When the pandemic stole graduations from the Class of 2020, Howard University alum TeeJ Mercer—known to many as the vibrant and big-hearted Auntie TeeJ—refused to let the milestone go unrecognized. With a background in television and a village of equally passionate friends, she sprang into action, launching a creative, high-energy virtual celebration known as HBCU Bingo. Over the course of several online games, Mercer and her team raised more than $1 million in cash and prizes, giving it all away to 500 HBCU graduates who suddenly found themselves without the ceremonies they had earned.
The story caught national attention, including a feature on CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell. But behind the scenes, one student’s experience shifted everything for Mercer.
While getting to know her new “HBCU Babies,” as she affectionately calls the young people she supports, she discovered that one student had aged out of foster care. When that student was accepted into an HBCU, her social worker drove her to campus, dropped her off at the curb, and left. No warm send-off. No help unpacking. No one to see her off into this next chapter of life.
That image haunted Mercer. And like many moments before, she turned to prayer for the next step. The answer came loud and clear: make sure no other student has to go through that transition alone.
In 2022, that calling became reality with the launch of Move-In Day Mafia—a volunteer-powered initiative providing full dorm room makeovers for students, many of whom come from foster care, group homes, or other challenging backgrounds. That first year, 13 scholars at Paul Quinn College in Dallas were surprised with personalized, love-filled dorm spaces. By 2023, the effort had expanded to 30 students across five HBCUs—and it’s still growing.
More than bedsheets and décor, Move-In Day Mafia is about showing up with presence, purpose, and heart. It’s about letting students know they’re seen, celebrated, and supported. And for Auntie TeeJ, it’s just the beginning. We had the chance to interview Mercer on our Historically Black Since HBCU Weekly News, hosted by Shimei Cook. Watch the full interview below
