Flashing lights and cameras were no match for the stars on the red carpet of BET’s 2025 HBCU Honors, an annual celebration of alumni from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) cultivating generational impact.
In its third iteration, the packed event took to the Duke Ellington School of the Arts for a pre-taping on Nov. 20, where influencers, celebrities, CEOs, and supporters of HBCUs basked in a reminder of the importance of sacred and cultural spaces.
“In America right now, there are those that want to erase Black culture, erase Black legacy…and try to tell us that we are not who we are– which is excellent,” said Jotaka Eaddy, a two-time HBCU honorary doctorate and founder of #WinWithBlackWomen. “HBCUS, I believe, is the antidote.”
Eaddy counted among a bevy of beneficiaries touting the breadth and beauty of a Black-centered education, all the while celebrating the legacies that surpass collegiate grounds.
Set to air on BET Nov. 30, this year’s program honors communal trailblazers Pastor Shirley Caesar, a graduate of Shaw University in North Carolina; David Banner, alumni of Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Janice Bryant Howroyd, who earned her bachelor’s of arts degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
Additionally, Fisk University alumni-comedian Kym Whitley returns as host, bringing a roster of A-list presenters, performers and attendees hailing from Black institutions across the nation, including: actors Lance Gross and Myles Frost; Grammy award-winning artist Raheem DeVaughn; TV host and author Shaun Robinson; and performances from institutional allies DJ QUICKSILVA, Grammy award-winner MAJOR, and more.
“Going to an HBCU made me a man. It allowed me to walk in rooms with my chest poked out, knowing I could do the job because I’m capable,” Gross, an alumnus of Howard University, told The Informer. “It’s for us, by us. It’s everything.”
HBCUs Demonstrate a ‘Hope for the Future‘
More than a party, the HBCU Honors aims to shape the future just as much as celebrate the past.
Along with special performances and featured guests, the Nov. 30 airing will reveal the winner of the 2025 HBCU Rising Stars, whose finalists included Johanna Clarke from Bennett College, David Henderson of Coppin State University, and Maryland’s own Dr. Ronald Johnson, a student at Morgan State University.
While only one finalist graces the national stage at Duke Ellington, all three competitors leveraged the opportunity to take mentorship lessons with celebrity judges Frost, DeVaughn, American Idol Top 7 Finalist Gabby Samone, and HBCU Honors Music Director Shawn Williams.
“When I see HBCU students on a national scale, it gives me hope for the future,” Dr. Tomikia LeGrande, president of the historically Black Prairie View A&M University said on Thursday’s red carpet. “We’re building leaders. And to be able to see our alumnus honored tonight just shows our students what the potential is.”
Among the additional benefits touted for HBCU-bound students: diversity and inclusion in academia, instilled values such as confidence and service, establishing a lifeline of communal support, and exposure to various cultural aspects, including the historically Black Greek letter organizations known as the Divine Nine— six of which were founded at HBCUs.
Duke Ellington School of the Arts Principal Sandi Logan furthered the foundation of cultural competence in propelling youth forward with a reference to her own creative scholars, many of whom stuck around after hours to assist with the Nov. 20 production.
“[Excellence to me] is every day, from the time you wake up, being intentional. Understanding that even the small movements are going towards a larger goal,” Logan told The Informer. “When you have an experience that is [culturally] affirming, that gives you a higher [probability] of completing your mission.”
On the flip side, Eaddy emphasized how events like Thursday’s offer a full-circle moment for all HBCU alumni.
While applauding the evident success of these institutions, she nodded to the honorary ceremony for solidifying the impetus of preservation and longevity.
“Every time I’m in touch with these great institutions, I’m reminded of the greatness that happens at [HBCUs] and what is seeded there, the excellence that comes into this country as a result,” she told The Informer. “And that’s why it’s so important for us to support [them], fund [them] and lift them up.”