I’m doing this HBCU tour in honor of my uncle who passed away in 2005. He was a graduate of South Carolina State University and a brother of Omega Psi Phi, Inc. He loved his HBCU and alway encouraged me to go to one. Due to reasons out of my power, I could not attend an HBCU. My uncle died 5 months after his 28th birthday and this year, in November. I turn 28 and I wanted to make it the best year in his honor.
This is my NITRO (my uncle’s line name) year, so I decided to go on an HBCU tour to experience what I missed out on and to help expose HBCU’s through my platform. I am targeting small HBCU’s because they matter too. My goal is to encourage more children who look like me to go to an HBCU and to also end the stigma that a black degree doesn’t get you far in life . If your name is on the degree, you determine how far you will let it take you.
I also want more people (communities) to get more involved and in the habit of giving back to HBCU’s being that they get funded differently from PWI’s, especially small HBCU’s . They get little to no funding and little to no exposure . I have been to Virginia State University, Benedict University, and will be at South Carolina State University’s Homecoming.
My experience so far has been amazing and I regret not going to an HBCU, but I’m glad that I decided to do this because its an amazing experience . I’ve also partnered with Doughman Netwurk and will be bringing him with me to South Carolina State University Homecoming on 10/19, so that he can experience and HBCU homecoming.
I grew up attending a lot of HBCU events and South Carolina State University was the school I always wanted to go to. I grew up going to their homecomings and their Youth Day as a kid. To bring someone from Virginia to South Carolina to see what I grew up on and experienced has to be the most amazing things ever. I want absolutely no gain from this other than to inspire people to get more involved in HBCU’s and encourage more children to go to one. I’m hoping that this becomes a movement because our HBCU’s matter and I don’t want any of them shutting down! I want them all to thrive.
by Nay Nichelle of Locs Image
