Attorney for alums sends a letter to the university’s Board of Trustees urging mediation.

FORT LAUDERDALE — Florida school districts can legally require their students to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a judge ruled Friday, saying Gov. Ron DeSantis overstepped his authority when he issued an executive order banning such mandates.

As students return to school and COVID numbers rise, Alachua moves forward with requirement while Leon decides to comply with state.

The effects of Alzheimer’s disease on the Black families across the U.S. are devastating. If nothing is done to mitigate these effects, according to researchers at Florida International University and UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, by 2030 nearly 40% of all Americans with Alzheimer’s disease will be …

As students ready to return to campuses and COVID-19 cases continue to spike, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office on Monday said it would go after the salaries of school leaders if they enforce face mask mandates.

Some districts look to move forward with masks for upcoming school year

The presidents of Florida’s 12 state universities are asking students returning to campus for the fall semester to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

When I first heard about trauma-informed care for child care professionals, my mind instantly thought of children who had been seriously injured and needed to be rushed to the emergency room for some serious help. I thought of a child who had life-threatening injuries who may succumb to thei…

Highly recruited 16-year-old picks HBCU over Ivy League schools COMPILED BY FLORIDA COURIER STAFF Florida A&M University (FAMU) is the fall destination for highly recruited scholar Curtis Lawrence III. The 16-year-old Washington, D.C., graduating senior announced in a video on social med…

To keep his gubernatorial and presidential ambitions on track, former federal prosecutor and current Gov. Ron DeSantis stretches Florida’s secret grand jury system to its maximum point with a singular focus: to send one man, Robert Runcie, ‘back home to Chicago,’ according to Runcie’s defend…

Black Floridians statewide were shocked when Broward County Public School Superintendent Robert Runcie, leader of America’s sixth largest school district, was arrested on April 22 on a single felony criminal charge that smacks of revenge and politics. BY THE FLORIDA COURIER STAFF FORT LAUDER…

Hiram C. Powell, Ph.D., has been named Interim President of Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) after a vote by the university’s Board of Trustees on Thursday.   Powell, who graduated in 1976 from B-CU with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education, currently serves as Dean of Performing Arts and…

SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER    U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III will deliver the keynote address at the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Spring 2021 Commencement ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 24.   The in-person ceremony will feature students from the College of Soc…

Leadership searches by Bethune-Cookman University’s Board of Trustees revealed questions about applicants that a simple Google search would have answered. Will that trend continue? BY THE FLORIDA COURIER STAFF Note: This story is updated from the same story that appeared in print.  DAYTONA B…

BY BOBBY CAINA CALVAN ASSOCIATED PRESS TALLAHASSEE – A Florida lawmaker wants his state to establish an education fund to benefit the descendants of African Americans killed, beaten or driven from their homes by White mobs angered by a Black man who had the audacity to demand his right to vo…

Surveying the historical and cultural contributions of Black women BY GREGORY CLAY MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE Most of us know prominent Black women in Hollywood — from the late Cicely Tyson to Halle Berry to Kerry Washington. We know superstar Black female athletes, such as the tennis-pl…

Leonard Pitts Jr. profiles 10 influential African-Americans you might not have heard of Sometimes, history forgets. Sometimes, the big names everyone knows crowd out the smaller ones fewer people recall. Sometimes, when it is time to apportion honor and assign recognition, men and women who …

FROM FAMILY FEATURES If there’s one constant this year, it’s change. With another school year comes even more change, but you can help your family make a smooth transition with some planning and preparation. Allow time for adjustments. After months of later bedtimes and laid-back schedules, …

How you begin each day sets the tone for the hours that follow. Put yourself on course for a successful, stress-free day by eliminating hassles and introducing some tricks to make each morning as convenient as possible. Find a routine that works: Numerous parenting experts recommend routines…

BY DARA KAM NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA TALLAHASSEE – Accusing the state of ignoring the Florida Constitution, a Leon County circuit judge on Monday sided with teachers unions that challenged a state order mandating that schools resume in-person instruction this month amid the COVID-19 pandemic.…

NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Dara Kam Corcoran TALLAHASSEE – Accusing the state of ignoring the Florida Constitution, a Leon County circuit judge on Monday sided with teachers unions that challenged a state order mandating that schools resume in-person instruction this month amid the COVID-19 pan…

BY ANA CEBALLOS NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA TALLAHASSEE – Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran is urging local school officials to be “very surgical, not sweeping” when responding to coronavirus cases, which he acknowledged are likely to occur as classes resume this month. “If you have a COVI…

Tips for keeping students sharp over te long-haul FROM FAMILY FEATURES With the majority of schools across the country closed, many parents are feeling the stress of taking more active roles in their children’s education. As time away from the classroom extends into summer, parents also face…

NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA A day after Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran ordered Florida’s public schools to reopen in August, state education officials on Tuesday held a webinar to address questions about the mandate. K-12 Chancellor Jacob Oliva told school district officials that they n…

BY ANDREAS BUTLER FLORIDA COURIER Bethune-Cookman University could also be switching athletic conferences. It was announced last week that the school’s Board of Trustees were meeting to discuss the school’s athletic future. The university is yet to release an official statement. The speculat…

FROM FAMILY FEATURES Resilience – the capacity to prepare for, adapt to and grow through disruption, trauma and loss – is a skill many parents want for their children. However, there is more to it than “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” or persevering through hardships. According to a …

BY JIM SAUNDERS NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA TALLAHASSEE – State university system Chancellor Marshall Criser next week will present guidelines for reopening university campuses in the fall, after students were sent home in March to curb the spread of COVID-19. Criser is slated to offer the guide…

The pandemic has robbed 2020 graduates of traditional celebrations. Several share their thoughts on the interrupted senior year and curtailed commencement plans. BY ALEXIA MCKAY FLORIDA COURIER The senior skip days, pep rallies, senior send-offs, the senior section in the cafeteria, skipping…

In celebration of National Financial Literacy Month, OneUnited Bank, the nation’s largest Black-owned bank, has announced its 10th Annual “I Got Bank!” National Financial Literacy Contest where 10 children will win a $1,000 savings account. To support families who are home schooling their ch…

SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER Bethune-Cookman University will be joined by Florida State Sen. Randolph Bracy (D-Ocoee) and host a press conference Friday, March 21 on the campus of Bethune-Cookman University to announce the Florida Legislature’s decision to approve annual recurring state fu…

FROM WIRE REPORTS Florida’s State University System said schools that have already returned from spring are being asked to move to online learning and is encouraging students to stay home for at least two weeks. They are Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, Florid…

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL Carter G. Woodson launched Negro History Week in 1926 as part of his life’s work of shining a scholarly light on the neglected contributions of African-Americans to our society and culture. Today there are people who are uncomfortable with Black History Month, as w…

BY HANNAH FURFARO THE SEATTLE TIMES/TNS SEATTLE — Black high school students are more likely to enroll in advanced coursework when their schools employ at least one Black instructor to teach such classes, new research suggests. Students of other races are also more likely to take advanced cl…

Leonard Pitts Jr. profiles 10 influential African-Americans you might not have heard of Sometimes, history forgets. Sometimes, the big names everyone knows crowd out the smaller ones fewer people recall. Sometimes, when it is time to apportion honor and assign recognition, men and women who …

BY CHRISTOPHER FREAR CENTER FOR CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY AND RESEARCH COLUMBIA, S.C. — As a child in South Carolina after World War Two, Celestine Parson Lloyd took part in a groundbreaking study to fight school segregation, a fight her parents and NAACP lawyers carried to victory in the U.S. Su…

It’s Black History Month and time to focus on the outstanding achievements of African-Americans. Think you’re a Black history buff? Let’s see. Test your knowledge by tackling this Black History Month quiz. The quiz includes questions on entertainment, politics, religion, sports and more. No …

BY GREGORY CLAY McClatchy-Tribune News Service Most of us know prominent Black women in Hollywood — from Cicely Tyson to Halle Berry to Kerry Washington. We know superstar Black female athletes, such as the tennis-playing Williams sisters, and we remember bronze medal-winning figure skater D…

ORLANDO – The atrium at Florida A&M University (FAMU) College of Law was buzzing as students networked with attorneys and representatives from a wide range of legal disciplines at the second “Careers in the Law” event. “Careers in the Law” was designed to give students an opportunity to …

Researchers try to clear up information on the origin and cause of the virus. BY DYLAN BOUSCHER AND LISA M. KRIEGER THE MERCURY NEWS/TNS MYTH: The coronavirus is new. FACTS: While this strain of virus — 2019-nCoV — is new, it comes from an ancient family of coronaviruses that were first iden…

NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Principals at Florida public schools would need to take additional steps before children can be removed from school grounds and involuntarily committed under the Baker Act, under a bill approved by a House panel on Tuesday. The measure (HB 1083) would require principa…

Banks’ halt of contributions called ‘publicity stunt’ BY ANA CEBALLOS NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA TALLAHASSEE – U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio said Monday a decision by Wells Fargo and Fifth Third Bank to pull contributions to a Florida school-voucher program is a “publicity stunt aimed at earning wokene…