Each person I quietly informed about the magazine I was building told me it was a good idea. There weren’t many I gave the news to in the first place. Maybe because I didn’t want to catch the “everybody” syndrome.

I couldn’t rap if I wanted to because “everybody” is a rapper. I work in San Francisco now where “everybody” has a startup. When I finally got off my ass to make the magazine, I didn’t want it to be the same thing you hear of from “everybody” making a magazine.

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It never started with a sleek design or a bulletproof plan either. I just felt there needed to be something that captured the essence and spirit of Grambling.

Googling won’t turn up a result for a magazine that speaks to my interests in black college education and love of the black and gold (I’m not the only one with this desire).

So I created a budget of story ideas and set out on the journey and before long I knew this was worth building.
The rest was beyond me. Most folks I asked for help did so in a hurry and free of charge. What’s really great is that they wrote for us.

The piece on the origins of the “GramFam” hashtag is insightful. Also interesting is what your entrepreneurial peers are creating. You can also get inspired by the steps a fashion blogger is taking toward living her dream.

What a joy it is to be a product of a black college. That said, we gathered some of the most celebrated HBCU moments in media that aught to give you a more to be proud of. Conversely, we included a few daggers that I hope serve to remind us of the importance in upholding the legacy of black colleges.

I give you the first installment of “Banner” quarterly magazine — a product that promises to evolve into the kind of reading experience you can’t live without. Maybe it can hold you down until the next. — MG