Notre Dame, TSU game an opportunity to introduce HBCUs to South Bend teens, area man says

Ed Semmler, South Bend Tribune
·5 min read
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Brian Frazier, 43, a Tennessee State University graduate and resident of South Bend, points out the world map he has in his studio Monday, Aug. 23, 2023, to inspire students to think about the world outside the area. Frazier is organizing a series of events as the University of Notre Dame plays Tennessee State on Saturday in a matchup of the Irish and a Historically Black College or University. The events will include a TSU pep rally Friday at Jon R. Hunt Plaza and meetings with high school students and alumni from HBCUs. Frazier has a studio in South Bend.

SOUTH BEND ― When Notre Dame hosts the Tennessee State University Tigers on Saturday, it will be the first time that the storied Fighting Irish program has faced off against a historically Black institution on the football field.

And Brian Frazier, a South Bend resident and graduate of Tennessee State, isn’t one to miss out on the opportunity, aiming to promote his passion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities to students throughout the region.

Frazier knows what Tennessee State meant for his life and his career. Like many kids, he isn’t sure he would have even gone to college after graduating from Buchanan High School in 1998, except that he had the chance to go on a tour of several HBCU campuses.

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He was thinking about Ball State University and the University of Michigan.

“But when I stepped off the bus at Tennessee State, it felt like I was home,” he said, explaining that his anxieties about college disappeared. “Not everyone needs it, but HBCUs generally provide a more nurturing environment for minority students.”

There are more than 100 HBCUs in the United States, and they were started to give Black students access to higher education. The earliest HBCUs were founded in Pennsylvania and Ohio, before the Civil War. One of them, the Institute for Colored Youth, opened in 1837 on a Philadelphia farm. Today, it's called Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.

Four days of HBCU events

So as part of his foundation’s efforts to expose disadvantaged and underrepresented youth to career paths, Frazier organized several events this week to take advantage of the Tennessee State alumni coming in for the game and show off what the Tigers and other HBCUs can offer students.

On Thursday, the foundation and its partners have organized a symposium called “Beauty in You” that aims to build the self-esteem of girls and women in the community. That event, which is free and open to the public, will run from 6 to 9 p.m. at Washington High School.

Panelists will include Tennessee State cheerleaders, beauty professionals and other successful women discussing self-confidence, social media etiquette and college preparedness. It will be followed by the TSU cheerleaders teaching participants a cheer that can be used at another planned event on Friday.

Brian Frazier, 43, a Tennessee State University graduate and resident of South Bend, speaks Monday, Aug. 23, 2023, near the "See More Be More" slogan he invokes when training students on video and fine arts in his studio. Frazier is organizing a series of events as the University of Notre Dame plays Tennessee State on Saturday in a matchup of the Fighting Irish and a Historically Black College or University. The events will include a TSU pep rally Friday at Jon R. Hunt Plaza and meetings with high school students and alumni from HBCUs.

The Thursday event is aimed at counteracting influences that objectify women and girls. “People have to love themselves first,” said Frazier, who formed The Frazier Kid Foundation just a couple of years ago to expose disadvantaged and underrepresented youth to careers in the arts, among other things.

Friday will kick off with an HBCU experience day for about 600 students from throughout the region at Faith Alive Ministries at 909 N Bendix Drive, South Bend. The event includes a panel discussion by TSU alumni, who are leaders at Microsoft, NASA, Loreal, Starbucks and other companies, and will have booths manned by officials from Grambling, Tuskegee, Alabama A&M, Howard, Spellman and TSU.

The panelists will discuss how education and training are the keys to advancement in the world beyond neighborhoods where youth can be influenced to make poor choices, Frazier said, adding that his success today is directly related to his learning about opportunities outside his neighborhood.

“I’m not sure where I’d be today without getting away for college,” he said.

A bigger world awaits

Frazier’s video production business, which is in the same plaza as Faith Alive Ministries, is decorated with a world map, images from around the globe and sayings meant to inspire the young people who attend small classes on design and video production at his offices.

“The world is bigger than a particular neighborhood, whether it’s in South Bend or some other community,” Frazier said. “Kids need to see that there’s a world of opportunities, and then bring their skills back home.”

Frazier’s foundation will pay a $20 application fee for students at the event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The one-time fee sends applications to 66 HBCU colleges and universities, he explained, adding that those in attendance will help students through the process.

Brian Frazier, 43, a Tennessee State University graduate and resident of South Bend, stands in the sound room Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at his studio. Frazier is organizing a series of events as the University of Notre Dame plays Tennessee State on Saturday in a matchup of the Fighting Irish and a Historically Black College or University. The events will include a TSU pep rally Friday at Jon R. Hunt Plaza and meetings with high school students and alumni from HBCUs.

The city of South Bend is providing financial assistance as well as other businesses in the community. The Chick-fil-A on the south side of South Bend is supplying lunches for the students and participants, Frazier said, adding that the goal is to raise awareness of the HBCU experience.

Although most of the programming on Thursday and Friday is aimed at students, the public is invited to enjoy a pep rally at Jon R. Hunt Plaza in downtown featuring cheerleaders, majorettes, the Grammy-award-winning band and the opportunity to practice the cheer that was rehearsed on Thursday.

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“People should bring a lawn chair and enjoy the sights and sounds,” Frazier said of the event that is planned to run from about 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Other groups also are using the excitement surrounding the historic game to draw attention to HBCUs and the positive impact they can provide, especially for youth who might not be comfortable with other college options.

“This is a big deal,” Frazier said. “And we’re using it as a catalyst to draw attention to other educational options.”

And even with many planned activities already surrounding the game ― including a stepping competition and a teacher-supply giveaway sponsored by South Bend NPHC at Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium on Friday night and a HBCU-style tailgate at Ivy Court on Saturday ― Frazier plans to wrap up the week on a high note by inviting the community to attend services at Faith Alive on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. with TSU cheerleaders and others bringing their energy into the building.

“See More Be More” is the motto of Frazier’s business, but it also serves as the focus behind his foundation.

“Everyone has talents,” he said. “We just need to have kids in an environment where their abilities can be developed.”

Email Tribune staff writer Ed Semmler at esemmler@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Historic ND, Tennessee State game to raise awareness of Black colleges