On the southeast side of campus during Homecoming Week, hundreds of people were heard laughing, dancing, singing and having a good time with one another. This noise was from the Tailgates for the football game, but one of the biggest and most lively tailgates was the Black Alumni Association Tailgate.
Central Michigan University 2008 Alumnus Lester Booker Jr. was part of the CMU Alumni Association Board of Directors. He helped plan alumni events and organize alumni who want to come back to CMU to enjoy the 2025 Homecoming Weekend.
“Being back on campus for homecoming is really, for me, a treat every year,” Booker said. “The energy, the camaraderie, it takes me back to being an undergraduate student here at CMU and just looking forward to seeing my mentors, my professors, friends and the community itself.”
Booker said there are over 250,000 alumni across the United States from CMU. He said his goal every year is to make the events welcoming and to allow as many alumni to come back as possible.
Booker said the relationships made and the number of connections created through Homecoming and the Black Alumni community are important.
“I think it’s the people. For me, the relationships I’ve built here at CMU are so important to me. My best friend, I am the godfather of all four of his children,” He said. “So, again, some of those staple relationships that I made here at CMU 20 plus years ago are still very, very important to me. So, I’m just grateful for the experience.”
