5th Annual Cali HBCU & GREEK Reunion

Every July at Loma Alta Park in Altadena, California you can expect a couple things to happen. It will be very hot, being in the dead heat of summer, and the Cali HBCU & GREEK Reunion is going to be lit!! As I eagerly approached the park grounds with sounds of bumping music getting closer and closer I noticed a difference this year when it came to this event. The crowd is a lot bigger, it's growing - I loved that. My friend George, a UC Riverside alum, professed he had not seen this many Black people commence since his Black Grad at UCR. I had first attended the Reunion in 2015, stumbling upon it and enjoying every aspect. The litness of this event comes in many forms. From the food trucks that smell heavenly, the DJ on the mic spinning classic cook out & summer joints, the Deltas and AKA's friendly rivalry to continue, to alumni and current students to represent their HBCUs.

My favorite part this year was the step competition. While the Kappas were doing their dance they enthralled the crowd with their red and white candy cain canes twisting in the air. The DJ jokingly, purely based off of reputation, said 'Ladies if you don't want to be licked stand back' as the Omegas stomped the yard to do their dance. The AKAs showed out first to a melody of Bruno Mars and YG you had OGs with the young bucks and nothing could be more entertaining. Connecting with those in GREEK life and those who have attended HBCUs felt good. It was a real familial atmosphere and events like these need to be highlighted and we need more of this. The Cali HBCU & GREEK Reunion is here to stay and we're all ready for next summer.