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For the Culture: HBCU Culture Legacy Foundation and Battle of the Bands
Originally posted to MeetMeOnThe50.com
For Founder and CEO of HBCU Culture Legacy Foundation Frank Johnson, the HBCU Culture Homecoming Festival pays homage to a community that greatly impacted his life.
Johnson was a percussionist in Johnson C Smith University's "International Institution of Sound" Marching Band. Unfortunately, he had to drop out to support his family while his father was ill.
"I don't want others to go through what I've gone through," Johnson said.
In 2018, Johnson, along with his wife La Kiesha, who was a part of JCSU's Blue Satin Dance Line, began organizing the Big HBCU Classic Battle of the Bands in Charlotte.
In addition to providing scholarship money to bands, they wanted to bring a family-oriented experience to their community. This included a Fan Fest, a college and career fair, and a high school battle of the bands.
But the stars of the event, were the college bands taking the field.
The first event was a success, an article from HBCU Connect saying that, "While the stadium's official capacity is 4,500, the place was packed."
It wasn't just a success with the crowd either. Benedict College band member Dante Stroman, has gone to the event several times and says he enjoys the experience.
"It's an amazing thing because we get to showcase what we do as a band to other band organizations that we may normally not see due to the conference," Stroman said. "I really appreciate how they give each participating band meals and a check for their scholarship funds."
Now in its fourth year and with a new location, Johnson's mission has only grown.
This year, HBCU Culture plans on reaching $1 million in scholarships, according to the Johnson's. So far this year, the event has received sponsors from Doordash, Hibbett | City Gear, according to social media posts on the official HBCU Culture Instagram Page.
According to Frank and La Keisha Johnson, what makes the event unique is their background in marching band and their experiences planning events. The husband and wife duo run a marketing and event planning company called Kingdom Plug, which they founded in 2017.
FAST FACTS ON THIS YEAR'S EVENT
This year marks the first time the HBCU Culture Fest is held in Atlanta, Georgia. Every other year has been held in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The event
Benedict College has appeared in every showcase since 2018.
This is Fort Valley State University and South Carolina State University's third appearance in the showcase.
To date, they have raised over $650,000 to support students and HBCU's