“Dr. Willodean Burton (retired APSU professor) and I used to discuss the lack of Black students majoring in biology (and in any of the STEM majors) at APSU. They would declare biology as a major upon entering; however, change their major in their sophomore year. The biased assumption that Black students cannot succeed in STEM majors still exists.”

“For years, I’ve cringed at the microaggression of “speaking so well” because they fail to recognize the backhandedness of the compliment; I’ve been more annoyed by perceptions white people have of me for being educated in private school settings. A colleague once referred to the Gullah language as sounding uneducated. After telling her my story and introducing my background, she remained silent, possibly gaining some new insight into the value the Gullah Geechee people bring to our nation. And in that moment, I realized that I was released from the pressure of living in the duality of culture and compromise. To be Gullah is to have a resolve to remain connected to the history, not adjacent to it.”

"It’s not easy to live in the skin I am in, but I embrace that I am wondrously made, drippin with melanin, and filled with excellence. I stand on the shoulders of giants and speak our collective truth. If my truth makes you uncomfortable, I challenge you to change the narrative. Listen to the voices and reflect on your actions. Invest in change…be the change."

"I recently came across one of the best statements about healing from trauma. “Every attack is a cry for help,” which is a simple, yet powerful statement, and as I continue to do the work of healing from racial trauma, I continually remind myself that any negative action hurled in my direction, whether intentional or unintentional, is a result of centuries of conditioning and when viewed through the lens of “a cry for help,” I am able to release a portion of the deep hurt and open the door for forgiveness and understanding."

"Despite my grandfather’s best efforts, I am still in the fight for racial equality and justice he waged many years ago. I now have my own sense of purpose for the fight – for my son, for our students of color, for our campus community, for a better world. I am heartened by the many partners I see stepping forward to help us in this fight. It won’t be easy, but together, we will rise."

"Part of accepting who I am (growing up biracial) and continuing to fight for equality for all is that I have a Black husband and a Black daughter and Black sons who are important to me. I need other people to understand that we have value and that our lives matter. Hopefully, opening up and sharing a piece of myself with others conveys that I exist (all of me) and that I am here, and that I refuse to be nonexistent in the fight for racial or social injustices."