Why a former racist just visited 34 HBCUs to amplify Black history
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George Sedberry speaks with Howard University students and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority members on Jan. 27 about the importance of preserving Black history. Photo: Delano Massey/Axios
George Sedberry grew up in a family tied to the fight over Little Rock desegregation — without questioning their stance. Now, he's armed with a new viewpoint and traveling the country, teaching Black history, and confronting the racist beliefs he once held.
Why it matters: As history faces erasure — through classroom censorship, diversity rollbacks and book bans — Sedberry's shift from rejecting this history to championing it is both striking and timely.
- He's grown a powerful and influential social media following, with over 500,000 followers on TikTok and 250,000 on Instagram, to turn little-known Black history into viral moments that spark debate, education and engagement.
Zoom out: Sedberry's mission extends beyond storytelling. He's pushing to increase HBCU enrollment, ensuring these historic institutions thrive despite systemic underfunding. By highlighting their impact, he fights erasure and helps shape the future.
Zoom in: Sedberry's viral storytelling has unearthed hidden chapters of Black history, from how the Black community helped Cadillac's rebound in 1934 to the overlooked contributions of Black inventors.
The big picture: Sedberry, 53, sees confronting uncomfortable truths as the first step toward real change. Instead of pushing new ideas on people, he provokes them just enough to question their long-held beliefs.
- "A pebble in the shoe initiates critical thinking — what's causing the discomfort? How do I fix it? What actions should I take? So I always strive to introduce a pebble in people's shoes."
Friction point: Sedberry says he was surrounded by people "who saw history one way."
- His grandmother's brother was the chief of staff for Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus, the man who tried to block the Little Rock Nine from integrating Central High School in 1957.
- His uncle graduated high school with Elizabeth Eckford, one of the Little Rock Nine, who later attended Central State University — the first HBCU Sedberry visited.
- "My family was in the middle of all that, but I never thought twice about it. That tells you how much history gets buried when people don't want to confront it."
Flashback: His perspective shifted behind bars after being incarcerated for robbery during a struggle with addiction. There, for the first time, he experienced life as a racial minority.
- He read voraciously and summarized books for inmates who couldn't read.
- The more he read, the more his worldview unraveled. What started as a way to pass the time became a reckoning with the history he had never been taught.
"When I first heard that enslaved people built America, I called bulls--t. Michelle Obama triggered me," Sedberry said, acknowledging her remarks at the Democratic National Convention in 2016.
- "But I was wrong," he continued. "People were beaten and tortured — our economy rests on that foundation. This country was absolutely built by slavery. Now, I engage people to bring them into the light."
Sedberry left prison in 2015, but his real transformation was beginning.
- He rebuilt his life as a truck driver, spending long hours listening to audiobooks and diving deeper into history.
- Then came social media, which collided with his study of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
State of play: For nearly 200 years, HBCUs have been pillars of education, opportunity and resilience.
- Over 100 HBCUs were established in the 19th and early 20th centuries to offer Black Americans higher education denied by predominantly white institutions.
What began as Sedberry's quest became a nationwide mission, leading him to Atlanta this week to visit Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College.
- His 2023 visits to Wilberforce, Central State and Kentucky State solidified his purpose.
- Sedberry's since traveled to colleges in Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta, D.C., Detroit and his home state of Arkansas.
- Earlier this month, he made his 34th HBCU visit to Howard University, marking a milestone due to its profound historical and cultural significance.
He reflected on the vibrant energy on campus, reinforcing his commitment to elevating HBCU stories.
What's next: Sedberry plans to visit every HBCU, launching an initiative to raise enough money to send 1,000 students to HBCUs.
- He aims to preserve civil rights history by documenting the voices of those who experienced it.
The bottom line: Sedberry has realized that ignoring the past obstructs healing and progress — and he is committed to preventing that from occurring.
- "As Rocky Balboa said, 'If I can change, anyone can change,'" Sedberry said.
Editor's note: This story was corrected to reflect that Sedberry has more than 500,000 followers on TikTok not 50,000.