Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

The Hilltop

CAMPUS

Howard University Holds 7th Annual LGBTQ+ Lavender Reception for Homecoming

Pictured is the ribbon-cutting ceremony, with administrators and student leaders all participating. Photo Courtesy of Alexia Godinez-Thompson. 

Howard University held the 7th annual LGBTQIA Lavender Reception, an official homecoming event, which celebrated the Howard LGBTQIA community and scholarship recipients.

At 6 p.m., on Oct. 19 the Armour J. Blackburn University Center Ballroom was filled with lavender-colored balloons, decorations, and lights. Refreshments were served and catered by Sodexo, who created a special lavender-colored drink just for the reception. The reception hosts were Vice President of External Affairs Jayda Peets of CASCADE, the oldest LGBTQIA student organization at Howard, and Vice President of Internal Affairs Windsor Bonds of CASCADE. 

The event started with a ribbon cutting to celebrate the launch of the new Intercultural Affairs and LGBTQ+ Resource Center where President Wayne A.I. Frederick spoke on the importance of a “safe space” for all students here at Howard. 

“Institutions like Howard are here to amplify other people’s humanity, and one of the things I want you to always remember is that we want you to be your full self,” Frederick said. “…I want all the spaces to represent you, to combine, and accept you the way you are.” 

The Lavender Fund Scholarship is a way to financially support students who not only identify within the LGBTQIA community but also advocate on and off campus for LGBTQIA rights and visibility. It was founded in 2015 by Christopher Cross, Howard Alum, MS ’14, Ph.D ’19, when he was just a graduate student trustee.

“During that time, Obergefell had just passed, so marriage equality became the law of the land,” Cross said. “I had just finished working on ‘The Hill’ as a science fellow and when I came into my role of graduate trustee, I was like this is the perfect time for us to leverage the political climate to do something that can celebrate LGBT students.” 

The reception’s keynote speaker was Amari Ice, a Howard Alum ‘12, gay love coach, hypnotherapist and number one international best-selling author of “Lasting Love at Last: The Gay Guide to Attracting the Relationship of Your Dreams”. Ice served as president of CASCADE from 2008 to 2011.

Ice spoke on a plethora of topics, but he highlighted how much progress has been made at Howard University in terms of supporting the LGBTQIA community here. 

“When we think about how far the University has come, from student organizations to the university support…there are so many people in the room right now, who were here at a time where this wasn’t true, where we couldn’t be out on campus, where you couldn’t have a Lavender Reception, where there weren’t scholarships for LGBT students on campus,” Ice said. 

Peets, a senior and Howard University Student Association (HUSA) Senate senator, was glad to see that there was active support being shown by the administration at Howard.

“This wasn’t on student government, this was on Howard University themselves. So just to show that the administration really does support us, is making those steps to make us feel comfortable, and recognize their students…Howard University is making me really proud of my school.” Peets said. 

There were seven recipients of the 2022 Lavender Fund Scholarship. They included: Nia Goodall, Laten Jordan, Lowri-Ann Millings, Mia Rivers, and Eshe Ukweli. The graduate recipients were Leslie Hall and Jessica Hargrove. All recipients were able to receive a $1000 amount in their scholarship, with $7000 given this year in total by the Lavender Fund. 

Pictured are Director of Intercultural Affairs, Jose Cadiz and Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Debra Bright. Next to Bright are  scholarship recipients Laten Jordan, Lowri Ann-Millings, Mia Rivers, Eshe Ukweli, and Leslie Hall. Next to Hall is President of Student Affairs, Dr. Cynthia Evers, and Program Coordinator of Intercultural Affairs, JaQuwan Ward (Left to Right).  Photo Courtesy of Alexia Godinez-Thompson. 

In 2018, 26 students applied to the Lavender Fund Scholarship and three of those applicants became recipients. In 2019, there were 18 applicants with four recipients chosen. This year, there were 24 applicants with seven recipients. 

Associate Vice President of student affairs, Dr. Debra Bright thought that the Lavender Reception was a way to truly show support to the students.

“For me, this really an opportunity to celebrate, highlight, and support students of varying identities at Howard University, to let them know how important it is to us that they are here…,” Bright said. “This Lavender Scholarship that we’re giving is just another opportunity to let them know that we are invested in their success here at Howard and we want to do everything we can to support them.” 

Jose Cadiz, Director of Intercultural Affairs and LGBTQ+ resource center, left the students with a “small tidbit” to keep in mind. 

“To all of the students in the room, be you, you are one of one– the queen [Beyonce] said it– continue to do it, continue to be it, live it, breath it, and always be the voice for the voiceless and be the eyes for the individuals that are impaired, continue to fight for individuals that can not fight for themselves,” he said. 

Copy edited by Alana Matthew 

Advertisement

You May Also Like

Variety

Season 7 of the CW’s “All American” premiered last Monday. A conversation with the showrunners and cast unpacked new storylines and their commitment to...

NEWS

Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency Agency (DOGE) have faced backlash for their access to millions of Americans’ financial data.

NEWS

Across the nation, individuals gathered on Feb. 5 to protest against Project 2025 and advocate for the welfare of Americans.

NEWS

President Donald Trump granted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection access to once protected environments. Vandalism occurred at Howard after...

CAMPUS

Howard regained Research One status through the American Council of Education after previously losing the classification in 2005. 

SPORTS

The Washington Capitals awarded members of the Howard figure skating team with exclusive Black History Month jerseys.

Variety

Christie Dashiell, an alumna and professor at the College of Fine Arts, received a nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

NEWS

President Donald Trump makes strides in delivering on campaign promises to fire FBI agents involved in the investigation of Jan. 6 uprising.

MULTIMEDIA

Weekly roundups of the latest news and campus buzz, courtesy of Howard University’s collegiate newspaper, The Hilltop. New episodes every Friday.

Columns

Despite today’s turbulent social climate, protest anthems have faded from mainstream music. Shaped by capitalism, streaming trends and societal shifts, the industry now seems...

SPORTS

The Howard men’s basketball team has committed their social justice project to providing resources and support for mental health.

SPORTS

For National Girls & Woman Sports Day, Hilltop sports writer Armani Durham highlights standout female athletes at Howard.

CAMPUS

Ibram X. Kendi discusses his appointment as a history professor at Howard and founding director of the Howard Institute for Advanced Studies, following the...