Black Homecoming court crowned

Alumni and LBC emphasize students' achievements.

By Grace Meiners

Published Oct. 28, 2008

Students, alumni and parents filled the Plaza 900 amphitheater Saturday as the 2008 Black Homecoming final court was announced.

Seniors Branden Bailey and Cierra Obioha were crowned as king and queen; juniors Derrick Christian and Erica Brown were named prince and princess; sophomores Devin Woodson and J'Quana Brown were named duke and duchess; and freshmen Candess Cotton and Justin McCain were named count and countess.

The final court announcement was added to the Black Family Reunion celebration this weekend. The announcement was previously scheduled to happen during the Common concert on Friday.

The reunion included a celebration testimony forum Saturday at the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center.

Former members of the Legion of Black Collegians, including some who were integral in its creation, addressed the past and present environment on campus for black students.

Deputy Chancellor Mike Middleton said when he arrived at MU as a freshman in 1964, finding a home for himself on campus was not all that easy.

"It was a large, large campus," he said. "There were 150 to 200, at most, black students."

He said during football games, he sat with Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, a traditionally black organization. Next to them sat Kappa Alpha Order, a primarily white fraternity.

He said during the games, Marching Mizzou used to play the southern anthem "Dixie" and the members of Kappa Alpha Order would unfurl a Confederate flag.

"One afternoon we unfurled a black flag when they unfurled their Confederate flag," Middleton said. "Campus police ran over and demanded we remove our flag."

He said they quietly folded up their plain black flag.

Middleton said there were no organizations on campus focused on the civil rights movement, and some white students began to protest on behalf of black students.

"This started to become very embarrassing to us," he said. "When we were sitting around deciding what we should do for our Valentine's and Christmas parties, we had these white hippies making demands for us."

He said this is one of the reasons LBC was created.

MU Extension Diversity Director Mabel Jones Grimes said she was also present at LBC's founding.

"LBC provided a very needed service, and I hope it will continue," she said.

Grimes encouraged students to study African-American history.

"If you don't know from where you came, you can make some awful mistakes," Grimes said.

T-Herbert Jeffrey, who served as LBC president from 1989-1990, said he encountered many of the same problems that existed in the 1960s. He said he and a few other students held a sit-in at Jesse Hall to show their displeasure with the university's relationship with black students.

The sit-in ended in an extensive talk with administrators about what the university can do to help minority students on campus.

Former LBC President Jabari Turner became passionate when talking about the future of black students at the university.

"I know this is a 40th anniversary celebration, but it's our time," he said. "We can no longer sit idly by and have others fight harder for us."

Activities Chairwoman Erin Vincent said she was pleased with the return of the Black Homecoming and the Black Family Reunion.

She said the court generated a lot of excitement for LBC.

"People came up to me and said they want to run for the exec board next year because of Black Homecoming," Vincent said.