Over 60 students across Howard University’s School of Communications made their way to a bus in front of Cramton Auditorium before the sun broke the sky to start their journey to New York City for CultureCon.
CultureCon is described by its CEO and founder, Imani Ellis, as an event that brings thousands of young and diverse creative professionals together to share information and create opportunities.
According to senior mass communications major Jasmine Livingston, president of Spotlight Network, a student-run TV and media organization of Howard students, this trip to New York on Saturday, Oct. 7 marked a great way to kick off the year with members and her new role.
“Something this ambitious has never been done before in Spotlight, so I didn’t really have any sort of map to follow,” Livingston said. “I never wanted the students to know how nervous I was, but I never wanted to give up. To know we made it happen feels like a blessing.”
Livingston and other attendees felt the atmosphere of CultureCon was encouraging with companies like MAX and Clinique onsite to network with. Fireside chats were also available for attendees to sit in on throughout the day including speakers like Issa Rae, Marsai Martin, Teyana Taylor and more.
Actress, musician, and creative director Teyana Taylor is brought on the main stage by Emmy Award-winning journalist Eric Jones.
For Spotlight members, known as Spotters, like junior TV film major Annika Dean, CultureCon allowed her to be surrounded by people working in the industry and be provided with information on careers she hopes to pursue. She previously attended the New York event in Los Angeles.
“One thing I took away from the event was to try and network laterally,” Dean said. “For example, my friends and I were eating food underneath a tent and we randomly met a person who works at livenation. I feel like events like CultureCon are a melting pot for creatives, and is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Models and TikTok influencers Khiari and Kayra Theodore were spotted and recognized by Spotlight Network members in the crowds of eventgoers. Similar to Dean, Theodore also detected needed improvements involving venue concerns to this event but admires the initial intent behind an experience like CultureCon.
“I’m all for solutions so next time they should consider having a TV screen and speaker for the spaces with a capacity limit,” Kayra said. “Besides that, being surrounded by like-minded individuals of color left me with a sense of not feeling so isolated. A lot of the time, we want to reach our end goal as soon as possible. The magic and the skill come from all the trials and tribulations it takes to get there.”
Junior TV film major Annika Dean poses for a photo with model and TikTok influencer Kayra Theodore.
Augmented Reality Developer and New York City native Kasai Green was in attendance as well and sought to make connections that ended up turning into long-lasting correspondences.
“I’ve come to learn that your network is your strongest tool,” Green said. “Iron sharpens iron. You don’t have to be in the same field but surrounding yourself with people on the same path is a great way to ensure parallel progressions.”
After taking memorable photos in aesthetic backdrops like the MAX photo wall decorated in polaroids of attendees, and eating a mixture of vegan and soul cuisines from an array of food trucks, Spotters made their way back to campus exhausted and, according to Livingston, incredibly inspired.
“With so many creative organizations [at Howard], it’s easy for our Spotters to sometimes feel left out or overshadowed,” Livingston said. “When I became president, I made a promise to never let us feel that way. CultureCon signified a new level for [Spotlight Network], and hopefully inspired our members to reach new heights. This was a big moment for us, but I don’t plan for it to be our last.”