HBCU In LA: Breaking HBCU Students Into the Industry
Written By: Elainey Bass
Many people believe that Hollywood is where dreams are made of. They may even relocate to Los Angeles in hopes of breaking into the industry. But for many HBCU students, this dream is not so far-fetched. Programs like the Entertainment Industry College Outreach Program (EICOP), also known as HBCU in LA, aim to turn dreams into reality for students at all HBCUs. Not only are they providing these students with an opportunity of a lifetime, the program is also combating racial inequality and the lack of representation in the entertainment workplace.
EICOP was founded by Stacy Milner in 2017. After gaining partnership with the White House Initiative on HBCUs, thanks to the Obama administration, HBCU in LA was born. This program aims to give students a taste of the entertainment industry by providing internships, mentorship, and guidance on how to conduct themselves in the workplace. This may include fields involving television and film production, journalism, marketing, and even the music industry. Since its activation, HBCU in LA has gained numerous partners and partner companies that willingly provide students with the experience of a lifetime. Partner companies include Paramount, United Talent Agency, FOX, NBC Universal, and Disney, just to name a few.
Over the years, this program has expanded to HBCU in NY (New York) and HBCU in ATL (Atlanta). Each year, the program accepts HBCU students into a cohort where they get the chance to be reviewed by the numerous partner companies mentioned earlier. Many students are offered internships and are provided housing in the respective cities. On top of this, the program offers leadership series and other opportunities to learn from industry professionals who started out in the same space. Not only is it inspiring, but it gives these students a sense of hope for the future.
After acceptance into the program, students have the opportunity to attend a three-day entertainment summit before starting their internship. This summit provides students the chance to spend the entire day with selected companies and equips them with the tools needed to succeed in such a difficult industry. Networking, informative panels, and interactive student activities all take place at the summit, and students leave feeling confident and excited to take on their internships and other opportunities that may come their way.
Stacey Milner also owns her own employment agency where she places individuals into temporary jobs at multi-million dollar entertainment companies. From the start, her main goal has been to expose HBCU students to an industry that is so lightly represented among Black people. By utilizing her network of industry professionals, most of the students that come out of this program leave with lifelong connections and even full-time positions at the company they previously interned with. Milner is all about bringing others with you to succeed, and this testament definitely shines through in all of her efforts since the origin of this program.
For many, the idea of chasing your dream in LA and working at these top-tier companies seems almost impossible. But with HBCU in LA, they make the impossible possible for hundreds of HBCU students. As the years go by, it is safe to say that the future of Hollywood may finally start to look more like us. We won't have to worry about White people telling stories about Black people, and we have Mrs. Stacey Milner to thank for all of her continuing efforts.
To learn more about EICOP/HBCU in LA, visit https://eicop.org/.