Breaking the Pipeline: Livingstone College and Move-In Day Mafia Turn Dorm Rooms Into Launchpads for Students Who Aged Out of Foster Care
Partnership brings a national nonprofit’s foster care-to-HBCU graduate mission to Salisbury, N.C. — led by a college president who lived the journey himself
Livingstone College has partnered with Move-In Day Mafia, an initiative of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Project Dreamlight, to give students who have aged out of foster care a place that finally feels like their own. The collaboration, part of Livingstone’s HOPE Emancipation Project, provided eight students with fully furnished room makeovers, personalized care packages, and acts of encouragement designed to make one thing clear from move-in day forward: here, you are not alone.
Since 2022, Move-In Day Mafia has transformed dorm rooms for 109 students across 28 HBCUs, pairing each makeover with ongoing mentorship and a community of support that lasts through graduation. Its mission — turning the foster care-to-prison pipeline into a foster care-to-HBCU graduate pipeline — is the same mission driving Livingstone’s HOPE Emancipation Project, which stands for Healing, Opportunities, Preparation, and Empowerment.
For Livingstone College President and CEO Dr. Anthony J. Davis, this partnership isn’t a program he oversees — it’s a promise he’s keeping. Dr. Davis emancipated from foster care at 17, put himself through Livingstone College, and never had to rely on public assistance again. Now, as president of his alma mater, he has made supporting students like his younger self a flagship priority of the institution.
“I know what it feels like to walk into a room with nothing and no one waiting for you,” said Dr. Davis. “The HOPE Emancipation Project exists so that no student at Livingstone ever has to feel that way again. I reach back as I climb, because I have been in their shoes, and I wished someone would have reached back for me.”
That philosophy shapes every part of the HOPE Emancipation Project, which helps students who have aged out of foster care heal from past trauma, build community with peers and across campus, and pursue an education that leads to lasting social mobility — for themselves and for generations after them.
On August 1, Livingstone College made that commitment official, with President Davis issuing a proclamation recognizing the date as Move-In Day Mafia Day. The following two days, members of Move-In Day Mafia and the HOPE Emancipation Project turned that proclamation into action — transforming residence hall rooms for eight students who have aged out of foster or kinship care, faced housing insecurity, or navigated college with limited family support.
The result was more than decorated rooms. It was a sense of belonging for students starting a new chapter — proof, delivered in person, that they had landed somewhere they mattered.
Through this partnership, Livingstone College joins a growing network of HBCUs building campuses where every student can thrive academically, socially, and personally, and reaffirms its commitment to a culture where all students feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential.
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About Livingstone College
Founded in 1879, Livingstone College is a private, historically Black college rooted in a Christian-based environment that fosters academic excellence, leadership, and service. The College offers undergraduate and graduate programs designed to prepare students for lifelong learning and leadership in a global community.
For more information, visit www.livingstone.edu.