An appreciation post

If you follow me on Facebook, you will see that my most recent status post was a thank you message to my collegiate big brother Kamau Marshall, the Director of Strategic Communications for Joe Biden the newly elected president.

I think back to my senior year of high school at McDonogh 35 where on two separate occasions Kamau and the Assistant Director of Bands Clarence Gibson came and spoke with me to recruit me for the band program at Texas Southern University which ultimately did become my college of choice. They spoke highly of the music program which was under the leadership of Richard F. Lee a renowned stage band trumpeter who has toured with The O’ Jays among other groups. Their words left a great impression on me every time we spoke.

As a former HBCU student, it was monumental to see and hear HBCU marching bands, debate teams, and graduates put on full display on a national stage. It brought tears to my eyes to see HBCUs finally be given the recognition and exposure that they deserved on a national stage.  For a long time, HBCUs were viewed as second class,  undeserving of the acclaim PWIs (predominantly white institutions) received. We weren’t viewed as the best or the brightest, we were just us and mostly existed in the shadows.

It was a pleasure to see an example of this Scripture play out in real-time:  “The first shall be last and the last shall be first.” The first HBCU grad to be elected into a presidential office—finally, the head and not the tail.