Video interview with Condra Magee coming soon. Check back shortly to watch this exclusive conversation.
Emmy Award-nominated director Condra Magee has built an impressive career spanning film, television, and digital platforms, helming projects like LeBron James’ “The Shop” and Walmart’s “Receipts” game show. But long before her rise in Hollywood, the Florida A&M University graduate was instrumental in launching what would become one of Atlanta’s most significant community health and education initiatives.
For 18 years, the HBCU 5K Run/Walk has united alumni from over 50 historically Black colleges and universities to raise scholarship funds while promoting health awareness in Black communities. As the event approaches its latest iteration, Magee reflects on watching her brainchild evolve from a grassroots idea into a movement that survived even the challenges of COVID-19, continuing to impact the lives of HBCU students nationwide.
The writer, director, and producer’s passion for storytelling extends beyond entertainment into meaningful advocacy work, having directed health-focused campaigns alongside celebrities like Mary J. Blige and partnering with organizations like the Black Women’s Health Imperative. Through her production company Condraversy Films, she’s established her own HBCU scholarship program, demonstrating a commitment to education access that runs as deep as her creative pursuits.
You played a pivotal role in the early stages of the HBCU 5K Run/Walk. How does it feel to see this event continue to grow and raise vital scholarship funds for HBCU students?
It’s amazing. Every year when this time comes around, and there’s so much excitement for the race, I am reminded of the fact that I was a part of how it got its start, and to say that we are 18 years, and that even COVID, because we did a virtual run during COVID. To have something of this caliber, of this magnitude that continues to grow each and every year, and even be such a pivotal role in the livelihoods of so many students attending HBCUs. It is one of my proudest achievements in life.
This year marks 96 years of the Atlanta University Center. What does that legacy mean to you as an HBCU alumni and a cultural storyteller?
I attended Florida A&M University, but living here in Atlanta, it’s been a source of pride to have that many HBCUs here in my backyard, and the camaraderie is amazing. That’s the one thing that people talk about once you’ve attended an HBCU, and even those who haven’t, but when they see us together, there’s this understanding. There’s this organic and innate community amongst people who have attended HBCUs, and that friendly competition. I enjoy attending the Spelhouse homecoming, wearing my FAMU gear and representing out there. We go out there, and it’s not just me guys, it’s a lot of people out there repping for FAM, because we have a large alumni base here in Atlanta, but it’s all love. Having access to them, I’ve actually utilized either students from those campuses for some of the projects I’ve been on, and even shot on some of those campuses. So it’s a really unique experience to be here in Atlanta with the HBCUs right down the street.
Why is supporting scholarship access for HBCU students so important to you personally?
For me, it’s because of my experience. I had such a wonderful experience down on the hill in Tallahassee, and it changed my life. My lifelong friends, the friends that I have today are, a bunch of them are still from FAM. I just got together with some yesterday and a few more that’s in town, and we got together. It’s the experience that I’ve had. It’s the pride that I have in attending an HBCU, and what that meant. For me growing up, I might have been one of a few black people in a classroom, and so attending an HBCU provided that unique experience for me to be surrounded by my people and by my community, and to even be inspired by the different walks of life that I had not been introduced to from where I was from. It’s something that I advocate for passionately, and because of that, then you have to support the scholarship program to be able to give kids this experience. Granted, there are a number of schools that are really good schools across the country, even across the world, but there’s a unique experience that is unparalleled that you receive at attending one of the HBCUs. For that reason, I’ve been an active member of my alumni chapter, as well as in the HBCU Alumni Alliance and even through my company Condraversy Films. We started an HBCU scholarship, as well.
This year’s 5K doesn’t just focus on the run. It also includes a community festival centered on health, wellness, and unity. How do you see events like this contributing to health equity in our communities?
At the beginning of the race, we coined the slogan, “Run for you, run for them, run for us.” The “run for you” was certainly the benefit that you get personally from the health aspect and even being active. It’s something that we’re trying to incite people to do if you’ve never even run before. This is a great opportunity to come get a run or walk, crawl if you have to. Keep moving, make it to the finish line. Bring out the strollers, bring out the kids. It’s a family fun event, it’s the health aspect with that. “Run for you, run for us” is the collective economics aspect of it. When we are able to get all of the organizations together, representing over 50 HBCUs across the country, those chapters that are here locally in Atlanta, and then just the community and the power that we have when we aggregate, and collaborate on efforts like this. Then “run for them,” that is the scholarship aspect of it, being able to raise funds and contribute back to the community. Since the beginning of time we’ve actually had people from different health organizations come out and do free blood pressure tests and different health exams. That was important to us, because we realized that some of the top diseases within our community were diabetes, stroke and heart disease. So we’re trying to bring awareness to the fact that these things exist and even prompt people to make sure that they get their checkups in addition to diet and exercise, that you’re actually seeing your doctor and staying on top of it, because early detection can help in many, many ways.
As someone deeply involved in both creative and cultural spaces, what role do you believe artists and storytellers can play in uplifting education and public health?
I’ve done a few projects, personally, that were health related, health focused. My gift is in storytelling, and so that’s what I love. That’s what I’m really passionate about, no matter what the topic is. I’m really passionate about telling those stories in a way that’s going to resonate with audiences. There’s a project that I did a couple of years ago with a company called Hologic, they manufacture mammogram devices, but these particularly are able to assess women who might have dense breast tissue which a number of African American women do, and that helps to be able to identify early signs of any type of masses when a woman goes out and gets her mammogram. That one was in collaboration with Mary J. Blige as the spokesperson for that, it was a really great initiative. It was something that aired around, but then also they aired it at her concert. She was going out on tour, and so where somebody might miss that on TV, or they might miss it online, having that captive audience at her concert and being able to remind women to make sure that you, one, go get your mammogram, but then also to ask what machine they’re using and to check if it’s a Hologic machine, because you’d have a better chance of making sure that everything might have been detected. There’s another organization I work with the Black Women’s Health Imperative, whose initiative and purpose is to bring awareness to and support black women in the number of diseases and things that affect us particularly. Being able to tell those stories, and to be a part of that means the world to me, and it helps balance some of the other projects that I might work on. Being able to use my background and my expertise to put health at the forefront makes me feel like I’m contributing to society, and to our people in a good way.
Let’s talk about some of the projects you’ve directed, like “The Shop,” and “Receipts,” which showcases black voices and excellence. How do those values align with what this 5K run work represents?
That becomes divine to say God orders your steps, and I have that opportunity to be able to work on such great projects. If you take Walmart “Receipts” which aired on Revolt, which is a black owned network, as well as on its digital properties. “Receipts,” the game show, was an extension of Walmart’s campaign, their Black and Unlimited campaign, which was putting the spotlight on the unlimited potential of the black community. So the whole premise of that game show is just taking an ordinary shopper, and being able to allow contestants to guess at what their extraordinary talent was, and even in that there were some people that we had, contestants, on the show that were really amazing, and their unique ability, their unique talent, and more so, the courage they had to do something that you don’t stereotypically see African American people do. Again, it’s the common theme with the race and what we’re trying to do, and to promote something that once upon a time you didn’t see black people running. And you have organizations come up like Black Girls Run and Black Men Run, and that’s happening across the country which is really exciting. Then obviously the same thing with “The Shop” being the brainchild of LeBron James, who prioritizes excellence obviously, but then also, legacy is really important to him. There’s a certain effort that is placed into the production of that show because of the importance of legacy. We’re having conversations and we’re touching upon conversations that may not have been had elsewhere, but again similar to the race, there’s its importance of legacy and preserving legacy, and having a meaningful legacy, which is the same for all of these HBCU campuses that have been longstanding and able to survive over the years.
What message do you hope this year’s 5K sends to future generations of students and alumni?
Obviously, we have our north star, the things that I’ve talked about before. Obviously, we know we’re raising scholarship funds, that’s of critical importance. We have the health aspect of that, and we also have the community aspect of it. If you take those 3 things and you look at them from the perspective of what’s happening currently in the political climate and what’s happening to budgets, at HBCUs, at PWIs, wherever, I think it becomes even more important and obvious to us that we have to continue to stick together and to have events such as these that might seem a little bit grassroots. But everything makes a difference. The race started in Atlanta, over time there were people in other cities that found out about it, and said, “Hey, I want to start an alliance in my city as well as I want to start a 5K.” Being able to have those extensions, those offshoots into these other cities absolutely amplifies that message. If we can just continue to remind people that, regardless of what pressures we might have externally, what’s most important is that we continue to galvanize and support these causes. We have a number of very prominent, distinct, and successful graduates across the board with HBCUs. And so it’s a reminder that we need to get involved and share our time, our talent and our treasure.
For people that are thinking about walking, donating, or volunteering, what would you say to encourage them to show up for this cause?
That it is a good time! The people that are into running, I think it’s an easy choice for them. When you talk about the race, these people, they know all the stats, and they’re looking for certain particulars. It qualifies for the Peachtree Road Race that happens here in Atlanta. It’s a great route, and I think a competitive route for those that are really interested. But then when you get beyond that, it is literally a good time. If you’ve attended an HBCU, I think you know that there’s nothing like that experience of getting thousands of us together in the same place. The atmosphere, the energy is wild, it’s intense, and like I talked about, that camaraderie. It’s the competitiveness, it’s the support of one another. It’s seeing people that you haven’t seen in a long time, the hugs and the smiles and being able to catch up. It’s the networking that happens out there, the exchange of information. We have a number of sponsors that will be there and they’ll be present. I think it’s just a lot of opportunities that create a holistic experience, that leaves you feeling a little bit warm inside, like you just went to your family reunion. You just went to grandma’s house and saw all your cousins. That’s what I’d say, if you’re looking for that, and supporting a good cause? Check out the HBCU 5K Run/Walk.
How can people register for the 5K run or find more information?
If you want to participate, the registration is still open right now. Let me say this, I checked the other day, I think there’s a problem with the leaderboard, because in my heyday FAMU was always at the top. So I got to talk to somebody about that. So if you’re a Rattler, you especially need to go register so we can be on top again. But you just go to atlantahbcualumni.org, it’s the website, and there you’ll be able to register. You’ll find out more about our organization as well as all of the individual HBCU chapters. So perhaps you’re in town. You live here in Atlanta, or even elsewhere, and you’re looking for somebody, some connection to your local HBCU and their alumni group. You’ll find out more about that as well. I think you probably only have about a week or so left to be able to register before we close it out. But then, if you can’t make it, and you just believe that this is a good cause, and you want to support, you can also go there to place a donation and to support, or just sponsor someone else to be able to run in a race.
You can find me on IG at Instagram. I’m @condraversy pretty much on all things, so you’ll be able to find me.
