Alecia Nichole

Published Articles

Essence •

Sass And Shimmer: The Dazzling History Of Black Majorettes And Dance Lines

Beginning in the 1960s, young Black majorettes and dance troupes created a fascinating style of movement. This is the story of how they did it.

At historically Black colleges and universities, halftime is when audience members rush back to their seats for the real show. The drum majors are stars, of course, but sharing the spotlight are smiling, limber dancers with moves so big, even the nosebleeds can see every detail. They prance alongside marching bands, or in the stands, then run through pr
Girls United •

Some HBCU Upperclassmen Are Facing Homelessness As New Academic Year Approaches

Texas Southern University junior, TB, was a resident at her university’s newly-bought residence hall, Urban Academic Village. Despite being the 2021-2022 Miss Urban Village, she was not able to secure an on-campus housing spot for the upcoming academic year. “As upperclassmen, we’re already struggling with buying books, access codes and transportation,” the film major tells ESSENCE GU. “It’s hard finding and affording housing.”

She says the administration told her the decision was made to give
Girls United •

Howard University Students Rejoice As 34-Day Demonstration Ends

Howard University sold a dream to many future Bison. They promised parents they could educate this generation’s next Angela Davis, Thurgood Marshall and Langston Hughes. What they did not disclose were the issues the university has had for decades, including allegations of infestations and mold throughout the dorms of the university. This recently led to the widely-publicized protests that went on for weeks.

On October 12, The Live Movement began the demonstration known as the #BlackburnTakover
HUNewsService.com •

Maryland Voters Elect ‘All-Star Team’ During Midterm Election – Howard University News Service

BALTIMORE – Maryland voters cast their votes in the historic 2022 midterm election to elect a new attorney general, U.S. senator and comptroller in addition to their first Black governor.

For several decades Democrats have dominated these state official positions. Heading into the new year, the Democratic legacy in Maryland continues with Chris Van Hollen elected as U.S. senator, Anthony G. Brown as attorney general and Brooke Lierman as comptroller.

“We’re all in this together; therefore we a

Howard, Student Protesters Entered ‘Confidentiality’ Agreement to Settle 2021 Blackburn Takeover

Two student leaders of the historic Blackburn Takeover protests that occurred last fall said publicly for the first time that they had signed an agreement with the University that prohibited them from revealing details of the settlement.

University officials, however, said no such agreement prohibited the students from revealing the details, but that a “confidential” clause did exist with the protesters’ attorney.

Signed contracts, often known as a non-disclosure agreement or NDA, would prohib
HBCU Pulse •

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin To Move Funding From DACA Students to Virginia HBCUs

A new Virginia budget redirects $10 million in funding from DACA students to HBCUs in the state.

The funding originally supported DACA students, often referred to as DREAMers, who are not eligible for federal and state funding such as loans and grants. Instead, nearly half of the funds will be distributed to the two public HBCUs in the state, Virginia State University and Norfolk State University. The other half will be used to increase tuition assistance for HBCU students.

The bill was passed
HBCU Pulse •

The White House Declares Monkeypox a National Emergency: What You Need To Know

The declaration came two weeks after the World Health Organization declared it an international health concern.

By declaring a public health emergency, the U.S. can now receive funds from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, adjust insurance claims and make other legal adjustments to control the spread of the disease.

Monkeypox is a highly contagious disease similar to smallpox. At this time, the CDC is suggesting that Imvamune or Imvanex, two smallpox vaccines, may prevent monkeypox
HBCU Pulse •

FAMU Addresses Housing Shortage By Announcing $14 Million Housing Investment

FAMU announced the university will invest $14 million dollars to create more housing for its students.

The school is using federal funding to potentially purchase several properties around the campus such as duplexes, apartment buildings and 1.3 acres of land. These units will be classified as “off-campus housing” but are within walking distance to campus.

FAMU’s total undergraduate enrollment is over 7,400 students but the school only has 2,450 on-campus beds. If purchased, apartment complexe
Her Campus | HerCampus.com is the #1 global community for college women, written entirely by the nation’s top college journalists from 380+ campus chapters around the world. •

Upcoming Artist, Sam Tompkins, Discusses his new EP “Who Do You Pray To?” And Mental Health | Her Campus

Sam Tompkins’ started off as many early artists do–making song covers on social media. He began making covers on TikTok of various R&B artists, but changed the sound of the music to his own. One of his most popular covers is “Talking to the Moon ” by Bruno Mars. The sound was later remixed with Jnr Choi. It quickly became a viral TikTok sound, used in over two million videos.

“Going viral was a first for me,” Tompkins told Her Campus in an exclusive interview regarding his upcoming EP, “Who Do
Her Campus | HerCampus.com is the #1 global community for college women, written entirely by the nation’s top college journalists from 380+ campus chapters around the world. •

ALL AMERICAN: HOMECOMING CAPTURES ALL THE HBCU FEELS–HERE’S HOW | Her Campus

Last week, The CW aired its series premiere of All American: Homecoming. The show is a spinoff of the highly praised show, All American. The series follows Simone Hicks (played by Geffri Hightower) and her historically Black college and university (HBCU) experience at Bringston University. While the university is fictional, the experience, issues and celebrations that the students face are realities for many HBCU students.

One thing to be appreciated about the show is the realness of the storie
Her Campus | HerCampus.com is the #1 global community for college women, written entirely by the nation’s top college journalists from 380+ campus chapters around the world. •

HBCU Students Speak Out Against Series of Terrorist Threats | Her Campus

In the past month, various historically black colleges and universities, HBCUs, have received bomb threats. The first series of threats were issued in early January before most students returned to campus. The second and third threats were received January 31 and February 1–just 24 hours apart. Some colleges and universities responded by canceling classes and offering counseling services, whereas others opted not to do the same. Many Black students were worried about their safety and the lack of

Let's get social