Blog
Actions You Should Be Taking
January 28, 2025This is a continuation from our February 2025 newsletter regarding the role of mid-year assessments.
In How to Plan Your Career or College Pathway, I profile the type of career/college planning strategies that resulted in our older son receiving a full need-based scholarship to attend Amherst College, the top ranked liberal arts college in the U.S. at the time, and our younger son being selected as a 2012 Gates Millennium Scholar and accepted into the Honors College at Morehouse College, the top ranked liberal arts college in the world for Black men. I also provide step-by-step K-12 strategies in the following books:
Ten Steps to Helping Your Child Succeed in School
A Middle School Plan for Students with College-Bound Dreams
A High School Plan for Students with College-Bound Dreams
The mid-year assessment is part of a student’s “backwards mapping” strategy—a strategy that begins with a student’s long-term educational or career aspirations and works backwards to develop goals and engage in mid-year and year-end assessments throughout a student’s K-12 schooling. Tragically, neither schools nor parents follow this process.
Here is what I outline in the book that you should do:
Begin with the question, “What do you want to do the day after high school?” The answer to this question establishes a long-term vision for a student’s future. Whether the answer is to become a professional basketball player, engineer, entrepreneur, or simply attend college, it reflects a student’s aspirations at a given moment in time—one that may change many times over the course of a student’s K-12 journey as a result of experiences and exposure.
- Begin each school year with specific goals across the areas of academics, behavior, gifts and talents, leadership, service, and awards. Do so will help students to become gifted, talented, and well rounded people who understand the value of leadership and service.
- Pause at the end of the first semester (or mid-year) to review and celebrate process toward, or the achievement of, each goal. Set second semester goals and plan summer program involvement to strengthen weaknesses, develop gifts, or explore interests.
- Pause at the end of the second semester (or year-end) to review and celebrate process toward, or the achievement of, each goal. Plan the following year course schedule based on the successes or challenges experienced. This may lead to pursuing more rigorous classes in some subjects and less rigorous classes in other subjects. Research the teachers and discuss class placement with counselors or administrators. Consider summer enrichment or recovery to prepare for the next school year.
Engaging in this process during every school year from kindergarten through the 11th grade will result in 36 conversations between students and parents, each within the context of a student’s educational or career aspirations. Through these conversations, students should engage in a continuous process of developing, reviewing, and fine-tuning their K-12 course schedules in a manner consistent with the affirm career or college aspirations.
Some of the notable failures of not engaging in this process are:
- Widespread low student achievement as a result of not monitoring achievement and engaging in timely interventions
- Disproportionately high student loan debt as a result of not engaging in planning full scholarship pathways after a student affirms attending college as a long-term goal
- Developing inappropriate behaviors, failing to appreciate the value of serving others, and failure to develop leadership skills as a result of engaging in ongoing conversations about such important areas of character development
Now that you know, there is no excuse not to do!
Black History Month Reading List
January 28, 2025
This is a continuation of my February 2025 newsletter in which I shared my top ten list of books for those interested in exploring the truth of Black authors as they tell our stories:
- Mychal Wynn: The Eagles who Thought They were Chickens
- Carter G. Woodson: The Mis-Education of the Negro
- Maya Angelou: Still I Rise
- WEB Du Bois: The Souls of Black Folk
- Ralph Ellison: Invisible Man
- Richard Wright: Black Boy
- Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley
- Chancellor Williams: The Destruction of Black Civilization
- Yosef A.A. ben-johannan: Africa – Mother of Western Civilization
- Cheikh Anta Diop: African Origina of Civilization
- Molefi Kete Asante: Kemét, Afrocentricity and Knowledge
As a living Black author, I believe that my books should be part of any Black History Month reading list focused on inspiring Black children:
- Don’t Quit — Inspirational Poetry
- Empowering African American Males: A Guide to Increasing Black Male Achievement
- Enough is Enough: The Explosion in Los Angeles
- Follow Your Dreams: Lessons That I Learned in School
- HBCU Healthcare Pathways
- HBCU STEM Pathways
- The Eagles who Thought They were Chickens
- Why Attend an HBCU
Mychal Wynn’s Recommended Black Male Book Club
and Black History Month Reading List for Primary Readers
1 | 47 (Mosley) |
2 | A Band of Angels: A Story Inspired by the Jubilee Singers (Hopkinson) |
3 | A Middle School Plan for Students with College-Bound Dreams (Wynn 2007) |
4 | An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-year-old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting (Schroff 2012) |
5 | Away West (McKissack 2006) |
6 | Backyard Animal Show, The (Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs #5) (Draper 2006) |
7 | Bad News for Outlaws (Nelson) |
8 | Barack (Winter) |
9 | Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope (Grimes) |
10 | Begging for Change (Flake 2004) |
11 | Between Madison and Palmetto (Book #3) (Woodson 2002) |
12 | Bird in a Box (Pinkney) |
13 | Black Jack: The Ballad of Jack Johnson (Smith) |
14 | Black Pioneers of Science and Invention (Haber 1992) |
15 | Bud, Not Buddy (Curtis 2004) |
16 | Buried Bones Mystery, The (Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs #1) (Draper 2006) |
17 | Catching the Dream: The Story of a Young Girl’s Baseball Dream (Hubbard 2010) |
18 | Chess Rumble (Neri 2007) |
19 | Color Me Dark: The Diary of Nellie Lee Love (McKissack 2000) |
20 | Curtis Aikens and the American Dream (Rather) |
21 | Darnell Rock Reporting (Myers 1996) |
22 | Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave (Hill) |
23 | Don’t Quit – Inspirational Poetry (Wynn 1998) |
24 | Dreams of My Father by Barack Obama (Obama 2004) |
25 | Elijah of Buxton (Curtis, 2007) |
26 | Every Little Thing: Based on the song ‘Three Little Birds’ by Bob Marley (Marley 2012) |
27 | Follow Your Dreams: Lessons That I Learned in School (Wynn 2000) |
28 | Forged by Fire (Draper, 1998) |
29 | Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins (Weatherford 2007) |
30 | Friendship for Today, A (McKissack 2007) |
31 | Ghetto Cowboy (Neri) |
32 | Gifted Hands, Kids Edition: The Ben Carson Story (Lewis 2009) |
33 | Glory Be (Scattergood) |
34 | Go for It! (Ervin “Magic” Johnson/Novak) |
35 | Goin’ Someplace Special (McKissack) |
36 | Grandfather and I (Buckley) |
37 | Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America (Pinkney 2012) |
38 | Handbook for Boys (Myers 2003) |
39 | He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands (Nelson 2005) |
40 | Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad (Levine) |
41 | Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat (Giovanni 2008) |
42 | Home-Run King (Scraps of Time) (McKissack 2009) |
43 | Hoops (Myers 1983) |
44 | Hot, Salty, Sweet, Sour (Smith 2003) |
45 | How to (Almost) Ruin Your School Play (Willimena Rules! Book #4) (Wesley 2005) |
46 | How to Face Up to the Class Bully (Willimena Rules! Book #6) (Wesley 2007) |
47 | Hush (Woodson 2002) |
48 | I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This (Woodson 2010) |
49 | I love The Skin I’m In (Flake 1998) |
50 | I Survived #7: I Survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 (Tarshis 2013) |
51 | It’s Crunch Time! (Brewer 2011) |
52 | Jackson Jones and Mission Greentop (Book #1) (Quattlebaum 2005) |
53 | Jackson Jones and the Curse of the Outlaw Rose (Book #3) (Quattlebaum 2008) |
54 | Jackson Jones and the Puddle of Thorns (Book #2) (Quattlebaum 2005) |
55 | John Henry (Lester) |
56 | Jones Family Express, The (Steptoe 2005) |
57 | Julian’s Glorious Summer (Cameron 1987) |
58 | Junebug in Trouble (Mead 2003) |
59 | Juneteenth: Freedom Day (Branch) |
60 | Keena Ford and the Field Trip Mix-Up (Thomson 2009) |
61 | Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix-Up (Thomson 2008) |
62 | Keeping the Night Watch (2008) |
63 | Laugh with the Moon (Burg) |
64 | Letters to Young Black Men (Whyte, III) |
65 | Lift Every Voice and Sing (Johnson) |
66 | Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship (Giovanni) |
67 | Locomotion (Woodson 2003) |
68 | Looking Like Me (Myers) |
69 | Lost in the Tunnel of Time (Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs #2) (Draper 2006) |
70 | Love to Langston (Medina) |
71 | March: Book 1 (Rep. John Lewis & Andrew Aydin 2013) |
72 | Meet Danitra Brown (Grimes 1997) |
73 | Miami Sees it Through (Miami Jackson series) (McKissack 2001) |
74 | Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman (Schroeder 2000) |
75 | Mister and Me (Holt 2000) |
76 | More Stories Julian Tells (Cameron 1989) |
77 | More Than Anything Else (The Story of Booker T. Washington) (Bradby 1995) |
78 | My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Christine King Farris) |
79 | My Life as a Rhombus (Johnson 2008) |
80 | My Man Blue (Grimes 2002) |
81 | Nelson Mandela (Kadir 2013) |
82 | Nobody Owns the Sky: The Story of “Brave Bessie” coleman (Lindbergh) |
83 | One Crazy Summer (Williams-Garcia 2011) |
84 | Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth (Rockwell) |
85 | Out of My Mind (Draper 2010) |
86 | P.S. Be Eleven (Williams-Garcia 2013) |
87 | Peace, Locomotion (Woodson 2009) |
88 | Percy Julian: Forgotten Genius (Agard) |
89 | Pink and Say (Polacco 1994) |
90 | Remember: The Journey to School Integration (Morrison) |
91 | Richard Wright and the Library Card (Miller) |
92 | Rock of Ages: A Tribute to the Black Church (Bolden) |
93 | Romiette and Julio (Draper 2001) |
94 | Rosa (Giovanni) |
95 | Ruby Flips for Attention (Ruby and the Booker Boys) (Barnes 2009) |
96 | Ruth and the Green Book (Ramsey 2010) |
97 | Shadows of Caesar’s Creek (Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs #3) (Draper 2006) |
98 | Shimmershine Queens (Yarbrough 1996) |
99 | Show Way (Woodson 2005) |
100 | Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down (Pinkney) |
101 | Slumber Party Payback (Ruby and the Booker Boys) (Barnes 2008) |
102 | Song for Harlem (McKissack 2006) |
103 | Sounder (Armstrong 2002) |
104 | Space Mission Adventure, The (Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs #4) (Draper 2006) |
105 | Sparrow (Smith 2008) |
106 | Spellbound (McDonald 2001) |
107 | Stars and Sparks Onstage (Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs #6) (Draper 2007) |
108 | STAT: Standing Tall and Talented #1 (Stoudemire 2012) |
109 | Street Love (Myers 2007) |
110 | Sunrise Over Fallujah (Myers 2008) |
111 | Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt (Hopkinson 2003) |
112 | Sweet Hereafter (Heaven Trilogy #3) (Johnson 2010) |
113 | Sweet Music In Harlem (Taylor 2004) |
114 | Taking the Lead (Moore 2012) |
115 | Talkin’ About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman (Grimes 2002) |
116 | Tears of Tiger (Draper 1994) |
117 | The Bat Boy and His Violin (Curtis 2001) |
118 | The Broken Bike Boy and the Queen of 33rd Street (Flake 2007) |
119 | The Colors of Us (Katz 2002) |
120 | The Eagles who Thought They were Chickens (Wynn 1999) |
121 | The Other Half of My Heart (Frazier) |
122 | The Pact (Jenkins, Hunt, Davis, 2002) |
123 | The poem, “Our Deepest Fear” (Williamson 1992) |
124 | The Story of Ruby Bridges (Coles) |
125 | The Toothpaste Millionaire (Merrill) |
126 | The Village That Vanished (Nelson 2004) |
127 | There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in The Other America (Kotlowitz 1992) |
128 | Trivia Queen, 3rd Grade Supreme (Ruby and the Booker Boys) (Barnes 2008) |
129 | Under the Quilt of Night (Hopkinson 2005) |
130 | Vision of Beauty: The Story of Sarah Breedlove Walker (Lasky 2003) |
141 | Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963 (Curtis 2000) |
142 | Way a Door Closes, The (Smith 2003) |
143 | We Beat the Street: How a Friendship Pact Led to Success (Davis, Jenkins, Hunt 2006) |
144 | We March (Evans) |
145 | What Color Is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors (Abdul-Jabbar 2012) |
146 | When Harriet Met Sojourner (Clinton 2007) |
147 | When Marian Sang (Ryan 2003) |
148 | Words with Wings: A Treasury of African-American Poetry and Art (Rochelle) |
149 | You Can Do It! (Dungy 2008) |
150 | Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty (Neri 2010) |
Mychal Wynn’s Recommended Black Male Book Club
and Black History Month Reading List for High School Readers
The primary grades: A reading list for black males
1 | Yo, Little Brother: Basic Rules of Survival for Young African American Males. Anthony C. Davis and Jeffrey W. Jackson. (1998). |
2 | Reallionaire: Nine Steps to Becoming Rich from the Inside Out. Farrah Gray. (2005). |
3 | A High School Plan for Students with College-Bound Dreams (Wynn 2007) |
4 | There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in The Other America (Kotlowitz 1992) |
5 | Workin’ on the Chain Gang: Shaking Off the Dead Hand of History. Walter Mosley. (2000). |
6 | The Pact (Jenkins, Hunt, Davis, 2002) |
7 | A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League. Ron Suskind. (1999). |
8 | Rite of Passage. Richard Wright. (1994). |
9 | Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope (Grimes) |
11 | The Magnificent Twelve: Florida’s Black Junior Colleges, – Smith, Ph.D., Walter L. |
12 | Fortune’s Bones: The Manumission Requiem, – Nelson, Marilyn |
13 | Carver: A Life in Poems, – Nelson, Marilyn |
14 | Malcolm X: – Any Means Necessary, – Myers, Walter Dean |
15 | Mississippi Challenge, – Walter, Mildred Pitts |
16 | Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Freedom Movement, – Patters, Lillie |
17 | We Beat the Street: How a Friendship Led to Success, – Davis, Sampson, Jenkins, George, Hunt, Rameck and Draper, Sharon |
19 | Anthony Burns: The Defeat and Triumph of a Fugitive Slave, – Hamilton, Virginia |
20 | Trouble’s Child, – Walter, Mildred Pitts |
21 | The Magical Adventures of Pretty Pearl, – Hamilton, Virginia |
22 | Lena Horne – Haskins, James |
23 | The Middle Passage: White Ships Black Cargo, – Feelings, Tom |
24 | This Life, – Poitier, Sidney |
25 | Don’t Explain: A Song of Billie Holiday, – De Veaux, Alexis |
26 | The Young Landlords, – Myers, Walter Dean |
27 | James Van Der Zee: The Picture Takin’ Man, – Haskins, James |
28 | Let the Lion Eat Straw – Southerland, Ellease |
29 | Cornrows, – Yarborough, Camille |
30 | Benjamin Banneker, – Patterson, Lillie |
34 | I Have a Dream, – King, Martin Luther, Jr. |
35 | Portia: The Life of Portia Washington Pittman, the Daughter of Booker T. Washington, – Stewart, Ruth Ann |
36 | The Legend of Africana, – Robinson, Dorothy |
37 | I Never Had It Made: the Autobiography of Jackie Robinson, as told, – Duckett, Alfred |
38 | My Chill Wind, – McDonald, Janet |
39 | Lou in the Limelight – Hunter, Kristin |
40 | Movin’ Up, – Gordy, Berry |
41 | Marvin and Tige – Glass, Frankcina |
42 | Black Troubador: Langston Hughes, – Rollins, Charlemae |
43 | Martin Luther King, Jr.: Man of Peace – Patterson, Lillie |
44 | Black Boy White School – Brian F. Walker |
45 | The First Part Last, – Johnson, Angela |
46 | Just Another Hero, – Draper, Sharon M. |
47 | Remember: The Journey to School Integration, – Morrison, Toni |
49 | A Wreath For Emmett Till, – Nelson, Marilyn |
50 | The Freedom Business, – Nelson, Marilyn |
51 | Street Love, – Myers, Walter Dean |
53 | The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing – Traitor to the Nation, – Anderson, M. T. |
54 | Mare’s War – Davis, Tanita S. |
55 | The Negro Speaks of Rivers, – Hughes, Langston and Lewis, E. B. |
56 | Giants: The Parallel lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, – Stauffer, John |
57 | College Planning for High School Students: A Quick Guide (Wynn, 2007) |
58 | The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream, – Davis, Sampson, Jenkins, George, Hunt, Rameck, with Page, Lisa Frazier |
59 | Black, Blue, and Gray: African Americans in the Civil War, Haskins, Jim |
60 | Black Boy, Wright, Richard |
61 | A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry, Lorraine |
62 | Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston, Zora Neale |
63 | Mining for Freedom: Black History Meets the California Gold Rush, Roberts, Sylvia Alden |
64 | Letters to Young Black Men (Whyte, III) |
65 | Copper Sun – Sharon M. Draper |
66 | The Skin I’m In – Sharon G. Flake |
67 | Madame Lilly, Voodoo Priestess – Dormaine G. – |
68 | Tears of a Tiger – Sharon M. Draper – |
69 | November Blues – Sharon M. Draper – |
70 | Romiette and Julio – Sharon M. Draper – |
71 | Forged – Fire – Sharon M. Draper – |
72 | Games We Play: A Novel – Toni Westbrooks |
73 | Begging for Change – Sharon G. Flake |
74 | Money Hungry – Sharon G. Flake |
75 | Bronx Masquerade – Nikki Grimes |
76 | The Autobiography of Malcolm X – Malcolm X |
77 | Monster – Walter Dean Myers |
78 | Day of Tears – Julius Lester |
79 | Who Am I Without Him?: A Short Story Collection about Girls and Boys in Their Lives – Sharon G. Flake |
80 | Darkness Before Dawn – Sharon M. Draper – |
81 | Miracle’s Boys – Jacqueline Woodson – |
82 | The Battle of Jericho – Sharon M. Draper – |
83 | Bud, Not Buddy – Christopher Paul Curtis |
84 | Jason & Kyra – Dana Davidson |
85 | If You Come Softly – Jacqueline Woodson – |
87 | The Coldest Winter Ever – Sister Souljah |
88 | Feathers – Jacqueline Woodson – |
90 | Lady J – L. Divine – |
91 | Street Love – Walter Dean Myers |
92 | Autobiography of My Dead Brother – Walter Dean Myers |
93 | The Fight – L. Divine – |
94 | Played – Dana Davidson |
95 | Twelve Years a Slave – Solomon Northup |
97 | New Boy – Julian Houston |
98 | Hip-Hop High School – Alan Sitomer – |
99 | What is the What – Dave Eggers |
100 | The Battle for Jericho (Gant) |
101 | Bang! – Sharon G. Flake |
102 | 47 – Walter Mosley |
104 | Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass – Frederick Douglass |
105 | Transformers (Foster) |
106 | Second Chance – L. Divine – |
107 | Brother Hood – Janet McDonald |
108 | Project Girl (McDonald) |
109 | Harlem Hustle – Janet McDonald |
110 | The Thunder in His Head – Gene Gant – |
111 | The Hoopster (Stiomer) |
112 | Bucking the Sarge – Christopher Paul Curtis |
113 | The Bully (Bluford, #5) – Paul Langan – |
114 | Emako Blue – Brenda Woods |
115 | What They Found: Love on 145th Street Walter Dean Myers |
117 | Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America’s First Black Paratroopers – Tanya Lee Stone – |
118 | The Freedom Maze – Delia Sherman |
119 | Fallen Angels – Walter Dean Myers |
120 | The Eagles who Thought They were Chickens (Wynn 1999) |
121 | Chameleon (Smith, Jr.) |
122 | Courtin’ Jayd – L. Divine – |
123 | Thugs and the Women Who Love Them (Thug #1) – Wahida Clark – |
124 | Don’t Tell Your Cousin – Veronica E. Kelly – |
125 | Peculiar, INC (The Charismatic Chronicles, #1) – C.S.R. Calloway – |
126 | Belle and the Beau – Beverly Jenkins |
127 | Hustlin’ – L. Divine – |
128 | Keep It Movin’ – L. Divine – |
129 | Chausiku: The Secret Gambit (Chausiku, #2) – Pamela E. Cash – |
130 | Geek – boy Equals (Knight) |
141 | The Beast – Walter Dean Myers |
142 | My Bondage and My Freedom – Frederick Douglass |
143 | Sweet Thang – Allison Whittenberg – |
144 | First Class: The Legacy of Dunbar, America’s First Black Public High School (Stewart 2013) |
145 | Raw (Tony Hawk: Live2Skate) (Hoena 2013) |
146 | Tyrell – Coe Booth – |
147 | Re-Divining Self – Nikala Asante – |
148 | The Tiger Rising (DiCamillo) |
149 | All the Right Stuff (Myers) |
150 | Motown and Didi – Walter Dean Myers |
After Tupac and D Foster (Woodson) | |
Blood is Thicker (Langan) | |
Boy21 (Quick) | |
Brothers in Arms (Langan) | |
Dirty Jersey (Duck) | |
DJ Rising (Maia) | |
Don’t Quit – Inspirational Poetry (Wynn 1998) | |
Fake ID (Giles) | |
First Semester (Cross, II) | |
Follow Your Dreams: Lessons That I Learned in School (Wynn 2000) | |
If I Were Your Boyfriend (Sewell) | |
Schooled (Langan) | |
Secrets in the Shadows (Schraff) | |
Shortie Like Mine (Simone) | |
Somewhere in the Darkness (Myers) | |
The Eagles who Thought They were Chickens (Wynn 1999) | |
The Fallen (Langan) | |
The Gun (Langan) | |
Transcendence (Omololu) | |
Until We Meet Again (Schraff) | |
Black History Month Reading Lists from various sources
American Writers Museum (2023): A list of book recommendations for Black History Month, along with podcasts and videos to supplement your reading.
Esquire (Adrienne Westenfeld 2022): 20 of the Most Essential Books on Black History.
CNN Underscored (Kami Phillips 2022)/: 20 books that are essential reading for Black History Month.
Good Housekeeping (Lizz Schumer 2022): 20 Powerful Black History Books Everyone Should Read.
Parade (Alliyah Logan 2025): Black Booksellers Recommend 25 Books To Read During Black History Month and Beyond.
Center for Black Literature: The Center’s listing only scratches the surface of an ever-growing literary landscape of Black writers; thus, we invite recommendations from our colleagues, friends, and supporters. Kindly feel free to send your recommendations and suggestions for consideration to us at info@centerforblackliterature.org. For information on some of these and additional titles, please visit the African American Literature Book Club at AALBC.com.
Morehouse College: Reading, Watching, Listening List.
NCW Libraries: Black History Month Reading List.
New York Public Library: Schomburg Center’s Black Liberation Reading List.
Oprah Daily (2024): 25 Books by Black Authors You Should Read This February.
Prairie View A&M University John B. Coleman Library (2024): African American History Month 2024 Reading List: By Author (A-B).
The Chicago Blog: The University of Chicago Press: A Black History Month Reading List.
The Innocence Project (2021): 15 Books to Read During Black History Month and Beyond
Westmont Public Library: Black History Month: A Reading List for Teens
ZNEF Scholarships
January 24, 2025
Established in 1973 at the behest of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority’s Executive Board, the National Educational Foundation (NEF) was created by Soror Issie Shelton Jenkins, Esq. to serve as the scholarship arm of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., its primary donor. Under the guidance of Dr. Janice Kissner, International President, and Soror Ione Gibson, Chairman of the Zeta National Executive Board, the NEF’s Trust Agreement was approved and executed on August 23, 1975. Initially operating as a private charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, the NEF transitioned to incorporation on October 19, 2006, and gained IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status on April 23, 2008, concurrently becoming a public charity. This evolution solidified its commitment to providing financial aid to needy students pursuing higher education.
Scholarship amounts vary from $5,000 to $150,000.
Visit website: https://www.znef.org/scholarships
HBCU Week X NFL Scholarship
January 8, 2025
Requirements
Complete and submit application by February 17th
Provide most recent, verifiable high school transcript (Subject to authentication)
Provide proof of acceptance at an Historically Black College or University (HBCU)*
Acceptance letters can be submitted through 4/11/25. All other application materials must be submitted by 2/17/25.
Applicants must:
- Be a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States
- Complete or have completed high school with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (unweighted) and be entering their freshman year of college
- Attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) for the entirety of their college education.
- Demonstrate financial need
The scholarship can be used for tuition, room and board. A student may accept additional scholarships but they cannot exceed the total cost of their education.
If you have questions about eligibility, please contact scholarship@HBCUWeek.org. Students applying for the scholarship will be responsible for disclosing any potential conflict of interest prior to the selection process.
Visit website: https://www.hbcuweek.org/nfl/
Splunk HBCU Academic Scholarship
January 8, 2025
About the Scholarship
The Splunk HBCU Academic Scholarship is proud to support students in their academic journey by recognizing their academic pursuits, community contributions, and their passion for technology. All students who are enrolled in and attending an accredited HBCU, and are pursuing a technology-related degree, are encouraged to apply.
Splunk will grant 15 students a one-time, $10,000 Scholarship award intended for use towards academic expenses. In addition, Scholarship recipients will receive exclusive Splunk mentorship and an opportunity to interview for a Splunk internship or early career role.
Applications are due February 7, 2025, and Scholarship recipients will be announced by late April 2025.
Please Note: A Splunk internship or full-time employment offer is not guaranteed.
This year, the Scholarship continues its dedication to honoring exceptional students based on their:
- Academic achievements and ambitions,
- Innovation demonstrated through technology, and/or
- Distinctive leadership contributions
NFBPA Scholarship Program
January 8, 2025
In 2025, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) will continue its prestigious Scholarship Program. This initiative seeks to honor exceptional scholarship and leadership among African American and minority students currently pursuing full-time education at accredited, traditional four-year colleges or universities, with a preference for those attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), particularly those engaged in public service.
NFBPA provides several scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students through its partnerships with corporate supporters, public sector organizations, and individual contributors.
The Scholarship Program is an integral part of NFBPA’s goal of lending support to African American and other minority students interested in leadership roles in public service. Applicants may apply for multiple scholarships or other NFBPA financial awards. If selected, the applicant can receive only one award.
Visit website: https://www.cvent.com/c/abstracts/0fd3a83d-e53f-4f5d-a5fc-4fadd361d28f
HBCU Bound Scholarship 2025
January 2, 2025
Fossi Scholarship
January 1, 2025
Deadline: January 31, 2025
Click here to apply: https://futureofstemscholars.org/FOSSI/apply?
Sponsored by chemical manufacturers and related industry stakeholders, FOSSI provides scholarship recipients $10,000 per year for four years, helping to eliminate financial barriers for historically under-represented groups.
Recognizing a lack of diversity throughout the STEM workforce, in November of 2020, the American Chemistry Council (ACC), American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), Chemours and HBCU Week Foundation partnered to establish the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI). This national industry-wide program seeks to increase the number of underrepresented professionals in the STEM workforce by providing scholarships to students pursuing preferred STEM degrees at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
FOSSI is dedicated to supporting those STEM Scholars who would otherwise not have access to a STEM education by eliminating financial barriers.
Based on a cost per scholar of $48,000, each FOSSI scholar is awarded a $40K scholarship ($10K per year, for four years), and offered leadership development, mentoring and internship opportunities with program sponsors, and access to AIChE student networking events.
With funding from over 70 chemical manufacturers and related industry stakeholders, the program has raised nearly $30 million to support more than 600 scholars through 2025. Our scholarship recipients represent 30+ states, with students attending 42 HBCUs. Since its inception, thousands of high school students across the nation have applied for FOSSI scholarships, demonstrating both the urgent need for this program and the enormous pool of untapped talent.
Equitable Excellence Scholarship
January 1, 2025
Equitable Foundation has established the Equitable Excellence Scholarship® Program program to assist high school seniors and current undergraduates who are planning to continue their education at a two- or four-year college in the United States by Fall 2025.
This program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team. In compliance with Federal law, this program will not discriminate in the terms, conditions, or privileges of participation on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, or sexual orientation.
Applicants to the Equitable Excellence Scholarship® Program Scholarship Program must:
- Be current high school seniors and current undergraduates in one of the 50 U.S. states, District of Columbia or Puerto Rico who plan to enroll full-time in an accredited two-or four-year college or university in the United States for the entire upcoming academic year.
- Demonstrate ambition and self-drive to be a force for good in your community by encouraging others to pursue higher education.
- Be willing to provide a release to publicize their identities and information about their achievements along with photographs for use in program promotion and information.
- Have a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Deadline: January 13, 2025
Click here to apply: https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/equitableexcellence/
Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship
January 1, 2025
Deadline: January 9, 2025
Click here to apply: https://www.jkcf.org/our-scholarships/undergraduate-transfer-scholarship/
The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is a highly selective scholarship for the nation’s top community college students seeking to complete their bachelor’s degrees at four-year colleges or universities. Each Cooke Scholar has access to generous financial support for two to three years, college planning support, ongoing advising, and the opportunity to connect with the thriving community of fellow Scholars.
- The opportunity to graduate with as little debt as possible. The award, which is last dollar funding after all institutional aid, can provide as much as $55,000 per year for two to three years to complete a bachelor’s degree at any accredited four-year undergraduate institution in the U.S.
- Ability to pursue any area of study
- Personal advising about selecting a college and navigating financial aid
- Multifaceted advising about how to transition to a four-year college and maximize the student experience
- Opportunity to apply for the Internship Stipend program, Conference and Travel Stipend, and Graduate Scholarship