One of the biggest cultural events of the year, the Bayou Classic, focuses on fun, family and football in the annual matchup between the Grambling State University Tigers and the Southern University Jaguars. This tradition has taken place during the Thanksgiving holiday for the past 50 years.

This year marked the event’s 51st anniversary; since 1974, the occasion has attracted proud alumni, potential future alumni, celebrities and others. For Diageo, being a part of the event that highlights HBCU sports, culture and education showcases the brand’s commitment to fostering community through spirits.

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“HBCUs are a critical part of the overall growth of our organization and all of our brands, what we do, and our brands in those communities,” said Antoine Smith, North America vice president of distillation and maturation at Diageo. “So, we want to make sure that we represent those communities in everything that we do. When you think about HBCUs, you think about the investment we’ve made, what we’ve committed to, and how we’ve done that over the last three years.”

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Since 2021, Diageo has invested nearly $12 million in 29 HBCUs and minority-serving institutions to continue its commitment to enhancing the communities it serves. It’s also about much more than just spirits. The company’s presence in New Orleans is notable, as some have dubbed the city the culinary capital of the South. Smith said this also speaks to the company’s goal of showcasing different paths within the hospitality industry for current HBCU students and graduates interested in joining the field.

Bayou Classic — Photo: Malcolm J Studios

“We have a program about growing life skills and committing to individual growth,” Smith added. “We believe that our commitment to culinary, engineering and other things in that space is critical to your business growth and the communities at large. We’re very committed to supporting and helping others in that field.”

Larry Morrow, an entrepreneur who was born and raised in New Orleans and is responsible for establishments like Morrow’s, Morrow’s Steak, Sun Chong and Treehouse, said the event’s presence in his city is not something that is taken lightly.

“I think it’s the perfect combination because New Orleans is one of the richest cities culturally in the world, which means eyes will be on one of the biggest and dopest brands, in my opinion,” Morrow said. “I believe that it’s a perfect collaboration during the Bayou Classic Weekend, and we’ve been partnering for a while, so the partnership has been amazing. They’ve constantly shown up and helped me [grow] through this process of growth in this industry, so it means so much to me.”

Kainon Jasper, Diageo’s local changemaker and the founder of Bridge Intelligence Group, echoed Morrow’s sentiment, adding, “The collision of cultures and the necessity of what they bring through food, music, art, language, architectural design…a lot of people overlook New Orleans. It fits in every part of your life, and the fraternal nature of the city is just something that goes a long way.”

“The Bayou Classic is going on its 51st year now, so that in itself is an incredible accomplishment because, given the history of African Americans in this country, not many things have institutionalized themselves to go on for 50 years. Bayou is something that brings so many generations together, which is a necessity for us to learn and share,” Jasper continued. “It’s nothing more beautiful than seeing a grandmother, a parent, a child, and even a great-grandchild in the same building, sharing the same things, sharing the same spirit, through HBCUs.”

Being a part of efforts at the Bayou Classic is a full-circle moment for Smith, who is a proud alum of Grambling State University and a former Tiger by way of the football team.

“The idea for us at Diageo is that it’s about knowing that we include everyone and that everyone can bring their best selves to work,” he said. “And when we do that, we also extend that to say we want the communities to reflect that when we give and support them. We want to make sure that we’re here to bring inclusion to everything we do. We want the community to be involved, and we do that with the work we do with some of the HBCUs.”

Larry Morrow

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