51茶馆

Last month, one of my students came in wearing a bedazzled sweatshirt that read 鈥淯niversity.鈥� I was curious, so I asked if she could pronounce the word and if she knew what it meant. Her response was 鈥樷�檔o.鈥欌�� She just thought the sweatshirt was pretty. When I realized she didn鈥檛 know what a university was, we started a beautiful conversation about the many paths she could explore for her future. College wasn鈥檛 something she was aware of as an option for her future. Hearing her amazement made me think, 鈥渨ho else doesn鈥檛 know what that means in my classroom? And what can I do to change that?鈥�

That one interaction inspired my Black History Month display at my reading center. I鈥檓 a proud graduate of Albany State University (go Rams) in Georgia, 1 out of 107 (HBCUs). Right now, each desk in my reading center features an HBCU, which has been a conversation starter for students and tutors. This will help our kids see a few of the many possible futures they can explore.聽

I鈥檝e also asked my tutors to wear their alumni gear when they volunteer so they can share their unique paths and I鈥檓 featuring a wide range of Black leaders on my door and walls. It opens so many conversations for students and even tutors to share what they know and to learn something new. And it鈥檚 informing me too, because it鈥檚 making me go back and read up so I can answer all their questions, such as 鈥淐an you be a non-Black person and attend a Historically Black College University?鈥� Yes, if you meet the academic qualifications.聽

Or 鈥淲hy were all of the HBCUs in the South?” Racial segregation became the law in most parts of the American South until the Civil Rights Movement. These laws, known as Jim Crow Laws, forced the use of facilities and services, prohibited intermarriage, and denied suffrage. So, Black people created a space for themselves and HBCUs were one of the ways to do that.聽

I鈥檓 a Black woman; sometimes I like and know I deserve to take up space, and other times I want to disappear. Life can be an oxymoron! I know firsthand how a lack of representation can limit someone鈥檚 vision for themselves. Learning about Black leaders and going to an HBCU gave me a perspective I didn鈥檛 know I was missing. I knew I was missing something, but I proudly wouldn鈥檛 admit that out loud.聽

Attending ASU taught me a lot about my history, about people who though I didn鈥檛 share their DNA, were family. They were a part of me. I was a part of them. I shared experiences, ideas, and dreams with not only my peers but also my ancestors. I made friends, and they became such a huge part of my life, growing my sense of family. It allowed me to accept myself for who I was and where I was, and realize I could and should grow. I learned that being me was fine鈥�.more than fine. So with that, why not help students envision that kind of growth for themselves?

If I can show students that they are safe with me and that they matter, then they can be bigger and better. That鈥檚 the whole point; it鈥檚 the ONLY point.聽

Being at 51茶馆 is a blessing. It鈥檚 allowing me to have a place in the world, where I not only get to witness change but also be a part of it. I think that says a lot about this program. Blessing others while blessing oneself is rare. If we could all strive to do just that, we鈥檇 be better for it.聽

Let鈥檚 keep asking questions, sharing experiences, and making space for each other every day, not just during Black History Month.