Personal Narrative: Steal Away Home Black Memorabilia

In an old brick house in the historic West End District is the foundation of where her life work was established and mine began. My earliest recollections of education and art making revolve around memories of my grandmother Mary Ella Willis. Grandma would use her worldly travels, personal stories and experiences create her now lifetime work called Steal Away Home Black Memorabilia to educate the community about the great history of African Americans that is often marginalized in our everyday school curriculum. Her collection consists of thousands of Afrocentric artifacts, including books, dolls, records and even a derogatory room filled with “a bit of ugly” as she would say. Such upbringing inspires me to influence and bridge cultures through
the lens of global understanding and empathy. Tufts Diversity and Inclusion Leadership program will enable me to mold the reform of the arts, educational and organizational equity while framing my legacy through the lives of aspiring students, educators and leaders of tomorrow.

Just blocks away from the infamous Morehouse, and Spelman College my grandmothers’ self built museum is an overflowing educational resource that has been a pillar in the community for nearly 30+ years. I can proudly say I have spent my life educating my community as a self taught museum guide implementing college prep and resume building workshops to those in need. Though my first introduction to educating was by assisting my grandmother in developing a platform for others to cultivate self-worth through history in our community, this activism combined with my passion for social justice led me to forward thinking regardless of peoples socioeconomic status.

As a first generation college student with high influence of the arts, and a positive role model at an early age moved me to bring that same influence to young peoples lives.
When I first decided to become an educator, I wanted to serve students reflecting a community similar to my own upbringing. I have seen a number of failed reforms that have been targeted towards inner city communities and the negative impact inflicting lower income communities. Exploring my own identity, ethnicity and background is a huge factor in my preference for minimizing the achievement gap and seeking to elevate myself as a leader to advocate for educational equity against injustices. I was inspired to be a part of the change for my community after I spent a year substituting in both Atlanta Public and Fulton County
schools.

My eyes were widened when I was offered a long term position to teach a Spanish class at Banneker High School, which is currently the lowest performing school in the county classified as the ‘The Achievement Zone’.
Two Spanish educators, and an assigned substitute had thrown the towel in on this group of students before October’s fall semester, they deemed them a lost cause. With limited materials, and a lack of administrative support, I too was expected to be the fourth adult to fail them just as the system has for so long. Though I had no education or language experience, converting course with a language lab and my creatively integrating the arts made an innovative and engaging classroom, I am pleased to say I successfully completed the academic year with my Spanish 1 students with a 94% pass rate! I reflect back to this moment when I thought my place was to impact the classroom when actual development was needed in the hands of policy makers and organizational leaders. Through this experience I knew that I was the change I needed to see in my school system, and through Tufts I will to be molded into the leader that prevents such experience from other educators and leaders in the
future.

A famous quote by the activist Martin Luther King, Jr. says “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” I challenge myself professionally to dedicate to my agency to providing educational equity, organizational reform committed to inclusion and building opportunities and achievement for all students and professionals. Teaching is not neutral and neither is leadership, I believe that it is a space for activism and social justice. As I’ve experienced the challenges of the classroom first hand, I want to assist in restructuring traditional frameworks which tend to have a single perspective or marginalize minorities and enable leaders to imagine reinforcing ideologies that are benefit the entire community and needs of population.

I am the agent of change, but it begins with surrounding myself with like minds. Tufts afforded me that opportunity when I first began my MAT Art Education program last summer 2016, whether it was professor Erin Seaton’s constructivist classroom instruction and playing Wiffle ball to introduce the depths of cognitive development, or the tools that I will forever carry as I reflect on the enduring understandings of not just my art lessons but life. As an academic catalyst, the Tufts community has challenged me to dig further and while supporting my wildest ideas. I knew that my many questions around diversity, integrity, and equality had a space for discourse and Tufts is on board with my vision. Scavenging the events and professionals to network own my own was a challenge being a newbie in the city of Boston but after reaching out to professors for guidance they’ve pointed me towards the the most enriching advocacy resources from the organization Educolor, articles, podcasts, to and even expanding my professional network. In these moments I know that Tufts understands equitable accessibility and I truly am at home.