TAMPA, Fla. — Hillsborough Community College successfully hosted its 17th annual National Black, Brown & College Bound Summit earlier this month at the Tampa Convention Center. The event featured speakers that highlighted challenges faced by Black and Latino males who are seeking access to college.
“The purpose is very simple: come to college, stay in college and graduate,” HCC President Dr. Ken Atwater said. “In six years, they graduate in about a 55 or 60 percent rate. Compare that to minority males, that’s 35 percent.”
Rapper, actor, author, and activist Common said his goal was to inspire students to see beyond their circumstances. He credits his mother for his dedication to education.
“A spark for them to find their path. Their passion,” Common said. “Part of my joy in life is the fact that I’m doing something that I grew up wanting to do and dreamed of doing have been able to do and expand that dream. You do need to see people in your environment that have reached certain levels. That’s why it’s important that we are in our communities and young people can see that’s in reach. And if they don’t have that person, I need them to use their imagination. I didn’t start off rapping and being like, 'I’m going to be at the Oscars.' Or, 'I’m going to be in movies as an actor.' I didn’t even know that was attainable. I didn’t know I’m going to be rapping at the White House with the first Black president.”
Nursing student Daniel Safanos said Common’s message resonates with him.
“It definitely motivates me to see a person that looks like me. Like in a different field,” Safanos said. “It creates a different picture in your brain. You feel you can go for it. You can reach that position he has even more. So that how I feel. That’s why I’m here to get motivated.”
Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard and actor Luis Guzman also participated in BBCB.
“At some point, it clicked in with me the things that I put in my mind, it would manifest. It takes faith, and it takes consistent work,” said Common. At some point, I knew I wanted to be at the Oscars, but I didn’t know it would be through Selma and through the song Glory, but that’s how I was there, and I was very grateful. You need to be learning to have something to talk about. To be able to express yourself in different ways. Whatever you experience in life, if you allow love to finish that experience it will turn out positive.”