 Dodgers at the dark. Welcome back to enlightening and informative conversation with young alumni of historically black colleges and universities once you buy the HPC Dodgers. I'm your host, Jared Carter, joined by a frat brother, Eric Tiff, about to be thrown off the show. Laurel, the Aggie or is the Morgan Knight? Una, the Hamptonian, Taylor, the Hamptonian and line brother, KD first time broadcast and live on the clubhouse app. Want to thank everybody who's picking and tapping in with us in the new year. Also got Winston get him into school via stream yard. Way to get him, way to get him team on team Apple. But always glad to hear it. So we want to open up the conversation like this as we do every single episode. We are going to have a couple rounds of conversation on different topics. And at around 840, we're going to invite folks up who've been listening to the audience to participate and ask them questions, give some feedback. Want to open up with a conversation about yesterday. And while that isn't the most HBCU centric thing that we could do, I think it is necessary to get into a conversation about that. And we're going to go in order, starting with Frat. Just your thoughts, get you about 90 seconds to rock on what you saw, what you feel. And obviously, how do you think the country moves forward? Particularly from a black perspective, Eric. You know, this was possibly the weirdest thing that I've ever seen. And that's the best way that I could put it. And you just get to a place where you're just like, and it's going to sound really bad, but it's very facetious. It's like, you know, with all the white on white crime, we saw it take place yesterday between the protesters, I mean rioters and the police officers. I feel as though that's something that that community should deal with. But overall, I mean, as far as all moving forward, I mean, what can we do right now, right? Hopefully we will see a change, but I just fear the fact that yesterday was essentially I could call to arms for people who already were feeling the same way as those rioters. And I don't necessarily think that they're going to, that they're going to decrease the numbers. I think they're just going to now swell. That's the quickest way I could say it. Tiff, do you think it's a situation? Cause people are legitimately saying like, this is the moment where Trump could be thrown out. Obviously, with what 12 days left. One, do you think that's legitimate? Two, do you think that's necessary? Three, what message do you think it sends to folks, particularly in light, because a lot of the talking point around this is if this were black folks trying to run up in the Capitol, which is surprising me that a lot of folks are taking the time to make a talking point that this were people of color is wouldn't be a totally different situation. But what do you think about the process of actually fixing it and making it different? It's been unsurprising to see people who are privileged, who are white, be shocked or try to recover ground and resign and say, oh, this is not America. And it's like, it is. So for me, I'm just like, you can say you can do things to say, this is not, I don't hold these feelings. They were on their own. These are people who don't represent us, but it's like they do what they have and they've been signaled by your president, right? So I just, what can you fix? Like we told y'all, we've been saying this isn't right, but media has propelled this man. The social media platforms that are icing him now, I mean, where was this energy six years ago? It's too late. Like this has to play out how it's playing out. Hate to say it, but there's white people in their problems right now, to be quite honest. So that's one thing. Another thing is, I was just like, even though I expect this to happen or I'm not surprised by it, I was really annoyed that I was watching these people up in this building, this Capitol building and outside and on the grounds and just they didn't have any mask on. Like you're not even concerned about your own health. You're not even concerned about not getting caught after this, partly I think because you don't care, you don't think anything's gonna come of it because you're never held accountable. But y'all really are out here being super spreaders because you mad. Like, and so I'm like the only other time that I've seen a group of white people behave in this manner is when their team has lost. And so I'm like, dang, they really are consistent with it. Is that what y'all doing Detroit? Do y'all run up in the state Capitol? First of all, the only ones who run up in my state Capitol and Lansing are the people who are Trump supporters. Thank you very much. Detroiters, real Detroiters, I hate to say it, but some people don't leave this zip code. Some people do not leave the confines of the city don't cross the city limits, don't cross eight mile or whatever. So like it's not Detroiters who are going and seeking out these things. It's other people who don't have to worry about what happens when they cross eight mile. So why are you trying to make jokes? I'm a PTR, keep playing with me. Laurel, what are your thoughts on this? You've had a strong reaction on social media like the rest of us. I guess from a historical perspective, does it feel like this is a changing moment? Does it feel like it's just sad and it'll sit here and it won't be a catalyst for anything? Like how do you look at it from a historical perspective? I mean, beyond the fact that black people literally, literally built the capital and to see just, I mean, like people were saying it yesterday that the sad part is that this actually might be the tipping point to actually make DC a state because for the longest, as a, when it used to actually be chocolate city, there was always this issue about taxation before representation and all these other things and the rest of the country automatically assumes that, oh, the only thing in DC is just politics. And it's like, no, people actually live here. And I think what pissed me off the most is that even just from city leadership, not even just Trump's administration, city leadership failed big time because a lot of the precautions that should have been taken, even if you didn't think that was gonna be the outcome of yesterday, you are a fool if you thought that, oh, well, they're just gonna come here and they're just gonna be out here with Tiki torches again. No, you should have known it was always leading here. And truthfully, I thought what happened yesterday was gonna happen on the 20th, but worse. So I just think, a lot of the white people were shocked somehow. And it's like, you just haven't, you shouldn't be shocked because you know you just didn't care. But now you have no choice but to care because now it's at their doorstep. So I don't know, you know, of course, I think the answer is not so much, is it gonna change? It's like, in what ways is it gonna change? And is it gonna change in a way that people are actually gonna accept on both sides or all sides, I'll say, because it's more than just two sides. Or as you live in a red country, what's the reaction down in Texas, particularly because you had a state senator from there who even after all of this was endorsing a lot of the rhetoric and the language that got the people started in the first place. So I think you have a unique perspective on living around folks who actually kind of endorsed this or looked at it in a different way. Do you feel like temperatures have gone down even in a place like that? So I would say I live in the blue bubble that is Houston and the Red Sea. But, and it's funny because Ted Cruz would say he's TSU's own. He actually is visited TSU quite a bit here in Houston. I think that people who are more moderate to progressive or liberal, whatever term you wanna use are appalled. I think some of the more hard-line conservative people who live in the Houston suburbs are quite fine with it. I think that the biggest thing that I took away from it living down here is that Texas is a state with a lot of guns. Like we don't have home invasions and carjacking to a large degree in this area because people have guns. You can legally without a permit or a license have a gun in your car, in your house, pretty much anywhere except for on your person without a license. And getting the license down here is not extremely difficult as someone who's about to get his license in a couple of weeks. So I would say that that was probably the biggest thing that I noticed was just that I think people in Texas are kind of like that would never happen somewhere down here because you really gonna get shot versus at home or my hometown, I was kind of echoing Laurel's point. I was more appalled that the city was so lenient. I think many of us, I know Erica's from DC as is Laurel growing up, going to those different monuments and capital buildings and museums. The security is extremely high. I remember I visited the White House pre-911 and it was still extremely high. So I think that there's been like she said, I dare look a duty in that regard, but also I think that people around the country and in a place like this look at it like what really happens in Washington. And they use the word Washington. I specifically use DC to make it sound different because what happened was on federal land. It's a federal response. And I'm ashamed that it now becomes a reflection of what life in DC is like. As are most people who are natives understand that there's kind of a duality in how we view things. And so I looked at yesterday like these are some crazy white people on another side of town. But the world looks at it like DC isn't safe for white people or for black people now. And that's kind of a weird place to be. Oh, now I've been particularly interested in your perspective because you're active in protests all over the country. So what did you think about this as somebody who is regularly light and trash cans on fire, taking selfies around people who aren't wearing masks? Chill out. What did you think about as somebody who actively participates in movements like this? Well, like Laura has said, the fact that it happened so far, well, she thought it was going to happen closer to the inauguration day. I thought it was going to happen closer to election, but I guess because they counted so many times to lose over and over again, they couldn't. They weren't sure if they were actual losers. It's a lot to look at something that I know like when we held up the Brooklyn Bridge a couple of months ago, we couldn't like we had fear crossing the bridge and coming back. I thought we were going to get arrested, but it was something that needed to be done. They had no fear. Y'all seen Elizabeth from Knoxville? No fear. I understand that. So it's irritating to know that the same things that I'm doing because people like me that look like me are dying, they're doing simply because they're not getting their way. It's wild irritating. Katie, I mean, we always, I say we have the benefit of living in a majority black city, right? So a lot of this stuff we see, we can't relate, at least to some of the actions that some people take and the liberties they get to enjoy. Do you think that this will cause brothers and sisters, particularly in a protest moment, to say, oh, they can get away with that. Maybe we should try to test the limits more than we do. Or do you think that it will be, you know what, we can get shot in the face. Let's continue to do the most without doing the most dangerous. I think it's fascinating that we're having that discussion because as a black man from Baltimore City, you know, full well with what would happen if, you know, a thousand of us approached DC with weapons and flags that said black lives matter. We saw the images. They were in tactical gear with tanks on the ground, right? I think we know the answer to that question. If we approach the Capitol, they're shooting us. They were shooting us. I mean, granted with non-lethal rounds, but they were shooting us just for saying black lives matter. So I think we know exactly what would happen. I think the more fascinating thing for me is like, I echo the sentiments that everybody else has said in the part that like, we all knew this was coming. Here's the trivia part. We know it was coming long before we know it was coming. The FBI recognized, like maybe in 2016, that white nationalism is the biggest terrorist group in the country and they did nothing. They could have stamped this out five years ago. We know that they were planning this on the internet and all of the fringe groups on Facebook and Twitter and Four Chain and all the other different sites with conservatives go when they feel like liberals are being bullies, right? And they were planning it there, stoked by not just the president of the United States, but other representatives currently elected in Congress. So we knew and it's still happening and they did nothing to prepare for it. I think that is the more fascinating thing that white people don't think that there's a problem until the results of the problem happened, all right? And for the record, didn't Trump telegraph his entire presidency? He just projected it on to somebody else, but didn't he like project his entire presidency? When the loon started to see stars. Like almost on script, he and his entire presidency, there's a tweak for everything, right? Including this. So I think that's just the more fascinating part, the white people don't believe things are an issue until they become an issue. Taylor, you grew up in or you're a native of St. Louis. You've seen outrage at a grassroots level. And I'm just wondering on your perspective when you see black folks taking to the streets and outraged over the killing, the unjust killing of a brother. And then white folks take to the streets because in an election, they believe to be stolen. What does it mean to you to have seen firsthand participated in a righteous protest versus something that just seems to be built on false pretenses? Yeah, I even made a tweet about it yesterday. It's wild because my brain actually has been trying to wipe yesterday away because yesterday was very triggering for me as an active protester and activist back home on the ground with everything in St. Louis. I tweeted about like, I've been tear gas before. I've been out on the streets, rubber bullets shot at me, the lights turned off and then tanks are staring me at my face and I knew I would have been dead on site even if I even spat on the grass of the Capitol. And so yesterday triggered more so how many of us when we were out there, many of us who steal protests, we sometimes reconcile with the fact that we might die, we might be killed out there. And honestly, it was really hard because as I watched for a little bit because protecting my mental space was very important because it was triggering here in helicopters and things like that for me. But as I saw certain clips, I didn't see the fear that sometimes I felt even when I was out there trying to make sure that my peers were okay, like trying to help folks when they're tear gas or trying to make sure somebody has food because we've been out there for hours, trying to make sure folks are okay because they've fallen and they need bandage. And so it was just very hard for me to see that I didn't see the fear of death and the fear that I often felt when I was out there, especially back home with fellow like protest and family and activists. And then it was also hard for me because I have friends who have been killed for protesting and fighting for the assassination of black bodies and black spirit and black futures. And so it was just hard because I couldn't even believe that nobody was even getting, the amount of care that people were getting, either cuffed or talked to. Or allowed to walk out and walk away. Or allowed to walk out. I was standing on a sidewalk trying to protect babies behind me and telling police officers to like not scream and yell at them. And I got called everything but a child of God, spirit of universe to get out the damn way or to move and just everything. And there was no care, but I saw folks being treated as gentle, even if they didn't have any teeth, even if they didn't bathe, even if they just came up showing how ever they wanted, they were still treated with care. And we were never ever even thought of the fact of having care involved. And so that's what triggered a lot like just to see the, to recognize the humanization that they were allowed and the dehumanization that we experienced, black and brown folks, queer folks, trans folks who are out here doing the work, we are never humanized in the ways that was happening yesterday. And that's what was very triggering for me. Taylor says, bathe in the key to protest access and safety. Weston, we'll give you the last word, bro. You know, we've seen stuff like this in Michigan, where you are in the state capital. Now you see it in the nation's capital. Do you have any concern that there could be repercussions locally back in places like Michigan, like Texas, or like Florida or Pennsylvania, where some of these things are in question? Let's be clear. You don't see any smoke coming to the city of Detroit with this kind of stuff. It's bordered on the outskirts and suburban surrounding cities, the bubbles obviously on a national level at our state capital, but nobody's coming across a mile with gas and smoke for the radical side of things as much as they talk. And we're talking yesterday, particularly about doing those things. I don't think it's a legitimate concern for those folks who live in the city of Detroit and operate out of a majority black space, even still with gentrification and a little bit more cohabitation that goes in the city now than when I was growing up, particularly, but I don't think that's a real concern for a lot of folks in this space. I do find it very interesting as it's been echoed already, a lot of folks on my timeline were seemingly in shock and awe of what was happening. I can't believe. And then I'm so, this is unprecedented. And I'm like, have you guys benefited for the past like four years? Like, what are you talking about? Nothing about what occurred yesterday. You know, I think maybe for me was a little bit shocking because I was not shocked. Like it was like, as been said, this train is never late. This was right on time for, you know, any kind of alteration and power structure and transfers of power, you know, when the majority of folk who've been in the positions to make decisions and change things and do things when those people are not in those positions any longer, when their way is not had with ease, you know, then often becomes what we saw yesterday. Now, I may not have beat to the level of a storm and, you know, a federal building, but we definitely seen mobs and definitely seen our share of fires and people with their displeasure and folks' lives being lost as a result of those things. So, you know, nothing about what we saw yesterday to me was shock or awe or out of character for this country when we've been in these positions previously. You know, it's unfortunate that, you know, we don't always get treated as humane, as Taylor said when we're in these predicaments, but, you know, or it's a derelict of duty or, you know, that's, you know, they were not, they didn't prepare themselves to protect the people who were supposed to be, you know, protecting our rights and doing what's best for this country. Those people were not put in position to be taken care of the way they should have. As a result of that, some people's, you know, lives were, you know, put in danger unnecessarily because folks were like, oh, well, you know, they're not gonna really, what's really gonna happen? But, you know, to Katie's point, this is all been documented. You can go on social media and find almost to the date and time of a lot of things that we've dealt with, including yesterday's events, that it's unfortunate that it took these things to come to the doorstep, literally, like I was saying, for folks to be like, oh, wow, this is real. When in reality, for a lot of us, you know, to Taylor's point and Oona and others who've been on the ground, we know this is real. We've already, we've seen it, we've lived it and for you guys to have to see it to happen to, you know, on a national scale at the doorstep of a federal building for it to make sense is unfortunate. And I think to me is also indicative of this country and historically what we've dealt with in general. It's tough, man. And, you know, usually this show and this space is dedicated to covering HBC specific issues, but there are moments in time and in history where you got to step outside of even our box that we enjoy and that we take a lot of pleasure in working to improve. So this is one of those. So just glad to dedicate, you know, this space and this time to that and letting people decompress and really get it out there. Thank you again. And once again, this is not just at the Dark Sirius XM-142 HBC Radio, pride of the Howard University Radio Network. We're going to continue on with our live recording our first broadcast of the year and first broadcast on the Clubhouse app. Want to thank all the brothers and sisters in the audience. Encourage you in the next 10 minutes. So we're going to be inviting folks up to ask questions or to comment. And again, this will be also live on the air when it's aired on Sirius XM. But we want to get into our next topic, which is the McKenzie Scott funding to HBCUs now. In case you've missed it, HBCUs have come across more than $500 million in gifts from McKenzie Scott, a philanthropist, the ex-wife of Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos. A lot of these gifts unsolicited, unrestricted, totally up to the spending authority of the president to improve their schools. And usually these schools have received these funds ranging from about $5 million to $50 million because of some level of innovation and performance and stability and leadership. But what is interesting and I think that has not been discussed a lot about these gifts is I think that it redefines the way that we think about HBCU philanthropy period. And what I mean by that is now that you have a school that has received a big gift unsolicited from somebody who's not a graduate, somebody who's not a typical HBCU donor, what does it mean for the HBCU donors who are regularly breaking off $15,000, $20,000? But in exchange for those gifts, they have a certain level of access to leadership. They got a certain level of privileges on campus. They got a certain level of benefits and athletic tickets and presents at galas and things being named after them. Do you think that the Mackenzie Scott gifts have put HBCUs in a realm where folks who are giving significantly less could or should expect less benefit or less privileges for being donors? And I will kick that off with, let's see, who am I gonna pick on? Or is he the money man? Do you think that donors to HBCU should get different treatment or less preferential treatment now that some of these schools are in the money in the high million dollar levels to the point that five or six figures may not be enough to be the king of the campus anymore? So let's also remember that every school didn't get this donation. So schools that didn't need to stay in that lane and continue to give them gala tickets to the man who dropped five grand a year. Because you still need that $5,000. So I think that's part of it. As everyone knows, I went to two HBCUs. One of them did get some money. The other did not. I think we all know why that school did not get money. And I think that, so speaking from Morgan, for instance, Morgan got 40 million. I think they still should, you know, should continue to be nice to their alumni who give less. Because I think that it sets a bad example for the rest of your alumni if you're not treating people correctly. And I think also another really important, really, really important thing is that there really isn't a large amount of alumni who are giving five, six-figure gifts regularly. We may have some who are giving those type of gifts, you know, once a lifetime. And that has its own kind of issues where if it's only once a lifetime, you know, what effects it really has. But I think it's important to also remember that we operate in a space where we need $10,000 every once in a while. For instance, Willie Lanier is the NFL Hall of Famer with the Morgan. He gives about between $25,000 and $50,000 a year to the business school almost every year. He hasn't endowed professorship at the business school a bunch of stuff. Are we not gonna highlight Willie Lanier anymore because they got $40 million from Mackenzie Scott one time? I don't think so. Not to cut you off, but do you think that that's a different level because he's a pro football Hall of Famer? So it's not just about the money with him, but it's about the brand that comes with his giving if that makes any sense. You know what I mean? But I would only argue that most current students have no idea who Willie Lanier was. I mean, he retired before most people's parents were born. So I think that there's, it goes both ways. I just think that in general, these gifts should be used to transform our campuses in ways that they need to, but it shouldn't change the way in which we treat alumni who give five and six figure gifts because we may never get these types of gifts again. Like this may be a once in a lifetime, 40, 50, 60 million dollar gift. And if you start to treat yourself like you've come up, like you're the Jeffersons now, and now we getting 40 million dollar gifts, you know, you may ostracize people who were given $15, $20,000. And now you've lost that revenue stream which could be worth $200, $300, $400 over a lifetime. You don't want to drive those types of things up because again, there may not be another Mackenzie Scott. And that may, this may be it. This may be the one time she drops this money off at these individual schools and they have to make it work. So it shouldn't change the culture of giving out of school. I don't believe that can cause some issues longterm. Do you think that Laurel, that people should aspire for higher gifts? So let's take A&T for example. Of course, everybody can't give millions of dollars. Everybody can't be a Willie D's or somebody like that. But you can stretch. Maybe if you can give 50, it's possible. It's possible that somebody can give 75. And so I wonder if you look at institutions that are saying, yeah, you can still get football tickets, you can still get Gala tickets, but we got to have a different conversation about naming that auditorium after you. Do you agree with that? I mean, I agree. I mean, I also think anyone giving shouldn't be hinged on them getting a building named after them. I mean, now granted, I'm biased. I do think that GCB on A&T's campus should be named after me because I spend an inordinate amount of time there, but that's neither here nor there. I think it's also the motivation. Why are you giving? Are you giving just because you want your name attached to something? Are you giving because you wanna establish a clock tower on campus? No shade, all shade? Or are you giving what you have? Because I know I just got, I got tons of literature from A&T and last month alone, and it even said we'll take $30. And so I think, especially if marketing to younger alumni who are not as established and whose pockets may not be as deep as people who graduated in 1963, I think that schools should put the onus on saying, give what you can, expand on what can be donated because you don't just have to donate money and kinda just expand the definition of what is supporting your school and it doesn't just rest with financial. I don't think that they should classify and categorize the gifts that they do get. I think the onus on the school should be use what you've been given and use it for the benefit of students and the institution. Do you think that the campus should have some say over how the school strategically views these kinds of gifts, right? Because I think if you left it up to students, for example, or you left it up to alumni, you get a totally different story about what kind of gift has what kind of impact or what kind of thing shifts the trajectory of how a campus is viewed. Obviously we're not stacking up to $20 million gifts, but do you think that the constituents say, yeah, you know what, that person has been faithfully giving $10,000 for four years, $40,000 overall. Give me a name on a building. Or should it be something that's up to strictly the board, the foundation office, the development office, the president in tandem saying, no, this is kind of the standard we want to establish for philanthropy. Well, that makes it weird, right? Because at the end of the day, I hate to say this, but we know it should be like a joint effort where everybody can have that own perspective or whatnot, but it's not going to flow beyond executive office. We just know that's going to be the case. And ultimately, the biggest thing about this whole thing is like, nobody has the space to get brand new. You said on this very show before, like you got schools and this is what's what example, Morehouse costs what $5 million a month to operate. Yeah, like if that's the case, then like y'all need to incentivize normal, like regular everyday people who are given the money that they actually earn and incentivize them at the end of the day, giving their money. Y'all got that big old gift and that's great. But when it comes to like naming and who should name, I mean, listen, if it was up to me would RJ Reynolds have a building on the campus or what's it say on state? No, but he does. Why? Because he's given a certain amount of money over the years that he's had a relationship with whatever you want to call it with my alma mater. So I mean, I think everybody should, I think everybody should have some type of input. And by everybody, I mean students, yes, alumni who are giving alumni should also have a role, people who are active within the Alumni Association should have a role as well as the stakeholders and the employees and the staff and executive and board of trustees members. So I think it should be collaborative, but we know it won't be. Taylor, what do you think about the idea, especially post George Floyd, that you've had some campuses get five, 10, $15 million gifts back to back to back to back in like a month's time? Does that influence the way that you look at alumni gifts? Because now there seems to be a culture, and who knows how long it's gonna last. That big companies, rich individuals are willing to put up that kind of cash in the name of racial reconciliation. So does that, however long this period is gonna be, do you think that that's worth changing the scope of philanthropy at HBCUs? So are we asking like, should HBCUs capitalize off of racial injustice and like collect reparations from folks? I mean, they are. Whether we call it that or not, they are. I mean, I feel like we've always been a part of the things that are happening, especially amongst black folks in society, figuring out ways to bring in more support and taking on what is happening in the times. And so even when we talk about how folks will say, this is why black education matters. And so I don't necessarily see this as something new. I think folks are pushing even more because what I am seeing is that especially HBCU alums who are occupying corporate spaces are pushing for corporate numbers. I think this is also just following the times that we're in and where folks are trying to push blackness on a larger scale, especially when we look across media, when we look across television, when we look across the rebirth in black fashion and moving into black entrepreneurship. And so I think it's something that funders and those who work in development offices are aware of and are talking about ways in which how can we maneuver this in receiving funds in those ways. But I'm also someone that believes in ensuring that your development and your funding, your portfolio is diverse. And so we've seen it before. I think you've written about it just in regards of from an emission standpoint how when the height of racial unrest happens, how students applying to HBCUs increase certain years, but what happens afterwards? What happens when the wave goes down? So I am someone that is always thinking about the ways we are ensuring that we are having diverse funding opportunities if we are creating these corporate relationships, if we are creating these political opportunities, if you are a state institution, like what is the longevity of this? Make sure and this is not a one and done. What is the plan behind it? And so those are my thoughts on it. I don't think it's not necessarily something new. I think when things happen and when they're buzzing in society, institutions in general and also HBCUs, we figure out ways in which to make it work for us and how to uplift us. But I want us to not always just follow trends, but how do you create those trends to be sustainable for your institution? So we're not just constantly chasing them. Winston, I'm gonna round out this end with you bro, cause you work for a nonprofit that raises money, specifically to support college access for students in metropolitan Detroit. So do you guys have from that perspective, just from a fundraising perspective, a new view of who gives to you and what kind of relationship, what kind of communications you have with those kind of donors because the number is up a little bit. Yeah, no, the biggest thing is the number is up. That's all the things we're talking about. Folks who have not reached out to us previously or have been aware of, keenly aware of us because of what's going on are now more keenly aware and are reaching out to us. So that has been the conversation for us about the ways to properly engage them, continue to keep them engaged in what we're doing. It's interesting, cause it also, I think comes to the level of responsibility that we're talking about as far as, what their expectation is, as far as being involved with our program in the ways that them donating money, what type of access that allows them and what say they have over the donations that they make in regards to us being able to do what we do. So I think a lot of what we try to do on the front end too, as well, is just give the options. Like if you go to our webpage, the midnight golf webpage, you can see that there's a lot of different ways for you to donate in ways that you could allocate for that money to go. I think kind of trying to direct a little bit in the way of saying, we can use this money for these things as opposed to sometimes when someone, I mean, I know that the, our HBCUs maybe didn't have that, now maybe they did not have the option to be able to do that. But fortunately, McKinsey was open to just kind of make the donation and allow the schools to make the decisions that make sense. But I think that's also the thing for our institutions and when they get those money and how things are allocated or earmarked for specific areas. So for us, I think on the front end, we've been fortunate to kind of have a lot of, steering in the way of where those funds might go and how they can be beneficial for our young people. And because we've been, we've had to do so much before that was a reality for us, before folks were really engaged and wanting to donate in that way. So we had time to think about and kind of build it, build it slowly and gradually. Coming down to the last section, live recording on the Clubhouse app, Digest at the Darksea at section 142. Wanna round out, wanna invite brothers and sisters in the audience now, raise your hand, come up to the stage. Our last section is gonna be talking about expectations for HBCUs in 2021. And I'm gonna bridge this a little bit with my expectation for this upcoming year. I think some presidents are gonna get fired. You know, and around the last show of the year, I talked about there are gonna be a couple of presidents retiring and there gonna be some presidents that's gonna get fired. Why? Because even though there's a lot of money coming in with the way that COVID is shaping enrollment, with the way that these donations are coming in, there may be some headbutting about how should we spend the money? Should we address debt? Should we try to pay faculty? Should we try to embolden scholarships? It's gonna be a lot of opportunities for folks not to get along about how to handle good and bad on our campuses. And that kind of tension is gonna be new for us because so much is gonna be on the line, not for 2021, but probably in the, not for this upcoming spring, but in the fall. What's gonna happen when there ain't no more carers money? What's gonna happen when enrollment isn't bouncing back like we thought it would, even though a vaccine is out? What is gonna be our role in terms of opening a campus even when a vaccine is available? Do we make it mandatory? How is that conflict with state rules? So I think a lot of leadership is gonna be in a significant period of tension. Tiffany, I'll kick it off with you. What are your expectations for HBCUs without mentioning the word Howard University? How did I know that you were going to start with me because you are petty, okay? My concerns since I work at an HBCU that is not my alma mater, my concerns are around campus living and campus life. A lot of last semester, we were in uncharted, in an uncharted territory and experience trying to just catch students and keep them engaged and having students on campus. And watching how all of that played out, I don't wanna see it play out like that again. You can't say, oh, we've never been here before because we're still in the same place, essentially. So I do want to see better behavior on the part of students and if students don't behave better, I would like to see some action. But more than that, I don't necessarily want to see students even be put in a predicament where they just wanna live their best lives and they're gonna do it regardless because it's still dangerous out here. We just found out that coronavirus has mutated and that it's here, right? And so for me, I think about students but I also think about my colleagues and my peers who are still traveling, like there is not a global pandemic. And so we're all back to work, essentially, or we'll be back to work by the end of this week. And I'm like, but y'all been traveling. And so yeah, they'll say or have said, get tested before you come back to work, wear your mask and everything. But we knew this before and people still did what they wanted to do. So that's what I don't wanna see. I wanna see better and I think better is staying at home and getting this 2K STEMI. That's what I want more than is a 2K STEMI. Let's welcome Ty, brother. How you doing, man? Thanks for tapping in. Hey, y'all, how are you guys doing? Can you guys hear me all right? Yes, sir, we can hear you. Okay, great, great. Just wanted to make sure. So I am a relatively recent graduate at Hampton University. Okay, come on, Hampton. Yes, hang by the sea. Oh, no. No. We got lab brothers in the STEMI also. I'm also a proud member of Ogre Phi Ogre 16. So if any of y'all are ogres, definitely. I'm princessence, but it's okay. Honestly, Hampton love all the way. Of course, of course, definitely. So just to continue on the topic, something that I feel HBCUs could do a lot better with. I heard social life was mentioned. That's definitely a big thing. I really feel like HBCUs at one point in time were really just known for being these spaces where the black creatives were, where there were these black revolutionaries. And I really feel like we need to get back to that because for all my people that went to Hampton, you know we always say Hampton is Hampton. There are people doing that out there, but I feel like if it's supported and encouraged, especially in the current political climate, I really feel like not only with that secure kind of sort of the place of an HBCU in society, but it could really breed a new generation of leaders who have that experience of being supported by their institution, which then goes back to the conversation you guys were having earlier about donating. That may also encourage people to donate more, especially if they feel, you know, not only did their professors have their back, but their schools supported them, that could really be a really good turning point for historical black colleges and universities. Excellent, excellent point, bro. Despite Hampton taking over the room, do you think that that happens? Despite. With a new, with a new planet. I think that's when. At Hampton. And I wonder, do you think that there's gonna be a culture change at HBCUs? Like, do you feel like we're going to become more, even more centered on black liberation and the black experience? We've seen a number of HBCUs create centers for social justice, for example. Not that HBCUs were ever ignoring social justice, but we're seeing specific research constructs around that idea. Several campuses, public and private. Do you think, do you see HBCUs going into, I don't want to say a militant posture, but do you see them becoming more aggressively outspoken in a lot of ways about pro-blackness, emancipation, black empowerment? And actually, let's go to, let's go to Shania. How you doing? Oh, good, brother Jerry. Was that a question for me? No, actually, that was actually for Shania. I actually hit the button. I'm sorry. Go ahead, sister. You want to dance to that question? Oh, yes. Hi, Shania. I'm also an alum of Hampton University. Oh my God. Oh my God. What is happening here? Hi, Jude. Hi, Jude. I don't have a beard. One of my little babies too. Yeah. Just a little tidbit, but no, to answer your question, I feel like for us to be more organized, it has to be more than just the students and the professors, because if you look at Hampton University, yes, Harvey is retiring in what, two years, but his already, his successor is already pre-groomed, pre-cloned, like, that is to take over his same journey, his same path. For that to be a full revolution, it has to come from the president, the VP, the student affairs. Like, Mrs. T, when I was there, Mrs. T was the saving grace, but then I think Dr. Emmett, she was like the one that was not there for the students, so it has to be more of an organization far, far better than just the students and professors, because everyone has to be on the same accord. That's the whole thing. It's an internal thing. And I don't know what that needs to look like or how does that need to change, but I think that is the first step. Given the number of Hamtonians in the room right now, are y'all predicting that Hampton will be number one in the U.S. News and World Report Rankings? We don't go by U.S. News and World Report Rankings. Like, all of this is made up. We need this made up. None of the Rankings, none of the Rankings. Yeah, we don't play with U.S. News and Report. Okay, this is, all of this is made up. We've already discussed how U.S. News and Report is built off of white supremacist ideals and all those other things. And that all should be all right, all right. All right, big T. What do you think the posture is gonna be for public HBCUs? Because under Trump, and we know that a lot of our HBCUs are in Republican-leaning or outright beat red states, right? Some of them were able to get some favorable budgets this time. They weren't usually hit upside the head like they normally are. Do you think that that's going to continue under a Biden-Harris administration? Katie, we can go to you, bro. Because under Trump, there was a compulsion to say support HBCUs because we saw it coming from the top. Do you think that that's gonna happen now that there's less pressure for that to occur? Well, if I'm to listen to John Ossoff, that's one of his main focuses. And since we sent John Ossoff from Raphael Warnock to represent Democrats in the Senate, giving them the majority, especially being in Raphael Warnock is not only a BGLO member, but also a graduate of Morehouse, if I'm not mistaken. I would certainly hope so, since we sent so many new HBCU graduates to the executive branch in particular in Congress that, yeah, I think that we'll get some love, a little more love than we're used to, especially on the public side. But it's also up to us to again execute that we'll do right by our students and the community and with the government's money. And it's also up to us to advocate for ourselves and to show that we are capable of producing leaders in America. But even with that, I think that just on the sheer fact that black people brought this home and it was largely on the backs of HBCU alum that we're definitely gonna get some love this time around in comparison to, from Democrats in particular, in comparison to other administrations. I just don't see a way around it because we'll be loud about it from now until Biden is done being president and we'll hold the next Democratic nominee to that same, to that same standard simply because we put them to the black people once again save the world from itself in America from itself. And we went out of reparations at this point. And I think we're in a position to demand them to be honest. Katie breaking bad because his mayor got an Afro, I feel it. Pull your mask up, shorty. Let me ask this last question. I already know the answer. Go ahead. So are we going to see and or demand the same level of UNCF and TMCF engagement in terms of these fly-ins? And I just, from my memory and I could be wrong when Trump was elected, there was all of this and maybe it's because it was Amarosa in the mix talking about what she's been working on and doing but are we going to see our stakeholder organizations still hold the same pressure to Biden and Harris and other and designees to get the same amount, the baseline amount of things done and allocated to us? Like are we going to see that? I think we will. I think you're going to see Biden and Harris meet with the HBCUs. I think they're going to do all the photo op quote unquote stuff real easy because that's the baseline stuff. I mean, Obama went to a commencement ceremony or two or three. I'm not talking about the photo op stuff though. I'm talking about. That's what I'm saying. Like they'll do the easy stuff but the question will be how can you, what are the policy outcomes that you're going to be looking for? Because you know that the first thing they're going to say to everybody, not just education, but to everybody, okay, tighten your belt because we got to pay for this coronavirus stuff. So then what do we say? Policy first need to hit them student loans. I'm not even going to hold you because. Thank you. Okay. I'm going to run up here. I'm going to run up here. That's all who? That's all who. But let me step my toe in for a second. People have always said that, you know, in this whole, aside from the coronavirus, and we need to deal with the virus and vaccination, there was also a question of, oh, the national Fed is in the deficit. How are we going to reboot the economy? If you erase everybody in this country's student debt, I promise you, I'm not the dude on whatever channel that is on NSFBC with the dude with the sleeves rolled up and he yelling and he holding papers and stuff. I'm like him in that. My man, man, money, Jim Kramer. Yes. If you erase everybody's student debt, and I'm not even talking about, oh, well, we'll just take 10,000, 10K not going to do nothing. If you take everybody's student debt, that alone will boost the economy so much, you ain't got to worry about giving out stimmings. And I think the issue is that they don't have the right people talking to them. And I think the other thing that may change in the next couple of years is that regardless in government, it's already a changing of the guard. People that haven't already retired or resigned, they're leaving, even if Biden come in, because the real issue in the government is gonna be, who's gonna be willing to go into public service and be the cleanup crew? I got my brother, Bert, in the studio with me here. He says, if y'all forgive student loans, he's storming the capital solo because he successfully paid his off last year. Okay, that's cool. That's fine. No, I'm fine. And that is fine. No, I'm fine. No, I'm fine. Be a well-wisher, brother. Be a well-wisher. Look, I'm just gonna be okay about it. I pay mine off too, but everybody needs to be. Can you support this bail fine? Start the call. Yeah, I'm just gonna say, just remind them, it ain't really that easy to get in. He ain't gonna have no clearance. Yeah, because I'm like, look, I don't know how to do it. I'm gonna ask Elizabeth. Let me ask this last question in the last few minutes. How many of y'all are gonna get the vaccine in the hopes that enough of us get it and we can have homecoming? Me. I'm gonna try to start some stuff. I teach really well. I gotta wait for a few more to get it, but I'm watching. I'm watching. I mean, I haven't left mine off. Uda had the vaccine since November, so she been out in the streets. I'm waiting to see somebody get the vaccine and be pregnant. Because he, I think he's gonna be pregnant. No, no, no. Okay. No, I'm saying because I watched the show last year called Utopia. It kind of messed me up. All I'm saying is that I wanna know that it actually does sterilize people. So I'm waiting to see if somebody took the actual. Listen, some of us are trying to have a family plan and all that. That's what I'm saying. That's my thought process. I respect your space in place. I teach K-12 since I got a baby on the way. I'm just going to get the vaccine. It's a baby farm. Be look. I don't even have you kids. Line me up if that's the case. Ty said he doesn't have kids. He's trying to get the homecoming. I'm away. I'm away. Because homecoming is important, right? Yes. It is. It's not happened in 2021. Okay. Because this is my biggest thing. Can't dream, can't she? Dream on. Dream on. Dream on. Dream virtually. Have you seen a dream deferred? Like. Dream on. Dream on. She broke out with the literature. Because the big thing for me was I really wanted to go to this homecoming because this would have been my first homecoming on the yard. I would actually be a member of my organization. And for homecoming to have been canceled, I was low key kind of salty because I wanted to go back to my friends. And I just wanted to have that full experience. But a homecoming got canceled because COVID. So hopefully things will be looking better by like April of 2021. I'm a little hopeful. I'm a little hopeful. We're not even having graduations in April. I was going to say, are we serious? We think that homecoming is going to be 21 or are we looking at 22? 22. 22. 22. I would love for 21. I'll be, I'll say it's happened in the 21. You have to be honest about the even disbursement of vaccines. I feel bad for Tito. Also, if you want to state your HBCU is in and then go with that. Yeah. True, true, true. And the thing about it is I'm going to be very honest, just understand the human beings. At this point, there are a lot of people that are just willing to accept the risk because they're just People were willing to accept the risk in the beginning. Right. And so it's getting worse because we've been in the house for a year. So I don't think anybody's going to shy away from attempting to do homecoming in the fall, especially if we can be out trying. I think people will do unofficial, but I think this goes back to the conversation that we had earlier about the responsibility and the expectation of leadership. Like leadership can say no official homecoming. Like we are not. There is no tailgating on this. And we will tailgate at the hardy right across the street. People are choosing to do so. But like. I'm not a big homecoming first thing because my school doesn't do it, but I promise you Morgan has a homecoming this year. I don't know if that's going to be the case. I don't even know if people will, even if administrators who make that decision will will respect that and really enforce it. Like we have people still talking about playing sports in the middle of a panning. I mean, they are playing sports. No, they are. They ain't talking about it. I mean, I mean, you realize that's all the deal. The Heisman just got one. I've been, I've been, I've been talking about. So I mean, like, so like if we're making all these plans and creating fake bubbles to put our student athletes in, like. And see before she says something incriminating. A homecoming bubble. A homecoming bubble. Good job. Cut the tape. Brothers and sisters, thank you so much. We have come to the end of our first live broadcast on the clubhouse app and our first broadcast of 2021. Love you all so much. Thank you so much for another tremendous show. Thank you, Ty. Shania, thank you for coming up to the stage. We will do this. Absolutely, no problem, brother. Thursday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern. Again, this has been Digest After Dark. Peace.