Master P reveals plan to own HBCU: ‘All about educating our people’
'If we’re going to change the narrative, it has to start with education, and economic empowerment.'
Master P announced late last year that he is looking to purchase Reebok and most recently he revealed plans to unleash Black-owned supercars. Now the hip-hop star and entrepreneur has set his sights on owning an HBCU (Historically Black College and Universities).
The 2021 NBA All-Star game was dedicated to elevating HBCUs, and Master P was clearly inspired by the event because he’s ready to help empower “our people” through education.
“I used to want to own an NBA team but now I want to own a HBCU,” Master P said in the caption of his latest Instagram video. “More women graduate from HBCU’s than any other university and I love that. If we’re going to change the narrative, it has to start with the truth, education, and economic empowerment.”
Read More: Master P teaming with ex-Tesla engineer to develop first Black-owned supercar
During the NBA All-Star Game on March 7, the league generated $3 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities through donations to scholarship funds. The event was held in Atlanta at State Farm Arena, where the court was designed in collaboration with artists who attended HBCU schools, theGRIO reported. Atlanta is home to a host of these institutions, including Morehouse College, Spellman College, and Clark Atlanta University.
The bands from Grambling State and Florida A&M performed during the player introductions. Clark Atlanta University’s Philharmonic Society Choir served up “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and Gladys Knight, a graduate of one of the nation’s oldest HBCUs in Shaw University, kicked things off with a performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The refereeing crew for the game, Tom Washington, Tony Brown and Courtney Kirkland, all graduated from HBCUs.
“It was part of the reason why we’re here in Atlanta,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said of the All-Star Game, per CNN. “This was an opportunity to focus on the HBCUs.”
“To highlight the significance of HBCUs, it is a tremendous windfall,” said Charles McClelland, the commissioner of the SWAC and a member of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Committee, ahead of the All-Star game. “It’s not just about the money. The exposure is going to allow students to go to our member institutions, to learn about our history, to learn about our culture.”
Read More: Master P, ex-NBA star Baron Davis in talks to buy Reebok for $2.4B
In Master P’s video announcement, he noted that his message “is all about educating our people,” and encouraged business owners to join the movement.
“Anybody that’s listening to this and has a business, I want y’all to join this movement with me. We need to make sure our kids get educated the way other cultures are educated,” P said.
In January, Master P announced he is teaming up with an ex-Tesla engineer to help bring his vision to life of creating the first Black-owned supercar, theGRIO reported. The artist and mogul has a hand in an array of business ventures, from clothing to film and food. He most recently relaunched Rap Snacks, a potato chip brand featuring the faces of musical artists and Uncle P’s Southern-style fish fry.
theGRIO’s Keydra Manns contributed to this story
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