Byron Allen’s AMG inks 10-year partnership with CIAA for HBCU GO

By Sheyla Fairley

According to an article, Allen Media Group (AMG), owned by billionaire media mogul Byron Allen, has secured “a 10-year media rights partnership with the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAA)” for its free-streaming digital platform, HBCU GO, which will be able to “provide coverage via cable, linear, streaming, broadcast, VOD, and pay-per-view of all CIAA team sports through June 30, 2032.”

“I am excited about the jobs being created, the talent identified, and the stories to be told through a platform developed to give HBCUs well deserved and long overdue exposure. This is a great day for CIAA, and we appreciate Byron Allen and his team seeing the value and importance of HBCU sports contributions to the world and how we can continue to work together to provide exposure and economic stability in our communities through sports,” said CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams-Parker.

Read the full article, here.

N.C. A&T grad creates HBCU Legacy Fashion to bring awareness to HBCUs

By Sheyla Fairley

North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, alumna Cheylaina Fultz is the founder of HBCU Legacy Fashion, a brand focused on making clothes for the children of HBCU graduates.

According to an article, the mother of three launched her brand to “build awareness and pride, as well as spark interest in obtaining higher education from an HBCU.”

“One thing we really want to stand for is being able to connect the youth to their parents’ HBCU,” Fultz said. “We held our first virtual vending for (A&T’s) homecoming in 2021 and in 2022 we held one in person. This year, we plan to do the same and expand out to a few other homecomings like Howard and Spell-House (Spelman-Morehouse).”

For more information, read the full article here.

HBCU Green Fund launches publishing arm with children’s science and nature book written by HBCU women in STEM

By Sheyla Fairley

Founded by environmental leader Felicia Davis, the nonprofit HBCU Green Fund has launched a self-titled publishing brand with their first publication being “MSITU: The Old-Growth Forest.” The book was written by Serena Echols, Imani Blue and Nia McKenzie, three STEM students and Spelman College, Atlanta, GA, graduates, and illustrated by Niara Powell.

According to an article, the children’s science and nature book takes young readers on “a magical journey into an old-growth forest where the native plant species live in perfect balance until their delicate equilibrium is disrupted by outsiders.”

“We hope to ignite the imagination of young readers,” said Echols, a recent Spelman College graduate. “By weaving messages about teamwork, understanding and the power of nature, we hope to teach young readers about unity, the forest, and the importance of nurturing and protecting the environment.”

For more details, read the full article here.

TV personality La La Anthony partners with UPS to uplift HBCUs during New York Fashion Week

By Sheyla Fairley

Actress and TV personality Alani Nicole “La La” Anthony, who briefly attended Howard University in Washington, DC, has partnered with UPS for the company’s third season as a sponsor of NYFW: The Shows  in an effort to celebrate Black designers during New York Fashion Week.

As stated in a release, the fashion show, titled BIG MOTION: An HBCU Runway, featured “pieces from three fashion brands whose designers graduated from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the country” and “received a grant of $150K total to put on their show this season.”

“Black communities are definitely underrepresented in fashion, but we’re also the ones that set the trends in fashion,” stated Anthony. “So we need to be supported, we need to be uplifted.”

The Black Footwear Forum to return at Michigan’s only HBCU

By Sheyla Fairley

The fourth annual national Black Footwear Forum (BFF) is set to take place from September 21-24 at Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design, Detroit, MI, in partnership with the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA), with the theme for this year being Culture is Currency: Know Your Worth. As stated in a   release, BFF exists to “celebrate and safeguard the influence, leadership, and creativity provided by Black professionals in the global footwear industry.”

“The Black Footwear Forum has evolved into a nationwide movement, shining a spotlight on the diverse and impactful contributions made by Black creatives within the American footwear industry on a daily basis,” stated Matt Priest, president and CEO of the FDRA. “I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to express the collective gratitude of the shoe industry, recognizing the invaluable contributions of everyone involved in the BFF. The vitality of the footwear industry is intricately tied to the involvement of the Black community, and as such, FDRA relies on the BFF to provide a vital platform for our industry colleagues to connect, learn, and celebrate together.”