I wouldn’t take nothing for my journey now.” — Maya Angelou

It’s Homecoming week. A time of celebrating of black education, black excellence and my beloved alma mater, Morehouse College. I had quite a time at Morehouse. Can’t say that it was good. Definitely can’t say it was terrible. It was just well, Morehouse.

Since it is Homecoming week and a positive time in the Atlanta University Center, I thought it was appropriate to share some of my favorite moments I experienced while in undergrad.

Here are my Top Five Morehouse Moments.

5)  Meeting Denzel Washington

During my time in undergrad, I met a lot of celebrities. As a pop culture enthusiast, meeting celebrities is one of the best things I was able to experience during my four years in Atlanta. From Rihanna to Tyler Perry to Kim Kardashian West I met some pretty impressive stars. Of all the individuals I had the pleasure of meeting, Denzel Washington was by far the greatest. Being in the presence of such Hollywood royalty was fascinating. I remember sitting next to Denzel being completely star struck. I felt honored to meet such a legend.

4) Oprah tweeting me back!

Everyone knows I’m a huge Oprah fan. I have Oprah’s tweets sent to my phone and every time she tweets I respond, of course not expecting a reply. The night I wanted to watch Queen Sugar was utterly different.  I remember vividly sitting in the Otis Moss Suites with Ryan George when I got a notification that Oprah had tweeted about watching Queen Sugar. The rest is history.

 

shame Morehouse! No OWNtv after all the Morehouse men I’ve supported.

— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) September 8, 2016

The backlash from that tweet was endless as everyone from old head alum, pressed peers and annoying administration looked to vilify me for my “reckless” tweet. In retrospect, that whole situation was comical because I was so shocked that little ole’ me could create such a moment that rang through campus. Wild!

3) Making Good Friends

Dr. Barksdale said it best, “If you go out of Morehouse without making one good friend it’s safe to say you did Morehouse wrong.” Luckily I think I found two excellent friends while at The House. Some brothers come to Atlanta with family, friends, high school mates that they create close bonds with, I came into Morehouse by myself. I didn’t know anyone that well. Luckily as time went on and I began socializing more, I found myself hanging with the same guys a lot.

Fortunately, we all became terrific friends. I can say with confidence that I left with two impeccable friends that I cherish deeply. S/o to Brothers Corbin and Jamil for the camaraderie the three of us shared while at Morehouse. It is an honor to be surrounded by brothers that genuinely have your back.

2) Commencement

It was such an honor to be a part of the 2017 Sesquicentennial Class of Morehouse. I was so happy to bring an end to such a tumultuous journey.  I knew I was going to graduate school; my family had come all the way down to Atlanta, it was an unforgettable moment. Conversely, I remember seeing grown men crying the morning of graduation because their parents were seated in overflow seating. 

I remember everyone sleeping during the ceremony because many of us had been up since 5 am preparing for the graduation. It was A LOT. With any graduation, there will be moments of pride, relief, and celebration but our Morehouse commencement was again, crazy. I wouldn’t trade it for the world but would never wish that graduation ceremony on anyone.

1) Book Launch Party

Of all of my moments during my journey, nothing tops the feeling of joy and appreciation that I felt at my book launch event back in 2016. On April 25th, 2016, I hosted a book launch event for my book, Dealing With This Called Life. The afternoon of that event Mr. Cedric, who manages the campus bookstore,  offered to donate refreshments for the engagement. I recall telling my friends to save me some cookies but not to worry because not that many people were coming to support my event anyway.

 

Fortunately, I was so wrong. My book launch event was packed, every seat was filled, and people stood in the back as they listened to me talk about my writing journey. After my speech, a line formed to the door of my peers waiting to purchase my book and get a signed copy. That event was the one time I honestly felt loved and appreciated while on campus. I couldn’t fathom how and why all those people came to hear me speak and support my project.

My book launch event was one of my proudest moments thus far. Ironically when the event was over, there was nothing left but lemons in melted ice water, as all the cookies were gone.

 

Morehouse will always have a place in my heart. I can’t wait to return as an accomplished alum and write checks to students. Morehouse has given me a sense of community that I don’t think I could have gotten anywhere else. Although these were five great moments of my time at Morehouse, they weren’t the only ones. My memories of Morehouse are filled with laughs, stimulating conversation and influential men.

I’m excited to have more memories that will be made in the years to come as a returning visitor.

 

If you are a Morehouse alum what are some of your greatest moments?

If you follow my journey, what do you think were some of my best moments?

Leave them in the comments below.