Howard University, “The Mecca of Black Education,” seeks to make its mark in the world of college chess

For much of its storied existence, Howard University in Washington D.C. – a historically Black university located in America’s capital city – has been known as “The Mecca of Black Education,” or just “The Mecca”. This year, at the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Championship the Howard University Chess Club achieved the best result it has ever achieved in the Team Championship. A success that is partly due to hard training and the help of Jerald Times, an award-winning chess educator from New York City, and Tani Adewumi, the 12-year old chess talent from Nigeria, who helped the team to prepare. | Photo: (from left to right: Goodness Atanda, Lawrence D. Custis, Samir Acharya, Malcolm Wooten and Malik Castro-DeVarona | Photo: Jerald Times