Homecoming at Morgan State University, other HBCUs is a cultural phenomenon

It’s been 24 years since Azikiwe DeVeaux graduated from Morgan State University, but he still makes it a mission to attend its homecoming celebration each year. The New York City native likes to build on the fond memories he made as a transfer student more than two decades ago at the Baltimore-based university, a member of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs. “At an HBCU, you create these friendships that become like your cornerstone as you navigate through life,” said DeVeaux, 47, of Mount Washington. “In the real world, you are oftentimes outnumbered. Your HBCU family are people who can relate, they can be that anchor for you in a storm, and it is also reminiscent of a time when you didn’t have certain pressures.”