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Where are you from? Reserve, LA

Tell us a little bit about yourself: Happy Black History Month to ALL!!! I am an educator and local business owner in the parish with a passion for educating our youth to strive for better than those before them. I try and teach that we all have potential that requires daily nurturing.

Who are some black role models you look up to, and why? Besides some of the ones that we all know and study, some of my favorite black role models are truly some of our very locals that are unknown or seldom seen as such. It is in their resilience to strive for greatness despite seen and unseen barriers or limitations. I see in them the unbowed head of our many ancestors that trod this soil in search of better means of living.

What does Black History Month mean to you? Black History Month is an opportunity to tell of some of the added layers of the nation’s stories. From science to math to the arts, and just about every facet of history there were persons of color (African descent) instrumental in the building and success of what we see and know.

Why is it important to encourage diversity? To encourage diversity is to teach that the world is better when we can acknowledge each one’s individual and collective struggles, paths, and contributions to getting mankind to this present moment.

What changes would you like to see in the local community? A change that I would like to see in our local community is that of communication. In the beginning was the word (the oral gift of communication). I would like to task fellow citizens to not only hear but listen to the differences and ideas of others. In doing so, we would find that our differences are not so different from what we were taught or understood. Then and only then would we be able to see our neighbor’s needs or plights as our very own.