Excellence in Black Studies Student Awards

I am deeply honored to have been nominated for this award and am beyond thankful to be acknowledged as a worthy recipient. The Black Studies Department at Portland State University has given me a voice and a responsibility. It has recognized my agency as a first-generation student, Black woman, and single mother, and it continues to empower me to contribute to the scholarship that shapes this discipline. I am grateful for the opportunity to advocate for representation, but I also recognize the role of education in progress. Every class I take is an opportunity to evoke that agency and create opportunities for future generations to experience an education that centers on truth and influences the opportunity to progress collectively as humans. 

Thank you to everyone in the Black Studies Department for providing a foundation that has lifted my voice and validated my power to continue this work as I pursue my PhD. I represent the non-conforming and marginalized communities that are made to feel like we will never have the opportunities I have in these spaces within higher education, and I often feel like I must work ten times harder than the person next to me to continue accomplishing all that I do. I want anyone considering entering higher education who grew up in underserved communities to know you got this! Do not let that pain make you; people in these environments are here to uplift and support you. Don't give up! You deserve the life you've dreamed of, and no one can fight for it but you!

Earning a Black Studies degree has been and is a personal goal and mission of mine. Receiving this award is just one of the many benefits of this area of study. I understand the importance of this degree not only in terms of my identity but also as a chance for students to explore different facets of Black history and current events regardless of what their personal identity is. I've had the privilege of being in classrooms with diverse backgrounds, knowledge, and creativity, which has been a rewarding experience. My heartfelt appreciation extends to my esteemed professors, with a special acknowledgment to Professor Imarisha, whose inspiration has encouraged me to stay committed to this work and to never stop learning. Again, thank you to everyone in this department who has provided the tools necessary for letting knowledge truly serve the city.

Struggles create strength, lessons, and the ability to grow.

I consider it a privilege and an honor to not only be considered for such an esteemed award but to also be selected as the award recipient is nothing short of amazing. I’m grateful to have been under the tutelage of such scholars in the Black Studies Department. It is my honest and humble belief that I have been taught by some of the greatest Professors, Instructors, and Leaders, not only in Portland, OR, but internationally. The Black Studies Department is combusting with a wealth of knowledge that I strongly believe should be received and acknowledged globally. 

My interest in Black Studies began in 2000 when I had the pleasure of learning about Oregon’s African American History in a course taught by Dr. Darrell Milner. Since that introductory course, I became intrigued while also feeling a compelling sense of urgency to learn more about the African Diaspora, to learn more about my history and lineage. I believe Maya Angelou spoke the truth when she said, "You can't really know where you're going until you know where you have been." To continue to learn in the Black Studies department, has given me the opportunity to become more knowledgeable about the shoulders I stand on, the people I represent, and the future scholars I’ll allow and welcome to stand on my shoulders.

Many thanks to the entire Black Studies Department.

I am deeply honored and grateful to be a recipient of this award. It is because of the Black Studies Department that I was able to find an academic space that was safe and welcoming for me and other Black students. I was able to learn more about the continent of Africa as well as the African diaspora as a whole. It has been a humbling experience so far as I have been pursuing my Black Studies Minor and I am so grateful that I did so. 

This department is full of highly educated scholars that have an eagerness for our community and ways we can help each other move forward. Having such programs are necessary to help change the narrative. For far too long, our history has been written and shared by the white man. We are now actively seeking opportunities to debunk the myths that were created and form our own history through our own words. The Black Studies Department is doing exactly that and I am so thankful for each professor that I had the privilege of taking a course with as well as those that I didn’t have the chance to. Thank you once again!

I decided to join this department because I was deprived of Black history in my early education. I thought I could piece together parts of myself through this program. Restricting and editing history deprives Black people of our shared identities. We cannot begin to understand our legacy and our future if we do not know our history.

This program was challenging because these studies do not allow you to forget the struggle we face as Black and brown folks. However, learning this history reminds us that our ancestors have been up against impossible odds. They had to dream of radical change to envision their kin walking in the world we live in today. I also dream of radical change for our future kin. Graduating from this program is a major step in making this dream a reality.

Thank you for recognizing the end of this chapter with this award. I am forever grateful for my time at Portland State.