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NNPA President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. Inspires Graduates with Powerful Commencement Address at Voorhees University

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Voorhees University President, Dr. Ronnie Hopkins, said the school was honored to have Dr. Chavis provide the 2024 graduation address. “We are honored to have Dr. Chavis as our commencement speaker,” said Dr. Hopkins. “His dedication to justice and his commitment to empowering future generations make him an exemplary role model for our graduates.”
The post NNPA President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. Inspires Graduates with Powerful Commencement Address at Voorhees University first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 year ago

May 5, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

In a profound address at Voorhees University’s 127th Commencement, National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO and civil rights leader Dr. Benjamin Franklin Chavis Jr. delivered a powerful message of hope, resilience, and social responsibility to the graduating class of 2024.

The NNPA is the trade association of the 250 African American-owned newspapers and media companies that comprise the Black Press of America. David Miller, the publisher of Our Weekly newspaper in Los Angeles, serves on the board at Vorhees.

“One historical note: this year marks the 197 years of the Black Press since the first publication of Freedom’s Journal in March of 1827,” Chavis remarked. “All across the nation, we are reporting and highlighting the achievements and graduations of students who have triumphed at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).”

A class of 75 graduates, a host of faculty, and guests gathered at the Leonard E. Dawson Health and Human Resources Center, where Dr. Chavis emphasized the significance of commencement as a threshold to new beginnings.

“Voorhees University has come a mighty long way since the university was first founded back in 1897 by The Honorable Elizabeth Evelyn Wright,” said Dr. Chavis, who also received an honorary Doctorate of Environmental Justice from Vorhees following the ceremony. “We are all blessed to be gathered together here at this providential moment, and I pray that my remarks will encourage you to keep pressing forward.”

He told the graduates, “Today is a new beginning for you and your families. Today is a new beginning for you to seize the opportunities that are before you,” he remarked. “But it is also important to be ever aware of the world you are entering.”

Known for his tireless advocacy in civil rights, journalism, environmentalism, and academia, Dr. Chavis drew attention to ongoing challenges facing Black Americans, including attacks on voting rights and attempts to distort historical narratives.

“In some states, they are even banning books and attempting to engage in disinformation about our history, our culture, and our future in America and throughout the world,” Dr. Chavis cautioned.

Despite these challenges, Dr. Chavis expressed confidence in the resilience of the graduating class, whom he hailed as “the boldest, the most intelligent, the most gifted, and the most promising generation.” He encouraged them to maintain faith in themselves, their communities, and their ability to effect positive change.

“Faith matters because there will be times when you will be put to the test of life in your field of endeavor,” Dr. Chavis emphasized. “By having a strong faith, you will go forward to help make our world a better place for all people.”

Dr. Chavis shared a poetic expression he composed for the Class of 2024, celebrating their achievements, and encouraging them to embrace the future with courage and determination.

“As you embark on this new chapter of your lives, remember these words: ‘You will fly high, the future is bright, Class of 2024 shines in the light,’” Dr. Chavis concluded. “Long live the spirit and the legacy of the Class of 2024.”

Reflecting on his address, Dr. Chavis remarked, “Education is the key to liberation and freedom. Hold your head up without fear or distress and continue to make your family proud.”

Voorhees University President, Dr. Ronnie Hopkins, said the school was honored to have Dr. Chavis provide the 2024 graduation address. “We are honored to have Dr. Chavis as our commencement speaker,” said Dr. Hopkins. “His dedication to justice and his commitment to empowering future generations make him an exemplary role model for our graduates.”

Click here to view the commencement.

The post NNPA President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. Inspires Graduates with Powerful Commencement Address at Voorhees University first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

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IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82

Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire

Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.

His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.

Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.

In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.

The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.

Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.

As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.

Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.

His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.

“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”

Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.

“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”

Sly Stone is survived by three children.

Oakland Post

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

By Congressman James E. Clyburn

WATCH HERE

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10^th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.

“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”