Ma’at Zachary Talks Urban One’s ONE Yard HBCU Experience

Urban One is bringing HBCU pride, culture and community to campus with its inaugural ONE Yard: The HBCU Experience tour.

During an interview with MiAsia Symone, Ma’at Zachary, Urban One’s VP of Branded Content, shared how the new live experience will transform the spirit of the digital ONE Yard destination into an in-person celebration for HBCU students.

The two-stop tour will visit Bowie State University on August 27 before heading to Clark Atlanta University on September 2. The Atlanta event will welcome students across the Atlanta University Center, including Clark Atlanta, Spelman College, Morehouse College and Morris Brown College.

Zachary explained that ONE Yard first began in 2020 as a digital destination created to help students maintain a connection to HBCU culture during the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform centered HBCU pride, homecoming energy, student life and the traditions that make Black college experiences so meaningful.

Now, Urban One is taking that connection beyond the screen.

“We really just wanted to take the digital destination that we built online then and bring that magic to life face to face,” Zachary told Symone. The event responds to what she described as “algorithm fatigue,” as younger audiences increasingly look for authentic, in-person spaces centered on community and shared joy.

ONE Yard will offer more than a typical campus performance. Zachary described the experience as a “village,” with multiple activity zones designed around entertainment, self-care, career development and connection.

Students can compete in the Aura Arcade, an arcade-style gaming activation hosted by PlayVS. The 3rd Space by Live Wire will feature curated performances and a special HBCU edition taping for HipHopWired.com. The Wellness Zone will include grooming services, skin insights, yoga, meditation and affirmations.

The Cookout Corridor will bring the food and tailgate energy expected from a true yard experience, while Your University Row will offer career, entrepreneurship and professional-development resources. Students can also capture social-ready photos at The Promenade, featuring a life-size Cassius magazine-cover moment.

Celebrity hosts, DJs, digital creators, influencers, alumni and special guests are also expected, although Zachary kept the performer lineup under wraps.

Space is limited, and attendees must be active students with valid campus identification. Students can register for the experience at oneyard.co.