Community

Howard’s Homecoming: A Community’s Mental Health Boost

The beginning of Homecoming festivities starts with a University-wide Mental Wellness Day, showcasing the underlying health benefits of returning to The Yard.

Amber D. Dodd
Oct 14, 2024 6 minutes

“Yes, green dress!”

“I haven’t seen you in a month of Sundays...”

“After all these years, you still look so good!”

Yelled across The Yard or spoken softly face-to-face, these complimentary remarks spark a feeling of home all too familiar for Bison returning to The Yard for Howard University’s iconic Homecoming, a standout memory for alumna psychologist Alfiee Breland-Noble, Ph.D., MHS (BA ’91), who recognizes the healing powers of the occasion.

Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble (BA '91) — **Alfiee Breland-Noble**, Ph.D., MHS (BA ’91)

“That’s why many of us love Homecoming: we just get to see ourselves reflected positively for four or five days,” she says.

This year, Howard’s Homecoming begins on a University-wide Mental Wellness Day.

Monday, October 14, will be the only free day of the week before thousands return to the Hilltop to reunite with old friends-turned-family. This initiative, Breland-Noble says, reflects the University’s commitment to community wellbeing, bringing the underlying Homecoming themes of community and compassion to the forefront.

“The moment necessitates that we care for our mental health, particularly in the center of the vitriol,” Breland-Noble says. “Howard has their finger on the pulse, and the administration is saying, ‘We’re going to deal with this for our people. We love our people.’ It’s very meaningful to me.”

Howard has their finger on the pulse, and the administration is saying, ‘We’re going to deal with this for our people. We love our people.’ It’s very meaningful to me.”

To celebrate Howard Homecoming’s 100th anniversary, this year’s theme is “Yard of Fame,” a tribute to the University’s storied alumni who have changed the world. “When I think of Howard, I think of the best of the best of black excellence. How many people am I going to see that are out here doing incredible things in the world,” Breland-Noble says. “This is 100 years of incredible, stupendous excellence, and 100 years of us celebrating our amazing community is phenomenal.”

A trailblazer herself, Breland-Noble is a scientist and psychologist studying mental wellness through her award-winning nonprofit organization The AAKOMA Project. Her work functions at the intersections of public media, racial and social justice, emotional wellbeing, and mental health.

Managing and avoiding burnout: What works and what doesn't — Dr. Breland-Noble on NBC’s “Today,” sharing steps to avoid burnout and tips for resetting

Breland-Noble, a self-proclaimed “Gen-X Bison,” recalls the lack of mental health awareness when she was an undergraduate. Nearly four decades later, Breland-Noble describes the wellness day as a phenomenal moment that ultimately improves the University community.

“Centering and focusing on mental health are some things we did not talk about publicly, so the idea that Howard would have the wherewithal and be on the forefront to start a mental wellness day, I think it’s fantastic,” Breland-Noble says.

Dr. Breland-Noble with her grandmother Flora P. McLeod

Dr. Breland-Noble near campus during her sophomore year

Dr. Breland-Noble with a mentee

Dr. Breland-Noble with her mentees

Dr. Breland-Noble returning to campus her sophomore year

The Grace in Gathering

According to a 2022 study from the National Library of Medicine, important factors of healthy human behavior include social participation, communal gathering, and social belonging, “indispensable ingredients” to healthy physical and mental health.

Howard alumnae on The Yard — Breland-Noble describes Homecoming as a “sense of protection” against the world.

“Gathering is one of the ways you create positive energies that go into your bodies,” Breland-Noble explains. “Think endorphins, dopamine. What’s a better endorphin rush than when you know you look good, and someone calls it out across The Yard?”

Breland-Noble describes Homecoming as a “sense of protection” against the world. Returning to The Yard alleviates the stressors of being Black in America. She believes that natural Homecoming occurrences like seeing familiar faces and being remembered years later are important, as that recognition can serve as validation.

“I [feel] seen, heard, valued, and validated when I come back to The Yard,” she says, noting anti-Black racism as a prominent American issue. “When I go, it’s like an oasis in a sea of racial bows and arrows that we dodge. Being at Homecoming is a tiny moment in time where I don’t have to deal with that.”

Breland-Noble notes the mental chain reaction of being in positive physical spaces. Serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins – the brain chemicals responsible for happiness – are necessary to create positive energies.

“Gathering is one of the ways that you create positive energy,” Breland-Noble says. “Gathering helps promote, amplify, enhance and multiple those positive hormones that you get when you have positive and happy experiences.”

She also notes the intergenerational health that Homecoming promotes, as festivities are planned for Bison of all ages. She mentioned her excitement for her two children, sophomore business student Morgann and incoming political science scholar Myle, as third-generation Bison who will experience Homecoming as student participants and eventual alumni.

“It’s happening in a collective, so it ties you physically to multiple generations behind and before you,” Breland-Noble says. “That reminds you that who you are as a Black person is beautiful, valuable, and is to be celebrated.”

Breland-Noble's Wellness Homecoming Tips

Pairing her excitement and expertise around the Homecoming festivities, Breland-Noble shares mental wellness tips to ensure Homecoming will lift attendees’ spirits. “You have a duty and responsibility to care for your mental health as a Black person,” says Breland-Noble. “We owe it to ourselves to be mentally well.”

Set Intentions

Breland-Noble suggests that, through mental exercises, Homecoming participants create an intentional mindset that is both “realistic and grounded.” Starting with a simple “I will” statement can help one envision what would make them feel seen, safe, and present in the moment.

“An intention should be ‘I will enjoy myself this weekend or week,’ ‘I will bask in the glow of being surrounded by likeminded people,’ [or,] ‘I will allow myself to really experience what homecoming has to offer me,’” she says.

No Comparisons on The Yard

“Comparison is the thief of joy,” the popular quote attributed to President Theodore Roosevelt, is a sentiment by which Breland-Noble abides for the best possible Homecoming experience. “We should not be there trying to compare ourselves and making assessments of how well I am doing compared to my peers,” she says.

Observations about vehicles, employment status, or who is (and is not) in attendance can be a distraction from the festivities. “Nobody needs to do that – we’re all Howard and we all have an affection for Howard,” Breland-Noble says. “If we can go to Homecoming with the perspective of enjoying it, rather than measuring ourselves against some imaginary marker, I think it makes it more enjoyable.”

Be Open

“Don’t anticipate what kind of experience you’re going to have,” Breland-Noble suggests. “Just be present for whatever the experiences are.”

Breland-Noble notes that the best way to be open is by returning to The Yard with an open heart and clean emotional slate. Being neutral, she says, facilitates the creation of new memories and an honest depiction of the year’s Homecoming festivities for you and your loved ones.

“We’ve all done the things we’ve needed to do in life, and we should be happy to be here,” Breland-Noble says. “If you go in with a neutral heart space, you’re happy and you’re excited to see people and just be present.”