Black Excellence: Sarah Willie-LeBreton

October 9, 2024

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Willie-LeBreton

Sarah Susannah Willie-LeBreton is an American sociologist and academic administrator serving as the 12th president of Smith College since 2023. She was previously the provost and dean of faculty at Swarthmore College from 2018 to 2023.

https://www.smith.edu/discover-smith/president-sarah-willie-lebreton

Sarah Willie-LeBreton is the 12th president of Smith College. An accomplished and dedicated scholar, educator, and leader, she has a demonstrated record of addressing social inequality and fostering community. At a time when women’s education has become increasingly crucial for challenging the world’s problems and injustices, Willie-LeBreton is well positioned to guide Smith through its next chapter.

Black Excellence: Mustafa

October 9, 2024

https://www.npr.org/2024/10/08/g-s1-26454/mustafa-dunya-poet-toronto-review

Throughout its history, hip-hop has spotlit the turmoil faced by Black communities, in housing projects and neighborhoods from coast to coast — and, eventually, around the world.

Who is there to preserve the memories and traditions of the lost, as folklorists for the streets?

For years, the poet and now singer-songwriter Mustafa has aimed to fill such a void — particularly for the city of Toronto, and the turbulent Regent Park neighborhood where he was raised, but also for all cities bearing a resemblance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustafa_the_Poet

Mustafa Ahmed (born 28 July 1996), known as Mustafa, formerly known as Mustafa the Poet, is a Sudanese-Canadian poet, singer, songwriter, and filmmaker from Toronto. He released his debut studio album, When Smoke Rises, in May 2021.

Black Excellence: Andrea Joy Campbell

October 9, 2024

https://www.andreacampbell.org/story

Andrea Joy Campbell has dedicated her life to fighting for greater equity and opportunity. At a time when so many people have lost faith in our government’s ability to solve problems, she continues to work hard everyday as your Attorney General because there has never been an office or state with so much potential and promise to solve the pressing issues of today.

Black Excellence: Arshay Cooper

October 9, 2024

https://www.arshaycooper.com/meet-arshay

ARSHAY COOPER is a Rower, Benjamin Franklin award-winning author, the protagonist of the critically acclaimed film “A Most Beautiful Thing,” a Golden Oar recipient for his contributions to the sport of rowing, motivational speaker, and activist, particularly around issues of accessibility for low-income families.

Black Excellence: Cheryl Freeman-Smith

October 4, 2024

https://magazine.northwestern.edu/people/cheryl-freeman-smith-olive-harvey-college-manufacturing-transportation-engineering-career-education

When Cheryl Freeman-Smith looked around at Commencement in 1992, she was one of only 39 Black engineers in her Northwestern graduating class out of around 400. And there were “only four of us in industrial engineering,” she recalls. 

Today, Freeman-Smith, who grew up in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood, is committed to holding the door wide open for other Black students who are interested in careers in manufacturing, transportation and logistics. For the past 12 years, Freeman-Smith has worked at Olive-Harvey College (OHC), a community college on Chicago’s far South Side that is part of the City Colleges of Chicago consortium. As OHC’s dean of career programs and continuing education and director of apprenticeship partnerships, she creates opportunities for students from low-income communities to gain the specialized skills required for the modern economy.