Embracing The Brotherhood
The story of Tiago Rachelson and his journey from internet fame to Morehouse graduate.
Almost four years ago, VICE released a polarizing YouTube video documenting the story of a white college student attending a Historically Black College and University (“HBCU”). The subject of the video was Tiago Rachelson, a young college student with the pure intentions of attending the historically black college, Morehouse College. Four years after the video was released, Tiago will be graduating from Morehouse College. With this unique opportunity, Tiago sat down and reflected on how much that video affected him and impacted his collegiate journey.
From the moment of its release on YouTube, the video was received with immediate controversy. The responses ranged from supportive, to being clearly against it.
The negatives did not deter him. According to Rachelson, “the positives — I met a lot of people from that documentary, through networking, social media, or meeting people for the first time. The best positive is that it inspired a lot of people — from what they tell me. There were a lot of students, and people in general, who had similar life experiences with me — in terms of dealing with identity in the magnitude that I did.”
He elaborated further. He said “many were upset that Morehouse put me in this position over a Black Morehouse student.” Rachelson said. “The pressure, at least in my head, was a lot to wrestle with. Because I think that I hurt my fellow students and professors, or to have let them down, or to have misrepresented Morehouse and other HBCUs”.
One of the issues raised in the video was the question of the integration of white students into exclusive black spaces. The reactions to the video and the overall opinions on the issue were split. While many supported white students such as Rachelson attending HBCUs, others expressed their outrage that white students were being afforded the opportunity to gain access to exclusively black space. Also, many argued that white students attend historically black institutions for the wrong reasons.
Morehouse College’s position appeared to fall on the side that encouraged more integration within these Black spaces. The support appeared to be fueled by money, a primary issue for most HBCUs. Damon Phillips, an Executive who worked within Morehouse’s Communications Office, who was featured significantly throughout the video stated that, “that fear of oh my God they are going to take that from me too, is rooted in a really personal place for a lot of students.” “It is a good thing to expand the applicant pool that you are looking for, people who criticize that have to understand that the school is trying to figure out a way to bring in more dollars,” Phillips said.
Morehouse College is known as being the only historically black college that enrolls exclusively young black men. One of the biggest aspects of the Morehouse experience lies within the deeply rooted brotherhood that each student shares with their fellow classmates. According to Rachelson, “that brotherhood transcends race.” He further described his relationship with with his classmates as a “brotherhood.”
Rachelson expanded on his time at Morehouse. “I was welcomed immediately.” Rachelson said. “From the jump, my Morehouse brothers let me know I was one of them — and for that I am truly grateful. Of course there were some students who may not have liked my arrival or me in general. That could be for a lot of reasons. Maybe they didn’t like the idea of me being there. Maybe they genuinely didn’t like my personality. I can’t control either one of those, unless I am being a burden for others. All in all, I believe I was embraced and I leave with many relationships that will last for life.”
Rachelson recognized that Morehouse, outside of being known for being the only historically black college and university to house exclusively men, is respected heavily within the corporate world. He also noted that several top company executives recruited Morehouse students because they were recognized as being the brightest black and brown scholars. However, that did not deter Rachelson. He stated, “this education, you can’t get it anywhere else. You think, walk, talk, and act differently after going here. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain. I guess that’s why they call it the Morehouse Mystique.”
One aspect that several people noted in the comments of the video was the overall attitude that Rachelson had towards attending an HBCU. The life of an HBCU student to the mass public is portrayed as massive homecoming parties along with historical extracurricular activities like fraternities or pageants. In other words, HBCUs are erroneously viewed as being “easy,” and are exploited by white students.
Rachelson, however, is not looking to take advantage of this great misperception. Rachelson sees his opportunity to attend Morehouse as a privilege and not just an eclectic experience. He stated “being in this space is a privilege, for several reasons. Obviously, you are coming in with racial privilege first and foremost, but it’s also a privilege to be at an HBCU, because of our collective histories.” He further said. “I think Non-Poc students need to study up on history before entering an HBCU, and they must continue reading and studying history throughout their matriculation. It is also important to get yourself out of your comfort zone. I had several firsts while at my HBCU. These were transformative experiences and I think the space makes them happen.”
When the VICE video was released in 2017, Tiago Rachelson was only a freshman at Morehouse College. Weeks after arriving at Morehouse he was automatically placed into the spotlight. However, Rachelson used his status to showcase the kind of attitude a non-person of color should have when wanting to attend an HBCU. His message to other non-people of color who are interested in going to HBCU is simple. He stated, “don’t just go to go, be proactive and be part of the change.”
“The best impact you can make doesn’t happen here — it happens outside of here! Take what you learn from the students, professor, and community — and apply it to your own communities.” Rachelson said. “Many Black scholars and people in the anti-racist space tell us white folks to do this. Change your own communities is what I hear them say.”
With his impending graduation , Rachelson has the unique opportunity to look back and reflect on his undergraduate experience at Morehouse College. The undergraduate experience for any student has ups and downs. However, for someone like Rachelson, who was pushed into the limelight as a freshman, the ups and downs were much more significant. Yet, he does not regret his decision to come to Morehouse.
“I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Morehouse has been extremely transformative.” Rachelson said. “I’ve grown spiritually, intellectually, physically, emotionally, mentally, and my self-confidence, because of this place, has burgeoned. I also know about a history that most folks don’t know about — the real history.”
As Tiago Rachelson concludes his journey at Morehouse in the coming weeks, and transitions from a Man of Morehouse to a Morehouse Man. He will have a lasting legacy at the school. Because of the internet and social media platforms, things never go away. So in essence, the video will likely be seen by the future generations of Morehouse students. With that reality, Rachelson used the opportunity to not only reflect on his time at Morehouse but the legacy he will leave behind.
“I don’t want the people to remember me as “oh, he was white and he did that documentary. That’s a terrible legacy to be associated with, quite frankly.” Rachelson said. “Being as humbled by that experience as I was, I took myself to square one and said, I really need to learn more — I really need to read more — I really need to listen more. Hopefully, now that I’m leaving, people will instead recognize me for these other aspects of my character: my hunger for knowledge, my work ethic and dedication, my perseverance, my growth, and my kindness and spirit. But honestly, even legacy to me is a bit overrated. Just trying to be a better person for others and for yourself is what it’s all about.”
On May 16th, 2021 Tiago Rachelson will graduate from Morehouse College with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Upon graduation, Rachelson will pursue a career in human resources in New York City, and intends to join the ranks of the Morehouse Men before him.
Miles Rajesh Arthur is a Junior Communications Major from Washington D.C studying at Morehouse College.
