It all began with a message from God — then again, that’s how everything begins for TeeJ Mercer.
God is the reason Mercer moved from Los Angeles, her home of 25 years, to Atlanta. He’s the one who gave her the idea for HBCU Bingo, a game that went viral and provided college students with more than $1 million in cash and prizes. And God is the architect behind Move-In Day Mafia, an organization that helps students transition into their new college homes.
Mercer, an author and speaker, worked in Hollywood for 25 years as a television producer and Emmy-award winning editor. She’s best known for flashy eyewear, an extension of her loud and proud personality, and playfully holds the title of “world’s greatest hugger.” She loved her life and career in L.A., but when she felt God tell her to move to Atlanta, though unsure of his purpose, she listened.
Then she worried that the big guy upstairs might have made a mistake.
“I arrived at the height of the pandemic,” said Mercer, 51. “The city shut down just four days after I got here, and I said, ‘Oh, Lord Jesus, this was not the right timing.’ I’m an extrovert and I was thrown here, can’t go out or make friends; it was a horrible first week. But I’m a woman of faith. I quieted my spirit and God reminded me that I was driven by divine design. He reminded me that I’m meant to bring joy and he’d show me the way.”
Mercer’s first act in Atlanta was to bring joy to families. She saw parents struggling to balance work and homeschooling, so she launched “Storytime with Auntie TeeJ” on her YouTube Channel. Her goal was to give parents a break while she read books to their “little crumb snatchers.”
“I massacred ‘Fox in Socks.’ It was hilarious,” Mercer said.
Like most, Mercer followed the news during the lockdown and was saddened by a story about canceled graduations.
“There were virtual ceremonies, but no parties or celebrations after those kids had worked so hard,” she said. “I asked God what I could do to help those graduates celebrate.”
Mercer’s family had a small get-together during the lockdown and played bingo. The game lit a spark for Mercer. She put her producer skills to work and created HBCU Bingo on her YouTube page.
“I stayed up until 3 a.m. building the back end and thought I might wake up to 15 registrations, but there were 100,” Mercer said. “I made a deal with God; I asked him to show me how to make $100,000 for these kids and I’d know I wasn’t crazy.”
HBCU Bingo received $60,000 in donated cash and prizes within three weeks and $1 million by the four-week mark. The students would receive $2,000 in prizes just for playing. The game was played every Saturday in June 2020 and generated national media attention.
Credit: Courtesy of TeeJ Mercer
Credit: Courtesy of TeeJ Mercer
When one participant, a former foster child, was interviewed by a news station, Mercer listened as the girl described the day she was dropped off at college. Her social worker pulled up to the curb, she said, and drove off with a wave. The girl had no help as she moved into her dorm.
“That struck me,” Mercer said. “I’d never considered this problem before. Being a storyteller, my mind created a narrative, an image of one side of a room with a family doting on their freshman and decorating the walls, while a lonely young person stood on the other side of the room with nothing but a suitcase.”
And with that, another mission to bring joy was born.
In 2022, Mercer created Move-In Day Mafia to help students move into their college dorms. Her focus is on HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused or grapple with financial hardships.
“We want to help them navigate this transition, and the only thing we ask in return is that they check in now and then,” Mercer said. “So many of these kids are buried in the circumstances of their birth; 70% of kids in foster care dream of going to college, but only 3% go and 1% graduate. We want to help fix that.”
Credit: Courtesy of TeeJ Mercer
Credit: Courtesy of TeeJ Mercer
Mercer promoted Move-In Day Mafia on her social media pages and directly to HBCUs. Her crew moved 13 students into one HBCU in 2022, 31 students into five HBCUs in 2023 and this year assisted 44 students move into 18 HBCUs. These numbers do not include the returning students who are provided with repeat service for all four years of their college experience.
One of this year’s 44 students is a 19-year-old from Inglewood, California, who will go by J.D. to protect his privacy.
J.D. was in foster care until age 5, when his grandmother adopted him. In 2023, he saved enough money to move to Atlanta to attend Clark University in pursuit of a business administration degree.
“It was difficult seeing other kids moving in with the help of their families,” J.D. said. “My room was just a box, sterile, no personality. The walls were white; there was a bed and a TV. I didn’t know any different until I got to school and saw the others.”
J.D. stayed on campus over the summer after his freshman year to work as a school tour guide. As he prepared for his sophomore year, he heard about Move-In Day Mafia.
“I was staying in the same building and only had to move upstairs, but I was still alone like last year and would be grateful for any help I could get, anything at all,” J.D. said.
J.D. was selected after completing an application and interview process. He was elated to collaborate with designers to pick out décor for his room — a foreign but wonderful experience. He chose orange bedding, records for his walls and was gifted a one-of-a-kind drawing of his beloved superheroes, Batman and Spiderman. One of his favorite details is a quote by Kobe Bryant on his dresser that reads, “The job is not finished.”
Credit: Courtesy of TeeJ Mercer
Credit: Courtesy of TeeJ Mercer
Move-In Day Mafia also gave J.D. an exhaustive questionnaire requesting his preferred products, from snacks to toiletries to cleaning supplies, and they stocked his space to the brim.
“My room makes me so happy,” J.D. said. “Moving in was such a great experience and having the Mafia help was like having family with me for the day. To see people really invested in me, wanting me to thrive — I’m so grateful.”
The move-ins are filmed because Mercer, ever the producer, has considered how a show about the makeovers could lead to great exposure and funding. It costs about $3,800 per student each year. They raised $150,000 last year, and while numbers for 2024 aren’t finalized yet, Mercer said monthly giving and sponsors are a necessity.
“We’ve been so fortunate to have multibillion-dollar companies help us — Amazon, Best Buy, Samsung, Home Depot, Cisco. It’s been an amazing journey, and I pray they will stay with us,” she said. “We need support from corporations as well as individuals who are willing to give $20 a month — it would make a huge difference as we grow.”
Mercer has a vivid memory from 15 years ago. She told God she wanted to travel, hug a bunch of people, and surprise them. Unsure of what God would do with that, she shrugged her shoulders and trusted he would figure it out. She recently realized that prayer was answered.
“I’m ‘Auntie TeeJ’ and I’m on God’s payroll, hugging kids and planning surprises,” she said. “My purpose is to bring joy — that’s my job — and I move when God tells me to move. Move-In Day Mafia is nothing but miracles in motion. I know God will keep showing up because he does it every time. I’ve got the receipts.”
To learn more about Move-In Day Mafia, visit www.moveindaymafia.org
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