The Shippensburg University Homecoming Committee crowned its first black king and queen on Saturday.
Brandon Christmas-Lindsey, Madeline Kwarteng and the rest of the homecoming court raised money for this year’s charity, the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter, of Chambersburg.
As of Saturday, Christmas-Lindsey raised $1,359 and Kwarteng raised about $2,200.
During halftime at the football game versus Kutztown University, the homecoming committee said the 10 members of homecoming court raised more than $11,000 together.
“It means a lot,” Christmas-Lindsey said, who broke down in tears when he called his mother to tell her the news. SU had a black queen and king before, but not in the same year.
Homecoming Committee President James Sheard said this is the first year two people of minority backgrounds were crowned together. Christmas-Lindsey is a junior studying sociology. Kwarteng, a senior social work major, is originally from Ghana.
“I am the first African queen at Shippensburg University,” Kwarteng said, sporting a sparkling tiara.
Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) sponsored both Kwarteng and Christmas-Lindsey for homecoming. Director of MSA Diane Jefferson came onto the football field to congratulate her king and queen, wrapping them in an embrace.
Christmas-Lindsey said Jefferson told them, “This is your day.”
Kwarteng and Christmas-Lindsey hosted several fundraising events together, focusing their themes on diversity.
Christmas-Lindsey said he wanted to make sure his donations came from the campus community, and he encouraged local businesses to get involved.
“I was mentally and physically drained some times,” Christmas-Lindsey said.
The weeks of fundraising built up to the historic moment in Seth Grove Stadium. Once the emcee announced the first runners-up, the crowd realized who had won and started to cheer. Friends of the homecoming royalty rushed onto the field, swarming the king and queen.
“When I graduate in May, I’ll know I’ve left a good footprint for people to follow,” Kwarteng said.
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