by Nakita Hogans
African American History month in February and Women’s History Month in March has me in a reflective mood, especially since I am an African American woman. Let me tell you about a woman that has inspired me to leave no stone unturned in my journey to tap into my potential.
It all started in the town of Farmville, located in Prince Edward County, Virginia around 1959. It was in 1959 when the Prince Edward County Public School System was ordered to integrate, but the county, instead, choose to close the entire school system. That atrocity was tolerated for a total of five years. Private schools, supported by public funds, were created to educate the Caucasian children of Prince Edward County. Unfortunately, no provision was made to educate the county’s African American children. Of course some African American families sent their children to neighboring counties for schooling or created makeshift schools to educate their little ones, but most just missed 5 years of education. Shirley was one such child. She was just 7 years old when suddenly school was a no longer something she did each weekday. Shirley loved school and during the first few months after school was shut down, she would make the long trek to her school bus stop to pretend she was going to class. She felt the sting of reality when the bus would approach her stop but continue to go on by her.
Shirley was eventually allowed back in school, when she was 12 years old, but had missed all the fundamentals of math, reading and writing. Despite the significant setback she went on to complete her high school diploma. Eventually, after raising a family and working (at times in some very tough conditions), Shirley decided she possessed untapped potential and proceeded to earn a bachelor’s degree at the ripe age of 45. That degree opened the doors to new opportunities and Shirley became an educator in the very school system that denied her education so long ago. Now that she has retired from teaching, Shirley has her eyes set on yet another educational goal, more untapped potential. Now she is applying to complete a master’s program in counseling, in a well-respected distance learning environment.
Shirley is my mother and I share this bit of history with you because I think she deserves recognition for her struggle to get an education and her successes as a mother, educator and soon to be counselor. It is because of her passion for education that I saw the importance of going to college myself. As you might imagine, the small town of Farmville is full of families affected by the tragedy of the school closings. Many have not been able to overcome it, even after a generation has gone by. Starting at such a deficit, missing 5 years of school, caused many to lose self-esteem and confidence that they could make up what they missed and do more. This unfortunate state of mind carried through to some of my peers, many who didn’t benefit as I did, to have someone at home pushing the importance of education. As a result, only a small percentage of my graduating class pursued higher education. Yes, I know, “education is important” is the oldest cliché in the book, but for me it has meaning. I value my education and consider it a life long journey, where learning never stops. I hope that for our students here at the University of West Georgia, this story and the stories of many who made sacrifices for education will have a new appreciation for the wonderful opportunities a college education provides.
Read more about the Civil Rights Movement in Virginia on the Virginia Historical Society website.
Nakita Hogans is the online student success advisor for UWG Online.
