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Bluff Brothers

by NOIRE Online

November 1, 2021 604 views
 

A band of brothers from some of the poorest areas in Louisiana found each other on the campus of Southern University. Those same brothers are still together over 20 years later.

They call themselves The Bluff Brothers.

The Bluff Brothers’ bond started on the campus of Southern University after a group of north Louisiana residents realized they were from the same rural areas of the state and shared similar interests. These men have graduated and now have been supporting, encouraging, and tailgating with each other.

Homecoming 2021 marks 17 years these brothers have been tailgating together. The Bluff Brothers, however, is more than a tailgating crew. The ultimate purpose of The Bluff Brothers is fellowship, encouragement, and uplift.

“Our love for Southern University and knowing the conditions of our hometowns brought us together. This bond motivated us to encourage as many people as we can to go to college, more specifically Southern University or any of the many HBCU’s,” said Bluff Brother, LaDarrion Jackson, Principal of a National Blue Ribbon School, in Baton Rouge, LA.

Bluff Brothers members include:

Darryl Marshall - Rosenberg, TX - US Disaster Recovery Specialist

LaDarrion Jackson - Houston TX - Educational Leadership K-12

Trey Whitney - Prairieville, LA - Educational Leadership K-12

David Nash - Baton Rouge, LA - Civil Engineer

Bernard Riley - Baton Rouge, LA - US Disaster Recovery Specialist

Janavian Chocklin - Missouri City, TX - Law Enforcement

Marquise Calland - Baton Rouge, LA - Rail Switchman/Locomotive Engineer

Antonio Broadway - Baton Rouge, LA - Educator & Basketball Coach

Tommy Watson, Jr. - Hammond, LA - Educational Leadership: Early Childhood

Kurt Lyons - Lafayette, LA - Transportation & Logistics

These men are also serious about giving back to the communities that brought them together. They honor their civic duty and responsibility to give back to the communities from which they come. This is done through mentoring, motivational speaking, tutoring, and providing other learning opportunities.

Bluff Brothers are also in the planning phases of creating book stipends for individuals that have aspirations to attend an HBCU. Their vision is to assist students from low economic, rural areas in hopes of creating more equitable opportunities to succeed.

The Bluff Brothers truly consider each to be brothers as evident from their daily group chat which typically receives hundreds of texts each day. It doesn’t stop there, as they provide each other with advice about everything from family and professional life to relationships, and spiritual perspectives. They even find time to connect a few times a month for fellowship and laughter.

One of the group’s favorite quotes is, “Our energy to validate the love and support we receive from a single person has to be greater than the energy we spend to try and prove the hundreds of naysayers and detractors wrong.”

If you happen upon a Bluff Brothers’ tailgate, you are treated like family. Anytime the brothers spend out on "The Bluff" in the company of each other and their families is a wonderful and magnificent time for all.

 
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NOIRE Online
NOIRE is a new online magazine that scopes the Black and multicultural community from a cutting-edge perspective. Our mantra is “Our Lives, Our Stories, Our Voices.” Our vision is to become the leading source of true, high-quality narratives of people of color.
 

 

 

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