During an appearance on the nationally syndicated iHeartRadio show The Breakfast Club, comedian Kevin Hart took a shocking dig at HBCU Delaware State University that might have gone too far. Hart was joined by Florida A&M alumnus Will Packer, who engaged Hampton University alumnus DJ Envy in playful banter about their institutions.
DJ Envy brought a Hampton University football helmet, saying that he brought it because Packer always finds a way to rep Florida A&M in their conversations. This started Hart's jokes about HBCUs.
“You know what, it's a lot of old ****** that can't let college go. A lot of old ****** that just can't accept that it's over.”
Packer responded to Hart, saying, “When you with a cat that never went to any school at all…He didn't go to a historically nothing.”
Hart responded, “I'll tell you what, I didn't and this is why. You guys are the example of what you don't want to be. It's over.”
Loren Lorosa, who is an alumna of Delaware State University, chimed in saying, “When you go to an HBCU you don't let it go.”
After Hart joked and said that she didn't go to an HBCU she let it be known that she attended Delaware State. He then made jokes that might have been a bridge too far.
“That is not an HBCU,” Hart said incorrectly. “I know what Delaware State is. That's just a bunch of ****** on campus…that's ****** in Delaware.”
HBCU alumni around the nation had mixed feelings over Hart's jokes. While some were offended that he would speak about HBCUs in the regard that he did, even in a joking manner, others saw it as a joke and don't believe that the comments should be perceived any deeper than that.
It's worth noting that Hart has been involved in philanthropic efforts aimed at assisting HBCU students in paying for college. He worked with UNCF, donating $100,000 in 2015 and partnering with them to create a $600,000 scholarship that provided funding to support Knowledge Is Power Program students from eight different cities who were attending 11 HBCUs. Per a report by Essense magazine, Hart donated $300,000 of his own money.
Hart's philanthropic donations notwithstanding, it is worth noting that Delaware State is considered one of the top HBCUs in the nation. Delaware State was ranked 9th on U.S. News & World Report's 2023 HBCU Rankings, tied with South Carolina-based HBCU Claflin University. Founded in 1891 as “Delaware College for Colored Students”, the institution boasts a rich history of educating African-American students.
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