women to receive a Grammy for Best Rap Album were Lauryn Hill and Cardi B, who presented the award for Florida-native rapper Doechii. Ever since the drop of her album 'Alligator Bites Never Heal,' Doechii has been getting win after win including but not exclusive to landing a feature with Tyler the Creator, collab with Issa Rae and a viral performance on 'The Late Show.' She deserves all of her flowers! Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett has been calling out the BS from the Trump administration. However, her voice has become even louder when holding the president accountable of things such as his bogus war on diversity, equity and inclusion or allowing Elon Musk to do whatever he pleases in the makeshift Department of Government Efficiency. In her interviews this month with The Breakfast Club and The Root, she told it like it is. Unfortunately, she may be one of the only legislators doing so. Not every hero wears a cape. In this case, the hero was a 10-year-old boy in Philadelphia who went out of his way to save his younger sister the moment a medical plane crashed in the city. He moved his 4-year-old sister out of the way so she wouldn't get hit with the debris from the plane. Instead, he suffered a critical injury to the head after being struck with a piece of metal. We're praying for his recovery as he remains in critical condition, per 6 Action News. What a great month for Hip Hop. A$AP Rocky was looking at some serious time in the aggravates assault case against him. A former friend accused the rapper of shooting him back in 2021, dragging A$AP to trial. Once the jury came back with a not guilty verdict, the rapper melted into joy, climbing over the benches to hug his girlfriend and singer Rihanna. Fans were relieved after holding their breath for weeks of trial. It's her time to shine. Zaya Wade's big break out happened this month as she covered the face of Seventeen Magazine. The 17-year-old received criticism from a young age for being into dresses and makeup as a boy. The now-trans girl is making a name for herself with her new identity and boldly stepping forward despite the challenges facing her. DJ Mustard didn't just receive hype for producing 'Not Like Us,' he also received a rather obnoxious shoutout from Kendrick Lamar on his song 'tv off' where he screams, 'MUSTAAAAAARRRDDDDDD.' Naturally, Heinz nudged the music producer to take part in a cheeky collaboration. Remember the Black church in Washington, D.C. that the Proud Boys vandalized during the 2020 protests? Well, a superior court judge granted the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church right to the trademark of the far-right conservative group's name. Now, the group is banned from selling merch with their name or symbol on it without the church clearing it first. They can also seize any profits from the sales as well. Sweet, sweet revenge. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
North Carolina farmers take precautions to fight bird flu
North Carolina farmers are taking precautions to fight the spread of the bird flu. Bird flu can be transmitted through the feces of migrating birds. More than 166 million birds have been slaughtered to limit the virus' spread when cases are found, The Associated Press reported this week. Most were egg-laying chickens. ALSO READ: Charlotte egg prices soar 175% due to avian flu shortage Just since the start of the year, more than 30 million egg layers have been killed, The AP added. A poultry research specialist with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University told Channel 9 farmers should change shoes when leaving a farm and limit who visits farm properties: 'In order to come inside our facility, you have to step into a foot bath solution, whether it be a powder bleach or some kind of a quat solution. That's to disinfect our boots and our shoes before we come in and out.' The U.S. Department of Agriculture says North Carolina has the third-highest bird flu outbreak in the country. Egg producers blame the bird flu outbreak for driving prices to record highs, but according to an AP report this week, some critics believe giant companies are taking advantage of their market dominance to profit handsomely at the expense of budget-conscious egg buyers. Advocacy groups, Democratic lawmakers and a Federal Trade Commission member are calling for a government investigation after egg prices spiked to a record average of $4.95 per dozen this month,' The AP said. The Trump administration did unveil a plan this week to combat bird flu, but how much that might ease egg prices — a key driver of inflation — remains to be seen. Read more here. The Associated Press contributed to this story. WATCH BELOW: The hunt is on for eggs, and lower egg prices in North Carolina
New York Times
05-02-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
At Hillmantok, a Digital H.B.C.U., Class Is in Session
Leah Barlow, a liberal studies professor at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, prepared to teach her Intro to African American Studies class this semester as she always does: She put together a syllabus, mapped out assignments and created a TikTok account to make the material as accessible as possible. She posted a video on Jan. 20 welcoming her 35 students to the course. By the next morning, it had surfaced in the algorithm of enough TikTok users that 250,000 people had subscribed to her channel. Within days, Dr. Barlow's videos had unintentionally inspired a loosely affiliated network of Black educators, experts and content creators to form what has become known as Hillmantok University, a free — and unaccredited and unofficial — online take on the country's H.B.C.U.s, or historically Black colleges and universities In lectures delivered in TikTok-length bursts, and in longer sessions over TikTok Live, instructors are teaching classes in gardening, organic chemistry, culinary arts and other subjects. On the receiving end, organizers say, is an audience of about 16,000 registered users. 'I think that this has been in the making,' Dr. Barlow said in an interview last week from her office in Greensboro, N.C. 'You have accessibility, not just because of TikTok but you also have people who don't have to be in the ivory tower to have the ability to speak. That is something that I find both beautiful and necessary.' The appetite for information also comes at the dawn of a second Trump administration. Dr. Barlow posted her video hours after President Trump was sworn in and swiftly set about dismantling federal programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Many academics fear a trickle-down effect across education. 'I certainly think the political time and the environment is rife with a lot of contention,' Dr. Barlow said, adding that Mr. Trump's assault on diversity programs had given 'fresh urgency' to a project that prioritizes Black voices. Cierra Hinton, a former math teacher in Augusta, Ga., and a founder of Hillmantok, watched Dr. Barlow's original post and some of the early videos inspired by it. 'Did I wake up in Hillman?' she recalled thinking, referring to Hillman College, the fictional H.B.C.U. featured in 'The Cosby Show' and its spinoff, 'A Different World.' A name for the movement was born. Kennddrick Pringley, a publicist and D.J. in Tampa, Fla., also was among the thousands of TikTok users who stumbled onto Dr. Barlow's original post. Now he's Hillmantok's student union president and part of a group of about 40 content creators-turned-volunteers who saw an opportunity to organize. In the face of the uncertainty over the future of education policy under a second Trump administration, Mr. Pringley said a 'social media university' could provide a space to counter the misinformation circulating online. 'Education is becoming limited, covered up, muted and silenced,' he said. 'This is a moment and a movement that can teach the masses everything that they really should know.' Hillmantok's organizers built a website, complete with a course catalog and registration page, and started delivering regular updates on the Hillmantok TikTok account. There is a board of trustees and student governing board; many members of both bodies spent long nights on Zoom creating a formal structure for Hillmantok. 'We're marching together to make sure that everyone has a chance at a free and fair education,' Mr. Pringley said. When Brandi Smith came across Dr. Barlow's page, she was disappointed to find that the class was not actually open to the public. Still, Ms. Smith, who attended Spelman College before graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design, followed the syllabus Dr. Barlow posted and started holding study sessions on her TikTok page, including on subjects like the documentary '13th' by the filmmaker Ava DuVernay; the songs 'This Is America' by Childish Gambino and 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' by Gil Scott-Heron; an episode of the TV show 'Atlanta'; and the essay 'Why I Won't Vote' by W.E.B. Du Bois. 'It was an opportunity to engage with Black women on a level that really spoke to my spirit,' Ms. Smith said. For André Isaacs, an organic chemistry professor at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., Hillmantok presented an opportunity he had long dreamed of: using his growing social media following to share his passion for chemistry and teaching. 'We need science literacy in our country,' Dr. Isaacs said. 'I want to do my part in having people understand the molecules that are in the skin care products they're using, and when we say the word acid, what does that mean on a molecular level?' Dr. Isaacs said that about 1,000 people signed on via Zoom or TikTok Live to hear his first Hillmantok lecture. Since then, about 3,000 people have registered on his website to receive course material, including recorded lectures, lesson plans, homework assignments and even quizzes, along with an open-source textbook and a discussion channel on Discord, the messaging app. Dr. Isaacs was particularly enthusiastic about helping to demystify a subject that is often viewed as inaccessible. 'College tuition nowadays is prohibitively expensive, so a lot of people can't have access to that, especially a lot of Black and brown kids,' he said. 'If they just had an understanding of what it looks like or maybe a leg up in terms of the materials, that would help build their resilience and their enthusiasm about the subject matter.' Dominique Kinsler of Orlando, Fla., is using Hillmantok to change perceptions of another topic that many see as having a high barrier to entry: gardening 'Every time I learn something I want to teach it to other people,' she said. 'It's a lot to do while I work,' referring to her career as a pharmacist, 'but it's a passion. It doesn't feel like a chore.' Ms. Kinsler taught herself to garden during the pandemic, attracting hundreds of thousands of followers with the instructional videos she posts under her social media handle, Pharmunique. So when Hillmantok sprang up, a Gardening 101 class seemed a natural fit. Her first Hillmantok video received about 1,000 views within 30 minutes and more than 1 million by the next day. She's received such an enthusiastic response to her Hillmantok class, she said, that she is working on a textbook. Her approach is simple: To teach people how to garden in the space they have available to them. Hillmantok came at a 'pivotal turning point,' Ms. Kinsler said, especially when it comes to the influence of politics and disinformation. 'People have a bit of fear of what education will look like in the future — will we be able to learn these things?' she said, adding that the recent federal TikTok ban magnified that fear. (The app briefly stopped working this month before flickering back to life after Mr. Trump said he would sign an executive order delaying enforcement of the ban.) 'It felt like somebody took a piece of power away from us,' she said. Now, with Hillmantok, people are taking a different approach, Ms. Kinsler said: 'Let me get a notebook. I want to learn.' Or in Ms. Kinsler's case, fresh plants instead of a pen and paper. For their final project, followers of Ms. Kinsler's Hillmantok course will be asked to show the fruits of their labor: a video of their finished garden.
