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Photo by: Urban One

As we gear up to celebrate our Icons of the Culture at the 5th annual Urban One Honors, we also salute historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the nation.

Those institutions are the settings we have always been welcomed and accepted for who we truly are as a collective, and they are also a source of great pride for the community.

Black Excellence is always on display at the Urban One Honors, and there was no exception at this year’s show.

We shined a light on HBCUs yet again during the Urban One Honors Fan Zone, sponsored by AT&T Dream in Black. We salute the students in attendance, especially those who made appearances in the show. Keep reading to learn more about them and their schools!

Alexis Holmes, a senior at the iconic Spelman College is a health science major with big aspirations!

The vibrant history of Spelman College emphasizes its contributions to society.

The Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, which was founded in 1881, later changed its name to Spelman College in 1924.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) has accredited Spelman, which is a proud member of the Atlanta University Center Consortium and a global pioneer in the education of women of African heritage.

Honors student Justin Collins is majoring in mass communication with a sociology minor at Prairie View A&M University.

He moved to Chicago, Illinois, and started attending Prairie View A&M University in 2021. He is currently a sophomore.

He is a rising singer and the leader of the LANES apparel company and organization (Living Above Normal Everyday Standards).

Andre “Add-2” Daniels, an AT&T Black Future Maker whose music has earned him notoriety from publications like GENIUS and Complex, is a mentor to Collins.

The renowned alumni of Prairie View A&M University have a colorful history that highlights their contributions to society.

In the state of Texas, Prairie View A&M University is the second-oldest public university. It is a historically Black institution or university that has welcomed anyone seeking a top-notch, four-year university education from inside or outside of Texas since it was founded in 1876.

Aleah Robinson, an Alabama State University junior and native of Birmingham, is majoring in accounting.

Robinson was crowned Miss Alabama State University 2022–23 on October 4th, carrying on an 83-year tradition that began at the HBCU school.

She received a job offer that most college students can only hope to get, and she accepted it.

Soon after graduating, she will begin working for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of the “Big-Four” accounting firms in the country. She will be based in the Birmingham office!

Alabama State University has a rich background story that showcases the legacies of icons that graduated from the prestigious HBCU school.

A group of African American church leaders, Northern missionaries, and black Southerners came together to start Alabama State University in 1867 as a school for former slaves.

The Lincoln Normal School began operations with just $500 in donations, guided by nine freedmen who have come to be known as the Marion Nine. ASU was established by and for African Americans, making it one of the country’s oldest institutions of higher learning today.

We cherish seeing young Black adults establish themselves in society, and we have no doubts that this group of HBCU students will go on to become icons of the culture!

Be sure to tune in as we celebrate Icons of the Culture at the 5th Annual Urban One Honors on MLK Day at 7/7c only on TV One!

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