Mohamed Fofanah began his American life delivering parcels by bicycle in Manhattan. Years later, his gig work gives him the freedom to build on both sides of the Atlantic and help other African immigrants find their footing.
A profile of the academic publisher building language, methods, and lasting space for Black scholarship
Some people build careers. Leslie Short built a life that defies categories. She has been a professional ballerina, an international performer, a theater owner in Japan, a boxer, a marketing executive who helped shape the global FUBU brand, a hospital chaplain, a leadership strategist, a mediator, an accessibility advocate, and now, an author inspiring others to embrace the power of being “the first.”
For years, Chancel Soumah lived in a quiet tug-of-war between two worlds. Born and raised in the United Kingdom to a Congolese mother and Guinean father, Soumah spent much of her early life trying to fit into a British identity that often left little room for the complexity of African heritage.
Some nights feel like a celebration. Others feel like a testimony. Friday, May 22nd night was both the night when resilience became joy, and the night when every story of struggle was transformed into something larger: proof that healing, when sustained by community and commitment, can become a legacy.
There is an African proverb that says, “Mgeni njoo, mwenyeji apone” – “Let the guest come so that the host may be healed.” It suggests that a visitor brings more than just their presence; they bring news and blessings that can restore a home to new strength.
Prof. Cord J. Whitaker suggests that the most influential element in many organizations right now is fear. It does not sit on the organization chart. It does not have a title. But it shows up anyway, quietly steering decisions, shaping what people will not say, deciding what to avoid, and determining how conflict is handled.
On March 27, 2026, President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana will visit Philadelphia for a day built around four major stops: Lincoln University, the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, Temple University, and a Ghana-focused pop-up opening at Brown’s ShopRite.
While names like Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Maya Angelou rightfully have their place in our history books, countless other Black women, who shaped America through their courage, brilliance, and determination, have their contributions relegated to the background or forgotten entirely.
Higher education is under fire from every side: families questioning the return on investment, political pressure reshaping what campuses can say, and a cultural climate that treats disagreement as dangerous. And in the middle of that, Rev. Lamont Wells’ message throws a challenge: “If colleges were founded to widen access and form ethical citizens, why are so many institutions shrinking into fear?”
