Homecoming 2025 will showcase the pride, culture and legacy that define Firebird Nation! Join us for a week of celebration, connection and community as we honor our traditions, new and old, and ignite the spirit of UDC like never before.
Stay tuned! The full schedule of events and registration details will be released soon.
A Firebird Reunion
It was a fiery Firebird Reunion! The University of the District of Columbia’s Homecoming 2024, held Nov. 9-Nov. 16, honored UDC’s proud legacy as the District’s only public university and the nation’s second-oldest HBCU. To celebrate, we invited every member of our community—alumni, current and prospective students, faculty, staff, families, friends and neighbors—to join in honoring our past and revving up for our future.
This year’s festivities included a Royal Coronation and Ball, a fashion show in Lamond-Riggs, an alumni basketball game in Van Ness, and much more. Here’s a look back at our incredible week!
We went. We listened. We danced!
The silent headphone brunch and day party might have started off as a question mark, but by the end, everyone understood the assignment as they moved and grooved to their own beat. The only question at the end: When can we have the next one?
Can I get an amen?
Nineteenth Street Baptist Church welcomed us with open arms as we gathered at this historic house of worship. Considered the first and oldest Black Baptist church in the District, Nineteenth Street Baptist Church was the perfect place to spend our Sunday.
The original site of Nineteenth Street Baptist Church.
Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, Photo by Farragutful, own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
As a token of his appreciation, President Edington held several receptions for staff and faculty members across campuses. Tasty food and laughter were abundant. And of course, no party is complete without the electric slide!
UDC students and alumni conversed with over sixty of the nation’s most sought-after employers, including the CIA, Pepco, DC Public Schools, the National Labor Relations Board, and others. The fair was a great way for Firebirds to connect with job and internship opportunities.
Coronation follows a century of tradition at HBCUs during which students share their joy, beauty, culture and identity. Hailing from Jamaica to Nigeria to Washington, D.C., the UDC Royal Court members displayed their style, grace, and determination to serve their fellow students.
There is nothing like a good barbecue, and Homecoming was no exception. Delicious aromas and music filled Heritage Hall as folks enjoyed funnel cake, fried Oreos and fellowship.
Turn. To. The. Left … and Werk!
UDC students dazzled their way down the runway as they strutted their stuff in fiery fashion-forward fits at the Lamond-Riggs Campus.
Just call him “coach!”
President Edington’s coaching skills were on full display as he led a UDC men’s alumni team during back-to-back alumni games that also featured coaches Leon Cunningham (Class of ’98, Athletics Hall of Fame ’24), Lillian McGill Green (Class of ’11, Hall of Fame ’23), and Lester “Jay” Butler (former head women’s UDC basketball coach, current head men’s coach at Virginia Union University).
UDC officially launched its new five-year strategic plan, Delivering on the Promise, during the Firebird Reunion celebration. The event included university stakeholders, students, faculty and distinguished speakers, including UDC President Maurice D. Edington and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Those who returned home to the Nest were happy they did! Attendees had a blast attending the exhilarating men’s and women’s games, and The Nest tailgate party was one for the books. It was the perfect opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones with food, music and entertainment.
