Hip-Hop Icon joins Atlanta Falcons to launch HBCU Fellow Program
Hip-hop mogul Jermaine Dupri helped the Atlanta Falcons and Wells Fargo launch the 2026 Atlanta Falcons HBCU Fellows Program, bringing music, mentorship and community impact together for students from four Atlanta-area HBCUs.
The Grammy Award-winning producer, songwriter and entrepreneur joined Falcons executives, Wells Fargo representatives and music executive Amir Windom for the program's "Creative Currency Experience," an immersive kickoff event designed to connect HBCU students with career pathways in sports, entertainment and business.
Now entering its fourth year, the Atlanta Falcons HBCU Fellows Program is an eight-week paid fellowship that provides hands-on professional experience for students from Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College and Spelman College.
Largest HBCU class in program history
This year's class includes 17 fellows - the largest group in the program's history.
As part of the launch event, students toured a recording studio and participated in a fireside chat focused on creativity, financial literacy, civic engagement and career development under the theme "Earn, Learn and Return."
"Atlanta has always been about creativity, culture and community coming together," Dupri said in a statement. "Wells Fargo and the Falcons giving these students the opportunity to see how their passions can connect to real careers - and to give back to the city at the same time - is powerful. I'm proud to be a part of a program that invests in the next generation."
The fellows also participated in a community service project alongside Falcons staff and Wells Fargo volunteers during the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project's annual home-building initiative in Atlanta's Sylvan Hills-Langston Park neighborhood.
Opening Doors for HBCU Students
According to Wells Fargo executive Tai Roberson, the program is designed to provide both professional access and long-term opportunity.
"The Atlanta Falcons HBCU Fellows Program is about opening doors - to professional opportunity, mentorship and meaningful experiences that help students chart successful futures," Roberson said.
Throughout the fellowship, students will work across departments within the Atlanta Falcons and AMB Sports and Entertainment organization, gaining real-world experience while building professional networks.
Falcons HR Manager Bella Vaughan said the program continues to showcase the depth of talent coming from Atlanta's HBCUs.
"Since the program's inception, we have seen extraordinary talent emerge from Atlanta's HBCUs," Vaughan said. "Our fellows and program alumni exemplify the next generation of leaders shaping the future of the sports and entertainment industry."
2026 Atlanta Falcons HBCU Fellows
Clark Atlanta University
- Jivon Cole
- Renee Joplin
- Ariana Ryals
- Colette Sinkfield
Morehouse College
- Jared Myers
- Sterling Reese
- Kane Watson
Morris Brown College
- Jylan Thomas
Spelman College
- Madison Allen
- Noldine Belizaire
- Olivia Graham
- Nia Long
- Mariama Njie
- Sarah Sloan
- Arianna Smith-Forte
- Layla M. Stubbs
- Sydney Sherman
Jermaine Dupri is a songwriter, rapper, record producer and music executive widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in hip-hop and R&B history. The Atlanta native is the founder of So So Def Recordings and helped shape the sound of Southern hip-hop while producing and co-writing chart-topping hits for artists including Usher, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Bow Wow and Kris Kross. Dupri has played a major role in Atlanta's rise as a global hip-hop capital and remains one of the city's most recognizable music industry icons.
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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 11:41 AM.