LEADERSHIP TRANSITION — Lonnie Bunch announced he will step down as Smithsonian Secretary by the end of the year, marking a significant moment for the nation's museums. Bunch became the first historian and first African American to hold the position, leading the institution for seven years. He founded the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2005, overseeing its opening on the National Mall in September 2016. His resignation comes amid mounting attacks against the Smithsonian from the Trump administration, which has accused Smithsonian leadership of presenting a "radical view" of American history and threatened to withhold federal funds. The departure reflects pressure on institutions preserving and interpreting Black American history.
EDUCATION EQUITY — New data from education technology company Ellucian shows many Black students are making extraordinary financial sacrifices just to get their degrees, including choosing between paying for college and covering basic necessities like food, housing, and transportation. Seventy-five percent of HBCU students and 78% of students attending minority-serving institutions reported having to choose between paying for college and meeting basic needs, compared with 58% of college students overall. HBCU students were also substantially more likely to be working full-time while earning their degrees, at 71%, compared with 56% of students overall. The crisis is particularly acute at Black institutions as Black college graduates overwhelmingly identify with the working class long after earning their degrees—58% identify as working class compared with 48% of white graduates and 45% of Asian graduates.
VOTING RIGHTS — The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied a bid from Missouri to use a redrawn congressional map for the 2026 elections that targeted a Democratic-held district. The decision is a win for Democrats who had fought a Republican-led redistricting that split a Kansas City seat held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. At Trump's behest, GOP-led states have embarked on an unusual mid-decade redistricting to give Republicans an advantage in this year's midterms, with Republicans benefiting most from that effort overall. The 6-3 conservative Supreme Court has played a significant role, potentially shaping the outcome of the midterms. The court ruled that the 2022 congressional redistricting is the only valid plan in effect.
HOUSING JUSTICE — Houston City Council voted to require landlords to provide cooling in every rental unit, making AC a basic housing standard. The ordinance was approved 12-2, ending Houston's longstanding "window screen exemption". Approximately 20,400 households in Houston lack air conditioning, according to 2023 Census Bureau data. Since April 1, 2026, there have been 2,745 heat-related illness emergency visits in the Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery County region. Between 2019 and 2023, more than 7,600 such cases have been reported, and at least 279 heat-related deaths statewide in 2022. Extreme heat and limited access to air conditioning disproportionately impact Black and Latino neighborhoods, where residents are more likely to face higher heat exposure, fewer cooling resources, and greater health risks when rental housing lacks adequate cooling.
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Open to HBCU students and incoming freshmen. The HBCUCONNECT scholarship program supports applicants who attend or plan to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Essay-based competition recognizing academic merit and commitment to HBCU education.
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