Music mogul Percy Miller, better known as Master P, visited Norwood Elementary School on Friday with his mascot sidekick, Captain Ace. (Birmingham City Schools) ”

The sounds of students singing filled Norwood Elementary School Friday morning as teachers dressed in camouflage and students wearing their school colors of green welcomed a special guest whose career has been built on music, entrepreneurship and perseverance.

Before taking the stage at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) Friday night, music mogul and entrepreneur Percy “Master P” Miller spent the morning with Birmingham students, sharing lessons about education, consistency, networking and the importance of refusing to let circumstances determine their futures.

Miller was joined by Captain Ace, the blue-dog mascot and educational character associated with his school visits and assemblies. Together, they turned the celebrity appearance into a lesson centered on positive choices, learning, and believing in one’s potential.

The visit also brought together Birmingham city and school leaders, including Mayor Randall L. Woodfin, Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Sullivan and members of the school system’s staff and leadership.

At the conclusion of the assembly, Woodfin and Sullivan presented Miller with a proclamation honoring his visit to Norwood Elementary.

For Miller, however, the morning was less about recognition and more about the children sitting in front of him.

“I love the kids,” Miller told the students. “Even though I got a show, I’m like, no, I got to come and touch the kids because that’s the future.”

Miller said his focus is on what he described as “saving the next generation” and educating young people so they can recognize their potential.

“I want these kids to know that they can fly over all this negative,” he said.

That message became personal when Miller reflected on his own childhood.

He told students he grew up living with his grandparents, who had 12 children. His family lived in a three-bedroom housing project, but Miller said he refused to allow his circumstances to define what was possible for him.

“I didn’t let my condition stop me, and I don’t want you guys to let your condition stop you,” he told the students.

Miller repeatedly returned to the idea that dreams require action.

“There’s no limit to your dreams,” he said, emphasizing that success requires work and that students cannot “cheat the game of life.”

He then asked the students how many of them wanted to be successful. The room responded.

Miller used a familiar example to explain one of his central lessons: McDonald’s.

After asking students what the restaurant sells, he shifted the conversation from hamburgers to consistency.

“McDonald’s is selling consistency,” Miller said.

He explained that a Big Mac is expected to taste the same wherever it is purchased, using that familiarity as an analogy for persistence.

“Keep doing something, not giving up,” he told the students. “Keep chasing your dreams, doing something every day to get that, even when it don’t look like it’s gonna happen.”

“Somebody’s gonna make it big.”

Miller also challenged the students to think about the relationships they are building now. He asked whether they understood what networking means before explaining that the people sitting beside them today could become important figures in their lives tomorrow.

Miller shared a story about a girl he knew when he was in school — someone he said other people did not like or treated negatively. Years later, she became a bank president. When Miller needed a loan, he said, she remembered how kind he had been to her when they were younger.

“You never know who’s gonna be what in here,” Miller said.

He encouraged students to introduce themselves to others, learn their names and treat people well.

“That’s networking,” he said.

For Miller, the lesson went beyond professional connections. He encouraged students to recognize the possibility within one another.

“Who’s gonna be a doctor? Who’s gonna be a lawyer? Who gonna be a teacher?” he asked. “Who gonna be the president of the bank? Who gonna be the mayor? Who gonna be the superintendent?”

Miller said students cannot know where their classmates will end up, which makes how they treat one another today important.

“Somebody’s gonna make it big,” he said. “And it could be all you guys.”

Moments of Celebration

The visit was also filled with moments of celebration. Before Miller addressed the students, Norwood teachers and scholars welcomed him with a robust singalong to “The Affirmation Song,” creating an energetic introduction to the morning’s message.

The appearance of Captain Ace added another layer to the program. The character is part of Miller’s educational work with children, with school assemblies and musical programs addressing topics including anti-bullying, stranger danger and mental health awareness.

Miller said he has spent years making time for young people because he sees them as the future.

The message aligned with the presence of Birmingham’s education and civic leadership throughout the morning. Woodfin and Birmingham City Schools leadership have increasingly emphasized connecting children with educational, enrichment and career opportunities across the city. Earlier this year, the city announced its Children and Youth Commission’s Cradle-to-Career Roadmap, a strategy designed to connect the systems and resources influencing children from early education through adulthood.

For Norwood students, however, the morning offered a more immediate lesson: the opportunity to see someone who built a career from a childhood that did not necessarily predict the future he ultimately created.

As Miller prepared to leave, he encouraged students to keep working, keep learning and keep believing in themselves.

“I kept going,” he told them, reflecting on the people who once told him he would not succeed. “That’s what I want you guys to do. Keep going, no matter what your conditions is. No matter what your environment is.”

Based on reporting by Birmingham Times.

Cornell University is at the center of a developing matter involving an alleged gang rape case that took place in 2024. Prosecutors are reopening the matter after the alleged victim filed a civil lawsuit against a group of fraternity members at Cornell University.

ABC News reports that prosecutors in Tompkins County in Central New York State are examining the claims made by a Jane Doe, the alleged victim of the assault. According to Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, his office is examining whether or not to bring charges but did share that there are two conflicting claims at the heart of the matter.

“It’s our intention to present the case to the Tompkins County grand jury with Jane Doe’s cooperation,” Van Houten told the outlet. “We want to reexamine whether there’s additional evidence that we were not aware of in November of 2024, that exists now that would change our assessment of the case and would result in the grand jury finding that there was criminal conduct.”

Back in 2024, the Jane Doe and former student accused seven current and former members of the Chi Phi fraternity of assaulting her, leading to the chapter’s expulsion from Cornell University. The school conducted an investigation, and initially, Doe did not say she was drugged and forced into acts. Doe’s lawsuit is now alleging the fraternity members drugged and assaulted her.

“She never says that she was drugged without her knowledge. She admits to taking drugs and alcohol voluntarily and with knowledge. She does not allege that she was forced to engage in any acts. She does not say that she was physically helpless or unconscious or incapacitated at any point during the time at the fraternity house,” Van Houten added.

Based on reporting by New York Beacon.

Chicago entrepreneur LaTanya Orr has graduated from the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women: Black in Business program, a milestone she says has helped sharpen her approach to business growth while expanding her work supporting women entrepreneurs.

Orr, an author and business strategist, is the founder of The FoundHERS Suite, a collaborative workspace and entrepreneurial community designed to help women business owners develop their companies through education, connections and shared opportunities.

She participated in the Spring 2026 cohort of Goldman Sachs’ Black in Business program, which provides business education and resources to Black women sole proprietors. Orr said the experience strengthened her understanding of enterprise growth, financial stewardship and long-term business strategy.

“The program didn’t hand me a blueprint—it challenged me to rethink the one I already had,” Orr said. “It strengthened my thinking around enterprise, stewardship, and long-term impact while reaffirming the work I’ve been called to do.”

Her participation in the program came during a period of transition for The FoundHERS Suite. Earlier this year, an unexpected incident involving the building where the Suite operated forced the business to temporarily close its physical location.

Rather than abandon the concept, Orr said the interruption provided an opportunity to reassess how the organization could continue serving women entrepreneurs while she considered the future of the physical workspace.

Part of that evolution is BridgeWRX, Orr’s strategic advisory and thought leadership platform. The venture is designed to help women entrepreneurs move beyond developing brands and focus on building sustainable businesses through strategy, leadership development and intentional growth.

Orr emphasizes that BridgeWRX is not intended to replace The FoundHERS Suite. Instead, she sees it as an extension of the broader mission, providing additional ways for entrepreneurs to receive information, build relationships and strengthen their businesses while she explores the Suite’s next chapter.

Since completing the Goldman Sachs program, Orr has expanded that work through strategic advisory services, educational programs, publishing and community-centered initiatives.

Among those efforts is ShiftShop, a workshop series focused on practical business development. Another initiative, Gather & Shift, brings entrepreneurs together for networking, collaboration and shared learning.

Orr is also developing an editorial component to her work. Through The Bridge, her Substack publication, and HERspectives, a LinkedIn thought leadership series, she writes about entrepreneurship, leadership, business growth and the challenges established founders encounter as they attempt to move from operating individual businesses toward building larger enterprises.

Her developing BridgeWRX Leadership Library is expected to include books, tools and other resources drawn from more than two decades of Orr’s experience as an entrepreneur.

“I’ve come to realize that the assignment was always bigger than the building,” Orr said. “BridgeWRX allows me to extend the mission of The FoundHERS Suite in new ways while continuing to prepare for its next chapter. My passion has always been helping women discover what’s possible, build with intention, and create something that lasts.”

The Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women initiative was launched as part of the financial institution’s broader effort to invest in Black women and address economic disparities. Black in Business focuses specifically on Black women sole proprietors, providing participants with business education, access to resources and opportunities to develop strategies for growth.

For Orr, completing the program comes as she works to bring several parts of her entrepreneurial experience under a broader strategy.

Through BridgeWRX, she plans to continue offering advisory services, educational experiences, publishing and community programming. At the same time, Orr said she remains committed to The FoundHERS Suite and its original goal of creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs to connect and grow.

The result, she said, is an expanded vision centered not simply on operating a business, but on helping entrepreneurs create enterprises capable of producing long-term impact.

Based on reporting by Chicago Crusader.

Two Georgia college students from Stonecrest are combining agriculture, technology, and community education to help families throughout Georgia grow their own food — even those without access to traditional growing spaces and equipment.

The two students recently completed the first prototype of Plant It Georgia’s mobile agricultural laboratory, which they said is an enclosed trailer equipped to introduce young people and families to growing food without relying on traditional farmland.

Mason Wright—a youth entrepreneur and a student at Morris Brown College—is the founder of Plant It Georgia Vertical Institute. The institute is an “educational initiative created to train young people in vertical farming, hydroponics, and other modern agricultural technologies,” according to Wright. Kosey Henley, a student at the University of Georgia, worked alongside Wright on the mobile lab.

The students said the idea came in response to an obstacle challenging many communities: transportation. Instead of requiring students to travel to the Plant It Georgia Vertical Institute, the program can take its lessons and growing systems directly into neighborhoods, schools, recreation centers, and other community spaces to teach students and their families about growing food in urban communities.

Inside the prototype, visitors will find hydroponic growing channels, lighting, and other equipment that show them how plants can grow in controlled environments. The laboratory aims to support hands-on lessons covering seed germination, water circulation, plant nutrition, lighting, harvesting, and the technology used to manage indoor crops, according to Wright.

The project comes as Georgia and the nation face an aging agricultural workforce.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2022 Census of Agriculture, Georgia had 63,492 agricultural producers, but only 4,770 were younger than 35. Nationally, the USDA counted 296,480 producers younger than 35, approximately 9 percent of all U.S. producers.

At the Plant It Georgia Vertical Institute, students are taught that farming does not always require acres of open land or heavy machinery. Vertical farming allows crops to grow upward in stacked systems while hydroponics uses nutrient-rich water instead of soil to feed the plants. These tactics make food production possible in classrooms, buildings, trailers, and densely populated urban communities, according to Wright.

Plant It Georgia’s growing systems can cultivate lettuce, tomatoes, collard greens, peppers, and a variety of culinary herbs, according to the news release. Students are taught the entire growing process — from placing seeds into starter materials and monitoring water and nutrients to caring for mature plants and harvesting fresh produce.

The program also introduces participants to careers connected to agricultural technology, plant science, environmental sustainability, food systems, and entrepreneurship.

Wright’s role as a Morris Brown College student and founder represents the connection between HBCU leadership, entrepreneurship, and community service, according to a news release. Wright also made headlines for opening Mason’s Super Dogs in Stonecrest in 2020 — which he now also operates on the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail. Henley brings another important academic connection through the University of Georgia, one of the state’s leading institutions in agriculture and agricultural research, according to the news release.

For event locations and more information, follow Plant It Georgia on Instagram (@plantitGA).

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Based on reporting by The Champion Newspaper.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Annika E. Ashton is the new Broward County Attorney, becoming the first Black woman and Jamaican American to assume the role.

Ashton, 42, was sworn in last month to replace Andrew Meyers who retired after eight years at the helm.

The Broward County Commission unanimously appointed Ashton, who was the Deputy Broward County attorney, in April 2026 and she took over on September 10, 2026 the official last day of Meyers’ tenure.

She will oversee more than 50 attorneys and a support staff.

Ashton’s appointment reflects overcoming racial and gender barriers to become the chief legal advisor for the county.

The Coral Springs resident thanked the commission and Broward County legal department for their support.
“I’m very excited to work with a really great office of people and have the support of the Broward County Commission,” Ashton said.

Broward County Commissioner Nan Rich called Ashton “the most qualified person to lead the County Attorney’s Office,” noting the county attorney position is one of only three the board is responsible for appointing

Ashton has worked for Broward County since 2014, starting as an assistant county attorney and rose to senior assistant county attorney before becoming deputy county attorney in 2019.

She graduated from Princeton University and Columbia Law School and clerked for the Hon. Adalberto Jordan on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Ashton’s county work has included litigating federal court cases, drafting ordinances and contributing to the $1 billion expansion of the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale.

She previously did private practice in New York and Miami.

According to her bio, Ashton was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica and raised with deepy family roots in Clarendon, particularly Palmer Cross.

She migrated to the U.S. and graduated from Ft. Lauderdale Boyd Anderson High School, earned her bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and law degree from Columbia Law School.

As the new chief attorney for Broward County, Ashton will provide legal counsel for commissioners and administrators, represent the county in litigation, drafting legal documents including preparing ordinances, government contracts and oversight of zoning issues.

Ashton will also advise commissioners on legal aspects of county projects, developments and public services, including environmental, transportation, and consumer protection issues in Broward County.

She is also a Past President of the Caribbean Bar Association.

Ashton credits her Jamaican upbringing for a stellar legal career.

She said women leadership in Jamaica helped her thrive, studying successful women in business and public service, as well as community figures like Cathy Levy, founder of the iconic Little People and Teen Players Club, who has been a stalwart of youth arts education in Jamaica for decades.

These early influences, along with the cultural ethos of resilience captured in the popular Jamaican refrain, “Wi likkle but wi tallawah,” she notes, helped shape her ambition and belief that she could make a meaningful impact on the world around her.

The post Annika Ashton first Black woman and Jamaican Broward County Attorney appeared first on South Florida Times.

Based on reporting by South Florida Times.

The sound of clippers buzzed with a different kind of conversation Monday at 11 a.m. as Alabama State University students and staff listened to barbers, cancer survivors and health professionals discuss a disease that disproportionately affects Black men.

Cuts and Conversations, held Sept. 28 in the John Garrick Hardy Center Ballroom, used free haircuts and the familiarity of the barbershop to open conversations about prostate cancer, early detection, family history and men’s health.

Tanjula Petty, Ed.D., vice president for Institutional Effectiveness, Strategic Initiatives and Transformation, and Willie S. Rockward, Ph.D., dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, opened the forum and welcomed those in attendance.

For Petty, the message came from experience.

“I’m not just speaking to you based on research,” she said. “I’m talking to you from a place of experience.”

Petty said she exercised regularly, ate well and considered herself healthy when a doctor told her she had cancer. She challenged students to take what they learned back to their fathers, grandfathers and uncles.

“It’s not all about genetics; you may be the first in your family to experience it,” Petty said. “People ask me all the time, ‘Who in your family was diagnosed?’ Nobody. I’m the first.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black men are more likely to develop prostate cancer than other men and are more than twice as likely to die from the disease. The American Cancer Society recommends that Black men begin discussing prostate cancer screening with a health care provider at age 45 or at 40 for men at higher risk because of family history.

Three prostate cancer survivors were recognized during the event: Andy Maxwell, Leroy Huffman and Dandrea Evans Sr. Evans and Huffman shared their experiences with those in attendance.

Evans was 44 when a routine doctor’s visit led to his prostate cancer diagnosis. He had no symptoms.

“Initially it was the worst news you could ever hear because I didn’t feel like I had cancer. I felt great,” he said.

Evans said he turned to his faith and made the decision “to trust God through the process and to live.” Four years later, he said he is cancer-free.

“The more you know, the more you’ll be prepared to deal with it and understand it a little bit better,” Evans said.

The five-year survival rate is greater than 99% for prostate cancer diagnosed at a localized or regional stage, according to the American Cancer Society. That rate falls to 38% when the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body.

Huffman has worked at Heritage Barber & Style Shop for about 26 years, has cut hair for 63 years.

“Awareness about prostate cancer is the best thing that Black men should do,” Huffman said.

His advice was simple.

“Age is not the key here. Life is,” Huffman said.

Dawna Nelson, Ph.D., an associate professor of social work, licensed master social worker, and principal investigator for the Cuts and Conversations research project, said the project grew from years of community health work and conversations with Heritage about the role barbershops already play in Black communities. When funding became available, the partnership trained barbers to speak with clients about prostate cancer, early detection, and family history.

Heritage owner Vladimir “Boo Man” Averett said the shop wanted to be part of that work, particularly because of Huffman’s experience.

“He gives conversation all the time to us younger barbers as well as our clients about get checked, get checked, get checked,” Averett said.

For Averett, the message comes down to five words.

“It’s not about wealth. It’s about health,” Averett said.

The partnership extended to student barbers.

Brittany Hollins, planning and evaluation specialist in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Strategic Initiatives, and Transformation, said organizers worked with Student Life and athletics to identify student barbers who were trained at Heritage to carry those conversations to their peers.

“They’re cutting hair, and they’re having these conversations,” Hollins said. “And so it’s Cuts and Conversations today.”

Hollins’ grandfather died a little more than a year ago after his prostate cancer progressed to Stage 4.

“It is not an easy task to have that loved one at home on hospice, and you are being tasked to give them that last dose of morphine, and then you realize there’s no pulse,” Hollins said.

Beyond the personal stories, the event connected students with cancer research and health resources.

Manoj K. Mishra, Ph.D., director of the university’s Cancer Research Center and professor of biology, said the center supports cancer research, trains students, and works to increase cancer awareness in the community.

Pastor Lee B. Walker Jr. and Terrance “Wolfgang” Baldwin hosted a live recording of the “Off the Cuff” podcast, continuing the discussion about prostate cancer awareness and Black men’s health.

Five Horizons Health Services, the Alabama Department of Public Health, the university’s Cancer Research Center and Health Services were represented. Five Horizons also provided free HIV and sexually transmitted infection testing.

For the students in the barber chairs, the conversations made the message immediate.

Freshman Jonathan Alexandre said events such as Cuts and Conversations can make it easier for young Black men to begin talking about their health.

Freshman Elijah Kidd, a computer engineering major from Pensacola, Florida, said cancer has already touched his family through his uncle.

“Really just cherish every moment you have, because you never know when it might end,” Kidd said.

Senior Xavier Moore, a double major in music education and music performance, said the setting allowed younger and older Black men to learn from one another.

“Your health comes first,” Moore said.

Student barber Mark Coaxum II, a biology major who plans to become a doctor, brought the message back to action.

“Knowing the probability is good, but getting tested is best, because whether you’re probable or not, you never know,” Coaxum said. “It could be you.”

Nelson said she hopes those conversations continue long after the barber chairs are gone.

“The barbershop is where these conversations start, but then the next day they’re in the gym, and then the day after that on the golf course, and in the boardroom, and most importantly, at a family dinner table amongst the father and the son,” Nelson said.

For students who may think prostate cancer is years away, Nelson left them with a reason to start talking now.

“You are a son. You are a nephew. You are a grandson,” she said. “And if you take the time to talk to your fathers and your uncles and all of the men in your life about this, you are potentially saving their life, and you’re also at the same time empowering yourself so that when your time does come, you have all the information you need to be able to make good health choices.”

Based on reporting by Alabama State University – The Hornet Tribune.