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03:33that there are all of these different prophets and people who God was in relationship with.
03:38And whenever God met them, whether it was Jacob or Abraham, Noah or David, they built an altar
03:45to mark the spot where God met them. And it sounds like maybe cliche just because it's in the Bible
03:53and it sounds like maybe it's something easy to do. But the reality is that building an altar
03:58back then took a lot of work. It meant that they had to pause from the rhythm of what they were
04:03doing, pause from the progression that they were making and take a moment to acknowledge that God
04:09met them. God showed up. God performed a miracle for them that only he could have done. And I feel
04:15like as we celebrate homecoming that it's all about marking the spot as well, marking the spot where
04:21we've grown, where we've changed, where we've transformed. And I want to challenge you to bring
04:25the spirit of homecoming into 2020 into all of the years that are to follow after this. I want to
04:32challenge you to not just take a mental note of when God has met you, but to be intentional about
04:39really marking the spot, about taking time, removing yourself from the expectations of what people think
04:45you should be doing and how people think you should be flowing and allowing yourself a moment to build an
04:51altar that says, God, you showed me who I am in this moment. God, I didn't think I was going to make
04:57it. And yet here I am. God, you preserved my family. God, you helped me to recover. God, you helped me to
05:03make ends meet. I want to build an altar that costs me something. Maybe it's having a journal where we
05:09write down all of the things that have gone well for us this year. Maybe it's a social media post that
05:15could inspire someone else. But whatever it is, I want you to make sure that you are intentional about
05:21bringing the spirit of homecoming into your everyday life. Because after all, homecoming is about a
05:29particular location when it comes to school, but in our soul and our spirit, I think homecoming is when
05:35we come back into alignment with the truth that we are not alone. We haven't been forsaken and that we're
05:42still growing even in the middle of chaos. I want to invite you back home to you. And in order to do that, we have to
05:50look at the breadcrumbs of where we haven't been left behind, the breadcrumbs of where we've grown and
05:56how we've transformed. There are breadcrumbs. They're often hard to see in the middle of the storms and
06:02the trials, but they're there. I want you to know if I could speak on behalf of God, because I've been in
06:09prayer for you. If you would allow me to just share a few moments of what I feel is his heart for you,
06:16that he sees you, that he knows it's been rough. He knows that you're up against some things that
06:23often feel bigger than you. And yet he has this invitation that says, greater is he that is in you
06:29than he that is in the world. That means that if you come into a place where you are in alignment
06:35with God, then there is nothing outside of you that is bigger than the God that is working inside of you.
06:40I hear God saying, I'm proud of you. I hear God saying that I didn't leave you here so that you
06:46could drown. I didn't leave you here so that you could be sad. I didn't leave you here to struggle.
06:51I placed you in this earth because I believe that you can change it. Take that same energy,
06:57that same passion that allowed you to make it through school and ask yourself, how is that passion
07:03showing up in my life now? Because it's going to be that kind of passion, that type of power
07:09that is going to allow you to stand up to whatever this year, this decade, this next century child
07:15holds for you and the generations connected to you. I celebrate you today and every day
07:22because you found your way home. And my prayer is that you never lose sight of where you are planted,
07:30where you experience the most fruit, the most clarity, the most creativity, the most vision.
07:35And we all get off course sometimes and we go through seasons where it feels like we're not
07:39having much harvest. But make sure you stay planted in the truth of who you are, the truth
07:44of who God has called you to be, and allow that truth to guide you until you bear much more fruit.
07:52I can't wait to celebrate with you all day long. We've got a special day planned for you
07:56and we are just getting started.
08:26Didn't I conquer this last year? Tell me what I missed? Cause I fear that it's coming back up again.
08:45Must be something I hate. Some song, some show, some hate.
08:51The devil wants to extend the game. Free throws. And when it ends, he wants to make the sequel.
09:06Cause if he gets another chance, he feels like he can take my joy, my peace, my faith.
09:18See the devil, he learns from your mistakes. Even if you don't.
09:27That's how he keeps you in cycles. Cycles. He tries to keep us in cycles. Cycles.
09:43But I'm not calling you in cycles. Cycles.
09:58This will end like I want it to. I win. The enemy will have to lose. Again.
10:10See I'm a different fighter now. I'm a different fighter now.
10:15And I have got to think. Cause his joy is my strength.
10:22See the devil will learn it's a mistake. When I am sure.
10:32I'm not going in cycles. I'm not going in cycles. I'm not going in cycles.
10:44I'm not going in cycles. Help me break these cycles. Cycles.
10:53I'm not going in cycles. I'm not going in cycles. Cycles.
10:59See the bridge.
11:00Oh, so Lord, help me be free from all of my past sins.
11:13So your, your love is enough to make me new and help me in these cycles.
11:28Help me break these cycles. Lord, get us out of these cycles.
11:34Psycho. Psycho. Psycho. Psycho. Psycho. Psycho. Psycho.
11:50I'll tell you how we're going to do it.
11:51Cause there is power in the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus.
12:09To break every cycle. To break every cycle. To break every cycle.
12:14To break all these cycles. Say, say.
12:17There is power in the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus.
12:32In the name of Jesus, to break every cycle.
12:40Psycho.
12:43Psycho.
12:46Psycho.
12:48To end every cycle.
12:52To break all these cycles.
12:55Hey.
12:56Yeah.
12:56That was eight times Stellar Award winning gospel artist Jonathan McReynolds and his artist Doe kicking things off in high spirit for day two of our She Got Now 2020 Homecoming virtual experience presented by Pepsi and Essence.
13:23What's going on, y'all? I'm Terrence J. And today we're going to celebrate black excellence in grand style.
13:30Now, homecoming season at HBCUs is upon us and we're going to be saluting the past, present and future of education in black college at the highest level.
13:41Now, you know, homecoming might look different this year, but the heart and soul of our celebration remains the same.
13:47Pepsi and Essence didn't want this season to go on without celebrating that legacy, history, and joy that is HBCU Homecoming.
13:55Today, we're going to spotlight a few young, gifted, and black women who are past honorees of the She Got Now initiative created by Pepsi and Essence to highlight young women from various HBCUs who are creating impact within their communities.
14:11So, throughout the show, we're going to give you guys a taste of what homecoming is all about, along with some tips about how you can take tailgating to the next level wherever you might be.
14:21Plus, we're going to hear from some 2019 She Got Now recipients and hear how the HBCU experience changed their lives.
14:29So, we got a big day ahead.
14:30So, let's get back and take a look back with two of the 2019 She Got Now honorees who represent Florida A&M.
14:38One is a multimedia personality and author, and the other is an undergraduate student poised to take the world by storm.
14:46Here's Rashawn Ali and student Robin Sr.
15:00I'm so grateful for the time that I've spent here.
15:05Every year at homecoming, when I come back, I get that same feeling.
15:09We have a song called, Give Me That Old Family Spirit.
15:11It's good enough for me.
15:13That's the feeling you get when you come to this campus.
15:17It's absolutely priceless.
15:20I am a better woman because I attended this institution.
15:23From an early age, I was inspired by my grandmother.
15:26She did not have a high school education.
15:28She was just so strong, earned 14 cents an hour, and was able to save up enough money and land to then pass on to all of us.
15:37So, every time I walk on campus, I feel her spirit, and I feel blessed, and I know that I can do anything because she, without a high school education, did everything for us.
15:45The homecoming experience is different every single year.
15:54There's a different personality to every single homecoming, which is why I love coming back, to see what it's going to be like.
16:00Who's coming back?
16:01Who you see?
16:02What type of party you're going to go to?
16:04You can tell the love everyone has when we stand up and we sing our alma mater, and we begin with the College of Love and Charity.
16:11I think that's really what embodies this school.
16:15I believe that our journeys have less to do with us and more to do with other people witnessing how we navigate through this life.
16:22When you realize that it's bigger than who you are and that you're living your life for other people, not necessarily to please them, but to be an example,
16:32I know if I can help one girl out, then my life is not in vain.
16:37The little girls that I see who come up to me and they say,
16:41Robin, I want to run for president now, or I want to join this position in this organization, and that is really what warms my heart.
16:48HBCUs are important. At one point, this was the only place that black students had the opportunity to go.
16:55The legacy I want to leave behind is to make my dash count.
17:01You know, we don't get the opportunity to choose the day we are born, and we don't get to choose the day we leave this earth.
17:09But what we do have complete autonomy over is the dash in the middle.
17:12What will your dash say about you?
17:15What legacy are you leaving?
17:17What mark on this world are you leaving?
17:19What type of legacy are you leaving for your children?
17:21What would they say about you when it's all said and done?
17:23Rashawn is. Rashawn did what?
17:26And I want what I did to have made such an impact on people that will live for years and years to come, even after I'm gone.
17:33So my legacy is to make sure that dash counts.
17:43That was a look back at two of our 2019 She Got Now honorees.
17:47Now, in the spirit of educational achievement, PepsiCo is offering opportunities for students to gain knowledge about sales and management in supply chain internships.
17:58So if you want to learn more about that, all you got to do is go to Essence.com before October 26th and click the link on the live show screen for more information.
18:08Now, we could not have homecoming without the divine nom bringing the heat.
18:12I remember, man, coming out on the yard was one of my proudest moments of my life.
18:17Being a member of Omega Psi Phi is something that's near and dear to my heart.
18:20So right now, we're going to check in with the fraternities and sororities repping our HBCUs.
18:37Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated.
18:39It's your boy JT Garner.
18:40Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, A to Kappa Chapter.
18:54Hi, my name is Ashley Gillum.
19:12I'm affectionately known as Brie.
19:14And I'm a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Fraternity Incorporated.
19:19Alpha Phi Chapter of Clark Atlanta University.
19:24So what made me join Alpha Kappa Alpha Fraternity Incorporated is, honestly, it's the only thing I've ever known.
19:31It set a standard in my life from a very early age.
19:34I joined my organization because growing up, I knew the impact that Greek life had on my parents.
19:40Zeta for me was some of my first exposure to class, poise, and professionalism.
19:45My favorite thing about Greek life is the bond that I have with my Sigma brothers, Alpha brothers, Delta sisters, a.k.a. sisters.
19:53The fact that, like, wherever I go, I always have a friend somewhere.
19:57Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated just elevated me.
20:01It challenged me.
20:02It made me.
20:03I didn't have to change who I am to become them.
20:06I was already in Alpha without the letters, without the pen.
20:08When you talk about the Divine Nine and HBCU Greek life, a lot of people just look at it for, oh, you're, you know, wearing your letters or your jacket and you're ooping or, you know, around campus.
20:22But it's so much more than that.
20:23Like, when you look at it historically, we have always been the backbone of activism, of just philanthropy and paying it forward and really doing things that enact actual change within our society.
20:39So it's about sisterhood scholarship and service.
20:42And definitely at Ada Kappa, we invited that.
20:45I was actually a Bonner Scholar when I was there, which is a community service-based scholarship.
20:48I love the organization because it stresses achievement in every endeavor.
20:57And my frat brothers push me every day to achieve my goals.
21:02That's what it's about.
21:02It's about paying it forward.
21:04And it's about how you can be an agent of change and doing something meaningful to move the needle in all respective areas.
21:13You know how the Greeks do it on the yard, baby.
21:15That was just a little example of how it goes down in the HBCU homecoming.
21:19But right now, we're going to keep that energy moving.
21:21Hot tilt with another performance from Jonathan McReynolds.
21:33Hey, you.
21:36I haven't seen those eyes for quite some time.
21:40It's been a while, and there's something different in mine, too.
21:48They've seen so many places, different faces, complications.
21:54But there's something still beautiful about you.
21:58And what happened to the friendship that we were so genuinely lost?
22:11And there was so much tension.
22:17We spent one time fighting than being in love.
22:26And we were just victims of everyone's expectations.
22:33Oh, oh, oh, yeah.
22:38Fighting for a young love, but we were losing because of our communication.
22:49Hey, you.
22:51I still get butterflies internalizing you
22:57I'm not lying, I just can't find the truth
23:02It seems like I'm playing games, but honestly I'm so afraid
23:09Love is something different for me too
23:14And maybe that hurt the friendship
23:21We were so genuinely, yes
23:26But now there's so much tension
23:32We spend more time fighting than being in love
23:38Oh, we were just the victor of everyone's expectation
23:48Oh, we're fighting for young love
23:55But we were losing because of our communication
24:00Oh, our communication
24:02Oh, we were just the victor of everyone's expectation
24:11Oh, all those expectations we're fighting for
24:17Our love, we were losing because of our communication
24:22We were so genuine, now we're so distant
24:31Poor communication
24:34But we were so in love, now we keep fighting
24:42Poor communication
24:46Great communication
24:52I hate you
24:53Thank you
24:55!
25:16Hello, this is Keisha Knight Pulliam, and yay, welcome to Virtual Homecoming.
25:33We are going to make some delicious fried chicken wings with My Spices, the Keisha's
25:40Kitchen Collection.
25:41It's going to be yummy.
25:46Welcome to my kitchen.
25:49It's really crazy because I've always loved cooking, and the kitchen has just always been
25:55the heart of our home growing up, and I realized that people just weren't, you know, at home.
26:02Everyone eats out, everyone orders food in or what have you, and I decided to do my own
26:07spices because I realized a lot of people don't cook because they're like, I don't know what
26:11to put on chicken, or I don't know how to season my vegetables to make them taste good.
26:16So, I made it really easy.
26:18My spices, I have a meat, a poultry, and an all-purpose, and I actually have some new spices that will
26:22be launching for the holidays, but it's just good, all-natural ingredients, and you really
26:30can't mess it up.
26:31Just don't burn it, and if you put this on it, you'll be fine.
26:34Okay.
26:35This is some good old vegetable oil.
26:37We don't want them swimming.
26:39However, we do want enough for them to kind of float a little bit.
26:49So, as our oil heats up, we're going to season our chicken.
26:55Make sure you dry your chicken wings thoroughly because if they're kind of like wet and eh,
27:00the seasoning doesn't stick to them right, it just doesn't work out too well.
27:04We have about two pounds.
27:05We're just going to kind of make a layer like this because you want all of the seasoning
27:10to coat the chicken evenly, so I do my best to kind of do them in the layers so that when
27:15I sprinkle, it gets all sides.
27:17My secret is a little yellow mustard and some hot sauce.
27:23Oh, and this hot sauce top was not on.
27:25That was almost tragic.
27:26A little bit of pinch of salt.
27:30Not too much because we're going to layer the flavors, so a little bit definitely goes
27:35a long way.
27:36There we go.
27:37We got some pepper on there.
27:40We'll just start with a half a teaspoon just to give you some sort of reference.
27:43So, we'll go a half a teaspoon and then we'll just do a little baby bit of poultry, keeping
27:50forth a teaspoon, get a little sprinkle like this, perfection.
27:57Mix it so that everything is everywhere.
28:04I'm sorry for y'all home because the chicken hasn't even hit the grease and it smells amazing
28:09and here.
28:10You can be generous.
28:11Mustard.
28:12Just a little hot sauce.
28:13Okay.
28:14Okay.
28:15And the thing about it is this hot sauce, it gets diluted with the mustard so if you have
28:27little ones like I have little ones, it's not going to be too hot for them.
28:30I'm going to take off my rings and we're just going to get this in here.
28:38Oh yeah.
28:39Next, all we have to do is dredge it in flour and we're going to put it in the grease.
28:45I have a trick.
28:46If you get a Ziploc bag, you can put your flour in the Ziploc bag and kind of shake your wings
28:52and get them coated evenly and it's the best way.
28:58Now let's put it in the grease before it gets too hot.
28:59So also make sure to dry your hands even if you've washed them because if not it'll get
29:05all cakey.
29:06So shake a little excess flour.
29:07There we go.
29:08And we don't want to crowd the pan.
29:09Turn it down a little bit.
29:10So this chicken is really good.
29:11Now let's put it in the grease before it gets too hot.
29:14So also make sure to dry your hands even if you've washed them because if not it'll get
29:21all cakey.
29:22So shake a little excess flour.
29:23There we go.
29:24And we don't want to crowd the pan.
29:29Turn it down a little bit.
29:37So this chicken is looking amazing.
29:42Choosing a historically black college was one of the best decisions that I've ever made.
29:48I actually filmed on the campus of Spelman College when I was on the Cosby Show.
29:52I was about seven years old and that's honestly when I fell in love.
29:56I saw all of these women who were just so beautiful and they looked like me walking around campus.
30:02And when it came time to apply, my dad tried his best to get me to apply to Harvard and UVA and Yale and all of these schools.
30:11And I was like, nope.
30:12Uh-uh.
30:13I'm going to Spelman.
30:14And then I was in men's place.
30:15I was like, no, I was No.
30:16I played early decision, and the rest is history.
30:17You want them nice and golden.
30:19Oh, yeah.
30:24You don't want to fuss with it.
30:26So you kind of just let it do its thing.
30:29A tailgate at an HBCU is like a family reunion, a football game, concert, a block party, beer bash, that's what they were called when I was at Spelman, all wrapped into one.
30:45When you run into whoever on the yard with your red cup in hand, it's an experience like no other.
30:55And it's one of those things that's just magic. And you really can't understand it unless you experience an HBCU.
31:03So it looks like a couple of our pieces of chicken are about ready.
31:09So we're going to take our paper towel. Listen, all black families in America, you know you have to drain your fried chicken on some paper towels.
31:16So we're going to keep this. This is how we do.
31:25So from here, depending on what you do, you can make a little women pepper seasoning, you can put some hot sauce on them, you can do all of the above.
31:38But these are the yummy chicken wings.
31:46This is the best part when you're the cook. You get to eat.
31:49And we have our brussels, and we have our wings. And it is yummy.
32:00This is really the true tale. We've got to hear the crunch. Talk about this mustard. Listen when you bite into this chicken.
32:06Mm, mm, mm!
32:09Mm, mm, mm!
32:12I just need this little hot sauce.
32:15That's perfect.
32:17So, you guys go enjoy your virtual homecoming.
32:19And I'm gonna enjoy these wings.
32:21Mm, mm, mm!
32:25That's good.
32:27Hi, my name is Sandrika Citizen.
32:34I'm a senior business entrepreneurship major from Houston, Texas, and I serve as the 2019-2020 Miss Norfolk State University.
32:43The HBCU experience is black excellence in its prime.
32:50It's coming to a university where there's true history because it connects you all together, all HBCUs across the country, and you find pride in it.
33:04I see homecoming and the community intersecting the day of the game.
33:12We have a parade for the community early that morning at 8 a.m., and it's just like a time where we all get together and really just celebrate how the university contributes to the community, and we just have a good time, and everybody's happy to see each other and happy to see what's been going on throughout the year.
33:34The favorite part about the football game for me is halftime.
33:39The Spartan Legion comes out on the field, and then we have Hot Ice, which is the best band and the best dancers in all of Virginia and across the country.
33:47Norfolk State has changed my life because I came here as a girl who kind of had an idea of what she wanted for her future.
34:05She just wanted greatness to, like, having a direction, having a family that isn't blood, that loves me so much and supports me so much, and I love them back.
34:15Because that's what my university stands for, we have the shield, and that's integrity, and honesty, and civility, and making sure that you're out here doing what you need to do to be a global citizen and make a difference in the world and in your community.
34:27I personally feel like, at this moment, Black culture is the culture of today, and that's what we're here to do, exemplify what it means to be educated and Black.
34:36And me being in this position right now just continues to remind me that I made it here, and someone else can make it here, too.
34:45Yeah, yeah. Big ups to Norfolk State University. I spent a lot of time there. Big ups to Sandrica Citizen, who graduated with a degree in Business Entrepreneurship. Congratulations.
34:58Congratulations. Now, the HBCU experience encourages our young people of color to excel within higher education.
35:05Remember, man, this is a big, big, big election year. We need to make sure that we're mobilized.
35:11We need to make sure that we're out there at the polls. It's less than two weeks away, and we need to make sure that all of our voices and our votes are heard.
35:19We can't have homecoming without sharing how important it is to stand up for our community and make sure we go out there to those polls. Take a look.
35:28Why is it important to vote for years before any of us were born?
35:39The shoulders that we stand on as African-American people who fought for their right to vote, fought for the right to be counted, who fought for the right to be seen, and for us to just throw that vote away.
35:55I think right now, more than ever, when people think that we don't count again, when people feel like we don't matter again, to show how much we matter, our voices need to be heard.
36:11The one thing that you can do, you know, there's a lot of things you can't change. There's a lot of things you can't fix yourself.
36:17But the one thing that you can do is vote. Make sure that people know where your voice lands, but make sure that people understand where you stand as a person, as a human, as an American.
36:30It's important for the HBCU community to vote because you already love Black people.
36:37You're given to an institution which has given us so much for so long.
36:41You're resourceful. Your families have worked very hard. You've made a dollar out of 15 cents, as we used to say.
36:51And you don't want to waste any of your power.
36:55Voting is a form of power. It's not the end-all, be-all, but it's one of the ways we get to flex on our own behalf, for our own needs, for our own people.
37:05And it sits right up there with protesting and putting profit to good use and beyond.
37:10So claiming your right to vote and using it is claiming power that is well-earned, that you are in a much better position to use than somebody who doesn't have your interest at heart.
37:23So it's important for the HBCU community to vote because you've already demonstrated the commitment to the community.
37:29This is just the follow-through.
37:31Unmute your opportunities. Unmute what you stand for.
37:58Unmute your dreams. Unmute your future. Unmute your voice.
38:02Register to vote. Visit rockthevote.org slash Pepsi.
38:11The HBCU experience is a gift.
38:16While you can go to any university and get a great education, it's the family and the relationships and the security that you feel when you're here that's so important.
38:25And I wish everybody could have that gift.
38:28To see people like us striving for greatness, just striving to make a difference in their life, trying to get a degree, trying to set their self apart, put their self ahead, that just matters to see them.
38:39One thing that Hampton has taught me that I always take with me is to let my life do the singing.
38:46It's a part of our song, and it always rings true no matter where I am.
38:52If I'm having a hard time, I have to remember that my life and how I live and the example that I lead is what's most important.
38:59And so I always keep in the back of my mind, just keep singing.
39:02My favorite part about homecoming is that it actually feels like a family reunion.
39:12To be able to come back year after year, I've never missed a year because it's so important to be able to just see all of those friendly faces, the famous Hampton hugs.
39:30I live for them.
39:32So homecoming is just really a family reunion.
39:36All the alumni, parents, everybody's just here.
39:39And it just feels like a cookout, like a home cookout.
39:42Everybody's vibing.
39:43It's music, good food, and of course, the football game.
39:52Hampton has taught me to be a businesswoman above all, to hold myself accountable for everything that I do.
39:57And the environment here is just based on excellence, and I just want to be excellent in everything I do because that's something that I embody, and I just carry that with me all the time.
40:07I believe that you have to be the change you want to see, and so I can't wait another minute because tomorrow could be too late.
40:16What drives me most is progression of the black community.
40:21I know that we've come a long way, but we still have so far to go.
40:25It's all about us sticking together and supporting one another and knowing that we're stronger together.
40:37That was another one of our She Got Now honorees doing incredible things.
40:44And if you want to get more information, use the hashtag, hashtag She Got Now, to find out about the She Got Now initiative and how it champions our young women.
40:53It's an amazing program.
40:55Make sure you check it out.
40:56Also, if you're a college junior or you know a college junior, there's some amazing opportunities, some internships.
41:03Go to Essence.com before the 26th of October, or you can click the link on the page for more information on that.
41:11All right, let's get back to it.
41:12You know homecoming is all about the community and giving back.
41:15So here's some well wishes from some faces you might know.
41:18We have a phrase that we use to call to Aggies, wherever we may be, and it's referred and it's said affectionately, Aggie, right?
41:31Hi, my name is Maria Rogers, and I'm so happy to be a part of this experience with you guys.
41:38I am a graduate of HBCU.
41:40I am an alumni of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
41:49I would just like to shout out the illustrious Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, 1887.
41:57If you want to tell me what you know about the Jackson State University, 1400 J. Arlen Street.
42:06That's me.
42:07Hey, that's me.
42:09Shout out to Jackson State University Tigers.
42:11I came of age during the, you know, the time of a different world.
42:22And it had a profound impact on me and nearly everyone I know who was at a historical life college during that time.
42:29And we were all trying to figure out if we were going to be Whitney or Jaleesa or we were going to meet Dwayne or any of these people.
42:36And it really brought to our attention the ways in which you could have this really special racial experience that you couldn't get other places.
42:45You can't hide that Spartan pride.
42:48Behold, the green and gold.
42:51Hey, everybody.
43:00I'm actress Mara Hall.
43:02You see me on HBCU, Grace Madden, Scandal, and currently at the RCA Lancaster on Ambitious or Stumpers.
43:12I am a proud HBCU graduate of the Jackson State University.
43:19I have the most amazing time.
43:25When I came here, when I came to Columbia, South Carolina from Florida, I was not going to college.
43:31I was riding with a friend whose family decided to bring me along because I was sleeping on their couch that week.
43:36And I got a whole college experience because of Benedict College and they took a chance on me.
43:45And so forever in my life, I will promote HBCUs.
43:48Forever in my life will I tell people that if you come from a low income area or an area where that's very wealthy,
43:56you are not going to ever find an experience quite like an HBCU.
44:00It just feels like me.
44:01When you go to HBCU, you have an extended family.
44:05When you go across the world, any city, any state, and there's someone else from an HBCU, it's like you're just meeting family.
44:14I think trying to figure out what makes Norfolk State homecoming the greatest one of the planets, I just do.
44:21Hands down, I just believe it's the greatest.
44:22You know, people might tell me differently, but I absolutely believe Norfolk State is the greatest homecoming.
44:27But to try and figure out like exactly what it is, I think it's almost like saying, okay, I'm drinking a Pepsi or something.
44:35I'm saying, okay, what's the greatest ingredient inside the Pepsi?
44:38No, it's no one greatest ingredient.
44:40It's like everything that comes together to make it the greatest experience.
44:43And to all of my people over at Howard, H-U, you know.
44:48All the HBCUs out there, I love y'all.
44:55I'm just waiting for one of y'all to invite me to homecoming.
44:58Those are just a few shout-outs for some familiar faces.
45:02Man, it feels so good to be a part of a prestigious group of college graduates that had the honor and privilege to attend an HBCU.
45:10It's just nothing like it.
45:11My time at North Carolina A&T State University changed my life for the better.
45:16They gave me opportunities, they gave me lifelong friends, and a foundation that I still use to this day.
45:22So thank you to A&T, and thank you to all the HBCUs out there.
45:27All right, now it's time for our fourth and final 2019 She Got Now honoree.
45:33I want you guys to take a look at Kayla Thompson.
45:35I'm Kayla Thompson.
45:42I am a junior psychology major from Cleveland, Ohio, and I currently attend Howard University,
45:47and I proudly serve on the Howard University Royal Court as Miss College of Arts and Sciences.
45:52It's really been an amazing experience just being surrounded by so many people of color who are so excellent in so many different things.
46:01I mean, I literally go to school with the best and the brightest, and it motivates me every day to be the best and the brightest.
46:08In every class that I have, there's always a big emphasis on black scientists who have really laid the framework and allowed us to be here today.
46:15So I think it's really important to know your history and know where you came from and how it really provides us with that.
46:20My most cherished memory at Howard?
46:23Definitely when I was with the Howard Gospel Choir, we sang at the wharf, so that's like right on the water.
46:28And then at the end of the concert, fireworks went off, and it was just a really beautiful moment.
46:32The HBCU experience is just being submerged in your culture and loving every second of it,
46:38and then also being surrounded by people who are just so excellent, but they also look like you, which makes it all the more amazing.
46:44My favorite part about homecoming is Yard Fest.
46:48So that is a big concert on the yard.
46:51There's vendors, there's food, all the alumni are there, and it's just really great.
46:56My purpose is to leave light everywhere that I go and to always just inspire people to be their best selves, but also to be true to themselves.
47:05I think it's really important just to be genuine, and I think that that's when you find the greatest success.
47:09One thing that Howard has taught me that will always stay with me is that everyone can be great and that there's a seat at the table for everyone.
47:17One thing that I kind of lost sight of when I got here, just being surrounded by everyone who was just so amazing,
47:22was that, you know, everybody is great, and there's a place for everyone.
47:25You just have to find it.
47:26That was a look at our final 2019 She Got Now honoree, Howard University's own Kayla Thompson.
47:38Congratulations once again to all of the She Got Now honorees.
47:42And to learn more about how to apply for PepsiCo sales management and supply chain internships,
47:47all you got to do is go to Essence.com before October 26th or click the link on the live show screen for more information.
47:55Man, this has been a great day.
47:56The virtual homecoming season is definitely underway.
47:59Remember to stay safe so we can get back to action at the HBCU homecomings in real life next year.
48:05We want to thank you for hanging out.
48:07Essence, PepsiCo, and you.
48:09My name is Terrence J.
48:11I look forward to seeing y'all on the yard.
48:13Peace.
48:14Good afternoon.
48:15On behalf of PepsiCo North America Beverages, South Division,
48:20we want to thank you for tuning in to this special two-day event,
48:23She Got Now 2020 Virtual HBCU Homecoming.
48:28While our celebration looked a little different this year,
48:30we still partied with a purpose and recognized 16 incredible She Got Now honorees.
48:36We want to thank our participating and partnering HBCUs for standing with us
48:42and showing us Black excellence at its finest.
48:45Thank you to Hampton University, Norfolk State University, Benedict College,
48:53Florida A&M University, University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff, Jackson State University,
48:58Prairie View A&M University, and of course, my alma mater, North Carolina A&T State University.
49:07And a special thanks to our performers and guests, Monica, Jonathan McReynolds, Doe,
49:15Sarah Jakes-Roberts, Keisha Knight Pulliam, Bartunde, Mario, DJ Envy,
49:24Mack Wilds, Dougie Fresh, and his amazing crew, and last but certainly not least,
49:32my fellow A&T alum, Terrence J., for being an incredible host, and he always shows his HBCU love.
49:40We at Pepsi are on a mission to celebrate and educate our community.
49:44For more information, visit Essence.com slash She Got Now to learn more about our incredible
49:52She Got Now honorees, our 2021 internship program, to catch up on content you might have missed,
50:00and more.
50:01And don't forget, please use your voice and vote.
50:06Thank you all and take care.
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