HillmanTok University

For the fans of A Different World, you are probably already familiar with the fictional black college. For those of you who have never watched the show, it's where most of the storyline is acted out. More importantly, it's the inspiration for a digital community on TikTok. 

It all started when Dr. Leah Barlow, a liberal studies professor at North Carolina A&T, created a TikTok welcoming her students to her intro to African American studies course. The video landed on the FYP of thousands of people who decided to follow along. In the days to follow, other black educators began teaching classes in subjects such as gardening, screenwriting, and chemistry.

A former math teacher, Cierra Hinton, named the community, and with the help of other content creators, they came together to organize the content. A student union, a board of trustees, and a student governing board were developed. Though the full courses weren't being offered, some followers actually followed along the syllabus and participated in study groups with other creators and followers.

Hillmantok created a space for people to intentionally learn from other educators in an accessible way. The people studying and watching the videos were not concerned with completing assignments or earning degrees; they just wanted to learn. Hillmantok is an example of how a social media platform can serve as a learning space. 

While TikTok provided the space, it is the people who show up and participate that make TikTok what it is. From the shared conversation and shared experiences to the educators' willingness to teach what they knew. 

This is an example of what happens when people come together around a shared purpose