Atlanta is a city of Black excellence, and HBCUs play a vital part in that.
HBCUs are historically black colleges and universities, and Atlanta is home to four: Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Spelman College. More than 35 associates currently employed at Arthur M. Blank Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of Atlanta United, are alumni of HBCUs. Some went to the schools right here in Atlanta and some went to schools outside the state. Together, these associates bring the common values of HBCUs – family, legacy, representation – into the workplace to make AMBSE the diverse and inclusive company that it is.
Atlanta United is honoring Black excellence during the club's upcoming home match on April 5. To celebrate, we spoke to some of those associates about their collegiate journeys, core values and how an education at an HBCU led them to their current careers.
Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Amber always wanted to go to an HBCU. Amber describes her hometown as a tough city, and she credits moving to Atlanta for college an experience that molded her softer, gentler side:
“I was looking for a school that could help me take that leap of faith and move to a city where I didn’t know anyone, a place that could still give me that city life, yet help me build my foundation. And that's what Clark Atlanta truly did. The school motto is, ‘Find a way or make a way,’ and I live by that. That’s been something I have inherited and was instilled in me freshman year. It’s something that, as a mother and a professional, means the world of pivoting and figuring it out. I had some of the most incredible times of my life that I experienced my four years. I studied Business Administration, I did a lot of community service, I pledged to sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. That full experience all came from me making that one decision, and that teaching I do not regret at all.”
Nate is a veteran in the world of AMBSE. He was on staff even before Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened. He worked his way up, starting as a seasonal assistant in ticket operations, then moving to general services for the Atlanta Falcons. And his most recent promotion means another step up. Now, he oversees a team that manages the suites and suite owners for Atlanta United and the Falcons.
And Nate’s success story all began at an HBCU:
“It was on Delaware State University's campus where I saw the movie, Jerry Maguire. I was a pre-law undergrad. That's what my degree was going to be in. But then, I saw the movie. For some reason, I got the DVD from Best Buy and that made me decide to change my major to sports management. Being on an HBCU campus was something totally like no other. I knew I wanted to go to college. I aspired to do great things in life, but it was on an HBCU campus that I knew that there were a ton of people that were just like me that wanted to do great things in life. Our motto at Delaware State University is, ‘Make your mark on the world.’ Even with my promotion, I feel like I'm making my mark on the world and making my university proud. It’s a sense of pride and belief that you belong and you deserve opportunities as well. And that's something the HBCU experience gives you.”
As a family-oriented person, going to Clark Atlanta felt like the right fit for Ivy. Perhaps nothing encapsulates that better than being part of a sorority and celebrating Homecoming, aspects of HBCU culture that resonate with Ivy, even to this day:
“Number one, I'm a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated which was founded at Howard University, another HBCU. It was the first sorority created for African American women. We are continuously together and talking every single day. I just celebrated 20 years last week as a member of the organization with my respective alliance sisters. That right there, that legacy of us coming together every year to celebrate our anniversary, bringing in the girls after us, is a great sisterhood even more so with Homecoming.
Homecoming is something that we celebrate every year. You never miss it. We literally say, 'This is Homecoming.' It's like a family reunion. Being able to meet the new alums, be amongst all my classmates, as well as past alums, is a great time. Especially when you think about the world that we live in. We work. We move and shake all the time, and you have that weekend that takes you back to such a nostalgic moment. It's a perfect balance between work and play. You’re meeting great people and having a good time, but there are actually business deals that happen and opportunities shared. Even being able to work for Atlanta United, that was all coming from the connections that I have going back to the Atlanta University Center.”
Timothy is the only representative from South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. The school has a lot of history with his family. Attending the same college as his mother and brother felt like an opportunity to continue the family legacy. Tim’s brother, who is six years older than Tim, served as a role model on his path.
“From the standpoint of Black excellence, everybody needs a role model. The culture of HBCUs helps with increasing the number of role models in our community. It’s really awesome that, as you've matriculated and made it through your process in the college culture, to be able to look back and say, ‘Hey, look where I started and look where I am.’ Now, someone in their freshman year or sophomore year, they're like, ‘Well, if he or she can do it, then I can do it too.’ That’s what excellence is really built upon – how can I bring up the next person to be the best that they can be.”
Kamryn knows, more than anyone, the importance of HBCUs. In her day job, she works hard to make sure HBCUs are part of the identity of AMBSE. And she went to one herself. Kamryn followed in the footsteps of her mother and went to Howard University in Washington D.C. People don't realize that HBCUs is about a community, Kamryn says, and that there will always be people to support and look up to.
Many notable artists and leaders went to HBCUs right here in Atlanta – civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (Morehouse College), his daughter and peace advocate Bernice King (Spelman), poet and civil rights activist James Weldon Johnson (Clark Atlanta), novelist Alice Walker (Spelman).
The same goes for Howard:
“Recently with Vice President Kamala Harris going to Howard, it's been great to have that light on Howard. Making sure that people know that HBCUs are still here, they still exist, and they're still having a big impact with what we have going on today. It's important. You’re walking the halls of different legends. Harris, Chadwick Boseman, Phylicia Rashad, Andrew Young, they all went to Howard. Being able to go to the same schools as people who made a difference shows that you can go and make a difference yourself.”
Miesha took a huge leap of faith when she moved 10 hours away from her home in Kansas City for college. Her bravery paid off. At first, Meisha didn’t receive any financial aid, but she ended up earning a scholarship that lasted throughout her four years at Clark Atlanta. The opportunity opened the door for her to advance her education and create her own legacy as a first-generation college student.
“I had a lot of personal growth at Clark Atlanta. It really made me open my eyes to what is possible for me, seeing so many students and people who came from similar backgrounds, even different backgrounds, be able to achieve so much and find themselves. It was a journey of exploration. A lot of self-discovery came from it, and it ultimately led me to reach for my passions more. They encouraged it. They encouraged individuality, and Clark definitely helped me to find that within myself. It propelled me to make the decisions that I have made professionally now, which led me to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was my first job right out of college, and I've been here since. Now, I’m currently the administrative coordinator, and I support three of our C-suite executives.”
For Ardelia, like so many others, HBCUs have a significant historical impact. When the first HBCUs were founded in the 19th century, schools in the South were still segregated. Brown v. Board of Education ruled in 1954 that “separate but equal” facilities in public education were unconstitutional. Before then, there were many obstacles for people to get a higher education. But being able to read and storytell and build community was important, and HBCUs offered that. They served as the primary way for Black students to continue their education until civil rights legislation brought desegregation.
Ardelia, who played volleyball at Grambling State in Louisiana, notes the historical significance of HBCUs and the ongoing relevance of their mission:
“It's an extension of a household that really wants to see the next level of children, family and community growth. I don't know if it's necessarily HBCUs or the culture that really pushes you to tap into what it is that you’re good at and make sure that you’re honing in and that you can't be denied. In this culture, specifically today, it is very relevant because a lot of times the world tells you that you're not good enough or you don't have what it takes. We’re rooted in work, hard work, no matter what. If you always have that one thing that you can point to and say, ‘I’m excelling at this,’ and you have a support system instantly, that helps any growth – the growth of any child, any human being, anybody who's trying to move to the next level. It was all-encompassing. Everybody feels the need to help. Everybody feels the need to build a great community.”
Like Atlanta United and Charlotte FC, the Florida Classic is a rivalry. Florida A&M, or FAMU, takes on fellow HBCU Bethune-Cookman every year on the gridiron. It’s the last game of the regular season, and it’s all about bragging rights.
When it comes to the football game, Amber roots for the Rattlers of Florida A&M, where she attended college. And she’s not the first in her family to do so. Amber’s family has been going to Florida A&M for four generations, so Amber was exposed to Green & Orange since birth. It gives a whole new meaning to the school's nickname: FAMU-ly.
“It's a family, a family atmosphere. It's a family culture. It’s community. It’s a sense of belonging and knowing that we all have some sort of commonality when it comes to Black culture, as well as HBCU culture, and even the reason of why HBCUs exist. My grandmother attended FAMU in the 1940s. At that time, segregation was still very much prevalent, so it was the only school she was able to attend. It’s a sense of pride, for sure.”
“I always say Atlanta is Black excellence. You have a lot of Black executives, CEOs, CFOs, in the government – people that are in powerful positions here. It speaks very loudly here. It was something that I never necessarily realized until moving to Atlanta. In terms of the demographics, coming from Jacksonville to here. You always knew about Black, white, Hispanics, etc. But here, we have a very large presence. With the HBCUs in our backyard, Martin Luther King Jr., there’s a huge, huge presence. The atmosphere and knowing the history, it definitely speaks loudly.”
Clark Atlanta University has a strong mass media arts program. The department offers three areas of concentration: journalism, public relations, and radio/television and film.
The strength of the program is what drew Keith to attend college there. As one of the top programs in the country, Keith heard a lot about it and a visit to the campus sealed the deal.
“It allowed me to see people that look like me. It gave me a feeling of belonging and togetherness, and it just felt like me. It made me draw into my culture and embrace the Black experience. And it made me build a lot of relationships that are going to last for the rest of my life.”
Keith’s education had a lasting effect on him. It gave him the tools for a career in a variety of sports from baseball to football to basketball to soccer. When he entered the professional world, he felt prepared and ready to hit the ground running.
“It's a big world out there, but the more and more different people that you meet and different sports that you go through, you learn that there's so many different alums from Clark Atlanta. It gives you a really proud feeling knowing that you’re one of those people that are also trying to create a path for the next generation.”
It was a tour up the East Coast that brought Kayla to Howard University. A friend’s mom drove, and they toured colleges along the way – UNC, Duke, NC State, University of Virginia. They arrived at Howard at two o’clock in the morning. Even in the early (or late) hours, it instantly felt like home to Kayla.
“The sense of pride, community, and the urgency to not only be the representation, but to reach back, pull forward and understand how it feels to not consistently see representation of yourself in certain spaces that you might seek interest in. That’s a tradition at HBCUs, making sure that if you don't see it for yourself, then know you can, and there’s help along the way. No matter what that looks like on a career or a community front, or if it's being an ear or becoming a mentor through life.”
Tomlinson credits Howard with developing her work ethic and sense of community. In college, she met people from all over the world. She learned how to balance her studies with the fun aspects of college life. It also deepened her connections to her home in Georgia.
“There's definitely a community of, not only culture, but creativity that is a parallel between here in Atlanta and in D.C. There are so many ways of expression and creation, and you see that here in the city. And you see that in D.C. I was a child when I left Georgia. I grew up when I was in college in D.C. at an HBCU, and I grew up in a city of Black excellence and culture and creativity. When I came back to Atlanta, that's exactly what Atlanta had become. So, it was pretty easy to jump in and get back to what I’d known. But it was also different because I felt like going to Howard prepared me to be more in the culture that I left. Especially in Atlanta, there are so many great creative things and minds. The connectivity fuels the creativity. When you feel like you belong, you want to express things that further the community.”
Jasmine’s jersey from her college days at Bethune-Cookman University shows large print and her college’s founder, civil and human rights activist Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. The school was founded in 1904 as the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls. Currently, the school is the No. 2 ranked HBCU Nursing Program in the nation.
She didn’t end up studying nursing, but Jasmine’s time at Bethune-Cookman, located in Daytona Beach, was full of activity. She was part of a lot of organizations that shaped her into who she is today, and along the way, met people who pushed her forward.
“I went to an inner-city school in Chicago for high school, but I wasn't very well-versed in Black culture. Going to an HBCU, they really teach you not just about the negatives of our history, but they really lean into progressiveness and how to be a part of society and not feel like you are forced into this small box. They show you what opportunities you can have for yourself and not to limit yourself. They instill confidence as a Black person or as a minority to feel like you do belong here. That’s huge at a Black college.”
Ariana was born and raised in Atlanta. She knew she wanted to go to Clark Atlanta since the eighth grade. From her perspective, the school offered all the things she wanted, from a cultural standpoint to the dynamics of city living that she enjoyed.
“It gave me that welcoming spirit from the first day that I toured, and I knew that was my school choice forever.”
One of the most influential moments of her time at college was being crowned Miss Sophomore. It meant a great deal in terms of aligning with the school, the culture and the spirit of greatness. Representing her class as a campus queen also gave her a boost of confidence that she carries with her to this day.
“Black excellence means a lot. It’s a very pivotal point here in Atlanta when you think about the sports. When you think about the HBCUs, the different celebrities, all the different restaurants, it's a collection of greatness overall. Whether you’re a visitor, whether you're a native, people come to Atlanta to be in the scenery of all the excellence around everywhere.”
The Homecoming game is a huge part of the culture, and so is the drumline. And Trey knows what it’s like to be the guy playing the sticks. On the snare drum, Trey fell in love with performing. He felt how much it meant to lead a crowd, and he brought the source of “Aggie Pride” for his school in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“I feel like it is a good rep. You’re now an ambassador of the university and wherever you go. And people love the band. People love music. I always felt that made me a representation of the school wherever I went. It showed the diversity as well as the musicianship in the overall talent of the school and what they're capable of as a band. We perform for halftimes, but we're also doing community gigs as a drumline. We're doing performances. I've done stuff different states, different countries.”
The thrill of performing is a feeling Trey hopes to pass on to the next generation. He’s answered the call by teaching music at Maynard Jackson High School here in Atlanta.
“I teach the drumline, trying to give them the experience that I had. Giving these kids the opportunities to perform, to understand what that means, but also teaching them life skills. Band teaches a lot of important life skills – time management, team building, overall an understanding of music. It’s a good source for kids outside of their normal academics.”
Like many HBCUs, Clark Atlanta competes in athletics, currently with 10 teams (four men’s, six women’s). The Panthers compete in NCAA Division II in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).
Mekiye played football at Clark Atlanta. He is originally from Georgia, though he started off at Alabama State University, another HBCU, where he also played football. Some of his coaches ended up changing schools, and he found a good major that fit his interests, so a transfer made a lot of sense.
“I was always deeply involved in my culture, but seeing the other side, the business side of things, seeing what my culture is able to do on the other side of things, put a battery on my back and let me know that I can accomplish certain things as well.”
