Written By Paul Garwood New scholarships are helping emerging Black Museum professionals get training, connections, and a seat at the table. The Association of African American Museums (AAAM) has launched the 2025 Emerging Museum Professional (EMP) Schol...
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Positive Black Excellence
Black Excellence is the heartbeat of the Positive Black Network. This category is devoted to uplifting and celebrating the brilliance, resilience, and achievements of Black individuals and communities across a wide range of disciplines — from education, business, and sports to the arts, STEM, and grassroots leadership.
At its core, Black Excellence recognizes and honors those who are setting the standard, breaking through barriers, and leaving a legacy of impact. These are the stories of students defying the odds, entrepreneurs building generational wealth, artists redefining culture, scientists innovating for the future, and community leaders uplifting others through service and advocacy.
This space is both inspirational and aspirational — a place where young people can see themselves reflected in greatness and where seasoned leaders are given their well-earned flowers. We share powerful success stories and in-depth interviews that highlight the journeys, challenges, and victories of trailblazers who embody what it means to lead with purpose, passion, and pride.
What you'll find in this category:
Student Spotlights that showcase academic and personal achievements
Success Stories of rising stars and established icons
Interviews with community change-makers, business pioneers, and cultural leaders
Recognition of Award Winners who exemplify excellence in their fields
Features on Innovators & Entrepreneurs who are shifting narratives and shaping industries
Our mission is simple: to amplify the excellence that already exists within the Black community and to remind the world — and ourselves — that we are powerful, purposeful, and limitless.
Fueling Futures: UNCF’s Historic $70M Gift for Black Students
11/16/2025
Written By Paul Garwood A landmark gift to UNCF is set to expand scholarships, strengthen HBCUs, and open doors for thousands of Black students. In a recent PBS interview, the head of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) explained how a historic $70 mill...
Read More >>A Wave of Giving: Billion-Dollar Momentum for HBCUs
11/16/2025
Written By Paul Garwood From Prairie View A&M to Howard, a historic surge of philanthropy is changing what’s possible for Black colleges and their students. In November 2025, several major announcements confirmed that Historically Black Colleges and Univ...
Read More >>“BLACK MAN”: New Documentary Centering Black Men’s Voices Premieres in L.A.
11/16/2025
Written By Paul Garwood On International Men’s Day, a powerful new film lifts up the stories, struggles, and strength of Black men. On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the documentary “BLACK MAN” by director Jon Covington premieres in Los Angeles in honor o...
Read More >>Black Excellence Is Not an Exception — It’s the Standard
10/29/2025
We are not “success stories.” We are the blueprint. We’ve always been capable. We’ve always been powerful. Too often, when a Black doctor, engineer, teacher, founder, or student shines, people call it a miracle. It’s not a miracle. It’s the result of tale...
Read More >>National Association of Black Bookstores Launches to Amplify Voices and Preserve Culture
08/12/2025
On August 6, 2025, history was made in the world of Black literature and cultural preservation. The National Association of Black Bookstores (NAB2) officially launched as the first national collective uniting Black-owned bookstores across the United States...
Read More >>From Incarcerated to Inspired: Margaret Hall Earns Master’s Degree and Builds a New Legacy
08/05/2025
Margaret Hall, a 47-year-old mother of six from Tempe, Arizona, is living proof that it’s never too late to rewrite your story. After experiencing incarceration, Margaret didn’t stop. Instead, she started again — and this month, she celebrated earning her...
Read More >>Ashley Adirika Makes Ivy League History at 17 Years Old
08/05/2025
At just 17, Ashley Adirika, a young Black woman from Miami, Florida, has accomplished an academic milestone most only dream about — being accepted into all eight Ivy League schools: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, Brown, Dartmouth, and the Uni...
Read More >>Julia Esaw Returns to Cass Tech at 104 to Receive Distinguished Alumni Award
08/01/2025
🖤 Positive Black Network Spotlight Julia Esaw, a proud member of Cass Tech’s Class of 1939, made history—again—at age 104. This remarkable moment came as she returned to her alma mater to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award, a recognition decade in th...
Read More >>The Wade Brothers Make History: Excellence x4
08/01/2025
Positive Black Network Spotlight Aaron, Nick, Nigel, and Zach Wade didn’t just dream big—they made history. These four remarkable brothers achieved something rarely seen: they were collectively accepted into 59 of the top universities in the country, incl...
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