Even as the far right tries to erase so-called ‘woke’ education, there’s still one space where you can score valuable lessons from Black educators entirely for free. HillmanTok University offers explainers on a whole host of subjects that range from a minute to full lectures, and it’s all available (for now) on TikTok.
In the beginning, Dr. Leah Barlow wasn’t trying to launch a digital university. She was trying to post a simple introductory video for the Intro to African American Studies class she teaches at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. That one video, posted on January 20, amassed more than 4 million views.
“I was just looking for a way to engage, but this launched something that is much bigger than me,” she told NBC News.
Culture, unfiltered
Our newsletter will bring you the pulse of queer culture, from the tastemakers to the groundbreakers.
“Idk why i watched this whole video like im in the class,” one viewer aptly put it.
“Not me scrolling into a lecture hall,” said another
It quickly became clear that Dr. Barlow had tapped into a need—millions of people craving an education they never had access to. The virality of the post inspired other Black educators to band together and fulfill that need. The result is HillmanTok, named after the fictional historically Black college from the The Cosby Show.
But unlike its namesake, HillmanTok is very real—even if it’s fully digital. HillmanTok’s thousands of educational videos are organized through the official TikTok channel, the hashtag #HillmanTok, and now a website where students can enroll in online courses that range from AI technology to agriculture and everything in between. The length of content varies—some educators post quick explainers adhering to TikTok’s 10 minute limit while others use Live posts for longer content—but the depth is incalculable.
Related
In his debut book Pure Innocent Fun, Ira Madison III finally shares his stories on his own terms.
“Here at HillmanTok, you are now able to connect with people of high esteem that are able to just teach because they love to teach, they want to teach, and they want to connect with people,” Cierra Hinton, a 6th grade math teacher and one of HillmanTok’s cofounders, said.
While the platform has allowed HillmanTok to reach a massive audience in a short amount of time, the popular social media app’s impending closure could create complications. TikTok is still scheduled to be banned in the United States after the ongoing 90-day extension runs out.
But Hinton is ready to migrate to another platform, if need be, so long as the information remains accessible to everyone. “We have contingencies upon contingencies,” Hinton said.
Sign up for the INTO newsletter and get your twice-weekly dose of stories that shape the queer experience, culture, and lifestyle.
