conic musicians, athletes and business leaders are heading to Atlanta next week for the inaugural HBCU AwareFest.
The event, produced by the Student Freedom Initiative with Live Nation Urban, the City of Atlanta and Mayor Andre Dickens, is a festival aiming to “address one of the most pressing challenges facing Black America, the student loan debt crisis, while celebrating the impact and legacy of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” according to event organizers.
The average price of a year of public higher education is now $39,000, and it’s even higher for private schools, reaching an average of $52,000. The price has increased 200% between 2000 and 2021, event organizers said.
The cost burden hits Black students disproportionately, with Black students holding an average of $52,000 in student loan debt.
AwareFest not only acts as a platform to talk about loan debt with members of the HBCU community, but also a a fundraiser to help tackle debt for Black students.
Here’s what’s on the schedule.
March 21 — HBCU 2026 Impact Fest
The fest kicks off at the AUC Woodruff Library and Promenade with a day-long summit on financial empowerment, entrepreneurship, mental health, artificial intelligence, creator economy opportunities, career resources and more.
MC Lyte, TS Madison, Saucy Santana and Dr. Kevin James, the president of Morris Brown College. There will also be representatives from multiple companies.
March 23 — InternXL AI Innovation Challenge at AwareFest
At The Gathering Spot on Monday, the fest will host “a live pitch competition where student teams present AI-powered solutions designed to address real-world challenges” in the healthcare, climate, education and public policy sectors.
March 24 — Deon Cole and surprise guests
On Tuesday, Chris Spencer will host a comedy showcase featuring Deon Cole and a collection of surprise guests.
March 25 — The State of HBCUs Executive Summit, Casino Royale Fundraiser
HBCU leaders will gather at Ebenezer Baptist Church on Wednesday for a panel and conversation on the future of Black higher eduction.
Featured panelists include Yolanda Page (Stillman College), Melva K. Wallace (Huston-Tillotson University), F. Dubois Bowman (Morehouse College) and Keith Shoates (Student Freedom Initiative).
Later that night, there will be an “All In for HBCUs” casino night at Hotel Phoeniz, hosted by Anthony Anderson and Rocsi Diaz.
Magic Johnson will make a special guest appearance, and there will be a live performance by Wyclef Jean.
March 26 — HBCU AwareFest Concert
The week will culminate with a concert at State Farm Arena on Thursday night.
The event is hosted by Nick Cannon.
