By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS | Adapted from Alabama A&M University
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Three Alabama A&M University Honors scholars captured first place and $15,000 at the 2026 Penny Games Business Case Competition with a proposal to revitalize Birmingham’s historic Ensley community.
Uchenna Justin, Jailah Richie and Autumn Peoples earned the $10,000 first-place prize and an additional $5,000 Community Award for their project, “Ensley Awakened: The Solution for Ensley Is Ensley Herself.”
Held virtually October 2, the competition challenged historically Black college and university students to develop business solutions supporting Ensley’s arts, culture and economic development.
Competing against Texas Southern, Oakwood and Virginia State universities, the AAMU team proposed a resident-owned cooperative promoting local businesses, cultural preservation and community investment.
Justin led the team, Richie conducted historical research, and Peoples managed financial planning and logistics.
The students also demonstrated AAMU’s competitive strength beyond business. University teams placed second in the Cybersecurity Challenge and finished as runners-up in Debate.
Honors Program Director Dr. Monica L. Dillihunt praised the students’ creativity, teamwork and commitment to community improvement.
A portion of the winnings will support AAMU’s Honors Program.