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D.C. Area HBCUs Create Home Base for Student Veterans and Dependents

THE AFRO — The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) offers its 100 close-knit veteran dependents and families an experience on a culturally diverse urban campus right in the heart of the District. UDC is also the only urban land grant university in the United States, offering students a unique experience.

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By Deborah Bailey
AFRO Contributing Editor
dbailey@afro.com

Veterans and their dependents are flocking to college classrooms after enlistment days are over, thanks to educational benefits available to most veterans and their families after honorable discharge from military service. The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2007 is sending veterans and their families to college in record numbers.

The Washington, D.C. region’s three historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have rolled out the welcome mat to hundreds of veterans and dependents this fall, with specialized outreach to and services for those honorably discharged men and women and their families.

Only one in three veterans holds a bachelor’s degree, a ratio lower than the national average for persons 25 and older, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  Moreover, Black female military spouses are three times more likely to be unemployed in comparison to their civilian counterparts.

Bowie State University, University of the District of Columbia and Howard University have each developed specialized programs and services for veterans and their families. Each campus offers the support of trained veterans’ affairs and counseling staff with the skills to help student veterans and their dependents take the journey from active military service to the classroom and success in civilian life.

“Most of our student veterans are a little older than the traditional college student,” said Andre Clayton, director of Bowie State University’s Veteran Resource Center. Clayton said the 350 veterans, dependents and active-duty students who utilize services through the Veterans Resource Center are primarily from Maryland, but he gets many calls from students across the nation interested in using GI benefits to attend classes at the suburban Maryland school.

“We are seeing students from as far away as Georgia, Texas and California,” Clayton continued.

Veterans receiving educational benefits can use them at any campus in the U.S. for classes and activities allowable by the Veterans Administration (VA), Clayton said.

Black service members like Assata Ward, a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, and their families are returning to college after enlistment with the help of Post 9/11 educational benefits. (courtesy photo)

Black service members like Assata Ward, a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, and their families are returning to college after enlistment with the help of Post 9/11 educational benefits. (courtesy photo)

“We are considered a Yellow Ribbon institution,” Clayton continued, citing one of the reasons students are attracted to Bowie State University.  Yellow Ribbon colleges and universities partner with the VA to keep college costs affordable for post-9/11 G.I. bill students.

The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) offers its 100 close-knit veteran dependents and families an experience on a culturally diverse urban campus right in the heart of the District. UDC is also the only urban land grant university in the United States, offering students a unique experience.

“Students are surprised that we offer academic programs in popular fields for veterans like engineering, homeland security and urban sustainability,” said Veterans Affairs Director Sequoyah Adebayo.

Adebayo is herself the daughter of two veterans and knows first-hand the importance of attending a campus with a family-like atmosphere,  affordability, support and legacy.  UDC, like Bowie State and Howard University, offers both counseling and academic support services to all student veterans and their dependents.

Adebayo just completed her dissertation on student veterans and said that in her current role, she observed that her younger female veterans and veteran dependents sometimes avoid being known as veterans on campus.  Her male students proudly identify and even wear fatigues on campus, but “female student veterans at times find themselves struggling to identify as veterans. The younger women veterans especially tend to shy away,” she said.

Howard University has the largest formal veterans resource center and a full complement of services and supports for the campus’ 500-plus “military connected” students, according to Adon Paris, the school’s director of Student Services.

Sequoyah Adebayo is the Veterans Affairs director at the University of the District of Columbia and the daughter of former service members. She advises all campus veterans and their dependents to take advantage of the full range of benefits available on college campuses. (courtesy photo).

Sequoyah Adebayo is the Veterans Affairs director at the University of the District of Columbia and the daughter of former service members. She advises all campus veterans and their dependents to take advantage of the full range of benefits available on college campuses. (courtesy photo).

“Seventy-five percent of our military-connected students are military dependents. Their parents served and are passing benefits to their children. When their parents come through the door of our center, they are wowed. We have the premier veterans center in the United States,” Paris said confidently.

Howard’s Veterans Resource Center’s five full-time staff members work with students from the beginning of the process of securing benefits from the VA through the admissions process.

Once students are on campus, they have access to VA work study, special military-connected scholarship opportunities and internships, mental health professionals, study space, television, a pool table, snacks and a place that is their own.

Howard University also supports a Student Veterans of America chapter on campus to get students involved in campus life with terrain they are familiar with.

A welcoming university experience is especially pivotal for student veterans and military dependents because it provides a break from the transient life that defines military service.

“These students are so used to being in transit that for many, this is the first time they will remain in the same place for four years,” Paris said. “We have the opportunity to support our military connected students and make these years ones they will never forget.

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

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The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.


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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

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Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

 

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