More than a dozen presidents of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have made a TikTok video to lift students’ spirits and show school pride during a time of pandemic, reported Eurweb and NBC 5.
Dr. Herman FeltonThe video shows 13 HBCU presidents participating in the #DontRushChallenge on TikTok. The video is set to the song “Don’t Rush” by U.K. duo Young T & Bugsey. Among the participating presidents are Bennett College’s Dr. Suzanne Walsh; Fisk University’s Dr. Kevin Rome; Paul Quinn College’s Dr. Michael Sorrell; Livingstone College’s Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins Sr.; and Wiley College’s Dr. Herman Felton.
“It’s been rough for us. The pressure and challenges of managing our campuses during this crisis has impacted us all in many ways,” Felton, who came up with the idea to participate in the challenge, wrote in an email to NBC 5. “I had hoped it would give my colleagues and I a much needed reprieve from the gravity of COVID-19, have a little fun, and show some school pride for our students and alums. I sent a text to a group, made a phone call to a few, and without any hesitation, all thought it would be fun.”
Dr. Michael SorrellSorrell enthusiastically supported Felton’s idea.
“I tell my students, ‘I wasn’t always a college president.’ So that part of me thought it would be fun,” Sorrell told NBC 5. “We’re living in a period of time when we’ve been made to fear each other and that’s devastating. This is a moment of levity, a moment to smile.”
