Tag Archives: education

Nicki Minaj Accepts Fans Offer to Pay College Tuition

Hol’ up, Hol’ up Hooolllld up. You mean to tell me my $18G’s of college debt could’ve been eliminated with one (numero uno) tweet to a celeb?

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Well, for a lucky few die-hard (they certainly are now) Nicki Minaj fans that most certainly was the case.

The fairy-tale ending–every college grad prays, wishes and pleads for–happened Saturday. A bold Nicki Minaj fan pleaded her case via Twitter.

Nicki was willing to shell out the coins, if the fan could prove she was a star pupil.

Thus began the put it on Minaj’s tab challenge. For those unaware of how it works–us mere broke and low-paying college grads put in offers for the “No Frauds” rapper and she epically hooked us up.

The tweets speak for themselves.

After a few hours Nicki cut off her purse strings, but it goes without saying she’s our #WCW.

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Cha-Ching! Ne-Yo Invests $2.3 Million in Tech School to Attract Minority Coders

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Ne-Yo has been M.I.A lately. Perhaps it’s due to a new house, new baby (it’s a boy!), new album and upcoming tour.

Whew!! I’m winded from just writing that sentence.

Luckily, what hasn’t changed is his gentlemanly ways.

Hence, the Miss Independent crooner’s announcement of investing $2.3 million dollars into a San Francisco-based technical school, Holberton, so underprivileged kids can learn to code.

“Everybody knows that tech and all these things are the wave of the future,” Ne-Yo told Tech Crunch. “I just love the fact of what they’re doing with the school — that they’re making it easier for underrepresented people in the world of tech. They’re giving them a platform and access to this knowledge that they probably wouldn’t get otherwise. I think that’s one of the coolest things about this whole situation.”

Another dope thing is Holberton doesn’t charge tuition until after the student gets a job. You read that right. If and when they do, the school takes 17 percent of a salary.

Plus, the odds of getting selected are def in minorities favor—Holberton’s current class is made up of 40% female and 53% of color, according to Tech Crunch.

No wonder Ne-Yo is also a member of the Holberton’s board of trustees.

“I’m definitely going to be hands on,” he said. “I don’t know if I’m going to do every day because there’s this little music career thing that i’ve got going on,” he joked. “So there’s that but i’m definitely going to be hands on.”

Ne-Yo is definitely swapping the gentleman for philanthropist.

Best Week Ever! Beyonce Is Giving Us ‘Lemonade’ Scholarships | Barack Obama Comes Home

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Barack.Obama.Is.Back. Now if that wasn’t enough to make your week a little better. Hell, it’s Barry, a lot better than nothing else will.

Nope I’m lying. Cause hold up! King Bey is giving us some more ‘Lemonade’ news.

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Beyonce announced Formation college scholarships–in honor of the one-year anniversary of ‘Lemonade’ album release–to young women “who are unafraid to think outside the box and are bold, creative, conscious and confident.”

The Formation scholars are incoming, current or graduate students in the 2017/2018 academic year. They will major in creative arts, music, literature or African-American studies.

These future Nikki Giovanni’s and Lauryn Hills will be roaming the halls of either Berklee College of Music, Howard University, Parsons School of Design or Spelman College–schools that are participants in the Formation scholarship. Check out the schools’ websites for deadline.

Awww, Beyonce. No one loves us like you do.

Now, back to Barack. This is not a drill folks. No drive-by coffee run in Midtown Manhattan. Or a lunch date with Bono. This is Barack’s official comeback to his hometown of Chi-Town.

The official jump off was on Monday when he held a town hall meeting with youth leaders at the University of Chicago  Where he reflected on his presidency.

He had me at:

Check out the full Q&A below.

Barack followed that up with a more formal speech at a Chicago club on Wednesday.

Barack is officially back, guys. And it’ll cost ya $400 G’ s to get him.

44 ain’t cheap, y’all.

NBA Star Kyrie Irving Gives Second Chance to Sick NJ Boy | Chance the Rapper Inspires Investment in Chi-Town

Kyrie Irving has more than his NBA teammates backs. The Cleveland Cavalier also takes care of those reppin’ his junior high school alma mater—The Patrick School.

Upon learning 12-year-old Spencer Joyner was missing school due to a rare brain disorder—where spinal fluid leaks into his skull and cause excruciating headaches–Irving paid for his entire $11,000 tuition bill and medical bills.

The New Jersey native has been back in school for a month and still thriving from the boost Irving gave him.

“I would thank him for all the things that he’s done, paying for my tuition, paying for my medical bills,” Spencer said.

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Irving isn’t the only superstar to open his wallet and hope to make a difference. As you all know Chance the Rapper has been laying down a lotsa stacks to improve Chi-town public schools. This weekend he let his friends in on the act.

Like Seattle Seahawks player Michael Bennett, who vowed to donate his endorsements to the effort.

I was inspired by Chance The Rapper to ‘think bigger’ when he pledged one million dollars to Chicago kids and their school system. So, I’ll be joining him by investing in the future of our youth.

Chance even influenced the Chicago Bulls head office to write a $1 million check to the cause. Chance was even there to watch the check being presented to the schools.

The Chicago Tribune reports 12 Chi-Town schools will receive an extra $10,000 as a result.

At the announcement, Chance said “It is my job, just as who I am, to bring light and attention to public school funding, broken formulas and especially how it affects my hometown … where there’s 90 percent minority students.”

Chance the Rapper Chicago’s Mayor.

How Beyonce and Nicki Minaj Made Tidal Concert Teaching Moment

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Hey Fam, how many of you were lucky enough to get the golden ticket to the Tidal X: 1015 concert at Barclays last night?

If so, I’m super jelly you got to be in the same room as Common, Alicia Keys, Tip, Lauryn Hill, Emeli Sande, Beyonce and Nicki Minaj as they performed one hit after another for the benefit concert–all proceeds going towards The Robin Hood Foundation that aims to combat impoverished communities, including education.

As you can see I was catching major FOMO. But I had Alec Baldwin on SNL to give me a laugh, and Instagram posts to keep me in the loop on the most lit moments of the Tidal concert.

For me it was the candid non-PC ones. Let’s call ’em teachable moments from our Queens.

Let’s start with our fave demented Barbie: Nicki Minaj. She stormed on the stage with the illest’tude (Was her ex Safaree backstage?) demanding dudes put their egos in check and appreciate what smart women bring to the table.

“If you a champion female in the mutha fuckin’ building, can’t no weak ass mutha fuckin’ clown ass n****s bring you mutha fuckin’ down. Because you n****s so fuckin’ weak.”

Here’s where the Anaconda rapper’s rant  really gains steam.

“You dare be intimidated by a bad mutha fuckin’ queen? Get your feelings mutha fuckin’ feelings hurt. It’s mutha fuckin’ ok because Barack needed a Michelle, bitch and Bill needed a mutha fuckin’ Hillary, bitch.

“You betta pray to God you don’t get stuck with a mutha fuckin Melania. You n****s want brainless bitches?” Nicki added.

 

Yup, she went in.

On another note–after lighting up the stage with her savagery– Beyonce capped off the concert with an impromptu speech about the importance of voting in this joke of a presidential race.

 

Bey makes a convincing case. After all our folk did die for this right. We must exercise it.

So, guys were you entertained and elevated?

 

 

FGF | 8-Year-Old Surprised With College Admission

 

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How fly is 8-year-old Jordin Phipps?

The Texas native isn’t even in middle school yet, and already, like, today, she got accepted into the University of North Texas.

Not an easy thing to pull off.

Jordin managed to by reciting the university’s daily mantra, while wearing one of their T-shirts, and having mom record the spiel.

Which is actually quite empowering. It put a pep in my step, anyway.

“I am smart. I am a leader. Failure is not an option for me,” Jordin declares in the video. “Success is only moments away.”

Jordin’s mom, Nichole Smith, a University of Texas alumna, posted the video on Facebook earlier this month.

ABC News reports, University of North Texas school officials got wind of Jordin’s enthusiastic school pledge and wanted to help her.

They contacted me on Wednesday and said they wanted to present her with a scholarship,” Smith, a special education teacher, told ABC News.

Did they ever. Joined by some UNT cheerleaders, an early, early, early admission letter to join the class of 2030, aaanndd a $10,000 scholarship check–usually reserved for high school kids–school’s director of admissions surprised Jordin  during her elementary school assembly.

This makes the pre-teen the youngest student ever admitted in the university’s history.

And she already knows her major–school teacher, like her mom.

You better come through young scholar.

WCW | Rihanna Named Global Ambassador To Foster Education

 

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Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen, with Rihanna and Global Partnership for Education (GPE) chair, Julia Gillard

This may be the cherry on top of Rihanna’s sweet year of accollades.

Someone grab the cake, cake, cake, cake, cake to celebrate. Sorry, couldn’t resist.

The navy’s idol was appointed Global Ambassador through a partnership with her Clara Lionel Foundation and Global Partnership for Education (GPE).

The blending of the two orgs is to advocate for the billions of children across the globe without an education. And the 330 million kids enrolled in a school, but still aren’t learning.

So, how will Rihanna and her crew combat this?

GPE operates in more than 60 developing countries, spreading their message that “every child receive a quality education.” By making children living in poor or ravished communities a priority.

As GPE’s Global Ambassador, Rih Rih will travel the globe to encourage world leaders and policy makers to get behind educating vulnerable children raised in communities in crisis.

The announcement comes on the heels of Rihanna headlining the Global Citizen Festival on Saturday. The festival’s goal is to end extreme poverity by 2030 by getting people to participate in charity acts.

Rihanna is indeed a rare diamond.