The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Stacey Lee Spratt Discusses HBCU Opportunities, Student Scholarships, Harlem Hops +More

Episode Date: January 15, 2024

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Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God.

What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. We need help! That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast

Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay.

Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best. And you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, y'all. Niminy here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Executive produced by Questlove, The Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop.

Flash, slam, another one gone. Bash, bam, another one gone. The crack of the bat and another one gone. The tip of the cap, there's another one gone. Each episode is about a different, inspiring figure from history. Like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it.

And it began with me. Did you know, did you know? I wouldn't give up my seat. Nine months before Rosa, it was called a woman. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everyone. Apple Podcasts, or every single wig removal together.

So listen to Still the Place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha Guy. We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building.

Yes, indeed. Stacey Lee Spratt. Welcome. What's up? How you feeling? Listen, feeling good. Director of the United Negro College Fund. Yes, Empower Me Tour. There you go.

That's right. I feel like I've been hearing about the United Negro College Fund my whole life, but not that much in recent times. Really? Yeah, so what does the United New York College Fund do right now? Listen, we've been around going on 80 years, so that's why you've been hearing about it since you were little. But, you know, we provide educational support for minority students. So with the Empower Me Tour, it's a traveling road show

where we talk about college readiness, we talk about career readiness, and we give millions of dollars in scholarships for people to attend school, not just graduating high school seniors, but also people in college can still get scholarships through the UNCF. I always wonder, you know, like do people are people as aware of resources like this as they need to be? You know what? I feel like we can always do a better job of making sure people know that resources are there. UNCF is not just to get students to college. It's our responsibility to get students through college also. So with the resources are coming in all the time to UNCF. So I tell students and parents to visit UNCF.org every other week because we have scholarships that pop up all throughout the month, all throughout the year. And to just know what is actually out there for students to attend college for free. I mean, education is expensive. What are some of the qualifications to get some of these students in college?

You know what? It honestly depends on the type of scholarship there is. You know, some have 3.0 GPA qualifications. Some might even have 2.7 or your 3.5 and above. Some of them you have to write an essay. It really all depends on the type of scholarship that you're applying for. Like with the Empower Me Tour, we have counselors that come on site and give on-site admissions to students on the spot. Not just that. We have college admissions counselors offering full four-year scholarships to students who didn't even know that they could attend college or could attend an HBCU. We really try to do the Empower Me Tour in places where there aren't HBCUs so we can educate people that HBCUs exist and scholarships are available. So this is only for HBCUs? You're only giving college? Oh no.

We give scholarship money to not just HBCUs. People can get a UNCF scholarship and attend any school of their choice. We just want to make sure people know in places and spaces that HBCUs exist. Is there an HBCU in New York? I've been having this argument with people for the last year. There is not an HBCU in New York. So Fairleigh Dickinson is not an HBCU. There is not an HBCU in New York.

Okay. Stacey said it, not me, guys. Because I've been saying it for long. Because I was like, I didn't know it was. Because I always say, you know, growing up in New York, there were no HBCUs. And the only time that I seen it was on A Different World. And that's what made me want to go to the best HBCU not Clark but Hampton

University. You know it can be second best because number one is what's on this chest Clark Atlanta University So being that y'all give money to everybody y'all don't have to worry about like you know because now you see all of these people like what's his name I think his name is Edward Braun doing these attacks on you know the

fearless fund and people who are providing funding strictly for black people. You don't have to worry about that. Our funding is not just strictly for black or brown people. Again, I like to remind people HBCUs were created during a time that black and brown

people could not attend majority institutions. We're historically black, not exclusively black word well what was so important for you to go to hbc of course you went to clark atlanta well of course i went to clark atlanta where you from you gotta stop i'm originally from mississippi oh you're from mississippi yeah so every time you hear clark you blush listen that's where my husband came from so baby that's you know okay okay my husband at clark atlanta dj drama went to clark atl my husband at Clark Atlanta DJ Drama went to Clark

Atlanta too okay yes DJ Drama went to Clark Atlanta we were there around the same time um my parents went to Clark College my brother went to Howard my other brother went to Morehouse like we are an HBCU family like my business partners you know went to Hampton one okay and the other one went to Clark Atlanta so it just just fostered relationships, HBCUs and just homecoming. There was no homecoming like an HBCU homecoming. Okay. So that's why I love it. So before you go, what made you want to go? Was it instilled with your family or is it? It was instilled with my family. It was, you know, again, I've been attending homecoming at Clark Atlanta since I was two years old, you know, because both my parents went there. I got you. And just watching the relationships that my parents had with other people from Clark Atlanta University.

And like those are my aunts and uncles, extended family. I just fell in love with it. People don't talk about that aspect enough. The networking that happens at these HBCUs. What did you or who did you meet that led you to end up being the director of the united negro college fund i mean first of all my father received a uncf scholarship so watching him talk about you receiving a uncf scholarship and watching him work at general motors and then turn around and give back for other black and brown people and people at Clark Atlanta, Spelman and Morehouse, to be engineers and just watching that foster, I always had a loving relationship for UNCF. But it really is the networking.

You have relationships with people. I do business with people that I went to school with. We still have those genuine relationships. You work with them. When you think about, okay if I have an event taking place, I'm thinking about, well who can I help that went to Clark Atlanta with me or who you know went to another HBCU. A lot of the work that I do even in the events world, I provide opportunities for other HBCU graduates. Well what's some advice or tips you can give to help students apply for and receive scholarships from UNCF? The first thing

I would want them to do is to go to uncf.org and set up an account and check back there every other week because again, scholarships pop up every day that we're offering. Again, if you're a graduating senior in high school, check it out. Set up an account. If you are in college and looking for an internship, looking for scholarship opportunities, set up an account at uncf.org and just continue to check back. Make sure you have your resume, you know, written out. Talk to someone that does resume building. It's so important. Make sure that you have your statement written out of why you want to even go to college, whatever college or university that is.

So just being proactive and preparing yourself. How early is too early? I know you said senior year, but sometimes senior year might be a little too late because you just don't necessarily know. So how early should parents should be looking into colleges? And same thing with students. You know, you can set up your account at UNCF.org. I mean, as a freshman in high school and start looking at different scholarships and looking for what is it that you need to apply for those certain types of scholarships. It's never too early to talk to students about scholarships,

about financial aid. I mean, that is so important for parents and students to fill out that financial aid information. And I know the FAFSA has changed over, you know, the course of this year. So it's making sure you fill out your FAFSA, set up that account at uncf.org. It doesn't matter how old you are. You can start talking to your kids about scholarships in, you know, fifth, sixth, seventh grade. Like we need money for you to attend school. Now, you know, a lot of parents, I don't want to say have problems with scholarships, but have problems with scholarships because they get the scholarship to get their kid in school. Right. But now their kid is in school. They're freshmen. Now what happens sophomore year? Are some of these scholarships four-year scholarships or they're just one-year

scholarship? You got to get in and you're on your own. Oh, no. A lot of scholarships are four year renewable scholarships. As long as you continue to keep that GPA requirement, as long as you continue to keep whatever the requirements are for that scholarship. And it's so important to look and say, OK, is this scholarship renewable, you student? So they can plan accordingly. There are some scholarships that might be a one-time. So if you do get that scholarship that's one-time, then you have to go back to the drawing board and say, okay, let me see about some scholarship money over here, over

here, over here. You can also piecemeal it together. It doesn't all have to come from one place. Gotcha. When you talk about certain requirements, and I didn't go to college, so forgive me for my stupidness, but is this scholarships that's like if you five, six? You know what?

There's a scholarship out there if you're left-handed. That's what I'm saying. It is scholarship money out there for everything you can think of and I think that's the key to it. You have to look for scholarships that you might be thinking like,

I mean, what's a left-handed scholarship? But it's out there. There are scholarships for all things, whether you play sports, whether you don't play sports, whether you're majoring in STEM, whether you're majoring in marketing, even entrepreneurial scholarships. So it is scholarships available for everyone. It's doing the research, spending the time to do the research, being organized about where you're looking and what you're looking for.

I wonder why. Like, why do they have a scholarship for left-handed people? Listen, I don't know because I didn't create that scholarship. You might have been a left-handed billionaire that says, you know what, I just want to support other left-handed people out there. You can come up with however you want to do scholarships. When myself and Pinky Call, we gave scholarship money for 30 graduating seniors at Clark Atlanta University. We had no rhyme or reason. Our reason was that they would not be able to graduate if they didn't pay that dollar amount. So sometimes you have people that just say, you know what, I want to make sure these students graduate.

I don't care what their GPA is. It could be a 2.0. It doesn't matter. I want to make sure they get the money so they can walk across that stage. 2.0? And that's what we did. Hey, we didn't0. It doesn't matter. I want to make sure they get the money so they can walk across that stage. 2.0? And that's what we did. Hey, we didn't care. It didn't matter.

You owed money, and we wanted to make sure that you were able to graduate in the spring. And so that's what we did. My daddy said, if I get a 2.0, I'm coming back to Queens. Listen, you can graduate college still with a 2.0. That's right. You graduate and thank your Lordy, but you're graduating. Thank your Lordy. I didn't go to college. Thank your right. You graduate and thank your lordy, but you're graduating. Thank your lordy. I didn't go to college.

Thank your lordy. Oh, thank your lordy. Thank your lordy. Thank your lordy. Lordy. You got to put some southern on it. Thank your lordy. Yes, sir.

Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Is your country falling apart? Feeling tired? Depressed? A little bit revolutionary? Consider this. Start your own country.

I planted the flag. I just kind of looked out of like, this is mine. I own this. Start your own country. I planted the flag. I just kind of looked out of like, this is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. There are 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Everybody's doing it. I am King Ernest Emmanuel. I am the Queen of Laudonia.

I'm Jackson I, King of Capraburg. I am the Supreme Leader of the Grand Republic of Mentonia. Be part of a great colonial tradition. Why can't I create my own country? My forefathers did that themselves. What could go wrong? No country willingly gives up their territory. I was making a rocket with a black powder, you know, with explosive warhead. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Bullets. We still have the off-road portion to go. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. And we're losing daylight fast.

That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. You know that rush of endorphins you feel after a great workout? Well, that's when the real magic happens.

So if you love hearing real, inspiring stories from the people you know, follow, and admire, join me every week for Post Run High. It's where we take the conversation beyond the run and get into the heart of it all. It's lighthearted, pretty crazy, and very fun. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, y'all? This is Questlove, and I'm here to tell you about a new podcast I've been working on with the Story Pirates and John Glickman called Historical Records. It's a family-friendly podcast.

Yeah, you heard that right. A podcast for all ages. One you can listen to and enjoy with your kids starting on September 27th. I'm going to toss it over to the host of Historical Records, Nimany, to tell you all about it. Make sure you check it out. Hey, y'all. Niminy here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical

Records. Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Flash, slam, another one gone. Bash, bam, another one gone. The crack of the bat and another one gone. The tip of the cap, there's another one gone. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history.

Like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'd be back to fill your ears with deliciously unsettling stories. Well, wonder no more, because we've got a ghoulishly good lineup ready for you. Let's just say things get a bit extra. We're talking spirits, demons, and the kind of supernatural chaos that'll make your spooky season complete.

You know how much I love this time of year. It's the one time I'm actually on trend. So grab your pumpkin spice, dust off that Ouija board, just don't call me unless it's urgent, and tune in for new episodes every week. Remember, the veils are thin, the stories are spooky, and your favorite ghost host is back and badder than ever. Listen to Haunting on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hola, mi gente. It's Honey German, and I'm bringing you Gracias, Come Again, the podcast where we dive deep into the world of Latin culture, musica, peliculas, and entertainment

with some of the biggest names in the game. If you love hearing real conversations with your favorite Latin celebrities, artists, and culture shifters, this is the podcast for you. We're talking real conversations with our Latin stars, from actors and artists to musicians and creators, sharing their stories, struggles, and successes. You know it's going to be filled with chisme laughs and all the vibes that you love. Each week, we'll explore everything from music and pop culture to deeper topics like identity, community, and breaking down barriers in all sorts of industries. Don't miss out on the fun, el té caliente, and life stories. Join me for Gracias Come Again, a podcast by Honey German,

where we get into todo lo actual y viral. Listen to Gracias Come Again on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. How can students prepare and pay for college, especially with the federal student aid deadline coming up? Oh, yeah. The deadline is around the corner, so they need to apply. You must apply to see what you qualify for,

what kind of scholarships you qualify for. Again, Google is your best friend. YouTube University is your best friend. Really look up what scholarships are available but again go to UNCF.org because we have thousands of scholarships available we give away millions of dollars to date UNCF has probably given out over four billion dollars in educating young people today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. So for that day, are you guys doing something

special for today? Dr. Martin Luther King went to Morehouse College, but we're not doing anything in particular besides what we always do, which is provide an education for black and brown and young people. What are some benefits of going to an HBCU? Because my daughter's 15 now, and of course, she's already talking about college. So what's the benefits of going to an HBCU? Because my daughter's 15 now. And, you know, she's, of course, she's already talking about college. So what's the benefits of going to an HBCU versus a PWI? You know, I think for me, it's seeing people that look like you doing great things. It's, again, that community. It's a smaller classroom.

It's also go where you're celebrated, not where you're tolerated. What's the point of being a Delta? What's the point of being a what? Wow. Wow. What's the benefits of being a Delta what's the point of being a wife's mother is adult what's the point of being a delta wow what's the benefit disrespectful not the point the benefits the benefits of being a don't you know i'm talking like that wow look at the peanut gallery over here popping it up you see how people listen being a member of delta sigma theta sorority incorporated was one of the greatest decisions for me. They are my sisters, my line sisters, my big sisters, my little sisters. Again, I not only work with them, I love them. It is a

sisterhood. I don't have sisters. I have two older brothers. I have a sissy that is my cousin, but it is about the love. It's about the sisterhood. It's about the community. It's about giving back. So all of those things are what Delta encompasses. Yeah, because I think about if you go to an HBCU, that's one level of sisterhood. Absolutely. And togetherness with your black people. But then you get pledged Delta. That's a whole other level. Listen, a whole nother level of sisterhood and brotherhood. I mean, again, that HBCU camaraderie is a sisterhood and brotherhood in itself, whether you pledge something or not.

And even pledging Delta, I still have AKAs that I so love. I mean, my publicist is an AKA. You know, it's okay. But, you know, it's still that love of fraternities and sororities. Absolutely. My oldest is a sophomore in high school. Like I said, we're already starting to look for colleges. When should students start seriously looking into college?

Honestly, again, I would say seventh, eighth grade year, start talking to your kids about college and and what kind of college would they want to go to? What do they want to do? You know, as they get older. And I always also tell students, if you don't know exactly what you want to do, it's okay to say that. It's okay to change your mind. But I also say as a junior in college, just go ahead and finish whatever that major is and figure out how to apply it to whatever it is you want to do or become. That's right. Like, don't pay all that money to take extra classes or additional classes just move forward yeah i always say hbcus sometimes have to do a better job at

trying to get students especially on the east coast yeah because we don't see them as much especially new york and in new jersey or even delaware and philly we don't see it as much right and for my like i said myself my biggest thing was a different world. That's what made me see what an HBCU was like. So I would say they have to do a better job. And hopefully things like this will encourage more students to check out HBCU. Yes. And we actually did the Empower Me Tour in New York with high school students.

It was some years ago. It was right before COVID. And again, hugely successful because students didn't know about HBCUs that they're available you know for them to attend. Do you agree with Envy that you know HBCUs have to do a better job or do we as black people have to start valuing our own better? I think I think it's both I think I think it's twofold I think one it's important for us to continue to give back to our HBCUs. It's not just about homecoming and coming home.

It's also coming home, loving on your people, but also giving back to your institution. So I just really think it's imperative. And we do have to do a better job of letting kids know that HBCUs are attainable, that they're available, and that money is available for them to attend. The reason I talk about them so much is going to Hampton and going to all these homecomings. I didn't get that experience in New York. You know, you go to Florida and they have the classic where it's nothing but black people and they're outside and they're barbecuing and they're cooking and there's a parade and it's just so much going on. And then you go to one in Alabama and it's the same thing.

And you realize, damn, I didn't have that in New York. We didn't have to experience that. We didn't wake up morning to go to the parade. And you miss that being in certain areas where they don't have an HBCU. That's why I say a lot of times we have to go better at going to those areas where there is no HBCU, showing the students what it means, what it is, and what the family is like. Like going to FAMU's homecoming. I know you, Clark Atlanta, but I'm Hampton, but FAMU has probably one of the best homecomings ever.

They have an excellent homecoming. What? And I will say, I mean, I love my CAU. Jackson State also has a funky good time of homecoming as What? And I will say, I mean, I love my CAU. Jackson State also has a funky good time of homecoming as well. I must say that. But I thought there was a classic here in New Jersey. They just started it.

Didn't they just start? It's a game. It's a game. Okay. So there's just a shout to Albert. He's trying to bring it back to New York. Got it. He didn't actually go to HBCU.

He went to St. John's. But he understands what it means it back to New York. Got it. He didn't actually go to HBCU. He went to St. John's, but he understands what it means. He has black kids. So he's trying to create the classic back where schools are coming in. The problem is, I think last year they did Morehouse in Alabama State. Yes. Albany State. And the problem with Albany State, sadly, is most people thought it was in Albany, New York, but Albany State's in Georgia.

So it's like getting those schools and giving an education, but he's going to continue to do it and hopefully that gets that back here and gets these students out here and gets them coming to see things because it's more than just a game. They have step shows. They have a place where they're giving scholarships on-site to kids. They're doing so many different things around it and I like to be a part of it because

I just love my HBCUs. Well, we appreciate you for joining us. Hold on on she's also an entrepreneur that's right harlem harlem hops beer booze bites and beach b scott had bought us this before that's right you know what i mean you want to talk about harlem hops listen harlem hops is a craft beer bar it's in harlem we also just opened up a second location um at pier 57 so we have har Harlem Hops, Chelsea also in the food hall where the Google building is. So that's our second location. And I mean, we are 100%

African-American owned, you know, first black owned crab beer barn in New York. The reason I love this because it shows that, you know, what you do at the United Negro College when you do that to be of service.

Absolutely. You know what I mean? Absolutely. Do it to be of service to other students so they can also see, again, there's nothing like a mirror image to see what it is that you can do and what you can become. And when you see, you know, a brother or sister and you're like, dang, I can do that also. It's inspiring and it's inspirational. How can people get in

contact with you in the UNCF? Okay. You can reach me on my IG at StacyLee32. That's my maiden name, Lee. I'm a Sprat. You know, on IG, you can reach out to me directly. You know, any kind of questions about education, any kind of questions about scholarships, I will be glad to answer. And United Negro College Fund?

UNCF.org.. Fund? UNCF.org. UNCF.org for all information about scholarships, internships, ways to get to and through college. It's all right there at your fingertips. All right. Well, Stacey Lee Spratt, we appreciate you for joining us. Thank you. It's The Breakfast Club.

Good morning. Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club. Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this.

It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my

popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you.

Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best. And you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, y'all. Niminy here. I'm the host of a brand-new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Executive produced by Questlove, The Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Flash, slam, another one gone. Bash, bam, another one gone. The crack of the bat and another one gone. Life through hip-hop. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history.

Like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records, because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everyone. This is Courtney Thorne-Smith, Laura Layton, and Daphne Zuniga. On July 8th, 1992, apartment buildings with pools were never quite the same as Melrose Place was introduced to the world. We are going to be reliving every hookup, every scandal, and every single wig removal together. So listen to Still the Place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.