My HBCU Story
Clinton Sylvester, MBA
As the child of two HBCU alumnus, and the grandchild of two more HBCU alumnus, the importance of going to college was always impressed, but never forced upon us. Every Saturday in the fall I would make it a point for the TV to be on BET at noon, so I could see the week’s HBCU football, more specifically to see the bands at halftime. I would record the field shows on the same VHS tape and watch them over and over until the next week’s edition was added to my collection.
When I began high school, I wasn’t interested in my high school’s marching style and I did not join until my sophomore year. At that point I treated it like any other class that prepares you for college, high school marching band was the foundation I would need to be able to succeed at the “next level”. The following three years saw me focus my sites on schools that I wanted to attend, but for all the wrong reasons. I didn’t focus on the important things about these universities, like academics and resources. I was focused on the size and quality of the band. Florida A&M, Tennessee State, Southern University, Jackson State and Grambling State were the only schools that I had any interest in attending. These were the premier marching bands I saw on TV each week and at one during my high school years, most of these schools participated in the Circle City Classic in my home town of Indianapolis, IN.
When it came time to apply to colleges, all I wanted was to be in one of these bands,and these were the only schools I even considered attending. One by one, my admission applications were sent and one by one they returned with acceptance letters. This was my first taste of adulthood, realizing that college isn’t free and having to eliminate schools due to financial constraints. By coincidence I have an uncle (another HBCU graduate) that lived 15 minutes from Grambling’s campus. The universe showed me where I would spend the next 4 ½ years of my life.
I remember the day as though it just happened, Sunday August 1, 1993; I was dropped off at Dunbar Hall on the campus of GSU for freshman band camp. This was the first time excitement overwhelmed fear. My first time truly on my own, but I never felt alone. Everyone looked like me, we may have been from different places with different backgrounds, but we were all in this new place, few of us knew what to expect from this first day but one thing we all knew, we were here to support one another to create something great.
Over the next 4.5 years, I made friends from all parts of the United States and from all walks of life. Some from the same background as me, where they were the minority in their high school, or where it “wasn’t cool to be smart”. High School prepared me for college, attending an HBCU prepared me for life after college, not just professionally but socially. The professors cared about our success in the classroom as much as outside the classroom, and oftentimes lessons were steeped in real world scenarios where the outcome was dissected into what was done right, what was done wrong, what was in our control and what society expected us to accept.
On Sunday December 7, 1997 I received my Bachelor’s of Science degree from Grambling State University. The culmination of 4 ½ years of accomplishments, setbacks, suffering and joy that I wouldn’t trade for time at any other university. The experiences and lessons learned both in the classroom, on the football field and being around like minded, supportive peers are invaluable and translate to so many scenarios in my personal and professional life. We see the expression “All the hassle for the tassel” as we approach graduation season each year, remembering that shared experiences breeds understanding. Most students that attend HBCU’s share experiences before, during and after their time on campus which stand to make our schools greater. Not every student is Black, but every student made a conscious decision to attend a school that is run through the prism of African American Experience and the unstated motto, “Welcome Home”.
Will you help us by registering for the 2023 5K for scholarships? Thank you in advance!
Clinton Sylvester
Grambling University C/O 1997
