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- ✨ Growth, Access & Black Joy — Your Weekly HBCU Roundup
✨ Growth, Access & Black Joy — Your Weekly HBCU Roundup
From classrooms to courtrooms to championship courts — this week’s stories prove HBCU excellence never clocks out.
In partnership with
👋🏾 Hey Fam,
Hope y’all are feeling good this week — because the stories we’ve got lined up? Yeah… they hit. Big energy, big moves, and big reminders of why this HBCU community stays unmatched.
We’re talking access, joy, leadership, and folks pushing the culture forward in ways only we can. No spoilers… just trust, you’ll feel it. Let’s tap in. ✨
👟Benedict College Flips the Script
Benedict just made history with 54% male enrollment — one of the only HBCUs (or colleges nationwide) doing it. They’re proving that when you invest in young Black men, they rise.
🎓 Spelman Expands College Access Nationwide
Spelman’s National Education Opportunity Network (NEON) partnership is leveling the field — giving Title I high school students access to real Spelman courses and credits. Nearly 300 students are already in the mix.
🌟 11 HBCU Alumni Who Shaped the Culture
A stacked list of HBCU grads making waves across music, film, politics, and more. From Hollywood to Capitol Hill, the blueprint stays Black and HBCU-made.
🗣️ Trump’s HBCU Comment Sparks Backlash
President Trump claimed HBCUs would “go out of business” without Chinese students — but receipts show international students are only 2.5% of HBCU enrollment. Social media didn’t hold back.
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⛳️ Homemade Clubs to HBCU Greatness — Godfrey’s Rise Is Different
If “against all odds” had a face, it would look a lot like Godfrey Nsubuga. Before he was repping Winston-Salem State on the golf course, he was back home in Uganda crafting golf clubs out of tree branches and making balls from whatever he could find. No fancy gear, no country club — just pure grit and curiosity.
Now? He’s out here competing in U.S. qualifiers, ranking among the best, and turning heads every time he steps on the green. And the wild part? His mindset is his superpower.
💭 “Ball behind a tree? I’m still saying, ‘Must make par.’ And I usually do.”
💡 Why It Matters: Godfrey is showing the world that HBCUs produce champions in every arena — even the ones folks don’t expect.
NBA HBCU Fellowship Program (Paid Summer Internship)
Dreaming of working in sports? The NBA HBCU Fellowship Program places HBCU students inside NBA teams and league offices for a 10-week paid internship. Think marketing, partnerships, social impact, legal, ticketing — real work, real mentors, real access.
📍 Who’s Eligible: HBCU undergrad or grad students (sophomores–grads)
💰 Award: Paid internship + housing + travel
📅 Program Dates: June 8 – August 14, 2026
⏰ Deadline: December 5, 2025
🔗 Apply Now →
👉🏾 Visit our Career Hub for more job opportunities!
5 Strong Scholars (Full-Ride!)
A life-changing opportunity for high-achieving seniors in Atlanta or Houston who are ready to step onto an HBCU campus with full support behind them. The 5 Strong Scholars Scholarship partners with top HBCUs to build cohorts that stay together from day one to graduation.
Who’s Eligible: High school seniors in Metro Atlanta or Metro Houston
🎓 Participating HBCUs: Benedict, Stillman, Fisk, Texas Southern, Alabama State & more
💰 Award: Full-tuition scholarship + ongoing support
⏰ Deadline: December 31, 2025
🔗 Apply Here →
👉🏾 Visit our Scholarships Page for more HBCU scholarships!
Pepsi National Battle of the Bands (MLK Weekend 2026)
The National Battle of the Bands is taking the culture to The Palm Beaches for an expanded MLK Weekend celebration. Expect elite HBCU bands, a fan experience, an HBCU career fair, entrepreneurship conference, stroll-off, and more.
📍 Location: Palm Beach County, FL
📅 Event Weekend: January 15–18, 2026
🎟️ Tickets Start at: $20
🎶 Bands Performing: FAMU, FMU, NCAT, SCSU, Southern U, and more
🚌 The Detroit Mom Who Turned the HBCU Tour Into a Joy-Filled Movement
When Remeta Hicks-Montgomery looked back on her own college tours — excited but unprepared, hungry but too proud to say it — she knew the next generation deserved better. So she created The Kindred Collective, a reimagined HBCU tour rooted in care, culture, and pure Black joy.
Students travel to 10 iconic HBCUs, stay in quality hotels, eat well, feel supported, and walk through history with confidence — no struggling, no shame, no student left behind.
💭 “Our history — and what HBCUs stand for — is community and care. Kindred leans deeply into that.”
💭 Her Vision: To make HBCU tours a form of cultural inheritance — giving students the exposure, confidence, and access she once needed herself.
💡 Her Impact: Kindred isn’t just a tour. It’s a transformation — preparing first-gen students to choose their futures boldly, joyfully, and on purpose.
📸 IG Post of the Week
Straight from the Yard 👉🏾 Each week we’re pulling one of our favorite moments off IG to keep the culture in your inbox. Don’t just peek—make sure you’re following so you never miss a vibe.
⚖️ HBCUs & Women Athletes Pushing Back in the New College Sports Era
With colleges now allowed to pay athletes directly, the landscape is shifting fast — and HBCUs are feeling the pressure. Schools like Morgan State are trying to stay competitive without cutting opportunities for women, even as budgets stretch thin and new roster limits loom.
Some schools are making tough cuts. Others are hustling — hosting events, booking concerts, and stacking “guarantee games” just to keep women’s sports alive. Female athletes say the changes feel unclear at best… and unfair at worst.
💡 Why It Matters: If HBCUs and women’s teams get squeezed out now, decades of progress could disappear overnight. Equity isn’t guaranteed — it has to be protected.
📚 HBCU Leaders — Philly Is Calling for the 2026 HBCU Conference
If you’re in the work of leveling up student success, the 2026 HBCU Conference is where you need to be. It’s three days of collaboration, fresh ideas, and real talk on how we move our campuses forward.
📍 Philadelphia Marriott Downtown
📅 March 16–18, 2026
🎟️ For HBCU professionals & advocates
🗣️ This Week’s Question: What part of your journey are you focused on right now? |
That’s it for this week, fam. Just remember — growth comes in waves, and you’re right on time. Keep choosing you, keep choosing joy, and keep carrying that HBCU pride everywhere you go.
See you next week. 💛
— Team HBCU Lifestyle
#HBCULifestyle #HBCUPride #BlackExcellence #HBCUCommunity #StayInspired