Morehouse graduate Jauan T. Durbin is a community organizer and social impact consultant. An Atlanta resident and an HBCU graduate, he shares his college journey and his fondest memories and details some of the activist work going on in Atlanta University Center and why we have to hold our institutions accountable.
Tell us about your college journey and what you currently do.
I’m an alumnus of Morehouse College in Atlanta, class of 2020. While I was at Morehouse, I actually had the pleasure of organizing on campus, in various positions. I was in the Student Government Association, Mr. Sophomore, Mr. Spelman College, and represented all HBCUs as Mr. Historically Black Colleges and Universities. I got a degree in sociology, so I wove my degree into my community advocacy. So saying, why society operates the way that it does in terms of the oppressing of Black and Brown bodies and LGBTQIA+ individuals as well, then just translating that into actual community building and outreach to uplift. I also consult on a wider range of projects going from higher education to nonprofit and politics as well.
What are some of your favorite memories from college?
I would say what I was able to do in terms of policy at the school. I was actually really influential in helping to shape our transgender policy at Morehouse. While on the Student Government Association, I was a secretary of diversity and inclusion. One of my proudest [moments] at Morehouse was directly after I graduated during Freedom Summer after George Floyd was murdered by police and a Morehouse brother and sister were assaulted by Atlanta police. Organizing those protests and rallies right after I graduated was the most full-circle moment for me in terms of bridging both my influence as an individual and also my community organizing outreach.
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