Hyundai’s $5M HBCU Donation, Ryan Coogler’s HBCU Honor, and Layoffs by the #’s

Happy Monday, y’all! Before we jump into our updates, let’s address one of the most important things happening this week: Did you or will you exercise your right to vote? 🗳️

Education x Equity: Hyundai Invests in HBCU Futures

In a powerful step toward long-term equity and community investment, Hyundai Motor America has committed $5 million to establish the Hyundai College of Education at Savannah State University (SSU) — marking the largest corporate gift in the HBCU’s 135-year history.

The new college will serve as a training ground for future educators and workforce professionals, connecting Hyundai’s expanding presence in Georgia’s coastal region with the local talent that keeps its economic engine running.

As Hyundai builds its first dedicated electric vehicle plant in nearby Bryan County, this partnership signals a recognition that the future workforce must be developed alongside the future of technology. The gift will fund scholarships, classroom technology, and new programs designed to expand access and prepare Black students for high-demand careers.

For Savannah State, Georgia’s oldest historically Black public university, the new Hyundai College of Education reinforces the school’s legacy of excellence while ensuring that students can access the jobs and industries shaping their future.

“This gift represents more than a name — it’s a statement about what happens when higher education and industry work together to create opportunity,”

— Dr. Jermaine Whirl, president, Savannah State University.

KFC is Hitting Campuses & Game Nights Across the U.S.

KFC launched the “Size Matters Tour” hitting college campuses including Morehouse (11/7) and North Carolina A&T (11/12). KFC also launched Sunday’s by KFC, a campaign that appears to come for Chick-Fil-A’s closed on Sundays policy 🍗 More info here.

👟 SNIPES Expands Its HBCU Reach

SNIPES USA Norfolk State University – Nike Yardrunners Partnership Block Party

Streetwear retailer SNIPES is deepening its Pay It Forward commitment with new campus activations, scholarships, and mentorships at Norfolk State, Morehouse, and Hampton. Partnering with Culture Creators, SNIPES is training HBCU students as brand ambassadors and training them to lead, produce, and activate real brand events on their campuses.

🍸 Black-Owned: The Old G Wins Big

Black-owned premium gin brand The Old G, founded by Peter Ibrahim and artist Hebru Brantley, has been named “Best Gin in Show” at the 2025 Global Spirit Awards. The win marks a rare breakthrough for Black entrepreneurship in a $3B spirits industry where fewer than 2% of executives are Black.

Run them their Flowers

Ryan Coogler Explains The "Energy" Of 'Ironheart' Marvel Series

Name: Ryan Coogler

Occupation: Filmmaker/Director (Sinners, Black Panther, and more)

Ryan Coogler’s work continues to redefine what creative power looks like. From Wakanda to the deep south, his storytelling expands how the world sees Blackness — layered, global, and unafraid. Coogler makes studios reckon with the value of authenticity — proving that when Black creativity owns its narrative, the ripple is economic, not just emotional.

Ryan Coogler will receive the inaugural HBCU First LOOK ‘I Aspire’ Global Impact Award on 11/6, presented in partnership with Howard University’s Chadwick Boseman College of Fine Arts.

💼 Data Drop: Corporate Layoffs

As layoffs reshape corporate America, Black representation data provides context for who may be most impacted.

The table below tracks 11 companies announcing layoffs this quarter, alongside their Black workforce representation before the cuts. These figures don’t show who was laid off, but they reveal which companies had the most (or least) Black talent in place before the reductions began.

Paramount Skydance Layoffs

Word on the street is, CBS gutted much of its POC staff, as well as eliminated its Race and Culture unit.

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