Celebrating homecoming and tailgates in the Black community

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Homecoming tailgate season is upon us!

Whether or not you attended a traditionally Black school and college or a predominately white establishment, homecoming and tailgate celebrations make for among the finest occasions you’ll ever have.

The capabilities – all the time filled with meals, enjoyable, fellowship, and household – vastly differ at HBCUs, the place they’re accompanied by deep-rooted traditions and promote unity and solidarity. Nonetheless, for Black folks, homecoming and tailgates are a time for younger and older crowds from all walks of life to rejoice and create everlasting reminiscences – no matter their increased training establishment.

HBCU homecoming, College homecoming season, homecoming and tailgates, tailgating do's and don'ts, HBCU homecoming season, HBCU college football, theGrio.com — For the Black neighborhood, homecoming and tailgate occasions are a part of any school expertise. (Photograph by Visible Vic/Getty Photographs)

“I grew up tailgating … so it was part of one thing I needed to expertise and one thing that I knew at an early age of faculty, of enjoyable, of household,” shared Alcorn State College alum Ashley Thomas. “In school … at first I used to be just a little nervous, just a little anxious as a result of I needed to do it the best way my cousins did it or [older] sisters did it, however then I needed to be taught that my tailgating or homecoming was about me and my time in school. So it was only a time to be with my pals … have essentially the most enjoyable.”

Financial influence

After COVID-19 cancellations and one other yr of digital and hybrid occasions, September 2022 marked the return of conventional homecoming occasions at HBCUs. As establishments resumed in-person operations, many additionally hiked costs, significantly these imposed on retailers, to fight inflation and compensate for among the pandemic’s losses – bringing a much-needed financial increase to their respective communities. This yr is prone to be no completely different.

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Preserving traditions

Homecoming occasions, particularly these on HBCU campuses, have a proud historical past of nurturing mental and cultural progress inside the African-American neighborhood. The added factor of tailgates showcases custom and heritage, making the capabilities important in preserving the legacy of Black tradition.

Group togetherness

Along with being an opportunity to return to 1’s alma mater, homecoming occasions and tailgates foster familial and neighborhood ties, offering a way of belonging and connectedness to those that could have as soon as shared the identical halls at their school properties. For a lot of Black people, HBCUs are extra than simply instructional establishments; they’re secure areas that promote a way of residence, identification and shared historical past.

“As a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., homecoming is a time I get to fellowship and meet up with my sisters and different chapter members,” mentioned Alexandria Owens, a graduate of Texas’ Stephen F. Austin State College. “I like simply hanging out once more like we’re again on campus once more like the nice ol’ days.”

Greatest Faculties reported that members of the Divine 9, a collective of Black Greek-letter organizations, had been outstanding within the Fifties and ’60s Civil Rights Motion. Although Stephen F. Austin just isn’t an HBCU, Owens’ sorority expertise was entrenched in a wealthy historical past and custom that continues to affect society.

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Networking and mentorship

Whereas the enjoyable and social gathering factor by no means ceases, tailgates and homecoming occasions additionally present a useful alternative for networking and mentorship. Graduates who’ve succeeded in numerous fields return to their alma maters, providing steerage and help to present college students – a significant contribution to the Black neighborhood’s dedication to nurturing the subsequent technology of CEOs, school presidents, docs, legal professionals, and others.

Black excellence

Some folks take into account tailgates and homecomings as days consisting of gatherings and soccer video games. Nonetheless, it’s important to acknowledge that the capabilities are integral to Black tradition.

The cultural celebrations lengthy embraced by the African-American neighborhood enlarge Black excellence in lecturers, arts and sports activities. From the push of being a part of the homecoming courtroom to participation in halftime exhibits and the whole lot in between, the gatherings spotlight the onerous work and ongoing efforts of gifted Black college students, school and alumni, all an inspiration for the youthful technology.