HBCU SpringComing is formally BACK, and this 12 months marks a serious milestone, its tenth anniversary. Appropriately dubbed “TENure,” the 2025 version guarantees to be the largest but, bringing the unforgettable power of HBCU homecomings to 3 main cities throughout the nation; Birmingham, AL; New York Metropolis, NY; and Los Angeles, CA.
Based by HBCU grads Lauren Grove (Florida A&M College) and George A. Peters II (Morehouse Faculty), HBCU SpringComing™ has grown from a spirited NYC reunion to a nationwide celebration of Black excellence, collegiate pleasure, and cultural connection.
During the last decade, the pageant has raised over $250,000 in scholarships, serving to pave the way in which for future generations of leaders and strengthening the muse of traditionally Black establishments.
The “TENure” Tour Line-Up kicked off in Birmingham, AL on April 4-5 the place songstress Teedra Moses was noticed going viral for placing her “boots on the bottom” through the Faculty Daze side of Springcoming. It additionally included Sips & Sounds with Grammy-nominated R&B legend Carl Thomas and Tennis Daze, a sun-soaked collab with USTA.
In line with the founders who’re bringing SpringComing to NYC this weekend, what began as a post-church dialog between two cousins has blossomed right into a love letter to the HBCU expertise and an answer to a standard dilemma.
“George and I are cousins—we prefer to name ourselves household by alternative,” Grove instructed BOSSIP “He’s married to my cousin, and we actually realized 10 years in the past, after church that so many people have been going again for homecoming yearly. However we have been like, ‘Yo, what do individuals do in the event that they went to love Alabama A&M or Texas Southern?’ It’s a bit of tougher to get again for homecoming in case you went a bit of additional away.”
That straightforward realization sparked a cultural ripple impact.
“We may inform very early on that there was an urge for food for one thing that actually not solely celebrated Black excellence on this approach, however actually simply sort of celebrated pleasure—and the familiarity of, although all of us went to totally different faculties, we had comparable experiences.”
Every metropolis mirrors the core parts of an HBCU homecoming weekend: sport nights, alumni mixers, daytime yard experiences, and Sunday brunch recaps that assist attendees piece collectively the weekend highlights.
“The weekend actually is harking back to a typical homecoming weekend,” Grove instructed BOSSIP. “There’s a bit of Friday kickback, there’s a bit of Saturday on the yard, there’s a bit of after get together to the yard and the sport—sort of like a recap brunch, often on the finish of the day on Sundays, the place everyone tries to recollect what they did.”
When requested why SpringComing isn’t presently within the “anticipated” HBCU hotspots like Atlanta or D.C., Grove shared:
“Should you reside in Atlanta, you’ll be able to go to anyone’s HBCU homecoming—every thing’s there,” she stated. “From our perspective, we needed to do it in cities that had the capability for various HBCU grads however perhaps wanted a bit of extra assist in bringing the tradition collectively.”
“Individuals ask us on a regular basis—deliver it to DC, deliver it to Atlanta—however for us, it’s actually about creating an environment the place it could be difficult for somebody to really feel what they really feel throughout homecoming.”
With that in thoughts, Grove shared that SpringComing being held in a metropolis like Birmingham is not only intentional, however logical.
“When the town of Birmingham got here to us 4 years in the past to begin producing SpringComing there, our first thought was, what’s the tie-in?” Grove stated. “However Alabama has the very best variety of HBCUs within the nation—there are 14. And on this political local weather, it was essential to be in partnership with a metropolis that’s run by an HBCU grad. Half the town council went to an HBCU—our vote has by no means been rejected.”
HBCU SpringComing co-founder George A. Peters II echoed that sentiment and famous regardless of the placement of SpringComing or the placement of alumni’s respective faculties, HBCU grads have commonalities that may’t be denied.
“The gorgeous factor about HBCU Springcoming is that every one these traditionally Black schools and universities have a solution to discover one another… there’s this threaded underculture that all of us share, and it’s excellence.”
And that excellence extends past social occasions.
Over the previous decade, SpringComing has made a rare monetary influence offering scholarships that assist maintain HBCU enrollment.
“That’s the goal of SpringComing,” stated Grove. “If nothing else occurs, we give out scholarships. Some years have been tougher fundraising years than others, and we’ve needed to come out of pocket for them. However we notice, particularly in New York Metropolis, there are 50-something CUNYs and SUNYs.”
She provides,
“Should you’re a scholar who graduates from highschool in New York Metropolis, you might have a variety of choices that might not be an HBCU however are doubtless less expensive… So in case you see your self in HBCU life and tradition, and also you need to go—any little bit helps.”
That “little bit” is now greater than $500,000 that’s been awarded over time, and with that comes a dedication to constructing group earlier than college students even arrive on campus.
“It’s essential for us to not solely acknowledge these college students, but additionally embrace them as household earlier than they even get to campus,” stated Lauren. “Join them with the Alumni Associations of their metropolis… work out if there are some other scholarships they’ll apply for, have they got any wants.”
Over SpringComing’s final ten years, one particularly poignant second that encapsulated the spirit of occasion was an surprising go to from somebody particular.
“For me, my favourite second was the phrase spreading thus far that these youngsters and these scholarships have been going to be given out… even on a day when it was speculated to rain and God loves HBCUs, so it didn’t—we had Spike Lee present up on his personal,” George recalled. “Ot was completely stunning. The solar got here out. There have been no clouds within the sky. And everyone was as delighted and excited. It was an ideal second.”
SpringComing’s legacy, just like the founders’ personal journeys, is steeped in a tapestry of proud, private HBCU reminiscences.
Lauren beamed when speaking about FAMU to BOSSIP.
“I knew the primary time I stepped foot on FAMU’s campus in tenth grade that I needed to be a Rattler. We had gone by means of a pair campuses and actually from the time I drove onto campus, I knew this was the varsity I needed to attend.”
Past commencement and pledging Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Lauren’s most enduring takeaway is the bond.
“There’s a connection that alumni have from HBCUs that I simply assume doesn’t occur at PWIs.”
George echoed that sentiment when talking about his time at Morehouse.
“You speak about what number of seats there are in King Chapel. They all the time say that Martin King all the time stated there’s all the time room for yet another, proper?” he started “They’ve a ceremony referred to as ‘Welcome to the Home,’ the place all of the upperclassmen come and march in as they sing ‘I’m Constructing Me a Dwelling’… and on the time you aren’t one, however you’re invited into it once you’re actually encircled by all of those succesful, toned, audacious Black males who’re inviting you into this area. That is house.”
And now, ten years later, that very same power of invitation, of belonging, and legacy-building reverberates by means of each nook of SpringComing.
See the HBCU SpringComing lineup under:
New York Metropolis, NY | April 11-13
NYC is up subsequent with three days of turn-up and nostalgia:
Play No Video games Recreation Night time – a throwback to these epic scholar union nights
Faculty Daze at Riverside Park – a group day stuffed with music, distributors, and vibes
A personal screening occasion
Los Angeles, CA | Might 2-4
Particulars dropping quickly!
