Tiger Walk: TSU’s Pathway of History, Resilience, and Progress
- Mikekel Robinson
- Feb 28, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 13
By Mikekel Robinson|KTSU 2 News
The ancient maroon and gray bricked pathway holds so much history and has helped many students launch their new careers.
The maroon and gray bricked pathway at Texas Southern University is more than just a walkway—it is a symbol of history, resilience, and progress. Known as the Tiger Walk, the pathway has witnessed generations of students passing through, each step representing a journey toward excellence.
Lined with white tiger paw prints and flanked by evenly distributed recycling and trash bins, the Tiger Walk serves as the heart of TSU’s campus. Golf carts, skateboards, and bicycles zip past as students make their way to class, their voices and laughter filling the air.
For Taylor Getwood, a senior at TSU, the Tiger Walk is more than a path—it is a connection to the past and an inspiration for the future.
“I feel amazing walking down the Tiger Walk, honestly. I feel like I’m empowered. I can tell that a lot of history has passed through here—every single brick holds a story. It empowers me, it makes me feel bold, it makes me feel confident that I am home and I am where I need to be,” said Getwood.
A Pathway with Deep Roots
Though now an iconic part of campus, many students are unaware that the Tiger Walk was once Wheeler Street, a road where cars passed as students walked to class. Before its transformation, the pathway bore witness to the struggles of TSU’s early students during the era of segregation.
“Most of our students were walking to class at Fairchild, which was the very first building on campus,” Getwood explained. “As they were coming to educate themselves, students from across the way—people of other races—came onto this very street, throwing rocks and bricks at them.”
Despite these challenges, TSU students persevered, paving the way for future generations. The street was eventually closed off, and in 2012, additional maroon and gray bricks were laid to expand and fortify the Tiger Walk at the Tierwester and Wheeler Street entrances.
Leaving a Legacy
Today, the Tiger Walk represents more than just a convenient route across campus—it stands as a tribute to the university’s past and a beacon for its future.
“Tiger Walk means more than just a beautiful, broad path with tiger paw prints in it,” Getwood said. “It symbolizes that we have overcome. It symbolizes where we are going. It acknowledges the past and also the present—because now, we as TSU students are leaving our paw prints on that same Tiger Walk.”
As he crosses the Tiger Walk on his way to class, Getwood, like many other TSU students, is certain of one thing—his future is bright, and the path forward is paved with history, determination, and excellence.