ESPN President John Skipper to deliver Tuskegee commencement address
|
|
|
Posted By: Hija Chang on April 18, 2017 FEATURED Content By Dave Nagle ESPN President John Skipper will give the commencement address at Tuskegee University on May 13. Skipper was invited to address the class of 2017 by Tuskegee President Brian Johnson, who said, “Tuskegee University is thrilled to have John serve as our commencement speaker. His leadership of one of the single most prominent media organizations in the world, as well as his influence in linking sports, media and culture to socially significant matters, is precisely the kind of voice we are proud to have speak to our very best and brightest. John is deeply aware of our rich tradition and we are confident he will inspire students who are embarking upon their own impactful trajectory.” Located in Tuskegee, Ala., the school of 3,100 students was founded in 1881 by Booker T. Washington and is one of the 107 HBCU schools (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). ESPN, of course, has established a strong connection to HBCUs (see sidebar below). Skipper stated, “It is a great honor and privilege to be invited to speak. Tuskegee is meaningful to me for its spectacular historical legacy and because of ESPN’s link to HBCU schools, including beyond the athletic events we cover. I look forward to being there, meeting students, interacting and learning more about Tuskegee University.” Skipper follows two prominent speakers the last two years at Tuskegee: actor Tyler Perry and First Lady Michelle Obama. Tuskegee is distinguished by its emphasis on STEM disciplines of study – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Helping raise ESPN’s profile among today’s scholars who can help create the infrastructure and systems supporting ESPN’s platforms and products of the future can only benefit everyone involved. Jon McLeod produced the video. ESPN & HBCUs ESPN has a long history with HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), including recruiting efforts and internships, as well as coverage of HBCU sports. ESPN Events has operated the MEAC/SWAC season-opening football game between the two HBCU conferences in Orlando since 2005. Also, in 2015 ESPN Events created the Celebration Bowl football game between the champions of those two conferences. The game is played in December in Atlanta. Also, ESPNU recently told the inspiring story of Tuskegee baseball pitcher Darien Brown. He has Arthrogryposis, a disease dealing with the muscle and joints and has fought through 21 corrective hip and leg surgeries. The piece was a product of the “ESPNU Campus Connection” initiative with TU student Aliyah Smith as the reporter. In addition, a section devoted to HBCUs is one of the four primary verticals for The Undefeated, with coverage of sports, culture and news. Other initiatives involving The Undefeated and HBCUs: •As part of its mission to develop new voices and serve as an incubator for future multicultural journalists, in March The Undefeated launched the inaugural class of Rhoden Fellows – a two-year sports media internship program focused on identifying and training aspiring African Americans from HBCUs. While at school, the fellows serve as paid on-campus correspondents covering HBCU sports, news, and local college and pro teams. During the summer, they’ll spend 10 weeks gaining first-hand experience in sports journalism at ESPN. •Last October, The Undefeated convened a Conversation with President Barack Obama at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro – a nationally-televised dialogue on sports, leadership and achievement between the U.S. President and the HBCU students and community. – Dave Nagle and Mac Nwulu If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
 |
Hija Chang
Management, See Moss Interactive Central State University class of 2021 Member Since January 2011 |
Comments
More From This Author
Latest News
 |
In Case You Missed It: Connect with Employers You Missed Speaking with At Our Fall Conference & Career Fair!HBCU CONNECT's free Fall Virtual Conference & Career Fair drew more than 3,800 member logins and visits to the platform on Wednesday, October 21, as 49 employers and organizations recruited college st ...more
Cata Rizzle • 1,651 Views • October 26th, 2026 |
 |
📣 Introducing the MS-CC Student Community of Practice (CoP)!Connect with fellow students, share your ideas, and explore what’s next!
The MS-CC Student CoP brings undergraduate and graduate students together across institutions to explore research, technolog ...more
David Lockett • 178 Views • October 22nd, 2026 |
 |
Virginia State University Breaks All-Time Enrollment Record With Largest Class in Its HistoryVirginia State University has enrolled more than 6,350 students for the 2026-27 academic year, the largest in its documented history, along with the biggest first-time freshman class ever at 1,725 stu ...more
Roger Gates • 263 Views • October 21st, 2026 |
Popular News
 |
Louisiana Upholds Life Sentence to Black Man For Stealing Hedge Trimmers in 1997While this may not be HBCU related news, as an AFrican American male, I had to share this appalling decision by the Louisiana court system to keep a man in jail with a life sentence for such a petty c ...more
Roger Gates • 406,213 Views • August 6th, 2020 |
 |
Blonde Instagram Model Goes Viral for Graduating from HBCU and Pledging Delta Sigma Theta!A blonde woman is going viral this morning, for graduating from A Historically Black College while pledging a Black sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.
@Blonde_HBCU
The woman, an IG ...more
Roger Gates • 190,576 Views • November 30th, 2020 |
 |
Apple to Invest over $40 Million Dollars into HBCUs - Time to major in Computer Science!!!On Tuesday Johnny C. Taylor, President and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund stopped by “NewsOne Now” to make a major announcement that could literally change the lives of thousands of HBCU st ...more
Roger Gates • 131,284 Views • March 11th, 2015 |
 |
North Carolina HBCU Unity DayShaw University - Elizabeth City State University - Johnson C. Smith University - Fayetteville State University - Livingstone College - North Carolina A&T State University - North Carolina Central Uni ...more
Reginald Claremont • 119,672 Views • August 8th, 2016 |
 |
Black Billionaire Robert F. Smith to Donate $50 Million to Support STEM Students at HBCUsThe Student Freedom Initiative announced today a $50 million personal gift from Robert F. Smith, philanthropist and Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. This gift matches the initial fu ...more
Roger Gates • 86,927 Views • October 22nd, 2020 |
