Seeing all of the recent grads on social media made me reminisce about my time at @syracuseu as a graduate of @artsciencessu. So many emotions going on that day, the primary one being eagerness to get out so I wouldn’t have to write an more papers lol. And when I look back at my week leading up to walking across that stage, one of the greatest gifts I wish I received was sitting down with another Black alum from Syracuse and having them share the real deal about what it really meant to be a Black woman graduating during an economic recession in a country that values multiple isms over degrees from prestigious educational institutions. I wasn’t entirely prepared for the world in that way, especially as a Black women who grew up in the burbs and convinced myself that my @anntaylor attire and extensive vocabulary would be enough to get me by. I wasn’t quite ready to sit across conference room tables breaking down the biases of White business owners. I wish I knew my degree wouldn’t give me a pass when sitting down at round tables negotiating with old white men and sharing why they should support BIPOC artists. I wasn’t prepped for the fact that my post grad life would be consumed with trying to fit into corporate America with a daily 3 to 4 inch heel, and tri-weekly touch ups on my edges, because I could never be caught in the office with my 4C new growth. I wish I knew that when people saw my degree from @syracuseu, then looked at my name and skin color, they would use words like ‘ambitious’ and ‘determined’ to comprehend how a Black girl born in Brooklyn, schooled in Long Island, and attended SU could mingle in rooms with only the best. If there is anything I wish for this upcoming graduating class of BIPOC grads, it’s for those alum who have stepped out into the world and faced the hard truths, to sit down and have real conversations about the realities of stepping into a world that won’t celebrate you outside of University campuses. I’m always down to be that voice for future alums. We gotta do better to prepare post-grads for the next steps after walking across that stage. (at Syracuse University) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd9J6P7PzhF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
