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SNIPES USA, the leading footwear retailer connecting streetwear culture with community and creativity, has launched a series of campus activations at Historically Black Colleges and Universities ( HBCUs). Through its Pay It Forward initiative, launched in 2022, SNIPES has funded HBCU scholarships and campus programs at Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Morgan State University, Central State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T), Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), Norfolk State University, and Hampton University, according to a news release shared with AFROTECH™. The initiative is rooted in SNIPES’ HBCU strategy, built on three core pillars: cultural celebration and connection, educational empowerment, and sustainable community integration. “Our work with HBCUs goes far beyond a campaign — it’s a commitment,” SNIPES USA Chief Marketing Officer Kelley Walton...
LaRue Moore is proof that it’s never too late to chase your dreams. At 77 years old, she’s pursuing a degree in African American studies at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T) — the very campus where, as a young girl, she witnessed the early days of sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement in Greensboro, NC, according to WFMY News 2. In 1960, the A&T Four, four Black freshmen, had sat at a whites–only lunch counter at F.W. Woolworth’s store. Now, Moore has returned as a witness to history and a student ready to shape her own legacy. “I want to do it just to study, enjoy it,” Moore said, per the outlet. “I wanna be able to take my time to do it, you know, and let it be my journey here at North Carolina A&T State University to get my degree and do it my way.” Moore attends classes online, seizing a second chance at education decades after first enrolling at North Carolina Central University . She studied there for a year and a half before life took...
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University kicked off its fall semester on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, making history as the first Historically Black College and University ( HBCU ) to enroll over 15,000 students. Driven by strong growth across all enrollment types — including in-state and out-of-state first-year students, transfer students, and doctoral candidates — A&T reached a record 15,275 students, a 6.7% increase from last fall’s 14,311, according to a news release from the university. This academic year marks the university’s largest single-year enrollment jump and continues to solidify its status as the nation’s largest public HBCU for the 12th consecutive year — and the largest HBCU ever for the fourth year in a row. “This is our 12th consecutive year of growth, and we continue to be humbled and grateful for the faith that our students place in us to prepare them for lives of meaning and success,” Chancellor James R. Martin II said in a statement. “North...
Class is in session at HBCU Early College Prep, New York City’s first high school dedicated to preparing students for Historically Black Colleges and Universities ( HBCUs ). Located in Jamaica, Queens, the school officially opened on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by NYC Mayor Eric Adams , Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, and Delaware State University President (DSU) Dr. Tony Allen, according to a news release from the Mayor’s Office. The school launched in partnership with DSU and welcomed its inaugural class of 100 students, marking the start of a transformative academic year. “There’s just not enough exposure to HBCUs across the country,” Dr. Asya Johnson, who led the creation of the school, told ABC News ahead of the school’s opening. “We talk about college and college access, but we do not spend enough time celebrating the history and the data around it,” she continued. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Johnson, principal of NYC...
Georgia’s Kendall Rae Johnson, 10, is the the youngest USDA-certified farmer in the U.S, according to reports. Now, she’s earned a full-ride scholarship to a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). She recently went on a national college tour with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Virginia State University, per Primetimer, where she explored South Carolina State University ’s (SCSU) research farms, academic programs, and participated in a hands-on Lego robotics workshop. Then, on July 29, 2025, SCSU announced Kendall Rae had received an $83,500 scholarship covering tuition, fees, and housing. “We were genuinely inspired by Kendall Rae’s focus and maturity,” said SCSU President Alexander Conyers. “It’s not every day you meet a 10-year-old who talks about microorganisms, crop counts, and longhorn cattle. She’s remarkable.” Kendall Rae is the driving force behind aGROWKulture, a farm founded in May 2020 in the heart of Atlanta. It serves as a hub for growing fresh...
Rep. Ro Khanna of California is on a mission to connect students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with high-paying tech jobs at leading Silicon Valley companies. According to WLBT Channel 3 News, Khanna has partnered with Jackson State University (JSU) in Jackson, MS, to ensure that Black Southerners are included in the digital revolution — particularly in AI and advanced technology fields. “There are ambitious students at our HBCUs, but we need to provide the capital to them so that they can realize their dreams,” Khanna said, WLBT reported. “I represent Silicon Valley – $14 trillion of market value. I’ve got Apple, Google , Tesla, Nvidia, and Broadcom – all trillion dollar companies in my district,” he added. “And we need to create opportunities for the Black South to have high-paying technology jobs.” On Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, Khanna spoke at the Smith Robertson Museum to highlight TechWise, a Google-funded workforce program he is currently helping to...
Howard University is on a mission to reverse the decline of Black male enrollment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities ( HBCUs). On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, the university hosted its third annual Kings of Campus Day, welcoming 150 young Black boys from the District of Columbia Public Schools and Prince George’s County Public Schools for panel discussions emphasizing the importance of Black men attending college, according to a LinkedIn post from Dr. Calvin Hadley. Hadley, the assistant provost for Student Engagement and Academic Partnerships at Howard University, said he created the event to show young males why they deserve a place at the HBCU and college in general, while urgently conveying to them how valued and needed they are. “If we are serious about increasing the number of Black males at Howard [and in higher education in general], we have to go back and contribute to building up the pipeline,” Hadley said via LinkedIn. “We are committed to this work and look...
HillmanTok University has made its way from TikTok to Capitol Hill. On March 11, 2025, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) joined forces with TikTok to celebrate the digital community for Black educators using the social media platform to reshape education and inspire approximately 135.79 million U.S. users. Several HillmanTok educators — Dr. Leah Barlow, Shyia Simmon, CPA Thurman Brooks, Kyra Brown, Denise Francis, and Gyllian Carter — visited Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, for a special reception to celebrate educational innovation and meet with members of Congress, TikTok shared in a news release. @thurman.brooks.cp Good morning Class! Myself and other Hillmantok creators got a chance to go to DC with TikTok to meet with members of congress and discuss the importance of the platform! Very grateful to have met everyone! Thank you to Andria Carter for having us and her hospitality! @Dr. Barlow’s Intro to Af-Am @Resilient Grace @YT: @gylliwilliproductions @Shyia Simmons ♬ original...
A 13-year-old who attends high school in Conyers, GA, has fulfilled his lifelong dream of receiving an acceptance letter to Morehouse College . Joshua Suddith is currently dual-enrolled at Hills Academy and Augusta Technical College, completing 27 credit hours with a GPA of 3.88, according to 11 Alive News. In his free time, Joshua enjoys playing basketball like typical kids his age — but he is anything but ordinary. By 9 months old, he was talking, and by 18 months, he was reading. At just 3 years old, he authored his first book. “His grit and determination are the most impressive things about him,” his mother, Chaundra Suddith, said. “He didn’t let challenges get in the way of his dream.” Throughout his education, Joshua skipped several grades — he moved from second grade to fifth grade, then to seventh, and then 11th grade. By age 12, he had received over 20 college acceptance letters, including from Jackson State University and Tennessee State University, 11 Alive reported....
The South and Northeast are h ome to a significant number of HBCUs . Still, Ohio houses Wilberforce, an HBCU that was erected in 1856 and 1951. The midwestern university offers teacher training and classical education. Once one university, the second school broke off and became its own official school in 1965. Both are still standing thanks to the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church and the Thurgood Marshall Fund . Find out more about the HBCU in Ohio. The First HBCU In Ohio: Wilberforce University Founded by the Cincinnati Chapter of the Methodist Episcopal and African Methodist Episcopal churches, Wilberforce University opened its doors in 1856. It is the oldest private HBCU in the United Stated that remains under the direction of African Americans. Named after William Wilberforce, a British abolitionist, the university carries an esteem of freedom and opportunity. Programs in teacher training and classical education are afforded to Black students at a tuition of less than...
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) need money to continue to bring quality education to their students. Fortunately, well-known companies are donating to these programs that serve Black students, non-Black students of color and white students. Among these HBCU industry supporters are Boeing , Northrop Grumman Corporation , IBM , Microsoft Corporation and General Motors . Government and nonprofit HBCU supporters include NASA , the Air Force , the Army Corps. , the Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense . And while all HBCU programs are significant, there’s a particularly notable number of doctors who come from HBCUs. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that, in 2021-22, 61% of the 3,000 doctor’s degrees were awarded by HBCUs. Here’s our list of companies that support HBCU medical undergrad programs. UMG Supports HBCU Medical Programs Universal Music Group (UMG) has partnered with HBCUs to further open the pipeline of Black medical practitioners....
The merry-go-round is meant to spin a person into a euphoric experience, going into a repetitive motion until they reach peak joy. Although this concept is fun for many children, the proverbial merry-go-round of life is much less enjoyable in adulthood. The consistent pulling back of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives feels just like that: a repetitive cycle of the same thing, wondering when it will all end. The latest announcement of organizations rolling back DEI comes out of North Carolina. According to Inside Higher Ed, the University of North Carolina (UNC) state system voted to ban DEI policies and offices. Passing with a 22-2 vote, the ban calls for state institutions to cut funding and eliminate positions related to DEI across the system’s 16 campuses. In its place, the system will roll out a “equality within the university” policy that ensures balance across the system, claiming that previous policies did not align with the state system’s culture of...
It can be a bittersweet feeling when students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are proud to rep their school while also facing the challenges that may come with attending one. According to a 2022 report by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice (Temple University), out of a surveyed 5,000 students from 14 private and public HBCUs in the fall of 2020, 46% shared that they “ lacked sufficient food a month prior to when the survey was taken.”
Professors at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Maryland are helping incarcerated men advance their education. In the fall of 2022, Bowie State University became the first HBCU in Maryland to offer a bachelor’s degree program at a correctional facility, per The Baltimore Banner.
