A1 Steak sauce, Linda McMahon, AI
Photo credit: Mike Mozart, U.S. Department of Education, Wikimedia Commons CCA
by Sharelle B. McNair

April 14, 2025

A.1. Sauce Brand Has Last Laugh After DOE Secretary Linda McMahon Confuses With A.I.

It wasn’t too long after McMahon's remarks went viral that the popular steak sauce brand jumped in to promote the importance of education at the early stages.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon openly confused artificial intelligence (A.I.) with the Kraft Heinz’s A.1. sauce brand, and the company is getting in on the jokes, USA Today reported.  

The former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) made the mix-up while speaking at the ASU+GSV Summit April 8 with a focus on innovation in the education sector — mixing them up twice. “There is a school system that is going to start making sure that first graders and even pre-k have A1 teaching every year starting that far down in the grades,” she said the first time. 

The 76-year-old then repeated it after sounding excited about kids being “sponges.” “It wasn’t all that long ago ‘we’re gonna have internet in our school’ now okay, let’s see A1,” McMahon continued. 

It wasn’t too long after the remarks went viral that the popular steak sauce brand jumped in to promote the importance of education at the early stages. The brand posted an image on its Instagram page with the caption, “You heard her. Every school should have access to A.1.” The bottle was labeled “For educational purposes only.” 

Social media fans jumped in on the joke, poking fun at the former wrestling executive for her mistake. “Was she sauced?,” @leftcoastbabe wrote. Another person posted an augmented photo, using A.I., showing McMahon watching students pour the sauce, mocking a science experiment. 

Another user on Instagram, @daniellemillerkale, commented on the brand’s post saying, “My husband wants a bottle for his desk. He teaches middle school, at least until they replace him with A.1.”

The joke was a nice distraction from the issues facing the Department of Education (DOE) after President Donald Trump announced he wants the agency “closed immediately” shortly after McMahon was confirmed. The move resulted in massive layoffs. 

According to Fast Company, Heinz is known for clever marketing efforts to support trending novelties. During the success of the live-action Barbie movie, the company released a neon pink Barbie-cue sauce. When pop star Taylor Swift was seen cheering on her NFL boyfriend, fans started to wonder how she eats her chicken fingers, prompting Heinz to release a Swiftie-inspired ranch dressing. 

However, this is the first time, allegedly, Heinz poked fun at a political figure.

RELATED CONTENT: Three 6 Mafia’s DJ Paul Launches BBQ Sauce Line

Dallas, African-American Museum
Photo by Robin Schreiner: https://www.pexels.com/photo/wooden-bench-2261165/
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

April 14, 2025

Trump’s Anti-DEI Review On Federal Attractions Threatens Future Of African-American Museum

The NMAAHC was explicitly attacked in Trump's latest order against DEI initatives.

Trump’s crackdown on DEI initiatives at the federal level and beyond has now extended to U.S. monuments and other attractions.

The Trump administration has begun reviewing federal parks and museums to ensure they align with the President’s anti-DEI sentiments. According to USA Today, many eyes are on the future of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture (NMAAHC).

“Museums in our nation’s capital should be places where individuals go to learn ‒ not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history,” wrote Trump in the executive order titled “Restoring truth and sanity to American history.”

Trump directly criticized the center’s teachings as well. The order stated the museum promotes “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.” While the administration has not demanded any changes, the museum’s director abruptly resigned nearly a week later.

Given the unpredictability of Trump’s demands, the museum and fellow African-American museums have remained on high alert.

“Anything under the sun is susceptible,” said Vedet Coleman-Robinson, executive director of the Association of African American Museums. “It would be a travesty to not have your culture-specific museums anywhere in the country, but definitely in the (nation’s) capital.”

When it opened in 2016, the NMAAHC received acclaim for highlighting the nuanced yet vibrant history of Black America. From enslavement to modern-day excellence, the museum displays an immersive timeline of the Black experience.

For many, it offers a comprehensive Black history lesson often slighted in the classroom. Especially as schools face even more limitations on what to teach, the Smithsonian Museum provides a holistic view of Black people’s plight in the nation.

Despite this, Trump has set the stage for sweeping policy changes. It will begin with the addition of Vice President J.D. Vance to the Smithsonian Board of Regents. The order has also banned spending on programs the administration believes “degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.”

How exactly this will impact the NMAAHC remains unclear. However, with the museum’s explicit mention in the order, many suspect a crackdown on its exhibits as the anti-DEI movement pushes forward.

RELATED CONTENT: Musician Yasmin Williams Posts Kennedy Center Interim Executive Director’s Email Stating He ‘Cut The DEI BS’

businesses, tariffs, trump
Photo by Jill Wellington: https://www.pexels.com/photo/wedding-dresses-hanging-on-a-cloth-rack-5618793/
by Daniel Johnson

April 14, 2025

Toy Stores, Bridal Shops, And Beauty Companies Warn Trump’s Tariffs Could Break Their Businesses

Some business owners warn that Donald Trump’s tariffs could hit everyday Americans the hardest.

Some business owners warn that Donald Trump’s tariffs could hit everyday Americans the hardest, as companies pass rising production costs directly to consumers.

According to Reuters, 12 business leaders said Trump’s unpredictable decisions on which countries face tariffs — such as the 145% tariff now imposed on China—make it difficult to plan and manage their supply chains.

“We’re constantly dealing with the uncertainty of the future and of our future supply chains,” Steve Shriver, the founder and CEO of Eco Lips, a company that makes organic health and beauty products sourced from over 50 countries, told the news agency.

He continued, saying that the current pause on tariffs, and the tariff numbers themselves, are too unpredictable to trust.

“I don’t trust it. It’s a 90-day pause. It could change again in 10 days. There are still 10% tariffs across the board, and that’s a substantial addition to our prices,” Shriver said.

Paul Kusler, the owner of Boulder, Colorado’s Into the Wind, a kite and toy store that has existed for 45 years, directly mentioned the tariffs on China as an existential threat to his business, which relies on imports from China.

“The tariffs on China are simply unworkable, it’s a serious threat to our business,” Kusler told Reuters. “We pay bills weekly. These price increases are happening now for items I already have in the door. People aren’t going to buy toys if they are worried about prices rising for food and other staples.”

Eva Kuhle, the owner of Epaulet, an L.A.-based menswear brand that makes all of its clothing in America, told Business Insider that the tariffs are too inconsistent to help American manufacturing, a goal that the Trump administration believes the tariffs are meant to accomplish.

“Donald Trump is a chaotic and unpredictable person. None of this is going to help manufacturing in America. No one is going to see that now there’s a 10% tariff on UK fabric and say, ‘Wow, this is an amazing business opportunity. Let me retool a woolen factory from scratch, all using my own money to match a tariff policy,’” Kuhle told Business Insider.

She continued, “We need a consistent policy that we can trust. We can’t have a policy where tariffs may or may not be enforced 90 days from now, and tariffs could also be any number whatsoever. Especially the really huge numbers — like 145% on China — these hysterical numbers make everything seem even less trustworthy.”

The bridal industry is uniquely vulnerable to the tariffs on Chinese imports, in that as many as 90% of bridal dresses are made in China.

According to Angie Oven, a bridal shop owner in Salem, Oregon, and the president of the National Bridal Retailers Association, the industry has finally recovered from the pandemic just to have to deal with tariffs.

“The overriding feeling is despair,” Oven, told Business Insider following a meeting with 75 of the group’s members. “There’s a little bit of PTSD right now because a lot of us really just recovered from COVID.”

Sandra Gonzalez, the vice president of the NBRA, also said that the trade group wants their industry to be added to the trade exemptions list.

“Our No. 1 goal is to be removed from the tariff list. We do not have the infrastructure to produce the quality of goods that brides are demanding of us,” Gonzalez said. “To build the factories and train the people, that would take a whole generation.”

According to Alicia Adams, the owner of Her’s Bridal and Special Occasion in Minden, Louisiana, the expectation is that if the tariffs hold, the increase in cost will be passed onto their customers: future brides.

“Now that it’s over 100%, obviously those manufacturers and designers aren’t able to absorb those costs. They’re going to have to pass it down to us, which means we would have to pass it down to our brides.”

RELATED CONTENT: iPhones vs. Surviving Trump’s Tariffs: Financial Strategists Share What Matters Most

DEI, military academies, books, Trump
(Photo: Pexels)
by Daniel Johnson

April 14, 2025

U.S. Naval Academy’s DEI-Driven Book Purge Draws Backlash

Democratic Reps. Adam Smith and Chrissy Houlahan said in a letter to the secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force that the book removals constituted 'a blatant attack on the First Amendment.'

As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, the U.S. Naval Academy pulled nearly 400 books from its Nimitz Library earlier in April to avoid running afoul of an executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion in the federal government; but now, some critics warn the targeted book removal harkens back to an ugly chapter of American history.

According to ABC News, the list of titles removed from circulation includes books like I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, White Rage by Carol Anderson and Bodies In Doubt by Elizabeth Reis.

The books have been removed in an effort to comply with Donald Trump’s executive order titled “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” issued in January, which has since been extended to include military academies and includes phrases like “discriminatory equity ideology” and a reference to gender ideology as part of “the tyranny of so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies.”

Some, like Katherine Kuzminski, the Director of Studies at the Center for New American Security have issued criticism of the unclear criteria in the executive order itself, which has resulted in military leaders scrambling to comply with the executive orders through efforts like the military academies’ effective ban of the books.

“There isn’t any clear criteria,” Kuzminski told ABC News. “It leaves leadership scrambling — how do we ensure compliance without being accused of overcorrecting?”

She continued, referring to the Air Force’s initial decision to scrap training materials featuring the Tuskegee Airmen, which was later added back after outrage. “Particularly in the Air Force, when the Tuskegee Airmen learning module was removed from basic training for a few days, leadership was trying to follow through with the best of intentions.”

Leadership, she told the outlet, is governed by a strict code to comply with lawful orders, which puts them in the position of having to enforce a haphazard executive order that seems designed to appeal to the president’s rabid MAGA base and no one else.

Richard Kohn, a military historian and a former chief historian for the Air Force, went further in his critique, saying that the executive order is a “cleansing” and that “It reveals a certain kind of weakness in the current administration’s confidence. They’re determined to appeal to their MAGA constituency by rolling back decades of progress on race, religion, and diversity.”

Democratic Reps. Adam Smith and Chrissy Houlahan said in a letter sent to the secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force on April 4 that the book removals constituted “a blatant attack on the First Amendment” and warned that they were “an alarming return to McCarthy-era censorship.”

In their letter to the Navy’s secretary, John Phelan, they demanded that he stop the review of the books immediately.

“To develop the next generation of Naval officers, the United States Naval Academy must remain committed to intellectual freedom by ensuring the Brigade of Midshipmen can access, explore, and express ideas freely without restriction or interference. Thus, we demand that you immediately cease the review and removal of books and materials at the United States Naval Academy,” they wrote.

The military academies have generally issued brief statements affirming their compliance with executive orders, or no response at all, when asked by ABC News to provide comment on the removal of the books.

U.S. Naval Academy spokesperson Cmdr. Tim Hawkins told the outlet that “nearly 400 books” were removed from circulation before issuing a boilerplate statement. “The Naval Academy’s mission,” Hawkins said, “is to develop Midshipmen morally, mentally and physically…to prepare them for careers of service to our country.”

Kohn, however, remained critical of the move from the Naval Academy.

“You can’t make ideas safe for people, but you can make people safe for ideas,” Kohn, a specialist in civil-military relations, told ABC News. “If you don’t mentor students in the academies to understand what’s going on in American society, you don’t really educate them.”

RELATED CONTENT: Naval Academy Removes 400 Books In Anti-DEI Purge

ICE, Syracuse Player, Deportation, South Sudan
(Photo: Public domain via Wikimedia Commons)
by Daniel Johnson

April 13, 2025

State Department Discloses Fate Of U.S. Man Wrongfully Deported To El Salvador

Supreme Court upheld a lower court's order requiring the Trump administration to 'facilitate' the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

Although the Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s order requiring the Trump administration to “facilitate” the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia — a Maryland man wrongfully deported to El Salvador in March — the administration has only confirmed that he is “alive and secure” but still being held in a Salvadoran prison.

According to CBS News, Michael G. Kozak, a senior State Department official, provided the update via a filing that was submitted minutes after an April 12 deadline set by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis.

“It is my understanding based on official reporting from our Embassy in San Salvador that Abrego Garcia is currently being held in the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador,” Kozak wrote. “He is alive and secure in that facility. He is detained pursuant to the sovereign, domestic authority of El Salvador.”

That language suggests the federal government could be using El Salvador’s sovereignty as a shield to avoid taking responsibility for an action the judge deemed “wholly illegal from the moment it happened.”

This position from the federal government was made possible by the Supreme Court cautioning Judge Xinis on April 10 to make her determination “with due regard for the deference owed to the executive branch in the conduct of foreign affairs.”

The nation’s highest court also instructed the federal government to be prepared to share next steps with U.S. District Judge Xinis, writing in its ruling, “For its part, the Government should be prepared to share what it can concerning the steps it has taken and the prospect of further steps.”

On the day before the filing was submitted, an attorney for the government struggled to provide the judge with any information about Garcia’s location, which she responded to with an order that the administration disclose his “current physical location and custodial status” as well as “what steps, if any, Defendants have taken (and) will take, and when, to facilitate” the return of Garcia, which is the portion that Kozak failed to address.

According to MSNBC, Garcia’s lawyers petitioned the Supreme Court, the court whose opinion Trump has alleged that he respects, ahead of their decision, writing that it was the position of Garcia’s legal representation that the Court’s insistence on due process “underscores that Abrego Garcia — who was removed without reasonable notice or an opportunity to challenge his removal before it occurred, and in conceded violation of a court order prohibiting his removal to that country — must have a remedy for this constitutional violation.”

RELATED CONTENT: Trump Administration Guts Civil Rights Agencies Overseeing Immigration Crackdown

sinners, ryan coolger, micahel b. Jordan
(Photo: Jun Sato/WireImage)
by Daniel Johnson

April 13, 2025

Ryan Coogler’s New Film ‘Sinners’ Is Already Dazzling Critics Ahead Of Its Release

The film, set in the 1930s, stars Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who are trying to restart their lives before being confronted with a great evil.

Ryan Coogler’s new genre bending film, Sinners, which is set to come to theaters on April 18, is currently enjoying rave reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, maintaining a relatively rare 100% score on the film review platform.

According to Games Radar, the film, which is set in the 1930s, stars Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who are trying to restart their lives in their hometown before being confronted with a great evil.

Although the film is set during the Jim Crow era, reviewers like Julian Roman at MovieWeb note that the film explores the period with nuance.

“Sinners brilliantly illustrates Black life in the violent and poverty-stricken Jim Crow-segregated South while portraying a vibrant cultural landscape brimming with music,” Roman wrote in his review.

Likewise, Brandon Lewis wrote in his review for Geek Vibes Nation that Coogler’s latest film is a “swaggering magnum opus” that also “chips away at the borders of Blackness to posit a new path while giving credit to past ones forged for survival.”

Also present in the film is a contribution from one of Coogler’s more important Black Panther collaborators, Ludwig Göransson. Göransson is the composer who is responsible for the brilliant, soaring, and haunting scores of both Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

According to the reviews, Göransson’s exquisite attention to detail shines through in this film, just as it did in Black Panther‘s original score.

As Chalice Williams noted in her review for Black Girl Nerds, “It’s important to highlight one of the stars of Sinners: the music. The fierce and sexy way blues music is intertwined in each scene is captivating and propels you back to a time when instruments and bold, beautiful voices were so prominent. You can’t help but be mesmerized by the piercing sounds of the harmonica or the plucking of guitar strings as it so heavily adds to the story. Music becomes its own character and ultimately contributes to how much you end up enjoying the film.”

Williams continued, noting that Sinners, like Get Out before it, has the potential to transform what defines a horror film.

“In conclusion, Sinners is hands down the best movie of the year for many reasons. Coogler’s unique approach to incorporating vampires in a way that hasn’t been done before is utterly genius and deserves the highest praise…Sinners truly redefines what it means to be a horror film, especially with having some wild twists and turns and an ending that was worthy of audiences breaking out into roaring applause.”

RELATED CONTENT: Ryan Coogler Says ‘Sinners’ Is ‘The Most Personal Film’ To Him As It Pays Homage To His Ancestry

HBCu basketball, Miss New Jersey
(Photo: Bestbe Models/Pexels)
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

April 13, 2025

TikTok Loved Her, Spelman Crowned Her: Taylor Mills Is Miss Spelman 2025

The pageant gained significant traction on TikTok as contestants made waves on the platform.

On April 13, Spelman College crowned its 42nd Miss Spelman Pageant winner.

The pageant, which has garnered much attention across social media, prepared for its grand event with six contestants. However, Taylor Mills took home the crown after an evening of purpose, beauty, and grace.

“WE DID IT,” captioned Mills in her celebratory post. “I am honored to serve my institution as the 42nd Miss Spelman College…’Your Authenticity is Your SuperPower.’”

“I’m very grateful. I’m very honored. I did this not only for myself but for my institution, and I am excited to get to work and to showcase who we are as the number one HBCU,” Mills told Channel 2 Action News.

@crazzy.tay Authentically Blue 🩵|| To remain AUTHENTIC is my CHOICE to CHANGE the World. “An artists Duty is to Reflect the Times” – Nina Simone🎨 The Time is Now, Lead with Authenticity.✨ #CrownTaylorMillsThe42MissSpelmanCollege ♬ original sound – Taylor Mills

Mills, a junior at the all-women’s HBCU, won with her platform of “Authentically Blue.” She used the motto to inspire her Spelman siblings to express themselves unapologetically while strengthening their bond to their illustrious school.

The pageant took place at Spelman’s Sisters Chapel on its Southwest Atlanta campus. Now, Mills will carry on the generational legacy of Miss Spelman. She will also represent the HBCU and its cohort of femme-identifying scholars as they continue to foster academic excellence.

The show also gained unlikely fans on TikTok, as contestants used the platform to introduce themselves. Many new fans revealed how they never knew of the HBCU pageant tradition. Now engaged in the process, they expressed their captivation by the performances as the co-eds competed for the crown.

Mills’ own introduction video for the trending craze also earned over 422,000 views on TikTok. Now, she reigns for the 2025-26 academic year, using her platform to make all Spelmanites proud.

“By authentically showcasing my journey and celebrating all sides of a Spelman Woman—be it academic, artistic, or personal—I hope to inspire others to embrace their full selves,” wrote Mills on her platform’s pillars.

“Spelman women are not a monolith, and its time for us to fully celebrate the dynamic layers that make us who we are.”

RELATED CONTENT: Spelman College Pageants Go Viral On TikTok, Introducing Internet Audience To HBCU Culture

Missy Elliott, Coachella
(Photo: Derek Blanks)
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

April 13, 2025

Missy Elliott’s Futuristic Coachella Entrance Sparks Praise—While Bernie Sanders Brings Politics To The Desert Stage

Missy Elliot hit the stage in a "Transformers" inspired suit that completely shocked the audience.

Missy Elliot’s Coachella performance was more than meets the eye for fans of the hip-hop visionary.

In her debut on the music festival’s stage, Missy referenced a popular franchise that took fans by surprise. During her slot on April 11, Missy took a page out of the “Transformers” playbook to stun the audience. The Source shared clips of the transformation that rocked Coachella.

What festival attendees initially saw as a metallic car arriving on the stage was actually the 53-year-old songstress. She then proceeded to play some of her hit records, including “Work It” and “Lose Control” to undoubtedly get the crowd moving.

While those who witnessed the “Transformers” entrance expressed awe, social media users also praised the innovative artist.

“The fact that Missy been living in the Future and we been tryna keep up the whole time,” shared one commenter under the post.

Another commenter called out the general public for not giving Missy her due props for her visual prowess.

The user added added, “Why y’all acting like she hasn’t been it?! Missy is the blueprint!!! Should’ve been a headliner!!! Missy has been ahead of her time always!!! True icon and legend!”

On Missy’s personal Instagram, fans continued to shroud her with love and praise for her decades-long career.

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for the culture,” wrote a fan under her page.

Although Missy did not headline the popular music festival, she continues to set trends that inspire artists of all scales. Coachella also featured more surprises for fans, but one hit a political note. Bernie Sanders traveled down to Indio, California, on April 12 to speak to attendees about standing up for justice.

“…The future of what happens to America is dependent upon your generation,” shared the congressman from Vermont. “Now you can turn away and you can ignore what goes on, but if you do that, you do it at your own peril. We need you to stand up to fight for justice. To fight for economic justice, social justice, and racial justice.”

Sanders later thanked Coachella for letting him use the platform to speak on the pertinent issues impacting all Americans.

While the first weekend of Coachella wraps on Sunday evening, April 13, it continues to spark new conversations from pop culture to politics.

RELATED CONTENT: The Money Behind Coachella and Beyoncé’s Epic Performance

Texas, school vouchers, schools, trump
Photo by Compassionate Eye Foundation/Robert Daly/OJO Images via Getty Images
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

April 13, 2025

California Defies Trump’s DEI Ban In Schools, Says Diversity And Inclusion Are Still Legal

California officials have called Trump's order demanding all federally-funded schools to eliminate DEI as "unclear."

California has refused to comply with the executive order demanding that public schools certify the elimination of all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. According to The Los Angeles Times, the state’s Department of Education argued that no state or federal laws actually prohibit DEI.

California’s 1,100 school districts have yet to certify the removal of programs under Trump’s definition of DEI. The state confirmed its view on the matter in a letter sent April 11 to school superintendents, charter schools, and county education officers.

“There is nothing in state or federal law … that outlaws the broad concepts of ‘diversity,’ ‘equity,’ or ‘inclusion,’” wrote Chief Deputy Supt. David Schapira in the letter.

In another letter sent to the U.S. Department of Education, the state’s own DOE called the order “unclear.”

“It is also unclear which specific programs or activities [the federal agency] seeks to regulate by this certification, although the request for certification references ‘certain DEI practices’ or ‘illegal DEI.’ It does not define such…,” detailed the document.

The move disregards an April 24 deadline by the U.S. government to certify all districts’ compliance with the anti-DEI order. All California school districts face potential cuts to federal funding as proposed by previous warnings.

Since assuming office, President Trump and his administration have cracked down on DEI measures through the executive order. The blanket title referred to initiatives that directly uplift certain groups, often pertaining to those underserved. However, Trump now considers DEI as race-based discrimination that infringes on civil rights laws.

The demand resulted in a sweep of DEI-related positions and programs across federal departments. Despite this, California continues to challenge the issue, despite over $16 billion in estimated funding at stake.

On the other hand, some school districts under GOP leadership have already complied with Trump’s demands. Colleges and universities under its public school system have also followed suit.

California has joined several other states, including New York and Minnesota, in contesting the order. However, the state has also faced additional investigations over its SAFETY Act. The act bans a “forced outing” of students’ gender identity to their parents.

California’s Supt. of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, emphasized that the law does not violate the  Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Also known as FERPA, the federal law warrants parents’ access to their child’s school records.

Moreover, Thurmond added that California remains compliant with federal laws while still pursuing the safety and wellness for all students in its districts.

“Today, California affirmed existing and continued compliance with federal laws while we stay the course to move the needle for all students,” Thurmond said. “As our responses to the United States Department of Education state, and as the plain text of state and federal laws affirm, there is nothing unlawful about broad core values such as diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

He added, “I am proud of our students, educators, and school communities, who continue to focus on teaching and learning despite federal actions intended to distract and disrupt.”

California also argued that the Trump administration is trying to change its requirements for states to receive federal funding without going through an official administrative process to do so. However, the Los Angeles Unified school district, the largest in California, has kept a neutral stance on the matter. It stated that it would adhere to state guidelines while complying with the federal law.

RELATED CONTENT: New York Defies Trump’s Order To Eliminate DEI Programs In Public Schools​



Morgan Price, Fisk, HBCU, gymnast
LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 06: Morgan Price of Fisk competes on the floor exercise during a meet at the Orleans Arena on January 6, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Stew Milne/Getty Images)
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

April 13, 2025

Morgan Price Becomes First HBCU Gymnast To Win Back-To-Back USA Gymnastics All-Around Titles

Price won the title during last year's championship, with even more records under her belt now.

Morgan Price, the all-star gymnast at Fisk University, has made HBCU history as the first back-to-back USA Gymnastics All-around champion.

Price reclaimed her title during the 2025 USA Championships that began April 11 in Shreveport, Louisiana. There, the gymnastics phenom compiled the top all-around score of 39.350, securing a 9.900 on the balance beam to lead the event during the all-around stage.

Price has completed her historic season with two new records under her belt. She is not only the first gymnast representing an HBCU to win two national titles but also earned a perfect 10 in scoring for a routine performed this season. She gained the perfect score following a match in which she excelled on the uneven bars.

In rightful fashion, Price created the latter record during Black History Month, making the feat extra special for the college athlete.

“Making HISTORY during Black History Month, it doesn’t get much better than this,” began the caption in the shared celebratory post.

All eyes were on Price as she sought to further her legacy for herself and HBCU athletes. She completed the rest of the events with high rankings, including a 9.85 on the uneven bars to secure a tie for second place. She also received a 9.825 and 9.775 for the floor exercise and vault, respectively.

The record marks yet another all-around victory for Price, who continues to represent HBCU talent and greatness. In a recently released short film, she detailed her journey of de-committing from the University of Arkansas to pursue her academics and sports career at Fisk.

“…A lot of people didn’t really understand why I switched,” she said in the project made with Togethxr, a women’s sports-focused lifestyle platform. “The decision that I made was bigger than just gymnastics. It was also about making history and being an inspiration to younger Black girls who want to become an HBCU gymnast as well. We’re representing our culture and at the same time doing gymnastics.”

“To be an athlete at an HBCU just means everything to me,” she added.

However, Price still has more history to potentially make. She aims to acquire more gold during the individual events competition beginning April 13.

RELATED CONTENT: Morgan Price Becomes First HBCU Gymnast To Record Perfect Score

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