Tag Archives: financial journalism

HBCU Money™ Turns 11 Years Old

Posted on February 1, 2023 by | Leave a comment

By William A. Foster, IV

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.” – Marcus Aurelius

As we embark on our 11th year here at HBCU Money, we are not slowing down with the work we have before us. Our desire to continue to be a strong monetary and fiscal voice for the HBCU community is ever present. Covering the HBCUpreneurs who are growing amazing businesses, the business schools who are shaping tomorrow’s African American private sector leadership, HBCU economists who become the first to ever sit on the Federal Reserve board, and so much more. Our community has a voice and stories that need to be told, discussions that need to be broaden, and the hard questions that need to be asked. We have been there for it all and will continue to be there for years to come.

Thank you to everyone who has been there since the beginning and who has come to rely and trust that quality will always come first. In this day where sensationalism seems to be ruling over substance, HBCU Money and sibling blogs will continue to stand firm that there are those who desire and want to have their intelligence valued. That thinking beyond the headlines has not become a lost art.

Holding true to the saying, it is a marathon and not a sprint.

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HBCU Money™ Turns 8 Years Old

Posted on February 1, 2020 by | Leave a comment

By William A. Foster, IV

“Patience is not simply the ability to wait – it’s how we behave while we’re waiting.” – Joyce Meyer

Are we there yet? Any adult remembers asking this as a child and any parent remembers hearing this from a child. The trip could be to the grocery store or a road trip. Sometimes we think children are being impatient when it could be they are just excited and ready to explore all that awaits them at their destination. For myself and the building of HBCU Money, we are that metaphorical child.

Expecting to be much further, bigger, and covering far more ground by now. My HBCU Alumni Owned media contemporary Steven Gaither of HBCU Gameday recently put it best in a tweet, “Just because HBCU Gameday doesn’t show up at your school consistently doesn’t mean we are biased or hating. We don’t have the resources (manpower and money) to provide the same level of coverage for everyone consistently.” That really hit home for me. Steven and his team have been doing amazing work and have built an amazing following in a very short period, but like most HBCUpreneurs there is little in the way of resources available. We are often competing with major media and asked to cover our subject matter with the same level of quality all while doing it with 1/1000th of the resources. And yet, we know the work must be done and we will continue to do it. HBCU Money, HBCU Gameday, HBCU Digest, and other HBCU Alumni Owned media is not a luxury to our ecosystem, it is a necessity, imperative, and vital. The HBCU narrative, all of it from the good, the bad, and between absolutely must be controlled by those who know, love , and want to see the very best for our institutions.

In HBCU Money’s eighth year there is significantly more building to be done. The hiring of HBCU journalism graduates, YouTube channel to launch, acquisition of radio and television station, internship programs, and more. One day we will be ranking HBCU b-schools, graduate programs, and more. The vision is grand as I am sure it is for our colleagues, but patience is key because whether it happens in the next year or the next ten, we are here to stay, here to grow, and here to be a force. Thank you for eight years of support.

Rest In Peace Kobe & Gianna Bryant. May this year be a tribute to their work ethic from all of us at HBCU Money.

 

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HBCU Money™ Turns 7 Years Old

Posted on February 3, 2019 by | Leave a comment

By William A. Foster, IV

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

Seven years strong with so much more to do. The past two years have been a test of mettle for HBCU Money and HBCU journalism as a whole. As journalism and media as a whole are becoming an even more complicated business with much of larger media being purchased by a small class of people who can afford to pour resources into it without needing it to make any money, yet leveraging the benefits of shaping public opinion it leaves an industry in flux. This dynamic leaves many smaller imprints with less external resources in a precarious position. Making enough money to keep the doors open, grow, and still able to put some Ramen noodles on the table for our families.

HBCU media ownership has, is, and will continue to be a labor of love certainly, but if we want it to scale to the level of influence we need in our community we need to have real conversations about just how and what needs to happen for that scale to take place. The importance of HBCU owned media can not afford to have all chiefs and no warriors.

At HBCU Money, I am excited for some of the things ahead that have been in the works for quite a few years on the drawing board finally getting off the board. Unfortunately, some of it maybe the leap of faith more than the resources available. Seven years into this though, faith is certainly something never to take for granted. I thank everyone who has restored it when it has been shaken and filled up the bucket when it was running low. There are too many to name, but you are appreciated. It is my hope that HBCU Money can continue to be worthy of your support and faith.

 

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HBCU Money™ Turns 6 Years Old

Posted on February 1, 2018 by | Leave a comment

By William A. Foster, IV

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford

The path to success has never been a straight line. That is true in anything we hope to accomplish in life. For HBCU Money, growing out of our infancy into a mature company has been a painstaking process to say the least. As we turn 6 years old, there are a lot of questions that are at the forefront of this journey that we are in the process of answering.

It is my belief that for the first time since we started, we maybe gifted the resources needed to truly grow and mature as a media asset to the HBCU community and to the financial journalism community. I purposely quieted our ranks last year as we published very little. This year may prove to be more of the same as ensure a clarity of the path in which we will move forward, but we will be heard from. It iss a chance to settle the spirit of our offices and take a step back and truly understand what needs to be done going forward to get us to where we truly want to be with this medium.

I am steadfast in the future of HBCU Money being an important voice in how our institutions and their stories are told. Thank you to all who continue to support that mission.

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