Golden Ram Anthony Pace to celebrate special homecoming in new role
Anthony Pace has fond memories of his four years at Winston-Salem State University. He was a member of the Red Sea of Sound’s original drumline, played on the baseball team and, after spending his freshman year in Bickett Residence Hall, moved to Brown Residence Hall, where he shared the same room with the same roommate for the next three years.
Pace also was active in student government, held several campus offices and pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. while at WSSU.
He graduated in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree in intermediate education. In the five decades since, he’s missed homecoming fewer than five times.
This November, he’ll return for homecoming not only as a Golden Ram but also as president of the Winston-Salem State University National Alumni Association. He was elected to the two-year post in July.
Homecoming takes on a life of its own at historically Black colleges and universities, and Winston-Salem State is no exception. Pace participated in a homecoming town hall in late June and is looking forward to experiencing the celebration for the first time as NAA president.
“Coming back for homecoming is special because of that family atmosphere we’ve always had at WSSU,” Pace said. “The friends you made, the classmates you had, these are the people that helped you grow up when your Mommy and Daddy weren’t there. The people I’ll see when I’m back on campus in November for homecoming helped shape who I’ve become.”
Homecoming 2026 will have a few changes. The parade is on Sunday, Nov. 1, and Lighting of The Sign will take place in Bowman Gray Stadium rather than on campus.
Pace said despite the changes, he expects this year’s event to be just as good if not better than previous ones.
“The parade will be vibrant and exciting with lots of participating bands and organizations, and of course the Red Sea of Sound will steal the show,” he said. “WSSU’s homecoming is the last one on the calendar among the state’s HBCUs this year, so we anticipate that adding to our crowd.”
Pace said he looks forward to reconnecting with members of the class of 1976, which has pledged $76,000 as its 50-year anniversary gift to the university. He said the class was close to its fundraising goal as of Oct. 1.
Serving as NAA president will add to Pace’s plate during homecoming, but he doesn’t mind. In fact, he’s happy WSSU is relaunching its Young Alumni Council to complement his efforts.
Dr. Raushanah N. Butler, senior director of alumni engagement, said the organization is being relaunched “to ensure our young alums are seen and have a voice and, most importantly, because they haven’t been engaged and they’re the immediate bridge between our current students and the NAA.”
Butler said she and Pace will work with Summer Brown, chair of the Young Alumni Council, on new initiatives.
“For the last two and a half years, I’ve been the youngest alum in the Winston-Salem chapter of the WSSU National Alumni Association,” said Brown, who graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and works as a residence education coordinator for Covington Hall. “Through this experience, I’ve noticed there’s a need for younger voices within alumni spaces, and I’m happy to be leading the charge on that.”
Brown will lead a council that includes a vice chair who handles giving, an engagement chair, a communications chair and a student-alumni coordinator. She hopes to establish a strong presence among young alumni while helping them become more involved across the broader alumni community.
“I also really want to ensure young alumni feel empowered enough to share their voices and their thoughts regarding matters when it comes to the university and also how they’d like to be represented,” Brown said.
Pace concurs, adding he never really thought about being president of his alma mater’s national alumni association.
“At my age, I’m supposed to be advising and writing checks,” Pace joked. “Seriously, I’m happy to serve my alma mater in such an important role, and I look forward to working with Dr. Butler, Ms. Brown and the chancellor’s office to ensure we find ways to keep alumni engaged with our beloved university while reminding them it’s an absolute privilege to be part of the Ramily.”
