Howard U is partnering with Amazon to launch an entertainment industry training program

The prominent HBCU is partnering with Amazon Studios on Howard Entertainment, a program for minority students to train with entertainment executives to diversify the pipeline of talent in the industry, it announced last week. The announcement kicked off HU homecoming on Oct. 11, where Amazon Studios was the lead sponsor for HU’s annual free concert series, Yardfest. Latasha Gillespie, Amazon Studio’s global head of diversity, equity, and inclusion, was on the ground at the event.
Students accepted to Howard Entertainment will get networking opportunities and hands-on work experience mixed with a specialized academic curriculum spanning two semesters. Students will take academic classes during the spring semester at HU to prepare them for an entertainment fellowship over the summer in Los Angeles. And yes, the coursework will go toward students’ graduation requirements. “The vision of Howard Entertainment is to offer a one-of-a-kind experience for students interested in all aspects of entertainment, from project greenlighting, to PR and marketing, to entertainment law and finance,” HU President Wayne A. I. Frederick said in a statement. “Collaborating with Amazon Studios will enable us to marry academia and industry efforts to build a robust workforce of diverse entertainment industry leaders.”