Rochester celebrated the legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) this weekend as the city hosted the inaugural Frederick Douglass HBCU Football Classic.
The gathering brought the community together to celebrate schools that have shaped Black education and leadership for over 100 years. Held at the Rochester Community Sports Complex, the festivities included a football match between Central State University and Albany State University, tailgate parties, performances, and food.
Deonna Edwards, the organizer of the tailgates, said the goal was to raise awareness about HBCUs among local youth.
“The idea behind this is basically to bring the HBCUs to the forefront for our community, [especially] youth that may not be aware of what the HBCUs are,” she said. “We want them to see our Black and brown people, football team, dancers, the majorettes and just alumni.”
The youth in attendance Saturday were encouraged to explore the opportunities HBCUs offer in education and culture. Today, more than 100 HBCUs in the U.S. collectively enroll nearly 300,000 students annually.
(Video of the Albany State ‘Marching Ram Show Band’ at Saturdays HBCU game in Rochester):
Rochester Gas and Electric was among the dozens of event sponsors, and Communications Manager Alexis Arnold spoke about the value of supporting youth and promoting education.
“I think it’s important for our young people to know what’s attainable to them beyond high school and after college — and to see people who look like them, who are playing sports at a high level, people who are going on to be doctors, lawyers or whatever, serving their community,” said Arnold. “I think it’s important for the youth in our community to know that they can do all things and all things are possible.”
HBCUs, which comprise just 3% of the nation’s colleges, produce nearly 20% of all Black college graduates in the U.S.
After the Albany State Rams defeated the Central State Marauders on Saturday by a score of 28-7, Marching Marauders Band director Alvin Level said he’s excited to bring Historically Black College and University experience to Rochester.
“HBCU culture is infectious, and so we’re excited about being here,” said Level. “We’ve attended several high schools this year…this week, we want to come back and do some recruiting, hoping to get some students from Rochester be a part of the band.”