HBCU Love On The Yard: Meet SpelHouse Couple Ashley & Jacobi

There is nothing on the planet quite like an HBCU homecoming.

The exciting tailgates with red Solo cups and good eats in abundance, the can’t miss halftime show (better known as the 5th quarter), the feel-good brunches, the lit parties, the impromptu Swag Surfin’ that can happen anywhere the mood hits, the energetic Divine 9 step shows, the multigenerational beauty of alumni chopping it up with current students, the hugs that assure you although life is life-ing, everything is going to be alright. Oh…and the football game. The atmosphere is equally empowering and spiritual because in between all the joyous celebrations, we are reminded of the brilliance and tenacity of our brave, visionary ancestors who built HBCUs more than a century ago. The pride is palpable.

In honor of this joyous and celebratory time for our culture, we’re honoring those couples who graduated from HBCUs, sometimes even on the same campus, and are now living their best lives together. Our Love on the Yard series is an intentional and necessary spotlight on Black love, Black excellence and Black joy!

Graduation day for Jacobi and Ashley is right by his side. (Photo courtesy of subjects)

COUPLE: Jacobi Jones + Ashley Deadwyler-Jones

COLLEGE ATTENDED: Spelman College + Morehouse College

MAJORS: Jacobi: Accounting + Ashley: Psychology

CLASS OF: Jacobi, 2000 + Ashley, 1998

SpelHouse couple Ashley + Jacobi are inseparable! (Photo courtesy of subjects)

PROFESSIONS: Jacobi: Home Builder + Insurance Agency Owner

Ashley: Real Estate Investor, Model + Insurance Agency Owner

YEAR THEY BECAME A COUPLE: 2001

Beach bliss! (Photo courtesy of subjects)

THE MAKINGS OF A ‘SPELHOUSE’ LOVE STORY:

Ashley: We were 17 years old and met late one evening during the spring of 1994 on South Street (in Philadelphia). This was the “place to be” at the time. Jacobi and I were passing one another, caught each other’s eye, smiled, and kept walking. My best friend Calida, secretly waved Jacobi and his friend back to us. He tapped me on my shoulder and smiled. We made small talk and exchanged numbers. We started dating on and off, but we became inseparable in 2001.

Our HBCU love story wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t share that Jacobi decided to attend Morehouse because I was across the street at Spelman. Jacobi was an All-American 110 Hurdler and had plenty of Division 1 options, but he decided to go to Morehouse to chase the girl he met on South Street in Philly. His father wasn’t excited that his son turned down a scholarship at South Carolina, but Jacobi has no hesitation sharing that attending Morehouse was the best decision of his life. Our story reminds me of Shaquille and Deborah in A Different World Reloaded and or Tre and Brandi in Boyz n the Hood. No matter how far apart, we always found our way to each other.

Just Married. (Photo courtesy of subjects)

DECADES LATER, HERE’S WHAT THEY LOVE MOST ABOUT ONE ANOTHER:

Jacobi: I love that Ashley is nurturing and tender. I specifically love how passionate she is about our family. Family is priority. She is always checking the boxes to make sure we are positioned for success every day and I love that about her.

Ashley: I love lots of things about Jacobi, but I don’t know what I would do without his adventurous spirit. He never settles. He always wants to test the limits and seek more out of life and make each minute count. There is never a dull moment with him. He’s also a very dedicated husband and father who believes in The Most High.

Love on the Yard: SpelHouse Style. (Photo courtesy of subjects)

ATTENDING HOMECOMING IS A FAMILY TRADITION:

Both: Weather permitting, we love attending SpelHouse Homecomings together. There is a sense of nostalgia, good food, good music, fashion and reconnecting with friends that feel more like family. It’s a place where titles don’t matter and love is real. Our classmates remember each other when we had nothing. Returning to campus becomes the common denominator for all of us. Homecoming is a “safe space” where we come together and celebrate life in the same carefree manner that we did as students. This 2026 SpelHouse Homecoming will be super special because our oldest (Jacobi Jones II) is a senior at Morehouse and our youngest (Joshua Jones) will be a vendor, selling his popular clothing line, Solana.

Tailgating fun! (Photo courtesy of subjects)

BUILDING A LIFE AND LEGACY WITH AN HBCU GRAD:

Ashley: As HBCU grads, we value the importance of education in an environment that is not always perfect but builds character and prepares us for a world that will attempt to put us in a box. We want the HBCU experience for our children and for their children and children’s children. Our HBCUs have empowered us as individuals, but as a couple, we feel unstoppable.

Love + Legacy: Ashley + Jacobi with their sons. (Photo courtesy of subjects)

Jacobi: I recall a class at Morehouse, where professor Dr. Vest would enter the classroom wearing a boxing robe. While entering the classroom, Dr. Vest chanted the “The Champ is Here!, The Champ is Here!”. Dr. Vest told the students that they would not be “Champs” until they were educated, could provide and find a good wife. Dr. Vest was a role model for all the men in the classroom. It was everyone’s goal to be a “Champ”, like Dr. Vest. Graduating Morehouse Magna Cum Laude, building successful businesses, starting a family, and celebrating 25 years of marriage, I would like to tell Dr. Vest that I finally am a Champ!