Black Excellence is everywhere, but, according to Ashley Christopher, Esq. it starts at HBCU Week.
Christopher, President, CEO and Founder of HBCU Week, set out in 2017 with a mission: encourage high-school-aged youth to enroll in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, provide scholarship dollars for matriculation and sustain a pipeline for employment from undergraduate school to corporate America, all while minimizing student debt. For five years straight, the double HBCU alumna, has done just that.
HBCU Week Foundation, Inc. hosted its fifth annual HBCU Week Awards Gala presented by Bank of America on June 28 at the Hotel Dupont in Wilmington, Delaware. While the Awards Gala is the most glamorous of the week-long programmatic initiative, the HBCU Week College Fair is most impactful. Separating itself from other college fairs, a majority of the participating colleges engage in a “on the spot” acceptance process. Students that attend the fair with a copy for their transcript and a report with the requisite SAT/ACT score, could be admitted into college and offered a scholarship, on the spot. Since its inception, more than 8,000 on the spot acceptances had been offered.
The 2023 HBCU Week College Fair results are as followed: 2,366 on the spot acceptances, 1,336 scholarships offered, 967 partial scholarships offered, 369 full-rides offered, and over $22 million in scholarships offered.
There are many ways the collective community can support HBCU Week Foundation, but Christopher mentioned a capacity oversight she’d like to see addressed.
“HBCUs are only 3% of colleges and universities nationwide. Last year, Howard University received a record number of 40,000 applicants,” she told ESSENCE. “It would be nice for the younger generation to advocate for that space to be expanded. There is a high demand, but the supply is diminishing.”
With assistance from a slew of sponsor invested in supports the organization’s sold-out fundraiser, Brand Ambassador, Steven A. Smith was clear on what he’d like to see from the community, “Awareness and effort. And less chitter-chatter,” he told ESSENCE. “Too many of us from our community, talk a good game. But when it’s time to act and get on the front lines and do something about it—you have to put an APB (all-points bulletin) out on people. There are different ways to fight. The question is, are you in the fight?”
Honorees for the 2024 gala included Tiffany Cross (Social Impact Award) and Bryan-Michael Cox (Trailblazer Award).
Brian-Michael Cox, 10x Grammy award-winning songwriter/producer and a Clark Atlanta University grad was honored with the Trailblazer Award. Cox attributed his success to his HBCU education. “I discovered a lot about myself, my history, and my heritage,” Cox told ESSENCE he comes from a long legacy of HBCU-educated people. Both his parents are Bethune Cookman alum and many relatives are Florida A&M University alum. Cox called CAU his original network. There he met his manager and beloved producers, DJ Drama and DJ Don Cannon.
Fellow CAU alum, journalist and TV host Tiffany Cross, was awarded the Social Impact Award. The former host of “The Cross Connection” and “The Culture Is” on MSNBC, Cross is embodiment of her alma mater’s motto, “find a way, or make one.” The current co-host of iHeart Podcast’s “Native Land Pod” humbly accepted the award, admitting to feel unworthy of the honor. “It weird to be honored for the thing we’re supposed to do; blessed to do,” she told ESSENCE. “But I receive it and I share it with all the people who are not honored, but who are out here doing the important work.”
Antoine Oakley, Director of Government and Community Relations at Sallie Mae—a partnering sponsor—explained his role. While the name Sallie Mae may trigger fear, frustration or some form of PTSD for many, Oakley told ESSENCE, “We are proud, pleased, to partner with the HBCU Foundation to raise awareness of history, impact, and value of and HBCU education.
Since 2022, Sallie Mae has been the sponsor for the HBCU Week College Fair in Wilmington, Delaware, Atlanta, Georgia, and Orlando, Florida. That partnership has reaped 24000 more than 4,000 on the spot acceptance and over $33 million in full and partial scholarships.
Oakley explained to ESSENCE that while it is important to get the youth into college, the retention rate to actual matriculation is far more critical.
Additionally, Sallie Mae, partnered with Delaware State University—the only HBCU in the state—with $1 Million grant to look at completion. The program is meant to bring those that dropped out of school, back in. “They incurred debt, they spent the money, but they don’t have the benefit of the credentials,” Oakley told ESSENCE. “So, come on back. We’re doing a lot to make an easier pathway, for, what we call, ‘adult learners’ to complete their degree [too].”
Delaware Governor John Carney, Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki, and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester were also in attendance with the hopes of changing lives and creating access to opportunities for the next generation of students.
Sponsors for the 2024 HBCU Week Awards Gala included The Buccini/Pollin Group (BPG); Capital One; Chemours; ChristianaCare; city of Wilmington (Del.); Wilmington (Del.) City Council; City Treasurer of Wilmington (Del.); Delaware State University; Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI); HBCU Week Board of Directors; New Castle County; Sallie Mae; The Warehouse; Vanguard; and WSFS Bank.
Help support the next generation of Black trailblazers by donating to HBCU Week, HERE.