Meet the Kings & Queens of HBCU Chess!
HBCU Chess has a long but largely undocumented history. During the 2024 HBCU Chess Classic hosted by The Black Odyssey, six Historically Black Colleges and Universities (known as “HBCUs”) gathered to participate in the 2nd annual event. Hampton, Howard, Morehouse, and North Carolina A&T, each fielded two teams. While Florida A&M University (FAMU) only sent two players, Caleb Parker won the individual title. The venue was the Georgia Insititute of Technology, which is just a few miles from the Atlanta University Center (AUC).
Last year, Morris Brown College hosted the event, and the participants could walk the hallowed grounds where W.E.B. DuBois wrote his inspired book, The Souls of Black Folks.
Morris Brown College, site of the inaugural HBCU Chess Classic
All photos by Daaim Shabazz/The Chess Drum
This year, the event’s venue lacked a cultural connection, but the excitement was still present as some of the returnees traveled as long as 22 hours to attend the event. During the event, The Chess Drum’s Daaim Shabazz spoke with the Presidents of four HBCU chess clubs (and one club member) and asked them questions about their respective clubs, their growth, and their participation in the HBCU Chess Classic. Many ideas were articulated… from a social media blitz, to a lawn chess set, to community service activities. Let’s hear what each of these presidents had to say!
Caleb Parker, Florida A&M University
Nicolas Perkins, North Carolina A&T
Cassidy Sparks, Howard University
Breon McCray III, Hampton University
Jamila Thompson, Spelman College
Morehouse College Chess Club
Tuskeegee Alum Charles German
Alan Cowan (Morehouse ’23), The Black Odyssey
Video interview courtesy of The Black Odyssey
Editing by Daaim Shabazz/The Chess Drum
See you next year!
