NAACP Southwestern Region VI Conference

From March 18-20, 13 TSU students, including myself had the opportunity to attend the regional conference in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Being my first NAACP conference I was really looking forward to meeting new people and also finding out what we need to do as members of the Youth & College Division to enhance the image of the oldest civil rights organization in history. I was able to reconnect with the students from Sam Houston State and also meet new people from San Antonio and from nearby Langston University. National president Benjamin T. Jealous via telephone spoke to us about the issues that are facing Black America such as the ever-increasing dropout rate of high school students in America. I especially had fun mingling with the students from the different schools and being able to create a long-lasting bond. I truly thank the TSU administration for allowing us to put the school on the map and hope to send us to the national convention in Kansas City, KS this July.

Experience at the 2010 SWAC Tournament

I was truly honored to cover the 2010 SWAC tournament in Shreveport, Louisiana. This was my first major sporting event and was excited of seeing the action from a courtside point of view. The Lady Tigers played well in their first game against Grambling State but fell short to eventual champion Southern. I really enjoyed all the free food I got in the media room. Shrimp creole, chicken jambalaya, and all the sweet tea you can drink. I was also amazed at the fan support for the respective teams, including ours who took two fun buses to see them in action. President Rudley and Dean Saunders also made an appearance along with the Coach Cole of the football team and AD McClelland. I also got to meet the media personnel covering their teams, especially two beauties who just happened to cover Grambling State, go figure. The men did a great job despite losing to Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the championship game. However, it was nice sending Prairie View home in the first round in a blowout fashion. Finally, we ended the trip going to the El Dorado casino in downtown Shreveport. I played a few games such as blackjack. I won 80 cents. However, it would have been nice if TSU had won SWAC then won the play-in game so I would have the opportunity to cover my first NCAA tournament game.

My experience at the sit-in ceremony

The experience of hearing the original pioneers tell their individual stories was truly inspirational. I enjoyed every aspect of the commemoration of the sit-in, from the symposium to the unveiling of the marker. I had a chance to march with current and former TSU students to the marker because of the actions of a few led to major changes around Houston. I also was able to meet smooth jazz artist Joe Sample. The march reminded me of marching with the students at Prairie View in 2008 when they were going through their voting struggles. The one thing I took away from this was that young people changed history and that the young people today are too complacent and assume that everything is ok when it's not the case. I also liked how the cars stopped in the streets just to see what was going on and the singing of songs by the marchers. It immediately painted a mental picture of what took place in the 1950s and 1960s. Life changing events of this accord is what makes TSU one of the most unique HBCUs in the country. I believe that if the student body could take the time to learn about the history of the school, then they can embrace it more instead of complaining about the negatives of attending Texas Southern University.

50th anniversary of first sit-in

On March 4, TSU will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Houston's first sit-in, spearheaded by TSU students. Living in the Jim Crow south was a harsh reality and a daily reminder that Blacks weren't welcome in many public places such as restaurants, movie theaters and schools. In fact, TSU was establishes from the efforts of Hyman Marion Sweatt, who was turned away at the University of Texas because of him being black. 13 TSU students met at the flagpole and marched to a Weingarten's supermarket and sat at the lunch counter, knowing they wouldn't be served. The actions of a few led to major changes within Houston that led to many businesses desegregating. I'm proud to be a Texas Southern University student.