Here's a wonderful thing currently happening in the midst of all of the terror, destruction, and chaos happening all around us: HillmanTok University.
The collection of college-level courses, named after the fictional university from late 1980s to early 1990s sitcom "A Different World," is meant to provide an educational experience akin to attending a HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). It was jump-started when college professor Dr. Leah Barlow (who teaches at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University) shared her syllabus and lectures for her "African American Studies 101" course on TikTok. When other Black professors and educators began sharing their own educational materials, sixth-grade math teacher Cierra Hinton had the idea to pull all of these course offerings under the umbrella "HillmanTok."
HillmanTok exploded on TikTok in late January 2025 and continues to grow as more professors and students join in. You can currently choose from over 400 classes (and counting!), including Introduction to African American Studies; Gardening 101; Introduction to Emergency Medicine; Welcome to Finances 101: Mastering your Money; Mental Wellness 101; Cosmetology 101; Physical Education; and Introduction to Health, and more.
Her Campus explains that HillmanTok University:
. . . has become a space for people to come together to learn — free of charge — valuable information from professionals, and find community with fellow students.
And Essence calls HillmanTok "a virtual community celebrating Black culture and creativity," describing it as:
a testament to the power of Black ingenuity and the ability to turn social media into a space for education and connection. By blending humor, culture, and knowledge, this digital university has captured the spirit of HBCU life while creating something entirely new.
Will you get a "real" degree from HillmanTok? Well, no, it isn't accredited, and you won't get actual college credit, but, nevertheless, as Her Campus states, "the education it's providing is very real." They go on:
Each educator who has shared their courses as part of HillmanTok has also shared their qualifications. Many of them have taught at real-life universities and institutions and have shared their mini-lectures and syllabi online to show their credentials; others have credentials that include PhDs from Ivy League schools, successful businesses, and years of experience in the fields they're teaching.
I absolutely love the idea and practice HillmanTok University, and am thrilled to see educators creating such a dynamic online educational arena and community. Keep up the terrific work, HillmanTok!
Her Campus compiled some resources if you want to explore HillmanTok for yourself:
To help prospective students keep track, creator @livewithmichaele even put together a list of every single course available on HillmanTok, as well as the corresponding professor's TikTok handle. There's also an official HillmanTok University TikTok page, an official website, and of course, like any great school, a mascot: The HillmanTok Black Panthers.
Read more about HillmanTok here.
