Maryland Public Television has launched a new YouTube channel called “HBCU Week NOW,” which features short films, student videos, and other HBCU-themed content.

This comes as a part of the national expansion of the HBCU Week content initiative and coincides with the 2023 national celebration of HBCU Week, designated by The White House each year.

The new channel will focus on historically Black colleges and universities, their faculty, students, and alumni, and the unique cultural landscape that defines these critical American educational institutions.

It will feature content from Maryland Public Television and its public media partners. The centerpiece of the channel’s launch is a collection of four new short films showcasing the HBCU Classic football matchups that are a central part of HBCU culture.

The films will be released weekly, coinciding with the fall semester on HBCU campuses and college football season.

In addition to the short films, the channel will also offer content from Maryland Public Television’s catalog of film and TV programs about HBCUs, as well as content from Black Public Media, an HBCU Week partner that supports visionary content creators and distributes stories about the global Black experience to inspire a more equitable and inclusive future.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has made this new YouTube channel and the broader content initiative possible. Click here to watch.