HBCU Alumni: The Next Generation of Entreprenuers

HBCU

ALUMNI

AND THE ECONOMIC GROWTH...

PHOTOGRAPHY PRISCILLA DICKSON

...In Black

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

BY SHEREE GREER

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In “The History of HBCU’s in America,” an essay by Samara Freemark for the American RadioWorks podcast, The Living Legacy: Black Colleges in the 21st Century, we meet Zack Hubert, an ex-enslaved person who is quoted as saying something simple yet profound to his children: “Get your education. It’s the one thing they can’t take away from you.”

The centuries old call to get an education still echoes today, and we see living proof of that call through the establishment and preservation of our very own Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the thousands of graduates who take what they’ve learned to build better lives for themselves and their communities.

Famous graduates of HBCUs include Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Morehouse), Ralph Ellison (Tuskegee), Thurgood Marshall (Lincoln and Howard), Toni Morrison (Howard), Alice Walker (Spelman), Booker T. Washington (Hampton), Katherine Johnson (West Virginia State), Althea Gibson (FAMU), Jesse Jackson (North Carolina A&T), and many, many more contemporary celebrities and change-makers.

Whether legendary or local, what all HBCU graduates seem to have in common is a strikingly powerful sense of self, an extraordinary respect for Black history, and a deeply personal commitment to success. These characteristics show themselves in multiple ways, from entrepreneurship and community service to continuing family legacies and forging new paths.

DR. OMARI SHEEHY, DDS

DR. JENNIFER SPENCER, PHARMD (Not Shown)

Dr. Spencer graduated from Florida A&M University (FAMU) in 2004 with a doctorate of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. A recipient of a Presidential Scholarship that offered a full-ride to the university, Jennifer said that her family, whose only directive was to make sure she attended college, were completely supportive of her choice to FAMU.

Jennifer credits her HBCU experience with instilling in her “the idea that as a black woman I would have to work ten times harder, but that I was capable of giving that. My experience solidified that I have a voice worth listening to and my voice could make a difference.”

She has worked in every facet of Pharmacy from retail to academia, each position a chance to delve deeper into her field, fully capable and totally prepared as a result of studying under professors whom she calls, “some of the greatest minds in the world.” After her clerkship apprenticeship, Dr. Spencer decided to stay in Tampa and feels that “Tampa benefits from HBCU grads in amazing ways. HBCU grads are wonderful role models and mentors in our communities fighting for social and economic improvement.”

DR. OMARI SHEEHY, DDS

A graduate of two HBCUs, Dr. Sheehy earned his BS in biology from Hampton University in 2007 and his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) from Meharry Medical College in 2013. Omari comes from a large family with an ingrained tradition of attending HBCUs. His mother attended Clark while some of his aunts went to Spelman. His father, a Morehouse graduate, taught at Lincoln University and the family lived on campus. With legacies like those, it’s understandable that there are good-natured debates about “which HBCU is better” at family get-

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DR. OMARI SHEEHY, DDS

togethers.

Of his experience at Hampton, Omari recalls, “we had black people from every part of the country with different experiences and cultures…” and that while there, he “never had to fight traditional stereotypes. We were who we were, and we were all proud of it.” The self-awareness and self-acceptance that comes with attending an HBCU developed even more keenly into selfconfidence when Omari attended Meharry.

At Meharry, he never felt like he “had to prove” that he “deserved to be there.” It was an experience that he wishes he could share. Being in those Meharry classrooms, he knew “that a room full of future black doctors was a rarity that many of us had never seen growing up” and he wished he could “take every little black kid in America to show them that we were no different than them.” There’s an adage that says you can’t be what you can’t see, and even though Omari was speaking about giving Black youth a glimpse into the classroom, his visibility as the owner of his dental practice, Bayshore Dental Center, is setting an example for sure. A member of the Tampa Bay Area Dental Association and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity Inc., Dr. Sheehy considers Tampa a “young” city with a lot of potential. He hopes that small businesses can flourish and plans to do his part to show his community how dental health is part of our overall health and continue to provide quality, caring, people-first service to his patients.

COUNCIL RUDOLF III

Council earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from FAMU in 2000. The son of HBCU graduates—both his parents attended Kentucky State—it is no surprise that the legacy continued with Council’s choice to attend an HBCU himself. He fell in love with the idea of being a Rattler largely due to the Florida Classics being held in Tampa from 1978 – 1996. The mix of camaraderie and Black joy during Classics is unmatched. Council also cites FAMU’s national reputation as a top business school and the legendary leadership of “the late great Sybil Mobley” among his reasons for choosing the school for college study.

The SET on Fridays, the football games, the family environment all hold a special place in Council’s memory as he recalls his experience at FAMU. It was “fun,” and with all the negativity easily associated with Black people and Black experiences, it’s important to hold space for life-affirming, Black joy. Even with the pranks and parties, Council explains that attending an HBCU taught him “what it took to set a goal and to see it come to fruition” and helped him understand that his accomplishments were “because my community was there as my support system.”

Commitment to seeing goals through to success, humility in knowing that no one accomplishes anything on his or her own, and passion for creating something authentic are three traits Council takes into his business, HigherHustle Clothing. The clothing line, established in 2005, was created to “provide you with the wardrobe to hustle higher towards your dreams, by higher means necessary”

COUNCIL RUDOLF III

so that “through the elevation of your mind, body and spirit, [you can] become one with your dreams.”

Council shares his entrepreneurial spirit through HigherHustle, but also through his contributions to critical community conversations with the Us organization. He believes that graduates of HBCUs should continue to mentor young people and peers to make positive change happen in Tampa.

RONI NIKOL HIGDON

Roni Nikol is professional make-up artist who started her own company, Flawless Faces by Roni, shortly after graduating from Bethune-Cookman University in 2005. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communication and Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Marketing & Public Speaking. Roni says attending an HBCU was “in her blood.” Her father graduated from Mississippi Valley State, and her grandmother attended Bethune-Cookman, which all but cemented her decision to attend as well.

Family legacy aside, Roni knew attending an HBCU would not only expose her to new ways of viewing the world, but also “shine a light on social, economic and cultural views that otherwise would have been kept in the dark.” Roni kept a busy schedule at B-CU that included marching band, honor society, pledging a sorority, and leadership roles in countless student organizations. Her whirlwind

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college life prepared her to be a force of nature as an entrepreneur who’s built her business from the ground up.

As an HBCU student, Roni developed a strong work ethic. “Masterfully juggling multiple projects at once placed me at the top of my field” and knowing that she “can communicate effectively to clients, potential consumers, manufacturers, and mass distributers” contributes to Flawless Faces by Roni’s success.

Roni knew she had to bring her talent and expertise home to Tampa. “Specifically speaking,” she explains, “the area profits from the development of black-owned businesses (created and/ or supported by HBCU alumnus) and the social and economic involvement generated by social groups, organizations, and sororal and fraternal members” from HBCUs.

DR. JAMARIS GLENN, PHARMD (Not Shown)

A first-generation doctoral graduate, Dr. Jamaris Glenn earned his degree from FAMU in 2008. He was actually Howard-bound, but the Bright Futures scholarship and other opportunities made FAMU his ultimate choice. Before recounting any of his academic successes while at FAMU, he makes a point of acknowledging “the process of growth and becoming” as the stalwart take-away of HBCU experience. Jamaris recalls becoming more aware of his community and his culture while at FAMU; additionally, he cites gaining a better understanding of “the influence of the black dollar

and how collectively we have the power to ignite change” as a result of attending an HBCU.

Being born and raised in Tampa instilled in Jamaris a clear responsibility to give back to the community he calls home. Giving back to the community that gives to you is a cornerstone of his understanding of success. “FAMU taught me the importance of support,” he says, “the power of supporting others in their professional/entrepreneurial journey is key. We cannot gain the economic or political successes we desire alone. We have to be a unit.” He calls on our community to support Black businesses and Black leaders advocating for change.

Dr. Glenn is a co-creator of Crown and Quill Social Club, which promotes inclusive spaces with a focus on the arts, and is a member of The New leaders Council of Tampa Bay. Bringing his personal career success and his passion for community together, he works to help our community realize our value and understand that “we deserve to have a say in what happens to our community.” He acknowledges that “although everyone may not have had the HBCU experience, our trajectory is still the same.”

WALTER “WALLY B” JENNINGS

Wally B. earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from FAMU in 1998, and though his HBCU heart-strings were first tugged by Tuskegee, he says, “FAMU watered the seed of activism

RONI NIKOL HIGDON

WALTER “WALLY B” JENNINGS

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first planted in him by his parents.”

As the founder and director of Heard ‘Em Say Youth Arts Collective, Wally’s road to success wasn’t without detours. He started college on an ROTC scholarship but didn’t pass advance camp. He calls the experience, “a failure that needed to happen.” He reminded himself of the definition of success handed down from his parents: “Success is leaving something better than you found it.” And success is what Wally B. found just looking around campus at FAMU and seeing “so many young people who looked like me who were going to do great things.”

The spirit of entrepreneurship that helped Wally turn his business degree into a thriving art collective, whose goal is to develop “not just great artists but great people,” is directly fed by the strong self-image he developed while attending an HBCU. Wally discovered his blackness was enough and that “no one gets to legislate” his blackness. Self-awareness and self-confidence infused with what he calls “an obligation to represent ourselves and our people well” contributes to Wally’s belief that “everyone has a part, and everyone’s part is important.” Wally’s work with Tampa’s youth is undoubtedly important as his organization continues to provide the “tools and resources [our youth need] so they are left without excuse” and can “pursue exactly what’s in their hearts.”

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