Clippers HBCU Night entertained and educated youth while unifying and celebrating the alumni of Black institutions.
The festivities included a panel called “HBCU Talks” where prominent alumni talked about their experiences at their respective colleges and universities.
“HBCU Talks is a segment to where we’re actually able to host prospective college students, high school students and counselors, parents to be able to come out and actually learn the significance of HBCUs and learn the benefits of attending an HBCU,” said HBCU Night founder and Howard alum Dre Martin.
The panel included Spelman alum and Amazon Music head of music industry partnerships Phylicia Fant, Howard Alum and Google Ads Color Marketing Manager Zuri Godfrey, Bowie State alum and CEO of HBCU Buzz Luke Lawal.
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In HBCU Talks, the panelists explored several topics including financial aid, time management, the environment at an HBCU, and adjusting to adulthood. Fant chose to attend Spelman to honor the legacy of her mother who also attended the university.
A reoccurring topic was how HBCUs cultivate a family environment. They are a place where students can build strong connections, according to Fant.
“It’s really [the students] understanding the importance of … how do you balance education and having a good time,” Fant said. “HBCUs bring community, they bring balance but they also bring fun and I think that’s the importance of what HBCU’s are.”
After HBCU Talks, the high school students were able to attend a college fair of over 10 HBCUs. Some students were given free Common Black College Applications and scholarships.
North Carolina Central University alum Tondea King was eager to expose students to her university.
“We don’t get to hit the West Coast or L.A. or any other state on … this side of the country,” King said. “HBCUs are important to me, my alma mater is very important to me.”
FAMU, Clark Atlanta, and Grambling State were some of the HBCUs at the fair.
“Got a lot of information, other than that, it was good vibes,” said Donnell Brown. “The fair, it’s a lot of colleges, not that much, but it’s enough. They’re giving out a lot of good information.”
The Clippers also hosted a pre-game mixer where HBCU alums gathered, wearing their university or Divine Nine fraternity and sorority colors. Prior to the start of the Clippers game against the Utah Jazz, two youth majorette and drumline teams went head-to-head on the court.
At halftime, members of the Divine Nine performed together with recording artist Dorrough. Howard alum and actor Nick Cannon was the host of Clippers HBCU Night.
“California kids don’t always know about HBCUs like in other states,” said C.R. Cochrane McClurkin, who is the former president of the Howard Alumni Association of Southern California. “We have the Divine Nine Greek organization … so we get to tell the kids that and we give money to them to go to college.”
