If you went to an HBCU, check out the Amazing Journeys show (New Orleans) on your Roundup page

Peace Beautiful and Powerful People,

Most of you all are plugged into your Round Up websites (i.e. Bison Roundup, Jaguar Roundup, etc…). I didn’t realize it initially but most of the round up sites for the major HBCUs were created by my boy Bryndan and his brother, another Howard grad.

Anyway, they’ve produced this dope series called Amazing Journeys, which documents the history and culture of three cities – Detroit, Chicago, and New Orleans.

Needless to say, the shows are great and very informative! I was also one of the individuals interviewed during their visit to New Orleans (New Orleans pt. 2, the show that’s being aired now).

So, when you get a minute, please check out the show on your round up page, and definitely look at the entire series. It will be worth your while.

Beyond shamelessly plugging myself and the museum, I’m forced to reflect on a much grander picture and the true nature of my life’s purpose.The plight of the HBCU is near and dear to my heart. Going to Howard was definitely the best adolescent decision I ever made. It keeps in line with a family tradition…my great-grandfather graduated from Tuskegee and taught for many years at Southern.

My great grandmother went to Dillard University when it was Straight University and my both of my parents graduated from HBCUs. As an adjunct professor in the African World Studies Dept. at Dillard, I’m reminded of the commitment our foremothers and fathers made towards demanding that we received quality educations. I also reflect on the long list of scholars, historians and activists who fought to instutionalize academia in the Black community – W.E.B. du Bois, Mary McLeod Bethune, John Henrik Clarke, Alice Dunbar Nelson, Alaine Locke, Autoro Schomburg, Cheik Ante Diop etc…

I sometimes wonder to what degree Spike Lee and Bill Cosby understand the level of power they had in influencing thousands of Black youth to attend a historically black institution for their post-secondary education over a period of two decades. Personally, I couldn’t wait to get on “the yard” in the mid-90s and experience everything it had to offer. I’ve met some of my best friends during my undergrad years at Howard and I continuously reap the benefits of the Howard University network…just recently, my friends and I were treated royally by Edouard Leneus, another HU grad, during my brief trip to Haiti.

In this age of “post-racial” politics, it is very critical that we continue to represent our institutions, contribute to their financial campaigns and encourage any young person we know to seek their undergraduate education at one of these fine universities.

Biggest love to all of you for having gone to an HBCU and helping to preserve their legacies via all of the great things you all are accomplishing now. And thank you Bryndan for having the foresight to play a role in their preservation.

Shantrelle
Howard University c/o 2000

kia, bienvenido myself and mike

in the school of c?

i was breaking something…

my first day on campus moving in…pat was stunting with her zeta nalia. (of course we all know i was totally going another way) and stanford, future howard grad c/o 2007.