Miami-Dade County schools announced the “new kind of campus” Sep. 24. The seven-story campus building at 945 SW 3rd Avenue can hold up to 610 students and includes ten one-bedroom studio apartments for educators. Residences have separate entrances from classrooms, which occupy the third through seventh levels.
The campus apartments will be rented via Miami-Dade Public Housing beginning mid-November 2025. A lottery system will be used to determine residents due to anticipated high demand. Miami has often been named one of the country’s most expensive cities to live. As a result, the subsidized rental units at Southside Preparatory Academy will be an attractive bargain for civil servants. Starting teachers stand to benefit significantly.
School district officials described the project as meeting several community needs at once.
Raul F. Perez, chief facilities design and construction officer for Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), said the building permits educators “to live, work, and play all in the same location.”
Commissioner Eileen Higgins said, “We also have a lack of affordable housing. The county and the school system partnered, and we’re solving all of these community needs with one project.”
The over-$35 million project was funded through a bond and through partnerships across the school district, county public housing and community development agencies. Officials said this is the first of many more projects under consideration in Miami-Dade.
@southsideowls has a new home in the heart of Brickell. @MDCPS unveiled a state-of-the-art, seven-story building that not only provides 610 student stations, science and computer labs, art and music spaces, and a rooftop basketball court, but also includes workforce housing for… pic.twitter.com/cQHvZaX55C
Similarly, several California school districts including San Francisco Unified, Palo Alto, Los Gatos, and others are erecting teacher housing projects.
The 231 Grant Avenue project in Palo Alto is one of the projects that is further along. Grant Avenue is a 110-unit affordable housing development for educators, school district staff, and their families. The campus construction is led by developers Abode Communities alongside Mercy Housing California, with support from Meta and several local school districts.
The units will range from studios to two-bedroom apartments, priced for households earning between 60% and 140% of the Area Median Income. Meanwhile, San Francisco has also pushed forward with educator housing. The city has approved over 135 new affordable homes for teachers, aides, and early childhood educators through two housing developments.
Tech, Talent, And Tenacity: How Black Founders Are Shaping Memphis’ Economic Future
A new wave of Black founders in Memphis is building tech-backed solutions to strengthen minority communities.
Despite immense pressure from every angle, a new wave of Black founders in Memphis is building tech-backed solutions to strengthen minority communities.
Their mission is to solve daily struggles that many Black families know too well — challenges compounded in Memphis by high rates of eviction, poverty, and unemployment.
“Many employees often struggle with money for gas, bills, or energy,” said Alfred Millian, the CEO of Express Wages, a Memphis-based fintech platform that provides same-day paycheck access. “Studies show earned wage access helps people manage money better.”
Nearly 60% of U.S. workers are living paycheck to paycheck in 2025. Millian said biweekly pay is outdated. To modernize payroll, Millian launched Express Wages in January 2023, offering a platform free to employers, with a small fee to employees.
He raised $1.2 million from family and friends, nearly $4 million in a seed round, and now plans a $50 million Series A within nine months.
“We approached nearly every Black PE and VC fund and initially couldn’t get traction,” Millian said. “Less than 1% of fintech startups receive funding, so securing investors was a challenge. It’s a “chicken or the egg” problem — you need capital to generate revenue.”
Finding Capital In The Delta
Access to capital remains a major hurdle for Memphis entrepreneurs, with only two major venture capital firms in the city compared to 12 in Nashville, 11 in Tulsa, and six in Birmingham.
Despite limited VC funding, Memphis-based companies have raised more than $5 million in the first half of 2025. Many founders leveraged Epicenter, an innovation center that helps founders launch venture-based companies and connect with resources.
“VCs want to see density—a steady stream of startups—before they commit,” said Epicenter President and CEO Anthony Young. “The talent is already here; what’s been missing is capital and support.”
Local leaders are ramping up startup growth through initiatives, like the “Digital Delta,” an urban-rural strategy linking Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi to support agriculture, healthcare, and logistics ventures.
Epicenter offers accelerator programs, such as the ZeroTo510 Medical Device, Capital Readiness, Customer Readiness, and Patents2Products, a post-doc fellowship with the University of Memphis.
Anchored by Fortune 500 companies FedEx, AutoZone, and International Paper and the home of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the local business landscape favors sustainable mobility, medical devices, and ag-tech.
“If you’re building in logistics tech or advanced manufacturing, there’s no better place to be,” Mayor Paul Young told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “Revenue from contracts or pilots can be just as valuable as VC funding—it validates the business and raises valuations.”
In June, Mayor Young dubbed Memphis an “Entrepreneurship City,” uniting local organizations, small-business programs, and business owners through digital storytelling, visibility campaigns, and expanded access to resources.
“Our goal is to be a connector,” he said. “We started EntrepreneurCity, ensuring entrepreneurs have the business tools and infrastructure to take their ideas to the next level.”
AI In Innovation
Beyond traditional startups, Memphis leaders are betting on emerging technologies like AI to drive future economic growth.
In 2024, Elon Musk’s company xAI opened one of the world’s largest supercomputer facilities in Boxtown, a historically Black neighborhood in South Memphis. The facility trains the artificial intelligence GROK and operates using dozens of gas turbines.
The $6-billion project has faced scrutiny. The NAACP and environmental groups filed an appeal in July, while Tennessee State Rep. Justin Pearson, who represents Boxtown, criticized the facility.
“It’s an actual gas plant in the middle of a neighborhood and you don’t need any permitting?” Pearson said. “Something has failed drastically and significantly with our system of checks and balances.”
He continued, “If you look at where these data centers are propping up, it’s always in poor communities.”
“Data centers are coming globally. The question is: what value can they bring to the community?” Mayor Paul Young said.
In response, Mayor Young directed 25% of city tax revenues from new facilities to adjacent neighborhoods totaling $3.2–$3.5 million annually, to support housing, parks, and public safety.
City leaders emphasize that adapting to new technologies is essential to closing the wealth gap.
“With AI and automation advancing so quickly, we can’t afford to be left behind,” said Anthony Young of Epicenter. “Logistics is core to Memphis, but many jobs could be replaced by robotics. We need to prepare our workforce now. If we’re not preparing Black and brown communities for the future, we’re failing them.”
Women Leading The Way
As Memphis embraces emerging technologies, homegrown female innovators are driving breakthroughs in healthcare.
Erika Dillard of Popcheck Technologies is building an AI-enabled remote-patient-monitoring wearable to predict surgical complications, while Erica Plybeah founded MedHaul to provide inclusive transportation services for marginalized patients.
“People who previously couldn’t get to healthcare now have ways to connect to necessary resources,” said Mayor Young. “I believe these local innovators will shape the city’s future.”
Women are driving economic growth in Memphis. Over half of the city’s entrepreneurs are women, according to EDGE, the Economic Development Growth Engine of Memphis and Shelby County. EDGE supports small businesses with loans, assistance, and incentives, issuing about 120 forgivable loans totaling $2 million and generating $9 million in economic impact.
“We also lead the nation in women-owned businesses, not by chance, but because the ecosystem supports them,” said EDGE CEO and President Joann Massey. “When women are empowered, families and communities thrive. That’s why I’m so passionate about supporting women entrepreneurs. Give us something to create, and we’ll birth it into something bigger.”
Massey, the first Black and first woman to lead EDGE, credits her experiences as a lifelong Memphian for sharpening her community-rooted solutions.
“For me, economic development is tied to civil rights. It’s about turning pain to resilience and resilience into opportunity,” she said.
Tech founder Kontji Anthony is tackling another urgent challenge: food insecurity.
About 32% of Memphis residents in 2021 lived in food deserts. As the nation’s largest majority-Black city at 67%, Memphis had the highest relative impact among major cities, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Kontji Anthony along with her sisters, Johnita and Aurora, created Youdle, an app that connects independent grocers directly to consumers in real time. Users earn points and rewards while boosting both store sales and loyalty. The beta version was released in late 2022.
“By connecting local grocers — especially Black-owned businesses — to residents, we’re keeping dollars in the community while also improving access to food,” Kontji Anthony said.
DRIVING INNOVATION IN MEMPHIS
Stuart Lott, CEO and president of Backbone Technologies, sees massive growth potential with 40,000 microbusinesses in Memphis. If each added just one employee, he said, the local job market could be transformed.
“Memphis is special because of the authenticity, passion, grit, and hustle of our people,” Lott said. “We want to help entrepreneurs take that energy into business without financial management being a barrier. If we can get it tight in Memphis, we can replicate it in other cities.”
Drawing on his experiences in small business banking and fintech, Lott saw that Black applicants were often denied funding, not for a lack of creditworthiness but for missing documentation.
After two years of research, he launched Backbone Technologies, an easy-to-use financial management app designed for small businesses. The platform streamlines bookkeeping, accounting, invoicing, payment processing, and cash-flow management, all for under $50 a month.
“Most Black businesses fail within two to five years,” he said. “Poor financial management is the root cause– missed capital opportunities, costly tax mistakes, and the inability to scale.”
He bootstrapped about $250,000, raised $500,000 through RevTech Labs in Charlotte, and secured a $65,000 grant from Epicenter. The company is now in beta testing.
Anthony Young emphasized Epicenter’s role in scaling founders like Lott: “We’re not just building companies—we’re building solutions tied to culture and lived experience,” said Young. “Together, these fuel innovation across the Delta.”
Sisters On The Vineyard: Honoring Heritage, Improving Black Women’s Health
The annual event brings together influential leaders in medicine, business, and advocacy, creating a space for growth, education, and community.
For the past three years, Sisters on the Vineyard, held on Martha’s Vineyard, has become a vital summer health retreat where Black women gather to speak openly and honestly about a healthcare system that has too often failed them.
Sisters on the Vineyard is a transformative health retreat founded after a concerning encounter between the event’s founder, Dr. Kordai DeCoteau, and a woman who, according to Dr. DeCoteau, worked for a premier cancer care hospital in the country.
“I asked her about a particular treatment to preserve hair follicles during chemotherapy called Cool Cap,” Dr. DeCoteau, who is also a breast cancer survivor, told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “When I made the joke about freezing during the treatment, she responded that she didn’t know what it was.”
It was a heartbreaking moment of truth for Dr. DeCoteau. In that moment, she asked herself, if someone like that who works for a big health entity didn’t know about these things, what does “my average sister and brother” not know as well? The podiatrist and CEO sprang right into action to eliminate what she calls the “us versus them” gap between doctors and the public.
“As a doctor, I decided I had to make sure that women, especially women of color, were given the same privileges that I was afforded,” she told BE.
Dr. DeCoteau began speaking at events for various organizations, including a virtual session for the United Nations. Through her workshops, she was able to connect with Dr. Ricki Fairley, founder of Touch, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance. From there, they partnered with Dr. Renee Matthews, a health advocate known for her work in asthma and allergy education. With their shared passion for educating women of color about health and financial literacy, they created a platform in 2022 that enables women to openly and freely discuss their health, wellness, and finances.
Sisters on the Vineyard Is Transforming Health Outcomes for Black Women
The annual event brings together influential leaders in medicine, business, and advocacy, creating a space for growth, education, and community. There is a breast cancer panel, sessions on weight loss, cardiovascular health, men’s health, mental health, and financial sessions.
“There’s a lot of misinformation out there and [we’ve found] there is a huge need for transparent and factual information,” Matthews said. “Often, the people who disseminate the information don’t look like us, and we know there are complicit biases in medicine that make [our community] not so trusting.”
A 2023 study published in the JAMA Network found that Black people living in counties with a higher proportion of Black primary care physicians tend to live longer. Health outcomes for Black patients are better because they get more preventative medical care, Black doctors are inclined to write detailed notes for patients, and inform patients about available resources, especially for those who are low-income and underinsured.
“The lack of literacy in our community also has a huge impact on our communities that is breeding inequities,” Fairley added. “We also don’t talk about our health at the kitchen table. We’re dying of prostate cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer. We’re not getting diagnosed until it’s too late, because we don’t talk about it, and we don’t know our family history.”
Through sisterhood, care, and community, Sisters on the Vineyard is an annual event that uplifts and equips women with the tools they need to thrive both personally and professionally.
“Health is wealth and wealth is health,” says Fairley. “We can’t succeed without good health. People can go bankrupt in a heartbeat over an illness. It’s essential to consider health as a key component of a comprehensive wealth and financial plan. That’s what we cover here.”
Organizers are also expanding to include workshops that focus on men’s health and hosting more events outside of Martha’s Vineyard.
Kamala Harris And Wes Moore Call For Action At Congressional Black Caucus Awards
Harris and Moore were recipients of the CBCF Board Chair and CBC Body awards.
Political heavyhitters shone during a time of gloom at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s (CBCF) 54th Annual Legislative Conference Phoenix Awards Dinner, honoring former Vice President Kamala Harris and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore as trailblazers making vast contributions to Black culture and the country, according to a press release shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE.
Harris and Moore were recipients of the CBCF Board Chair and CBC Body Awards as the dynamic leaders spoke about being resilient in a crucial time for the Black community. Moore, rumored to potentially throw his hat in the race as a Democratic candidate for President, has been outspoken against some of the policies handed down by President Donald Trump.
Most recently, as several governors have conformed to Trump’s demands to gerrymander elected seats to favor the GOP, Moore spoke about the importance of having leaders in place who aren’t scared to take risks and hopes that those who came before him, who did not “bend the knee,” are proud. “At a time when we are watching the President attempting to gerrymander Black leaders out of office, I want to be very clear–while these other states are determining whether or not they have their maps, so will Maryland,” Moore said to the packed crowd.
“History is not going to remember this administration well. But also, to those that are sitting down and doing nothing, to those that are capitulating — history will remember you worse.”
The President does not get to pick and choose which states should have “fair maps” while other states sit on their hands.
While other states are determining whether or not they have fair maps, so will Maryland. pic.twitter.com/JE9s1v9omd
Harris, who is making headlines with excerpts from her “107 Days” memoir, shared similar sentiments, calling for the leaders of tomorrow to stand up now, not waiting until later, because it may be too late. “Democrats, we have so many stars and many of them are in this room right now. You are the leaders who are up for the fight. You are the leaders who have the courage,” the first Black Vice President of the United States said.
“You are the leaders who will speak the truth; the leaders who know that at a time such as this, it demands one thing for sure: we must fight fire with fire.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris instructs the audience and CBC leaders to “fight fire with fire” while being honored at the Phoenix Awards in Washington, DC. pic.twitter.com/uW0tdncvc4
Now adding the title of “best-selling author” to her already impressive resume, Harris has been vocal about Democrats embracing more than one leader at a time, touching on the New York City mayor’s race, where Zohran Mamdani is a frontrunner for the position.
The words reached other honorees in the room, including CBC Chair Awardee Angela Rye, a political strategist, and CBCF ALC Honorary Co-Chair Awardee Jotaka Eaddy, founder of # WinWithBlackWomen. Other Democratic leaders, such as Maryland’s Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), spoke to the audience. Jeffries, according to KFOR 4, spoke on the state of the country, providing reassurance that the fight is ongoing. “Trouble is all around us. We want to move the country forward; they want to turn back the clock. We’re fighting hard to bring people together; they are tearing us apart,” he said.
“We fight for the people; they fight for the privileged. We believe in truth and reconciliation; they want to erase our history.”
Starbucks Stirred Up: Customer Melts Down After Barista Won’t Call Out Charlie Kirk’s Name
'So you didn't call the name out,' the Charlie Kirk supporter said
Charlie Kirk fans are standing their ground in the alleged fight of freedom of speech including a Starbucks customer who caused a scene when a barista failed to call out his name, which she labeled as her drink, when the order was ready.
In a video shared throughout social media, things took a turn when the unidentified woman got upset when the barista brought her drink to her instead of calling out the name on the drink, Charlie Kirk. “So you didn’t call the name out,” the woman said, as the barista responded asking if that’s what she wanted. The barista agreed and called out the name “Charlie” to the almost empty location but when the barista didn’t say the last name, things escalated.
One woman seated behind the Kirk supporter spoke out to defend the employee, alerting that the woman was recording as the woman continued to claim she posted such a positive review about the location prior to the incident. “A man spoke up for what he believes in and he got shot in the neck for it and you couldn’t stand there and call my name out but you called his name out,” she said, referring to other customers onlooking.
The woman claimed incidents like this “is what Charlie Kirk died for” since “its freedom of speech.”
Almost one month after Kirk was murdered during a Turning Point USA event in Utah, the battle of what’s right and wrong in correlation to speaking out against things have flooded the internet. In addition, Kirk supporters have been outspoken about him being assassinated for what he believed, stretching out the ongoing fight between liberals and the world of MAGA. The comment section celebrated the customer who defended the barista while seemingly making fun of the woman making a big deal. “This is so exhausting but I’m glad it’s YT on YT for a change,” @tayehydermua wrote on Instagram.
Another user pointed out that baristas may not make enough money to deal with additional drama. “Let these people do their jobs. They don’t get paid enough for this. SMH,” @ryansimsbeauty said.
One user gave an idea that the employee should push litigation against the woman recording. “If I was that barista, I’d sue that lady for emotional distress. Cause that was TOTALLY unnecessary,” @theivth_ wrote.
Events and moments in Kirk’s honor have continued after a massive memorial with guests including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance took place in Glendale, Arizona, one week after his death. During a Penn State versus Oregon game, Kirk’s favorite team, according to Fox News, several Penn fans were seen wearing Kirk’s “FREEDOM” T-shirts. Conservative political commentator and host of Youtube’s The Benny Show, Benny Johnson, captured the moment and posted it on X saying, “Mission Accomplished.”
The ‘Truth, Poverty And Democracy Tour’ Is Coming To A Mississippi City Near You
The tour will make its first stop in Jackson and will feature discussions about the city’s ongoing water crisis.
The Truth, Poverty and Democracy Tour is making its way across the state of Mississippi to raise awareness about the needs of the state’s most vulnerable residents.
Taking place Sept. 30 to Oct. 4, events in Jackson, Hinds County, Adams County, Madison County, Humphreys County, Sunflower County, and DeSoto County, organizers say the tour’s purpose is to call attention to systemic barriers.
The tour will make its first stop in Jackson, the state’s capital city, and will feature discussions about the city’s ongoing water crisis. Mississippi Director for the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Waikinya Clanton, is expected to speak on the steps being taken to resolve the years-long issue of contaminated drinking supply. The SPLC has filed a complaint demanding that $35.6 million in ARPA federal funds, which have been allocated and received by the Mississippi government, be utilized to repair Jackson’s water system.
In a statement shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE, Clanton spoke about the resilience of Mississippi residents in the face of the environmental crisis and the government’s failure to respond.
“Despite warnings as early as 2020, Mississippi failed to act when residents in Jackson needed them most,” said Clanton.
“It is unfortunate to witness entire families go without clean drinking water, watch muddy water flow freely from faucets and rely heavily on the bottled water to just carry out routine tasks. The early days of the crisis was a time of extreme need that went unmet by policymakers. However, it was also a time of great resolve. Communities rallied to each other’s aid. Organizations provided assistance delivering bottled water and other necessities to those in need. But there is so much more to be done: Jacksonians need relief.”
A People’s Water Project event in Utica, Mississippi, will distribute water while advocating for long-term water justice reforms. The SLPC states that “Access to clean, safe drinking water should never depend on zip code, race, or economic status.” As such, the organization seeks to provide immediate relief to the people of Utica while strategizing and mobilizing for permanent solutions.
The tour will continue with more events throughout the week, focused on the wide range of issues affecting marginalized communities in the state. Events include a roundtable on workforce development and economic opportunity, as well as activations focused on rural health and food.
Additional stops will focus on housing, education, and civic engagement. The goal of the five-day event is not only to provide immediate relief but also to build coalitions that can advocate for lasting systemic change. To join SLPC and resident advocates in mobilizing for change, you can register at The Truth, Poverty and Democracy Tour’s official website.
Accused Copycat Of Rare Wu-Tang Clan Album Will Be Sued
The former pharmaceutical executive allegedly made copies of 'Once Upon A Time in Shaolin.'
After a lawsuit was filed by PleasrDAO, owners of Wu-Tang Clan’s album, Once Upon A Time in Shaolin, accusing convicted pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli of making copies of the album, against the conditions of not keeping any and playing it online without permission, a judge has ruled that the suit can go on.
According to Reuters, U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen ruled that Shkreli, AKA “Pharma Bro,” must face PleasrDAO’s claims that he misappropriated Once Upon a Time in Shaolin in a 32-page decision on Sept. 25. The company is looking for unspecified damages and profits, and is requesting that Shkreli return the copies of the album he is allegedly in possession of.
The lawsuit was filed last summer after the convicted felon allegedly admitted in livestreams that he had made copies of the rare Wu-Tang Clan offering, and he played the album for his followers. PleasrDAO claimed that Shkreli responded online to a post by a PleasrDAO member who posted a picture of the album on the social media platform X by writing, “LOL i have the mp3s you moron.”
Based on the judge’s decision, Steven Cooper, an attorney for PleasrDAO, will “fully and aggressively” pursue its case against Shkreli.
Shkreli did obtain a partial victory when Chen dismissed other claims, including two she said were preempted by federal copyright law. A lawyer for the controversial executive, Edward Paltzik, said the dismissal of some of the claims is “a significant step forward in our effort to vindicate Mr. Shkreli, who we unequivocally believe engaged in absolutely zero wrongdoing.”
In 2015, Shkreli purchased the one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album at an auction for $2 million. In 2017, he was arrested and convicted of securities fraud. The government seized the album as well as other property that he owned. In 2021, PleasrDAO reportedly bought the album from the government for $4 million.
Former Mississippi Mayor, Ex-City Clerk Arrested, Charged With Embezzlement
If they are both convicted, they can be subject to pay up to a $5,000 fine and spend up to 20 years in prison
On Sept. 26, the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office announced that Brooksville Mayor Earlie Henley and former Brooksville City Clerk Shaquita Malone had been arrested and charged with embezzlement.
According to WLBT, Henley is accused of drafting checks made out to himself without the signature of a secondary authority, and he allegedly took cash withdrawal slips to the bank and took cash from the city’s accounts.
For her part, Malone is accused of manipulating the city’s payroll system by misrepresenting herself as an hourly employee instead of the salaried worker she actually was, and she also increased the hourly rate of her compensation to receive money she was not entitled to.
Malone is also a convicted felon, and as such was not eligible to be employed as a city clerk. If they are both convicted, they may be subject to a fine of up to $5,000 and a prison term of up to 20 years.
As Jacob Walters, the communications director for the auditor’s office, told The Commercial Dispatch, Henley’s alleged embezzlement totaled $19,998 and was accumulated between July and November 2024.
Henley lost his most recent reelection bid and resigned in May, nearly two months before his term was set to conclude. The state auditor is also charging Henley with repaying $184,000, which includes the amount allegedly embezzled, as well as the civil penalties associated with issuing a contract to a business without the approval of an alderman.
Malone, meanwhile, allegedly embezzled a total of $7,500 from the city during the past year; however, her overall total is $47,000, which includes the amount she allegedly stole, as well as the civil penalty for working a city job for which she was unqualified.
According to Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, “We will continue to hold public officials who break the public’s trust accountable at every level. Thank you to the prosecutors who took our investigation and to the men and women of the Auditor’s Office for their tireless work.”
Social Media Calls It: Tina Turner Statue Is Simply Not The Best
While some expressed overall distaste for the sculpture, many had a single point of contention.
Rock and Roll icon Tina Turner was memorialized in her hometown with the unveiling of a 10-foot bronze statue in her likeness.
The statue portrays Turner with her signature mane of hair, clutching a microphone, captured in mid-performance. Sculptor Fred Ajanogha says he sought to reflect her stage energy. However, many spectators did not see Ajanogha’s vision. Social media users took to their platforms to voice their frustrations and dissatisfaction with the piece.
An X user deemed the Turner statue a “mess” and seeks clarification on the approval process for the undertaking.
@sun_iscompass wrote: “Who Approved this hot mess!”
@Matt_2607 took a shot at Ajanogha, stating, “I’m not sure that the person who created this newly unveiled statue of Tina Turner was ……’Simply the Best’ person for the job!”
While some expressed overall distaste, many had a single point of contention — the construction of Turner’s mane. Turner is known for wearing a crown of bouncy blond spikes. However, spectators believe Ajanogha missed the mark.
@ChiBoyJimmy wrote: “I’m sorry, but the Tina Turner statue is hilarious. I can’t look at it without laughing. And that’s my girl, but Why they do that to her hair?”
The statue was constructed over a period of roughly a year. Ajanogha began the piece with clay in Atlanta. He then transferred the work to a foundry in West Tennessee to cast the final work in bronze. Approximately 50 donors contributed to the statue project, including Ford Motor Co., which gave $150,000.
Turner came from humble beginnings in Tennessee and rose to global stardom. Her hits included Proud Mary, NutbushCity Limits, Private Dancer, and “What’s Love Got to Do With It?”
Doctor Who? Ethiopia Cracks Down On Honorary Doctorates To Protect Academic Merit
Ethiopia is not the only African nation having to contend with honorary degrees
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education, Berhanu Nega, has issued a new directive forbidding recipients of honorary doctorates from using the prefix “Doctor.”
The decree applies to use of the moniker outside the institution that granted the honor. Honorary degree holders are now barred from using “Doctor” in public or professional settings. The restriction also applies to nominations. Full-time employees, administrative staff or members of a university senate cannot be nominated for honorary degrees unless they are no longer professionally associated with said institution, Independent reported.
There are also regulations that impose standards on institutions themselves. Only universities that have eight or more graduating classes and offer doctoral programs may confer honorary distinctions. Institutions that fail to meet the guidelines lose eligibility to grant honorary doctorates.
Political officeholders and government officials are now ineligible to receive honorary doctorates under the decree. Supporters of the policy say it aims to restore integrity to academic titles by preventing ceremonial honors from being mistaken for earned credentials.
Ethiopian government bans holders of honorary doctorate from using the title "doctor" in public, and universities from conferring honorary PhDs to politicians and civil servants. pic.twitter.com/h5RYHFuoAX
Unfortunately, Ethiopia is not the only African nation having to contend with issues stemming from honorary degrees. In Abuja, Nigeria an honorary degree ceremony was held to award musician Dauda Kahutu Rarara an honorary doctorate. However, European-American University, the university named in the event, claimed the ceremony and honor was in no way connected to its institution.
In a statement posted on its website the university wrote, “The University has not authorized any convocation … this event has been organized fraudulently without the knowledge or consent of the University.”
The university also rejected connections to figures who alleged to act on its behalf. European-American University believes Rarara and others, who were “conferred” degrees, are victims of deception. Yet, the organization reinforced that any legitimate honorary awards can only proceed through its official review processes
In Ethiopia, the government has not detailed a list of specific penalties or enforcement mechanisms. However, as cross-border cases of fraudulent degrees and ceremonies emerge, the government will likely depend on institutional integrity and social policing.
As Ethiopia moves to restrict the use of “Doctor” by honorary degree holders, the Nigerian controversy serves as a cautionary reminder that regulation is not useful without verification.
