Alumnus Casts ASU Alumni for New TV Pilot Saluting Alma Mater, HBCUs
By Hazel Scott/ASU When black people were denied access to higher education due to legal segregation, HBCUs were formed to give blacks a space to grow, excel, embrace their culture and find themselves in the process. The new TV pilot, “Rising,” written and produced by educator/writer/alumnus Dr. Sheldon C. McAfee, is a salute to those HBCU founders, especially the “Marion Nine,” the name given to the founders of his alma mater. “The story is a result of my love for Alabama State. The story of the Marion Nine always meant something to me – nine former slaves and five teachers coming