January 19, 2025

Welcome to our weekly Sunday newsletter. We will dive into groundbreaking prostate cancer research in African men, digital equity breakthroughs at HBCUs, and the fierce competition for top honors at the NAACP Image Awards.

Genetic Breakthrough: New Study Sheds Light on Prostate Cancer Risks in African Men

By Wenlong Carl Chen

A groundbreaking study has identified genetic risk factors contributing to the high incidence of prostate cancer among African men. Conducted across eastern, southern, and western Africa, the study is the largest of its kind, recruiting 7,500 participants to uncover genetic variations specific to African populations. African men are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer, often developing more aggressive forms of the disease at younger ages compared to other populations. This research, led by the MADCaP consortium, aims to address this disparity and improve future treatment options.

By analyzing over 3,900 prostate cancer cases and 3,500 controls, researchers identified three genetic regions strongly associated with increased prostate cancer risk, unique to African populations. These findings emphasize the importance of studying diverse populations to uncover critical disease markers that may not appear in studies focused on non-African groups. The team also highlighted the immense genetic diversity within Africa, which enabled them to fine-map regions of association and better understand the underlying causes of these risks.

This study not only sheds light on the genetic architecture of prostate cancer but also sets the stage for developing predictive tools to assess individual risk levels. Such tools could transform early detection and screening programs, particularly in African settings where access to healthcare resources is limited. By addressing the genetic factors behind prostate cancer, this research holds the promise of significantly reducing the disease’s impact on African men.

campus chronicles // hbcu edition

The Mississippi Broadband Association has launched its first-ever laptop program to improve digital connectivity and education in Coahoma County. The initiative will provide large-screen laptops to 100 eligible participants at Coahoma Community College who meet income or federal assistance criteria. With a $25,000 investment, the program aims to empower students and promote digital equity in the region.

North Carolina Central University will celebrate the grand opening of its Academic Success Center in the Farrison-Newton Communications Building. The center aims to enhance student retention and success by providing academic support, study skills development, and strategies to empower students to take charge of their learning.

Grambling State University alumnus Jerald Johnson has taken an inspiring journey from a humble upbringing to becoming a successful entreprenuer. Now, he is giving back to his alma mater by establishing the J.J. Johnson Family Endowed Scholarship. This $25,000.00 endowment aims to support students in the College of Business, ensuring they have resources necessary to thrive academically.

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culture

Whoopi Goldberg, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Joy-Ann Reid, and others will compete for Outstanding Literary Work at the 56th NAACP Image Awards.

The 2025 NAACP Image Awards nominees were announced on Jan. 7, featuring nine literary categories—eight Outstanding Literary Work awards for various genres and one Outstanding Graphic Novel category—that honor diverse genres and authors, Variety reports.

The Outstanding Literary Work –Biography/Autobiography competition is intense, featuring powerhouse Black women and a posthumous nomination vying for the win.

Among the nominees are Goldberg’s Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me, Jackson’s Lovely One: A Memoir, and Reid’s Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America.

Nominated in the Outstanding Literary Work–Fiction category are A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams, Grown Woman by Sarai Johnson, Neighbors and Other Stories by Diane Oliver, One of Us Knows: A Thriller by Alyssa Cole, and What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris.

Our editor, Lisa D.Tinsley, would like to thank you for spending part of your day with KISA News Radio.

See you next Sunday.

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