17363: BHM 2026—Mickey D’s.

 

Is Mickey D’s celebrating BHM 2026 at all? A search on McDonalds.com yielded no results. And Black & Positively Golden features content from 2024—although students can apply for the annual HBCU scholarships.

17291: ICYMI HBCU FYI.

 

Advertising Age published a perspective declaring “HBCUs have always been curators of cultural moments”—stressing how brands should invest in the higher education institutions and associated students to create authentic connections.

 

There’s nothing new in the op-ed that hasn’t been articulated by HBCUs and Black advertising agencies for decades.

 

Indeed, brands jumped on the HBCU bandwagon in recent years, generating opportunities for heat shields, performative PR, and embryo recruitment.

 

Hard to say if such philanthropic activity diminished in parallel with the anti-DEIBA+ vibe in Adland.

 

It’s a safe bet AI trumped HBCU too.

 

How HBCU culture sets the trends brands chase on social media

 

By Tayler Towles

 

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are epicenters of culture. They produce leaders across industries, foster academic excellence and create spaces where underrepresented students thrive authentically. Beyond academics, HBCUs instill pride that radiates from students to alumni to faculty and, increasingly, to brands.

 

I’ve experienced this firsthand as a proud graduate of Howard University’s School of Business, where I served as valedictorian of the class of 2025.

 

From homecoming to hashtags—how HBCU traditions go viral

 

IYKYK ... but if you don’t, let me tell you: HBCUs have always been curators of cultural moments. From academic rigor to deep community service, much of the HBCU experience is also grounded in tradition.

 

Homecoming, for example, isn’t just a football game. It is an ecosystem of celebration, shared experience, resilience and community. Every year, alumni reunions, step shows, concerts on the yard, halftime band performances, family-reunion-style tailgates and closing chapel services are anticipated and highly sought after. These aren’t just events; they’re cultural markers.

 

And then there’s fashion and music. At HBCUs, every day is a runway. Students take pride in individuality, driving viral moments without needing to be influencers. Just look at how HBCUs transformed #FDOC (First Day of Class) into a national trend. A single post from Florida A&M University this year drew more than 3 million views on Instagram. Collective “fit checks” across campuses are now cultural events amplified online—something that was rarely seen at other universities before HBCUs made it mainstream.

 

These everyday moments broadcast across TikTok and Instagram are helping shape the future of HBCUs themselves. Post-COVID, visibility has fueled rising enrollment. On TikTok, hashtags like #FAMU (92.1k posts), #NCAT (88.9k posts) and #HowardUniversity (60.7k posts) prove how far HBCU pride travels. Howard even welcomed its two largest freshman classes in history in back-to-back years.

 

When brands show up at HBCUs, students show out

 

Ralph Lauren’s Oak Bluffs collection, in partnership with Morehouse and Spelman, designed by alumni James Jeter and Dara Douglas, did a wonderful job of illuminating stories that often go untold from the Black community in a stylish, trend-focused way true to Black culture. Deep attention to detail, true understanding through experience and community impact helped the campaign sell out quickly. It also drove massive TikTok conversation and aligned the brand with cultural authenticity.

 

In 2024, Nascar partnered with Howard alumnus Tahir Murray’s Legacy History Pride to celebrate HBCU culture through a pit crew jersey collection. Murray’s announcement video earned nearly 64,000 views on Instagram, helping drive conversation and excitement across HBCU campuses. Nascar also created a Campus Lab at Winston-Salem State University, where 15 students participated in case competitions, marketing activations and scholarship and internship opportunities.

 

ESPN has taken a similar route, bringing “First Take” live to campuses like Howard University, Tennessee State University and Clark Atlanta University. These activations didn’t just generate content; they created viral, student-driven moments. One TikTok from Howard student Kelsie Jarett capturing Stephen A. Smith’s interaction alone hit nearly 600,000 views. When brands show up authentically in HBCU spaces, students amplify the story for them.

 

The digital ripple of HBCU culture

 

The digital ripple of HBCU culture proves one truth: What happens on the yard doesn’t stay there—it drives the language, style and trends dominating social feeds. Viral phrases from African American Vernacular English like “Clock it” or “I know that’s right” illustrate how Black culture consistently fuels popular culture.

 

People gravitate toward brands that make them feel genuinely seen, and marketers are being challenged to deliver more meaningful impact with every dollar spent. Partnering with HBCUs offers something money can’t buy: authentic connection. To truly be at the forefront of trends in today’s social-first world, we must look to the very communities already creating them.

 

Invest in HBCU talent, not just HBCU moments

 

Brands should begin by assembling internal teams who align with and understand unique cultural elements. These teams have personal experience and can connect with the voices they wish to serve, helping narrate stories that often go untold—similar to Ralph Lauren’s Oak Bluffs collection.

 

Brands should avoid one-off activations and instead take the time to foster relationships with HBCUs and students alike through mutually beneficial resources. Educational opportunities like case studies that connect students to internships and scholarships help brands not only uncover unique solutions to business problems but also create a pipeline of diverse talent.

 

HBCU students aren’t just participants in culture; they are its catalysts. By tapping into their creativity, voices and perspectives, brands can connect at the very point where culture is created—before it ever hits the feed.

 

Tayler Towles is an assistant account executive at Leo Chicago and recently graduated from Howard University as valedictorian of the School of Business.

16551: BHM 2024—President Joe Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris.

 

The Hill spotlighted a BHM 2024 campaign for President Joe Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris, including radio and digital spots. The radio spots—Reflect and Remarkable—open by declaring, “Black history is American history.” The digital spot—Possibilities—hypes support for HBCUs.

 

Wow, what’s next—a Black inventors ad?

 

 

Biden, Harris celebrate Black History Month with ads touting promises kept

 

By Cheyanne M. Daniels

 

The Biden-Harris campaign is launching a series of radio, print and digital ads targeting Black voters in battleground states. The ads, according to the reelection campaign, will highlight promises President Biden kept to Black Americans over the last four years.

 

Two radio ads — “Reflect,” which runs for 30 seconds, and “Remarkable,” which is a minute long — will run Feb. 14-26 in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Detroit, Phoenix, Raleigh, N.C., and Charlotte, N.C.

 

The ads play up Black History Month themes by highlighting the history made when Vice President Harris became the first Black female vice president, when Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin became the first African American Pentagon chief, and when Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black female Supreme Court justice.

 

“Black history is American history,” the ads say. “Our sacrifices make this country stronger.”

 

“Remarkable” goes on to say that under Biden, the Black unemployment rate is the lowest it’s ever been and that more than $130 billion in student loan debt has been forgiven.

 

“President Biden and Vice President Harris are delivering on their promises to Black America by ushering in historically low Black unemployment as well as overseeing the fastest creation rate of Black-owned small businesses in decades,” Quentin Fulks, Biden-Harris principal deputy campaign director, said in a statement.

 

While print ads will run in Black newspapers across battleground states including Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Arizona beginning Feb. 19, the campaign will also air a 15-second digital ad “Possibilities” across streaming platforms during the 2024 NBA x HBCU Classic.

 

“Possibilities” will focus on the commitments the administration has made to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including a historic $7 billion investment for campuses, grants and debt relief.

 

When Biden was elected in 2020, he promised racial justice would be at the forefront of his administration’s agenda. On his first day in office, he signed an executive order to allocate funding to HBCUs and Indigenous tribes as well as new programs to help close racial disparities in job and housing opportunities.

 

But Democrats at large have failed to succeed in securing additional protections on voting rights and passing police reform, two issues of top concern for Black Americans.

 

These new ads now come at a time when Biden’s and Harris’s approval ratings are falling among Black voters.

 

Earlier this month, an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that Biden’s approval rating among Black adults has fallen to 42 percent.

 

“We know there is more work to do,” Fulks said. “The fundamental choice in this election is between Joe Biden, who wakes up every day thinking about how he can make Americans’ lives better, and Donald Trump, who wakes up every day thinking about how he can make his life better — even if that comes at the expense of hardworking American people.”

16537: BHM 2024—Macy’s.

 

Macy’s has got all the BHM departments covered: 1) Supporting Black-owned brands; 2) Allyships with HBCUs, and; 3) Awarding minority scholarships. The iconic retailer has given over $3.1M to UNCF since 2021. Gee, what happened that year to inspire such cultural commitment?

 

16504: MLK Day 2024 In Adland.

 

To extend the previous year’s Adland theme, MLK Day 2024 could be titled: AI Have A Dream.

 

In context to Adland and the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., AI stands for:

 

Artificial Inclusivity as White advertising agencies continue to deliver performative PR on DEIBA+ commitments—while steadfastly maintaining exclusivity and systemic racism.

 

Artificial Investment as diversity budgets and crumbs are reduced, promises and pledges are reneged, and HBCU promotions are ridiculous.

 

Artificial Interest as Chief Diversity Officers and ERGs are delegated the nettlesome task of drafting annual email tributes to the civil rights icon.

 

Artificial Intelligence as an industry that boasts being in tune with—and at the cutting edge of—pop culture remains culturally clueless.

16487: Seeking $upport For HCBUs.

 

Adweek published a perspective suggesting that White advertising agencies and brands go beyond viewing HBCUs as potential promotional heat shields, and instead provide meaningful investments to back the colleges and universities. It’s a tough proposition, given that industry support—whether for HBCUs or any non-White enterprise—has not yet progressed from crumbs to cash.

 

Allyship With HBCUs Is More Than a Marketing Campaign

 

Brands can bridge funding gaps through meaningful long-term investments in infrastructure

 

By Will Ayers

 

Since the inception of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the 1800s, HBCUs have been a driving force in developing successful Black professionals in America. According to a White House report, HBCUs have produced approximately 40% of all Black engineers, 50% of all Black lawyers, 70% of Black doctors and 80% of Black judges. These prestigious colleges and universities have also produced close to 50% of the teachers in America, and many of the most accomplished names across the world of sports, business and entertainment are products of an HBCU.

 

Even many of the trends we see today, whether it be in fashion, music or social media, have been driven by some of the brilliant minds that have walked HBCU campuses. Collectively, these colleges and universities sit at the four-way intersection of authenticity, academia, culture and commerce.

 

Markedly, HBCUs have accomplished all of these feats while being underfunded, so imagine the potential if they had meaningful support. Brands across America can bridge the gap, not only by showing up during key moments throughout the year but also making meaningful long-term investments in HBCU students and institutions.

 

Over the past five years, brands have begun to align themselves with HBCUs and diverse communities more often. However, it’s important that brands’ alignment transcend symbolic gestures in marketing campaigns, sponsored events and brand activations. Now is the time for brands to build a more meaningful relationship with HBCUs that nurtures campus life, professional development and talent pipelines that enhance the HBCU experience.

 

It’s not enough for brands to just be present—they must authentically engage with HBCU culture, their graduates, students at the university and its rich history, in an always-on approach that helps HBCUs overcome the obstacles of being underfunded for many decades.

 

One recent example of a brand authentically engaging with HBCU culture is when Flamin’ Hot partnered with Grammy award-winning artist Megan Thee Stallion to raise scholarship funds for HBCU students. Knowing the importance of homecoming season at HBCUs, Flamin’ Hot teamed up with the Houston rapper to launch Flamin’ Hot University, a fictitious university that offered online courses and limited-edition merchandise inspired by popular streetwear designer Melody Ehsani.

 

The collection also included a Stallion Varsity Jacket and a Hot Girl Club sweater, which was inspired by Megan Thee Stallion. Proceeds from the collection went towards starting a scholarship fund of up to $150,000 at Texas Southern University, which is also Megan Thee Stallion’s alma mater. The partnership with Megan Thee Stallion was organic, the campaign was seamlessly integrated into HBCU culture and it left a meaningful impact on students at Texas Southern University.

 

The campaign illustrated a successful and authentic way to engage with and invest in HBCU culture, so how else can brands tap into HBCU culture in meaningful ways?

 

Invest in campus infrastructure 

 

Long-term investments in infrastructure enable brands to be more present in the daily nuances of the HBCU experience. Financial support for infrastructure such as dorms, athletic facilities and classrooms enhances the college experience of HBCU students. These types of investments and partnerships allow brands to be authentically woven into the fabric of the everyday lives of HBCU culture and students who are pursuing their degrees.

 

Empower students through mentorship

 

At the core, HBCUs are schools of higher learning that build leaders and some of the most esteemed professionals, not only in the Black community but in America—it’s important that brands understand this mission. Establishing mentorship programs at HBCUs seamlessly aligns with this assignment by providing students with the proper insight and guidance to help them secure jobs once they graduate. It also provides them with access to conversations with individuals who have once walked a similar path. This will not only accelerate their professional development but also help them build a strong network of professionals they can lean on to help navigate their academic and career journey.

 

Build talent pipelines

 

Building a career pathway for students will also make a significant impact on bridging the gap for HBCUs. Create a calendar of events throughout the year that includes professional development workshops, panel discussions that provide career insight, and internship opportunities that are designed to establish clear pathways for students to have successful careers in their respective fields. Additionally, brands should also consider investing in curriculum development and campus career fairs in an effort to ensure that students are being prepared for what their respective industry looks like now, and in the future.

 

Allyship with HBCUs is more than just a marketing campaign. Marketing campaigns only represent a moment in time or in the world of advertising a “flight.” In an ever-changing world where budgets are getting tighter and the return on investment is more important than ever, one of the best returns on investment for a brand is investing in HBCUs. Not only are you showing up in front of an audience that is one of the driving forces behind trends for young people, but there is also an opportunity to help students become leaders in their respective fields, creating a sustainable pipeline to hire Black professionals and helping nurture the HBCU experience in a way that drives authenticity and allyship.

 

This can be accomplished by forming apparel partnerships with HBCU athletic programs similar to Nike’s partnership with Florida A&M University, establishing internship and mentoring programs for HBCU students, creating unique brand activations at HBCU homecomings, hosting exclusive product launch events on HBCU campuses and by leveraging social media to engage with HBCU students in a way that lets them know you care.

 

It’s one thing for brands to say that they care, but the impact comes from actions rooted in authenticity. 

16330: PepsiCo Performative PR.

Sports Illustrated reported PepsiCo expanded its partnership with the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and increased its investment in HBCUs. Given Coca-Cola’s self-proclaimed unwavering dedication to HBCUs, expect Cola Wars to break out at stadiums.

 

Although the performative patronizing is countered by both brands’ long-standing partnerships with White advertising agencies.

 

SWAC, PepsiCo Expanded Partnership, Increases HBCU Investment

 

The SWAC announces its new expanded partnership with PepsiCo and their increased investment to HBCUs.

 

By Kyle T. Mosley

 

BIRMINGHAM, AL – PepsiCo is expanding its relationship with the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), more than doubling its investment in the premiere HBCU conference as it enters a six-year title partnership as the first-ever exclusive beverage, sports performance product and salty snacks sponsor of SWAC Football, Basketball, Olympic Sports and eSports through 2029.

 

Building on its 2020 commitment as an exclusive beverage partner, the new title sponsorship deal makes PepsiCo the main carbonated soft drink, non-carbonated soft drink, sports performance drink and ready-to-eat snack foods provider of the conference, reaching twelve schools across the south in six states. With eight brands engaged, the deal leverages the power of PepsiCo’s diverse portfolio, mirroring the company’s overall approach to professional sports partnerships in a continued show of support for HBCUs.

 

PepsiCo’s brands will show up in an even bigger and better way on the sidelines, in-game, on broadcast and more throughout each sports’ season and during championship events, including a presence across four SWAC Classics. Fans can expect to see Pepsi Zero Sugar, Gatorade, Doritos and Tostitos throughout the football season; STARRY, Gatorade and Ruffles for basketball; Gatorade for Olympic sports; and Rockstar Energy Drink and MTN DEW for eSports. As part of the expanded deal, PepsiCo will be the title partner of the championship trophy at both the SWAC Football Championship and SWAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament with increased experiential moments for fans and prominent branding on the football field during the championship game as well as on the basketball court.

 

“PepsiCo’s expanded enterprise-wide partnership with SWAC reinforces the value of our increased investment in HBCUs and commitment to uplifting diverse talent as part of our efforts to amplify equity within our business and communities,” said Kent Montgomery, Senior Vice President, Industry Relations and Multicultural Development, PepsiCo. “Uniting our powerhouse brands across the PepsiCo portfolio to genuinely connect with HBCUs offers a unique opportunity to elevate the culture, bring authentic and engaging experiences to fans, and provide valuable career development opportunities to invest in students’ futures.”

 

As part of the deal, PepsiCo will continue to amplify and support HBCUs with on-site mentorship and recruitment opportunities. A portion of the yearly investment will go directly to SWAC schools to fund scholarships that open the door to greater economic opportunity for students.

 

“The Southwestern Athletic Conference is pleased to partner with PepsiCo and its impressive portfolio of brands to enhance our student and fan experience starting this season with much needed improvements across the conference,” said SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland. “We’re excited to have PepsiCo and its iconic brands on board with us for the next six years as we continue to work together to uplift and bring new opportunities to our communities.”

 

The partnership will come to life later this year with a tour as the 2023-2024 season kicks off. PepsiCo will activate on-the-ground and in media across four SWAC Classics – Orange Blossom Classic, State Fair Classic, The Pepsi SWAC Classic Presented by GM and Florida Classic – as well as other HBCU campuses during the upcoming football season.

16310: How SCOTUS Affirmative Action Ruling Might Affect Adland.

Digiday Media’s WorkLife published a report listing four ways that the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling for colleges and universities might affect employers in the business world.

 

Not sure if the four business world predictions directly apply to Adland, but here are some thoughts:

 

1. Employers could lose pipeline of highly qualified future workers and business leaders. This one is probably irrelevant, as Adland’s pipeline—which is a pipe dream—essentially involves embryo recruitment and patronizing partnerships with HBCUs. However, White women will still benefit from being categorized as diversity hires and diversity suppliers.

 

2. More pressure on DE&I goals. Also irrelevant, given the typical White advertising agency doesn’t even have DE&I goals. Expect a steady—and likely declining—flow of heat shields and performative PR backed by crumby diversity budgets.

 

3. Future of ERGs put in question. In Adland, the present of ERGs is already questionable.

 

4. To speak out or not. Will Adland speak out on the issue? Definitely not.

 

In summation, it’s a safe bet that Adland will continue to promote affirmative inaction.

 

Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling — what it means for employers

 

By Cloey Callahan

 

On Thursday the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that colleges and universities must stop considering race in admissions, putting an end to affirmative action in higher education.

 

The court’s conservative majority overturned precedents reaching back 45 years by ruling against admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation’s oldest private and public colleges.

 

The decision will have many ripple effects, especially for businesses. Making hiring decisions based on race is already illegal in the U.S., so the decision won’t change anything on that front, but it will have other implications. Employers have long been caught in the crosshairs of decisions like these, leaving them to navigate how government decisions will impact business, when to speak up about issues and, in this case especially, what effect it will have on diversity, equity and inclusion strategies.

 

At the same time, Kara Govro, Mineral’s chief HR legal expert, doesn’t want employers to panic, either. “I don’t think employers need to panic that there’s going to be a massive wave of litigation just because affirmative action has been shot down at colleges,” said Govro. “On the whole, attorneys aren’t going to take these cases.”

 

Here’s what you need to know about the impact the Supreme Court decision has on employers.

 

1. Employers could lose pipeline of highly qualified future workers and business leaders

 

Almost 70 employers, including General Electric, Google and JetBlue Airways, warned in a brief to the court that without affirmative action they’ll lose access to “a pipeline of highly qualified future workers and business leaders” and will struggle to meet diversity hiring goals.

 

Without affirmative action, colleges can no longer consider race in their admissions decisions. That might mean that we see fewer people of color in higher education and graduating with degrees, heading into the workplace.

 

Employers have already begun moving to degree-free hiring, but the Supreme Court’s decision will underline that as an important strategy for those wanting to maintain their workforce diversity. Giants like Delta, Google and IBM have already moved in this direction. Last week, Kellogg’s UK joined the fray, stating that employees no longer need a degree to apply for a job at the company, citing efforts to widen its talent pool and promote inclusion.

 

Melanie Naranjo, vp of people at compliance training company Ethena, said that skills-based hiring will become even more important now that affirmative action has been gutted.

 

2. More pressure on DE&I goals

 

“The idea behind affirmative action is to level the playing field so that everyone has opportunities and equal access to higher education and then that feeds into the employment sector,” said Naranjo. “When you start to remove this affirmative action, now the playing field is even less level than it was before. Employers now have to compensate for that lack in order to then continue to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion.”

 

She said employers will have to learn, more than ever before, the systemic biases that are at play.

 

“Employers have been able to rely somewhat on other efforts,” said Naranjo. “Now they’re going to have to look at the whole picture and really understand what is holding people back so that they can try and help mitigate that.”

 

3. Future of ERGs put in question

 

Naranjo said she worries the ruling could spell the end of employee resource groups (ERGs). Companies have put their DE&I strategies in high gear since the summer of 2020 after the Black Lives Matter movement prompted by the murder of George Floyd. The social justice movement gave rise to ERGs that are centered around discriminatory areas like race or sexuality so that workers can share their experiences.

 

“We don’t know what could be on the chopping block next,” said Naranjo. “ERGs could be seen as discriminatory if people say ‘this is for one specific group and it shouldn’t be because it’s for everyone.’”

 

She said the Supreme Court decision will be a blow to a range of DE&I strategies, with ERGs as just one example. While it’s illegal in the U.S. to make hiring decisions based on race, some companies have diversity goals requiring that their workforces comprise a certain percentage of people of color. Naranjo said she worries that might also be compromised as a result of the ruling.

 

“If things like this start to get shut down, we are going to have to be prepared to rethink and restructure how we approach inclusivity,” said Naranjo. “Rather than having a race-based ERG, we would then call it an inclusivity group, and it would have the exact same goals.”

 

Govro said she is even more concerned around affirmative action for federal contractors. “They are encouraged to match the actual population to their talent pool,” said Govro. “They’re not supposed to use race in the end, but they’re supposed to make efforts to have their body of employees look like the population. That includes acknowledging population numbers. If you’re in a 10% Asian community, is your talent pool 10% Asian?”

 

“This is probably what’s next on the chopping block,” she continued. “I could see that coming down. It will be easier to go after than private employment.”

 

4. To speak out or not

 

Employers need to think about the messaging that they send to their employees following this decision.

 

“It’s important that every company is thoughtful in their communication to their employees, but I do think they should be proactive,” said Naranjo. “Silence is very loud and your employees really hear that. It’s better to say something rather than nothing.”

 

That could look like anything from dropping a note in a DE&I Slack channel saying, “We’re aware of this, please reach out if you need,” to asking managers to make room in their one-on-ones if they see fit and without any pressure. From there, companies can also monitor if people are suffering at work and are unable to focus after the decision. “Be thoughtful, proactive and have an open door policy,” said Naranjo.

 

Almost exactly a year ago, the Supreme Court made another landmark decision. Roe v. Wade was overturned, ending the federal constitutional right to abortion in the U.S. During that decision, employers had to consider quickly if they were going to make a statement, either internally or externally, or not.

 

Just how much an employer should get involved is a question that comes up time and again in politics. While some firmly believe a company’s corporate social responsibility dictates it mustn’t stand silent, others argue it’s better that the employer stays well out of political matters, particularly polarizing ones.

 

For Naranjo, employers must look to the needs of their employees. “Many employees are going to be impacted by this, whether it’s from a mental health perspective or their children applying to colleges or just the general state of the United States and how they feel about these decisions,” said Naranjo.