It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Season’s greetings to this month’s blog post! I’m coming out a little late with this post because I was sick last week. I had a bout of food poisoning, but I’m feeling much better now. This month’s blog won’t be too long. I just wanted to take a little time to educate y’all on the school that’s at the heart of our story: Word University.
First, a little history. Word University was established in 1836 by Joseph Word. Joseph was a quaker who was an early conductor on the underground railroad, committed to assisting with enslaved Africans’ journey to freedom. Out of his own home, he established a school for free black men dedicated to their education and academic advancement. Joseph focused on basic literacy, which was in short supply due to the laws of the time. Out of those humble beginnings, Word College slowly grew in size and prominence.
Over the next few decades, Joseph bought more land and built more buildings, creating one of the fast growing schools in the country. He fought off challenges to the school, both legal and illegal. After the Civil War, Word College—as it was called in those days—welcomed an influx of newly emancipated southern black people looking to educate themselves and their children. At that point, Joseph had grown ill and sought to secure the school’s financial future before his death. He appointed a new president of the school and established a series of lucrative financial partnerships. He died in 1871.
Word College continued to service the black community throughout the following decades. It became a coed school in 1908. Some of the most famous and prominent black citizens passed through its halls. It has now become the most successful HBCU in the country and the envy of people the world over. It is academically rigorous, athletically competitive, and culturally unique. It’s located in southern Pottington and well-integrated into the neighborhood. It has a distinctive style, blending an inner-city layout with both colonial and suburban architecture. It is truly a part of the surrounding neighborhood.
I wanted set the story in school because that’s the age you are at your most impressionable. Once I decided the characters were going to be in college and knowing that I wanted them to be black, housing them at a hbcu made the most sense. HBCUs are rarely spotlighted in entertainment and it presented the opportunity for a unique setting for a unique story. Throughout the series, you’ll learn about the vibrancy of campus life and how their enrollment at Word University impacts our warlocks. That’s all for this month. Have a merry Christmas, happy holidays, and see you next year!
Next Month: The magic