The Sway | October 2026

Bison Trailblazers |

by Anna De Cheke Qualls |

Word to the Wise |

By Anna De Cheke Qualls |

Bison Trailblazers | Beyond the Hidden Curriculum: Dr. Tamanika Ferguson on Black Feminism, Mentorship, and Reclaiming Power

by Anna De Cheke Qualls | For Dr. Tamanika Ferguson, the path to academic excellence and public scholarship did not begin in the quiet, manicured suburbs or the hallowed preparatory halls that often feed into elite universities. Instead, her story is rooted deeply in the vibrant, complex, and often unforgiving environment of the South Bay area of Los Angeles. Growing up in the Normont Terrace Housing Projects, she was immersed in a reality that demanded acute awareness and rapid maturation. “I grew up in the South Bay area of Los Angeles, in the Normont Terrace Housing Projects, where I learned early that life could harden you fast,” she recalls. Her formidable intellect was shaped not by a traditional curriculum, but by a profound duality that required her to navigate vastly different worlds simultaneously.

Word to the Wise | From the Tarmac to the Campus: A Blueprint for Howard Scholars Turning Research into Reality

by Anna De Cheke Qualls | Carl E. Brown, Jr who currently serves as the State/Executive Director of the District of Columbia Small Business Development Center (DCSBDC) located at Howard, has dedicated over four decades to small business development and economic empowerment. His journey began in Rochdale Village in Jamaica, Queens, New York, a highly competitive, mixed-race community that taught him early lessons about discipline, resilience, and personal accountability. From starting a paper route delivering the Long Island Press six days a week at just twelve years old, to designing and selling jewelry, and even selling mixtapes as a disc jockey, Brown learned that success is rarely accidental.

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The Sway | October 2026