Advocacy

In our wide-ranging conversation, we discuss our favorite Spencer poetry and scholarship, Tessa’s path to becoming involved in the exhibition, and debunk some misconceptions about Anne Spencer’s work! 

Chanel is a mother, activist, feminist, author, mentor, and Black woman who is interested in the gray areas of our society. She unabashedly brings her personal experiences to a conversation that may challenge convention and inspire students to keep fighting for what they believe is right.  

There are many things that white students like me will never have to think about while attending a PWI. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t think about them. 

The red dress I had planned on wearing to my boyfriend’s winter formal, coincidentally, happened to be the same shade of red as the back of my throat. That is, as I was about to discover, the portion of it that wasn’t covered in white stripes of bacteria (lovely, I know). 

When replanting our roots after they have been ruptured, it is crucial we find soil forgiving enough to support our growth, healing, and rebirth.

I was in Sephora over winter break, looking for a new perfume, when a couple of girls who could not be any older than 11 shoved past me to get to the Sol de Janerio display.

Walking into a dimly lit room, bass vibrations rattling the windows, I look around—the women are in uniform. So am I. The year is 2023. I’m in a small “going out top” matched with straight leg jeans, and for personal flair, my black combat boots.

When I was in first grade, I wished for the first time to be a writer. I pictured holding a book and running my finger over my name in embossed text on the cover of a pristine book jacket.

On a recent Saturday morning, I was bursting out of the dimly lit Paramount Theater in Downtown Charlottesville with furrowed brows and a long stride.