The Atlanta Hawks will host their second annual HBCU (Historically Black College and University) Night presented by Chase on Saturday, Feb. 29, at the award-winning State Farm Arena. The night is dedicated to celebrating the educational excellence and unique culture of the more than 100 HBCUs, originally founded as institutions of higher learning for African-Americans, and the Black Greek Letter organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, collectively referred to as The Divine Nine.
The day will begin with an afternoon panel for local high school students featuring HBCU alumni from the Hawks and Chase organizations discussing their time as students. Later, just prior to the start of the game, Slutty Vegan CEO Pinky Cole (Clark Atlanta University alumna), Goodr CEO Jasmine Crowe (North Carolina Central alumna), and creator of One Music Fest Jay Carter (Florida A&M University alumnus) will examine how their HBCU experiences helped shape their successful entrepreneurial endeavors. That panel will be moderated by JPMorgan Chase & Co. Managing Director and Head of Advancing Black Pathways Sekou Kaalund.
Festivities for the night will also include a pregame parade and Divine Nine “stroll” on the arena concourse, Divine Nine step-team performances, and a halftime show by the Morehouse Maroon Tiger Marching Band along with the Spelman’s Mahogany-N-Motion dance team.
Comedian, rapper and actor Lil Duval will make a special in-game appearance and host the night’s postgame party. Duval is well known for his regular appearances on MTV2 shows Guy Code and Hip Hop Squares. He also hosted the 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards. His popular song Smile (Living My Best Life) featuring Snoop Dogg and Ball Greezy peaked at number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 List.
Tipoff for the game versus Portland is set for 7:30 p.m. Fans can buy tickets at Hawks.com/HBCU.
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