‘We never lost a party’: At Howard, homecoming is a rite of passage
Published on October 17, 2024
“Ain’t no tellin’ where I may be May see me in D.C. At Howard homecoming With my man Capone, dumbin’ “ — “Kick in the Door,” The Notorious B.I.G.
Immortalized in songs (and simply by word of mouth), Howard University’s homecoming week draws thousands of people to The Mecca every year. The crowds on main campus, affectionately called The Yard, will encompass generations of students, alumni and those just looking for a good time: old friends and new families, former marching band members and faculty, Black Greeks and former athletes — a community bonded by fellowship.
This year’s celebration marks Howard’s 100th anniversary celebration. In 1924, the university welcomed alumni back for its first homecoming built around a popular annual Thanksgiving Day football game against Lincoln University. Though the festivities now take place in October, and Howard now plays different schools each year for homecoming, the tradition of coming together each year has remained.
There’s a saying in the Howard community, “We never lost a party,” and homecoming offers evidence of that assertion. Take a look at Howard homecoming traditions over the years.
The annual naming of Mr. and Miss Howard University is a homecoming tradition. Left photo: The 1974 Miss Howard. Right photo: Mr. Howard, Jalen Saunders (left) and Miss Howard, Victoria Gray (right) are announced as the 2016 Royal Court during halftime of the homecoming football game.
Left photo: Washington Post via Getty Images. Right photo: Cheriss May via Getty Images
Left photo: Aray Williams of Howard University (center) jumps over North Carolina A&T University defenders to help the Bison gain a 21-0 point lead by halftime of the 1996 homecoming game. Right photo, from left to right: Howard students Lynda Wade, Erica Betrand and her twin sister Erdye Betrand cheer in the stands during the homecoming game in 1996. Howard won 38-3.
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Howard University cheerleaders perform at Yardfest during homecoming week in 2005.
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Members of Omega Psi Phi fraternity dance around the fraternity’s Sundial on Howard University’s campus during homecoming week in 2016.
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High school bands participate in Howard’s homecoming parade each year. A high school band marches down Georgia Avenue past the reviewing stand during the 2006 parade.
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Actor Taraji P. Henson (right), who graduated from Howard University in 1995, and rapper Ludacris (left) ride down Georgia Avenue in Howard’s homecoming parade in 2009.
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Howard’s homecoming parades feature a Royal Court. Top photo: Mr. Howard University, Grant Robertson (left) and Miss Howard University, Kyla Cole (right), ride in the parade in 2019. Bottom photo: School organizations and color guards such as the Friendly High School flag corps from Maryland join the 2007 homecoming parade.
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Drum major Christopher Cloud kicks off Howard’s Showtime Marching Band’s halftime show during the homecoming game against Florida A&M University in 2014.
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The Showtime Marching Band leaves the field after performing during halftime of Howard’s 2016 homecoming game against North Carolina A&T.
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Members of Howard University’s Divine Nine sororities and fraternities and residence hall organizations compete in the annual homecoming step show. Clockwise from top left: The 2016 show included participants from Zeta Phi Beta sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and Drew Hall freshman men’s dormitory.
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Howard University student Makaela James, 18, participates in the 2011 homecoming fashion show. The show, which is organized by Howard students each year, provides an economic boost to the community, bringing in alums and spurring student spending.
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Rapper Wale wades into the crowd at Howard University’s Yardfest in 2010. The music festival attracts established and rising music artists.
