#HBCUPride

[mimi-0007]

Mary Lumpkin (1832–1905) was an American former slave and owner of the property on which stood Lumpkin's Jail, a notorious slave jail. Mary was purchased by Robert Lumpkin around 1840 and made to act as his wife. She had the first of her seven children with him at age 13; two children died as infants. Mary "reportedly told [Robert] that he could treat her however he wanted as long as their kids remained free". Two of their daughters attended a Massachusetts finishing school.

Robert purchased Lumpkin's Jail in 1844. Mary is known to have secretly provided a hymnal for escaped slave Anthony Burns, imprisoned there in 1854. Prior to the American Civil War, she and her children went to live in Philadelphia, where Mary owned a house. After the war, Robert and Mary were legally married. She attended the First African Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia.

In 1866 Robert died and Mary inherited Lumpkin's Jail, as well as properties in Richmond, Huntsville, Alabama, and Philadelphia; she was also named the executor of his will. She leased the jail property in 1867 to Nathaniel Colver, who used it to establish the Richmond Theological School for Freedmen (now Virginia Union University). The school moved to a different location by 1873 and Lumpkin sold the land.

Lumpkin operated a restaurant in New Orleans alongside one of her daughters. She died in 1905 in New Richmond, Ohio. She was buried in Samarian Cemetery.

A street at Virginia Union University was named in honor of Lumpkin. Author Sadeqa Johnson based the protagonist of her book Yellow Wife on her. Hakim Lucas, President of Virginia Union University, stated that "Virginia Union University is the legacy of Mary Lumpkin, but it is also the legacy of every African American woman that's alive today and has lived and struggled before for her children... Mary Lumpkin represents the highest form of the ideal of what social justice means for us in our world today".

[classycookiexo]

It was so intense from the band directors all the way down to the majorettes

[lemonbombsfjl]

[venusdian]

The Cast of the Redlands: Season 1A

Supporting Cast.

[prettyrickiashlyn]

[freshthoughts2020]

[luhknwldge]

howardu 1981 yearbook on display @ doverstreetmarket

[africanamericanreports]

The Biden-Harris Administration announced a new record in Federal funding and investments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) totaling more than $16 billion from Fiscal Years (FY) 2021 through current available data for FY 2024.

[the-blueprint]

Proud to have hosted @HBCUCulture Battle of the Bands this MLK Weekend!

Each participating marching band received a $20,000 scholarship towards their band’s program provided by the HBCU Culture Legacy Foundation. 👏

[leomonwell]

Reflecting on Black Excellence: A Conversation with Tirrell About HBCUs

In a recent podcast episode, I had an incredible conversation with my guest, Tirrell, about what it truly means to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). It’s a simple question on the surface, but Tirrell’s answer revealed so much about the significance and cultural depth of these institutions. Watch the clip or continue reading after preview:

When I asked him to explain HBCUs for my audience, Tirrell didn’t just talk about academics or the campus life. Instead, he painted a picture of legacy and Black excellence. He told me, “When people say HBCU, they automatically say Black excellence.” But he didn’t stop there—he went deeper. Black excellence, he explained, is more than the achievements of prominent figures or the names we all recognize. It’s also about the people who quietly and powerfully shaped the lives of HBCU students—their Big Mamas, aunties, and loved ones.

Tirrell highlighted how attending an HBCU is like standing on the shoulders of giants. It’s a place built on the dreams, sacrifices, and relentless work of forefathers and foremothers, of ancestors who paved the way for future generations. And Tirrell didn’t just mean those giants we know from history books, like Malcolm X, W.E.B. Du Bois, or Booker T. Washington. He meant everyday heroes too—his mother, grandmother, and even friends—ordinary folks with extraordinary strength and vision. It was powerful to hear him say, “Where I am, I didn’t get here alone.”

One of the most moving things he said was that HBCUs are where Black students can breathe, live, and celebrate their culture on all levels. It’s more than an academic journey; it’s a cultural immersion, a shared experience, and a space where you’re surrounded by people who look like you but are each unique in their own ways. As Tirrell put it, you get to learn about your heritage, connect with others who share it, and be part of a community that values and respects where you come from.

Being able to have this conversation with Tirrell reminded me of the beauty and importance of these institutions. HBCUs are places of unity, pride, and resilience, built by the collective efforts of Black communities, past and present. And that’s Black excellence in its purest form.

For anyone who attended an HBCU, or who’s been touched by its legacy, I hope this resonates. And for those who haven’t, I hope you can feel a piece of what makes these institutions so special.

[afriblaq]

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