Despite losing accreditation in 2023, St. Augustine’s alumni and students are fighting to keep the school’s legacy alive.
On Saturday, hundreds of Falcons arrived at the Packhouse in Franklin County to attend the Juneteenth Falcon Hope Fest and Tailgate.
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The event was hosted by alumni comedian Les Long and Crystal Bodie Smith, founder of the Capital City Hope Foundation.
Long’s family owns the Packhouse, a venue that was built on farmland that housed one of the first Black schools in the area.
The event sparked excitement among alumni.
“I heard three words a lot. ‘We need this’. We need something positive,” Smith said. “We want people to know that we still have the Falcon spirit. Regardless of what happens at 1315 Oakwood Avenue, we’re still going to be Falcons.”
Hope Fest is a day committed to the spirit of perseverance and community. Vendors served soul food such as oxtail, fried fish, seafood, chicken, ribs and of course, ICEEs to cool everyone off on a day with a heat advisory. Musical performances featured SAU alumni and other HBCU artists.
While the university’s future remains uncertain due to lawsuits and financial struggles, alumni organizers stressed the importance of unity.
“St. Augustine’s gave people a chance when no one else would,” Smith said. “It changed lives. That message deserves to be carried on.”
Long, who once recruited adult learners for the university and saw many go on to graduate, says he hopes younger alumni will pick up the torch.
“This is a baton pass,” he said. “We hope this inspires the next generation to continue what we started.”