Fisk University is the first HBCU to have a gymnastics team. And last January, in 2023, that team made history when it became the first HBCU team to compete in an NCAA meet. And now, these legendary gymnasts are bringing the next generation with them.

REFERENCES/LINKS

Connect with the gymnasts we interviewed (in order):

@LeLetheGymnast on Instagram

@Its_Naimah24 on Instagram

@Aliyahs.the.gymnast on Instagram

Connect with the Fisk gymnastics team:

@FiskUGymnastics on Instagram

MLK Meet tickets

2024 Bulldogs Camp registration

Civil rights activist. Presidential advisor. A woman who helped draft the charter of the United Nations — Mary McLeod Bethune is a name most kids learn when studying Black history. The Black press often called her the ”First Lady of Negro America.” But also, she’s the person who founded Bethune-Cookman University. And, her work shows how from the very beginning, education has been part of Black folks’ push for democracy.

Thank you to Dr. Ashley Preston of Howard University and Dr. Crystal deGregory of Bethune-Cookman University for sharing their knowledge.

SHOW NOTES

More by Dr. Ashley Robertson Preston:

• Mary McLeod Bethune in Florida: Bringing Social Justice to the Sunshine State (Book)
• Mary McLeod Bethune the Pan-Africanist (Book)

More by Dr. Crystal deGregory:

• For Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune's Legacy, 'the Fight is Not Yet Over’
• HBCUstory
• Magic and Mortal (Book)

References used in reporting today’s show:

• 2020 Virtual Florida Blue Battle of the Bands
• B-CU Oral History Collection
• Championing Equality at Home and Overseas: African Americans Leading at the UN
• Mary McLeod Bethune at Moody: 'A Profound Influence' — Yahya Jongintaba, PhD
• Mary McLeod Bethune: “First Lady of Negro America” — Vanessa Moorer, PhD
• Mary McLeod Bethune radio show interview
• The Extraordinary Life of Mary McLeod Bethune

HBCUs are so deeply rooted in our history and in our communities today. Their stories are all of our stories, something we all can boast about. This is Bragging Rights: a podcast about the stories — and people — who made our HBCUs.