Founder's Week Edition - 92.4

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TRIBUTES TO DECEASED Little Is Out for the Season, features Dear old But Tigers Win Again morehouse...

THENEWS MAROON TIGER PROFESSORS ALLEN AND HORNE

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FOUNDER’S week EDITION

FEB. 12-16, 2018

Founder’s Week Is for Students, Too STORY BY AYRON LEWALLEN (page 2)

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President Thomas’ First founder’s Weeek

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COVER STORY

THE MAROON TIGER

Founder’s Week Is for Students, Too

By Ayron Lewallen

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n celebrating 151 years of educating Black men who will live disciplined lives of leadership and service, there are numerous events held throughout Founder’s Week that are open to faculty, staff and students. However, many students feel like the week observed for the founding of their institution does not cater to those who pay tuition to the College.

For some students, the only events it seems like they are able to attend are Founder’s Week Convocation and a simple cake-cutting ceremony in the cafeteria. While student discounts are available to students for the “Candle in the Dark” gala, the ticket still costs $150. Often, student discounts are also available for tickets to the Founder’s Day concert; however, most students do not care to see the artists who are scheduled to perform because their music satisfies an older crowd.

The high costs of entry to some of the ticketed events overshadows the other events that are free and equally as beneficial. Gala co-founder and Founder’s Week consultant Robert Bolton ’86 asks students to readjust their thinking when it comes to their perspective on events during the week. To celebrate the institution’s “birthday,” he assures students that there are plenty of events for them to attend free of charge.

He says that for students who cannot attend the gala, there is an opportunity for them to meet the honorees and ask them questions on Sat., Feb. 17, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center.

“We built that [program] in from day one,” Bolton said.

“Back in 1989 – when we started the event – we created the ‘Reflections of Excellence’ program as an opportunity to expose students to the honorees given that we realize that they may not be able to afford to attend the gala.”

Founder’s Week Planning Committee Chair and Director of Alumni Engagement and Giving Henry Goodgame would like to ensure that people do not forget what the gala is all about. Given that the purpose of the gala is to raise scholarship monies for students, Bolton stresses that the event cannot be free. As co-chair of the gala, he has made sure that there are some free activities for students.

Goodgame would like to see students attend the “Reflections of Excellence” program on Saturday morning. All six honorees will attend the event and will share five to seven minutes of their personal stories. They will be able to answer questions from students at the conclusion.

“For students to say there is nothing geared towards students, that’s the primary reason for the season,” Goodgame said.

“They can still ask honorees a question. They can still get a chance to meet and take a picture if they’re close enough to do so. The fact that honorees don’t necessarily want to come and talk to parents or come to talk to faculty and staff – if you’re in the room, that’s fine – but they really want to connect with students.”

For the concert event that occurs on Friday, discounted tickets are usually available to students. This year’s concert will feature a Battle of the Decades: ’80s vs. ’90s. Artists who are scheduled to perform are Tony! Toni! Tone!, Ready for the World, Force MDs, Troop and Hi Five. The event will take place on Friday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. in King Chapel.

“Again, we’re in a situation where we don’t have an ‘underwriter,’” Bolton said. “Artists cost. Sound and lighting cost.

Security cost. We try to keep costs to a minimum and be able to have price points for everything. There is a price point for everyone so that if you want to be a part of the celebration, you can.”

Bolton and Goodgame also suggest that Men of Morehouse attend the Founder’s Day Convocation where they can expect to hear from Dr. Gary Dorrien, a Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. He is also a professor of Religion at Columbia University, New York City.

“[The gala] could easily be a corporate event where you don’t find students around,” Goodgame said. “That’s not what this is. We want students to see their institution in a different light. We want others to see our students in a different light and support them at much higher rates as well.”

To meet the College’s goal of raising $1 million in scholarship funds for students, discounted tickets for them to the gala cannot be released in excess. Students also have a whole week of events dedicated to them already deeply entrenched in the College’s culture as well: homecoming.

Attending the gala as a student is quite an experience, especially during its 30th anniversary. However, more students could look to attend the gala once they have graduated as they will be able to donate funds to the next generation of Men of Morehouse.

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THE MAROON TIGER

In Memoriam

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The Maroon Tiger joins the Morehouse community in mourning the death of Associate Professor of Mathematics Rudy Horne on Dec. 11, 2017, at the age of 49, and the death of Business Administration Professor Cheryl Allen, an accounting professor who died on Jan. 29, 2018, at the age of 58. Two of their colleagues agreed to write the following personal remembrances of them.

My Tribute to Soror Cheryl Allen

By Soror Belinda Johnson White

Words. Well-chosen words give us hope. As I remember my friend Cheryl, what brings the smile to my face in the midst of my tears, sorrow and grief are her words. She cherished words and would spend endless hours searching for just the right, the perfect word for the occasion.

As Dean Allen, she used words to strengthen, encourage and lead her colleagues.

As Professor Allen, she used her words to teach students to master accounting so they could excel in their careers and lead lives of promise and purpose.

As Sister Cheryl, Aunt Cheryl, Niece Cheryl, she used words to share a love for her family that the depths and On April 26, Dr. Belinda White Johnson and Dr. Cheryl heights of the universe cannot hold.

Allen would have celebrated 25 years as colleagues and

The words that brighten my day friends in the Department of Business Administration. and brought a smile to my face were hear-

ing her say to me, Hello Soror Friend. The warmth of those words, the unfailing love in those words, the ties that bind in those words will never be broken.

So I’m grateful to have the opportunity to share the words I choose to remember and honor her, my cherished Soror Friend Cheryl…

I will always remember her as the epitome of Delta womanhood; a woman of…

Charm, beauty, grace and courage.

Humble spirit, with helping hands.

Endurance that overcomes and Resilience to fight back.

Yielding never to average; Loving always, and now eternally blessed.

My Dear Soror Friend Cheryl, Forever you will be, Our Endless Love.

Tribute To Dr. Rudy Horne

By Duane Cooper

We in the Department of Mathematics mourn Dr. Rudy Horne, whom we miss as a devoted colleague and friend.

Rudy Horne was a great source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for our Men of Morehouse. He taught courses across our range of offerings for freshmen through seniors.

He especially enjoyed developing our majors’ knowledge in advanced, applied mathematics coursework. Dr. Horne worked closely with individual students

on senior seminar and undergraduate research projects, and he guided these men personally and professionally, advising them on opportunities for graduate study and recommending them for presentations of their work at mathematics conferences.

He was inspirational to our young men as an example of a brother with our highest degree, a mathematics Ph.D., and an active research and teaching career. Students and colleagues alike were proud of Dr. Horne’s

contribution to the successful movie “Hidden Figures,” which he enjoyed so much.

And we miss Rudy, our friend. He was gregarious, enjoying conversation and loving to talk and share experiences as varied as visits with relatives, travels to National Football League games, and evenings at a local jazz club.

We were delighted and honored to work with Dr. Rudy Horne, and we are terribly saddened to lose him so soon.

Dr. Duane Cooper and Dr. Rudy Horne were colleagues and friends in the Mathematics Department for seven years. Dr. Duane Cooper and Dr. Rudy Horne were colleagues and friends in the Mathematics Department for seven

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THE MAROON TIGER

Funny Thing Happened Going to Hallmark

By Chad Rhym

There is absolutely nothing more National Retail Federation reports that fitting, more perfect, more Morehouse, over $18 billion was spent on Valentine’s Editor-in-Chief than the school’s founders putting More- Day in 2017. It is surely a popular holC. Isaiah Smalls II house College’s birthday on Valentine’s iday, but we don’t get the weekend off Managing Editor Day. The placement fits the narrative of from work, and if you’re single, you’re Ayron Lewallen the college’s unwritten mystique so imforced to read articles detailing how overChief Layout Editor maculately. rated and unnecessary the celebration is.

TJ Jeter

A regular day would not be enough Valentine’s Day is the world’s most Chief Copy Editor to celebrate the distinction, regality and unpopular-popular holiday. But alas!

Chad Rhym utmost importance of a Man of MoreWho would’ve guessed that dear ole’ Business Manager house. Objectively, you’re not stepping Morehouse would be the most common Zuri Cheathem on any toes denominator, Creative Director with having the figurative Austyn Wyche a birthday superhero to Photography Editor on Valenswoop in and Kai Washington tine’s Day. serve as the Campus News Editor Birthdays missing variMaya Lewis that fall on able deemed Associate Campus News a religiously with the Editor celebrated responsibility Kingsley Iyawe holiday will of bringing Sports Editor get overtogether the Tyler Mitchell shadowed. human race, Associate Sports Editor There’s year after Tucker Toole Photo Courtesy: Wrdw.com simply no year.

Features Editor quirky or ironically cute way to compete Can you imagine how disastrous Jair Hilburn with religion. That’s a no-go. it would be if Morehouse’s founders deArts & Entertainment Editor It gets easier when you hit the cided to go toe-to-toe with Easter? Or James Jones second-tier holidays like Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving? Or Christmas? The MoreOpinions Editor Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Still, these house community is losing that popularClarissa Brooks holidays typically bring families together, ity battle 10 times out of 10. It could be Associate Opinions Editor so it may be difficult for Men of Morethe college’s 1,000,000th anniversary, and Demarcus Fields house to compete with unlimited pans the college is still taking the No. 2 spot to of mac and cheese and endless photos of baby Jesus. But Valentine’s Day? A perContributing Writers Raqir Black & Justin Henderson satiated sleepyheads posting leftovers on fect opportunity for Men of Morehouse every social media platform imaginable. to somehow manage to make a holiday Advisers Ron Thomas & David Dennis

The founding of Morehouse Colthat has nothing to do with us, about us, lege on Valentine’s Day is simply poetic. 151 years in a row.

February 14 is a time of peculiarity. The

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THE MAROON TIGER

Open Letter

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Dear Old Morehouse…

Wow. I never could have imagined these last four years would go by so soon. It seems like just the other day I was stepping on to this cam-

pus as a “Man of Morehouse” for the very first time. Initially I did not quite understand this title, nor the responsibility that accompanies it. I was completely ignorant to the significance of the New Student Orientation (NSO) practices that we were asked to participate in.

I was aware of Morehouse’s rich history, however, I was not as enamored by the College’s traditions as some of my peers. The gravity of

this new chapter of my life had yet to fully register in my mind, as I became adjusted to this unfamiliar and unique environment. However, this new arena provided some of the most transformative years of my life. I can vividly recall the moment I knew I made the right decision in coming to Morehouse College. It was during the first semester of my freshman year, and I was walking past Graves Hall while heading to Century campus. Normally I would have continued walking absentmindedly towards my destination, yet, on this day, I stopped and observed everything around me.

I saw my peers playing rugby on the fields, conversing in front of Kilgore, and exhibiting the camaraderie and brotherhood that More-

house is built upon. While these observations were not out of the ordinary, that afternoon I fully came to the realization of why Morehouse was significant to me. I was amongst a group of like-minded, Black individuals who, similar to myself, all sought success in their respective fields. Not only this, but I was fortunate enough to call these individuals “brothers.”

Being at Morehouse caused me to feel out of my element in a sense. Having come from my hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where I

attended a predominantly white high school, I had become accustomed to being one of few Black faces. At the time, I was not cognizant to how crippling the dearth of positive Black representation was for my own development as an African-American man. I had slowly become accustomed to seeing only prominent white figures which caused me to associate “success” with “whiteness.” Morehouse College provided a breath of fresh air. By entering into this space, I was able to see people who look, talk, and act similar to me achieve their goals while simultaneously remaining true to themselves. Being able to see this firsthand has assisted me in my own personal growth, not only as a Black man, but also as a brother, son, and student. This development is still ongoing, of course.

However, without Morehouse, I believe that my perspective on success and how one can be successful would have remained limited.

I truly want to thank you, Dear Old Morehouse. You were not perfect, nor

have you claimed to be, but you were perfect for me and for my development as a successful, Black man. The experiences I gained here, the relationships built, and the lessons learned have all culminated to making me the man I am today, and the man I plan to be tomorrow.

Sincerely,

- Raqir Black, Graduating Senior

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GENERAL EDITION

SPORTS

THE MAROON TIGER

Little Is Out for the Season, But Tigers Win Again

By Tyler Mitchell

The 97-96 triple overtime victory over Clark Atlanta was bittersweet for the Maroon Tigers, as senior guard and co-captain Martravious Little went down with a season-ending knee injury. Until his injury, Little had played in all 21 games this season and was the team’s second-leading scorer with 12.6 points a game.

Early in the second half, Little attempted a mid-range jump shot and fell awkwardly, tearing his ACL, MCL and meniscus. The Tigers will not only miss his scoring, but also his experience and leadership on the floor leading into the SIAC tournament.

“I’m really sad for Martravious because he put so much work in with the team over the years,” head coach Grady Brewer said. “I told the team that whatever gap Martravious leaves us we just have to fill it in with the next guy up. And we have to do it by committee. We can’t do it individually.”

In the first game without Little, against Livingstone College, the Tigers struggled early before winning 77-53. In the first half, the Tigers shot 35 percent from the field and only 10 percent on 3-pointers. The first half featured five lead changes, but the Tigers were never down by more than two points.

After the half, there was no looking back. The Tigers went to a full-court press that the young Livingstone team couldn’t handle. Morehouse guard Tony Evans went on an early 6-0 run by himself to extend the Tigers’ lead to 11. The Tigers finished the game with 24 points off turnovers.

With the game in control, the Tigers had a scare with 14:30 left in the game when junior forward Omar Alston took a hard fall after his dunk attempt was blocked. Alston’s fall turned Forbes Arena into a library, as he clutched his midsection. When Alston got up the crowd cheered. With such a big lead, Brewer emptied the bench.

“I’ll probably be good the next game,” Alston said. “I’ll probably sit out a day and let it heal, maybe put some ice on it.

It’s probably just a bruise, so I’ll be fine.”

Alston finished the game with eight points, five rebounds, three steals and an assist.

With Little out, the team seems to be stepping up.

James Walker led all scorers with 17 points, shooting 6-of10 from the field, along with five rebounds and three steals.

Reserve guard Michael Olmert contributed 11 points, a gamehigh seven assists (one more than the entire Livingstone team),

and a game-high seven rebounds despite being only 5-foot-9.

With the victory, Morehouse improves to 21-1 in the season and 15-1 in the SIAC. The Tigers are currently ranked No. 11 in the NCAA Division II basketball rankings. The Tigers look to continue their winning habits as the SIAC tournament looms. Their next game will be Saturday, Feb. 17, in Forbes Arena against Albany State.

“This team has had resiliency the whole year and overcoming things that didn’t go their way,” Brewer said. “I think it will continue to do the same thing.”

Morehouse College point guard Tyrius Walker (#2) initiates the offense against cross-campus rival Clark Atlanta on Thursday, Feb. 8th 2018. Walker hit the game winning free throws with :5 seconds left as the Maroon Tigers beat the Panthers 97-96 in triple overtime. [Kierra Richardson]

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SPORTS

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TIMELINE OF MAROON TIGERS’ RECORD-BREAKING SEASON

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FEATURE

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NFL TAPS MOREHOUSE TO HOLD ADVOCACY WORKSHOP

By C. Isaiah Smalls II

Martin Luther King Jr. enrolled in Morehouse College at the age of 15. The campus was home to daily conversations on how to combat America’s treatment of subjugated people.

Thanks to the teachings and philosophy of then-president Benjamin E. Mays, Morehouse became a breeding ground of radical thought for King as well as generations to come.

For that very reason, it came as no surprise when the NFL, in partnership with the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), announced Morehouse would be hosting a workshop centered around advocacy in sports. Beginning on Feb. 21, players as well as representatives from the MLB, WNBA and WWE will descend upon the storied institution’s campus for a three-day seminar designed to help athletes become better agents of social change. After a season in which social consciousness among players had reached an all-time high, a seminar of this kind was a necessity.

“Athletes have a unique ability to bring people together for solution-driven conversations that can bring about real change,” Jocelyn Benson, RISE’s chief executive officer, said to ESPN’s The Undefeated. “At RISE, we believe that harnessing the unifying power of sports and empowering athletes to be effective advocates can improve race relations and drive social progress in our country.”

David Wall Rice, an associate provost and psychology professor at Morehouse, was charged with creating the program’s curriculum consisting of hour-long workshops, a tour of the Center for Civil and Human Rights, as well as a reading list. The event is designed to help athletes understand the power their voices hold.

“The overall goal of the workshop is to double-down with these athletes on the power of their platform, and to expose them to our student scholars and the social justice sensibilities that are the bedrock of our College,” Rice, who graduated from Morehouse in 1995, said. “We want to collaborate with them in defining and understanding a language of contemporary advocacy that allows them to be future proof in their work with community.”

Rice’s involvement was by no means a coincidence. In addition to earning a doctorate in personality psychology from Howard University, the D.C. native has done copious amounts of research in the realm of identity and freedom. Although he does plan on leading one workshop, Rice’s biggest contribution would be in selecting students to participate in these discussions.

By offering a Psychology, Sports and Social Justice J-Mester course, Rice narrowed his options from more than 2,100 students to just 16, of which only seven were selected.

While the week-long course would serve as a template for the summit, Rice took it one step further by seeking input from the students.

“Most significant and powerful movements in social justice come from young thinkers,” Rice said, “and as young as I like to think I am, I think it’s always good to have other young thinkers in the room to stretch and think about ideas.

And so, of course, I had some concepts and constructs that I wanted to communicate with [them] but I wanted to see what [they] would be able to do with those concepts and constructs in thinking about contemporary issues as well as through the lens of sports.”

Brooklen McCarty, a senior at Morehouse, was one of the lucky few chosen to represent the student body, a role he refused to take for granted.

“I believe they’re coming to Morehouse because they believe we as a student body have something to offer them,” McCarty said. “Personally, I feel like the athletes would have a better response to students rather than an older generation.

We’re trying to let athletes know that they have a social responsibility to their community where they are sort of a voice for us.”

With the spirit of activism in the AUC at a fever pitch in the aftermath of Colin Kaepernick and the #MeToo movement, the timing for the RISE event was perfect. By partnering with the world’s most profitable league, Morehouse has a chance to play an integral role in educating the next generation of Kareem Abdul-Jabbars and Muhammad Alis.

In the grand scheme of things, Morehouse played a brief yet significant role in Martin Luther King’s life. The institution provided him a space where he could speak freely about issues of race and prejudice while at the same time allowing him to construct his own definition of social responsibility. Over 70 years later, not much has changed – the biggest difference being this time, the entire world is watching.

Professor David Wall Rice (center) stands with his Psychology class in front of King Chapel

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GENERAL EDITION

THE MAROON TIGER

College Continues To Keep Legacy Going

By Jair Hilburn

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orehouse College celebrated its 151st year of establishment on a date so important to the institution that it means a variety of things to different people.

This is the time of the year that members of the Morehouse community and all those affiliated with it are excited because it marks the start of an institution that they have grown to love. On Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14 – and the whole week, as a matter of fact – people start to showcase their love for Morehouse in whatever way they wish in a way that they usually don’t.

“ We were founded on that day in 1867,” sophomore Daquan Spratley said. “Morehouse is big on tradition – very big on tradition, so we celebrate it accordingly. Celebrating 151 years of our mission.”

Ever since its establishment in 1867, Morehouse College has worked to keep its mission – which is to develop men with disciplined minds who will lead lives of leadership and service

– alive and fulfill it with all students who spend their time trying to become Morehouse Men. By celebrating this day, there is also a celebration of a legacy that the school has created for itself.

“Founder’s Day is so sacred because we need to recognize the founding of this institution,” junior Simpson Berry III said. “Founder’s Day to me is about how we commemorate the starting of the legacy. It ’s just a time where everybody appreciates where they are, the fact that they’re at Morehouse College, the fact that they are continuing in the legacy of the people that were before them.

“A legacy that has literally touched the lives of so many black men, and so that is an important thing and an important date.”

Since there are students who will be celebrating their first Founder’s Day at Morehouse, some don’t know of the traditions and events, such as the gala and convocation, that occur during the week. However, there is some

expectation as to what ’s to come.

“ What I hope to get out of Founder’s Day is some knowledge of it because I don’t fully understand what it is,” freshman Noah Gainey said. “I expect to see the history of the college – like important moments here, important alumni, and just things celebrating the college throughout the years.”

While Feb. 14 is a significant date to the culture of this campus, those on the outside associate the date with Valentine’s Day. That doesn’t take away from what this date means to those who have a connection to Morehouse. The school doesn’t seem to let it interfere with its festivities.

“Founder’s Day sometimes is a way for people to overlook Valentine’s Day, and it ’s also a way for students, faculty, alum, and those that feel they ’re connected to Morehouse College to celebrate this great and grand institution,” senior Terrance McQueen said. “I think it ’s interesting how the school attempts to portray the importance of Found-

GENERAL EDITION

FEATURE

THE MAROON TIGER er’s Day and what it means to find and create and produce such an institution like Morehouse College.”

It ’s essential to also look at what a school like this represents.

“If you look in our history of our country, there haven’t been too many institutions that were dedicated towards enriching young black men on a level that ’s transcendental of just education – where black men are being molded on a social level, a financial level, a spiritual level,” Berry said. “So when you have a school like Morehouse that has graduat-

ed the likes of Dr. Robert Franklin, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Howard Thurman, the alumni speak for the mission that the school has done.

“It ’s important because we need a place to act as a breeding ground for these individuals that are going to usher in black men into the new era.”

Ushering in another year is a milestone that any institution is proud to make. For Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs), celebrating another year of establishment brings hope for years to come.

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“Celebrating this milestone means that we’ll be around for 150 more years,” McQueen said.

“Dr. Morrow says, ‘ Very few things last this long for black people,’ and we’re at 150 years already. It means if we continue to do some of the things we’re doing and shift some of the things we’re doing and transform some of the things we’re doing, we can be around for a while.

“I don’t think we’re going anywhere.”

President Celebrates First founder’s Day At Morehouse

By Jair Hilburn

Once again, it is that time of the year that members of the Morehouse community look forward to during the spring semester of the school. It is that time of the year where the week is full of enthusiastic spirits that are thrilled to celebrate Morehouse College’s Founder’s Day.

This year on Feb. 14 while people are celebrating Valentine’s Day, Morehouse College will also be celebrating their 151st year of being established in the year of 1867.

While last year the institution celebrated their historic 150th year, it will be celebrated with a brand-new president. Since this will be his first Founder’s Day at Morehouse College, he has an open mind for what’s to come.

“I’ve never been to it, and everything I’ve heard about it - is that it’s a way to, over the course of a few days of activity, really understand what the soul of the place is, why people love and care about it so much, and simultaneously have a great time,” President David Thomas said.

With the new position that Thomas has assumed, there are also responsibilities that come with the prestigious title.

“I’ll be at the Gala, I am doing some introductions and activities, there’s a candle forum during founder’s week, we have a great speaker coming, and I’ll do a welcome, but also something a little broader and more substantial than a ‘welcome and have a good time,’” President Thomas said. “Those are the things that I know are already planned, that I’ll be doing.”

Although Thomas will have an outsider’s perspective as he takes part in these festivities given that he didn’t attend the institution, he does not have any intentions to change how it is celebrated.

“One thing I’ve learned from being a leader is: don’t try to change something until you know what it is,” Thomas said. “So, I didn’t come in and say ‘design the Gala in the image of David Thomas, President of Morehouse’ because it’s been working for 30 years. So, my view is more so – let me experience it, and then if I bring an idea on how to move it or change it the next year, it’s an idea that comes from knowing what it is and offering with some confidence that it might improve, rather than detract from what it already is.”

Due to the fact that there are “a number of people who are being honored,” President Thomas will be their host. Although the school will be reflecting on the past – in reference to the start of the college, Thomas will also be speaking on his plans for the future to have the college see more years to come.

“Likely, we’ll host a variety of guests at the president’s house where we invite people in to talk about the school and gain a deeper understanding of it,” Thomas said. “Many of the people who come are not alumni, but people who care about Morehouse and want to hear about what’s on the mind and the agenda of the new administration. I’m imagining there will be a lot of those small group and one-on-one conversations with those who are really interested in supporting the school.”

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TAKE IT BACK

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GENERAL EDITION

Open Letter

THE MAROON TIGER

“Over the heads of her students, Morehouse holds a crown that she challenges them to grow tall enough to wear.”

Dear Old Morehouse…

In 1867, the Augusta Institute was founded on the principle of educating former slaves, not only in hopes of dismantling the commodification of Black bodies in the American South’s plantation economy, but also of assisting African-Americans in becoming leaders and change agents in their communities. Since the 19th century, the men who have matriculated through the Institute have forged legacies of intelligence and integrity, rooted in an idealized vision of how the world should be, while navigating a society that oppressed their existence with poise and confidence.

Now Morehouse College, the Augusta Institute served as the initial foundation for the legacy of achievement that prevails at the contemporary institution. Morehouse College’s incomparable ability to produce scholars and global leaders in various fields is due to its standards of excellence that are upheld both within and beyond the classroom.

Regarded as popular sites of informal education on campus, Brown Street and Chivers Hall have provided arenas for interlocutors to engage in complex conversations about a myriad of issues and realities facing the Black community. In acknowledgment of our contributions to history, society demands that Morehouse College and its students fulfill the mission and objectives to which they have pledged.

More than a century following our beloved college’s founding and with the footsteps of our alumni paving the way, it is time for today’s Men of Morehouse to create our own legacy and to continue our longstanding tradition of brotherhood. The Morehouse brotherhood is strengthened through accountability, which elevates the quality of the student, the brother, and the man that each Man of Morehouse inevitably becomes. Accountability, when championed by each of our students, ensures that we as an institution continue to strive for excellence, to wear the crown that we have been metaphorically ordained with by those who look to us as beacons of light in the Black community and in higher education.

The process of growing is eternal, and as such, we must never lose sight of our mission and our purpose. The constant pursuit of progress is what has historically separated Morehouse College from other academic institutions. We should never desire to be merely satisfactory, because the world demands, expects, and needs greatness from Men of Morehouse and Morehouse Men. As our sixth president Dr. Benjamin E. Mays eloquently asserted, “Not failure, but low aim is a sin.”

I write this letter as a call to action to Morehouse College. It is our responsibility to serve as capable and competent community leaders, and the first step in doing so is recognizing and improving on our previous missteps.

The misogyny and patriarchy that exist on an international scale permeates our campus and has created an environment where both Black women and men are not safe.

It is our responsibility to love and to protect our sisters and brothers in a world that seeks to dehumanize and suppress us at every turn. I challenge Morehouse to be a sanctuary, where the oppression imposed upon us outside of our campus is not also imposed upon us within it. I challenge Morehouse to become an institution wholly rid of rape culture, gender bias, and discrimination based on one’s sexual orientation. I challenge the student body to hold one another accountable in public and private spheres to change the culture of Morehouse into one that other institutions would want to imitate.

Brothers, we have been entrusted with The Crown and it is our duty, to the campus, the community, and to ourselves, to carry it forward with integrity and with a vision in line with the principles of the founders of our illustrious institution.

Into Ties More Brotherly,

- Justin T. Henderson Graduating Senior

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A r t e r b e r r y L e g a c y at M o r e h o u s e

By Vaughn Arterberry

Before serving in World War II, a young man from Fairfield, Ala., named Melvin Arterberry enrolled in Morehouse College. After being drafted into the Army and serving a tour in Europe, Melvin returned to Morehouse. While in school, Melvin, along with his younger brother George, were founding members of the Omega Psi-Phi chapter on campus.

George served as president of the chapter.

A popular man on campus, Melvin began running poker games out of his dorm room. Esteemed seventh president of Morehouse College, Benjamin E. Mays, got wind of these poker games and called Melvin into his office. Mays told Melvin to immediately stop the poker activities, and their relationship developed from there into an eventual lifelong friendship.

Melvin and George’s younger brother, James Arterberry, enrolled in Morehouse while his two older brothers were still in school. While starring as an offensive lineman for Morehouse’s football team, James routinely competed in the trenches against his younger brother David Arterberry, who had joined his brothers in Atlanta by attending Clark College (now known as Clark Atlanta University), and was a star defensive lineman on Clark’s football team. It was said that when rivals Clark and Morehouse battled each other, you could always see and hear an Arterberry. Two brothers talked smack to each other on field, while two more cheered from the stands.

Before graduating from Morehouse in 1948, Melvin met a young woman named Geneva Franklin, who was a graduate student at Atlanta University. After graduating, the couple married, started a family and moved west to Los Angeles.

In L.A., Melvin built a career as a successful juvenile probation officer and insurance salesman while remaining involved in his community by coaching Little League baseball.

He was a founding member of the Los Angeles Morehouse

On move-in day 2014, Vaughn Arterberry, Class of 2018, stands alongside (L-R) Uncle William ’80, fellow Morehouse Man Eric “Tiger” Turner ’75 and father George ’78. [Vaughn Arterberry]

Photo By: Vaughn ARterBerry

Alumni Chapter and, until his death in 2015, was responsible for helping thousands of young black men from Los Angeles attend Morehouse.

Two of his three sons, George Franklin Arterberry and William Arterberry, attended Morehouse. George graduated in 1978 and William in 1980. In 1995, George and my mother Georgia Frazier, had me, Vaughn Arterberry. I’ll be graduating from Morehouse on May 20, 2018, 70 years after my grandfather and 40 years after my father. To celebrate Founder’s Week,

I’ve gathered testimonies from the three surviving members of the Arterberry-Morehouse family, to gain perspective on what Morehouse means to us.

George Franklin Arterberry ’78: It is written that our family has had a man at Morehouse every decade since the ’40s, and the legacy and history of our family is shaped as much by this institution as it is by anything else that has touched us over a 75-year span. Dr. Howard Thurman ‘23, once said that “Over the heads of her students, Morehouse holds a crown that she challenges them to grow tall enough to wear.”

We, as Arterberrys, cherish that crown eternally.

William Arterberry ’80: Morehouse was integral in developing my father and uncles into men that I looked up to as a child. When I got to Morehouse along with my brother George, this institution had the same impact in terms of molding me into a man that could go out into the world and accomplish anything, while maintaining the highest level of integrity and character. I took classes here, but Morehouse as a whole was my classroom. I didn’t go to Morehouse, Morehouse went through me. For that, I am forever indebted to this school.

Vaughn Arterberry ’18: I once heard somebody call Morehouse, “The international headquarters of Black male achievement,” and I think that’s the best way to describe it.

Different countries, states, cities and neighborhoods. Different socioeconomic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. Nevertheless, we are all here to achieve. We come here with everything, disguised as nothing. We step out of our comfort zones and grow academically, socially, philosophically, ethically, and spiritually. I stepped on campus as a boy in search of his purpose.

I’m leaving as a young man who understands what it means to live a purpose-driven life. I’m honored to carry on the legacy my grandfather started nearly a century ago.

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GENERAL EDITION

THE MAROON TIGER