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09/26/2025

We are saddened to report that Assata Shakur, revolutionary, activist, and author, has passed away.

Born JoAnne Chesimard, she rose as a leading member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army, fighting for justice and freedom.

A political exile in Cuba since 1984, her life embodied resistance, resilience, and the unyielding pursuit of liberation. Her legacy lives on in the generations she inspired to stand tall in the face of oppression.

The best way to honor here is with a quote we all should by:
“It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

Rest in power, Assata.

09/25/2025

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, awarded the United Negro College Fund with a "transformational" $70 million gift towards strengthening historically Black colleges and universities, the organization announced.

This gift follows Scott's $10 million contribution in 2020, which helped bolster the UNCF emergency reserve fund, according to the release from the organization.

Read more: https://abcnews.visitlink.me/F7ejtA

09/24/2025

09/09/2025

08/21/2025

Rest in power!

Debbie Allen is mourning the loss of her beloved mother, Dr. Vivian Ayers, who has passed away at the age of 102 — just weeks after celebrating her milestone birthday.

Born in 1923, Ayers lived a life rooted in art, culture, and legacy. She was a celebrated poet, playwright, and cultural preservationist, whose words and vision shaped generations.

Rest in peace queen!

08/06/2025

On August 5, 1889, Cullowhee Academy, a private school that was the predecessor of Western Carolina University, opened with an enrollment of 18. The school quickly prospered and closed the year with 100 students.

The school’s second principal, Robert Lee Madison, was a strong proponent of teacher education and proposed that the General Assembly give money to an existing high school in each congressional district so that a normal school could be opened to train prospective teachers. The legislators chose only to fund Cullowhee, giving $1,500 to Madison to get the program started. Although not fully funded at the time, Madison’s idea, called the “Cullowhee Experiment,” became the model for the state’s regional colleges.

Improvements to the campus were funded by the legislature in 1901, and the school’s name was changed to Cullowhee Normal and Industrial School in 1905. It began operating as a junior college in 1913, while continued growth facilitated the transition to a four-year college in 1925.

Rechartered in 1929, the school became Western Carolina Teachers College, a four-year, degree-granting institution. In 1953, the name changed again to Western Carolina College, to better reflect the institution’s liberal arts programs and graduate courses. The college gained university status in 1967 adopting its ultimate name, Western Carolina University.

Marker located in Cullohwee, NC: https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2024/01/23/western-carolina-university-q-38

05/30/2025

Awesome Opportunity to uplift the community.

Send a message to learn more

05/23/2025

On May 22nd, 1959, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. made history, becoming the first Black Major General in the U.S. Air Force, breaking barriers in a military that once denied him the right to fly with white pilots.

Born in 1912, Davis was the son of the first Black general in the U.S. Army. Denied equal treatment at West Point, where no cadet spoke to him for four years, he graduated 35th in a class of 276. He went on to lead the legendary Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, flying 60+ combat missions and commanding the 332nd Fighter Group. ✈️✊🏾

Throughout his career, Davis fought segregation and discrimination at the highest levels, becoming a driving force in the integration of the U.S. military.

He retired as a three-star general, and in 1998, and President Bill Clinton awarded him a fourth star, promoting him to full General.

A hero. A trailblazer. A legacy that still inspires. 👏🏾

05/07/2025

05/04/2025

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05/02/2025

Awesome event happening in cherokee!

Per the Qualla Boundary MMIW (QBMMIW):

The 6th Annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Walk will take place this Saturday, May 3, beginning at 3:00p.m. at the Storyteller Fire Pit of the Oconaluftee Island Park.

Unless weather conditions become severe, the event will take place rain or shine.

Speakers will include Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief) Michell Hicks; Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD) Chief of Police Carla Neadeau; Haley "Atsei" Cooper, QBMMIW Co-Chair; Freida Saylor, Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA) behavioral health director; Sheyahshe Littledave, We Are Resilient (WAR) Podcast co-host; and family members of missing and murdered loved ones who wish to speak.

We ask that pictures not be taken of people at this event out of respect for the families.

The MMIR honor banners will be on display at the Island Park from around 1-6pm on Saturday.

04/19/2025