FunTimes Magazine joined partners from Temple University’s Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection and Lincoln University for an oral history methodology training session with student scholars preparing to document the lived memories of elders whose lives connect African, Caribbean, African American, Civil Rights, and Pan-African histories.
While university education remains important, many young people are recognizing that skills can open doors to entrepreneurship, financial independence, and global opportunities in ways that traditional career paths sometimes cannot.
In Africa, Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept discussed only at technology conferences or projected as humanity’s next great advancement. It is rapidly becoming an everyday tool. Whether through the algorithms shaping social media engagement and marketing, or the software driving mobile banking and enabling seamless financial transactions, AI has gradually found its way into homes, businesses, classrooms, hospitals, and even local markets.
Organized by the foundational architect of Afrocentric theory, Professor Molefi Kete Asante, Chair of the Department of Africology at Temple University and founder of the Molefi Kete Asante (MKA) Institute, the gathering at the Pennsylvania Convention Center for the Global Afrocentricity Workshop and Symposium radiated an intense, focused energy.
The 2026 landscape demands institutions that offer practical training, verifiable industry access, and technical depth. Based on these criteria, five institutions currently stand out as the most vital training grounds for the next era of African cinema.
African women leaders are becoming guiding lights for millions of girls who need to see what is possible. Their mentorship is a powerful force capable of transforming lives and shaping the development of the African girl child.
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?”
You may have heard the term STEM, but what does it stand for? It is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. But before it became a buzzword, it was already alive in our communities. From skincare formulas mixed in kitchens to our parents fixing what couldn’t be replaced, Black communities have always blended science, technology, and innovation into everyday life.
On a Saturday afternoon at Penn’s Gutman College House, a group of Black boys is doing something radical. They are learning to hold a violin bow or read sheet music; preparing to sit in a PEACE circle with total strangers and to facilitate a community-building circle session to complete their rite of passage.
Jumping straight into graduate school after finishing a bachelor’s degree sounds like the most logical next step. It felt like a smooth, professional decision. However, halfway through this first semester, I have realized it is a massive adjustment, but it is teaching me things about my resilience and capacity.
