 HBCU Digest welcome back and welcome to our new debut video series interviews with enlightened and enlightening folks in the HBCU community today. We are privileged to be joined by Chris Wright is a professional basketball player, former University of Dayton student athlete who actually is joining a wave of professional athletes who are becoming invested and interested in historically black colleges. Yesterday with a significant announcement of his endowed scholarship at Wilberforce University in Ohio, which is going to benefit for a long period of time. Athlete students, faculty staff, everyone who's involved in Wilberforce and just a continuing effort on behalf of that school to reach out in a big way to corporations and individuals looking to support the WU movement. So brother, it's a great opportunity and a great honor to have you on today. You are a native. You didn't go to Wilberforce, but talk to us a little bit about what peaked your interest about the institution. I appreciate you having me first off and you know, just me and my interest, you know, as far as like the whole Wilberforce University and the whole HBCU movement as you as you mentioned in the intro. Um, it just kind of peaked my interest because for me understanding like just the history of history of HBCUs and trying to figure that out and being a highly rated player, you know, high school, you know, being recruited by some of the top high school by some of the top colleges in the country. Um, there was really no HBCUs or local schools or different schools like that recruited me. It was like the University of Dayton and, you know, Michigan, Michigan State, different things like that. Um, and now that I'm out of college and I'm a professional athlete now, um, trying to figure out, you know, why didn't those type of schools approach me or why didn't those HBCUs come after me as a player. But it was came down to, um, now the knowledge of knowing and access to those schools and not really having, um, you know, the prestigious name like other, other highly rated, you know, colleges and different things. And, you know, I'm like, well, I once University of Dayton, I'm here as other opportunities as well for kids that's coming, you know, after me. So it's kind of like, you know, why not give, you know, a full look of all the schools around here and not pushing one school to the side because it's the HBCU or whatever. Just understanding like, okay, let's look at this school and let's see what it's about before we just kind of push it to the side. So for me, I want to really dive into the history of HBCUs and understanding, you know, what that can mean for a community and in particular, like a black community seeing, you know, schools that was founded by someone that looked like you and I and how can I help support that. So now just really seeing, you know, the whole movement in a wave of HBCUs and trying to figure out how I can help and do my part. What does it mean to see that that increased interest from up and coming student athletes. We see McCormaker come into Howard. We see Mikey Williams who was expressing interest about HBCUs. What do you think that is happening with young people that you just you just explain what the differences were when you were coming up. But how do you think that transition has occurred for for young people today at high school. I mean, I think when you look at some of the things LeBron has done for the sport as far as using your voice and these kids see that now and especially with social media and everything and these high school kids taking control of their careers early because a lot of times you listen to the people that's kind of in the business the ones that say well I'll make you this amount of money or I'm going to do this for you do that for you as an athlete. Now they're able to really speak for themselves and you know choosing HBCUs to try to change the way to change the narrative of that and show all kids that you know HBCU is possible it's a school. And like I said before not pushing it aside because it's it's historically African American school or black school that's that shouldn't be the reason why you, you know, shy away from a school. I think seeing kids like this were highly rated going to HBCUs, it would allow other kids to see that I can do it too and not necessarily just black kids. There are probably are some athletes that are are are white that will want to go to school to play with these type of players so I think you know them I think it's great. They're taking, you know, their career into their own hands and controlling the narrative right now, water in high school, and, you know, making those decisions and like I said, you know, credit LeBron on a lot of that stuff when you go back to even him making a decision where it's like today I'm going to control the narrative of my career and my life regardless to what anybody else is saying. So big ups to, you know, the young guys that's that's making the decisions to go to HBCUs and even considering them because, you know, in the past, it's only big name schools that you want to go to. You've played a lot of different places you've been in the NBA. Obviously you're from Ohio so it makes sense the connection that you have with will before. But what would be what was the engagement like with the university that that made made you feel like yes I'm bought in. I'm team WU here's why I'm going to sit down roots. We was on I was on his own call. We was talking about, you know, the COVID-19 crisis and everything and how as leaders of the community, you know, we can help and Dr. Pinkert, you know, the president of workforce was on that call. And I told my story and told, you know, kind of where I came from how I grew up, you know, having a mother that raised, you know, 14 of us as a single parent. She gave birth to five boys adopted four boys, one girl, and then she also, you know, adopted a few of my cousins. So, you know, and when I told my story, he was like, hey, we should link up and connect. So we linked up, you know, and then I had never I had the last time I was on campus. I was probably like maybe fourth, fifth grade, maybe, and I can even remember how to get there. So once I got over there, it was like, man, like, it was actually, you know, nice campus and everything. So when we sat down and we talked between the glass and the mask, the mask out and everything. Right. You know, I was just telling him, you know, just about my foundation and how, you know, I have different connections to different professionals in a career field that I feel like could, you know, assist with maybe some of the programs that's not, you know, offered here. And also, you know, with myself and my foundation and friends, I could, you know, offer, you know, some financial assistance and different things like that. And what made it even what put it kind of over the top as well is one of my old coaches, coach Mitchell, who's the head basketball coach at war before now just got hired on this year. When I saw his name as the coach there, I'm like, oh yeah, this, this is the perfect fit. And then, you know, I see a lot of talented kids that come through our city. And they kind of go away to school, or they go to kind of, they go to other colleges, but they end up being back here, sometimes for whatever reason. And sometimes being close to home, I don't I've been able to get the best of both worlds. Like you mentioned, I've traveled, you know, playing professionally, I've traveled outside of the US. So I understand the benefits of traveling and international travel. I understand the benefits of being home and having roots here. So me being a some some some influence here on our young athletes and allowing them to see that you can control your narrative and you control where you go. I thought it would be good to just allow, allow them to see and help them understand that sometimes, you know, division one school may not be your best option or division two. Well, you can go to an AI school and create your own path because this help is needed here. You know, you want to go where you're needed and not just want it, you know what I mean. So if you can go here and make an impact and change the way people view something that you started, why not do that? And just having that conversation with them. And I just think it was a good fit for, you know, the Right Way Foundation and, you know, kids in this area that, you know, that are part of my program. And I just want to see them be successful. And sometimes we chase the brand and we chase the name of of of highly, you know, highly talented or highly like high impact names or chasing the prestigious schools and different things like that. Well, we can get kind of lost and forgetting our own name and what we bring to the table as young men. And that's what I wanted to be able to share with them and change. And I felt like Wilberforce would be a good starting point with that. You played for a program in in UD that in recent years, it doesn't seem like it's been that long, but they were picked to win. They were they were sure. That hurt me. That hurt me. That's hurting me because of COVID. But that but that isn't right. Many people regarded that that's a mid major program that is really correct. Do you think that do you think that with the investment that you're making the interest that you're getting from high caliber athletes coming out of high school that you can see an HBCU coming up the same way? And how long do you think? I mean, so if you talk about the whole dating situation, I went there in 2007 and then I was able to have, you know, guys follow me there, you know, from 2017, you know, you look 1313 years later, a national championship contender. And some of these kids that's on the team now were hosted by the people that I hosted. So I think a lot of kids that they understand if they come together and I could think especially now it only take it can be five to six years. I feel where, you know, some of these teams can be national championship contenders. If you look at the talent that's out there and also you're just creating that way because you think about, you know, when I was in high school, going looking to go to college, a lot of the kids were in elementary school. So they looked up to whoever the local high school players is. They watch the NBA, but you know, if you're a local celebrity as far as on the high school level, these kids are looking up to you. So they're going to follow you or watch everything you do and want to be where you are. So you have opportunity to, you know, change the kids behind you that's five, six years behind you. And I don't think it'll take long to turn it around. What's your opinion of the NBA as a pro sports league really becoming involved with HBCU? So we've seen them, not just the athletes, the individual athletes like you and Chris Paul and LeBron and so many guys that are giving to HBCUs, whether we know it or not. Because a lot of these athletes donate and you never even hear about it. Carmelo is another one. I mean, but not just individuals, but the league, the players association has worked with the SIAC conference to create combat specifically for HBCU players. What do you think about the league and that body particularly aligning with HBCUs to say, hey, we can help this come up. And then on the other end, HBCU is really doing a good job of hiring coaches that used to be former NBA players. So this is almost like a pipeline. So there's like a unique synergy between black colleges and the NBA. What do you think institutionally that means for both the colleges and for the league? I mean, I think for the league, I mean, especially it's great for to see the players that has, you know, the most influence, you know, pushing the whole HBCU initiative. And like I said, you know, being a young black athlete and supporting other young black athletes, it gives the kids that are situations in their neighborhoods to see like, bang, like he looks just like me. And I can do those things, you know what I mean? So I think with, like you said, just some of the HBCU schools doing a good job of hiring, you know, black athletes and professional athletes. It's great because I can tell you from experience, I'm not going off, you know, a research book, like I'm actually telling you my experience on how to get kids or what it is that you can put forth to show these kids like this is why I need you here at our school. And this is what steps you need to take to be a successful student athlete and then a successful professional player. That's what you choose to do. So I think it's great on both sides of it. And, you know, like you said, it kind of go unnoticed that, you know, sometimes with the guys giving money to the different schools and different things like that. And some of them wanted to be that way. But I think it is something that should be, you know, praised and talked about because so many people overlook HBCUs. And I feel like, again, it shouldn't be put to the side just because it was founded by, you know, blacks. I don't I don't agree with that. You know what I mean? I think it should be, you know, just like any other school put out there put on the forefront and you should talk about the school and not just push to the side. Tell us a little bit more about your foundation and what specifically your endowed scholarship at World Befores will do. First, I mean, like I said, just talking about, you know, growing up, you know, within a single parent home and understanding finances is sometimes, you know, limited one you have, you know, multiple children and things like that. So, you know, offering, of course, financial assistance and future scholarships for, you know, kids coming into World Befores. And like you said before, I want to be able to expand on not just, you know, given, you know, to World Befores and central state is right across the street and, you know, other, you know, HBCUs like down to Kentucky and everything. But it will allow kids to be on campus and offer financial assistance to them and other career pathway programs that maybe World Befores may not offer things such as like sports management, sports medicine. I have my own sports medicine clinic. So different things like that. Esports, construction management, where in the future, if they're not an athlete, they can, you know, turn around and have, you know, backgrounds and some of the programs that's being offered. You know, we're still working out a lot of the kinks with the school and what exactly we can offer over a longer period of time. But, you know, right now for sure knowing that we will be offering scholarships to my foundation and allowing kids to want to go there, the opportunity to, you know, benefit from, you know, financial assistance to go higher in life. And then tell us where we can donate to your foundation, how we can specifically support the World Befores endowed scholarship created by Chris Wright and how we can do more to support you, brother. Yeah, so the right way foundation, you can follow us on Instagram at their right way foundation. And then also the right way foundation.org. You can go in there and donate and just continue to, you know, help this project, you know, moving along and we're going to make sure we do the best we can and the right things with making sure we find in the perfect candidates for, you know, this positive movement that's happening. You know, I appreciate, you know, being out here being able to talk to you and, like I said, on Instagram, the right way foundation, the right way foundation.org on Facebook, the right way foundation. And just, you know, just grateful to be able to, you know, talk to you all just about, you know, this movement. Pro basketball player, Pride of Dayton, Ohio, Chris Wright. We appreciate your time this morning, brother. Thank you so much, man. Thank you. Appreciate you.