HBCU homecoming season is in full swing, and whether you call your campus The Quad, The Hill or The Yard, chances are it is packed this month. It is one of the biggest family reunions of the year. At historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), homecoming means football games, marching bands, tailgates, parties and traditions that bring generations together.
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A growing online debate has people asking who HBCU homecoming really belongs to. Some undergrads see it as their time to enjoy campus life. Many alumni say homecoming is for the “grown folks.”
Baller Alert spoke with Hope Jones, who served as Miss Florida A&M University from 2002 to 2003, about the debate, her family’s connection to FAMU and what attendees need on their homecoming checklist.
FAMU’s homecoming kicked off October 18. Revolt ranked it among the best HBCU homecoming weekends in the country, second only to North Carolina A&T. For the former queen, the weekend reconnects her with the people who helped shape her life. “It allows remembering who you are,” Jones told Baller Alert. She described homecoming as a chance to gather with her sorority sisters, classmates, professors and family while having fun and giving back to current students.
Jones and her family have deep roots at FAMU. She met her husband during her freshman year, and she and her sister both joined FAMU’s Beta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Her oldest son is now a sophomore at FAMU. Jones returns to campus every year because she believes alumni have a responsibility to support the students coming up behind them.
“I go because I feel like it’s a duty. It’s my responsibility that I have because of what FAMU did for me,” she said.
Every school brings its own HBCU homecoming traditions. At Prairie View A&M University, alumni roll onto “The Hill” in their RVs to tailgate and camp on campus all week, a tradition The Green Print Podcast traces back to 1996. At Hampton University, students go all out for the Welcome Home Day Party kickoff and a signature fashion show. Jones laid out the FAMU traditions she considers mandatory.
First is Friday morning convocation, which brings students and alumni together to sing, pray, celebrate the university and recognize its donors. “Get to campus on Thursday,” Jones said, “so you can be ready for Friday.”
Then comes the football game and the Marching 100. The band has performed at presidential inaugurations, the Super Bowl and the bicentennial of the French Revolution in Paris. “Nobody’s missing that halftime show. Are you kidding me?” she said. “You have to attend the game. It’s just a spiritual awakening.”
After halftime, Jones walks the field with other former Miss FAMUs, a tradition that brings together generations of women who have represented the university.
As a FAMU alumna and the mother of a current student, Jones understands both sides of the HBCU homecoming debate. For her, the name settles it. “By definition alone, just the name, homecoming, returning home. It’s for the alum. It’s for the alumni,” she said.
She is not shutting students out, though. “Honestly, it’s for everyone, and it’s not just for people who attended our illustrious university. Anyone who loves FAMU or HBCUs in general, we want you there.”
Hope Jones’ HBCU Homecoming Starter Pack
Before heading to the yard, Jones has a few recommendations.
1. Budget for a donation. Before buying outfits and party tickets, set aside money for an annual contribution to the university.
2. Take Monday off. Give yourself time to recover after a full weekend on campus. “We are not playing those games anymore. We are not 24 or 25 (years old),” Jones said.
3. Buy tickets early. Plan your schedule, buy event tickets in advance and support Black-owned businesses and promoters. As Jones put it, the new party promoters don’t know the alumni and don’t owe them a discount.
4. Pack an extra bag. If you’re flying, check a bag so you have room for all the FAMU merch and souvenirs you’ll want to bring home.
5. Make time for your people. Beyond the parties and outfits, be ready to reconnect with classmates, sorority sisters, fraternity brothers and the people who supported you along the way. “Give a hug that lasts more than a second. Just breathe, pause, and take it all in,” she said.
For anyone who has never been to an HBCU homecoming, Jones says the weekend is a chance to see excellence, community and culture up close. From strangers offering you a plate to learning a dance in the street, she believes the experience welcomes everyone willing to embrace it. Alumni may be the ones returning home, but in her eyes there is room for everyone to celebrate.
