#FABAFest Will Highlight HBCU Culture & Bring A Beneficial Boat Battle To Barbados For Juneteenth

In HBCU excellence news…

Gather your gang since there’s a fest “For Alumni, By Alumni” concerning an unique location on Juneteenth weekend.

The first-ever FABA Festival will debut in Barbados on June 15–18, 2023, and unify Historically Black Colleges and Universities alumni and allies for an event like none other.

Source: FABA Fest

. got expert details on this experience concerning the island which boasts abundant African diasporic culture, distinct cooking offerings, beautiful beaches, Black companies, and rum.

FABA-For Alumni, By Alumni– will consist of distinct occasions consisting of a magnificent 9 day celebration, backyard fests with HBCU DJs, and the world’s first-ever battle of the boats where alumni associations will celebration at sea in HBCU spirit-decorated vessels.

Two BOTB winners will be picked; one for the most funds raised to contribute back to their school and one for the “livest” cruise.

According to FABA fest creator/ Howard alumna LaChanda Ricks, the humanitarian part of the boat battle worries the significance of returning to our universities.

“With the battle of the boats, we had this goal to identify who has the livest boat however how do we make that genuine, and how do we draw out all the important things that we like about HBCUs?” asked Ricks throughout an interview at the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre.

Source: FABA Fest

“That’s when we chose it would be a chance to raise funds. Each university that chooses to go into the battle of the boats will have a fundraising event for weeks leading up to the battle of the boats and the university that raises the most funds will be crowned the winner, and 100% of profits will go straight towards scholarships for their organization. We wished to have the enjoyable, however we likewise wished to stay real to who we are,” she included.

Ricks likewise shared that FABA will be rooted in service, something her Takeover Travel Club constantly consists of throughout their international adventures.

“I seem like what we’re attempting to do in 4 days is capture the essence of the HBCU experience and core to that experience is service–quality in service and returning,” stated Ricks “When you’re ending up being a part of a location, you wanna link, you wanna do what you can to help. That won’t end, that will just broaden here at the celebration.

“One early morning will be committed to a social work effort and after that [we’ll have] a college reasonable,” she included.  “We wish to ensure we are assisting to develop that pipeline not just from Barbados however from throughout the area of individuals concerning Historically Black Colleges to broaden that quality throughout the diaspora.”

Ricks personally informed . that with FABA she wishes to encapsulate the distinctive- HBCU experience she had while studying at The Mecca.

L to R: Shelly Williams, Chairman of the Board of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.; LaChanda Ricks, FABA Fest Founder;  Eusi Skeete, U.S. Director of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.; Tenisha Holder Senior Business Development Officer of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc./ FABA Fest

Included because was a homecoming minute when the previous Miss Howard satisfied fellow trainee Sean Combs’ striving rap artist “buddy” who ended up being the Notorious B.I.G.

According to her, while a superstar experience like that is interesting, FABA fest guests will be advised of something similarly as exciting; the spirit of quality common at our precious organizations.

“When I consider Howard, I consider homecoming, I consider spring fest, I consider those times where we were on school with many celebrities strolling throughout the backyard. But it wasn’t about them actually, it’s about all individuals around me,” stated Ricks. “It’s more than the celebs, the HBCU experience has to do with being surrounded by quality at every corner.”

“It’s in our class with teachers that like us and appreciate us, it’s with our fellow trainees and alumni who are doing whatever they can to prosper. It’s simply all over around us which’s the important things I will constantly draw from Howard, it’s an expectation of quality. We take that and press that out into the world.”

Members of the media posture with LaChanda Ricks/FABA Fest