By Kenn Rashad
(Source: HBCU Sports)
After more than 30 years of covering HBCU athletics, I knew it was time.
There’s no shortage of content about HBCUs these days. You’ll find documentaries, media coverage, social media moments, and, yes, even books about the subject. But what really pushed me to write HBCU Sports 101: A Guide to Understanding Black College Athletics was the realization that so many of those narratives aren’t being told by people who actually lived the HBCU experience.
That, to me, is a kind of injustice.
And I say that with all due respect. But if the national media can recognize how special our institutions are, then it should be clear that the people who walked those campuses sat in those classrooms, marched in those bands, and played on those fields are the ones best equipped to tell these stories. I felt responsible for making sure at least some of those stories were told with a different lens.
A Perspective Rooted in Experience
I’m not coming into this space as an outsider. I’m not here for a trend. I’m here because I’ve been in it for three decades. As a journalist, as a storyteller, and as a graduate of an HBCU.
When you spend that much time immersed in a culture that’s often misunderstood, you start to see the difference between how it’s portrayed and what it really is. People on the outside often see what HBCUs lack. But those of us on the inside? We see what they’ve built, with less and against the odds. That’s what this book is meant to reflect: not just our challenges but our strength.
Who This Book Is For
This book is for anybody who wants a real understanding of HBCU sports: students, parents, alumni, sports fans, and even people who just want to know what the hype is about. HBCU Sports 101 is for all of them.
It doesn’t shy away from the realities. The underfunding. The overlooked athletes. The media gaps. But it also shows how, despite all that, HBCUs continue to produce excellence. On the field. In the classroom. In the world.
What People Often Miss
HBCU sports have never been about trying to imitate mainstream college athletics. From day one, we’ve had to make our own way. Not because it was trendy but because it was necessary.
We created our own classics. Our own bowl games. Our own band culture. Our own style of play. Our own pride.
And we didn’t ask for approval. We just did it.
That independence — that creativity — is what makes HBCU sports so unique. And too often, it’s overlooked. I wrote this book to help change that.
The Real Takeaway
If you read this book cover to cover, I want you to walk away with one thing: HBCUs are still here, and they’re still doing the work they were built to do.
Yes, we’re still pushing through challenges, old and new. But that’s always been part of the story. What matters is that we keep pressing forward. That we don’t just survive but move forward on our own terms, at our own pace.
HBCUs weren’t created to win championships. They were created to educate and empower Black minds. That’s the mission. And everything else, including our athletic traditions, flows from that.
Preorder HBCU Sports 101
If you care about Black culture and believe in the power of HBCUs, this book is for you.
HBCU Sports 101: A Guide to Understanding Black College Athletics tells the full story of Black college athletics. It covers the first games played, the greatest rivalries, the legendary coaches, and the traditions that turned our schools into national treasures. This is where culture and competition collide.
It’s more than a book. It’s a reminder of who we are and how far we have come.
The signed paperback + instant eBook bundle is available now at KennRashad.com
