Every college student’s right of passage is to attend a homecoming football game and a series of pre-and post-homecoming events, commonly known as homecoming. At Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the homecoming experience is unique and is one of the most highly anticipated events of the school year. At HBCUs, homecoming week and weekend is an opportunity for alums and students alike to come together and celebrate their school pride. Think Beyonce’s 2017 “Beychella” performance at Coachella — it’s a big deal.
HBCUs’ homecoming history is difficult to pinpoint, but the first HBCU alumni-centered fall football game happened roughly in 1924 at Morehouse College. Although alumni events occurred long before the 1920s, this was when homecoming, as we know it today, started to form.
HBCU students and alumni treat homecoming like a family reunion. Multiple events happen simultaneously, with lots of fellowship between old and new friends. People are barbecuing on the grill, attending fraternity and sorority step shows, and catching fashion shows with some of the most stylish looks. Celebrity appearances, performances (Kanye West even performed a Sunday service at Howard University in 2019), and tailgates happen right before the football game. It’s an action-packed week filled with making memories with people who share that same school spirit.
Howard alumna Charanna Alexander reflected on her experience at her school’s homecoming to The New York Times. Alexander shared hearing the song “Swag Surfin” by Yungstaz and how the crowd immediately assembled to lock arms around the shoulder of the next person and drip left to right. She named homecoming’s “real stars” the HBCU alumni: those who “trek from distant places to — by their gathering — collectively acknowledge the power in the consecrated soil of these schools.” In this way, the HBCU homecoming experience transcends the time you attend school.
College campuses around the country will be partaking in fall festivities along with homecoming within the upcoming months. Her Campus spoke with a few community members from HBCUs about their homecoming experience at HBCUs.
Khiya Derricott, a senior broadcast journalism major at Bowie State University, tells Her Campus, “At an HBCU homecoming, our football games are not what you expect. The stands are packed, everyone is full of school pride, the band is ready to put on a show, and our players are more than ready to win. Our halftime show is just as important as the football game itself. HBCU bands play current and throwback songs that the crowd enjoys. The majorettes dance to the music with elegance and swag that you can’t find anywhere else.” Yeah, the football game comes with an entire show! HBCUs do not play around when it comes to putting on a show.
Khiya continues, “To be in your room during an HBCU homecoming is a mistake. Time doesn’t exist this week. You can find ‘the yard’ full of people sun up to sun down. Homecoming is when HBCU students often travel to other schools to experience other events. There are 107 different HBCU homecomings to visit; that’s 107 campuses that are thriving with Black excellence, creativity, joy, camaraderie, and a legacy of HBCU traditions you shouldn’t miss.”
Carlitta Howie, a senior at Delaware State University — the first and only HBCU in the state of Delaware — looks forward to her school’s homecoming every year. Carlitta tells Her Campus, “Every year, homecoming gets better with tailgates during the football game, a concert with great artists, lots of food, and fashion sold and shown across campus.” Like Khiya, as a senior, Carlitta wants to “make the best of every moment and create core memories to look back on.”
Jaela Melton, a junior at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, tells Her Campus, “In Greensboro, the entire community knows about North Carolina A and T State University’s homecoming, AKA the Greatest Homecoming on Earth (GHOE).” Yes, it’s true — North Carolina A and T have named their homecoming the “Greatest Homecoming on Earth,” with some of the best entertainment and events during homecoming season. “HBCU homecomings are like no other,” Jaela tells Her Campus. “When past and current students gather to celebrate a Historically Black institution, it is more than school pride. We are celebrating a piece of Black culture and how our Historically Black institution has empowered our people. It unifies the community and reminds everyone of the support for Black students.”
If you were unfamiliar with the significance of homecoming at an HBCU, this was hopefully a great introduction to the historical and present-day impact of the annual tradition. Immerse yourself in the special moments shared across all HBCU campuses by attending an HBCU homecoming near you!