Black women often have a hard time navigating life. N.C. A&T junior public relations student, Azhane Rowe recognized this issue and built a brand entitled College Black Females Facing Society (College B.F.F.S) to empower and provide resources for Black women.
Inspired to make this platform while on her study abroad trip to Europe, Rowe found a content coach who educated and helped her grow her brand and boost engagement on her platform. College B.F.F.S. posts college opportunities, discounts for various places, time management tips, motivation and weekly blog posts to their website.
“I try my hardest to create transparency with the process leading up into college and help with those already active in college,” Rowe said. “College is not a scam; it is an investment and I really want my platform to stress the positives of college life and then how to deal with the negatives.”
Rowe was able to grow her platform to over 900 followers in less than a year through consistency, hashtags, mentorship and reaching out to accounts who already have an established follower base. Her passion resonates with her listeners and followers and allows her page to be a recognized platform for young black females not only on N.C. A&T’s campus, but on other campuses as well.
College B.F.F.S has a total of five interns, all with separate duties and responsibilities to help the page run smoothly during the school year. Zakiya Payne, a junior multimedia journalism student at N.C. A&T, is College BFFS lead editor.
“I enjoy working with this platform because it gives me a chance to work on skills that I will need in the future and working with the platform reminds me that I am achieving great things someday,” Payne said.
I had the opportunity to meet with Rowe socially distanced to discuss why it is important to have a platform like this in this climate and what to expect in the future from College B.F.F.‘s.
Why is it so important to have a platform like this for black girls on the college level, especially during this social climate in 2020?
Azhane: “‘I feel as if we have tried to look to big corporations to be an advocate for us like of course during the whole black lives matter earlier this summer we were begging from statements from companies like Coca-Cola and companies like that and they just blatantly ignored us. I believe it is time for us to have something for us, by us. I feel as if no one can talk about what African Americans must go through in education better than us.’”
What can we look forward to in the upcoming months and even as we go into the next year from your platform?
Azhane: “‘We have empowerment merch and the one that we have out right now for presale, but we will be having a pop-up shop soon, is our ‘Prosper & Grow’ shirts. For me in life, the only way that I can get stuff done and be successful is to not be afraid, and to prosper and grow, you cannot be fearful. In the upcoming year, I am planning to launch my College B.F.F. ‘s mentorship program working with myself and my interns I have now. I also will be working with radio stations to hopefully get my platform on broadcast radio to have the necessary conversations and motivation to all my followers.’”
Azhane plans to keep inspiring and making a positive impact on her campus, community and anyone who will listen and engage. With her passionate attitude, she will continue to succeed.
For more information on the College B.F.F.S. you can visit their website or their Instagram.
