"Ain't no tellin where I may be
May see me in DC at Howard Homes
Comin, with my man Capone, Dummin f**kin somethin..."
- Kick In the Door, Notorius B.I.G.
As a native of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and a current resident, I have had many opportunities to attend the infamous Howard University (HU) homecoming. Homecoming events include step shows, a parade, pep rally, the football game [of course], concerts… the usual spread that you would find at an HBCU. But unlike other HBCUs, Howard’s homecoming somehow became known nationwide as “the ultimate homecoming weekend” that literally shuts down parts of D.C. and sends residents running indoors like the air strikes of the 50’s. Biggie, Ludacris, The Game, and even Adina Howard have all mentioned HU’s homecoming in their song lyrics.
As a teenager I enjoyed walking the perimeters of the “Yard”, fantasizing about the fun and freedom of dorm life and the college experience. We may not have been old enough to attend anyone’s party but there was enough going on outside to fulfill our thirst for excitement. Freshman year of college- my friends and I came home the weekend of HU’s homecoming on the sneak tip and didn’t tell our parents. What fun we had! You couldn’t tell us nothin’. I still remember huggin the porcelain that Saturday night… oh what a mess! As a young adult, I have attended alumni parties here and there but the excitement has definitely slowly waned with the years.
This past weekend, HU homecoming was once again in full effect. The city was abuzz, as usual. There were at least twenty celebrity hosted parties happening each night. The Howard Bisons beat the North Carolina A&T Aggies, 35-20. My homegirl (we'll call her Tracy) who lives in Jersey came down and brought her niece and three of her niece’s friends. The niece and friends (we’ll call them the Brat Pack) were all seventeen or eighteen years old. Tracy wanted the Brat Pack to experience the college homecoming scene in hopes of evoking a yearning for higher education within their hearts. They had a chance to attend a couple of the homecoming events, the football game, and chilled on the Yard.
Unfortunately, it was our Saturday night stroll down the one and only Georgia Avenue that will forever be etched in the Brat Pack’s memories. Picture this: four blocks of black folks (mostly youngins) everywhere. I’m talking all over the sidewalks, standing in the streets, posted in the parking lots… Most of these folks are from the urrrea and don’t attend HU or any other university. A hood car show with every type of Caprice, Caddy, Lincoln, etc. you can name, freshly waxed, rolling at 3 seconds per hour so that you can admire their 24 inch rims while you feel the music reverberate throughout your chest. As we walked down the sidewalk, brothas to the left and the right hollerin “ay babay”, “what’s up shorty”, and “can I walk witchu?”
The Brat Pack was eating it up for the first 20 minutes. They’re young, beautiful, green as hell and the vultures could smell the fresh meat. The young ladies were teeheeheeing and cheesing and snapping pictures. My homegirl and I were a few feet behind them looking like somebody’s designated chaperone. Every once and again, we’d have to get a fool straight for comin out the mouth with something inappropriate. Within minutes, I had threatened to clock a sucka with the empty glass bottle in my hand. Tracy had to let some S.O.B. know that her husband is an officer with a license to carry a weapon, and that she was not afraid to shoot on his behalf. It was effin crazy! The Brat Pack started looking less impressed and more outraged. As we began our retreat to the car, two young girls no more than 16 years old started fighting. And when I say fighting, these chicks were scrappin. A mob rushed around them. The police came running from across the street. Effin crazy! These youngins ain’t even got no high school diploma and wanna come crashin a college homecoming with some ignorant shit! Not a damn shameful bone in their bodies… it’s really sad. An epidemic.
What was even sadder was the Brat Pack’s negative comments and feeling of defeat as we rode in the car that night. I hope they remember the pride they felt approaching the campus Friday morning rather than the despair felt as we left Saturday night. Maybe we should have attended University of Maryland’s homecoming instead…
My people.
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