(TAMPA, Fla.) – Hosted by Hillsborough Community College (HCC), the 18th Annual National Black, Brown and College Bound (BBCB) Summit will be held on March 5 – 8, 2025, at the Tampa Convention Center. The event’s presenting sponsor is Wells Fargo.
Omari Hardwick, award-winning actor, poet, musician and spoken word artist, will keynote the highly anticipated, Dr. Sylvia Marion Carley Luncheon on Friday, March 7.
“BBCB started in 2006 as a local event for administrators to discuss how they could assist Black and Latino males who were enrolled in college, or college bound, to complete their educational journey,” says Dr. Ken Atwater, president of HCC. “Since that time, the summit has grown into a leading national event that is open to all students of any background, to allow all attendees a space to network and connect with professionals who have surpassed the obstacles and become successful. The path to that success beginning with completing a college degree.”
Hardwick is a versatile and acclaimed artist who transcends the boundaries of medium and audience. He is widely recognized for his leading role as James 'Ghost' St. Patrick in the popular Starz series, POWER. Hardwick's performance in the show garnered critical acclaim, earning him the prestigious 2019 and 2020 Image Awards (NAACP) for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. Set to release in 2025, he will appear in the highly anticipated “Star Trek: Section 31” film, starring Michelle Yeoh.
Additional speakers will include José M. Hernández, a migrant farmworker from California turned NASA astronaut and engineer; LaTanya Sheffield, the 2024 USA Women’s Track & Field Head Olympic Coach; as well as Stedman Graham, New York Times best-selling author, business advisor and CEO of marketing consulting firm, S. Graham and Associates.
“We look forward to hosting the National BBCB Summit with our corporate and community sponsors,” says Annazette Houston, HCC’s Executive Director of Title IX and Civil Rights Compliance. “I am so pleased to be associated with an effort designed to change the educational outcomes for students.”
BBCB Summit has seen more than 5,000 participants since 2006, including students from almost two dozen different states. For more information and to register for the event, visit bbcbsummit.org. Additional questions should be directed to summitregistration@hccfl.edu.
Hillsborough Community College serves more than 45,000 students annually at its five campuses located throughout Tampa Bay. For more information, visit hccfl.edu.
Hillsborough Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Hillsborough Community College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Hillsborough Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 3033-4097, by calling 404.679.4500 or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Visit hccfl.edu/accreditation for more information.