Battle of the Bands in Charlotte raises $334,500 for HBCU bands and students

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Over 8,000 people filled Bojangles Coliseum for the HBCU Culture Legacy Foundation Battle of the Bands.

On Nov. 6, six historically Black colleges and university bands battled it out, each receiving a $10,000 scholarship.

HBCU Culture Legacy Foundation was started in 2018 by Frank Johnson and LaKeisha Johnson, who both attended Johnson C. Smith University. The mission of the nonprofit is based on Frank Johnson's personal story.

"Going into my senior year at Johnson C. Smith University, I marched in the band and had a partial scholarship. My dad became ill and eventually passed of diabetes complications," Johnson said.