The Jamaica Square Improvement League, an Elmont civic association, is hosting an HBCU and Greek Night to highlight how college education rooted in Black culture can enhance the impact young people have on their communities during and after college.
The event will take place on Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Elmont Memorial Library.
Speakers will share their experiences attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities and joining Divine Nine Greek organizations, as well as their transition into spaces centered on Black culture. The Improvement League hopes that sharing information about these institutions will inspire Elmont’s youth to pursue them — and encourage the local school administration to share that information with students.
“HBCUs like Howard are more than institutions; they are nurturing grounds for leadership and empowerment,” said Elmont school board member Stephanie Douglas. “They affirm identity, celebrate heritage, and prepare students to lead with vision and compassion. Alpha Kappa Alpha strengthened those same values through a lifelong commitment to scholarship, leadership, and service. Both Howard and AKA taught me that there is nothing you cannot achieve with faith, preparation, and perseverance.”
Douglas is one of several speakers at the HBCU and Greek Night, alongside Grace Taylor, Wynter Dunnom, and Krystal Gooden, among others. The event was the brainchild of Wynter’s mother, Shawn Dunnom, and other members of the Improvement League.
“Growing up, I was never educated on the HBCUs,” said Claudine Hall, president of the Improvement League. “I don’t live with a lot of regrets in my life, but I can say that not going to an HBCU is definitely a regret that I live with, because I hear so many great things.”
While some local high school districts with large Black and brown populations highlight HBCUs for their students, Hall said others fall short.
Hall may not have attended an HBCU, but she joined the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, while in graduate school — one of the Divine Nine Black Greek organizations.
“In my sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated, we believe in service, and we believe in giving back to the community,” Hall said. “Most of the fraternities and sororities are into the same thing — into service and meaning. It’s a great brotherhood or sisterhood. It’s a family that does service in the communities.”
Like Douglas, Gooden both attended an HBCU and pledged a Divine Nine sorority — Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated.
“We push students to excel in school,” Gooden said of Zeta Phi Beta. “We go into elementary schools on the first day of school. We hold fundraisers for school programs and auxiliary groups. We push the matter of education, the importance of education, and being a continuous servant of your community.”
Gooden emphasized the value of HBCUs for young Black students. Her transfer from Nassau Community College to Johnson C. Smith University offered her a completely different college experience.
“It was a space created for us to thrive and to excel,” she said.
As an educator, Gooden said she values being a visible role model for Elmont’s youth.
“I think those individuals in our community, they need to see like-minded people, people from your neighborhood that have gone on to be successful,” she said.
Douglas also stressed the importance of exposing high school students to the legacy of HBCUs.
“When young people learn about HBCUs, they discover that excellence is not an exception — it is their heritage,” Douglas said. “They begin to understand that they stand on the shoulders of greatness, and that their own success continues a powerful legacy that has uplifted our communities for more than a century.”
