Porter-Gaud kicks off HBCU week with event to honor Black students

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - This month kicks off an event that celebrates the rich history of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The Porter-Gaud School in Charleston on Wednesday will host its second annual breakfast program dedicated to National Historically Black Colleges and Universities in honor of HBCU Week.

The school is committed to fostering a more equitable and inclusive community.

This program aims to shed light on the pivotal role HBCUs have played in our nation’s history and their contributions as institutions of higher education.

HBCU Week started in the 1980s after President Jimmy Carter designated it as an official celebration.

Today, there are more than 100 HBCUs across the country.

Attendees can look forward to hearing from both current and former students who have experienced what HBCUs have to offer.

This event is not exclusive to Porter-Gaud, it welcomes participation from the community, including neighboring schools.

The inception of the program came from a group of students who make up the Black Excellence Society.

Those students are excited about the community aspect of the event and say they’re taking a different approach at Wednesday’s event

“Something new we’re doing this year is last year our breakfast was only open to black students, but this year we want to expand it “, Kendall Givens said.

“Regardless of if you are a black, white, Asian, Hispanic, whatever, you can be a part of this group and just be an ally peer.”, Tyla Johnson said.

“I think opening this up to all people allows black kids to feel less isolated”, said Amber Wilson-Debriano.

The Director of Community Engagement and Belonging at Porter-Gaud Dr. Yerko Sepúlveda further explains the importance of including everyone in today’s event.

“They’re not only open to African American students, you know, they also want to bring in a little diversity”, Sepúlveda said. “So, what we’re trying to do is to highlight you know, the existence of these colleges for kids who might be interested but also to allow other people to learn about the contribution of HBCUs throughout history.”

The event is from 8-9 a.m. and will be held at Washington Hall at Porter-Gaud.

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