"I got my brother’s back…" Yeah right.

Moriba Cummings

Staff Writer

For generations and generations, it has become a Morehouse staple to promote the ideal of brotherhood and brotherly fellowship.  Beginning as early as New Student Orientation (NSO), the infamous chant of “I got my brother’s back!” can be heard emanating from the mouths of each Freshman as he holds on to the back of the young man before him, who will soon be given the title of ‘brother,” not by him, but by tradition.

As a result of this, the question then arises, “Is this genuine, or is it a fad created to positively promote the idealistic photograph that is Morehouse College?”

With the idea of brotherhood being preached, taught, and some may even say, shoved down our throats, it inspires one to ask, “Who is my brother?” and “Does he really have my back?”  For many young men here at “The House,” this is a question that, unfortunately, is still going unanswered; many of us do not even know our “brother” from the next stranger who walks past us on Brown Street.

Is this idea of ‘brotherhood’ real, or is it a well fabricated advertisement created in hopes of boosting the college’s application rate and maintaining a tradition that lasted centuries?  Frankly, it is all a lie; The whole image of brotherhood that is immensely and overtly advertised here at Morehouse can be perceived as a facade.

Brotherhood, here at “The House” is most intensely implemented in order to feed into administration’s plan to prevent Morehouse’s image of “brotherly love” from being tarnished.

What is ‘brotherhood’ anyway?  Is your definition of ‘brotherhood’ synonymous to mine?  This is a dilemma that commonly tends to rub some in the Morehouse Community the wrong way.

We are constantly being taught about the essentiality of brotherhood, but, naturally, coming from various walks of life and from differing regions of the world, our views on this seemingly basic subject may differ drastically.  Therefore, should this once sacred tradition be forced upon us if we are not thoroughly certain on what its universal meaning entails?

Also, as many can attest to, with many great Men of Morehouse comes an even greater ego; it’s often a package deal.  As a result of this, the problem that arises for many is having a “brother” who is utterly nothing like him.  In many cases, this creates a hiccup, as moral and lifestyle differences may come into play.

Many of us can attest to overhearing our supposed “brothers” express disappointment and rejection by discriminating against other Men of Morehouse in regards to their sexual orientation, intelligence, outward appearance and social skills, to name a few. After this declaration of dismissal, we then falsely link palms and sing, “So to bind each son the other, into ties more brotherly,” then scatter without even glancing over our shoulders to see who we linked hands with.

What could be the cause of this nonchalant attitude we possess?  In the days of Martin Luther King Jr. and Howard Thurman, the fraternity of brotherhood was a more sacred underlying addition to the Morehouse experience that did not have to be constantly reminded to the students.  Today, it seems as a large fraction of its divinity has been lost.

The initiative of genuine brotherhood will be successfully achieved when the heterosexual man can call the homosexual/bisexual man his brother, when the ‘big man on campus’ can call the socially awkward man his brother and when the fashionable debonair can call the simplistic white-tee and jeans wearing man his brother.

Although it may seem unpopular to admit, it may be unfortunately concluded that no man genuinely has his brother’s back if this attitude of superiority continues to be adopted.  What should be promoted with the same or even a high level of importance is the beauty Morehouse’s diversity.  There is no other institution on the planet where men of African descent can all come together, from differing lifestyles, sexual orientations, living backgrounds, cultures and beliefs and join together with a common goal to help each other understand the multi-dimensional creature that is the “Black Man.”

When the popularity and richness of tradition of Morehouse are set aside, and the dignity and authenticity of the Morehouse Mystique are put on the front burner, then, and only then, will the idea of brotherhood be deemed a genuine and sacred bonus to the 2012 Morehouse experience.