Jamiah Alexander was at a crossroads, and Deion Sanders helped her acknowledge which way to go.
Recently, at an investigative journalism summit at Clark Atlanta University, hosting HBCU students from around America, Alexander spoke to rolling out about her journey to becoming the senior she now is at JSU.
As a senior, what do you want your legacy to be as a product of an HBCU?
I never consciously thought about going to an HBCU until a pivotal point in my life. I was a nurse for eight years, and then I said, “You know? I’m not really satisfied. I’m not happy. What does freedom really look like?”
Luckily, I was watching, and I watched very little TV, but I was watching the “All American” show, and I got into it where they went to Bringston University. It’s not a real university, but they displayed this HBCU, and I was like, “Oh my god.” It went back to my roots with the music, dancing, singing and just the culture of a Black person. So, I felt like, “Hey. I think I belong there.”
Also, at that time, I met Deion Sanders at a business meeting, and he asked me to introduce myself to him. So I did, and he asked, what did I do?
I told him all the things I did, and he was like, “But what would you do if no one paid you?”
And I said, “Well, writing and speaking.”
He said, “Well, that’s what you do.”
So, that helped me maneuver through what I wanted to do. And, needless to say, I said that because there is somebody on an HBCU campus who can identify with you and help you along the way. So if you haven’t received that guidance at home, you shall, and you will go somewhere where you will find someone who can speak the same language as you.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re put at the bottom of the barrel, because the discussion always comes up about a PWI versus an HBCU, and I feel like the legacy of the HBCU is just, it’s one of its own. You feel like you’re at home and you know you’re receiving a top-notch education, as well, so you’re not excluded.
If you could say something to Coach Prime right now, what would it be?
Thank you so much for instilling those words inside of me, because little did he know, that the night before, I had just prayed and asked God, “What is my purpose in life? What am I supposed to do?” And he had a message through him. So, I feel like, while there were other people in an uproar about him leaving, I feel like he served his purpose, and when your time is up, your time is up. So, thank you.
When you met him, you were a nurse at the time? When was this?
I can’t recall the date, but I want to say it was in the fall of 2022 because he posted on his social media that he would have a meeting with all the businesses in the surrounding area. So, I went on behalf of my friend. After that meeting, I sat home, thought about some things, and enrolled for spring 2023.
Then, he left [Jackson State] like right after that happened.
It was kind of hurtful because I was like, “Oh my God. These Black boys have a person who is like a father figure to them, and then, he got snatched away,” and that’s what happens in homes. So, you know, with that part, I’m not going to lie, it was hurtful, but I was still happy for him. I’m still a Deion Sanders and Colorado Buffs fan.
