HBCU future: Will Millennials and Gen-Z step up financially?

Miami Herald

12 hours ago

The July 5 episode of The Carlos Brown Show brought together veteran voices in HBCU sports to tackle a critical question: How do we sustain-and grow-support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the years to come? Host Carlos Brown was joined by Charles Edmond ("The Voice of Alcorn State"), former Jackson State and North Carolina A&T athletic director Wheeler Brown, and longtime Alabama A&M basketball coach Vann Pettaway. Their candid discussion centered on generational giving habits, institutional transparency, and the urgency of connecting with younger audiences.
Charles Edmond opened the conversation by identifying a shift in HBCU fan behavior, especially when it comes to financial contributions.
"People want bang for their buck," he said. "The older folks who have deep pockets are going to give to Southern, to Alcorn, to Jackson regardless… but I think you're seeing people a little bit younger that are a little bit more diligent with their money. They want to see something for the return."
Edmond cited recent success stories like raising over half a million dollars for a band appearance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade as evidence that HBCU support is still strong-but increasingly conditional. "If you're putting your money in a black hole, you tend not to do that," he warned. "People want to see a winning product."
Wheeler Brown admitted that previous generations may have dropped the ball when it came to preparing the next wave of HBCU supporters.
"Somehow we have failed… in terms of ingraining it in them prior to them getting up and getting out," he said. "We might lead by example… but when do we actually sit down and have that in-depth conversation about how important giving back is?"
Pettaway, speaking from his experience as a coach and mentor, stressed the importance of starting early. "You start reaching them now, and they become the ones at 50 that are still giving back," he said. "But if you gotta wait until you're 50, that's a 30-year gap in there where we're not getting money." He emphasized the need to educate current students on the value of reinvesting in the institutions that shaped them: "They have to learn to invest back into the institution that gave you your start."
The panel also touched on the importance of unconditional giving-supporting HBCUs not just when a friend or relative is on the team, but as a consistent commitment. Transparency, they agreed, remains essential for trust, but so does removing stipulations on support.
As HBCUs navigate a rapidly changing landscape-marked by NIL, streaming, and declining in-person attendance-the show raised a crucial question: What does HBCU support look like for the next decade and beyond? Will the traditions that built these institutions endure, or must alumni and fans adapt to meet younger generations where they are?
One thing is clear: the future of HBCU support depends on how well institutions, alumni, and advocates can engage the next wave of students and alumni-not just as scholars and athletes, but as lifelong supporters.
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