homecoming

This weekend I traveled to New Brunswick, NJ to work at the Stress Factory Comedy Club. I was SUPER excited to finally get the chance to work this room since it’s literally 10 minutes from the house I grew up in. It’s a great club and they bring in top-notch talent. Not bad, New Brunswick… not bad at all…

My parents retired some years ago and moved south so I don’t have the opportunity/reason to visit very often. Downtown NB has grown so much since the last time I was home — 5 or 6Â years ago. And I was looking forward to going to some of my favorite local spots (shout to the fine folks at Nicola’s, Filippo’s Famous, Old Bay and Delta’s — how I missed you so…) and catching up with old friends and famÂ — most of whom have never seen me perform live. So many folks came out to support — way too many for me to post all the photos. But here are a few just for fun’s sake ;)

Me with D'Ana

Me with Mr. and Mrs. Plummer

Les and J -- my two BFF's

The staff at the club like to make collages using photos of the comics’ faces on all kinds of different backgrounds. Saturday nite when we walked into the green room there was my face on the headliner’s body. Too funny We both signed it and now we’re a part of the album! ;)

We had some really great shows, so I’m hoping I’ll have the opportunity to go back and work there again. I had some fun with a couple bachelor/bachelorette parties at the Saturday late show. So if the tape didn’t cut off by then I’ll post it later on… Two days home and then off to Wisconsin!

Yay? ;)

Ahhh… The Notorious B.I.G. immortalized Howard University’s homecoming in the posthumously-released hip-hop classic (can we call this a classic?… Has it been long enough?…) Kick in the Door because really, there’s nothing in the world like it! Yesterday was the culmination of Howard’s week-long homecoming celebration. And if you’ve never been to a Black college homecoming, I suggest you do it before it’s too late!

I graduated from Howard a few years ago ;). And I love and appreciate my alma mater more today than I did when I was a student. With a 141-year legacy of educating some of the brightest, most progressive minds and talents from all over the African diaspora, Howard is one of (and I only say “one of” because I don’t wanna start an e-fight :) the greatest Historically Black Universities in the nation. I actually used to work as a recruiter for Howard’s Office of Admissions and it was my job to travel around the country telling people how great Howard is, educating them about the opportunities the University offers, and sharing my experiences as a student and an employee. I traveled to Oklahoma City and Memphis, New Orleans, Boston and Anchorage… and no matter where I went, people came out… they signed up for my information sessions… because they knew about and respected my university. It was an amazingly validating experience AND I got paid for it. Life was good.

Thousands of Howard alumni, as well as folks who attended other schools or just happen to live in the DMV area come out for the festivities. When I was younger, homecoming meant a week of non-stop partying, attending fashion and comedy shows and poetry slams and pageants, but as I’ve gotten older, it’s become more about catching up with old classmates, meeting their families, and reminiscing on what will always be one of the greatest periods of our lives…

But I still party a little ;)

Here are a few snapshots from my weekend:

These are my girls Christina and Keisha a.k.a. Kellz. We have a photo of the three of us from every homecoming we attended as students and alumni. I was looking back at some of them this morning. My, my, my how we’ve changed ;)

Me and my boy KG. You may remember him as one of the assailants in the underground video classic Ghetto Superstar.

The fabulous DWJ with her godson (another one of our HU friends’ son), Ajani. I remember when his mom was pregnant with him. Now he’s seven and super duper adorable. Man…

And this is me, X-Tina and Kellz again. See, told you we still partied a little ;)

Homecomings and my head on a white man’s body

“May see me in DC at Howard’s Homecoming…”