By Dr. Harry L. Williams
President & CEO
Thurgood Marshall College Fund
Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance was a celebration of Black culture on one of the world’s largest stages in the midst of Black History Month. It was also a reminder of the influence Black artists, traditions and institutions like historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have on American culture and history.
If you’ve ever stepped foot on an HBCU campus, you know that music is deeply woven into the fabric of their collective histories and foundations. Marching bands, gospel choirs and jazz ensembles aren’t hard to find and all have central roles in shaping HBCU culture. On a lot of campuses and contrary to popular perception, you’ll find that a marching band member has a higher social standing than a football player. These entities ensure HBCUs are centers of academic excellence and artistic innovation.
The Southern University and A&M College marching band, known as The Human Jukebox, also played at the Super Bowl during the pre-game show. They followed in the footsteps of Jackson State University’s Sonic Boom of the South that performed in Usher’s halftime show last year and many HBCU marching bands that have played at the Super Bowl. These bands have influenced pop culture and music worldwide and embody the essence of Black creativity.
As a cultural force, HBCUs sometimes reflect the moment and other times shape it. When HBCU marching bands continued the wave of popularity for “Not Like Us” in the fall, a defining anthem of the moment, they reflected the energy and pride of Black music. When Beyoncé drew inspiration from HBCUs for her legendary Coachella performance, the world was reminded that HBCUs set the standard.
Black culture and history are American culture and history. HBCUs are a vital part of that. We know that HBCUs produce a disproportionate number of Black judges, Black doctors and Black engineers. We see the game-changing research they produce, from cutting-edge equitable health strategies, agricultural innovations and scientific and technological advancements. All of these accomplishments have occurred from doing more with less, as HBCUs have been inequitably funded in comparison to public predominantly white institutions by billions of dollars. Imagine the contributions to society and economic benefits that could result from equitable funding.
HBCUs deserve the same commitment to infrastructure and research funding as all public institutions. The Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s recent $25 million grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. is a step in the right direction for those initiatives, but it doesn’t offset decades of underfunding.
Kendrick Lamar’s performance and the longstanding influence of HBCU culture serves as a reminder: Black excellence is not a moment, but a movement. It’s something we can celebrate and invest in all year, not just in February.
