The D.J's Music Site HBCU Campaign is an organization that honors not just the rich history of HBCUs but the current standings of these institutions, the Chancellors and Presidents (current and past), the faculty, staff, students, alumni and the success of these institutions named Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The HBCU Campaign honors 12 HBCUs each year as our apart of our HBCU of the Month initiative in spirits to raise money to give back to those supported HBCUs as well as scholarships to give to current and future HBCUs students. All HBCUs are struggling through a budget crisis, some a lot more than others. So, it's the supporters job to try and help keep these institutions of higher eduction alive and open to keep serving the history and a purpose in the near future.
Why keep HBCU institutions alive? Because they are historic landmark and part of the black and brown color timeline. HBCUs were created back in the day because of segregation, black and browns were not able to educate with whites so civil right leaders and activists such as Mary Bethune created school for Negros to go attend to earn an education.
Even though we have a set of HBCUs that we celebrate each month in the year of 2014, we also have our Top 10 favorite HBCUs who we think has set the bar this year and really impress us in the following areas: school pride, alumni giving, campus beautification, degree programs and success within their institution.
1.
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
We can not pick 10 HBCUs we like without picking our Founder HBCU. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is housed in the historical area of Pine Bluff not too far from downtown Pine Bluff. UAPB is it's nickname for short has achieved many, many accomplishments in the past couple years such as the Golden Lions Football won the SWAC tournament in 2012, the Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South march in President Obama's inaugural parade in 2009 and performed in the Honda Battle of the Bands in January 2014. Their Vesper Choir is internationally known. And the University just inaugurated their sixth Chancellor, Dr. Laurence B. Alexander this past April who is taking the campus to the next level and UAPB is best know for their outstanding agriculture and fishes program. UAPB is also known for their historic landmark, the W.E. O' Bryant Bell Tower which is located in the middle of their campus. UAPB ranks 8th in the top 10 HBCUs in alumni giving.UAPB was named our 'HBCU of the Month' of February 2014.
For more information about UAPB, visit their website at www.uapb.edu.
2.
Southern University and A&M College
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Southern University is our one of second favorite HBCUs thus far. The HBCU Campaign honored Southern University and A&M College which is located on the Bluff in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the school spirit their is outstanding! SUBR is home of the Human Jukebox who was named HBCU Marching Band of the Year at this years HBCU Awards along with Male Coach of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year. SUBR Jaguar football team won the SWAC Tournament in 2013. And their Women's Tennis Team won SWAC in 2014And the HBCU Campaign named SUBR our 'HBCU of the Month' of March 2014. This year Southern is celebrating it's 100 years on the beautiful campus they have on the bluff. Ayanna Spivey, who was thee 83rd Miss Southern University was also featured in the HBCU Campaign 2014 HBCU Desk Calendar. Southern also has four other campuses: Southern University at New Orleans, Southern University at Shreveport, Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge ( law school and Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Baton Rouge.
For more information about SUBR, visit their website at www.subr.edu.
3.
Grambling State University
Grambling, Louisiana
It's nothing and the HBCU Campaign means nothing like the Gram Fam! We love the Grambling Tigers and they campus is historically beautiful. We plan to honor Grambling as one of our 'HBCUs of the Month' in the near future. Our Founder has visited Grambling campus twice to the Frederick C. Hobdy Assembly Center to see UAPB play Grambling in basketball every year. We also love the Grambling Tiger who is located at the entrance of Grambling's campus and let's not forget the World Famed Tiger band who has participated in many United States president inaugural parades. Even though Grambling made national news this past year for boycotting practices and not attending Jackson State University homecoming game, the Gram Fam has an outstanding student body. They just recently lost their president Frank Pogue due to retirment and is currently in the search of a new president.
For more information about Grambling, visit their website at www.gram.edu.
4.
Wiley College
Marshall, Texas
Wiley College is another HBCU who must honor as one of our 'HBCUs of the Month' in the near future. Their student body who we call the Wiley College Nation, school pride is remarkable and they show us all the time they love their Wiley. Wiley has been known for many historical moments, such as being home of the famously 'The Great Debaters,' and being notable as one of the oldest predominantly black colleges west of the Mississippi River. And this past May, Wiley's 'A Cappella Choir performed at the opening convocation for the International Association of Methodist-related Schools, Colleges and Universities which took placed in Japan. Believe it or not, Wiley is named our most spiritual school during our 'May is HBCU Campaign HBCU Pride Month'. Congratulations!
For more information about Wiley College, visit their website at www.wileyc.edu.
5.
Langston University
Langston, Oklahoma
There is not no Lions pride no other than Langston University. Another one of our only HBCU in the state institution, we have to named Langston one of our favorites. Being named after a civil rights pioneer, Join Mercer Langston (1829-1897), Langston is home of the navy blue and orange and was also part of the second season of the reality TV Show College Hill that was shown on BET. Langston was named our 'HBCU of the Month' in November 2013 and we would love to celebrate their campus again in the near future!
For more information about Langston, visit their website at www.langston.edu.
6.
Kentucky State University
Frankfort, Kentucky
Here is another choice pick from our Founder, he states it something about that Green and Gold he loves and he can not wait to honor them as our 'HBCU of the Month' in October this year. KYSU is the only historically black institution in the state of Kentucky and home of Alumnus Whitney Young. In 2012, our founder announced that he might be leaving the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff due to some situations and got accepted to Kentucky State but something happened and he returned back to UAPB. Those those Thorobreds has product some great achievements throughout the year, such as their Men's Golf team was crowned SIAC champs of 2014 and in March, Toyota partnership with KYSU. KYSU president, Dr. Mary Evans Sias announced she is stepping down and going into retirement and the Kentucky State University Board of Regents announced that past president, Raymond Burse (who was president from 1982 to 1989).
For more information about KYSU, visit their website at www.kysu.edu.
7.
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Who said the HBCU Campaign couldn't included our 'HBCU of the Month' of July? Winston-Salem State University is one historically black colleges where it has an historical historical background and an historical beautiful campus too us. On July 1, 1972 - WSSU become one of the sixteen campuses in the University of North Carolina System. WSSU is nothing but about academic excellence, this year WSSU student Olivia Franklin, who is a biology major, won first place in the Undergraduate Biological Sciences Poster Presentation category at the 2014 Emerging Researchers National Conference in STEM and newly elected Miss WSSU Leah Darby made history but being elected 35 years after her mother reigned as Miss WSSU 1979-1980. WSSU Rams Pride is not like no other... because if you not a Ram, than you ain't shhhhh.
And for more information about WSSU, visit their website at www.wssu.edu.
8.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tallahassee, Florida
It's an FAMUly Affair as we have became a part of it by loving their campus and student body. Florida A&M University, whose nickname is FAMU was our 'HBCU of the Month' of May we enjoyed every minute of it. FAMU is know to be the largest historically black college in the United States by enrollment and is the only publicly funded historically black college in the state of Florida. FAMU has an historically beautiful campus which part of their campus is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places list. The part of campus that is listed is the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College Historic District which is Martin Luther King Boulevard that goes through the campus. The old Carnegie Library is also listed. FAMU is known as Rattlers and know for their band, The Marching 100 who performed in 1993 in the 42nd Presidential Inauguration Parade and the 44th Presidential Inauguration Parade as well as Super Bowls. We hope to honor FAMU again as one of our 'HBCUs of the Month,' their school spirit and their campus warmth is like no other, it's FAMUly.
For more information about FAMU, visit their website at www.famu.edu.
9.
Bethune-Cookman University
Daytona Beach, Florida
Bethune-Cookman University has so much historical meaning behind it, how could we leave the wildcats out. Bethune-Cookman University is one of the universities who set the tone of why HBCUs are so important to the black community. The reason Bethune-Cookman is on of our favorites because their founder is one of our founders. Mary McLeod Bethune who was an educator and an civil rights leader founded Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School back in 1904, which was only $1.50 to start, later became Bethune-Cookman University in 2007. Throughout the year B-CU made some exciting accomplishments such as The Marching Wildcats (The Pride) appearance in the movie 'Drumline' in 2002. We would love to also honor Bethune-Cookman as one of our 'HBCUs of the Month' in the near future.
For more information about B-CU, visit their website at www.cookman.edu.
10.
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
Greensboro, North Carolina
It's something about Aggieland that the HBCU Campaign teams loves. North Carolina A&T Technical State University is an HBCU that we plan to honor as one of our 'HBCUs of the Month' and is on our visiting list. Their campus is such a beautiful campus and their school pride is something the HBCU Campaign adore. Nickname NCAT and Aggies, this is on of the oldest public universities in the United States and is the largest publicly funded HBCU in the state of North Carolina. Just like FAMU, NCAT also have an historical district named Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina Historic District, and was register in 1988.
For more information about NCAT, visit their website at www.ncat.edu.