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While education is the heartbeat of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), music tells the story of culture, community, and connection to the overall campus experience. From marching bands to acapella groups to gospel choirs, music is truly the soul of HBCU campuses. As we honor all genres of music during Black Music Month, Cricket Wireless invites you to take a moment to see how we’re showcasing and supporting HBCU music programs.

“Music is the Soul of HBCU Campuses”
As Cricket Wireless continues to focus on spreading smiles one connection at a time, we are also hoping to drum up even greater support and awareness of HBCU music programs during Black Music Month with our new social media campaign, “Music is the Soul of HBCU Campuses.”  This year we are collaborating with,MyQueal Lewis who served as one of our HBCU Campus Ambassadors. MyQueal will share visual stories and experiences from students and Campus Ambassadors talking about their unique relationships with music on campus and beyond.

This documentary-style video series will act as vignettes to hero different styles and aspects of Black music and the important role it places to their community, culture, and overall experience.

Atlanta Music Project
We are also excited to announce our continued collaboration with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) through a collaboration with the Atlanta Music Project (AMP) and Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA). This program will provide BGCMA club members an opportunity to work with professional musicians from AMP in the upcoming school year to create their own music ensembles.

National Battle of the Bands
HBCUs are known for their rich history of solid academia, social and community activism, devoted alumni and high-stepping, soulful marching bands. An HBCU marching band’s performance is as much about the movement as it is the music—both of which channel the boundless spirit of the institutions they represent. While HBCU marching bands are beloved and celebrated, sadly they also are underfunded. Last year, Cricket donated a total of $24,000 to the music programs at each of the eight HBCU schools competing in the 2021 National Battle of the Bands, and we plan to continue that same support this year through a recent renewal of our agreement with National Battle of the Bands. Cricket is also encouraging others to show their support for these schools by making a donation to the HBCU Band Together scholarship fund.

Follow our social media pages as we roll out this campaign to showcase the important impact of Black music.