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So much of what I write about is my childhood. I grew up in a small town in western Michigan. I was smart. I progressed through my school years with a B+ average. In junior high, I entered the Michigan tracking system, grouped into classes according to my intelligence. I was in the A/B track. And I was the only black person in the group. I wanted so badly to hang with the C/D people. That's where all the black people were placed, and I wanted to be with them. They always seem to be laughing and having fun.
Being a minority in this mass of smart kids, I felt excluded. And because I questioned my teachers on almost everything, I was kicked out of classes a lot. My white friends, who would hang with me under normal circumstances, distanced themselves whenever I was kicked out.
Life took a dramatic turn for me in my senior year. My family moved to Chicago, and I attended DuSable High School - an all-black school across the street from Robert Taylor Projects. It was an awakening. Finally, I found my people. I was taught my blackness by Dr. Margaret Burroughs (who would go on to create the DuSable Museum in Chicago). She taught us about our African ancestry, slavery, blackness, heroes, and sheroes. The combination of her, Mr. Kimmons (African History), and Mr. Jones (who broke down the governmental tools of oppression) woke me up from an 11-year educational sleep. I came to DuSable wearing a wig, fancy eyelashes, and dressy clothes. I left DuSable with a huge Afro and a new-found sense of self.
Finally, I belonged. Finally, I found inclusion.
Beverly Hill
Beverly Hill is a retired journalist, having worked for AT&T for more than 20 years as a writer/editor of the company’s newspaper. Currently she is the Owner/Designer of Queen B by Beverly Hill. She designs and sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and pendants. Her jewelry can be found on Etsy: QueenBzJewelry.Etsy.com
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