Archdiocese of Baltimore continues sponsorship of HBCU Week on Maryland Public Television

Adrienne Curry considers the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s sponsorship of HBCU Week on Maryland Public Television to be a double blessing.

The director of Black Catholic Ministries for the archdiocese says the sponsorship helps MPT highlight the important historical significance of Maryland’s four Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as continue to highlight those schools’ unique educational mission.

For the second straight year, the archdiocese and MPT will support programming that celebrates the history, culture and innovations of HBCUs in the area and across the nation. 

HBCU Week on MPT begins Sept. 4 and airs through Sept. 10. 

“I’m very grateful and proud that the archdiocese continues to support this kind of programming,” Curry said. “It’s important because for a long time, HBCUs were the only place Blacks could get a college education. It is important to highlight that.

“It’s also important to continue to shine a light on these schools that play such a vital role in our community,” she said.

Maryland has a rich history with HBCUs since it is home to Morgan State University, Coppin State University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Bowie State University. Delaware State University and Howard University (Washington, D.C.) also are within the MPT viewership area.

The nation’s 107 HBCUs serve more than a quarter of a million students. 

It is the fourth straight year MPT will host HBCU Week with programming that includes stories on science, medicine, history, education, civil rights, arts, music and sports. 

This year’s schedule features 27 hours of content about HBCUs.

Of particular local interest are:

• “Dreamer” – A special that chronicles the story of Morgan alumna Jasmine Barnes’s artistic collaboration with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society on a musical tribute to Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman
• “Black College Football Hall of Fame: Journey to Canton” – A look at the establishment of the Black College Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on the campus of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 
• “Conversations for Change: HBCU Awakening and Revival” –  Maryland Public Television’s national conversation that focuses the contemporary view of historically Black colleges and universities through the eyes of the people who power them (recorded in 2021).
• “Sneak Peek Inside the CIAA Tournament” – Explore the history of the CIAA Tournament, the nation’s largest and oldest HBCU postseason basketball tournament, and its current run in Baltimore.
• “First Gen: From West Baltimore” – This documentary continues the journey started seven years ago by focusing on the lives of five teens in middle school. Now young adults, they are poised to defy the trajectory of generational poverty and the negative stereotypes of youth in their community. With high school diplomas, dreams and fears of the unknown, this year they enter a world of competitive high stakes, the first in their family; with two graduates finding happiness at an HBCU.
• “Sounds of the Game” – This MPT special looks at the 49-year career of Melvin Miles, the legendary director of Morgan State University’s award-winning band, The Magnificent Marching Machine. 
• “State Circle Special: Innovative Programs at HBCUs in the DMV” – An in-depth look at innovative programs offered by the area’s HBCUs in 2022.
• “The Calvin Tyler Story” – The remarkable story of Baltimore native and former Morgan State University student Calvin Tyler, who rose from being a delivery truck driver for UPS to become one of its highest-ranking executives and largest shareholder and whose $20 million gift to Morgan was the largest ever made to an HBCU by a former student.
• “The Morgan Choir: A Joyful Celebration” – This film captures one of the nation’s most prestigious university choral ensembles, the Morgan Choir, and is a fitting salute to the late Dr. Nathan Carter, who led the choir for 34 years. Taped at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, this performance features a repertoire that ranges from classical to gospel. This presentation will include interviews with experts, supporters and members of HBCU choirs.
• “The Morgan Lacrosse Story” – Set against the racially turbulent 1970s, this film chronicles the accomplishments of the Morgan Bears, the nation’s first and only college lacrosse team at a historically Black institution.

Visit mpt.org/hbcu for more information and a complete programming schedule.

Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@CatholicReview.org

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