20 years after ‘Drumline,’ HBCU bands credit film for boosting visibility

Janae McCloud didn’t always know how to read music perfectly, or the technicalities of playing the alto saxophone. She just did whatever she needed to keep going with the music. But in her sophomore year of high school, she watched the film “Drumline” and felt seen in the fictional story of talented band member Devon Miles, who couldn’t read music. It inspired her to keep performing. “I’m a biology major, and I want to become a doctor,” McCloud said. But “I’m still using things that I’m learnin

George Mason University launches College of Public Health

George Mason University has officially renamed the former College of Health and Human Services to the College of Public Health, refocusing its efforts on public health education, research and practice. Fast, informative and written just for locals. Get The 7 DMV newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It will be the first college of public health in Virginia, the university said. The college will implement new programs at the undergraduate master’s and doctoral levels that include a focu

American University boosts patrols after report of sexual assault in dorm

American University increased patrols around its residence halls after a sexual assault was reported in a dorm earlier this week. The university’s police department is working with D.C. police to investigate the incident that took place at about 2 a.m. Monday in Leonard Hall on the campus in Northwest Washington, according to the university. No arrest was announced as of Wednesday. “The safety of our community is a top priority, and any incident that affects students in the residence halls that

In Montgomery Co., bus driver shortages anger parents, strand students

A previous version of this story misstated the timeline of events when Montgomery County parent Shannon Ingram begins waiting with her daughter at the bus stop. It also said incorrectly that Ingram’s daughter once was dropped off at the wrong school. She was nearly dropped off at the wrong stop. The story has been corrected. In Montgomery County, a bus driver shortage has led to some schools having to excuse students from classes when their buses do not show up in the morning. At others, parent

U-Md. expands tuition aid for state residents from low-income families

The University of Maryland pledged Monday to expand aid for students from within the state who have significant financial need, a $20 million annual program to be known in College Park as the Terrapin Commitment. Fast, informative and written just for locals. Get The 7 DMV newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. Starting in January, the program at the state flagship university will provide funds to help ensure tuition and fees are covered for Maryland residents who receive federal Pell G

Transgender students fear being ‘deadnamed’ at college

Howard officials said students can update their preferred name on university systems but need to contact its enrollment management team to make the change. The university also is working to create more policies that support the LGBTQ+ community, said Jose Cadiz, director of the intercultural and LGBTQ+ center at Howard. Universities across the country have varying policies on how they identify students by name or pronouns, and some have begun to review their rules in recent years. For some stud

Shared Voices program aims to help HBCU student performers grow

Opera star Denyce Graves was in her first year of teaching at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University when she says she met a graduate student with a beautiful voice. The student was a hard worker, Graves said, but wasn’t getting the opportunities to perform that she felt she should have. She didn’t get into the opera program and was upset and disillusioned. Graves says she sat with the student and cried and hugged her. It led her to want to do more to help other students. “How are w

U-Md. to dedicate dorm named for Black students who broke barriers on campus

In the fall of 1955, Elaine Johnson Coates became one of seven African American students allowed to live on the University of Maryland campus. She graduated four years later, the first African American woman to do so. She overcame struggles of prejudice and loneliness to get her education. “I thought when I walked away in 1959 with my diploma in hand that no one would ever speak my name again,” Coates said. “I was surprised but really honored when they contacted me and started asking about my ti

Maryland women’s college to go fully coed starting in fall 2023

Notre Dame of Maryland University, a private institution in Baltimore, said it will begin admitting male students to its traditional women-only undergraduate program starting in fall 2023, a shift that has surprised some students and faculty members. Once NDMU makes the shift to coed, there will be 29 colleges in the United States and one in Canada with women-only programs, according to the Women’s College Coalition. Many others have closed or decided to admit men in recent decades, the organiza

The New Fashion Brand that Wants Women to Claim Space

The double f in Fforme, a new clothing label offering a capsule-like collection of structured classics, stands for “fundamental and foundational,” highlighting the brand’s core ideas. Co-founders Nina Khosla, a product designer for startups, and Laura Vazquez, who has worked in womenswear for more than 25 years, sought to create a new line that would allow women to dress boldly and confidently—or, as Fforme creative director Paul Helbers puts it, claim “the space around them with architectural v

Mother Nature

Photographer Ethan James Green returned home to Michigan to shoot this fashion portfolio, which stars two of his earliest muses. Green photographed his mother, Melinda Green, and aunt, Brendolyn Van Zomeren, at the farm where the two women grew up and among Lake Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes. “It’s a very surreal, beautiful place that not many people know about,” says Green. The shoot, styled by Tonne Goodman, was an emotional one for Green, as family and friends joined the set alongside his cr

EPA officially reinstates California's authority to craft its own vehicle emissions standards

"Today we proudly reaffirm California's longstanding authority to lead in addressing pollution from cars and trucks," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. "Our partnership with states to confront the climate crisis has never been more important. With today's action, we reinstate an approach that for years has helped advance clean technologies and cut air pollution for people not just in California, but for the U.S. as a whole." In 2021, President Joe Biden issued an executive or

Doja Cat crowns Teyana Taylor the queen of 'Planet Her' in her latest interstellar video

Fresh from her Grammy-nominated album, Doja Cat has released the music video of her hit single “Woman.” The intergalactic video features the 26-year-old singer-songwriter with Teyana Taylor as the queen of Planet Her. Under the creative direction of Janelle Monáe and H.E.R.’s creative brand childartiste, the video has already reached over one million views on YouTube and also features model Guetcha. The cosmic video offers a mix of vocals, visuals and choreography as Doja Cat’s viewers are tak

Hanifa’s Debut Runway Show in Washington D.C.

Designer Anifa Mvuemba debuted her Black-owned clothing line Hanifa for the first time in her hometown of Washington, D.C., at the National Portrait Gallery. The highly anticipated event showcased Hanifa’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection and consisted of a 35-look collection throughout the live runway show. The show titled “Dream” featured whimsical and imaginative pieces that left attendees anticipating her first drop of the collection. The line consists of Hanifa’s signature pieces, paired with n

Gentrification Blamed for Food Insecurity in Wards 7, 8

New restaurants, grocery stores and specialty food markets have been popping up all over the District of Columbia as gentrification has taken hold in neighborhood after neighborhood. But in the two heavily Black Wards 7 and 8, getting fresh food has been a challenge. Of the 49 full-service grocery stores offered in D.C., only four are located in the two wards, which have lost grocery stores over the past decade. While food insecurity is no new issue in D.C., as the rest of the city flourishes

Homecoming Fashion Show Takes Students Back In Time

This year’s annual fashion show “Nostalgia”, brought students back in time with the ‘90s and early 2000s themed event. The production wrapping up this year’s Homecoming festivities was unlike any other, as the event was planned in under a week. “They ate that, especially because they were given so little time to prepare and you wouldn’t even notice,” senior public relations LaShun O’Rear said. The show featuring 12 designers, including well-known brand, Timberland began coordination last week,

Here's how the star of 'Diana: The Musical' nailed Princess Diana's regal posture

"Diana: The Musical," which highlights the moments that made Princess Diana adored across the world and follows her marriage to Prince Charles, debuts on Netflix and Broadway this fall. The musical stars Jeanna de Waal, a British actor who has also performed in "Kinky Boots" and "Wicked." In an interview with TODAY, de Waal talked about her journey to securing the role of Princess Diana, her hopes for the Broadway performance and her favorite scenes from the show. After de Waal got the part, s

Howard’s Intimate Listening Party with Rapper Cordae

Howard University students were able to listen to two-time Grammy award-nominated rapper and Md Native Cordae’s unreleased album, ‘From a Birds Eye View.’ The intimate event, Kickin it With Cordae Campus Takeover, was hosted for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) eight HBCU institutions. The event took place at the United Negro College Fund Offices, and Cordae visited The Yard shortly after. “I got the idea that I wanted to go to HBCU’s, last Monday. I wanted to play my album for a v
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