Welcome!
Autumn Sun strives to amplify emerging professionals in the visual, performing, and literary arts while creating pathways to academic success for creative youth through access, exposure, and opportunity.
The 2022 HBCU Invitational Awards Presentation
After four years of development—amid the challenges of an unforeseen pandemic—2022 marked our first opportunity to showcase the extraordinary talent found on HBCU campuses.
This milestone would not have been possible without the support of our Network Partner HBCU GO TV, our incredible co-hosts Kayla Pittman and Asia Martin, special guest Kayla Gorden, and the generous, selfless support of Metro Detroit businesses, including Benito’s Pizza, The Garden Theater, The Jagged Fork, and Yum Village.
Hitting the Field!
Thank you to Jackson State University Prancing J-Sette alums, Kayla Gorden and Shelbie Newman, for sharing their expertise and leading instruction at our very first Center Field Detroit!
And a special shoutout to CBS News Detroit’s Lauren Winfrey for shining a spotlight on our students during Detroit’s first HBCU Majorette Clinic. Your support helped amplify this historic moment!
Signed. Sealed. Delivered!
It was an absolute thrill hosting 20 student filmmakers in Detroit for the 2025 HBCU Film Invitational! A special shoutout to our 2025 Jury Award Winner, the Orchesis Dance Company of Grambling State University, for their outstanding and award-winning work.
This inaugural in-person presentation of the HBCU Film Invitational was made possible through the generous support of our sponsors: the PepsiCo Foundation, DTE Energy, Bedrock, and Walker-Miller Energy Services.
Our Why...
"Our mission is rooted in equity, creativity, and impact: to empower the next generation of young creatives by amplifying their voices through film, storytelling, and art."
As national conversations shift toward lasting inclusion, cultural investment, and economic mobility, Autumn Sun is proud to create spaces where diverse brilliance is not only celebrated—but equipped to lead. Through initiatives like the HBCU Film Invitational, we are building sustainable pathways for emerging talent.
Bruce Clifton, Founder & Executive Director
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