By Kimberly Wilson ·Updated November 28, 2023
If there’s one thing Black folks will do, it is turn a party into a purpose. And DIAGEO’s commitment to driving advancement of Black education by supporting HBCUs just got a major boost at the Bayou Classic.
The global beverage leader, who has been working to benefit thousands of talented students in need of aid since 2021, presented the presidents from Grambling State University and Southern University each with an additional $50,000 to create endowment funds during the 50th Annual Bayou Classic in New Orleans.
The annual Thanksgiving weekend event, which is a tradition of fun and football, is not only a weekend celebrating Black excellence and education, but cherished by fans of Grambling State and Southern University.
Together with its brands CÎROC, Crown Royal, Don Julio and Tanqueray, DIAGEO returned to New Orleans for its second year as the official spirits partner, supporting these HBCUs as they progress forward towards more success. And yes, while drinks were flowing at pre-game celebrations such as the Battle of the Bands & Greek Show and the Bayou Classic Fan Festival (and even a few afterparties), DIAGEO’s presence was much more than that.
Over the past two years, DIAGEO has invested over $11 million in 29 Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions through an endowment program to address educational inequities and support career pipeline opportunities for historically underrepresented groups. Grambling State University and Southern University are two of the beneficiaries — and they certainly won’t be the last.
“HBCUs are the foundation of the Black community,” Dr. Danielle Robinson, Head of Community Engagement & Partnerships at DIAGEO, told ESSENCE. “Many of our successful leaders and educators come from HBCUs. It was really important for us to help close the wealth gap in the Black community, and we wanted to start with higher education, because some of the debt that our brothers and sisters begin to acquire is through obtaining a college education. And we want to alleviate that.”
She continues, “We set up 29 endowment funds at 29 HBCUs and those endowment funds provide need based scholarships to students. They’re designated and appointed by the financial aid office and close gaps as small as $500 — and sometimes that can make all of the difference.”
The Biden Administration recently re-emphasized these funding inequities in a joint letter sent by Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to HBCU state governors. The letter noted that HBCUs have “not been able to advance in ways that are on par” with other land-grant institutions in those states “in large part due to unbalanced funding.”
“Unacceptable funding inequities have forced many of our nation’s distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities to operate with inadequate resources and delay critical investments in everything from campus infrastructure to research and development to student support services,” Cardona said in a statement.
In addition to Grambling and Southern, the program provides funding to support students at the following institutions: Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University, Bowie State University, Clark Atlanta University, Delaware State University, Dillard University, Fisk University, Fort Valley State University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Harris-Stowe State University, Howard University, Jackson State University, Kentucky State University, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T University, North Carolina Central University, Tennessee State University, Tuskegee University, University of Virgin Islands, Winston-Salem State University, and Xavier University.
With a goal of helping to change the complexion of the beverage alcohol industry, Diageo North America has also committed to taking a step to build a pipeline of talented leaders through an internship platform over the coming years. “The hospitality industry suffered so much during the pandemic, so the opportunities are vast now,” says Robinson. “We are the largest spirits company in the world, but we have all types of opportunities within our walls — legal, finance, sales, etc. We focus on responsible consumption, so for us it’s about providing job opportunities, but also growth and development.”
Leading the charge in turning things around, DIAGEO remains committed to supporting HBCUs and developing diverse talent by standing at the forefront of Black celebration and advancement of Black education.
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