"I Love My HBCU?"

Is college debt avoidable? Stephanie Jones, The Scholarship Bestie, joins Tosin Richard to discuss scholarships, college affordability, and the choices students make when selecting a university. They also explore reading, education, and why loving HBCUs should never mean avoiding difficult conversations about institutional accountability. _______ All opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily...

Voting is a privilege, not a right? That's what North Carolina A&T student advocate Shia Rozier says an election official told students during their efforts to secure an on-campus polling location. Shia joins Tosin Richard to discuss the fight for voting accessibility, the practical challenges students face getting to polling locations, and the personal cost of student-led advocacy. Their conv...

Can you love your college and still call it out? Howard alumna and R&B artist Saneit joins Tosin Richard to discuss HBCU pride, who gets to criticize, and why familiar student frustrations deserve more than a knowing laugh. Plus, the viral Howard hand debate and passing traditions to the next generation. _______ All opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of "I Love M...

Antonio stayed through four head coaches because his teammates mattered to him. What should a college owe the athletes who make that commitment? What support would make the biggest difference?

Would you pause a viral business to finish college? Metro Espresso founder and North Carolina A&T engineering student Savannah Zachary explains why her degree comes first, what transferring from a predominantly white university changed, and how her HBCU community helped her find the courage to start. _______ All opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of "I Love My HB...

Can HBCUs welcome everyone while keeping Black students at the center? Fayetteville State softball player and aspiring physician-scientist Xztashya Porter joins the conversation to discuss diversity in HBCU athletics, the cost of pursuing a degree, and why she considered transferring but chose to stay. _______ All opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of "I Love My HBCU...

Howard offered her a full scholarship. Hampton offered less. Nicole Holness chose Hampton anyway. The proud Hampton alumna, educator and mother joins Tosin Richard to examine what an HBCU can offer beyond a degree and whether belonging, identity and lifelong community can justify choosing the less financially obvious path. They also confront when HBCU pride becomes parental pressure and what HBCUs...

HBCUs have real problems. Jaimi Ingram knows the complaints, and still makes an emphatic case for choosing one. The Prairie View A&M graduate joins I Love My HBCU? to discuss mentorship, belonging, choosing the right college, changing career direction and why students can criticize their HBCUs without giving up on them. All opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of "...

What if getting the degree is only the beginning? Rust College alumna and Salesforce Vice President Jackie Chambers de Freitas joins I Love My HBCU? to discuss the career rules college rarely teaches—from visibility and workplace navigation to authenticity, personal brand and the underestimated power of small HBCUs. All opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of "I Love M...

Season 3 gave us more than memorable conversations. It raised difficult questions about HBCUs, college culture, leadership, race, belonging and the gap between institutional promise and student reality. In this season recap, we revisit some of the moments that made us stop, rethink and ask what our colleges are really supposed to be. _______ All opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily refl...

What are college students saying privately that rarely makes it onto LinkedIn, Instagram or the university brochure? Morghan Blair of Morgan State University and Rufaro Rutizirira of Western Carolina University get candid about success, fear, campus culture, athletics, activism, institutional priorities and what students really need from college. _______ All opinions expressed by guests do not nec...

Getting into graduate school does not automatically mean you should go. Tuesday Barnes joins Tosin to unpack what prospective grad students often underestimate: funding versus prestige, professors versus mentors, salary expectations, isolation, community, career experience, and the importance of knowing what you actually want graduate school to do for your life. At the center of the conversation i...

What happens when your HBCU doesn't make the Top 10? LinkedIn ranked the HBCUs it says best prepare students for long-term career success—but Tosin and Amari aren't convinced a ranking can tell the whole story. They get into why HBCU presidents may have no choice but to care about rankings, how Howard can survive major negative headlines and still rank near the top, the debate over Tuskegee's bonn...

Everybody notices the campaign. The outfits. The crowns. The events. But after the election, what changed? D’Jaydyn Readus argues that HBCU student government has drifted toward popularity over policy — leaving some students with leaders they recognize but cannot identify a single accomplishment from. And he refuses to blame administrators alone. If SGA leaders are supposed to represent students o...

Many conversations about race start with statistics. This one starts with exhaustion. When Chinedu Nwokeafor says, "Sometimes I'd rather be white...to not explain," he isn't talking about identity. He's talking about what it feels like to constantly justify your experiences, defend your reactions, and carry history into everyday life. From HBCUs and advocacy to policing, public empathy, and the pe...

Recent Lincoln University graduate Chloe Foster argues that universities often focus too much on prestige and not enough on what graduates actually need to hear. She explains why she'd rather hear from an educator who knows students than a celebrity everyone recognizes, why commencement should leave graduates with something unforgettable, and how students deserve a greater voice in choosing the pe...

What if the biggest challenge facing HBCUs isn't becoming more prestigious, but believing they still need permission to be considered excellent? In this conversation, Ph. D. candidate Tuesday Barnes explores the race toward R1 status through a different lens. Rather than debating whether research funding and recognition matter, she asks a deeper question: Who gets to define success in the first pl...

Can someone truly belong in a place where they stand out every day? Student-athlete Denver Obermeyer shares her experience attending an HBCU as a white student, from culture shock and difficult classroom conversations to finding lifelong friendships and discovering what community actually means. This isn't a conversation about fitting in. This conversation isn't just about race. It's about belongi...

She loved her HBCU. She made lifelong friends. She would recommend the experience to others. So why did she leave? Felicia Worthy explains why the most loyal decision isn't always staying... and why knowing yourself can matter more than living up to expectations. _______ All opinions expressed by guests do not reflect the views of "I Love My HBCU?" A new episode premieres every Saturday at Noon ES...

Bowie State Hall of Famer. Athletic Director. Advocate. Ayanna Tweedy doesn't argue against student-athletes earning income. She argues something more uncomfortable. College sports lost important guardrails along the way. From NIL deals and financial literacy to leadership, HBCU transparency, and what today's athletes really need beyond a paycheck, Ayanna offers an insider perspective few people a...

What if the best college experience isn't freedom... but accountability? Hampton sophomore, political science major, and civic engagement leader Kevin Jones, explains why Hampton's culture creates lifelong loyalty, why mentorship matters more than most students realize, and why Gen Z needs to rethink how it approaches voting, leadership, and political engagement. From curfews and campus traditions...

Most people think they know what an HBCU student looks like. Maveah Griffith thought she knew too. Raised in an immigrant household, with interests that didn't fit stereotypes, she worried she wouldn't belong at an HBCU at all. Then she got there. This isn't just a conversation about college. It's a conversation about identity, belonging, and what happens when the stories we've been told turn out...

A generation raised inside social media is being asked to ignore social media. That's easier said than done. Every day students are comparing grades, internships, followers, relationships, opportunities, and success stories. But what happens when you're comparing yourself to a highlight reel instead of reality and bearing the pressure of navigating adulthood in a world that feels increasingly unst...

JP was heading to Florida A & M University. Mind made up! But a scholarship offer came from Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, and his mom made the decision for him that he was NOT Florida bound. He reluctantly accepted that scholarship because “I never wanted Lincoln!” Today, he serves on Lincoln University's Board of Trustees, so what changed? If you've ever questioned whether you're making...

An Asian American student at Howard University just said what most people are too afraid to admit about HBCUs. “Everything here is competition.” From faith and fame to anti-ICE protests, representation, medicine, sports, and identity, Alex Hong is bringing a perspective people are NOT expecting. And somehow… he still says Howard changed his life. This conversation is going to divide opinions. Watc...