At Morgan State University, language is more than communication; it’s culture, identity, and connection. With students from over 50 countries, the campus echoes with the sounds of Yoruba, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Spanish, and many more. This project celebrates the voices and languages that shape Morgan’s global story.
Speaking one’s native language, students say, is an act of power and resistance. For many, it’s how they stay rooted while navigating spaces where they feel unseen or misunderstood. From fears of being mocked to questions like “Where are you really from?” language becomes both shield and spotlight. Whether arriving with no English or facing judgment for their accent, students carry the weight of identity in every word, and reclaim it each time they speak.
Rooted in Brazil, Learning in Baltimore
Ainara Fernandez, an international student from Brazil, sits inside the library at Morgan State University. As she pursues her education in the United States, Fernandez reflects on balancing cultural identity and academic opportunity far from home.
From Bangladesh to Baltimore
From left, Rapsan Anonto and Sheikh Mahtab, international students from Bangladesh, sit inside the Morgan State University library. Both students are part of the growing international population on campus, exploring language diversity in their engineering labs.
In Morgan’s engineering labs, students from nearly every continent work side by side, each speaking their own language. For Rapsan and Sheikh from Bangladesh, English has become a shared bridge that they use in a space of global voices. Through everyday interactions, they’ve picked up phrases from around the world, like “good morning” in Turkish. It’s in these moments, they say, that language becomes not a barrier, but a way to connect across cultures.
Speaking Beyond Borders
Adeniran Eniayewun, a student at Morgan State University who speaks Yoruba, Spanish, and English, encourages others to learn new languages as a way to connect across cultures. Eniayewun believes language learning fosters deeper understanding and global citizenship among young people.
Adeniran Eniayewun believes everyone should learn another language. He speaks Yoruba, Spanish, and English, and even began his journey with German. For him, language opens doors to new cultures, new people, and discovering new things about yourself. Eniayewun enjoys the music the most when learning a new language. At Morgan, he sees multilingualism as a tool for unity and growth, and encourages others to embrace the richness that comes with learning beyond their own language.
Language Is Power
From left, Naomi Madison, a Puerto Rican student at Morgan State University, shares that Spanish speakers come in all shades. She encourages her peers to embrace language learning as a tool for empowerment and belonging. Addis Romero, a Dominican student at Morgan State University, believes language learning deepens cultural appreciation. She says knowing more than one language allows her to express herself more fully. Léisha Durena, a Haitian student at Morgan State University, gives a double thumbs up while sharing her excitement for speaking Haitian Creole on campus, while also exploring its hardships.
Connecting Language and Culture
On April 30th, Morgan State University’s World Languages and International Studies department hosted a meeting for new and prospective students with lectures, food, music workshops, and more. The gathering aimed to build community through culture and conversation.
Welcome
A banner for the Division of International Affairs stands on the second floor of the Earl S. Richardson Library at Morgan State University. The office supports international students, study abroad programs, and global partnerships across campus.
Language diversity at HBCUs is revolutionary. It expands the meaning of Black identity, global belonging, and cultural exchange. In classrooms, labs, and campus spaces, students speak nearly 50 different languages, each voice adding to a shared legacy of resilience and pride. These multilingual spaces remind us that HBCUs are not just rooted in history; they are also shaping a global future, one language at a time.
