 Oooooo I am about to braaaaaaag on one of our Mafia Scholars, and you’re not ready for this glow-up. From foster care at two years old…to Capitol Hill. And she’s not done yet. This week’s Mafia Miracle Report is short, but that’s only because we’ve been knee-deep in interviews with the next cohort of Mafia Scholars and I’m gonna be honest. These stories? Heavy. Beautiful. Brave. And they’re wrecking me in the best kind of way. Just in case you are new here... I'm TeeJ, the founder of Move-In Day Mafia. We provide decked-out dorm rooms and monthly care packages for HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused, or grapple with severe financial hardships. And every Friday, (mostly,) I write about the miracles that we regularly walk in. Let me introduce you to one of our powerhouses. Her name is Alexis. Alexis is one of our scholars at my alma mater, THEE Howard University. and she is walking proof that foster care doesn’t get the final say. Alexis has been in foster care since she was two years old. But she’s never let that stop her from chasing excellence. When we met her last year, she had already locked in her spot as a resident assistant and earned her place at the table through nothing but grit, grace, and GPA. I still remember her very first interview last year. There was something about the way she carried herself, the way she spoke, the strength in her quiet. I knew she was destined for something bigger. Move-In Day Mafia was supposed to walk with her to the finish line. But here’s the part I will never forget. While she was doing a media interview during move-in, I overheard her say, “It meant so much to be able to pick my own hair products.” That stopped me cold. Because that is what makes our Mafia Miracle Makers different. We don’t operate with a “take what you get” mentality. We don’t hand out boxes with whatever’s left on a shelf. We ask. We listen. We honor. We give CHOICE. Our scholars have been told “no” their whole lives. What we do is give them back a “yes." Yes to comfort. Yes to preference. Yes to dignity. Yes to being seen. And baby, Alexis has taken that yes and run with it. ✅ She’s now interning on Capitol Hill. ✅ She’s thriving as an RA. ✅ She’s a voice for foster youth. And she’s a living, breathing, shining, walking testimony of what happens when someone is loved consistently, completely, and without condition. She just shared her foster care story on a national podcast, and I’m not even gonna try to tell it for her. I want you to hear it in her own words: Go listen to her full story here: 🎧 https://open.spotify.com/episode/6XYQBzRkKcBvUxeNlwL0l0?si=hX2Wf0TuSdCT-gBpHYBClw  We don’t operate under a “take what you get” model. We ask, “What do YOU want?” And then we deliver with dignity. Our Mafia Miracle Makers and Miracles In Motion—that’s you, our donors and volunteers—you make that kind of care possible. Every sheet set. Every snack bin. Every shampoo bottle they recognize and love. That’s you. Your monthly giving is what fuels these miracles. It’s how we keep showing up again and again. And now, we’re in the final 24 hours of this month’s Adopt A Scholar Week. TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY! We’ve wiped out wishlists before. Let’s do it again. Whether you give $25 for a gift card or go big and cover a full need, you’re not just giving support. You’re giving freedom. You’re giving choice. You’re giving a scholar the gift of feeling seen. 💳 Join us now at MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar 💥 AND SPEAKING OF CHOICE… Y’all. We are THREE WEEKS OUT from… 🎉 COUNTDOWN TO THEE HBCU BINGO EXPERIENCE 🎉 This Ain’t Your Grandma’s Bingo. Back in 2020, when the pandemic shut down in-person graduations, we threw the most epic online party ever created for HBCUs. Virtual HBCU Bingo was born, and over four Saturdays, we played with nearly 500 HBCU grads, raised over $1 million in cash and prizes, and made headlines for how fun, wild, and celebratory it was. Now, it’s our turn to do it LIVE for the very first time. 🗓️ July 12 in Atlanta 💰 Thousands of dollars in prizes 🎁 Surprises. With a capital S. 🎲 Blackjack. Craps. Casino tables. 🎧 A Celebrity DJ I cannot WAIT to reveal And big big vibes. Period.  And full transparency? Shout out to my team who’s surviving all 8,472 of my ideas. But they know how I roll. We’re making history again. This is our first-ever in-person fundraiser. And we’re putting our whole Mafia Miracle Maker magic behind it. Get ready. Grab your tickets at MoveInDayMafia.org/HBCUBingo  How ‘bout for this week’s Miracle Motivation, we draw from Alexis, who is the epitome of where you start is not where you have to end up. She started life in foster care at the age of two. Navigated system after system. Reached adulthood still carrying the weight of abandonment and survival. And yet? She refused to let her trauma narrate her future. Now she’s a Howard scholar. Has studied abroad. A Capitol Hill internship. And y’all, this scholar dared to not just survive the system, but redefine herself right in the middle of it. That’s what reminded me this week: you don’t have to wait until things are perfect to start blooming. You don’t have to be fully healed to begin. You don’t have to have all the answers to make the next bold move. Alexis did the inner work while walking out the outer journey. That’s what real audacity looks like. So wherever you’re standing today, let her story remind us: your start may be in struggle, but your end can be in overflow. That's it for this week. Please like, comment, and subscribe, and I'll see you next week. And don't forget...Adopt A Scholar Week ends tomorrow! Please help us wipe out the wishlists! MoveinDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar  Remember that old expression: “We make plans, and God laughs? Whelp...I lived that today. But wait...just in case you are new here... I'm TeeJ, the founder of Move-In Day Mafia. We provide decked-out dorm rooms and monthly care packages for HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused or grapple with severe financial hardships. And every Friday, (mostly,) I write about the miracles that we regularly walk in. Typically, I write this report late Thursday night, so it drops first thing Friday morning. But yesterday? I had nothing. No words. No energy. Nada. We’re deep in interviews for the upcoming class of Mafia scholars, and these stories are heavy. Beautiful, but heavy. I was emotionally drained. I even said to myself, "We might have to skip this Friday," and went to bed. But God, in His perfect timing, made other plans. See, I normally do my daily walk around Atlantic Station in Atlanta much later in the day. I’m a night owl by nature, so a 9:00 a.m. meeting today qualifies as "early." But since I was already up, I decided to get my steps in sooner. And that’s when it happened. As I rounded a corner around the pond, I noticed two kids and an adult wearing blue shirts from the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta. The man was looking at a paper and motioned for the boys to stand by a statue, and snapped a picture. For some reason, I immediately thought, "They are on a scavenger hunt!" I don't know why, but that made me smile. And guess what? I was right! As I passed by, the counselor called out, "Excuse me, can you help us?" God appointments always get me hype, so I stopped immediately. "Of course I’ll help." Turns out, one of their scavenger hunt items was to do an act of kindness for a stranger. I told them, "Well, I AM a stranger for now, but I don’t really need help with anything." Then, it occurred to me, maybe they could record a video that HELPS me get the word out about Move-In Day Mafia! Now pause. You need to know this backstory. You might have heard me mention that we are gearing up for Mafia's first in-person fundraiser, THEE HBCU BINGO EXPERIENCE on July 12, 2025. Well, we are 30 days out, so time to cross some t's and dot some i's. Lately, I’ve been praying (but not really praying-praying) about where we’re gonna get enough volunteers. I had specifically thought, "I wish we had more kids around who needed community service hours," as we don't have a lot of scholars in Atlanta. But it was more like a passing thought that needed to be addressed at some point soon. So back to the scavenger hunt... While I’m filming this little video with my new friends, Chance and his two mentees, I hit the part where I say what Move-In Day Mafia does. Before I can even finish saying "we help students who have aged out of foster care or are unhoused," Chance’s eyes light up, and he starts jumping up and down. "YOU WERE ON THE SHERRI SHOW! I SAW YOU!" Y’all. Chance was literally bouncing, and my heart melted. It was all on camera, too, because he never stopped recording. *I need to blur the kids' faces, so I'll drop the video next week. Afterward, we got to chatting, and he casually mentioned that he’s working on returning to Morehouse. So naturally, I asked, "Do you know any students at Morehouse, Spelman, Clark, or Morris Brown that Mafia might be able to help?" His face lit up again. "I think so!" Then an idea hit me, "Do any of your Boys & Girls Club teens need community service hours?" and I explained THEE HBCU Bingo Experience. He loved it. "Yes! All the time. Juniors and seniors always need hours. Let's do it!" BADA BING BADA BOOM! We exchanged info right there. Whew! Just like that, God checked off something I didn’t even properly ask for. A divine appointment on a sidewalk. We parted ways with a hug and a "talk soon." And as if it couldn’t get better, when we met again at the other end of the pond. By this time, Chance's phone had died, which meant they couldn't document the rest of the items on the scavenger hunt. Say less! My phone was fully charged, so guess who happily got roped into a scavenger hunt? I am smiling even as I type because it really was a fun way to unexpectedly kick off my Friday.  I started my Friday on a literal scavenger hunt with two amazing teens and a fired-up counselor. Only God could orchestrate something that perfect. So yeah...that’s how God dragged me outta bed and dropped me into a scavenger hunt full of answered prayers.  Now I've got to run. The next round of scholar interviews is starting. In the meantime... 🧾 ADOPT A SCHOLAR KICKS OFF TOMORROW Summer Survival Season starts June 14 through the 21st. That means in most cases, we’re sending $25 Visa gift cards instead of Amazon packages, because many of our scholars don’t have stable housing right now. Our goal? $200 per scholar, per month. Y’all already know what time it is. Get your heart ready. Get your wallet ready. The miracles move FAST when you do. MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar The more I obey, the less I trip. I’ve racked up enough God receipts to know this for sure... Obedience doesn’t always make sense in the moment, but for me, it has always made miracles. When I’m doing what I’m supposed to do, even when I feel incapable, even when I don’t have the full picture, even when it makes absolutely no sense and borders on insane, even when I feel like skipping out completely, He still shows up. And the more I obey, the less I find myself panicking or spiraling. Because I’ve seen how He moves. I’ve watched Him drop answers in random sidewalk conversations and send confirmations through scavenger hunts. Precision isn’t a problem for God. He is never late. Just strategic. So now? I’ve learned to relax. Not in a lazy, passive way, but in a faith-filled, peace-rooted way. I do my part. I prepare. I show up. And then I watch Him breathe on it in ways I couldn’t have scripted if I tried. That’s why I say: The more I obey, the less I trip. Because once you've seen God's track record? You stop pacing and start praising. Hope you have a great weekend and hug yourself for me. Next week, I will tell you who has agreed to be our DJ for Thee HBCU BINGO EXPERIENCE! He fell into our lap. It's another Miracle story! Grab your ticket at MoveInDayMafia.org/HBCUBingo. Don't forget to subscribe, like, and comment!  I’ve been sitting on this miracle for a few weeks because, honestly? I needed to just sit still and feel all the feels. Now! I’m ready to holler all about it. Because last week, I told you about how Container Store, Amazon, and Best Buy came together for Mafia, and I have ANOTHER Best Buy story. But wait...just in case you are new here...Move-In Day Mafia provides decked-out dorm rooms and monthly care packages for HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused or grapple with severe financial hardships. Several weeks ago, when I sat on the plane to head to deliver my very first HBCU commencement speech at Jarvis Christian University, I got an email that made me stop cold, and I had to stifle a scream cuz you know...I couldn't get put off the plane. Fortunately! I didn't have to stifle it for long. The plane was delayed, and they had us disembark. What had me scream-gagged?  Best Buy is giving Move-In Day Mafia $30,000. THIRTY. THOUSAND. DOLLARS. I couldn't get out my phone fast enough to call ShaDonte, my good news deliverer. The first words that tumbled out of my mouth..."Dude! You don't send this in email...This is 'I need to CALL TeeJ' news." But if you know me, you know I had one more question: “Ummm, not to sound ungrateful... but that’s coming with some People Power, right?” ShaDonte ain't new to my shenanigans so he already knew how I got down so he wasn't surprised. "YES! OF COURSE!" If you saw Best Buy in action last year at Morehouse, Clark Atlanta, and Miles College, then you already know. They weren’t standing around for photo ops. They were moving furniture, running cords, setting up TVs, and doing the gritty work with quiet excellence. They showed up. And they showed out.  📺 BUT HERE’S THE REAL BACKSTORY… Back in 2016, I started speaking a completely delusional faith declaration by using a hashtag on social media: “#BestBuyIsMySponsorTheyJustDontKnowItYet”  And I said that for ten years before I even knew what I wanted them to sponsor. All I knew was that Best Buy was my favorite store and that somehow, we were gonna ride together. Fast forward to 2023, I learned one of my Facebook friends actually worked at Best Buy corporate. I found out after the fact, though. "After the fact of what, TeeJ," you might ask. Unbeknownst to me, she had been slowly, strategically getting Move-In Day Mafia’s name in front of the right people. And in August of 2023, I got a call that started with "TeeJ, are you sitting down?," followed by "Best Buy is gonna give you $10,000!!!!!" OMG OMG OMG... That delusional hashtag of faith I had whispered for a decade? IT. CAME. TRUE. And you wanna know what’s even wilder? That first $10,000 wasn’t a one-and-done. Nope. It sparked a full-on partnership. In 2024, Best Buy came back and DOUBLED IT—dropping $20,000 on us like it was nothing. But they didn’t stop at dollars. They pulled up with People Power...fluffing pillows, putting up wallpaper, hauling snacks, assembling beds and showing our scholars what excellence looks like when it has hands and a name badge. And now? 2025 rolled in with $30,000 more. Oh, and they’re not done. Not only are they investing in our scholars again, they’re also the official sponsor of THEE HBCU Bingo Experience happening July 12 in Atlanta. (You already KNOW they understood the assignment.) Best Buy. Bingo. Blessings. It’s all connected. IT TAKES A MAFIA (AND A MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR SPONSOR) Here we are—three years in, and Best Buy ain’t just sponsoring. ✅ They’re building with us. ✅ They’re showing up. ✅ They’re setting the pace for how corporate partners can move with meaning. So, if you're reading this wondering whether your company could make a difference? Ask Best Buy. Then ask yourself: What are we waiting for? Because right now, applications are OPEN for next year’s class of Mafia Scholars. That means new dorms. New care packages. New emergencies. New wins. And yep...new miracles waiting to be made. Wanna be the next one? We’ll gladly make room. AND SPEAKING OF MIRACLES... We’re gearing up for another Move-In Day season and whew... The scholars applying this year? Real. Raw. Resilient. Their stories will wreck you and inspire you in the same breath. Their dreams are still standing, even if life tried to knock them flat. Let me introduce you to one of the applicants we met this week. S.T. has been in foster care for 13 years. She doesn’t know her dad. She has no contact with her mom. When she was around 5 or 6 years old, she and her three siblings were taken from their mother. S.T. and her younger siblings, now 16 and 14, were adopted but mistreated. She was the one who reported the abuse. It took three years for the state to believe her and remove them from that adoptive home. Three years. Meanwhile, she’s been placed in three different group homes. The system kept moving her, but she kept showing up. She said she was angry. Explosive. Exhausted. At school, she was quiet, polite, respectful. But at home? That rage had to go somewhere. She said she used to want to be like the older “bad girls” because they didn’t seem afraid. They looked like survival. But here’s what gets me... Even in the middle of all that? She kept straight As. She said therapy helped her process the anger. She said being heard matters. She said she still gets an attitude when she feels dismissed, but now she knows how to name it. And that, my friend, is why Move-In Day Mafia exists. Because that kind of fire, that kind of brilliance, that kind of resilience? It deserves to be seen. Backed. Celebrated. It deserves a room that doesn’t just hold her, but heals her. More scholar stories are coming your way soon. And I’ll be letting you know exactly how you can help us bring these rooms to life, brick by brick, blessing by blessing. Stay close. It’s almost move-in season. A few months back, I submitted to speak at a TEDx event. They turned me down. But instead of slamming the door, they said something wild: “This topic? It’s not right for this TEDx. But it’s perfect for our next one.” And when I saw the theme for that next one? “It’s Bigger Than Us: The Power of We.” Whew! If that ain’t the whole Move-In Day Mafia mission in a sentence! So I reapplied.  I got selected. And now... I get to give my SECOND TEDx Talk. That initial “no” wasn’t rejection; it was divine redirection. A setup for something better aligned, better timed, and bold enough to match my assignment. So here’s your reminder: If the door closes, don’t assume it’s locked. God might just be remodeling the whole room for you. Now I get to walk in ten toes down, knowing this moment was made for me. And yours is coming too. Whelp! That's a wrap. See you next week. Don't forget to subscribe, like, comment, repost and hug yourself for me! And be sure to grab your tickets to THEE HBCU BINGO EXPERIENCE! MoveInDayMafia.org/HBCUBingo  Ooooooweeeee, I've been itching to tell you this for a week. And if you are new here... Real quick... Move-In Day Mafia is my nonprofit that provides decked out dorm rooms and monthly care packages for HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused or grapple with severe financial hardships. Now, back to our miracle. Early November last year, out of the blue, I got an email from a woman named Jackie from The Container Store. She had an offer that stopped me dead in my tracks.  Wait. What??? I had to clean my glasses to make sure I was reading right. Plus, Container Store is Mafia's interior designer, Nikki Klugh's favorite store. But get this...Follow-up emails revealed it was nearly 800 sheet sets, along with underbed storage containers and laundry bag backpacks! The exact stuff our scholars need! This kind of donation would take a massive load off our budget for years. But there was one problem. It was an answered prayer wrapped in a logistical nightmare. 🤔 Where would we store them? 🤔 How would we get them from Dallas to Atlanta? 🤔 We don’t have the budget to handle a gift this big. I didn’t want to say no. But my non-logistical butt got nauseous just thinking about it. Knowing there was no way we could handle this much, I resolved that I would just try to accept a few. That would be better than nothing. Every little bit helps, right? I reached out to a few of our Dallas volunteers and asked if they had room to store a few sets of sheets. A few said yes. Then. The holidays hit, and communication paused for a while. TURNS OUT, THAT DELAY WAS DIVINE TIMING. Fast forward to the top of this year. I was trying to set up our Adopt A Scholar wishlists on Amazon and ran into a snag. So I called our Amazon advocate, Terreta, for help. (Backstory: Amazon already gave us $10,000 last year, and they rolled in to help with move-in day at Clark Atlanta and Morehouse, too. Solid partners from day one.) Terreta introduced me to her colleague Mia, who works on Amazon’s Local Good team. I thought meeting Mia was just gonna fix my account hiccup. Mia started explaining her role, and I’ll be honest…I wasn’t tracking at first. So I asked her to break it down in real talk. She said: “Let’s say you’ve got a donor in another city who wants to give you something, and you need to get it to Atlanta. We can help with that.” I stopped cold. LaTerra, my assistant who was on the Zoom with me, saw it in my eyes the minute it registered. I repeated it slowly to Mia, just to be sure: “You mean... if The Container Store in Dallas wants to donate 1,000 sheet sets and supplies, y’all could transport them to Atlanta…for FREE?” Mia, cool as ever: “Yep.” If you know me, then you know what happened next. All professionalism went out the door, and I LOST IT! I started jumping up and down cuz I knew…I knew that if this part was solved, then there was no way God was not gonna let me see the miracle all the way through. THE HEAVY MACHINERY MELTDOWN But it still was tricky. The shipment wasn’t coming in boxes, it was coming on giant pallets.  Which meant we’d need: 🤔 A storage facility with a loading dock 🤔 A forklift 🤔 A pallet jack 🤔 And a forklift driver I didn’t have access to any of that. And I was back to wondering if this miracle was going to fall through. While I was working on the machinery, I knew it would take People Power to get the stuff up in a storage unit...a storage unit that we didn't even have at the time. Something else I had to figure out...how much storage would actually be needed? LawdHamMussyGeezus my brain. I decided...do the easy stuff and start working on volunteers. So I made a call to our Atlanta Best Buy buddy who manages the Morrow, GA store. Ed had already gone hard for us during Clark Atlanta and Morehouse’s move-in day too. So I asked if he had volunteers who could help us unload the truck if I figured out the machinery aspect. That’s all I was asking for. Volunteers. THREE MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR ORGS… ONE BIG YES Ed had bigger plans. When I explained what I was working on, in his calm, steady bass-filled voice, he goes, “Ms. TeeJ... let me work for you.” And just like that, God flipped the whole script. Ed took the wheel from there. No more of me worried about loading docks, forklifts, pallet jacks, and forklift drivers. Ed took it all and coordinated directly with The Container Store and Amazon. At one point, I was watching the email exchange in awe that not one, not two, but THREE multi-BILLION dollar orgs came together for Mafia!!! Like what??? I didn’t even know I could pray for something like this. The pallets were delivered to his Best Buy store in Morrow.  His team broke everything down and repackaged it. Then Amazon sent another truck to pick up the boxes and delivered them directly to our storage unit, unloading them too.  I was no real help to the process by then. I got to watch in awe as people did what only God could’ve orchestrated. AND THEN… A BONUS BLESSING And just when I thought that was the end of it? Ed hit me with one last miracle: “There’s a grant connected to this,” he told me. "Move-In Day Mafia will receive a $500 donation.”  Now listen. I don’t understand why Best Buy decided to pay us for letting them help... I don’t have to understand why. I just need to be grateful. We got to accept AAAAAAAALL of Container Store's generosity with Amazon's and Best Buy's help.  IN MY BRITNEY SPEARS VOICE... "Oops... y’all did it again!" Okay okay okay—I know that’s corny, and you gotta be a certain age to appreciate it, but I’m not stopping me from hollering: Y’ALL. DID. IT. AGAIN. For the second month in a row, every single Adopt A Scholar wishlist got bought out. Let me say that one more time for the people scrolling fast: 📦 TWO STRAIGHT MONTHS of every scholar covered. 💳 Gift cards sent. 📬 Needs met. 🙌 Miracles made. And this one hits extra hard because we’re in what we call Summer Survival Season—when most of our scholars are no longer on campus and many are dealing with housing instability or food insecurity. That’s why, from May through August, we switch from Amazon packages to $25 Visa gift cards so our scholars can buy what they need wherever they are. The goal? $200 per scholar, per month. And thanks to y’all, our scholars aren't missing a beat. Whether you adopted a scholar, shared the link, or just sent us good vibes, you were part of this miracle. It takes a village, but let’s be honest… It takes a Mafia to move this fast. And you handled it. Yesterday, I found out that I didn't get an opportunity I really wanted for Move-In Day Mafia. Yet! I felt bummed all of 5 minutes, and more so because that application took me daaaaaaaays. In this season, I "win" a lot. But I'm no stranger to losing... a lot! However, I've also lived long enough to develop the spiritual maturity to know can't nobody stop ANYTHING that God has determined is mine. So I dust my shoulders off and keep it pushing. But! Get this... I opened LinkedIn right after I saw the "losing" email. Y’all, guess what... I was tagged in a post informing me I had won $500 cash ‘cause my comment was one of three favorite comments from a virtual summit I listened in on. $500 cash! For meeeeeeee... not Mafia! 😂😂😂😂 I've learned that every “no” has already been filtered through the hands of a God who loves you too much to let you settle. So stand 10 toes down in trust. If it were truly yours, you’d have it. If not? That just means better is on the way. That's it for this week! Don't forget to subscribe and like, comment and repost. As always, volunteer and donate at MoveInDayMafia.org. We've opened applications for 2025-2026 school year and we're gonna need your help!  Weekend before last, I was sitting on the back row in Jackson, Tennessee, watching my mama, Ms. Thang Thang, get honored for the 50th anniversary of her graduation from Lane College. Last weekend? I was on the stage. Giving my very first HBCU commencement address. And ooooooweeeeee I’m still on Cloud 9?! I don’t even know where to begin. The moment the President of Jarvis Christian University wrapped me in a tight hug and prayed in my ear before I even sat down, I knew we were about to witness something powerful. 💫 Graduates were stopping mid-stage to thank me. 💫 Families were pulling me aside afterward to show me their notes. 💫 A pastor told me he was “stealing” my message for his Sunday sermon. 💫 And my sweet little god-niece Mazey? She watched the whole speech from her couch and was so fired up, she recited ALL SEVEN cheat codes from memory. 😭😭😭 And don't get me started with them calling me a "Distinguished Storyteller."  It was the biggest graduating class in the school’s history. And there I was, standing in my purpose, giving the grads “7 Cheat Codes” called: “Zigzag Across the Finish Line.” Because none of us got here on a straight path. We fall. We crawl. We double back. But we still finish. And it had a twist nobody saw coming at the end. People are still messaging me about it. Take a listen. It's about 20 minutes and tell me what you think. 🐘 DST. 💜 Ques. Joy & 4.0s Now let’s talk about what YOU helped make happen. Our scholars are finishing the school year strong, and their May Updates were filled with good news that made me holler. Here’s just a taste: 📣 Two scholars joined Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Here's one.  📣 Another got accepted into Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.  📣 We’ve got a scholar thrilled to be serving as event coordinator for her forensic science club. 📣 One scholar wrote: “I didn’t let something really bad that happened to me this month affect my character. I let go and let God.” 📣 One of our babies ended the form with the most casual mic drop ever: “I got a 4.0.” Just like that. Period. No notes. No emojis. I cracked up. And then… Last month, one of our scholars requested art supplies that one of you Miracle Makers, bought. And guess what… Well, here are her words…”I passed my art midterm with a 98/100. I’m not the best artist but I gave it my all.” MAFIA, IN THEIR WORDS Here’s more of what a few students had to say for their May updates. “It’s so amazing to be part of the MIDM family.” “Y’all are such amazing support.” “This year was stressful, but you made it easier. Thank you.” “This Lego has pushed me so far with the help you guys provide.” (She meant “level,” but it was so cute we’re keeping it 😅) And if you’re wondering whether what you give really matters? Let this edition be your confirmation. We’re watching these students step into leadership, ownership, purpose, and excellence -- not just because of what you gave, but because of the love it represented. 🛑 SUMMER SURVIVAL MODE Listen, Mafia family… this summer’s Adopt A Scholar Week is gonna look a little different. A lot of our scholars are facing housing instability. Some are couch surfing. Others don’t know where they’ll be staying week to week. And when you’re bouncing between places? Amazon can’t find you. That means for June through August, we’re adjusting how we show up. 🟡 If a scholar is still on campus or near their Care Package Mafioso (CPM), they’ll still have a full wishlist like usual. 🟡 If not? We’re switching to $25 Visa gift cards. That way, we can overnight the support they need—fast, flexible, and safe. Our goal is $200 in gift cards per scholar each month. That’s 8 gift cards that help them cover groceries, hygiene, transportation… whatever survival looks like for the month. If $25 isn’t doable for you right now? No worries. Just give what you can and drop “#AdoptAScholar” in the memo line so we know how to apply it. We open the summer lists on the 14th of each month and close on the 21st. We’ll be back to regular wishlists in September. But this summer? We move with flexibility and faith. Because we’re not just sending help. We’re sending dignity. We’re sending hope. We’re sending a message loud and clear: You are not alone.  Some days are “push-through” days... And some days are “tap out” days. The key is knowing which one you’re in. Because even the loudest extroverts (hi, it’s me 🙋🏽♀️) have moments where we need to power down. After weeks of “peopling,” travel, and pouring out from every corner of my spirit, I came home and felt it in my bones. Tapped. Out. And I’ve learned to stop treating rest like it’s optional. So if today is a push-through kind of day, I’m cheering you on like a marching band. But if it’s a tap-out day? Tap out with no guilt. No shame. No apology. That’s part of how we stay ready for the miracles still on the way. See you next week. Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!  THE NAME I ALMOST MISSED Ooooooweeeee, I’ve been sitting on this for a week. I couldn’t wait to tell you. When we last spoke, I was headed home to Tennessee to celebrate my mama, Ms. Thang Thang, on the 50th anniversary of her graduation from Lane College. The ceremony was held in a church, and since my mama’s part was done, I was all the way in the back row behind her, scrolling my phone, trying to knock out some emails. I didn’t know anybody else walking that stage. Then I heard a name over the speaker. My head popped up. Out of respect for his privacy, I’ll call him C.A., but I only heard the first name, which is a common one. I paused for a second and thought, “Wait… did I just hear what I think I heard?” But all I could see from where I was sitting was just a shadow walking across the stage collecting his degree. I texted Amber, the head of our Student Support Team, just to check. No response. So I let it go. After the ceremony ended, the grads were instructed to go one way and the attendants another. I started making my way down a hallway, thinking my mom’s class would be exiting that way in their gold graduation gowns. So I stopped in a random corner, head down into my phone to wait. The 2025 grads in black gowns started filing past me. But again…I didn’t know anybody, so I went back to squeezing in some more emails. The next time I looked up, it was to see if I spotted gold gowns coming. And right there coming towards me… was C.A., my gentle giant. We locked eyes at the same time. He knew me. I knew him. And I lost it. I screamed. I cried. I jumped up and down. I vacillated between being annoyed that he didn’t tell us and hugging him like I had just watched him climb Mount Everest in flip-flops. “I SAW YOU WALK…I SAW YOU WALK…I SAW YOU GET TO THE FINISH LINE! YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT, C.A!” He wrapped me in a bear hug. He was smiling, a little shy, maybe even a little embarrassed by how hard I was jumping in a circle around him, but I didn’t care. Because this moment? This is what Move-In Day Mafia is really about. Not just move-in day. But the full journey.  The truth is, C.A. never told us. Because when you’ve spent a life used to people not showing up, you stop expecting them to, and you stop sharing good news. And y’all… that almost happened here. But God. God made sure I was born in the right year… so my mama would be graduating in the right year… so 50 years later, I’d be standing in the exact right hallway at the exact right moment to celebrate C.A. Nobody else from my mom’s graduating class even came down that hallway. Only the new graduates did. You can’t plan that. That’s divine timing. That’s what it looks like when heaven taps you on the shoulder and says, “Look up. Don’t miss this.” And I’m telling you now… we’re building a Graduation Crew. We will not let our scholars cross that stage without celebration. No more walking alone. If I have anything to do with it, there will always be someone hollering their name, hugging their neck, and going ham over them. Because C.A. may not have told us. But God did. WHEN HARASSMENT TURNS INTO HELP Let me run this all the way back. Last year, Cisco, the tech giant, came through with a $15,000 donation to Move-In Day Mafia. And listen… that wasn’t the result of a pitch deck or some fancy strategy meeting. Nah. That miracle was born straight out of a divine setup. I was at the “A Different World” HBCU tour stop at Morehouse, just doing what I do, talking to everybody in sight. In the elevator, I started harmlessly harassing a woman, playfully, of course. Didn’t know her name. Didn’t know her title. Then, a little later during the event, I introduced myself to a man from Cisco, who had done the welcome, because Cisco was a sponsor. Scott and I got to talking, and I tell him about Move-In Day Mafia, and his eyes light up. And then he says, “I want you to talk to my colleague.” Wanna guess who it was? The same woman from the elevator. Her name? Shaunya. Yup. The woman I had been clowning moments earlier turned out to be our divine connection. Scott introduced us. Shaunya listened to the vision. And soon after, Cisco dropped $15,000 into this mission. Now fast forward to this weekend. I’m at Mama’s graduation in Jackson, TN. They hosted a beautiful luncheon to honor her class, and one of the special guests was none other than Darryl Bell. You know... Ron from A Different World.  So I texted Shaunya 'cause remember Cisco sponsored the Different World tour? “Hey! Do you happen to know Darryl personally?” She responded, and not only does she know him, but she hit me with this: “Scott’s there too!” Wait… What? Scott, as in THAT Scott, was in the room.  Only God could write this kind of script. Because not only did I get to celebrate my mama and her legacy, I got to walk right up to the man who opened the door for Cisco’s support last year and tell him face-to-face: “Our kids are thriving. Needs are getting met. Lives are changing because of Cisco’s yes.” He looked me square in the face and said, “What do you need this year?” I didn’t hesitate. I said, “Money! And lots of it!” He said, “Tell Shaunya what you need.” And baby... I did. The proposal has been written. The vision is big. The need is real. But so is the God who orchestrated an elevator joke, a Morehouse event, a 50-year graduation, a sitcom legend, and a miracle setup in a luncheon ballroom in my little hometown. So now, Miracle Makers, I’m asking you to pray with me. Pray that Cisco says yes again…this time even bigger. Pray that this next miracle carries more weight, more funding, and more futures than we could imagine. Because if God did it once... You better believe He’s ready to do it again. EVEN COUCH-SURFING COULDN'T TAKE HER JOY You might remember me mentioning H.K. before. She’s one of our freshman scholars, and before Move-In Day Mafia came into the picture, she spent her high school years unhoused, couch surfing, bouncing between places, trying to survive and still make it to class. So when she got her dorm room? It wasn’t just a place to sleep. It was her first real taste of stability. Her own space. Her own bed. Her own door to close at night. When she first interviewed for Move-In Day Mafia, she had to beg a relative just to use a bedroom so she could have a quiet space. And even then? That relative kept coming into the room, over and over, making her visibly nervous and unsettled. But she pushed through. And that same courage is what’s been carrying her through freshman year at Bethune-Cookman, where she is on scholarship. But that didn’t mean all the gaps were closed. Because H.K. was still trying to tackle college… without a laptop. You know what that means. No reliable way to write papers, join Zoom calls, or do research unless she could hustle her way into a computer lab or borrow from someone else. That’s where one of you had H.K.’s back. One of our Mafia Miracle Makers stepped up and filled the gap!  Now this resilient young woman, who’s already overcome more than most adults, has what she needs to keep pressing forward. No more borrowing. No more scrambling. No more hoping someone else will come through. This time, someone did. Because that’s what this community does. We build the bridge from surviving to thriving. And today? That bridge looks like a laptop and a bright future for H.K. I mean...look at that smile! To the anonymous donor who stepped up without hesitation, thank you for being the miracle in motion!  Last weekend, I was sitting on the back row watching my mama get honored for her 50-year graduation anniversary from Lane College. This weekend? I’ll be ON THE STAGE delivering my very first HBCU commencement address. From her arms in 1975 to holding the mic in 2025… tell me God ain’t a full-circle specialist.  When God pulled me out of Hollywood ten years ago and set me on a path as a speaker, one of my first prayers was, “Lord, will You ever let me give an HBCU commencement speech?” He heard me. He prepared me. And now? 🗓️ This Saturday, May 3rd, 2025 🎓 I’ll be giving the commencement address at Jarvis Christian University near Dallas, TX! ⏰ 8 AM PT | 10 AM CT | 11 AM ET 🎥 Watch the live stream Either https://www.jarvis.edu/ or https://www.youtube.com/@jarvischristianuniversity1969/streams My talk is called “Zigzag Across the Finish Line” because nobody I know made it without some detours. Sometimes you fall. Sometimes you crawl. But you get across that finish line, even if you have to zigzag to do it. See you next week, and if you haven't already, don't forget to subscribe!  She Worked the Factory So I Could Rock the Yard As this week’s edition lands in your inbox, I’m in the air, headed back to Jackson, Tennessee. But not for a taping. Not for a speech. This trip is personal. This weekend, my mama, Ms. Thang Thang, is celebrating 50 years since she graduated from Lane College. The same Lane College where we now have three Move-In Day Mafia scholars. Remember TK, yall surprised him with a laptop? Yeah, now lemme tell you about Ms. Thang Thang. She’s the one who raised me on HBCU pride, took me to HBCU football classics where I fell in love with the culture, and sowed seeds of legacy into my spirit without ever having to say a word. She never pressured us…my brother and I. Never pushed. Never insisted we go to an HBCU. We found that path on our own. But after I graduated from Howard and my brother graduated from Grambling, she finally told us the truth: She’d always dreamed of having a Howard Grad and a Grambling grad. She got her secret wish. 📸 And this photo right here?  My favorite one of us. It’s her graduation day from Lane. She’s in her cap and gown, holding baby TeeJ in her arms. That picture lives rent-free in my soul because it reminds me of exactly where I came from and who I came through. The woman who let me turn down full rides to PWIs (Predominantly White Institutions) so I could chase my dream and go to my beloved HBCU, Howard. She worked long, grueling hours in a factory so I could get that education. Never once asked me to reconsider. Just made it happen. That moment became full-circle when we took this portrait: me in my Howard alum gear, my brother in his Grambling colors, and Ms. Thang Thang sitting proud in the middle…her dream fulfilled.  Oh, and if you remember last week’s Mafia Miracle Report… then you know that after my Sherri Show appearance, Ms. Thang Thang blew up like she needed her own glam team. Folks have been calling her like she’s got a publicist. Now she swears she needs a bodyguard and a shirt that says: “I Birthed a Boss.” I ain’t mad at it. None of this. Not the HBCU Bingo. Not the Sherri Show. Not Move-In Day Mafia. None of it would exist if she hadn’t birthed me, believed in me and bathed me in HBCU Excellence. So I just want to celebrate her like she celebrates my brother and me. 📦 WE CLEARED THE WISHLIST AND I LOST MY EVER-LOVING MIND Listen… I don’t know if it was the exhaustion, the joy, or the fact that y’all truly outdid yourselves, but when I tell you I hollered like someone told me Kirk Franklin, my favorite gospel artist, was in the lobby?! April makes four months since we’ve been doing Adopt A Scholar for months now. Every single list is full of real needs--things like snacks, school supplies, hygiene products, art tools, clothes, and groceries and more! But we’d never experienced this before. The entire list… GONE. Every item… BOUGHT. Every need… MET. And the best part? It wasn’t some big corporation. It was YOU. Our Mafia Miracle Makers. You showed up with your whole chest, your whole wallet, and your whole heart, and said, “We’re not letting these scholars go without.” I could’ve kept it cute and quiet. I could’ve sat there and smiled like a dainty little flower. But c’mon. You already know…I AM cute, but “dainty” and “quiet” have never been used to describe me. I danced. I screamed. I sang you an original song. Because I’m not about to downplay a full-blown miracle, okay?! That video is what it looks like when faith meets fulfillment. Go watch it, laugh at me, then send it to somebody who needs to see what community love really looks like. .📱 A SIMPLE PHONE. A MAJOR MIRACLE. You ever stop and realize how much we take for granted? A quick scroll. A phone call. A text to check in. Most of us don’t even think twice. And if our kid’s phone breaks? We run to the store, tap our app, or hit up the repair shop. But JS? A Prairie View A&M scholar? She didn’t have that luxury. Her phone was on its last leg. She could text, but couldn’t hear a thing on calls. That meant: ❌ No mentor check-ins ❌ No job interviews ❌ No emergency help So she asked. Not for something excessive. Not for the latest and greatest. She asked for an older iPhone 13, not fancy but functional. And y’all? One of our Mafia Miracle Makers came through.  Now listen. JS is quiet. When Misty, one of our Care Package Mafiosos, first started making deliveries to her, she could barely get a smile. But now, Misty tells me she smiles AND hugs! Because what our miracle makers do is help us take care of these scholars like we’re their aunties, uncles, godparents, and bonus grandparents. And one of y’all looked at that quiet request and said, “I got her.” No fanfare. No spotlight. Just love. That’s Mafia. That’s family. That’s the kind of miracle that doesn’t make headlines but makes everything better.  Remember what I told you up top about my mama? About how she worked long, backbreaking hours in that factory so I could turn down full rides to PWIs and chase my dream at Howard? Well, here’s the rest of the story. We didn’t have the money. We only had enough for that first year. That’s it. I couldn’t see the finish line. I didn’t have a backup plan. But I had one thing going for me: faith. To this day, I still can’t explain how I made it through all four years. I can't map the math. I can't count the coins. But what I can do is trace every step back to faith. God provided. And He’s been doing it ever since. 📍 When I left Tennessee and moved to LA to build a Hollywood career. 📍 When I started Move-In Day Mafia with just $3,500 and a prayer to move in 13 students. 📍 Every miracle y’all read about in these newsletters. All of it happened because I trusted the assignment, even when the numbers didn’t add up. So hear me clearly, Miracle Maker: What God ordains, He provides. If He told you to do it, He will equip you to finish it. If He planted the seed, He will water the harvest. And if you’re standing at the edge of your own “I don’t have enough,” I dare you to leap. Provision doesn’t wait for perfection. It responds to obedience. Now go on and move, even if you don’t have it all figured out. Because the same God who covered my Howard tuition… is still out here doing miracles for you, too. If you enjoyed this week’s edition, can you gimme a like, a comment, or share…or all three if you feeling generously spicy? See you next week! Oh...And you have about two more weeks to grab your SUPER Early Bird tickets for Thee HBCU BINGO EXPERIENCE live in Atlanta on July 12, 2025. Don't say I didn't encourage you BEFORE we start dropping surprises. MoveInDayMafia.org/HBCUBingo  You ever have one of those moments where life feels so full you just have to sit back and soak it in? That’s where I’ve been. Thank y’all for giving me a minute to catch my breath last week. Between my daughter Dot’s 19th heavenly birthday and the whirlwind of what I’m about to share… whew. My spirit needed a beat. But now? I’m back in full effect, with stories to tell and miracles to celebrate. Because this edition? This one is all about what happens when a village shows up. From Dorm Rooms to Daytime TV – Mafia Made It to the National Stage Let’s start with this: I went national, y’all! I packed up my joy, my Mafia spirit, my blinged-out Chucks, and a brand-new custom fit from my longtime friend and designer Neva Bryant, and headed to NYC I’ve done tons of media, but this hit different becaaaaaause… It was in-studio. It was national. It was LIVE! And it was with my friend of over 25 years! The “She’s the Boss” segment on The Sherri Show is usually six to eight minutes. But babyyyyy... they gave us nine minutes and twenty-two seconds of pure Mafia magic on daytime television. And the wildest part? I didn’t even know we had that much time. I was just flowin’, telling our story, and doing what I do best -- and God said, “Let my daughter cook.” Check out the segment for yourself  THE MAFIA ROLLED DEEP My parents were in the audience beaming like it was their debut. My mama? The show made sure to capture her, which led to her friends calling her like, “Guuuuuurl, I saw you on TV.” LawdHamMussyGeezus, she now swears she needs a bodyguard AND a shirt that says: “I Birthed a Boss.” And honestly? She’s not wrong.  We had folks fly in from all over -- Maryland, Georgia, California, Louisiana, Tennessee, D.C., and of course, New York. Twenty-two of our miracle makers, donors and volunteers, showed up in full yellow sunshine glory. It felt like an HBCU homecoming, a family reunion, and a miracle all in one. My day-to-day Mafia crew? They were there too -- Mina Starks, LaTerra Wise, Ericka Baldwin, and Nikki Klugh of Nikki Klugh Design Group, our sponsor who designs all of our rooms. Even Terry Simmons from Orange Strategy (our Mafia video sponsor) was in the building.  FULL CIRCLE MOMENTS YOU COULDN'T SCRIPT The Sherri staff showed out with their kindness and care. Normally, I’m just visiting, hanging out with Sherri, watching the magic from the sidelines. But this time? They turned every ounce of that excellence on me…and I felt aaaaaall of it. And the cherry on top? They placed me in the Marsha Warfield Room -- the same green room where I met Kirk Franklin, my favorite artist of all time, last year. What are the odds?  Then the night before my segment aired, a high school classmate sent me a pic of her TV screen. There I was: “Motivational Speaker, TeeJ Mercer” listed right next to Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Let me take y’all back for a second. In 1992, I was a sophomore at Howard, fresh off the plane from Tennessee. I landed my very first Hollywood internship at a music video production company. One day, I walked into a dark edit bay to grab a tape, turned around and completely froze. I was staring into the face of THEO. Yes, Malcolm-Jamal Warner.  The Cosby Show was still on TV. No Instagram. No selfies. Just me and one of the biggest stars in America five feet apart in silence. He'd gotten into directing and producing by this time. I couldn’t find my voice and hopefully I stammered something out to him. I don't remember anything except I was star-struck. LOL And now? Decades later, our names were on the same TV episode.  Don’t tell me God won’t spin the block for His daughters. And wanna know something funny? Somebody told me my outfit looked like a "Gordon Cantrell" from that memorable, hilarious episode. I MEANT TO GIVE HER FLOWERS...BUT THIS MOUTH BE MOUTHIN' Now you know I adore Sherri. We’ve been friends for over 25 years. So in the moment, I wanted to honor her for stepping up and playing Celebrity Jeopardy, knowing good and darn well that trivia wasn’t her lane -- but she did it anyway so Move-In Day Mafia could walk away with $30,000 for her appearance. I opened my mouth to give her flowers and instead, I blurted out: “We knew you were gonna take a hit on Celebrity Jeopardy.” Cue the record scratch. For a split second, I thought, Lord… did I just clown my girl on national TV?! You gotta see for yourself how Sherri handled it. THE SURPRISE THAT SNATCHED MY TEARS Just when I thought the moment couldn’t get better... The team at Sherri hit me with a surprise that provoked immediate waterworks. I won’t ruin it for you. But know… I wasn’t prepared.  STILL CATCHING UP--STILL MAKING MIRACLES Yes, I missed last week’s edition. And yes, I needed the pause. But the miracles didn’t stop. They never do. We’ve got supplies still landing, phones still ringing, and surprises still in transit. We’ll catch up next week with all the behind-the-scenes scholar goodness. But this week? This one was about the village. The crew. The miracle makers who’ve walked with me from dorm rooms to daytime TV -- and back again. JUST 3 DAYS LEFT: Adopt A Scholar is Still ON! Now, before I let you go grab your tissues or hit replay on the Sherri segment… Lemme softly whisper this in your ear. Adopt A Scholar Week wraps in just THREE DAYS, ON THE 21ST. That means you still have time to slide in and help one of our scholars get what they need for April. We’ve got HBCU students waiting right now--scholars who’ve been through hell and back but are still standing tall, still enrolled, still dreaming. And YOU can be the reason they keep going. Tap in right here: 👉🏽 MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar Let’s finish April strong, Miracle Maker. You’ve got 72 hours to make a whole miracle happen. Let me tell you a secret you probably wouldn’t expect from your loud, proud, blinged-out extrovert of a friend… I go dark sometimes. Like really dark. Not in spirit, but in solitude. After the whirlwind of national TV, travel, and ALL the feels, I needed to sit myself down. No inbox. No camera. No peopling. Because while I thrive in joy and live my life out loud, there’s a quiet part of me too -- the introvert that needs to unplug, retreat, and recharge in stillness. It’s how I protect my peace. It’s how I process my purpose. It’s how I make sure my next move is led by God -- not just driven by my to-do list. I’ve learned to trust that when He says “pause,” it’s not punishment; it’s preparation. A miracle doesn’t always happen in motion. Sometimes, it’s birthed in the quiet. So if you’re feeling stretched thin, overwhelmed, or like the world is moving faster than your spirit can keep up... 💡 Take a beat. 💡 Honor your rhythms. 💡 Trust the God who sees the whole timeline. And know this: miracles don’t just show up on the mountaintop. Sometimes they meet you in the valley... while you’re lying on the couch with no bra on and no idea what day it is. 😅 (Or maybe that’s just me.) Either way -- it’s still holy. If this edition made you smile, giggle or say "awwwwh," can you be swet and comment or at least smack that "LIKE" button. DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND I'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!  I’m kicking off this Friday cheesin' from ear to ear!...Again! If you’ve been riding the Mafia Miracle Train, you remember last week I was all hyped about a BIG surprise. I was ready. Cartwheels prepped. Confetti cued. HBCU playlist on blast. But then I had to eat a little humble pie because our delivery drivers (ahem, not naming names, but they rhyme with B-U-P-S) were moving slower than syrup in winter. Well Babyyyyyyyyy… let me tell you what finally landed on my desk: Yesssss! We got video of TK at Lane College getting his brand-new computer! Now, full transparency, this baby is so low-key. Chill to the bone. He’s not the jump-up-and-down type. But don’t miss the fact that this is a BIG deal. Because TK is a student who’s walked through fire. Both parents incarcerated. Foster care swallowing up his 7th and 8th year. Bounced around from house to house with no stability. And still, he made it to Lane, which happens to be my mom’s alma mater. This is the same young king who showed up to school with nothing but a duffel bag. No moving boxes. No cheering squad. No family trailing behind him. Just him, that bag, and a whole lotta hope. And when he saw his Mafia dorm makeover? He made a beeline for the Costco-sized box of Pringles like they were gold-plated. 😂 Priorities, right? But this computer? This is more than a machine. It’s a lifeline. It’s proof that people care. It’s proof that YOU, our Mafia family, show up every time. And speaking of showing up… WHEW, YALL SHOWED UP…AGAIN! While TK was getting blessed at Lane, I was over here doing the running man because of what happened next. Sponsors. Showing. UP. 🎥 First, my very first big ask for Bingo sponsors got a big ol’ YES! Terry Simmons and the #OrangeStrategy team locked in as our entire video production sponsor for our fundraiser, THEE HBCU Bingo Experience! And then, like the blessing cherry on top… Jennifer Jasper's God Ain't Petty, But I Am became our very first monetary sponsor! Your girl nearly did the electric slide across the living room. These aren’t just "check-the-box" sponsors. These are folks who believe deeply in what we’re building. And if you’ve been thinking about joining this miracle wave as a sponsor, now is the time. 📩 Hit us at [email protected]  WE'RE BUILDING MORE THAN DORM ROOMS, Y'ALL Let me say this loud enough for the folks in the back -- Move-In Day Mafia is about way more than dorm makeovers. ✅ We are building community. ✅ We are building belonging. ✅ We are building futures. And now, we are building an experience. 🗓️ The HBCU Bingo Experience Saturday, July 12 Atlanta, just 2 miles from the airport -- so no excuses! Think sneaker ball meets HBCU homecoming, with bingo and big prizes thrown in for good measure. Early bird tickets? Yup, they’re live. But listen: there are only 52 available at this early bird rate. Get yours now! MoveInDayMafia.org/HBCUBingo  I'LL SAY IT AGAIN: MAFIA IS FAMILY This week just proves it again. We put out the call about some big-ticket needs for our scholars. And within hours -- HOURS -- y’all handled it. Fully covered. Generosity like that? It's family. And between us, I still have one more surprise that I’m waiting to be delivered. Can’t spill the beans yet, especially with scholars reading. And while you’re here, let me softly whisper this in your ear… 🛍️ April’s Adopt A Scholar list drops on the 14th. Mark your calendar, Miracle Maker. We’re keeping this momentum going! TV ALERT: I’M GOING NATIONAL, BABY! Hold up. Wait a minute. Let me put my joy in it. OMG…that was sooooo corny…But I am bringing you. I’M HEADED TO NYC to do my first IN-STUDIO NATIONAL TV interview!! 📺 Mark your calendars: Wednesday, April 9th (Check your local listings) I’ll be on “The Sherri Show” in her “She’s The Boss” segment, talking all things Move-In Day Mafia!!!!!  And I’m taking lots of my crew with me so look for a bunch of yellow shirts in the audience!  I AM A DARN GOOD FOLLOWER AND A RELUCTANT ENTREPRENEUR Listen, Miracle Makers… I never wanted this life. I loved my TV career. Loved the creativity, the collaboration, the way I could tell stories and make people feel something. I was never the "be-your-own-boss" kinda woman. I liked working for people and leaving the heavy lifting of running a business to somebody else! But life shifted. No, let me tell the truth: life shoved me. =>> There were days I begged God to send me back to the edit bay. =>> Days when the loneliness of entrepreneurship had me questioning everything. =>> Days when I wondered if I even wanted to wake up and fight another day. I didn’t feel ready. I didn’t feel worthy. I didn’t feel called. But babyyyyyy, let me tell you loud for the folks in the back -- I was wrong. Because today, I look up and see Move-In Day Mafia standing strong, 84 scholars supported, and miracles happening month after month. All because I stopped fighting. Started surrendering and started moving. So let me give you 3 keys from 10 years in these entrepreneurial streets: 1️⃣ Pivot -- even when it scares you. Your breakthrough is on the other side of surrender. 2️⃣ Listen to God more than the experts. Advice is good. Obedience is better. 3️⃣ Celebrate what you’ve built. There’s always more to do. Pause, breathe, and honor what you’ve already achieved. To every "reluctant entrepreneur" out there, I see you. I am you. This road is hard; I refuse to lie to you about that. But if you keep going, miracles are closer than you think. Now, let me go spin around my living room real quick and shout: Here’s to 10 years! Here’s to what we’ve built. And here’s to what’s still on the way. And as we celebrate these 10 years, let’s keep moving together. If you felt this one in your spirit, drop a comment and let me know you’re on this journey too. And don’t forget to subscribe! At the time of this post, we are one away from 300! Thank you!  OOOOOOOOWEEEEEEE!!! Somebody cue the Swag Surf because I’m about to lose my mind with joy and turn cartwheels…cartwheels in my imagination at least. We’re only three months into our Adopt A Scholar (AAS) campaign and every single month has gotten stronger. Y’all don’t play about your Move-In Day Mafia family because… You covered $6,000 of our scholars’ $9,000 March needs!!!!!!!!! That is wild to me! When we launched AAS, I had a goal in mind. And I’ll be honest, I was nervous. We made a bold promise to show up for our scholars every month, and I didn’t know if we could pull it off. But y’all? Y’all pulled up and showed OUT. That $6,000 means more than just bills paid. It means we can support more scholars. It means we can expand to more HBCUs. It means we can dream even bigger. So from the bottom of my cartwheel-imagining heart (because again, I’m over 50), THANK YOU. I love you for real. Now, let me remind you why your miracle-making powers are so crucial.  MEET T.K. When T.K. showed up to Lane College in Jackson, TN He had no suitcase. No “college move-in” moment with cheering family and balloons. Just a boy-turned-man, with a duffel bag, walking onto campus with nothing but hope on his back. He’d been through more by 18 than most folks see in a lifetime. Both parents incarcerated before he hit double digits. Foster care swallowed up his 7th and 8th year of life. Then came the constant bouncing from home to home, couch to couch. No stability. No safety net. No childhood to speak of. And yet... he made it to Lane. When our Mafia team finished setting up his room, we were hype. Nikki Klugh, Mafia’s designer had everything. ✅ Neon lights to make the space feel alive ✅ A custom lion art piece–reminding him that he's royalty ✅ A hand-drawn Boondocks sketch–his favorite show, made with love ✅ And yes... a Costco-sized box of Pringles, front and center on the shelf We were so excited to see what would catch his eye. Would it be the lights? The art? The bedding? Nope. TK walked in and made a straight-up beeline for the Pringles.  He didn’t glance. He didn’t hesitate. He zeroed in like his soul had found something familiar. And right then, I felt it in my chest. That box wasn’t just a snack. It was safety. It was comfort. It was proof that somebody thought about him. For a kid who’s spent most of his life just trying to get through the day, a box of chips said, “You matter.” Of course, we laughed because it was hilarious and precious and so very TK. But hours later, that moment stayed with me. Because I remembered what he said during his interview. I’d asked, “How do you stay positive with everything you’ve been through?” “I actually just keep things to myself. What’s the point of sharing when nobody’s willing to do anything about it?” Whew. That answer? That’s exactly why Move-In Day Mafia exists. That’s exactly why we keep showing up...making miracle moments. CONFESSION: I LIED. Okay okay okay…before you clutch your pearls, hear me out. Last week, I got a little excited. Like, church usher who caught the spirit and took off running down the aisle excited. I’d told you that THIS week, I was gonna reveal some big surprises that you bought for our scholars. I had my confetti ready. My captions drafted. Buuuuut… there was just one teeny tiny problem. The surprises weren’t delivered yet. 😩 That’s right. Your girl jumped the gun and forgot one very important part of the timeline. Just because YOU blessed these scholars fast... Doesn’t mean UPS shares the same urgency. So now I’m sittin’ on secrets like a kid who peeked at their Christmas presents too early. And since some of our scholars might be reading this… my lips are sealed. I can’t ruin the moment. But trust me, once these deliveries land and the reactions start rolling in? You’re gonna wanna see every second. It’s coming. Just hold tight. And maybe say a little prayer over UPS while you wait.  🎱 THEE HBCU BINGO EXPERIENCE 🎉 Let me go ahead and warn you now... This ain’t your Grandmama’s Bingo. I’ve worked my crew’s last nerve about my vision so they’ve taken to calling it “Bougie A$$ Bingo” and baby, it’s giving sneaker ball meets HBCU Homecoming with a side of cash prizes. 🗓️ Saturday, July 12 📍 Atlanta, Georgia – just TWO miles from the airport (Yes, that means you can land, pull up, and still look cute.) And guess what? We’ve secured a celebrity powerhouse to serve as BOTH the honorary chair and emcee. One name. All the star power. And nope, I’m not spilling who it is just yet... but trust me, it’s gonna be worth the wait. This is a party with a purpose, a fundraiser in full glam, and a celebration of culture, community, and care. And right now? Early bird tickets are LIVE. Only 52 available. Once they’re gone, you’ll have to catch it in your Insta Stories and wish you were there. 🎟️ Grab yours before they vanish: MoveInDayMafia.org/HBCUBingo We’re making miracles, making memories, and making noise. You coming or what? If you want to be a sponsor or have prizes you want to donate, shoot an email to [email protected]  This week, I was catching up with one of my Howard classmates who used to live in L.A. with me. We’re laughing, reminiscing, talking about the good ol’ days--and she casually says, “TeeJ, remember when you used to throw those game nights?” And baby, it unlocked a whole memory bank I forgot even existed. I did throw game parties. All the time. Folks would come over, eat, act a fool, play Taboo like it was a contact sport, and LAUGH until we couldn’t breathe. One couple even met at one of those nights. They’re still married to this day. And in that moment, it clicked. I’ve always loved creating environments where people laugh, connect, and feel joy. In fact, I still love games. So much so that just last year, I convinced my cousin to play Heads Up with me for so long that the sun came up! So no, when we were trying to decide what would be our signature fundraiser, I’m not surprised that I vetoed a gala and insisted on a bougie bingo. (They have their place. But bougie bingo with a DJ, trash talk, and real connection? That’s more my ministry.) It reminded me of something I want you to hold close too: 💡 Nothing you’ve done is random. 💡 Every joy, every detour, every “this doesn’t make sense” moment--it’s all building blocks. 💡 You might not see how it connects right now. But trust, it’s preparing you for what’s next. So if you’ve been questioning your past or downplaying what comes naturally to you… Don’t. God wastes nothing. And everything you’ve ever done might just be training for your biggest miracle yet. Now--speaking of joy-filled spaces I was born to host… Again, don’t miss your chance to grab one of the 52 early bird tickets for THEE HBCU BINGO EXPERIENCE. This is the party I was made for--and YOU need to be in that room. 🎟️ MoveInDayMafia.org/Bingo Let’s make memories. Let’s make moments. Let’s make miracles. Whew. If this story hit you like it hit me, drop a comment and let me know which part got you in your feelings. Especially if you helped make March’s miracles happen, please say somethin’ so I can love on you properly. Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to this newsletter! See you next week. |
AuthorTEEJ MERCER - TeeJ never set out to be an entrepreneur. She definitely didn’t plan to run a nonprofit. But after 25 years in Hollywood, editing and producing for major TV shows and movie studios, she saw a story that needed to be told. More importantly, she saw a PROBLEM that needed to be solved. Archives
June 2025
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