I got a taste of my dream job in the city, and I
didn’t have to relocate to New York City (like I thought I would) for it to
happen. I always imagined and considered relocation, should a great career
opportunity arise, but I think the Lord wants me to stay put…for now, anyways.
I believe there are different things He wants to do in my life where I’m at,
before He launches me out elsewhere, and if that’s what He wants, I’m willing
to be obedient. The dream job fit great with my English degree and to my
surprise, I was sought after for the opportunity. I had the chance to sit down
with a kind and friendly professional, who took a liking to my writing, while
offering constructive criticism, and feedback I’ll never forget. I’m keeping a
lot of the details to myself, but what I will share about the meeting is that
everything I saw from the setting, to the friendly and diverse professionals,
to the office view, felt like a flashback of what I’d seen in New York City during
a past visit. I felt like I was right where I belonged, and it was incredible. Before I took this meeting,
I thought about all the different times I’ve been rejected, had my writing
ideas turned down, and heard things from different people like, “English majors
don’t get jobs…” and I thought, “Shame on them…” Did I mention that prior to
this meeting; handfuls of different opportunities have consistently been coming
my way? This is only the beginning…
I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space. I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...