BLK News - Breaking News and Culture

Marvin Terrell and his son, Alex “TJ” Terrell, have acquired Fin & Feathers, a restaurant in the Valdosta Mall commercial corridor. The Southern Georgia Black Chambers (SGBC) marked the change of ownership with a ribbon cutting on September 26, 2026. The Terrells are repositioning the restaurant around daytime dining, family meals and business gatherings. Key Takeaways Marvin Terrell, a business acquisition strategist, and his son Alex “TJ” Terrell, the managing operator, now own Fin & Feathers in Valdosta, Georgia. The Southern Georgia Black Chambers held the ribbon cutting for the ownership change on Saturday, September 26, 2026. The Terrells ran the restaurant for several months before the deal formally closed. The new plan focuses on daytime food service, corporate lunches, weekend family dining and private events. Fin & Feathers joined the SGBC at an Executive Level membership that runs through December 2027. SGBC president and CEO H. DeWayne Johnson presented the deal as an example of Black business growth through acquisition, not only startups. A Family Ownership Story Built on Acquisition Most stories about Black entrepreneurship focus on founders starting from nothing. The Terrell family took a different route: they bought an established restaurant with an existing location, customers and

Meharry Medical College’s School of Global Health in Nashville has received a $250,000 planning grant from the Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. With the funding, a team led by Dr. Lynn Todman will design a model of care for maternal mental health in the months after childbirth, as the historically Black institution marks its 150th year. Key Takeaways Dr. Lynn Todman, Professor and Chair of the Department of Population Health at Meharry’s School of Global Health, leads the initiative. Roughly one-third of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States happen after the baby is born, during the postpartum period. The care model will connect four areas: clinical practice, institutional processes, community-based initiatives, and advocacy and policy. Eight School of Global Health Research Assistant Interns will gain hands-on experience through the project, from community assessments to model development. The work builds on Meharry’s HEART program, which promotes heart health and healthy longevity in San Bernardino, California; Nashville, Tennessee; and Detroit, Michigan. A Focus on the Months After Birth Much of the public conversation about maternal health centers on pregnancy and delivery. Meharry Medical College’s new initiative looks at the stretch that often gets less attention: the weeks and months after

Morehouse College opened the Morehouse Multimedia Center on September 23, 2026, giving students at the historically Black college for men a professional studio to train as journalists, broadcasters, podcasters and filmmakers. Backed by Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand, the center pairs about $250,000 in equipment with a curriculum focused on sports, culture and social justice. Key Takeaways The Morehouse Multimedia Center is based in Brawley Hall and operates within the college’s Journalism in Sports, Culture, and Social Justice department. The facility includes a modular production studio, editing bays and roughly $250,000 in professional-grade equipment. Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand committed more than $1 million to Morehouse in 2021 for scholarships and journalism-related programming. Morehouse launched its journalism major in 2022, making the center the practical home for a program that is only four years old. Emani Saucier serves as the center’s inaugural director and co-founder, and Mikki Harris chairs the journalism department. Building the Storytellers Who Shape the Narrative Who tells a community’s story shapes how that community is seen. For decades, coverage of Black life in America has too often been written from the outside, with Black journalists underrepresented in newsrooms, broadcast booths and editing suites. The Morehouse Multimedia

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has enrolled the largest freshman class in its 135-year history, with 3,214 first-year students joining an estimated 15,700 total undergraduate and graduate students for the fall 2026 semester. The enrollment figure extends North Carolina A&T’s uninterrupted growth streak to 13 consecutive years and widens the university’s position as the largest historically Black college or university in the United States. The incoming class arrived at the East Greensboro campus with an average high school GPA of approximately 3.7, a credential profile that reflects the university’s sustained ability to grow enrollment while maintaining academic selectivity. Key Takeaways North Carolina A&T’s fall 2026 enrollment of approximately 15,700 students follows last year’s 15,275, when the university became the first HBCU in history to surpass 15,000 students. The record freshman class of 3,214 students surpasses last year’s 3,021 and arrives with an average GPA of approximately 3.7. The university’s first-year retention rate reached 81.2% during the 2025-2026 academic year, the highest in institutional history. More than 3,200 students graduated from North Carolina A&T in 2025-2026, marking the largest graduating class the university has ever produced. North Carolina A&T was recently ranked the nation’s number one public HBCU by

The 52nd edition of the Orange Blossom Classic will bring the Florida A&M Rattlers and the defending HBCU national champion South Carolina State Bulldogs to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Sunday, September 6, with kickoff set for 3 PM ET. The matchup anchors a multi-day weekend of HBCU cultural programming, career development, and community events that have become central to the Orange Blossom Classic’s identity since the game’s return to South Florida in 2021 after a 43-year absence. Key Takeaways The 52nd Orange Blossom Classic pits Florida A&M against defending Celebration Bowl champion South Carolina State at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, September 6, at 3 PM ET South Carolina State enters the game under head coach Chennis Berry with back-to-back MEAC championships and an undefeated conference record over two seasons; the Bulldogs won the 2025 Celebration Bowl 40–38 in four overtimes against Prairie View A&M South Carolina State is making its first OBC appearance since 1973, when the Bulldogs lost 23–12 to FAMU under legendary head coach Willie Jeffries The pregame Fan Fest, free with a game ticket, features a live performance by Trick Daddy and Trina at Hard Rock Stadium’s South Side Fountain Plaza Weekend programming

KIPP Atlanta Schools, a tuition-free charter network serving more than 4,500 students across Atlanta and East Point, announced a $35,000 grant from Delta Air Lines to expand college advising and career readiness programming for scholars in kindergarten through 12th grade. The grant, announced August 24, funds two of the network’s signature initiatives: KIPP Forward, which provides individualized postsecondary planning and career support for students and alumni, and Best of KIPP, a series of academic competitions, arts showcases, and global enrichment experiences designed to celebrate scholar achievement. The investment extends a partnership between Atlanta’s hometown airline and the charter network that has lasted more than a decade and connected hundreds of students directly to aviation careers. Key Takeaways The $35,000 grant strengthens two programs: KIPP Forward, which supports more than 2,000 alumni through college advising, career planning, internships, and job-shadowing, and Best of KIPP, which includes academic competitions, performing arts events, and a global immersion experience in Nairobi, Kenya. KIPP Atlanta Schools operates nine tuition-free charter schools serving more than 4,500 students in kindergarten through 12th grade in the cities of Atlanta and East Point, in partnership with Atlanta Public Schools and Fulton County Schools. Delta Air Lines has partnered with