Kindermusik with Ms. Winnie

11/23/2025

When Robert F. Smith stood on the stage at Morehouse College in 2019, no one knew what he was about to do. In a single announcement, he wiped out all the student loan debt for 396 graduates. $34 million gone. But even though the moment made headlines around the world, Smith did not stop. He kept working to help students succeed long after the applause faded.

What makes the moment even more powerful is how his own journey began. When Smith was in high school, he kept calling Bell Labs trying to get an internship that was only meant for college students. In his 2015 commencement speech at American University's School of International Service, Smith said, "I called every Monday for about 5 months… I kept at it… To my great surprise, Bell Labs' HR director finally called me back." That opportunity helped him earn money for college and discover the engineering work that shaped his future.

After his Morehouse gift, Smith helped launch the Student Freedom Initiative and its career platform internXL. The platform now connects about 30,000 STEM students with paid internships, training, and career opportunities at companies such as AT&T, PwC, Deloitte, Citi, and Vista Equity Partners. For many students, a paid internship is the first real step into a career. By helping create pathways to those opportunities, Smith's work continues to open doors long after the Morehouse gift was made.

stayinspirednews.com/billionaire-robert-f-smith-continues-to-give-back

📸 (Photo: Courtesy of Robert F. Smith | Chester Higgins Jr. / The New York Times)

11/18/2025

He wasn’t a scientist. Not an engineer. Just a man with a wrench and a mind that wouldn’t quit.

In the 1930s, when most of the world believed refrigerated transport was impossible, Frederick McKinley Jones—a self-taught mechanic with only an 8th-grade education—was quietly changing history from his garage.

Born in 1893 in Cincinnati and orphaned by age nine, Jones grew up fixing cars, radios, and anything he could get his hands on. But it was in 1938 that he created something that would change how the world eats: the first automatic refrigeration system for trucks.

This wasn’t just a convenience—it was a revolution. His invention meant perishable goods could now be shipped safely across long distances, keeping food fresh and medicine viable. Hospitals, grocery chains, and farms were transformed forever.

And then came WWII. Jones’ invention became the backbone of the military food supply chain. His Thermo King system helped keep soldiers nourished on the front lines, saving lives with every convoy.

By the time he died in 1961, Jones had over 60 patents, and his legacy had reshaped global food systems—yet many still don’t know his name.

He didn’t have fancy degrees. He had drive.

If a man with an 8th-grade education could invent something that fed the world—what’s stopping you from changing yours?

10/16/2025

On the same day Taylor Swift released her new CD, Ledisi released a new CD too. She pays tribute to Dinah Washington. She introduces Washington’s music to a new generation. She was the entertainment one year at the NDIGO GALA at the Opera House, suggested by Quincy Jones. She was a hit. She is the headliner this year at the Chicago Urban League Fellowship Dinner.

04/14/2024

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03/27/2024

Strands #24
“This is where I draw the line”
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03/27/2024

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05/05/2023

10/10/2012

Saxophonist Tia Fuller recently held her CD release party at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola for her latest Mack Avenue Records release "Decisive Steps." The disc fea...

08/27/2010