Luke Lawal Jr. facts for kids

Luke Anthony Lawal Jr. (born June 15, 1989) is an American business person from Washington, D.C.. He is the founder and CEO of HBCU Buzz, a news company that mainly focuses on HBCUs. In 2016, he was named one of the top 100 Black influencers by The Root magazine.

Early Life and Education

Luke Lawal Jr. grew up in Washington, D.C.. He went to Bladensburg High School. Later, he studied at Bowie State University. In 2012, he earned a degree in biochemistry. While at college, he also joined a fraternity called Omega Psi Phi. His mother also went to an HBCU, Howard University, and earned two degrees from there.

Starting HBCU Buzz

Luke Lawal Jr. started working on HBCU Buzz in 2009. This was after a trip with the Bowie State Student Government Association to Florida A&M University. He and his friends wanted to create a place for news about all HBCU campuses.

At first, HBCU Buzz was an online blog. Over time, it grew to include an online store for HBCU items. They also created the HBCU Awards and a printed magazine.

Growing the Company

Before the United States presidential election, Luke Lawal Jr. launched video content for HBCU Buzz. He also worked with groups like the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. They helped with campaigns like "HBCUs for Obama" and organized political events on college campuses.

After these campaigns, Luke was recognized by Al Sharpton. He was named number 29 on the "Top 30 Under 30" list for the Washington D.C. area. In 2016, he teamed up with Black Enterprise. This partnership aimed to better serve the needs of the Black community. After this, Lawal started L & Company. This is a marketing and consulting company that also manages HBCU Buzz.