As the nation navigates political and social unrest, Jackson Clark counted among many touting Howard University’s homecoming last week to the tune of joyful resistance and cultural communion.
Clark, a Howard alumnus and Maryland native, says the annual tradition pays homage to the legacy that fortified in 1867, when the historically Black institution in Northwest D.C. established a blueprint of truth, service and generational Black excellence.
“I don’t think a lot of times [Black people] are able to sit back and appreciate everything we’ve done, [and] I think homecoming is that opportunity,” Clark, a 2024 Howard graduate, told The Informer. “As a student, [you] think of it as this big event that takes place in October, but as an alum, you have more appreciation, and you understand the impact of what it means to be a part of [this] community. It almost feels like a revival.”
The nation’s capital lit up in Bison blue, red and white from Oct. 19-26, as thousands of students, alumni, and families and friends convened in the name of culture and school spirit for Howard University’s 101st homecoming celebration.
Moved by the theme “One of One,” the momentous occasion blended Black and Bison pride with a series of campus traditions and citywide festivities – such as themed events for current students, familial reunions at FamFest and Yardfest, and Saturday’s Truth and Service football game, which saw Howard best the Morgan State Bears 33-27.
Beyond class reunions and kodak moments, attendees, including celebrity alumni Lance Gross and Anthony Anderson, spent the week reaping some of the other added benefits of returning to one’s alma mater. Notable mentions include continuous networking opportunities, revisiting favorite spots throughout D.C, and exemplifying the rich culture and value of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
“It feels sort of like this lineage of Black excellence, and [we come] back to celebrate our accomplishments, celebrate being in a Black space where you can be authentically yourselves,” Clark said. “I got to reflect a lot on [my] time spent at Howard, and the reasons that I went there, and I think a lot of people go to feel that sense of belonging.”
Meanwhile, in her second homecoming as an alumna, D’ajah Brown touts the annual gathering as “an escape from reality” for a community combating the brunt end of socioeconomic injustice, along with continuous attempts to cast a negative light in Black spaces.
Following the beloved Yardfest and Alumni Welcome Reception on Friday, Oct. 24, at least four people – none affiliated with the university – were injured near the 2500 block of Georgia Avenue and Howard Place NW in a shooting, resulting in two arrests and increased police presence at homecoming events the remainder of the weekend.
As of Oct. 28, the motive for the shooting remains unclear amidst an ongoing investigation. Moreover, the incident tacks on to a growing list of gun-related violence during or surrounding HBCU homecomings, including three respective shootouts this month – two of them fatal – between Mississippi’s Alcorn State and Jackson State University, and Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.
“I just want people in the future to remember what homecoming is for, remember why we’re here,” Brown pleaded. “Homecoming is supposed to be a safe place for all, especially at Howard. If we take away all these spaces, we’re literally taking away our own joy.”
Howard Hoco Celebrates Legacies in ‘The Right Place‘
For members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, composed of historically Black fraternities and sororities known as the Divine Nine, homecomings are often a special moment –and this year was particularly important for those who became part of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.’s Alpha Chapter in 1975.
After the homecoming culmination church service on Oct. 26, Vanessa Kidd Thomas, donning Delta’s signature red and white, was all smiles as she shared her excitement to be back on campus for her line’s 50th anniversary.
“[Being here] just makes me feel happy to be alive,” Thomas told The Informer, “but also warm in the fact that I have women, I have sisters…and I know they got my back. It just reinforces we did the right thing, we were in the right place.”
With an estimated 14 of the “Nostalgic 29” back in D.C., Thomas and her fellow line sister, Deborah Harris, highlighted the week of events as a reflection of the sisterhood and service built in through the Delta experience.
Harris noted, in addition to celebrating her sorority sister, her biggest takeaway from homecoming, and particularly the Sunday service at Cramton Auditorium, was learning of her alma mater’s continuous progress and finding new ways to pour into it.
“The legacy continues in the sorority, but what I’m most impressed [with] is the growth of the campus life,” said the retired fundraiser. “So many programs have been added [at Howard]. It just makes me want to say, ‘what kind of money do we need to raise? What do we need to do?’”
Clark, a legacy student whose parents met on campus, considers coming home to a prosperous network “the beautiful thing about Howard.”
“God willing, I hope one day to continue the legacy,” he added, “but I think the greater thing is the legacy that’s already taking place.”
To ensure another 100 years of homecoming celebrations, the psychology major acknowledged the importance of prioritizing safety on HBCU campuses, while also pointing to the hard truths minorities face beyond gun violence.
“A lot of Black spaces have been the target of a lot of prejudice, attacking funding and opportunities in general. It goes into actual relations between people…and people of color that are trying to advance in life,” Clark explained. “The greater talking point is, how can we build community amid a lot of chaos.”
Similarly, Thomas and Brown both emphasized the “irreplaceable” value of cultural institutions, adding a desire to see all those affiliated with the Black community play their role in preserving their futures.
As far as homecomings go, Brown told The Informer she’s already looking forward to decades spent “bleeding blue.”
“My kids will come with me, and they will wear Howard sweatshirts,” the 2024 graduate said with a laugh. “I can’t wait to come back…definitely the fifth year, the 10th year, all that.”
