First post as a Morehouse Man

Posting has been sporadic since I left Chicago Friday night for graduation weekend at Morehouse. I just retured this morning has some Soul Queen for dinner and have just attempted to deprogram from the ride to and from Atlanta and from the festivities. I still haven't gotten some of the sights and sounds from my mind. It will subside, but I'm glad it's over.

I got my degree, but I hope to be back one day. A pipe dream, perhaps I can teach as I never imagined seeing black people in academic regalia. It's something that should cause many to want to work hard and eventually get to those heights of Ph.D's. If not they'll prolly be content with going to a elite and prestigious instituion.

BTW, my graduation was noted by John Ruberry who noted that President Obama was at Notre Dame the same day of my graduation. Obama was having something of a tough time at South Bend, Indiana as there were many who took issue with his stances on abortion.

But then what John Ruberry doesn't know that Morehouse was in the running to get President Obama to speak at our commencement.It didn't happen of course and we were briefed on the fact that since Obama is President the Secret Service will take great pains to protect him going so far as to account for every person who attends graduation. Perhaps even make the atmosphere less intimate as it felt during the whole ceremony.

Instead we had as our speakers Dr. Henry Louis Gates and actress Cicely Tyson. In fact at the baccalaureate service the afternoon before I was just across the aisle from her. Tyson got back into the role of Miss Jane Pittman in her message to the 2009 graduates of Morehouse College starting with the line "people need someone to lead them".

BTW, I really like Dr. Gates' academic headgear. It almost looks like some pimp gear except not as flashy although it could be possible that pimp hats may have been based of that hat. I'm working on the assumption that academic regalia originated during the Renaissance era.

Anyway the experience has been nothing less than inspiring especially for those who didn't make academic honors. Now to the charge of "your house at your service". Can't wait!

PS, I wish I had thought to alert you that my commencement was broadcast live on the internet. You would have seen and heard my full name for the first time as it's never actually been broadcast on this blog.

ALSO, if President Obama had been able to speak at Morehouse (in fact Morehouse seen on ABC and BBC on election night) it would have only meant an uptick in donations. Well according to those faculty who were close to this matter and probably have observed what Presidential commencement speeches have caused to many universities around the nation. Dr. Robert Franklin, President of Morehouse also noted that he was the first president of Morehouse to say that the President of the United States looks like you.