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Historically Black College Forges New Traditions during
Pandemic
The recent Coronation of
Miss Talladega College 2020-2021 Patria Gatson was unlike
any of the college’s previous coronations.
“COVID-19 has forced
colleges to find creative ways to maintain their cherished
traditions. Our Miss Talladega College 2020-2021 Coronation
was held outdoors, and our queen arrived in a horse-drawn
carriage wearing a face shield,” said Talladega College
President Billy C. Hawkins, PhD.
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Patria Gatson |
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“Many people thought the outdoor event was among our most
beautiful coronations ever and said the horse-drawn carriage
added an extra-special touch. Some suggested that we hold
future coronation ceremonies outside. In the midst of the
pandemic, measures initially taken as health and safety
precautions may actually inspire many colleges to form new
traditions.”
Anthony Jones, who has
served as the Miss Talladega College advisor for over 20
years, added, “In our many decades of holding the Miss
Talladega College coronation, the event was never outdoors
and our queen never arrived on a horse-drawn carriage.”
While the weather in the
small Alabama town was pleasant enough for the November
gathering, taking a traditionally indoor event outside
presented a variety of unexpected challenges. Had he not set
up early, Jones believes the event might have been a
disaster.
“The wind kept blowing up
the backdrop. We had to pin it down and find bricks to hold
it in place. We also had to carefully select and secure the
greenery to make sure nothing blew away,” Jones said.
The greatest challenge for
Jones was figuring out how to make the event, which
traditionally runs 1 1/2 hours and attracts throngs of
students and alumni, into an elegant 30-minute affair with
socially distanced chairs and relatively few attendees. Dr.
Hawkins applauded Mr. Jones’s for accomplishing this mission
and making the event special for Miss Talladega and her
Royal Court.
“Miss Talladega College,
Patria Gatson, is an exceptional scholar and an outstanding
campus leader. She and members of her royal court deserved
their special day. While I made the difficult decision to
cancel Homecoming and many other significant events due to
the pandemic, I am pleased that Mr. Jones used his
creativity to help us safely maintain - and enhance - our
coronation tradition."
Gatson was crowned by
Hawkins, Miss Talladega College 2019-2020 De’Jha Billingsley
and Mr. Talladega College 2019-2020 Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba
Ndiaye. Members of the Royal Court included Miss Senior
Jordan Dubose, Gentleman in Waiting Robert Walker, Miss
Junior Ayala Seaborn, Mr. Junior Kobe Dickerson, Miss
Sophomore Chaniaya McKenzie, Mr. Sophomore Trayon Miller,
Miss Freshman Christian McKinney, and Mr. Freshman Ulises
Rivera Jr. Miss Talladega College 1994-1995 Terri A.
Harvill delivered the invocation, and Talladega College Show
Stopping Crimsonettes dancers Yvonne Hamilton and Ranisha
Morris performed.
The oldest private
historically black college in Alabama, Talladega College was
founded in 1867 by two former slaves, William Savery and
Thomas Tarrant. Talladega College is the home of the
renowned Hale Woodruff
Amistad Murals, which
received rave reviews from the New York Times during
a three year,
eight-city tour.
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