NARRATOR: This program was made possible in part by... Fulton Bank is a proud supporter of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Learn more about Fulton Bank's commitment to making communities better through education and inclusivity at fultonbank.com.

DR. LUCAS: Well, the CIAA is the first and continues to be the proudest Historically Black College University athletic conference in the nation.

DR. BREAUX: The oldest African American intercollegiate conference.

BOBBY: Playing in the CIAA, you know, I played just against the best competition I would've considered.

It was a place, a haven for African American athletes who were not afforded the opportunity to go to White universities at that time.

JACQIE: We're about legacy, we're about leadership, and we're about community.

And so, those three pillars are things that we live by every single day in order to give our student-athletes the best opportunity to thrive in the sports that they love.

As being members of the NCAA in Division II... SCOTT: When you think about the CIAA, you think about Black excellence.

GOV.

MOORE: Watching the CIAA and the importance of what that is to our country, to the culture, to the sport.

And the fact that they choose Baltimore for its home and, and its long-term home, uh, it means everything to me.

DR. LUCAS: CIAA means everything, to not only Historically Black Colleges and Universities, but to Black people across the United States.

SCOTT: We say Historically Black Colleges and University, and when you mix that with Baltimore, one of America's Blackest cities, it has a deep, deep history and culture of Blackness, right?

When you think about Thurgood Marshall, Frederick Douglass, Elijah Cummings, Black Baltimorean's, when you mix that with the CIAA, you don't get anything better than the CIAA in Black Baltimore for Black History Month.

DR. BREAUX: We're coming back to our roots.

We were here over 50 years ago and it's great to be back in the city of Baltimore.

To see the excitement, the restaurants, the hotels, and so much history that's here.

JACQIE: Any time we go into a city, that partnership is critical to how we survive and how we tell our story.

So, if you think about legacy just here in the city of Baltimore and the history, the Black culture, the music and arts, that's what we're about too.

Again, the basketball is the center of what we do but the culture and the legacy of this community allows us to share the culture and the history of our community in HBCUs.

GOV.

MOORE: And it, it means a lot to me both as the state's governor, but also just a fan.

A fan of the teams, a fan of, of, of the sport, and also a fan of HBCUs 'cause I know what an amazing contribution that they continue to make to our, to our society.

(cheering).

ANNOUNCER: Number 22, Jaylon Gibson.

BEMO: This sneak peak of, Inside the CIAA Tournament, the Baltimore Experience, takes us through one of the most anticipated weekends in all of college sports.

From the festive spirit of Fanfest.

The John B. McLendon Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Discussions with Baltimore's Mayor, Brandon Scott, and the newly elected Governor of Maryland, Wes Moore.

To even seeing what it takes for young artist, Gabby Samone, to prepare for the performing of The National Anthem.

Come join me as I take you on a journey through the ultimate Baltimore experience.

That is the 2023 CIAA Tournament.

Buckle up, y'all, we in Charm City.

We are at the Baltimore Convention Center for the CIAA Fanfest.

We got battle of the bands, we have activations, we have exhibitions, we have sponsors.

But most importantly, we have the collaborative nature of the HBCU.

I am your cultural correspondent, Bryant "Bemo" Brown, thank you for joining me on Maryland Public Television.

Now, let's enjoy the conference, shall we?

It's the CIAA!

Oh, I'm so excited!

Bro!

What's the importance of the CIAA?

MAN: To me, the importance of the CIAA, for real for real, is the fellowship.

WOMAN: Fellowship with other people who are excited to be in the city and just have a great time.

BEMO: I'm here with my man Paris.

Paris, let me ask you a couple of questions.

We're getting ready for the, the battle of the bands, who you got?

PARIS: Hey, always Virginia State.

Trojan explosion, baby.

(cheering).

SCOTT: Well, listen we, we know we do sports in a different way.

When you think about the bands, you think about the cheerleaders, you think about the alumni, the trash-talking, the dancing in the stands, us coming together, this is more like a family reunion than it is like a basketball tournament.

That's what it's about, it's about the opportunity for us to come together and celebrate each other in peace and love.

JACQIE: The connection with Baltimore allows us to really connect our community and to align with our mission, not just by culture but we want these students in Baltimore City, and around Baltimore, and in the state of Maryland, and DMV, to see all 12 of our member institutions as a, an avenue to get their education and if they want to play a sport, they can also play.

SHALONDA: The city is electric right now.

So, I'm proud of every part, from our streets, to the conferences, to the games, I love it all.

But what means the most to us right now is engaging our businesses, engaging our students, and getting them excited about college and what the next level of achievement means.

DR. ABDULLAH: CIAA, of course, it's not just about athletics or about education, it's about a celebration, uh.

This year, of course, we're celebrating women in athletics, the 50th year of Title IX, and celebrating all of the Black women who have made incredible strides in athletics in the HBCU space.

Including, of course, our commissioner Jacqie McWilliams, the first, uh, commissioner, uh, of a HBCU conference, uh, who's a Black woman, who's doing an incredible job and helped bring us to Baltimore.

And so, every year we celebrate something a little different, uh, sometimes we just celebrate the idea of coming together.

But part of the CIAA is a celebration of Blackness and the Black community.

DR. ROBINSON: I hate to brag on Baltimore, being from North Carolina, uh, but Baltimore has really come through.

When we, uh, thought about where we were gonna take the tournament, Baltimore certainly stood out, uh.

They made a great, great presentation about what they could do, uh, about the rich history of Baltimore and how it was consistent with the CIAA, with the CIAA, at one time, being in Baltimore, uh.

And so, coming here, uh, everyone from the Governor to the Mayor, to the City Council people, have really almost rolled out the red carpet for us and we feel, we feel welcomed here.

CHARLES: Uh, from someone from the Queen City to the Charm City, uh, the city of Baltimore has really charmed, uh, many of us here, uh.

It's been a wonderful experience, uh, it's a great place and I really want to give a congratulations to the leadership.

Not only the political leadership but the tourism, uh, uh, leadership here, they have done a wonderful job in preparing the city, not only to welcome us but to welcome us with open arms.

So, Baltimore's really earned the Charm City, uh, recognition.

SHALONDA: So, Downtown Partnership of Baltimore has the sole responsibility of making our city, our downtown a destination of choice, and we're a majority-minority city.

And so, when you bring something like the CIAA here, Black excellence at its finest, bringing it to a city where we have culture, we have grit, we have amazing people, that's a combination that's destined for excellence.

JACQIE: So, we have already history and legacy in this community.

When Bullets were here, Bobby Dandridge is a part of that history, Earl the Pearl is part of this history.

And so, we're able to tell that story and connect them directly with Baltimore.

So, we're not making up anything, it's extremely organic.

When you think about the leadership, I mean it's, if it's 67% plus Black, residing in this community, we are probably about 80% Black or 90% on our HBCU campuses.

And so, when you talk about diversity and inclusion and highlighting Black excellence, this is a place that we connect, it's a natural, again, it's organic.

It allows us to really help tell the stories of Black people, Black community, our HBCUs, um, and then bring in the legacy that comes with that, and then when you talk about community, I mean Baltimore is community.

Every event that we have been at has been a welcoming space for us.

Every person that I have talked to has said how great Baltimore has been to us.

Whether it's the hotel, or whether you're talking to a volunteer, whether you're going to the Reggie, uh, Lewis Museum, or whether you're going into the arena, um, the welcoming spirit is what we all need.

GOV.

MOORE: The more exposure that people have to Maryland, the more they will stay because I believe deeply, for both Baltimore and for Maryland, this place is sticky.

As you get connected to it, as you learn more about it, and as you see it for yourself, you have no choice but to come back and keep on experiencing it.

SCOTT: That's why they call us Charm City because when people come here, we charm them and they never want to leave.

DR. BREAUX: Hello, I'm Aminta Breaux, the very proud 10th President of Bowie State University, the oldest HBCU in the state of Maryland.

And we're so proud to be a member institution and the host university for the CIAA Basketball Tournament, here in Charm City.

Throughout this week there have been amazing programs.

We had the brunch for empowerment for women and we're celebrating the anniversary of Title IX, that's just one example.

Then we had the education fair, where we had high schoolers from across the great state of Maryland.

And then, of course, you're going to see the bands, you're going to see the step shows, and you're going to see the rich traditions and culture of our 12 member institutions.

CHARLES: The CIAA is more than a basketball tournament.

We have cultural events, we have education events, we have the queen and kings competition.

So, you're really on the go a lot if you're trying to make all of those things.

But it really fills out the experience, not only for the presidents but for the students as well.

DR. DILLARD: The CIAA, by its very founding, was the only place that institutions, Historically Black Colleges could play competitive sports, uh.

And so, the CIAA stands as, you know, one of the first colored conferences.

DR. LUCAS: It's a space where we get to celebrate, first and foremost, athletics, sports, and the power of sports in the Black community and in Black higher education.

But beyond the sport, it also allows us to celebrate the uniqueness of our people, to be what others sometimes think we can't be.

Which is to gather, to celebrate success, to cry when you sometimes lose, but to come together and understand that, this year might not be yours, but this year is somebody's who worked just as hard as you, who was able to score a basket at the right time.

DR. DILLARD: We have the, uh, distinction of having the first female African American, uh, commissioner, Dr. Jacqie McWilliams Parker, and she has done amazing things.

The John McLendon Hall of Fame, Coach McLendon, well-known, you know, he is, uh, just the epitome of what it is to coach and, and develop talent.

And so, when I think about what the CIAA has done on that front.

BOBBY: You know, the competition in the CIAA during that time was just fierce and, and when I look back on it, you know, we got three guys from the CIAA who are among the top 75 greatest guys who's ever played in the NBA, and we must have at least five or six guys who, who are in the Naismith Hall of Fame.

So, that speaks volumes for the conference and the development that went on in that conference.

DR. ROBINSON: CIAA has meant so much to, to the university, Winston-Salem State University.

I think about the rich history, the legacy of basketball at Winston-Salem State University with Big House Gaines, the legendary Big House Gaines.

And having to come to Baltimore and, and those historians will know that there is a history with Big House Gaines and, and Baltimore, uh, with Morgan State.

He actually attended Morgan State.

And then, if you think about one of the greatest NBA players of all time, Earl Monroe, while he certainly graduated, he was at Winston-Salem State, that's where he made his mark on the collegiate level.

When he went professionally, where did he play basketball?

In Baltimore.

And so from, from us at Winston-Salem State University, it's a little bit like coming, coming home or coming to a, a familiar place.

DR. ABDULLAH: The CIAA means so much to our HBCUs and so much to Virginia State University, uh.

It is a place where we come together, uh, ostensibly just for athletics but it's never just that.

DR. DILLARD: Because sports was critical in the advancing of race relations in the US.

You know, um, Black players playing on White teams but they played on CIAA teams before they were allowed to play in Big Ten or, or other conferences.

And so, we're excited about that legacy.

And Shaw University has an amazing legacy on the social justice front, uh.

We are the birthplace of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the Civil Rights Movement.

♪ ♪ DR. WARMACK: Well, I think CIAA, as a whole, represents Black excellence, um, and again, most of the time folks see it as a athletic conference.

But more importantly, it's the student first and the athlete second.

The CIAA has, um, emphasized that since the beginning of time, when we started the CIAA.

We are one of the newest teams to the CIAA and, um, only school that's in the state of South Carolina.

And so, I think it brings an addition.

We were in the SIAC for a very long time with schools like Morehouse, Clark Atlanta, and so we switched over to the CIAA because of the essence of what it's been able to do for students first and being athletes second.

So, the commissioner and her team, people think that's about a 100-people staff, a very small staff but they're mighty and they're intentional from beyond before the Fanfest how they get kids engaged and the learning aspect that comes behind it.

But more importantly, than the student-athlete experience.

Our student-athletes talk about it all the time, even leading up to the CIAA, the programming that happens, that gets folks excited and motivated about coming out.

JACQIE: You know, as a former student-athlete, I still think I'm a student-athlete, or a student and an athlete, um.

But at the end of the day, one of the things that I have, even as an athlete and I've carried through my life is the focus theme.

I love words, I think that, um, words have power to them, and these are things that I would say to myself as a volleyball player.

I would be sitting on the sideline and just telling myself to focus because winning is important to me but I understand even if you don't win the game that I'm still winning if I'm focused and I'm playing and doing 100% of the game.

But self-determination, I think, is critically important.

I have to look at myself every day and say to myself, "Make a difference and be the difference in the lives of others."

That's my mission but what is yours?

What wakes you up?

Uh, what, what do you look at every single day to determine that you're going to be the best version of yourself so you can be the best version for the people around you, as a student, as an athlete, just as a human being.

The world is different now, um, and how I see you, how I hear you, and how I celebrate you.

I think we all should be doing that, particularly as a community.

SCOTT: When we had CIAA just last year, right, that, that time period, that week, we had the highest rates of hotels that we've had since 2015, right?

When you think about that, in February, this week of February, when normally is, Baltimore is cold and it's snowy, we had people showing up staying in our hotels, going to our restaurants, supporting our local businesses.

So, it generates so much, millions of dollars for us here in the city of Baltimore.

DR. BREAUX: So many people are coming to the city to enjoy the excellence on the court, but they're going to spend time in this wonderful, wonderful city.

They're going to have a chance to see all the richness that Baltimore has to offer and they're going to spend time in the restaurants, they're going to spend time in the museums, and this is a huge economic benefit to this entire region, to the city but to the region.

Last year we brought in $20 million of economic benefit to the city of Baltimore and to the region.

And that was as we were coming out of the pandemic.

So, imagine, just imagine what it looks like today as you go out and about across the city, you see excitement, you see the people coming in; alumni, faculty, staff, friends of the CIAA, and new audiences learning about our history.

So, it's going to be a huge economic impact to this entire region, to the state of Maryland.

AL: Well look, the number one thing is we went after this tournament because of the economic impact it would have on the city and the state.

A lot of money's going to be left in this community, tax revenue.

We're very excited about that.

But that wasn't the only reason we went after it.

Great basketball, we want to celebrate, but also we wanted to connect to the community.

We have a lot of great residents in this community, a lot of great business owners, uh, African American business owners, women-owned business owners, and we wanted our fans and the CIAA to get out into our neighborhoods in Baltimore and enjoy the culture, enjoy the culinary scene, and enjoy all the greatness of Charm City.

GOV.

MOORE: So, the, the great thing about CIAA is that the economic returns are both immediate and long-term, right?

Because you have the tournament and people will come, and they'll stay in hotels, and will eat at restaurants, and they'll experience the culture, and they'll do all those things which has that immediate economic jolt to the city, which has an incredibly important value to what happens in the rest of the state.

But there's a beauty to that also too, is that you'll have people who are now visiting who will say, "I really like Baltimore and I think I'm going to come back to vacation again."

Or, "I really like Baltimore and maybe I'll actually look to move there."

Or for business owners who say, "I really like Baltimore and maybe this is where I want to expand my business," Or people who are working in the social service sector who say, "I really like Baltimore and I think there's things that I can build in terms of the work that I'm doing here."

SCOTT: When you see what I've seen this week, I was with the CIAA athletes as they were putting shoes and giving shoes to our young Baltimore City Public School students, and you could see the light in the eyes of our students who now knew that going to college is real because they could touch someone that looks like them, that has a story like them.

That was life-changing, that's what it's about.

ELORINE: "The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Elorine Morris-Hill."

JESSICA: "Jessica Hawkins, Women's Student-Athlete Basketball, Shaw University."

ELORINE: "Coach, volleyball, tennis, and cross country, has been selected..." JESSICA: "Has been selected to the John B. McLendon..." ELORINE: "Junior Hall of Fame."

JESSICA: "For your contributions and commitment to excellence."

ELORINE: "And to the CIAA mission."

Well, you know, we're talking about, um, gender equity and, and the fact that I got this opportunity from a HBCU to attend a university and coach at the HBC University, it's just a great honor, um.

Being in the CIAA and what it stands for, about looking out for the best interest of student athletes, it's, it's, it's so overwhelming.

DR. ROBINSON: I, you know, what I'll say in terms of Title IX, I mean, we've been at the forefront for that.

I mean, we've had our men's and women's tournament, uh, together for over 40 years and no other conference had even thought about doing anything like that.

SHALONDA: The girls are actually the headliner and, and that means so much because it gives us the place, the level, the credibility, that women, we know we're fighting for but often don't get.

And so, to have a conference recognize that as such and, and...

I mean, normally, you know, people are coming out for the men's game at the end and you see them trickling in.

A celebration of us shows that we are all lifting and celebrating our women together.

JESSICA: Um, I'm assistant women's basketball coach at Shaw University and we're, right now we're currently competing in the CIAA tournament with a lot of, um, jitters but, um, I'm getting through it.

(laughs).

I keep telling them, "The job is not finished."

People from Shaw University helped put me in this position and I always want to give them the utmost thank you and the utmost respect for seeing something that I didn't see in myself.

MAN: This is what I've been waiting for.

So, I've been waiting for.

Y'all know, y'all ready to hear now, all right?

MAN 2: My bad.

MAN: They don't know what's about to happen.

They don't know what's about to happen now, all right?

We got a star in the building.

♪ What so proudly we hailed ♪ ♪ At the twilight's last gleaming ♪♪ GABBY: Um, last year it was a new experience for me.

I never been in, in a big arena like this.

Well, I haven't, I never been in a Baltimore arena actually.

I never, I never been and that was an experience right there and, um, just singing in front of all those people was an experience as well and, um.

Yeah, it was, it was, it was really, it was really fun.

Tyre Nichols recently, um, was killed, uh, by police, police brutality.

So, um, yeah, I just wanted to honor him today.

I'm singing the National Anthem, um, and I know a lot of us we don't really rep, represent the National Anthem.

But I feel like a Black young lady who's from the hood and who's been, um, you know, who's witnessed things, it's only right for me to do something like this today and, um.

So, I had to represent everybody who's been killed.

From Baltimore so, this is, uh, Freddie Gray, you know, I gotta represent him and, you know, everybody else.

♪ And the rocket's red glare ♪ ♪ The bombs bursting in air ♪ ♪ Gave proof through the night ♪ ♪ That our flag was still there ♪ (cheering).

♪ O say does that ♪ ♪ Star-spangled ♪ ♪ Banner yet wave ♪ ♪ O'er the land of the free ♪ ♪ And the home of the brave ♪ ♪ Brave ♪ ♪ The brave ♪♪ (cheering).

DR. LUCAS: Historically Black Colleges and Universities and their positioning is best said by one of my colleagues, President Makola Abdullah at Virginia State University.

He always reminds us, uh, that HBCUs are the first diversity, equity, and inclusion, opportunity, and project of the United States of America coming out of a post-Civil Rights era.

If it was not for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, you would not have the continued survival of the freedom fight for people of color.

Not just in the United States but across the world, because the world sends its people of color to HBCUs to continue to inspire them to grow and to advocate for change.

(cheering).

WOMAN: Mama!

Mama, we did it!

We did it, mama!

Ma, daddy.

Yeah, hi, say hi to my dad.

(cheering).

GOV.

MOORE: I think the, when you think about the history of the CIAA, uh, and this is not just about athletics, uh.

We have a long and a, and a, and a thriving and a beautiful legacy of athletic contributions.

But really what the CIAA is, is producing is, is leaders, right?

It's producing leaders who are impacting our community and impacting our society in a multitude of different ways.

Whether they be in the business world, whether they be in science, whether they be in government, whether they be in education, whether they be in health.

No matter what it is, you are seeing how this rich legacy is touching on so many different aspects in people in our, in our lives.

And so, you know how for, especially for these student-athletes, where they're coming in and they're getting a great athletic journey and they're part of a great athletic, uh, a great athletic pathway.

But really the thing that they're also getting is the education, the leadership skills, and networking that is then gonna help set them up for the rest of their life.

Which is gonna end up, end up helping out our entire society and our entire community as they continue contributing in the way that they will.

♪ ♪ NARRATOR: This program was made possible in part by... Fulton Bank is a proud supporter of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Learn more about Fulton Bank's commitment to making communities better through education and inclusivity at fultonbank.com.