Traditionally many people view the holidays as a time to give back, and while the country is full of people in need year-round, no time is more apparent than during the holiday season. Like many other entities, several HBCUs have recently held charitable efforts to provide for children and families —such as North Carolina A&T's "Winter Wishes in Aggieland" event, as Blavity previously reported.
However, some of these efforts aren't getting the attention they deserve, so we've compiled a list of five HBCU-led initiatives about doing positive work for the community.
ASUletide
Alabama State University (ASU) recently continued its eleven-year tradition of putting on "ASUletide" —an effort that provides clothing and toys for children in need. In partnership with the HandsOn River Region's Christmas Clearinghouse, the event provided gifts for 78 kids from 16 different families.
"We are so happy that we can continue to have ASUletide giving with the faculty, staff, and all of our administrators participating to ensure we make Christmas a very special Christmas for many families within our community," ASU's president Dr. Quinton T. Ross Jr. said. "We are blessed here at Alabama State University to be a blessing to others."
Christmas with the Queens
Two New Orleans-based HBCUs teamed up this month in the name of supporting local youth.
Specifically, DeJoan Mitchell and Kirsten McGowan, aka Miss Dillard and Miss Xavier University, spearheaded "Christmas with the Queens," a competition to see which school can raise more money for children's gifts.
"Both HBCUs have 10 days to see who can raise the most money," the Christmas with the Queens announcement read. "Everyone is welcome to participate and support their favorite HBCU!"
The initiative will continue until Saturday. There's nothing wrong with a little competition — especially if it's for a good cause!
VSU Gives Back
In the spirit of the holiday season, Virginia State University (VSU) administrators put on "VSU Gives Back" on Thursday. Through this initiative, the administrators each donated one new bicycle—ultimately collecting over thirty bikes for children in Petersburg, VA.
VSU partnered with the city for the effort, and Mayor Samuel Parham expressed his gratitude in a statement shortly after the event concluded.
"The City of Petersburg thanks VSU’s Leadership team for their contribution of bicycles to children in need in Petersburg. Too many children often make do with hand-me-downs," he said. "By donating these bikes, VSU is giving many disadvantaged children an uplifting experience of receiving and enjoying something new during the holiday season."
Rattler Radiance
Eight Florida A&M University (FAMU) students spread their holiday spirit last week through a "community service event" called "Rattler Radiance." The initiative included the FAMU students gifting Black beauty products to a group of ten elementary-aged girls, it also featured activities like hair braiding and nail painting.
Notably, the college students also spoke to the young girls about the power of education and the future opportunities that lie ahead.
“The young ladies were overjoyed when they received their gifts, explaining why they adored them and what they intended to do with them," recalled Theresa Jean-Baptiste, a FAMU pharmaceutical student.
"The result of this event exceeded my expectations because I learned more than just about FAMU. I learned that the children in our community are the next generation of Rattlers, and we must protect and uplift them," she added.
HU Appreciation Bonus
Hampton University (HU) decided to acknowledge the upcoming Christmas holiday by giving out cold hard cash.
The Virginia-based HBCU specifically provided all faculty and staff with a $200 "Appreciation Bonus"–a truly handy gift as many people finish up their last-minute gift buying.
On top of the Appreciation Bonus, the university is also raising its campus minimum wage to $15 an hour, effective at the start of 2022. Resultingly, the entire on-campus employee community essentially got a small financial boost as a holiday acknowledgement.
"It brings me joy to extend greetings to you during the holiday season,” HU President Dr. William R. Harvey said. “This year’s holiday season is even more meaningful because of the many changes that we have experienced over the last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The holiday season is a time of sharing."
"In that spirit, I am giving every Hampton University employee an Appreciation Bonus of $200 as a Christmas gift and the University is increasing the minimum wage from $13 an hour to $15 an hour, effective January 1, 2022," Harvey continued. "It is my hope that the Appreciation Bonus and the wage increase will be beneficial to you and your family."
Let's take these HBCU-led initiatives as inspiration to continue to give back to our communities this holiday season!
