EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. — At North Carolina A&T State College’s “Biggest Homecoming on Earth,” historical past and music will collide. Powerhouse vocalist Sybil Lynch, recognized to tens of millions merely as Sybil, is returning to her HBCU — not simply as a legendary voice, however as grand marshal of the 2025 Homecoming Parade.
Sybil’s 1989 hit “Don’t Make Me Over” isn’t only a tune. It’s a cookout traditional, the sort that makes uncles break into the electrical slide and cousins seize plates earlier than the grill shuts down.
For me, this one hits a bit completely different. Sybil isn’t only a voice from the cookout — she’s household, my massive cousin to be precise. I grew up dancing in the lounge, watching the “Don’t Make Me Over” video on TV, as if I had been one of many dancers within the video myself.
A Voice That Traveled the World — And By no means Forgot Dwelling
Born in Paterson, New Jersey, Sybil graduated from N.C. A&T in 1985. Not lengthy after, she grew to become a transatlantic star. Her wealthy, emotional voice powered R&B and pop hits by the late ’80s and early ’90s.
Songs like “Falling in Love,” “Stroll On By,” “The Love I Misplaced,” and “Once I’m Good and Prepared” climbed each U.S. and UK charts. She collaborated with icons together with Salt-N-Pepa on “Unbiased,” and labored with Frankie Knuckles, Extremely Naté, and DJ Spen. Her excursions reached Europe, South Africa, and the Philippines. She even appeared on Knuckles’ Grammy-winning Past the Tone Arm.
Earlier than all that, she was Miss A&T (1984–85). A pupil chasing a music profession who was unknowingly just a few years away from a success report. She balanced campus life with rising fame — a novel chapter that formed her journey.
“The entire flooring stuffed with nothing however Aggies”
So after I bumped into her on the North Carolina A&T tailgate in 2019, it wasn’t simply one other interview. I used to be catching up with my massive cousin at homecoming, similar to everybody else on the “Biggest Homecoming on Earth.” In the course of the interview, Sybil mirrored on a homecoming second at her HBCU in the course of the top of her profession.
“I used to be on the stage in Corbett doing my thang,” she laughed, recalling a second when she returned to campus for a homecoming present. “They requested me to return again, and I did a homecoming present right here at Corbett. It was nice. The wonder was, line dancing was a giant deal, they ended up Electrical Sliding to Don’t Make Me Over, it was fabulous, the entire flooring stuffed with nothing however Aggies”
Homecoming Royalty Returns
This October, the 99th version of A&T’s “Biggest Homecoming on Earth” will have a good time Sybil’s legacy. She’ll lead the HBCU Homecoming parade as grand marshal, driving down East Market not simply as a star however as an alumna whose songs nonetheless echo by household audio system each summer season.
Right this moment, Sybil Lynch is a university development officer at Guilford Technical Neighborhood School. She continues to encourage by schooling whereas staying lively in her music profession, touring usually. Lately, she launched “Cheers” with Trarius and was honored with Sybil Lynch Method — a avenue not too long ago named in her hometown of Paterson, NJ. She additionally lends her platform to social causes, supporting United Method’s #EndPoverty initiative and Communities In Faculties.
Legacy Meets Residing Tradition
Sybil’s story goes past the nostalgia of a cookout traditional. It reminds us that HBCUs have at all times been incubators of world-class expertise. Her return as grand marshal connects previous and current — generations who danced to her music and college students discovering it for the primary time. Because the floats roll by East Greensboro for GHOE this yr, there will likely be an additional power when “Don’t Make Me Over” rings out over the yard.
