Being born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin influenced me in several ways.

In preschool I was the only Black girl in my class. I realized I looked different from the other children, but I never felt out of place, discriminated against, or outcast. It wasn’t until I got to elementary school that I started to understand many racial constructs of America. As smart as I was, I remember being placed in low reading and math groups. The only similarity I could identify was that most of the kids placed in my groups looked like me. Every time I was placed in a lower academic group I remember one of my parents coming to school and talking to my teacher. A day or two later I would be in a group suitable for my academic level that challenged me.

In elementary and middle school, I started to pay attention to how cliques were set up. Other than the athletic kids, no other friend group was diverse. In fact they seemed to be sectioned by race. I also recognized how Black students were being treated in schools compared to the white students. The Black students seemed to be in trouble way more often than white students, for things that would not call for the harsh punishments they received. I recognized this issue before knowing the statistics about Black students receiving more disciplinary actions than their white counterparts due to discrimination.

In high school, like any student, I did my best to get involved and excel academically. I became interested in topics in the Black community, and I joined our Black Student Union (BSU). Participating in BSU ultimately led to me using my voice to speak up about racial injustices I saw within the school. Living and learning in a predominantly white environment like Madison, it seemed that there was always some racial injustice that needed to be called out and addressed. Although it was an honor to be a spokesperson to advocate for racial justice in my high school, it was exhausting. I was experiencing what the author Theresa Robinson calls “Blaxhaustion”-- the fatigue from being Black in America.

Coming to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (known as FAMU) has been almost a full 180 degree turn for me. After 18 years of being a racial minority, I am now part of the racial majority. FAMU is a historically Black university that is 83 percent Black. I am now swimming in a sea of Black scholars. I do not have to fight for racial justice at FAMU or deal with negative assumptions about my intelligence because of my skin color; being Black and brilliant is the norm. In fact, my 2022 freshmen class has the highest average high school GPA in the school’s history.

I am enjoying FAMU for so many reasons . For instance, FAMU requires an African American history class to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. Not only is our curriculum built on African American history with Black students in mind, but many of the buildings are named after famous African Americans. Imagine how amazing it is for me to walk by tennis courts named after Althea Gibson instead of walking by UW-Madison campus facilities with names honoring alumni who were members of the Ku Klux Klan. In addition to making African American history a priority, FAMU has many opportunities and resources dedicated to Black students. The university offers a wide variety of internships and fellowship programs; FAMU even has an on-campus beauty supply store in the middle of campus with a barber and beautician shop located in the back.

In closing, I made the right decision to attend FAMU. Even though I miss my childhood friends, Wisconsin's beautiful scenery, and overall the familiarity of Madison, coming to FAMU is allowing me to walk fully in my truth as a young Black woman. I do not have to mask, disguise, or water myself down for people to accept me. I am expected to embrace myself, be outspoken, and unique. I am surrounded by people who look like me and share my goals of Black excellence and achievement, so I do not stand out as odd. And I am no longer “blackhausted!” I am proud to be a first year Environmental Science scholar at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, founded on October 3rd, 1887. What! Go, Rattlers! Strike from the Top!