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The Education Department will have to reconsider discontinued mental health grants. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the Education Department cut more than 200 mental health grants totaling $1 billion in 2025 that supported recipients’ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in hiring, recruitment, training, and certification practices. The department said in a news release the discontinued grants favored “ the racial characteristics of providers and divisive ideologies, instead of focusing on competent provision of proven mental health interventions for students.” The funding had been funneled through the department’s Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program (MHSP) and its School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program (SBMH), per the news release. Several districts sued the Education Department over the discontinuation of the grants. This was reflected in the “Washington v. U.S. Department of Education” case, which addressed mental health funding...
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is strengthening medical education across several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). According to information on RWJF’s website, an estimated 70% of the nation’s Black doctors and dentists are educated at HBCUs. These professionals often return to work in underserved areas and conduct inclusive research, notes the website, adding further importance to the foundation’s investment in HBCU medical programs. Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine Awarded $1.75M In early February 2026, The foundation awarded a $1.75 million grant to the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine (XOCOM), supporting advancements in medical education and healthcare across the Gulf South and other regions, according to a news release. XOCOM leaders will receive support for development and engagement as they pursue preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education to become the “fifth allopathic HBCU medical school” in the nation, notes...
Under the Trump administration, four Democratic-led states are at risk of losing federal public health funding. Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to cut about $600 million in Public Health Infrastructure Grants that originated from the Biden administration and were allocated through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The grants were to provide billions of dollars across five years to over 100 public health departments, per the outlet. According to The New York Times, HHS plans to cut the grants because they “do not reflect agency priorities.” The decision also comes after nearly $5 billion in public health state funding was paused in January and then restored hours later, per another Bloomberg report. A HHS spokesperson told Bloomberg that the pause was needed to put a new review process in place to “ensure funds are used for their intended purposes.” The $600 million in cuts would affect state and local public...
The work never stops for the Fifteen Percent Pledge. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the Fifteen Percent Pledge is the brainchild of Aurora James and was launched in 2020 as a nonprofit advocacy organization to hold retailers accountable and support underfunded and underrepresented Black-owned businesses. Through partnership, it encourages corporations to dedicate 15% of their purchasing power to such businesses. Impact To date, the Fifteen Percent Pledge has secured commitments from more than 35 corporate partners and helped redirect nearly $14 billion in revenue to Black-owned businesses, according to its website. Beyond retail accountability, the organization has expanded its impact through additional initiatives, including raising $3 million at its 2025 gala, partnering with Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz’s Cultural Leadership Fund to launch an AI-focused grant for Black founders, and distributing more than $1 million in grants overall, according to...
Detroit wants to equip its small business owners with technology. Detroit Small Business Technology Fund According to a news release, the City of Detroit has partnered with the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. (DEGC) to launch the Detroit Small Business Technology Fund. The initiative, supported through the Rocket Community Fund, will provide $1,000 microgrants to 140 small business owners to help them bridge the digital divide and sustain long-term growth, per the release. The effort comes as 2024 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 20.4% of all businesses fail in their first year, with that number rising to 49.4% by year five, according to the Commerce Institute. The grants can be used for hardware, software, and emerging tech tools that improve daily operations, including laptops, point-of-sale systems, accounting and e-commerce software, and AI platforms, the City of Detroit release stated. “Small businesses are the heart of Detroit’s economy and they deserve access...
Rapper T.I. has opened his pocketbook to support a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Dr. Kevin James, who is the current president of Morris Brown College, as AFROTECH™ previously reported, made an announcement on Jan. 28 that the school has received more than $800,000 in new public and private funding as it continues to rebuild after regaining its accreditation in 2021. This follows recent uncertainty for the school, which saw James removed from his position in early January 2026 by the college’s Board of Trustees, according to AFROTECH™. At the time, he claimed the removal had been “without providing specific cause or substantive explanation” and that his presidential contract was effective through 2029, per the outlet. James was ultimately reinstated a week later after the school acknowledged that his exit had not been in compliance with the procedural and contractual requirements outlined in his employment agreement. In the latest funding announcement, James...
Now is a better time than ever to bet on yourself — at least according to Joel Roache. The former mechanical engineer and now full-time content creator did just that when he applied for — and went on to become the first-ever grand prize winner of — Stan’s “Dare To Dream” Challenge in 2025, taking home $120,000. Stan Store is an all-in-one, creator-focused e-commerce platform, according to its website. For his submission video sharing his dream, Roache spotlighted his company, Creative Minds, a Christian-led retreat that brings creators together for several weeks to focus on connection — an element that has been central to his journey into content creation from the very beginning. “Creation as a whole, being a creative person and trying to pursue that over standard living, is very uncommon. It’s very, very, very lonely,” Roache shared in an interview with AFROTECH™. “So I wanted to talk about the pursuit of finding people who are more similar. It’s the one thing that I think is kind...
The University of Cincinnati has established a grant to ensure more students have access to quality education. Bearcat Affordability Grant According to a news release, the school has introduced a new pathway for students to obtain a tuition-free education. This will be made possible through the Bearcat Affordability Grant, which will go into effect in the fall of 2026. Its purpose is to ensure Ohio students can find opportunity and contribute to building a stronger workforce, particularly in the southwestern region. Eligibility for the grant is income-based. Students from families earning less than $75,000 annually can qualify, with the grant covering the remaining tuition costs for Ohio students after Pell Grants and the Ohio College Opportunity Grant are applied. The opportunity is open to incoming first-year students, and the grant can be used across the University of Cincinnati’s three campuses, notes the press release. “This grant program will be transformational for students,...
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will not renew DEI-related grants in 2026. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, following a settlement agreement, the Trump administration announced it would review applications that had been frozen as a result of DEI efforts. The NIH had previously cut $783 million in grants for this reason, a move that the Supreme Court approved in August 2025. NIH officials “will complete their consideration of the Applications in the ordinary course of NIH’s scientific review process, without applying the Challenged Directives,” according to News From The States, and this will apply to grant applications that were made up to Sept. 29, 2025. The decision has already led to the approval of more than 100 previously paused grants, STAT reports . However, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said those actions will not reflect the agency’s direction in 2026. In an interview with Journalist Paul Thacker, Bhattacharya stated that the DEI work the NIH has prioritized for...
South Carolina State University has launched new degrees to diversify the STEM sector. According to a news release, the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) will offer three engineering bachelor’s degrees in Spring 2026. The first is computer engineering, a combination of computer science and electrical design, which will prepare students to develop hardware and software systems using artificial intelligence, automation, and advanced computing. The second is electrical engineering, which will provide learning opportunities focused on “renewable energy systems, embedded technologies, and sustainable innovation.” The third listed is mechanical engineering for students interested in pursuing careers in aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, and robotics industries. Launching Master’s Degree In Cybersecurity As it relates to graduate programs, the HBCU has also launched a remote online master’s degree in cybersecurity with options to laser-focus on network defense, digital...
The U.S. Department of Education will be deploying a new round of mental health grants. According t o Education Week, the Education Department will distribute more than $208 million to school-based mental health programs to train and hire additional providers and psychologists. The funding follows the Trump administration’s decision in April to cut over 200 health grants, totaling $1 billion, for recipients who incorporated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments into hiring, recruitment, training, and certification practices, notes a separate Education Week article. In a news release, the Department of Education claim the grants that were discontinued prioritized “the racial characteristics of providers and divisive ideologies, instead of focusing on competent provision of proven mental health interventions for students.” Now, the Education Department has awarded a new round of grants to 65 recipients. Education Week reports that 33 of those recipients are “rural states...
A major technology foundation is distributing funding to nonprofit organizations across the United States this year. According to a press release, the OpenAI Foundation announced $40.5 million in unrestricted grants to 208 nonprofits across the country. The awards support organizations working in AI literacy and public understanding, community innovation, and economic opportunity. Some of the grantees include STEM From Dance, which partners with schools, community centers, and youth programs to integrate dance and AI education for young girls of color across several states. Digital NEST in California is a workforce development nonprofit helping youth in agricultural communities gain career skills, mentorship, training, and paid work experience to thrive in the digital economy. 3 Dots Downtown, a community arts center in Pennsylvania, offers programs and workshops focused on AI literacy, art, and professional development. And Amigos Together for Kids in Florida supports parents and...
Black-woman-owned Prismm has secured significant funding to help families in times of crisis. Prismm Prismm is a transaction-enabled digital vault. It stores critical records that become essential during an emergency. Users can upload documents, property and asset information, and financial accounts. They can also add beneficiaries, trusted persons, lawyers, executors, or advisors as connections, granting them view-only, view-and-modify, or no access across all categories, according to the company’s website. All information stored on Prismm is encrypted using HTTPS and kept in a digital vault that can be decrypted only with an authorized user account and the correct account key. Prismm intends to protect deposits for financial institutions and automate the inheritance transfer process, which is timely given that $84.4 trillion in wealth is projected to be transferred to Millennial and Gen X heirs by 2045, according to financial services organization, Cerulli Associates. Inception...
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice reports that its recidivism rate is 16.9% — one of the lowest in the nation. Part of that success comes from workforce programs like a new solar installation training designed for Black, low-income residents in Houston. Many individuals are formerly incarcerated and from neighborhoods historically affected by poverty and pollution. Leon Dillard, who calls his hometown “the energy capital of the world,” spent two years in prison before his September 2024 release. According to Capital B News, he joined about 50 others this past summer in the 22-week solar training program led by the Black United Fund of Texas, the City of Houston, and Green Thumb Academy. “It gave me a sense of purpose,” Dillard said. For the first time, he says he felt part of an educational program that offered support and life-changing benefits. The program provided students with $18 an hour in wages, industry-recognized certification from the National Center for...
Bowie State University (BSU) in Prince George’s County, MD, has received a nearly $1 million, three-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to launch the Computing Experiential Hub (CEH). According to a news release shared with AFROTECH™, the CEH combines classroom learning with real-world experience to prepare students for careers in AI and emerging technologies. The initiative will establish new partnerships with leading tech companies, startups, and entrepreneurial ventures — including IBM — to support its goal. “With the Computing Experiential Hub, BSU is taking a bold step to ensure our students are not just learning about artificial intelligence but actively applying it through real-world projects and industry partnerships,” Dr. Rose Shumba, who chairs the computer science department and serves as principal investigator for the CEH, said in the press release. Dr. Shumba added that the CEH will “expand diversity in the AI workforce and position BSU as a national...