#philanderforward

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” - Langston Hughes

I held fast to my childhood dreams of furthering my education through a HBCU and now I can proudly announce that I am a Summer 2021 graduate of Philander Smith College!!! 💚⭐️

I am drowning in gratitude so let the Thank You’s begin...

Thank You to GOD and my Ancestors for blessing, guiding, and protecting me through this long journey to earning my English Degree! 🙌🏾

Thank You to all of my family, friends, professors, and classmates for supporting, encouraging, teaching, and inspiring me! 🥰

Thank You to Philander Smith College staff and faculty for investing in my education these past four years! 🏫

Thank You to Ms. Hickombottom, my 4th grade English teacher, for helping me discover my love for literature and writing. I do NOT care where we are in the world, you WILL be the first person to get the first copy of every book I publish! 📖✍🏾

Thank You to Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Wright, Dorothy West, Ralph Ellison, Gwendolyn Brooks, James Baldwin, Sylvester Leaks, Pearl Crayton, Ernest J. Gaines, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Octavia Butler, and every other African writer who came before me. It is through y’all that I understand the necessity of writing and telling our own stories. I am forever inspired!💡

Thank You to Sounds of Blackness, Lauryn Hill, Earth, Wind & Fire, Outkast, India.Arie, Common, 2Pac, and all the other musicians who were the soundtrack to my college career. Y’all had empowering words every time I needed them and it is deeply appreciated! 🎤

Thank You to Little Rock, Arkansas, a place so unlike my rural hometown, for showing me that I can leave home and thrive in not just a major city but also a different state! 🌆

And lastly, Thank You to Me for the hard work and perseverance! 👩🏾‍🎓💪🏾