The Alabama State University experience for men's tennis student-athlete
Lex Pierre opened his life to more than just college athletics.
The St. Martinville, La. native did not grow up around African-Americans in his youth, so seeing a group of young Black males walking toward Pierre literally forced him to make a U-turn.
"I'd gone to predominately white schools all my life. All of my really close friends were white. All of my experiences were with my white friends," he said. "I was used to being around Caucasian people. So if I saw a group of blacks coming in my direction, I would walk in the opposite direction."
On the eve of this week's Southwestern Athletic Conference Tennis Championships in New Orleans, La., the graduating biology pre-health major reflected back on his path to Montgomery.
"My parents told me they thought I needed to go to a Historically Black College," he said. "They thought I'd been too sheltered and too shielded. I needed a new outlook on life. They knew an HBCU would make me a better person, a better man."
An honor student his entire life, ASU offered Pierre both an academic and athletic scholarship, and that was the determining factor as to where the 6-foot-2 tennis player would spend his next four years.
Making the trek from St. Martinville, La., to Alabama's state capital for freshman orientation, Pierre survived the culture shock of his first night of the HBCU dorm 'experience.' Able to joke and laugh about it now, Pierre said from the dormitories to registration and the HBCU lifestyle and state of mind, has made him a better person.
"Anybody that's ever attended an HBCU can tell you things move slowly; very slowly, and I wasn't use to that," he said. "It took a while for everything to fall in to place.”
Three years later, Pierre is delighted that he stayed. He's made a lot of friends on his way to earning the No. 2 spot on the Hornets men's tennis team. Pierre will graduate next month and then move onto the dental program at LSU on July 15th.
While Pierre is looking forward to this weekend's competition, he's also excited about seeing his parents, as well as his 15-year old twin siblings Sarah and Seth.
"I appreciate my parents so much more after this experience. When I was in private school I hung out with the doctor's kids or the dentist's kids, the lawyer's children, so you thought (or I thought) this is how life is; how people live," he said. "Now I see it differently. Probably one percent of the students here have had the experiences I've had. The extensive traveling (including overseas), the things I've been exposed to. I was really fortunate. Now my goal is to be a good role model just in the community but to my younger siblings as well."
"Alabama State has taught me to be a go-getter," he continued. "I've learned that things don't just come to you, you have to make them happen. That's a trait I will benefit from the rest of my life."
Known by Lex his entire life, Pierre's full name is Alexis Raphael Pierre IV. And just as his views on race has changed over the years, his name will soon follow suit.
"I plan to legally change my name to
Lex Pierre IV. I like the sound of 'Lex P IV,'” he laughed. "My dad sometimes gets mad that I don't use my birth name, so I have to remind him that he doesn't either. He goes by Ray for his middle name. The buck stops here with the name. I'm definitely not naming my son that."
