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HillmanTok University is uniting millions of Black students worldwide to explore fascinating subjects, including screenwriting, financial literacy, hip-hop history, and more, through TikTok.
The rapidly growing online community was founded by Dr. Leah Barlow of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University on Jan. 20. What started as an effort to engage her students ahead of her Intro to African American Studies course on campus took an unexpected turn when her video outlining the curriculum went viral, racking up nearly 4 million views within days, according to NBC News.
“At first, I thought it was kind of funny,” Dr. Barlow told Refinery29 in an interview published on Feb. 7. “But as more and more people started to interact [with the video], I realized, ‘Oh, they think I’m teaching a course,’ and I was horrified.”
@afamstudies Welcome to Intro to African-American Studies Spring 2025!
After her initial apprehension passed, Dr. Barlow quickly recognized the opportunity to spark an educational revolution on TikTok, by making her classes not only accessible and informative for her on-campus students but also for distance learners and non-traditional students. The star teacher began sharing mini lectures on her page, including one where she analyzed the visual imagery tucked inside Donald Glover’s “This Is America” music video. In the deep lecture, she explored how the rapper’s work reflected the history of Black entertainment and how it has been shaped by America.
@afamstudies Mini Lecture #1
HillmanTok University is open for Spring Semester courses online.
Now with millions of curious minds tapped into her educational content, Dr. Barlow has partnered with a group of Black educators to offer courses through her Hillman TikTok University page. The online community, which is named after the fictional HBCU featured in A Different World and The Cosby Show, has also launched a website where students can enroll and view courses that will be offered for the university’s Spring 2025 semester and access a wide range of topics, all for free. These include courses on Entertainment Law, breaking into tech, and wealth building strategies. All lessons will be delivered through the instructors’ individual TikTok accounts. Some lessons will fit within TikTok’s 10-minute video limit, while other instructors will use TikTok Live for longer lectures and to enable real-time class participation, NBC News noted.
HillmanTok University educator Kimi Ellen, a CPA and managing partner at Benford Brown & Associates, the largest Black woman-owned accounting firm, teaches Wealth 101 on her TikTok page. Ellen has been teaching students how to build generational wealth by mastering tax planning, calculating their net worth, and more.
“I’ve always had this passion to help people build wealth and demystify it for those that don’t understand how taxes integrate into their personal financial statement,” the wealth guru told Refinery29.
@numberloverchick Comment on your tax strategy! Like and follow me for more wealth building tips! #buildwealth #wealth #generationalwealth #financialfreedom2025 #Wealth101 #hillmantok #tiktokuniversity
MSNBC contributor and music journalist Touré will teach a pre-hip-hop history course during HillmanTok’s Spring Semester, offering students the opportunity to explore the “roots” of hip-hop and the historical and societal influences that have shaped the genre’s evolution, according to his Instagram post shared Feb. 9. The host of The Touré Show will delve into the inspirations behind hip-hop culture, including figures like Malcolm X, the Black Panthers, and Pam Grier.
Interested in signing up for Spring courses? Check out the HillmanTok University’s online enrollment form here.
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