If there are qualities that distinguish good HBCU presidents from great ones, they are qualities sustained over long periods of time and transformative in the history of an institution. The elements that make for historic stature in HBCU culture run a common narrative thread – an ability to cultivate resources, to be a force against political and cultural opposition, to establish tradition and legacy among students and graduates, and to build the brand of an institution.

This Digest Five greatest of all time are open to interpretation, but there is no denial of their imprint on their respective universities, and the culture of historically black higher education.

Dr. Benjamin Mays – His work as a prominent American scholar, thought leadership on race relations and mentoring of Martin Luther King Jr. aside, Dr. Mays is widely considered the model of the HBCU presidency. His leadership of Morehouse College expanded the institution’s brand name, academic capacity and stature as a great American institution of higher education.

Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole – Dr. Cole led both Spelman College and Bennett College for Women to unmatched periods of financial gain and philanthropy, shaping the lives of millions of black women across the United States with scholarship and academic access. She received the largest gift ever donated to a historically black college, and with well over $160 million raised between her two presidential posts, she is regarded as the greatest HBCU fundraiser in history.

Dr. Frederick S. Humphries – The President Emeritus of Tennessee State University and Florida A&M University forged a career of academic development and political leveraging in Nashville and Tallahassee. Dr. Humphries helped TSU to become the first HBCU to merge with a predominantly white institution, and emerge as the existing college. At FAMU, he raised enrollment and championed a renaissance of the FAMU brand locally and nationally.

Dr. William R. Harvey – One of two active presidents on the list, Dr. Harvey is credited as the architect of the Home by the Sea. In 35 years as the entrepreneurial president, he transformed Hampton into an American powerhouse of education and service, and oversaw Hampton becoming the first HBCU to launch a NASA funded satellite in 2002, and eight years later opened the world’s largest proton therapy cancer treatment center.

Dr. Norman Francis – The living symbol of longevity and service, Dr. Francis is the longest-serving active American president. In his tenure, he has turned Xavier into the leading institution for African-Americans seeking to become physicians and medical professionals. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, he led the university and helped lead the city of New Orléans to a new normal as chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority.

You ever get tired of the same HBCUs getting the same kind of national attention? Howard, Morehouse, Spelman, Tuskegee…blah, blah, blah. It gets a little monotonous to hear the same handful of HBCUs getting the same coverage and love your school deserves.

Some of it has to do with longevity. Older schools have the benefit of history serving their promotional interests, particularly when the older a school, the more alumni it likely has graduated and engaged to give back and promote. Some of it has to do with alumni; the more popular the alumni, the more likely people will be interested in where they attended school.

But most of all, no one is talking about your HBCU because the HBCU isn’t giving anyone anything to talk about. Save for the occasional cafeteria brawl, sex tape or fired coach, your school isn’t at the forefront of discussion of notable HBCUs, or how it benefits black communities nationwide.

And that’s a shame, because your school is probably REALLY good at doing things that deserve credit and attention. It’s just that it’s also REALLY bad at telling its own story.

Here’s five reasons why nobody knows about your HBCU.

5. Your Alumni Are Uninformed - If alumni know about student success, political victories, community development, chances are their families know about it. And their friends. And their co-workers. And their church family. And their hairdresser/barber. Get the point? Inform alumni, inform a nation.

4. Students Are Uninspired – There are many HBCUs that do a wonderful job at instilling school pride in their students. But the school pride only comes out at political rallies, athletic events, and when challenged by an outsider. Does your HBCU demand community service? Does it bombard students with stories of their own success via email, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube? Do they have a chance to share the lessons they learn in classes in real life applications that benefit the campus and surrounding community?

3. Your football team sucks - Truth is, athletics is the greatest marketing tool any college or university can have. The better your football team, the more chances reporters come around to find out what makes them so good. When you bring fans to the stadium, the school has the opportunity to share other good news taking place on campus. It is the ultimate fundraise, scholarship vehicle and open invitation to neighbors of your campus.

2. Your president doesn’t come out his office enough - If your president is not out of the office building relationships, motivating alumni, connecting with legislators, and making partnerships with corporations, the outside world has no concept of what your school has to offer beyond what the media reports. And often, that’s not good news.

1. Your school is missing the ‘One Big Thing’ – FAMU has the Marching 100. North Carolina A&T and Howard have famous homecomings. Grambling has Eddie Robinson. Morehouse has Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Fisk has the Jubilee Singers. What is the one big thing everyone should know your school claims, has, does, or offers? If you can’t answer that question in three words or less, your school is doomed to agonizing anonymity.

Among the greatest struggles for minorities in America has been adequate representation in media. Inadequate and historically biased news coverage aside, African-Americans and other people of color have long fought to gain stronger foothold in creating or monitoring depictions of their culture, heritage and lifestyle.

Historically black colleges, by way of their graduates and the emergence of minority influence in mainstream pop culture, has been at the forefront of this artistic movement. Here is a look at five of the best representations of HBCUs in film and television.

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Supporters of historically black colleges and universities constantly face the same talking points from opponents of their institutions when trying to share the greatness of their schools. Low retention and graduation rates, poor customer service and crime are among the three basic arguments for anyone seeking to make a lazy case against the existence of HBCUs.

But what advocates frequently miss is the opportunity to tell the truth about specific failings of their institutions, and to elaborate on the growing national effort to correct these issues. In most cases, blemishes on the HBCU brand can be traced back to historically-limited resources, but here are five uncomfortable truths that afflict HBCUs beyond the dollars and cents. This list is not conclusive about every individual HBCU, but covers the collective culture of these institutions.

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Among the greatest ambassadors for HBCU institutions and culture are marching bands. Their precision, entertainment value and high-energy bring goodwill and acclaim to black colleges. For generations, they have served as part attraction, part fundraiser and the supreme object for HBCU bragging rights.

The history, talent, recent exposure and impact these marching bands deliver for their institutions makes them five of the top programs in today’s HBCU culture.

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