Celebrating diversity and perseverance: Nyumburu Homecoming Tailgate at UMD thrives amid pushback
Alumni, students, and members of Divine 9 fraternities and sororities at the 2023 Nyumburu Homecoming Tailgate (Landen Creates LLC).
Correction: A previous version of this story misquoted the Multicultural Greek Council as “NPC”. A correction has been made to reflect this change.
University of Maryland has successfully concluded its 100th Homecoming celebration, marking a significant milestone for the campus community and the Nyumburu Homecoming Tailgate.
The highly anticipated tailgate is described by the university’s National Pan-Hellenic Council’s Vice President of Internal Affairs, Therman Hawkins III, as “a staple for the Black community on campus, as well as the Black alumni community, because everyone gets to come back and fellowship with each other.”
Hawkins is a member of the Theta Theta chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and is the Vice President of Fundraising for the Black Student Union (BSU). He says the tailgate is a large part of Black culture at this university and believes it, along with other events, are important for Black students on campus to have.
“I feel like we, as a community, are coming together much more than what I saw last year,” Hawkins said. “People are more open to trying new things and just going to as many things as they can, really getting that Black experience.”
Although this event was one of many successful exhibits of positive fellowship in the Black UMD community, this university’s National Pan-Hellenic Council and Black Student Union faced some challenges while planning and hosting campus events and initiatives.
Aniah Davis-Jackson, member of the Eta Epsilon chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. and co-vice president of programming for NPHC, says that this university tends to put limitations on NPHC hosting events with large crowds or loud music.
Spring 2022 initiates of the Kappa Phi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc (Abdulmalik Shuaib/AOSPRESENTS).
“Other groups similar to us who have white counterparts as their members typically don't receive that same pushback,” Davis-Jackson said.
Black student organizations at UMD have long been dedicated to creating a strong community that provides a safe space for Black students to embrace their identities and find a sense of belonging. Many members of these organizations feel it isn’t fair that there are seemingly fewer restrictions on other non-Black student organizations.
“The Black Student Union is an all-inclusive and all-encompassing organization. However, there also should be some understanding. There are times when Black students need a place to go so they can feel like themselves and be in community and connect with those that look like them,” said Black Student Union President Mason Minus.
This semester, both the NPHC and BSU organized events promoting cultural enrichment, support, and empowerment, leading to increased attendance and engagement and a growing sense of unity among the Black student body. Even abiding by all campus rules, they continue to face limitations while planning and hosting some of these events.
“How can we work with faculty, or leadership or staffing on the university campus without necessarily going against them?” Hawkins asked. “We want to stand our ground when we believe that something is uncalled for.”
Marc Marshall, Spring 2022 initiate of the Chi Delta chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc (Abdulmalik Shuaib/AOSPRESENTS).
To overcome these obstacles, the NPHC maintains strong connections with university officials, diligently follows regulations, and actively participates in campus-wide events, such as Greek Week, hosted with the university’s Inter-fraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Association (PHA), to promote inclusivity.
“Usually, Greek Week is planned by just the PHA or the IFC, which are the historically white fraternities and sororities. But this year, they included the MGC and the NPHC and I felt like that was a really cool moment to be a part of. It gave us an opportunity to see that there is more to Greek life than just what's in our NPHC,” Davis-Jackson said.
The Nyumburu Homecoming Tailgate took place despite the pushback from the university administration. The success of the Nyumburu Homecoming Tailgate stands as a testament to the power of perseverance, unity, and the unyielding spirit of the Black community at UMD.
“When we show that our people are engaged and are going to our events, it shows that we have support from our community and that it’s of importance,” Lloyd Richards, member of the Theta Theta chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., said. “It makes the university take notice, and it makes it harder for them to give us pushback when we have so many people following us.”
The 100th UMD Homecoming serves as a reminder of the shared history and the continuous journey of the Black community at UMD. Despite challenges and pushback, these organizations remain steadfast in their pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus.