BET TO AIR HBCU AWAREFEST BENEFIT CONCERT SPECIAL SUNDAY, APRIL 5 AT 9 PM ET/ 8 PM CT

HBCU AWAREFEST Brings Out Jill Scott, Tems, Common, Kirk Franklin, Coco Jones, Angel Reese, Robert F. Smith, Deon Cole, BigXthaPlug, and More for Star-Studded Night in Atlanta

Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Atlanta, GA — BET will air the “HBCU AWAREFEST Benefit Concert Special” on Sunday, April 5 at 9 PM ET/ 8 PM CT, bringing the star-studded celebration of culture, music, and purpose to audiences nationwide. The mission of HBCU AWAREFEST is to increase awareness of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and raise money to address the $1.8 trillion student loan debt burden disproportionately incurred by their students.

The special captures the inaugural HBCU AWAREFEST concert presented by Student Freedom Initiative and Live Nation Urban, filmed at State Farm Arena, a star-studded benefit concert supporting HBCUs, featuring a genre-spanning lineup including Jill Scott, Tems, Common, Jeezy, Yolanda Adams, Coco Jones, Kirk Franklin, BigXthaPlug, and more.

In addition to the performances, the special will feature appearances and remarks from cultural and civic leaders including Robert F. Smith, Keith B. Shoates, Mayor Andre Dickens, Rev. Al Sharpton, Dr. Jamal Bryant, Tyler Perry, Daymond John, Anthony Anderson, Rocsi Diaz, Angela Yee, Kandi Burruss, Angel Reese, Ryan Clark, Will Packer, Deon Cole, and more.

Through this special, BET continues its legacy of amplifying Black excellence, elevating stories that matter, and creating space for moments that inspire, inform, and move the culture forward. As a first-of-its-kind cultural and civic initiative, HBCU AWAREFEST has already achieved historic milestones, including a Georgia Senate resolution declaring March 26, 2026, as HBCU AWAREFEST Day. This honor recognizes the inaugural festival’s mission to address the student loan debt crisis and expand economic mobility for students at HBCUs.

The benefit concert culminates HBCU AWAREFEST, a week-long series of events across Atlanta dedicated to advancing the future of Black higher education through culture, innovation, and collective action.

For more information, please visit https://www.awarefest.org/ or https://studentfreedominitiative.org/.

ABOUT BET Media Group

The BET Media Group, a unit of Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY), is the world’s largest media company rooted in community, culture, and connection for the Black community. For over four decades, BET has served as a trusted home for Black audiences, amplifying authentic stories, elevating Black voices, and creating spaces where culture thrives and community comes together.

Through a powerful portfolio of brands—including BET, BET Her, BET Studios, and VH1—along with FAST channels such as BET Tyler Perry Comedy, BET Tyler Perry Drama, BET Comedy Movies, BET Cinema, BET Classics, BET Visionaries, BET Throwbacks, and BET Pluto, BET connects audiences across cable, digital, live events, studios, and global platforms. Together, these platforms deliver culturally resonant content that reflects the depth, creativity, and impact of the Black experience.

For more information, visit www.bet.com and follow @BET on social platforms. For additional announcements, visit paramountpressexpress.com/bet.

ABOUT STUDENT FREEDOM INITIATIVE
Student Freedom Initiative is a nonprofit that empowers students and strengthens institutions to close the wealth gap. Through equitable financing, tools, and resources, it helps students build generational wealth. At the same time, it equips participating institutions with capacity-building support to enhance resilience and reach their full potential. By partnering with community organizations, businesses, and government, SFI drives lasting, systemic change.

Student Freedom Initiative has received generous contributions from Robert F. Smith, Fund 2 Foundation, Cisco, Jane Street, Prudential Financial, First Republic, the Walmart Foundation, and Target. Our programs have been supported by the Business Roundtable’s Racial Equity & Justice Subcommittee on Education, and many others.

Learn more about the Student Freedom Initiative at https://studentfreedominitiative.org/.

ABOUT LIVE NATION URBAN
Live Nation Urban (LNU) is a joint venture co-owned by entrepreneur and music artist manager Shawn Gee and Live Nation, the world’s leading live entertainment company. The company remains North America’s preeminent producer of concert experiences, festivals, and platforms headlined, curated, and owned by black talent, setting the tone for culture with over a dozen sought-after festival brands such as The Roots Picnic, Broccoli City, Exodus Music & Arts Festival, ONE Musicfest, Strength of a Woman, and more.

Beyond their captivating live events, Live Nation Urban has established themselves as key social architects in black culture with their innovative initiatives that include Juneteenth: A Global Celebration (broadcast on CNN), Kerry Washington’s THICKER THAN WATER book tour, and a special Hip-Hop 50 event at the home of Vice President Kamala Harris in addition to tours by artists such as Ari Lennox, Babyface, Kirk Franklin, Lil Wayne, Davido, Charlie Wilson, Jeezy, Jagged Edge, LL Cool J, Jill Scott, Coco Jones, Jodeci, RuPaul, and Raphael Saadiq. The LNU-produced “A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop” special garnered a nomination at the NAACP Image Awards for “Outstanding Variety Show.” Live Nation Urban continues to grow across hip-hop, R&B, soul, and gospel as the most trusted purveyor of live urban music.

Learn more about Live Nation Urban at https://livenationurban.com/.

HBCU AwareFest / Live Nation Urban Contacts:
Jeff Lopez
jeff@westtheory.com

Amyr Heard
amyr@westtheory.com

BET Contacts:
Mercedes Smith
Mercedes.Smith@bet.net

Autumn Griffin
Autumn.Griffin@bet.net

Erica Knox
Erica.Knox@bet.net