By Mekhi Abbott
Special to the AFRO
mabbott@afro.com
Generations of Morgan State University students and alumni flooded the historically Black college’s Northeast Baltimore campus on Oct. 5 to celebrate its homecoming. Highlights of the week included a concert performance on Oct. 3, a pep rally on Oct. 4 and the parade and football game on Oct. 5.
“My favorite part of homecoming for me is seeing the advancement,” said Tara Carter, a two-time graduate of Morgan State University. “We hear a lot about the big schools, but when you see just how much Morgan has been doing as a top research institution for Maryland, it’s amazing for me to see this.”
Following last year’s mass shooting incident, Morgan State administration and leadership made significant security enhancements, including over 3,100 camera views for surveillance purposes, AI-supported weapon detection and plate-reading technology. On Oct. 5, the “official Homecoming day,” all campus buildings and dorms closed at 3 p.m. EST and the campus officially closed at 7 p.m. EST.
Homecoming week for the Morgan State Bears kicked off with a performance by BET Award-nominated artist Sexxy Red on Oct. 3. The following night, Morgan State held a pep rally to highlight all of the varsity teams on campus.
“Morgan has a rich history,” said Kendra Woolridge, a director for the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and owner of a multi award- winning vegan nail polish company called Janet and Jo. “We have the first HBCU collegiate lacrosse team in the nation. It’s stories like that that need to be amplified.”
On the gridiron, the Morgan State Bears (3-3) dominated the Lincoln (Pennsylvania) University Lions 41-0. Wide receiver Andre Crawley led the way with 134 total yards, six catches and two total touchdowns. He scored one touchdown receiving as well as passing for a 21-yard touchdown. Running back Myles Miree also contributed with two touchdowns himself, both on the ground.
The Bears will play their last out-of-conference matchup on Oct. 12 before enjoying a bye week and entering Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play on Oct. 26 against North Carolina Central. North Carolina Central is currently the number one team in the MEAC with a 4-2 record.
“Homecoming has been great for me. It’s my first homecoming. I am a freshman and I’ve been to the pep rally. I also went to the skate and laser tag night that was on Thursday, October 3,” said Renee Salter, who is studying psychology.
For some Morgan State graduates, this was their first time back in Baltimore for a homecoming in several years.
“I’m actually meeting up with an old classmate and I haven’t seen her in years, so it should be fun,” Shantá Reid shared with the AFRO. Reid is a paralegal in Washington, D.C., and is originally from Silver Spring, Md. “This is my first homecoming since 2019.”
Morgan State alumni were also making sure they are supporting their school, teams, and the students who go there.
“I am big on spending time with friends, and I haven’t seen Kendra in a while. We didn’t even make it to the football game, but I still bought tickets to make sure we are supporting our teams,” said Carter.
On Oct. 6, Morgan State will be hosting a campus cleanup event. The Morgan State women volleyball team is also hosting South Carolina State for their homecoming game which begins at 11 a.m. EST.
In other recent news, Morgan State recently unveiled a new, $171 million health and human services center.
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