Jackson Free Press

Carl Tart and his supporters stood at the foot of The Lyceum steps as they had many times before waiting for election results. However, this particular night was different for him. It was already over three hours since the University of Mississippi was slated to reveal the results, and the crowd was becoming somewhat anxious. The election commission slowly filed to the podium with notes in hand to make the long-awaited announcement. One of its members glanced in Tart's direction and gave a quick wink. At that moment, Tart knew. Hearing his name simply made it concrete. A wave of indescribable feelings and emotions washed over him, he says, as he accepted the cheers, hugs and tears from the crowd of voters who surrounded him.

Tart, a senior allied health studies major, is the University of Mississippi's first homecoming king. His historic win was notable not only because it marks the first time the University has elected a male counterpart to its esteemed Homecoming Queen, but because Tart is African American.

"It was unbelievable. I've been out there so many times waiting on election results, and to be honest you don't expect the results to go in favor of minorities or the underdog candidate," he says.

Tart began his campaign for the title only 10 days before the election. The 21-year-old saw it as an opportunity to create connections across a campus that boasts a diverse student population. When his announcement video went public, his campaign email flooded with volunteer requests and support. Aiming for inclusivity, Tart ran on a platform he coined as HOME, which stands for happiness, opportunity, maturity and experience. His goal was simple: to build a culture of love that created that feeling of home for other students.

"If I had to sum up how Ole Miss has affected me, it gave me a home, and it gave me a home through those four things," Tart says. "A lot of people, especially African Americans, can't say they feel the same was that I do when they look at Ole Miss, so my mission was to make sure that everyone felt the way I felt."

The melting pot that Tart says he found at UM was one that he actively sought after graduation. The Yazoo City native's secondary school experience involved attending a predominantly African American school, so when he began researching colleges, he sought a diverse experience that would allow him the opportunity to connect with people who represented the differences found in the world, he says. One visit to the University of Mississippi and Tart says he knew it was the place where he was supposed to be.

"When I stepped foot on campus, I knew it was really home for me," he says.

Tart quickly fell in love with the university and now wants others to see why it earned his love and devotion, he says. He feels that the negative press that his school has endured over the last few years overshadows the strides the school has made, and he credits the increased diversity training on campus for creating a space where the students can appreciate the range of ethnic backgrounds at the university. He feels that his win is a sign of those changes.

"(My win) showed that it doesn't matter what skin color you are or what background you come from. If you put in work and are dedicated to this campus, you can be appreciated," he says.

Tart's crown is not the first time that he has made history on campus. He currently serves as the first African American executive director of the Student Activities Association, a post appointed by faculty and student members of the organization.

The charismatic king's reign did not end at halftime of the school's Oct. 4 game. He will make several more public appearances and will work alongside the homecoming queen to gear the Oxford High School life skills class toward college. He is also hoping to work with Mr. and Mrs. Jackson State University on projects that will bring conversations that Tart hopes will dispel many of the negative views his alma mater has garnered in the past and connect UMMC to its local university counterpart. Tart looks to remain at UM after earning his bachelor's degree to pursue a master's degree in higher education administration. His ultimate goal is to work on predominantly white campuses to increase minority recruitment and retention.