SHREVEPORT, La. – An HBCU college fair is being hosted at Mount Canaan Baptist Church for high school students from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at the Norma J. Blake Community Center on 1664 Alston Street.
Several HBCU’s from across the ArkLaTex, Georgia, and Alabama are expected to attend ready to share what they have to offer to students.
Pastor Greg Oliver and Calvin Lester of Mount Canaan Baptist Church said HBCU’s have a history alongside the Black church which has helped birth many institutions important to the Black community.
“You would not have historically black colleges if not for the African American church. Period. When you talk about Black History Month and you talk about Montgomery Bus Boycott, you talk about the Baton Rouge Bus Boycott, you talk about Selma, Ala., it’s not a coincidence that each one of these cities has a historically black college there,” said Lester, the chairman for the HBCU college fair.
“For so many organizations in our community, the Black church was first. I think it raised up our HBCU’s until they could stand on their own. Many of our HBCU’s started with collections of pennies from black churches,” said Oliver.
Nearly 200 students have registered for the college fair. Each student is asked to bring transcripts for a chance to walk away with a scholarship from one of the nearly 20 HBCU’s that are prepared to offer them on the spot.
Community partners for the college fair include Grace Project, State Rep. Sam Jenkins and Caddo Commissioner Steven Jackson.
If anyone is unable to get their student to the college fair, contact Mount Canaan Baptist Church. Registration is free and students can sign up when they arrive.
