Jan-Vincent Waller
What does black excellence mean to you?
“I think black excellence is all of the triumphs that black people had to accomplish in spite of the laws and society being against them. And still being able to be mathematicians and doctors and lawyers and major people in society that set trends that actually carried us forward.”
What is some advice for aspiring black leaders?
“I think people have to understand … is that if there’s something … that you’re passionate about or that you want to go after, go after it. And just understand obstacles based on the history of the world and our country have already been put in place. And to expect those obstacles, but don’t allow those obstacles to stop you from achieving your goals. That your path may be in front of you, that doesn’t mean your goal is going to be easily achievable.”
Rachel Collins
What does black excellence mean to you?
“It is the ability to make a dollar out of 15 cents. For people to go from humble beginnings and make a huge impact, whether it’s through community service, through academia, but also through the everyday small business, the everyday community impacts, because Black Excellence is everywhere. Black Excellence is everywhere.”
What expectations have been placed upon you as a black person and how do you try to challenge them?
“The African American students were never looked at as, you are smart. You always have to justify your intelligence. Everyone always assumed you knew less than what you knew in the room. And so, by going to an HBCU, everyone there knew. Like, ‘oh wow, you know this. You got this.’ They were encouraging that. Building that confidence, when I went into my career, it gave me the confidence to branch out and to start teaching African American history. And so, this confidence and ability to build, to do better, to make sure you make an impact.”
What do you see as your biggest achievement?
“My biggest achievement was being able to go to a panel at Duke University and talk about the importance of AP African American studies at the high school level and its impact on high school students.”
Linda Harvey
Why did you become a teacher?
“Because when I was in ninth grade, … I didn’t really want to go to Southside, which was a school in Memphis that I was supposed to go to. So I went to my guidance counselor and I ended up going to high school in Edina, Minnesota, in a college prep program. Fast forward some years, I said, if I ever moved back to Memphis … I want to teach and I want to teach at the school that I was supposed to go to. I always want to … be an influence on kids. And do my best to help them realize their self-worth and their potential. “
What is your favorite book?
“Well, my favorite, I love the Harlem Renaissance. I love the poems by Langston Hughes. I love theater. So my favorite play is A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry.”
What is your advice for aspiring black leaders?
“Surround yourself with people who have strengths other than yours that you can trust because nobody does this alone. You gotta have people you can trust around you to help achieve your goals. Otherwise, you’re only gonna go so far.”
Joseph Harris
Why did you become a teacher?
“I became a teacher because I’ve always loved school. I had amazing teachers growing up. I want to give back to my community what I earned: a great education. I truly loved school … and so I want to inspire others just as I was inspired.”
What is your advice for overcoming the adversity of negative stereotypes?
“I simply just ignore the negativity. And however, and if it gets to [you], I would address it. Because if you leave something inside of you, you know, like bottled up, one, that’s unhealthy. And two, eventually it’s going to get on your nerves until it just comes out in a negative way. So to combat that, of course, I would go through the commands. I would let someone know. And if they don’t solve it, again, I would have that challenging, that tough conversation. Of course … one thing I like to say is embrace the suck. It sucks to have to be like, ‘hey, I didn’t like how you said this,’ [or] ‘I don’t like how you said that.’ So you’ve got to embrace that. You have to get over that fear because those tough conversations can lead to a better outcome.”
What do you see as your biggest achievement?
“In 2019, I got teacher of the year at my last school, unexpectedly and that was actually voted [on] by the teachers at my last school. Of course [my] doctorate degree, that was an accomplishment as well.”
