Melanated and Celebrated: Black Homecoming
Tufts Homecoming 2019 was especially exciting this year for several reasons. One being the fact that this was the first time I have ever been to a homecoming game (let alone a football game). The other reason was that this year’s homecoming fell on the same day as the Africana Center’s 50th anniversary celebration. So basically there was nothing but black excellence, melanin magic, and black jumbos flooding the campus that weekend. I was surrounded by the community I felt most comfortable with, and for at least a weekend I felt like I wasn’t at a PWI, but rather a mini HBCU.
The actual day of homecoming was set to be wonderful. The weather was perfect with clear skies and nothing but sunshine. Me and all my friends were stunting on folks with our shades and killin’ it with the fits. The day started at the Africana Center where all current and alumni Black Jumbos were congregating over a tailgate on the lawn. It was so nice to see all the alumni, especially the ones from groups I am in such as the Caribbean Student Organization, and S-Factor, Tufts all male vocal experience that sings music of the African Diaspora. I got to inquire about what their experiences were like when they were on campus and see how much life at Tufts for black students has evolved. From the tailgate, me and my friends went to go see the football game against Bowdoin. As I said, this was my first time going to a football game, so I was very excited. One of my friends taught me the in-and-outs of the game, which made it even more exciting to participate. Tufts made touchdown after touchdown, and the crowd went wild. I left early because I had to head over to rehearsal for the 50th anniversary Wakanda Gala later that night, but the game ended with a ‘W’ for Tufts which was just the icing on the cake for that portion of the day.
S-Factor and our sister vocal group, Essence, was to perform with our black male and female step teams, Black Out and Envy, at the Gala which took place at the President’s House. Leading up to the performance was a lot of hard work, but it was all worth it. We sang “Lift Every Voice” while the step team showed up and showed out. There wasn’t a single person that wasn’t in awe and standing on their feet by the end of the performance. It was such a beautiful night. Everyone in their best Wakandan outfits, food from different aspects of the African Diaspora, even the founders of the Africana Center graced us with their presence. I can honestly say this was a day in my Tufts journey that I will never forget.