Hercy Miller, son of hip-hop mogul Percy "Master P" Miller, announced his commitment to Tennessee State University on Friday (March 26). He said his decision to play basketball for the school, as opposed to Louisiana State University or Vanderbilt, was influenced by his desire to "change the narrative" of athletes at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), The Undefeated reports.
"Ever since I was a little kid, I've been taught to be a leader and to not follow the crowd. I want to make a change. I want to make a difference," he told ESPN. "I know with me, I can change the narrative. People think that you just need to go to a big school to become a pro or just to be great and that's not true. A lot of great people came out of HBCUs and mid-majors; just they don't have the same spotlight. So, with me, I just wanted to make a change. I wanted to be different."
Miller announced his decision in a video posted to his Instagram, captioned, "1100% Committed ... It's time to turn up Nashville."
In his video, the 6-foot-3 senior guard at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis listed several successful and well-known graduates of HBCUs, including celebrated filmmaker Spike Lee, Vice President Kamala Harris, and TSU alum Oprah Winfrey.
"I'm going to work my hardest and dedicate my time so that I can be the next," he said.
Photo: Getty Images