UNCF Celebrates HBCU Excellence at Sweet Catch BK: Community, Culture, and Purpose in Brooklyn

By: Akilah H. Green

On a crisp New York evening, the energy inside Sweet Catch BK felt like a homecoming. The Brooklyn seafood restaurant, known for its warmth, flavor, and unmistakable cultural pride, opened its doors to the UNCF for an HBCU Happy Hour that blended fellowship, fundraising, and unapologetic Black joy. Before the room filled with alma mater chants and friendly debates about whose band reigns supreme, I spoke with the owner of Sweet Catch Brooklyn, Kawana Jefferson.

“I am a proud HBCU alum. I graduated from Virginia State University,” she told me with a smile that could only come from deep-rooted pride.

Sweet Catch BK is Jefferson’s second business venture; her first brick-and-mortar was Sweet Brooklyn Bar, founded in 2016. Sweet Catch celebrated its third anniversary at its current Brooklyn location this past September. Though she now calls Brooklyn her second home, she remains a proud Bronx girl.

This season, Jefferson has partnered with the UNCF to support HBCU students through February 28 with a round-up campaign. Sweet Catch has curated a special menu and launched a “For Us, By Us” selection highlighting only Black-owned spirits, with 10% of proceeds donated to HBCUs.

For Jefferson, this isn’t just a campaign; it’s personal. She attended college with the help of financial aid and loans. She remembers the fear that comes with not knowing if tuition will be paid. “Talented people who don’t have the means shouldn’t have to suffer,” she says. “Access to education should never be blocked because of financial barriers.”

Jefferson’s commitment to educational equity is longstanding. She recently partnered with UNCF on their Lead Her Forward initiative, designed to bridge ambitious women across generations. She also joined forces with Jim Beam during UNCF’s Walk for HBCUs, resulting in a $5,000 donation under the Sweet Catch umbrella.

Her mission is simple: raise awareness and funds so Black and Brown students can access the higher education they deserve.

Inside the Happy Hour: Good Vibes, Good People, and HBCU Pride

After our conversation, I mingled with attendees across the room, each carrying a story, a legacy, and unshakable school spirit.

Bonsu Thompson, a Delaware State University alum, writer, journalist, and cultural engineer, spoke with passion about the evening’s purpose.

“Storytelling is my lifeline,” he said. “As a person of color, preservation is key. They stole everything from us—our history, our lineage. Understanding the people who came before us is crucial to our future and our strength as a people. That’s why this UNCF x Sweet Catch partnership is more important now than ever.”

I later spoke with Tiffany Perkins, a Hampton University alum and Brooklyn native. She is also a current UNCF Brooklyn Area Development Director. She told me she originally wanted to attend Harvard, but when she didn’t get accepted, she enrolled at Hampton instead. It turned out to be “the absolute best decision of my life.”

She also made sure to loudly and confidently note that Hampton’s band can “out-band every other HBCU.”

The Debate: Whose Band Is Really #1?

Enter Bazz2TheFuture, a North Carolina A&T graduate, who had immediate fire for that claim.

She countered that Grambling State University’s band is the one “no other HBCU wants to touch, not even her own.”

The laugh-filled debate set the tone for an evening of friendly rivalry, cultural pride, and spirited banter that only happens when HBCU grads gather under one roof.

The Room Represented Every Corner of the HBCU Universe

From Howard, Spelman, Morehouse, NC A&T, Hampton, Xavier, and Virginia State to Divine Nine members, non-HBCU grads, and supporters of HBCUs and UNCF, the room was filled with people who understand the cultural and educational importance of these institutions.

And just as importantly, UNCF representatives were present to share what the Brooklyn chapter has been doing—and what’s next.

UNCF Brooklyn: Expanding Its Reach

The Brooklyn initiative focuses on expanding UNCF’s visibility and impact within the borough. They’ve already helped send 70 students from Brooklyn to college, and they aim to increase that number.

Since its founding 80 years ago, UNCF has been a lifeline for underrepresented students, awarding over $62 million annually in scholarships to students at more than 600 colleges, including its 37 member HBCUs.

For more information or to support the Brooklyn chapter’s work, contact Tiffany Perkins, UNCF Brooklyn Area Development Director.