YouTube Originals today announced new additions to the lineup for “HBCU Homecoming 2020: Meet Me On The Yard,” including performances from Ari Lennox, Spillage Village, DJ Clue and F.L.Y. featuring Easton; appearances from Lionel Richie, Will Packer, K. Michelle, Fonzworth Bentley, Lance Gross, Harry Williams, John David Washington and Kevin Frazier; and YouTube Creators Eddie Jarel Jonesx, Domonique Robinson, Paige Mariah, Jonathan Pulliam, Erin Winters, Keesha Anderson, TaJiah Gary, Breelyn Hunt and Zach Campbell. The global livestream event is hosted by HBCU alumni 2 Chainz and La La Anthony and premieres Saturday, October 24 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT on YouTube, in addition to BET serving as the exclusive broadcast partner set to air the event at 8pm ET/PT. “HBCU Homecoming 2020: Meet Me On The Yard,” will also feature previously announced performances from 2 Chainz, Saweetie, Chloe x Halle, NLE Choppa and Tye Tribbett with FAMU’s Marching 100 and Choir, and appearances from Desi Banks and Pretty Vee.
Produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment and Live Nation Urban, the event was announced last week as part of a global slate of new and returning projects, focused on racial justice, amplifying Black voices, and elevating Black culture. With Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country cancelling their annual Homecomings due to the global pandemic, YouTube will take the momentous celebration virtual. This two-hour livestream will be filled with homecoming traditions to raise funds for the United Negro College Fund who plan to split 50% with Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Expect musical performances, band performances from Jackson State University's Sonic Boom of The South, and FAMU's Marching 100, Step performances from the Divine 9, as well as appearances from students, alumni, YouTube creators and inspirational video packages representing the legacy of HBCUs.
“HBCU Homecoming 2020: Meet Me On The Yard” is sponsored on YouTube by Target and American Family Insurance.Google also recently announced the Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program. Through a $1M investment in the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the new initiative will help Black students at HBCUs prepare to enter the workforce through digital skills training.This builds on the company’s longstanding commitment to HBCUs. Since 2013, the Google In Residenceprogram has placed Google software engineers at HBCUs and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) as faculty. The company also hosts Tech Exchange, a virtual student exchange program that teaches HBCU and HSU students applied computer science courses.
Executive Producers of “HBCU Homecoming 2020: Meet Me On The Yard” are Jesse Collins, Shawn Gee, Dionne Harmon, Brandon Pankey and Chris Wagner.
The #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund is a $100M fund dedicated to amplifying and developing the voices of Black creators and artists and their stories. Over the next three years, this global fund will be used to acquire and produce YouTube Originals programming, and to directly support Black creators and artists to help them thrive on YouTube.
This announcement continues YouTube’s commitment to bringing exceptional entertainment, learning, and timely content to fans around the world including a second installment of “Bear Witness, Take Action,” a conversation aiming to unite and inspire the platform’s global community to take action for racial justice; “Resist,” a documentary series from Black Lives Matter co-found Patrisse Cullors examining the issues of cash bail, unlawful arrest, over-policing of Black and brown neighborhoods, and mass incarceration; “Onyx Family Dinner,” a weekly series gathering the multi-generational Onyx family for open conversations about life and what’s going on in the world over dinner; and “Barbershop Medicine” (working title), which will aim to put the “public” back in Public Health and explore the impact race and socioeconomic status have on healthcare and longevity. Additional YouTube Originals centering on global Black experiences and addressing racial justice include: “Together We Rise” (streaming now on GRM Daily’s YouTube Channel ), “Trapped: Cash Bail in America” (streaming now), a special episode of “BookTube” featuring Jason Reynolds (premieres October 22), The Outsiders (premieres February 2021), “Glad You Asked” Season 2 (premieres February 2021), and new episodes of the award-winning Kids & Family series Lockdown (new episodes premiere November 19).