Dr. Ghislaine Lewis ~ Faculty Advisor
Former First Lady, Michelle Obama in her autobiography, Becoming said, “My experiences at Princeton have made me far more aware of my ‘blackness’ than ever before. I have found that at Princeton, no matter how liberal and open-minded some of my white professors and classmates try to be toward me, I sometimes feel like a visitor on campus; as if I really don’t belong.”
Obama’s experiences are similar to so many of the stories shared about what it means to be Black at Lynchburg. We continue to celebrate Black History Month with a variety of voices from across the campus community. The story of Blackness at Lynchburg is one of perseverance, a celebration of black identity and a commitment to service.
Adrieanna Vest-Turner
Graduate Assistant for Multicultural Services
Master of Public Health Program
To be Black at Lynchburg means to “never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations” -Dr. Mae Jemison. Attending the University of Lynchburg, my second predominately white institution has encouraged me to be comfortable with the skin I am regardless of what surrounds me. I am in a space that doesn’t always mirror everything I am as a Black woman, or as a Black student. Being Black at Lynchburg truly means accepting the challenge of standing out, and oftentimes advocating for better cultural experiences for fellow students.
Claudio Otero ‘20
Graduate Assistant for Office of Equity and Inclusion
Master of Education
What does it mean to be black at Lynchburg? When I first started my journey at the University of Lynchburg (then Lynchburg College) I had no idea what to expect, especially going in as a study in the minority. I had grown up in schools where the population was predominantly white, but college is another level. At Lynchburg, however, I was fortunate enough to be welcomed by faculty and staff that looked like me and offered mentorship and guidance before I had even stepped foot into a classroom. It was the hard work of these faculty and staff that has made my six years at the university the absolute best it could be.
What does it mean to be black at Lynchburg? It means that we have strength and unity that you would not see anywhere else. It means that even though we may feel alone amongst our white peers, we are not alone, and someone is actively seeking us to provide support and strength. It means that our hard work does pay off as we are setting an example for the black students in the Lynchburg community who might have thought that college was not for people like us. Being black at Lynchburg is prosperity, strength, and opportunity.
Gloria Braxton
Project Director, Campus Program Grant
Department of Justice/Office on Violence Against Women
Being Black at Lynchburg is to believe my Blackness is always present. The depths of Blackness embrace the legacy of our sacrifices, struggles, and undaunted pursuits of a just and loving world. Being Black at Lynchburg carries that radiating reverence for all who came before us, all who have come along with us, and those who will endure as sustaining forces for the generations.
Dr. Robert Canida
Vice-President for Inclusive Excellence
Sometimes being a Black professional and the only Black C-Suite Administrator is like a double edged sword. There are times when I feel like I’m making a difference and then there are times when I feel powerless. Probably being the only full time Black male administrator on campus, I feel that I have to stay 2-3 steps ahead and always on my “A” game. But at the end of the day, I reflect on the song, “If I can help somebody, as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song, if I can bring back beauty to a world up wrought, then my living shall not be in vain”.
Dr. Ghislaine Lewis
Co-Chair Africana Studies
Associate Professor of Communication Studies
As a Communication Studies professor and co-chair of the Africana Studies department and one of the few black professors on campus, my experiences are layered. I am uniquely aware that I may be the only non-white professor my many of students may be exposed to during their tenure at Lynchburg. There is a heaviness that comes with the prospect that I must represent an entire race. In many ways, this is an isolating experience, particularly given the current climate of the country.
However, I thrive in the classroom and I find many moments of joy: when we publish the Critograph on Wednesdays, when I get to immerse students in my Caribbean culture, when I see my students live up to their highest potential, when I work on policies that I know will make a difference for years to come and most of all when I am heard. I don’t like thinking about the fact that I am one of two tenured black professors on campus, but that is my reality, and in many ways it is academia’s reality. Despite the nuances of navitating Lynchburg in my skin, I understand that it is a privilege to be able to mold the next generation of leaders.
