Growing up in Dallas, Malik Alexander remembers his neighborhood as more than just a collection of houses; it was a community. “People actually knew each other,” he says. “Not just a ‘nod and keep walking’ type of thing — we looked out for one another.”

The rhythm of life there was built on humor, honesty, music, and survival. “We praised each other out loud and corrected each other quietly,” he reflects. That balance, he says, taught him one of his earliest and most enduring lessons: community is not a convenience — it’s a responsibility.

At home, education and faith went hand in hand. “My parents were very present — emotionally, physically, spiritually,” Malik says. “Faith in Jesus lived in our house, not just on Sundays. My mom prayed with me. My dad modeled discipline. They didn’t preach prosperity; they preached purpose.”

HBCUs were always part of the family conversation. His father, uncles, and cousins — all members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. — often shared stories of brotherhood and growth that felt like rites of passage. “My family didn’t force an HBCU,” Malik explains. “But they made it clear those schools were built for us, not just available to us.”

He first learned about HBCUs through family, but social media later expanded his understanding. “What stood out to me was the energy — the band culture, step shows, the pride. Black culture not watered down or explained, just lived,” he says.

That energy became the pull. “Representation mattered,” Malik says. “I wanted to learn in a place where my identity wasn’t a checkbox. I wanted community, culture, and professors who would invest in me, not just grade me.”

When it came time to choose, Jackson State University checked every box — and then some. “On my official tour, Kevin Hart made a guest appearance,” Malik laughs. “But what really got me was the vibe. The way people spoke to you like they already saw potential in you. The legacy. The homecoming stories. The Sonic Boom. The alumni pride. It didn’t feel like a marketing pitch — it felt like a place where iron sharpens iron.”

That feeling hit again the first time he set foot on campus. “It was immediate — that ‘I belong here’ moment,” he says. “The yard was alive. The culture was visible, not forced. I heard the band practicing in the distance, students laughing and debating, and I literally thought, yeah… this is my place.”

Ask Malik to describe JSU’s culture, and his answer comes without hesitation: “Loud. Confident. Stylish. Unapologetically Black.”

“Homecoming isn’t an event — it’s a season,” he adds. “The Sonic Boom is a movement. And the Mighty YE Ques — our leadership, our service, our energy — you can feel it across campus. We’re not just hopping; we’re building in the community. I was destined to be one.”

At JSU, Malik says, he’s learned more than what’s in textbooks. “JSU helped me walk into rooms with my head up, not apologizing for who I am,” he explains. “It affirmed that I don’t have to shrink to succeed. It connected me to a legacy of Black excellence that didn’t start with me and won’t end with me.”

One of his most defining lessons? Learning how to advocate for himself. “Going to office hours. Networking intentionally. Asking questions,” he says. “That confidence will follow me long after graduation. Faith and education together taught me that closed mouths don’t get fed.”

If someone’s still deciding whether to attend an HBCU, or JSU specifically, Malik doesn’t sugarcoat it. “HBCUs don’t just educate you, they form you,” he says. “JSU will give you community, accountability, identity, and belief in yourself. And if you’re on the fence? Come visit the yard on a busy day. Feel the culture. Hear the music. See the pride. Some things aren’t meant to be explained, they’re meant to be experienced.”