WHUT – Howard University Television announces launch OF HBCU Week
August 2023,
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Angela Hailstorks (Angie Ange)
Director of Content
angela.hailstorks@howard.edu, 202-806-3062
WHUT – Howard University Television announces launch of HBCU Week
Initiative includes local broadcasts of HBCU-themed programs including a new short film appearing on WHUT - Howard University Television.
Washington, DC – WHUT- Howard University Television today announced a national expansion of its HBCU Week programming initiative for September in celebration of the contributions of America’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU). The initiative includes broadcasts of three HBCU-themed films and the production of four new short films focusing on HBCU Classic football matchups.
“Programming initiatives like HBCU Week allow us to celebrate our very precious history and culture with the rest of the world in a way that is compelling, engaging and leaves you wanting to explore more,” Sean Plater, General Manager at WHUT. “We are honroed to share how special Howard University is through the lens of those who have experienced it first hand.” Maryland Public Television is leading this new initiative, which has grown as part of a three-year programming initiative they have undertaken across Maryland which airs September 4 - 10.
WHUT will also release a new short film on YouTube, the PBS App, and PBS digital platforms. Howard University Television will produce the film focusing specifically on the HBCU Classic football matchups that are a central part of HBCU culture. “For decades, the Howard vs Hampton rivalry has brough out thousands of people from all over the country,” Angela “Angie Ange” Hailstorks, Director of Content WHUT, “We are excited to tell the story of the big game and rivalry while also showing the impact it has on HBCU culture and local communities that surround each university.”
The film will appear as a part of four short films to be presented as a single episode of the WORLD series “Local USA, and scheduled for national broadcast in February 2024 as part of public media’s Black History Month pipeline. Local USA airs content from public television stations and independent producers that show the depth and diversity of people in fascinating short stories.
WORLD Channel will also broadcast a 30-minute program on HBCU themes on three consecutive Sundays in September (Sept. 3, 10, and 17) on its national public television channel. The programs are Inside the CIAA, a forthcoming special that explores the impact of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Tournament on Baltimore; Afro Blue: A Year in the Life, a behind-the-scenes look at Howard University’s vocal jazz ensemble; and Sounds of the Game, an inside look at the culture of HBCU marching bands.
Congress defines an HBCU as “any historically Black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of Black Americans.” Today, the 107 HBCUs recognized by the U.S. Department of Education continue to deliver on the promise of their founding, with more than 237,000 students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds currently enrolled, alongside at least one million alumni from all walks of life. HBCUs are among America’s most crucial institutions for providing access to higher education for generations of Americans from diverse backgrounds, including some of today’s most notable individuals such as U.S Vice President Kamala Harris, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. David Satcher, and many others.
“We hope that alignment of this content with the access provided by our strategic partners, CPB and WORLD, and WHUT will help us foster unity through dialogue and inspire additional content opportunities that create access to and for communities of color.”
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About WHUT-TV, Howard University Television
WHUT-TV, Howard University Television was founded in 1980 in Washington, D.C. as WHMM. At its inception, the station became the first public station in the United States to be licensed and operated by a historically black college and university (HBCU) - Howard University. The station broadcasts reach over 2.6 million households in a 60-mile radius. The station’s mission is to deliver educational, entertaining and intellectually stimulating multicultural and intergenerational programming to the public in the Metro DC region. The station endeavors to underscore Howard University’s commitment to excellence in Truth and Service. More information about WHUT is available at whut.org or by following WHUT on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices.
About The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,500 locally managed and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology and program development for public radio, television, and related online services. For more information, visit cpb.org, follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe for other updates.
About WORLD Channel
WORLD shares the best of public media in news, documentaries and programming. WORLD’s original series examine the issues and amplify the voices of those often ignored by mainstream media. The multiplatform channel helps audiences understand conflicts, movements and cultures from around the globe. Its original work has won a Peabody Award, an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award, an International Documentary Association Award, a National News and Documentary Emmy Award, two Webby Awards and many others honoring diversity of content and makers. WORLD is carried by 194- member stations in markets representing 77% of US TV households. Funding for WORLD is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Wyncote Foundation. WORLD is produced by GBH in partnership with WNET and is distributed by American Public Television (APT). Find out more at WORLDChannel.org.