This year, the 2024 Xfinity Unity Tour included a stop at Montclair University. In its fourth year, the Xfinity Unity Tour invited students to live and celebrate the legacy, history and sense of pride that is unique and central to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) affiliation. This year’s tour, which was an evolution and expansion of the 2023 HBCU Tour, included stops at 13 HBCU and HSI campuses in communities Comcast serves, inspiring the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs and creators. The event connected students to career resources and tools, Black and Hispanic small business owners and entrepreneurs, and culturally relevant content and media. It also provided a platform to showcase stories about the positive impact HBCUs and HSIs have on higher education.
“The impact of HBCUs and HSIs goes far beyond the classroom, helping to shape the next generation of leaders and uplift local communities,” said Loren Hudson, SVP and Chief Diversity Officer, Connectivity and Platforms, Comcast. “Through the 2024 Unity Tour, we were proud to help provide students additional tools and resources to enrich their campus life, spark excitement for future career opportunities, and contribute to their long-term achievements.”
“Hosting Xfinity’s 2024 Unity Tour was the best way to start the celebrations of this year’s Hispanic-Serving Institution week! Montclair University takes the responsibility of bringing resources and experiences that support our students’ aspirations very seriously and partnering with Xfinity is the perfect example,” said Katia Paz Goldfarb, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Hispanic Initiatives and International Programs. “When our students see a picture of an alum, they know that it is possible for them.”
Explore Career Resources and Opportunities
Through Project UP, Comcast’s comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities, students at the Xfinity Unity Tour had the opportunity to engage with Comcast talent and recruitment leaders to discuss potential career opportunities at Comcast and get professional development advice and tips.
The primary focus of the tour featured:
Connect with Innovators, Entrepreneurs and Creators
To get students excited about potential career paths and opportunities, activities onsite presented students with stories of innovators, small businesses owners, entrepreneurs and creators, including:
- Comcast RISE: Students had the opportunity to discover the impact of the Comcast RISE program, which is committed to supporting the growth of all small businesses, while advancing community investment. Comcast RISE was launched in 2020 to help businesses and their communities thrive with a focus on economic growth. Comcast RISE is committed to supporting the growth of all small businesses, while advancing the objectives of diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as community investment. Students were able to see the nationwide impact of Comcast RISE through a visual heat map artistically displaying the number of businesses supported by the program.
- Comcast Careers: Comcast’s diverse talent was also showcased on the tour. Five HBCU graduate employees and five HSI graduate employees were highlighted at each respective stop. These employee testimonials showcased why they love working for Comcast and the importance of diverse hiring within the company. Students explored open roles at Comcast from internships and co-ops to full-time roles at Comcast and beyond.
- Black Experience on Xfinity and Latino Content: Participants that stopped by immersed themselves in the vast library of Xfinity’s Black Experience on Xfinity and Latino programming (including NOW TV Latino), highlighting the importance in representation in media.
- Artist Highlights: The Xfinity Unity Tour partnered with three artists from the HBCU and HSI communities who recently graduated to create artwork for the tour. HBCU alums Kendall Robinson (Howard University), Clarence Clark (Virginia State) and HSI alum Maria Garcia Vargas (University of Illinois Chicago) created murals relating to one of the tactics of the activation wall space. This initiative expands the continuous collaboration with artists to celebrate their creativity and promote entrepreneurship within the HBCU and HSI communities.
- Official Tour Apparel: Xfinity once again commissioned HBCU and FAMU alum Elijah Rutland to custom design the official Unity Tour t-shirt, representing the HBCU and HSI communities of the tour. Additionally, Elijah showcased his creativity by crafting two custom tote bag designs that were handed out to students upon visiting each touchpoint at the activation. This is the third year Elijah partnered with Xfinity on this tour.
- Peak into the Future: The center of the activation featured a mirror room with motivational phrases relating to the event as clings on the wall. This served as a space for students to take photos with their friends and to create user generated content for social media.
Celebrate Authentic Stories
Students were treated to an in-person, immersive demonstration of The Black Experience on Xfinity. The event showcased content from the recent Black Experience original Black Girls, directed by award-winning filmmaker B. Monet, an HBCU (Spelman) alum. Black Girls explores intergenerational identity, advocacy, healing and triumph through a series of powerful individual stories about Black women who have created opportunities and impact and overcome adversity to improve outcomes for all.
In 2018, Comcast launched The HBCU Experience, a first-of-its-kind content collection celebrating HBCUs and the positive impact they’ve had on higher education for the Black community. The HBCU Experience is an example of Comcast’s work, year-round, to celebrate and recognize sports, lifestyle and culture within HBCUs via relevant content.
Additionally, Culture Capital, a three-part docuseries showcasing nine game-changing and diverse entrepreneurs who are laying the foundation for future founders, recently debuted on Black Experience on Xfinity, Peacock and the Xumo Play app. This series not only highlights the unique challenges and achievements of entrepreneurs of color but also provides viewers with an in-depth understanding of the entrepreneurial journey – celebrating the innovative spirit that transforms visions into lasting legacies.
