student loan forgiveness, fresh start program, idk, forgiveness, Connecticut student loans — (Photo: designer491/Getty Images)

by Sidnee Michelle

August 4, 2026

Student Loan Borrowers Could See Debt Erased Under $23B Settlement

The settlement would resolve a years-long legal battle

Hundreds of thousands of federal student loan borrowers are one step closer to having their debt canceled after a federal appeals court allowed a $23 billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Education to move forward, potentially expanding relief for borrowers who say their schools misled them, WEAU reports.

The Sweet v. McMahon Settlement resolves a years-long legal battle brought by borrowers who filed claims under the federal borrower defense program, which allows student loan forgiveness for students whose colleges engaged in deceptive or unlawful conduct. Plaintiffs alleged their schools falsely promised higher earning potential, transferable academic credits, and stronger career prospects to encourage enrollment.

The lawsuit also accused the federal government of failing to process borrower defense claims in a timely manner, leaving many applications unresolved for years despite borrowers meeting the program’s eligibility requirements.

A federal appeals court recently denied the Trump administration’s request to pause the processing of borrower defense applications, allowing the Education Department to continue reviewing claims covered by the settlement. The decision could ultimately make an additional 200,000 borrowers eligible for federal student loan cancellation if their applications are approved, adding to the roughly 450,000 borrowers already expected to receive relief under the agreement.

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The class-action lawsuit was filed in 2019 by an advocacy organization representing borrowers who argued the Education Department unlawfully delayed decisions on their claims. The case became one of the largest borrower defense disputes in the federal student loan system and spanned multiple presidential administrations before reaching the settlement.

According to the advocacy group behind the lawsuit, dozens of colleges accused of misleading students were named in the litigation. The allegations included false representations about job placement rates, credit transferability, and the value of academic programs. Many of the institutions cited in the case have since closed.

For eligible borrowers, the settlement could eliminate remaining federal student loan balances and resolve long-pending borrower defense claims. The latest court ruling also clears the way for the Education Department to continue reviewing outstanding applications, extending the possibility of debt relief to thousands more borrowers awaiting a final decision.

AI, artificial intelligence, trends, technology, skills, wages, career advancement — (Image: iStock)

by Sidnee Michelle

August 4, 2026

AI Boom Is Driving Up Everyday Consumer Prices

The biggest impact has emerged in the energy sector.

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) is fueling innovation across industries, but economists say it is also contributing to higher prices on everyday goods and services as companies race to build the infrastructure needed to power the technology, CNN reports.

While AI’s contribution to overall inflation remains relatively small, researchers say its growing demand for electricity, computer components, and construction materials is beginning to ripple through the broader economy, adding pressure to household budgets already strained by elevated costs.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, estimated that AI has added roughly 0.2 percentage points to inflation over the past year, translating to an additional $375 in annual household spending to purchase the same goods and services, according to the outlet.

The biggest impact has emerged in the energy sector.

The construction of massive AI data centers has sharply increased electricity demand, forcing utilities to expand capacity while competing for limited power supplies. Because new generating facilities often take years to build, demand has outpaced supply in many regions, contributing to higher residential electricity costs.

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, electricity prices remained above the overall inflation rate through the first half of 2026 despite a modest decline in June. Economists say continued investment in AI infrastructure is likely to keep upward pressure on utility costs.

The demand for AI infrastructure has also reshaped the semiconductor market.

Manufacturers have increasingly shifted production toward the high-performance memory chips required for AI servers and data centers, reducing supplies available for consumer electronics. Producer prices for semiconductors and electronic components climbed 26% year over year in June, reflecting tightening supply and strong demand, according to the outlet.

Those higher component costs are beginning to filter down to consumers. Several technology companies have raised product prices this year as hardware costs climb. Apple increased prices on select devices, while Microsoft and Sony also announced higher prices for gaming consoles, citing rising component expenses and broader market conditions.

Beyond electronics, AI’s rapid buildout is also increasing demand for construction workers and materials such as copper and electrical wiring.

Thierry Wizman, global foreign exchange and rates strategist at Macquarie Group, said wage growth in construction has outpaced broader labor market gains, suggesting the industry’s expansion is placing additional strain on labor supply. Those higher labor costs could eventually contribute to rising housing and commercial construction expenses.

Chance the Rapper, Chicago, New Year's Eve — Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney

by Kenneth Meeks

August 4, 2026

Chance The Rapper’s Relationship with Streaming Toppled Grammy Award Rules

How the first independent artist to win 3 Grammy Awards influenced an industry institution!

Chance the Rapper was the first artist to win three Grammy Awards who was not signed by a major record label. And while there were loopholes and offers to get his early music nominated, Chance rejected the proposals because it went against his mission to keep his music free to the public. He says his relationship with streaming was key. In his conversation with BLACK ENTERPRISE CEO Earl “Butch” Graves, Jr., for XCEL Summit for Men, Chance the Rapper revealed a side of himself that very few people see. He explained that he challenged the Grammy rules because he believed in himself and his path, despite the challenges against him. And in the end — he won. In fact, Chance believes he influenced the Grammy’s rule change that now allows other independent artists the opportunity to be nominated without selling a single song. Take a look.

Atlanta Dream, Indiana Fever — Photo credit: Ahsan Washington

by Edwian Stokes

August 4, 2026

Project B Disrupts Women’s Basketball With Equity, Ownership, and Black Women Board Leadership

A global basketball league is redefining athlete equity and corporate governance for Black women in the sports economy.

Women’s basketball is seeing record viewership, valuation increases, and major global investment. The 2023 NCAA women’s basketball championship drew over 9 million viewers, breaking records. WNBA games have a 20% year-over-year ratings increase this season. Franchise valuations have surged, with some teams valued at more than $100 million. The most significant changes are happening off the court, where equity and governance structures are being redefined in executive boardrooms.

Project B, an elite, athlete-owned basketball circuit modeled on a grand prix format, marks a pivotal change in an industry where Black women have long contributed significant labor and cultural value without proportional ownership or executive authority. By placing Black female leaders in core governance roles and granting players direct equity, Project B offers a strong model for financial empowerment in the global sports economy.

Women's basketball is growing. Ownership hasn't kept up.
Project B is creating a new model centered on women, specifically Black women, athlete ownership, and equity.
My latest for @Forbes @ForbesSports ⬇️⁰https://t.co/CX27LRUNWk

#WomensBasketball #SportsBusiness #ProjectB
— Dr. Allison Smith (@allisonbsmith15) July 22, 2026

Redefining Corporate and Sports Governance

According to McKinsey & Company, Black women hold only 7% of C-suite roles nationwide. The gap also exists in professional sports, where majority ownership remains predominantly white and male.

Project B intentionally moves away from traditional structures. Led by former WNBA champion and Chief Basketball Officer Alana Beard and co-founder Grady Burnett, the league has formed a predominantly female board of investors with accomplished corporate leaders. The governance team includes Robin Washington, board director at Alphabet and Salesforce, Merline Saintil, co-founder of Black Women on Boards, and sports icons such as Candace Parker and Grand Slam tennis champion Sloane Stephens.

Transforming Athletes into Equity Stakeholders

Project B features an athlete-investor model allowing players to earn multiyear equity stakes alongside competitive compensation. Equity is awarded based on tenure, participation, and individual performance milestones, with shares vesting incrementally over the term of their contracts. For example, athletes may receive an initial equity grant upon signing, with additional percentages vested each season as they meet criteria for games played or community involvement.

In a video feature, WNBA star Azzi Fudd explained that direct access to female board leaders offers valuable mentorship to expand her brand and ventures. Similarly, champion guard Jewell Loyd described her Project B investment strategy, showing how global tournament play and equity stakes support long-term financial empowerment.

A Tech-Driven Global Stage

Project B will operate as an international circuit, hosting two-week international tournaments from late 2026 through April 2027, in major cities such as Tokyo and Valencia. The league features a prominent international roster, including Jonquel Jones, Kamilla Cardoso, and Nneka Ogwumike.

Sports business analyst Allison Smith noted this effort comes at a key time of labor renegotiations and changing media consumption in women’s sports.

Gee's Bend Quilters, Ralph Lauren — Carol M. Highsmith via Library of Congress, Commons

by Selena Hill

August 3, 2026

Gee’s Bend Quilters Partner With Ralph Lauren For New Artist In-Residence Collab

The iconic fashion house is spotlighting the history and legacy of Alabama’s Gee’s Bend quiltmakers.

Ralph Lauren is spotlighting one of Black America’s most celebrated artistic traditions through a new collaboration with the legendary quilters of Gee’s Bend, Alabama.

As part of the company’s Artist in Residence program, the new line features acclaimed quiltmakers Claudia Pettway Charley and Loretta Pettway Bennett, whose original textile designs have inspired a limited-edition collection of apparel, accessories, home décor, and collectible pieces. The collaboration reflects the luxury fashion brand’s latest effort to partner with and highlight historically underrepresented artisans, reports Fast Company.

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For generations, the women of Gee’s Bend—a small Black community whose residents descend from enslaved people who worked a former Alabama plantation—have transformed discarded denim, work clothes, flour sacks, and fabric scraps into striking quilts now recognized as masterpieces of American art. Their work has appeared in the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“These quilts kept families warm when there wasn’t any heating in the house,” Pettway Charley told Fast Company. “They didn’t have money to buy new fabrics. So you think about the struggle, the hardship, and how they turned sorrow into something beautiful.”

Pettway Bennett also emphasized the importance of preserving the craft across generations. Referring to a red triangle stitched into one of her quilts, she explained, “That one red piece represents another bloodline that’s coming… Now it’s my turn to be the grandma. I am giving her a taste of what I had when I was growing up, passing down the legacy.”

The community is named after plantation owner Joseph Gee, who bought 6,000 acres of land in the area in 1816. Although the quilting practice began during slavery, Dinah Miller, who was captured in West Africa as a teenager and brought to Alabama in 1860, is often considered the mother of the movement, reports Wallpaper.

Gee’s Bend was later purchased in 1937 by the federal government, which allowed Black residents to buy back land through low-interest loans. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. also visited the historic community during the Civil Rights Movement in 1965 after ferry services were terminated to prevent inhabitants from voting.

In addition to celebrating Black craftsmanship, the Ralph Lauren x Gee’s Bend collection will support the Equal Justice Initiative’s hunger relief and direct assistance programs benefiting low-income families throughout Alabama, including Gee’s Bend. The collaboration also represents overdue recognition of Black cultural traditions that have historically been used as inspiration and even appropriated by luxury fashion labels. By placing Gee’s Bend artisans at the center of the collection, Ralph Lauren acknowledges the economic value of Black craftsmanship while helping preserve an artistic legacy that continues to influence American design.

Coi Leray, Shine City Essence Festival — Ismail “Calligrafist” Sayeed

by Ida Harris

August 3, 2026

Melanated Moments: July Was Filled With Vibes And Vision

Peep these events that went down in Atlanta and New Orleans.

The month of July rolled in, bringing heatwaves for much of the country. However, steamy weather and rainstorms didn’t put a damper on the following events. Peep these melanated moments from New Orleans to Atlanta.

Essence Festival of Culture

Shine City, the festival’s largest interactive activation to date, went down at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Festival-goers got to experience music, wellness, entrepreneurship, and meaningful community connection.

Global Black Economic Forum

This powerful forum brought the panel, “Sistas, Say It Louder: Reclaiming Power, Pleasure, and Protection in Black Women’s Health,” an important discussion on the health of Black women to Essence Fest.

DUNKMAN

Shaquille O’Neal’s DUNKMAN, the world’s first professional dunk league, jumped off in Atlanta. The inaugural season of Dunkman showcases the world’s top dunkers competing for a $500,000 grand prize.

The White Dress Project

July is Fibroid Awareness Month. The 2026 Empowerment Experience ushered in a weekend-long initiative and theme around: “The Softness We Deserve: The Healing Power of Our Stories.” in support of those impacted by fibroids.

RELATED CONTENT: Melanated Moments: June 2026

Jamaica, travel, violent crimes, Jamaican restaurant — (Photo: aboodi vesakaran/Pexels)

by Sidnee Michelle

August 3, 2026

Brooklyn Will Host NYC’s 1st Parade Dedicated To Jamaica

The free event will kickoff at Bob Marley Boulevard at the intersection of Church and Flatbush Ave.

Organizers say New York City will host its first parade dedicated exclusively to celebrating Jamaican heritage when the inaugural Jamaica Rising Day Parade steps off in Brooklyn Aug. 8, highlighting the borough’s deep ties to one of the nation’s largest Jamaican communities, PIX 11 reports.

The free event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. at Bob Marley Boulevard, located at the intersection of Church and Flatbush avenues, before proceeding north along Flatbush Avenue through central Brooklyn.

Organized by the Jamaica Rising Day Parade organization, the celebration is expected to draw thousands of attendees under the theme, “Jamaica Rising: One People. One Legacy. One Future.”

Participants will include cultural organizations, schools, churches, youth groups, elected officials, athletes, entertainers, and marching bands. Local vendors will also offer Jamaican food and other goods throughout the day.

Organizers say the parade is designed to recognize Jamaica’s cultural contributions while celebrating the history and influence of the Jamaican diaspora in New York City. Brooklyn is home to one of the largest Jamaican communities outside of Jamaica, making the borough a natural setting for the inaugural event.

The celebration comes as Jamaican communities around the world mark Jamaica’s independence, which the Caribbean nation gained from the United Kingdom Aug. 6, 1962. While New York City’s annual West Indian American Day Carnival has long celebrated the broader Caribbean community, organizers say the Jamaica Rising Day Parade is the first event in the city dedicated solely to Jamaican heritage.

The parade will transform a stretch of Flatbush Avenue into a showcase of Jamaica’s national colors — black, green, and gold — while highlighting the country’s music, food, traditions, and community organizations.

The Jamaica Rising Day Parade is free and open to the public.

HBCU, Grant, Alcorn State University — Alcorn State University(Photo: 2C2K Photography/Flickr)

by Sidnee Michelle

August 3, 2026

Alcorn State University Professor Catches 32 Students Using AI Chatbots On Midterm

The discussion comes as colleges and universities continue to grapple with AI's growing role in the classroom.

A history professor at Alcorn State University is drawing national attention after a hidden prompt embedded in a summer midterm revealed that nearly every student across two classes relied on artificial intelligence to complete part of the assignment, Afrotech reports.

Dr. Jason Gibson, who teaches history at the Mississippi HBCU, said 32 of his 35 students failed a portion of their midterm after using AI to generate their responses without reviewing the final submissions.

The assignment asked students to compare the Industrial Revolution with the modern digital age. Unbeknownst to students, Gibson embedded the word “Madagascar” in white text within the essay prompt. Students who copied and pasted the instructions into an AI chatbot and submitted the generated responses without reviewing them unknowingly included the hidden word in their essays.

“Thirty-two of my 35 students between two classes failed a portion of their midterm because they all used AI to generate their entire response,” Gibson said in a TikTok video explaining the assignment. “Apparently, they didn’t proofread it.”

After grading the exams, Gibson showed students how the hidden text had been embedded in the prompt and invited anyone who believed they had been unfairly affected to appeal their grades.

One student’s score was later adjusted after she explained that her device’s dark mode prevented the hidden text from appearing on her screen, Gibson said.

While Gibson acknowledged that some instructors take satisfaction in catching students cheating, he said his goal was to encourage responsible AI use rather than punish students.

“I get no gratification out of seeing students fail,” he said. “It’s not my intent to see you fail.”

Gibson said the assignment was designed to demonstrate why AI-generated work should never be submitted without careful review.

“You would be amazed at the bizarre usage of the word ‘Madagascar’ that I saw in these students’ assignments,” he said. “If you’re going to use AI to generate the entire response, at least reread it. At least try to ensure that it makes a little bit of sense. Try to put it in your own words.”

Gibson’s videos have garnered millions of views across TikTok and other social media platforms, fueling debate over students’ reliance on AI and how colleges should respond.

@iamjasongibson I can’t make this stuff up. #professor #highereducation #college #midterm ♬ Piano famous song Chopin Deep deep clear beauty – RYOpianoforte

The discussion comes as colleges and universities continue to grapple with AI’s growing role in the classroom. According to a February 2026 College Board survey of more than 3,000 faculty members, 74% of respondents said students use AI to draft essays or papers, while 67% reported students use the technology to rewrite or paraphrase text. Nearly half estimated that at least 50% of their students rely on AI for writing assignments.

“Faculty are navigating this critical transition, as AI rapidly expands in higher education,” Dr. Jessica Howell, the College Board’s vice president of research, said in a statement. “This research shows that faculty have serious concerns about AI’s impact on critical thinking, original writing, and academic integrity.”

Northwestern Mutual — photo credit: www.pickardchilton.com, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

by Sidnee Michelle

August 3, 2026

Judge Orders Northwestern Mutual To Hand Over DEI Records In EEOC Probe

The ruling marks another legal test of corporate DEI programs as federal regulators increase scrutiny of workplace diversity policies

A federal judge has ordered Northwestern Mutual to comply with a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission subpoena seeking records related to the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, allowing the agency to continue investigating a workplace discrimination complaint, Bloomberg Law reports.

The July 30 ruling marks another legal test of corporate DEI programs as federal regulators increase scrutiny of workplace diversity policies and whether they comply with federal anti-discrimination law.

U.S. District Judge Brett H. Ludwig rejected the Milwaukee-based financial services company’s request to block the subpoena, finding the EEOC is entitled to information that could be relevant to its investigation. The court also approved a protective order designed to safeguard confidential employee information while allowing the agency to obtain the requested records.

The investigation stems from a discrimination complaint filed in March 2025 by a Northwestern Mutual employee who alleged he was denied a promotion because he is White and later faced retaliation after raising concerns about the company’s DEI initiatives. According to court filings, the employee contends the insurer’s diversity efforts improperly influenced promotion decisions.

Northwestern Mutual has denied the allegations, arguing the employee was not selected because another candidate was more qualified and maintaining that its DEI programs do not permit employment decisions based on race, sex, or any other protected characteristic. The EEOC’s investigation remains ongoing, and the agency has not accused the company of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The company argued the EEOC’s subpoena sought records that were overly broad and unrelated to the employee’s complaint. Ludwig disagreed, concluding the requested documents could be relevant to the agency’s investigation and ordering Northwestern Mutual to comply with the subpoena while preserving confidentiality protections for sensitive employee information.

The case comes as the EEOC, under Acting Chair Andrea Lucas, has stepped up scrutiny of corporate DEI programs following executive actions from the Trump administration aimed at eliminating what it describes as unlawful workplace preferences.