Author: N. D. Jones
Publisher: Kuumba Publishing
ISBN: 9781735299877
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 366
Book Description
Strong Black Woman. Black Girl Magic. These three words can motivate, but they can also intimidate and misrepresent. There is no otherworldly magic in a Black woman's capacity to survive, no more than there is in her ability to thrive despite racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, and so on. At the end of a tiring day, Black Girl Magic is old-fashioned grit and perseverance. The Color of My Resilience: A Guided Self-Care Journal for Black Women is intended to foster and support self-awareness and reflection in a safe environment. The depiction of more than a dozen images of Black women reflects the diversity of Black womanhood.This guided journal will cast a spotlight into your heart, mind, and soul, then take you on a heroine's journey of self-discovery, reflection, and action.The guided journal will help you:Describe your struggles and successesPlan for and think about your self-care routinesAssess your current self-careIdentify your allies, values, aptitudes, interests, and strengthsExamine your emotional triggersPlan long-and-short-term goalsGet to know and understand yourself on a deep, meaningful levelThe book provides six different reflection strategies, as well as poems and essays written by Black women. From a college student to a small business owner to a USA Today Bestselling author, these women have opened their hearts and shared their stories of resilience.Be safe. Be healthy.Be. Resilient.
The Color of My Resilience
Author: N. D. Jones
Publisher: Kuumba Publishing
ISBN: 9781735299877
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 366
Book Description
Strong Black Woman. Black Girl Magic. These three words can motivate, but they can also intimidate and misrepresent. There is no otherworldly magic in a Black woman's capacity to survive, no more than there is in her ability to thrive despite racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, and so on. At the end of a tiring day, Black Girl Magic is old-fashioned grit and perseverance. The Color of My Resilience: A Guided Self-Care Journal for Black Women is intended to foster and support self-awareness and reflection in a safe environment. The depiction of more than a dozen images of Black women reflects the diversity of Black womanhood.This guided journal will cast a spotlight into your heart, mind, and soul, then take you on a heroine's journey of self-discovery, reflection, and action.The guided journal will help you:Describe your struggles and successesPlan for and think about your self-care routinesAssess your current self-careIdentify your allies, values, aptitudes, interests, and strengthsExamine your emotional triggersPlan long-and-short-term goalsGet to know and understand yourself on a deep, meaningful levelThe book provides six different reflection strategies, as well as poems and essays written by Black women. From a college student to a small business owner to a USA Today Bestselling author, these women have opened their hearts and shared their stories of resilience.Be safe. Be healthy.Be. Resilient.
Publisher: Kuumba Publishing
ISBN: 9781735299877
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 366
Book Description
Strong Black Woman. Black Girl Magic. These three words can motivate, but they can also intimidate and misrepresent. There is no otherworldly magic in a Black woman's capacity to survive, no more than there is in her ability to thrive despite racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, and so on. At the end of a tiring day, Black Girl Magic is old-fashioned grit and perseverance. The Color of My Resilience: A Guided Self-Care Journal for Black Women is intended to foster and support self-awareness and reflection in a safe environment. The depiction of more than a dozen images of Black women reflects the diversity of Black womanhood.This guided journal will cast a spotlight into your heart, mind, and soul, then take you on a heroine's journey of self-discovery, reflection, and action.The guided journal will help you:Describe your struggles and successesPlan for and think about your self-care routinesAssess your current self-careIdentify your allies, values, aptitudes, interests, and strengthsExamine your emotional triggersPlan long-and-short-term goalsGet to know and understand yourself on a deep, meaningful levelThe book provides six different reflection strategies, as well as poems and essays written by Black women. From a college student to a small business owner to a USA Today Bestselling author, these women have opened their hearts and shared their stories of resilience.Be safe. Be healthy.Be. Resilient.
Race Resilience
Author: Victoria E. Romero
Publisher: Corwin Press
ISBN: 1071833022
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Book Description
Review, rethink, and redesign racial support systems NOW As schools engage in courageous conversations about how racialization and racial positioning influences thinking, behaviors, and expectations, many educators still lack the resources to start this challenging and personally transformative work. Race Resilience offers guidance to educators who are ready to rethink, review, and redesign their support systems and foster the building blocks of resiliency for staff. Readers will learn how to: Model ethical, professional, and social-emotional sensitivity Develop, advocate, and enact on a collective culture Maintain a continuously evaluative process for self and school wellness Engage meaningfully with students and their families Improve academic and behavioral outcomes Race resilient educators work continuously to grow their awareness of how their racial identity impacts their practice. When educators feel they are cared for, have trusting relationships, and are autonomous, they are in a better position to teach and model resilience to their students.
Publisher: Corwin Press
ISBN: 1071833022
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Book Description
Review, rethink, and redesign racial support systems NOW As schools engage in courageous conversations about how racialization and racial positioning influences thinking, behaviors, and expectations, many educators still lack the resources to start this challenging and personally transformative work. Race Resilience offers guidance to educators who are ready to rethink, review, and redesign their support systems and foster the building blocks of resiliency for staff. Readers will learn how to: Model ethical, professional, and social-emotional sensitivity Develop, advocate, and enact on a collective culture Maintain a continuously evaluative process for self and school wellness Engage meaningfully with students and their families Improve academic and behavioral outcomes Race resilient educators work continuously to grow their awareness of how their racial identity impacts their practice. When educators feel they are cared for, have trusting relationships, and are autonomous, they are in a better position to teach and model resilience to their students.
You Are Your Best Thing
Author: Tarana Burke
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ISBN: 0593243633
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 257
Book Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Tarana Burke and Dr. Brené Brown bring together a dynamic group of Black writers, organizers, artists, academics, and cultural figures to discuss the topics the two have dedicated their lives to understanding and teaching: vulnerability and shame resilience. Contributions by Kiese Laymon, Imani Perry, Laverne Cox, Jason Reynolds, Austin Channing Brown, and more NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY MARIE CLAIRE AND BOOKRIOT It started as a text between two friends. Tarana Burke, founder of the ‘me too.’ Movement, texted researcher and writer Brené Brown to see if she was free to jump on a call. Brené assumed that Tarana wanted to talk about wallpaper. They had been trading home decorating inspiration boards in their last text conversation so Brené started scrolling to find her latest Pinterest pictures when the phone rang. But it was immediately clear to Brené that the conversation wasn’t going to be about wallpaper. Tarana’s hello was serious and she hesitated for a bit before saying, “Brené, you know your work affected me so deeply, but as a Black woman, I’ve sometimes had to feel like I have to contort myself to fit into some of your words. The core of it rings so true for me, but the application has been harder.” Brené replied, “I’m so glad we’re talking about this. It makes sense to me. Especially in terms of vulnerability. How do you take the armor off in a country where you’re not physically or emotionally safe?” Long pause. “That’s why I’m calling,” said Tarana. “What do you think about working together on a book about the Black experience with vulnerability and shame resilience?” There was no hesitation. Burke and Brown are the perfect pair to usher in this stark, potent collection of essays on Black shame and healing. Along with the anthology contributors, they create a space to recognize and process the trauma of white supremacy, a space to be vulnerable and affirm the fullness of Black love and Black life.
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ISBN: 0593243633
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 257
Book Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Tarana Burke and Dr. Brené Brown bring together a dynamic group of Black writers, organizers, artists, academics, and cultural figures to discuss the topics the two have dedicated their lives to understanding and teaching: vulnerability and shame resilience. Contributions by Kiese Laymon, Imani Perry, Laverne Cox, Jason Reynolds, Austin Channing Brown, and more NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY MARIE CLAIRE AND BOOKRIOT It started as a text between two friends. Tarana Burke, founder of the ‘me too.’ Movement, texted researcher and writer Brené Brown to see if she was free to jump on a call. Brené assumed that Tarana wanted to talk about wallpaper. They had been trading home decorating inspiration boards in their last text conversation so Brené started scrolling to find her latest Pinterest pictures when the phone rang. But it was immediately clear to Brené that the conversation wasn’t going to be about wallpaper. Tarana’s hello was serious and she hesitated for a bit before saying, “Brené, you know your work affected me so deeply, but as a Black woman, I’ve sometimes had to feel like I have to contort myself to fit into some of your words. The core of it rings so true for me, but the application has been harder.” Brené replied, “I’m so glad we’re talking about this. It makes sense to me. Especially in terms of vulnerability. How do you take the armor off in a country where you’re not physically or emotionally safe?” Long pause. “That’s why I’m calling,” said Tarana. “What do you think about working together on a book about the Black experience with vulnerability and shame resilience?” There was no hesitation. Burke and Brown are the perfect pair to usher in this stark, potent collection of essays on Black shame and healing. Along with the anthology contributors, they create a space to recognize and process the trauma of white supremacy, a space to be vulnerable and affirm the fullness of Black love and Black life.
My Culture, My Color, My Self
Author: Toby S. Jenkins
Publisher: Temple University Press
ISBN: 1439908311
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 204
Book Description
Examines how young adults discover their cultures through education, art, spirituality, and personal survival strategies. Provides an analysis of why minority youth's cultural backgrounds should be acknowledged by institutions of higher education in order for the students to excel.
Publisher: Temple University Press
ISBN: 1439908311
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 204
Book Description
Examines how young adults discover their cultures through education, art, spirituality, and personal survival strategies. Provides an analysis of why minority youth's cultural backgrounds should be acknowledged by institutions of higher education in order for the students to excel.
Option B
Author: Sheryl Sandberg
Publisher: Knopf
ISBN: 1524732699
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 241
Book Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • From authors of Lean In and Originals: a powerful, inspiring, and practical book about building resilience and moving forward after life’s inevitable setbacks After the sudden death of her husband, Sheryl Sandberg felt certain that she and her children would never feel pure joy again. “I was in ‘the void,’” she writes, “a vast emptiness that fills your heart and lungs and restricts your ability to think or even breathe.” Her friend Adam Grant, a psychologist at Wharton, told her there are concrete steps people can take to recover and rebound from life-shattering experiences. We are not born with a fixed amount of resilience. It is a muscle that everyone can build. Option B combines Sheryl’s personal insights with Adam’s eye-opening research on finding strength in the face of adversity. Beginning with the gut-wrenching moment when she finds her husband, Dave Goldberg, collapsed on a gym floor, Sheryl opens up her heart—and her journal—to describe the acute grief and isolation she felt in the wake of his death. But Option B goes beyond Sheryl’s loss to explore how a broad range of people have overcome hardships including illness, job loss, sexual assault, natural disasters, and the violence of war. Their stories reveal the capacity of the human spirit to persevere . . . and to rediscover joy. Resilience comes from deep within us and from support outside us. Even after the most devastating events, it is possible to grow by finding deeper meaning and gaining greater appreciation in our lives. Option B illuminates how to help others in crisis, develop compassion for ourselves, raise strong children, and create resilient families, communities, and workplaces. Many of these lessons can be applied to everyday struggles, allowing us to brave whatever lies ahead. Two weeks after losing her husband, Sheryl was preparing for a father-child activity. “I want Dave,” she cried. Her friend replied, “Option A is not available,” and then promised to help her make the most of Option B. We all live some form of Option B. This book will help us all make the most of it.
Publisher: Knopf
ISBN: 1524732699
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 241
Book Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • From authors of Lean In and Originals: a powerful, inspiring, and practical book about building resilience and moving forward after life’s inevitable setbacks After the sudden death of her husband, Sheryl Sandberg felt certain that she and her children would never feel pure joy again. “I was in ‘the void,’” she writes, “a vast emptiness that fills your heart and lungs and restricts your ability to think or even breathe.” Her friend Adam Grant, a psychologist at Wharton, told her there are concrete steps people can take to recover and rebound from life-shattering experiences. We are not born with a fixed amount of resilience. It is a muscle that everyone can build. Option B combines Sheryl’s personal insights with Adam’s eye-opening research on finding strength in the face of adversity. Beginning with the gut-wrenching moment when she finds her husband, Dave Goldberg, collapsed on a gym floor, Sheryl opens up her heart—and her journal—to describe the acute grief and isolation she felt in the wake of his death. But Option B goes beyond Sheryl’s loss to explore how a broad range of people have overcome hardships including illness, job loss, sexual assault, natural disasters, and the violence of war. Their stories reveal the capacity of the human spirit to persevere . . . and to rediscover joy. Resilience comes from deep within us and from support outside us. Even after the most devastating events, it is possible to grow by finding deeper meaning and gaining greater appreciation in our lives. Option B illuminates how to help others in crisis, develop compassion for ourselves, raise strong children, and create resilient families, communities, and workplaces. Many of these lessons can be applied to everyday struggles, allowing us to brave whatever lies ahead. Two weeks after losing her husband, Sheryl was preparing for a father-child activity. “I want Dave,” she cried. Her friend replied, “Option A is not available,” and then promised to help her make the most of Option B. We all live some form of Option B. This book will help us all make the most of it.
Black Joy
Author: Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1982176555
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 288
Book Description
A timely collection of deeply personal, uplifting, and powerful essays that celebrate the redemptive strength of Black joy--in the vein of Black Girls Rock, You Are Your Best Thing, and I Really Needed This Today. When Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts wrote an essay on Black joy for The Washington Post, she had no idea just how deeply it would resonate. But the outpouring of responses affirmed her own lived experience: that Black joy is not just a weapon of resistance, it is a tool for resilience. With this book, Tracey aims to gift her community with a collection of lyrical essays about the way joy has evolved, even in the midst of trauma, in her own life. Detailing these instances of joy in the context of Black culture allows us to recognize the power of Black joy as a resource to draw upon, and to challenge the one-note narratives of Black life as solely comprised of trauma and hardship. Black Joy is a collection that will recharge you. It is the kind of book that is passed between friends and offers both challenge and comfort at the end of a long day. It is an answer for anyone who needs confirmation that they are not alone and a brave place to quiet their mind and heal their soul.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1982176555
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 288
Book Description
A timely collection of deeply personal, uplifting, and powerful essays that celebrate the redemptive strength of Black joy--in the vein of Black Girls Rock, You Are Your Best Thing, and I Really Needed This Today. When Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts wrote an essay on Black joy for The Washington Post, she had no idea just how deeply it would resonate. But the outpouring of responses affirmed her own lived experience: that Black joy is not just a weapon of resistance, it is a tool for resilience. With this book, Tracey aims to gift her community with a collection of lyrical essays about the way joy has evolved, even in the midst of trauma, in her own life. Detailing these instances of joy in the context of Black culture allows us to recognize the power of Black joy as a resource to draw upon, and to challenge the one-note narratives of Black life as solely comprised of trauma and hardship. Black Joy is a collection that will recharge you. It is the kind of book that is passed between friends and offers both challenge and comfort at the end of a long day. It is an answer for anyone who needs confirmation that they are not alone and a brave place to quiet their mind and heal their soul.
Building Resilience in Students Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences
Author: Victoria E. Romero
Publisher: Corwin Press
ISBN: 1544319436
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 259
Book Description
Use trauma-informed strategies to give students the skills and support they need to succeed in school and life Nearly half of all children have been exposed to at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), such as poverty, divorce, neglect, homelessness, substance abuse, domestic violence, or parent incarceration. These students often enter school with behaviors that don’t blend well with the typical school environment. How can a school community come together and work as a whole to establish a healthy social-emotional climate for students and the staff who support them? This workbook-style resource shows K-12 educators how to make a whole-school change, where strategies are integrated from curb to classroom. Readers will learn how to integrate trauma-informed strategies into daily instructional practice through expanded focus on: The different experiences and unique challenges of students impacted by ACEs in urban, suburban, and rural schools, including suicidal tendencies, cyberbullying, and drugs Behavior as a form of communication and how to explicitly teach new behaviors How to mitigate trauma and build innate resiliency through a read, reflect, and respond model Let this book be the tool that helps your teams move students away from the school-to-prison pipeline and toward a life rich with educational and career choices. "I cannot think of a book more needed than this one. It gives us the tools to support our students who have the most need while practicing the self-care necessary to continue to serve them." —Lydia Adegbola, Chair of English Department New Rochelle High School, NY "This book highlights the impact of trauma on children and the adults who work with them, while providing relevant and practical strategies to understand and address it through reflective practices." —Marine Avagyan, Director, Curriculum and Instruction Saugus Union School District, Sunland, CA
Publisher: Corwin Press
ISBN: 1544319436
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 259
Book Description
Use trauma-informed strategies to give students the skills and support they need to succeed in school and life Nearly half of all children have been exposed to at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), such as poverty, divorce, neglect, homelessness, substance abuse, domestic violence, or parent incarceration. These students often enter school with behaviors that don’t blend well with the typical school environment. How can a school community come together and work as a whole to establish a healthy social-emotional climate for students and the staff who support them? This workbook-style resource shows K-12 educators how to make a whole-school change, where strategies are integrated from curb to classroom. Readers will learn how to integrate trauma-informed strategies into daily instructional practice through expanded focus on: The different experiences and unique challenges of students impacted by ACEs in urban, suburban, and rural schools, including suicidal tendencies, cyberbullying, and drugs Behavior as a form of communication and how to explicitly teach new behaviors How to mitigate trauma and build innate resiliency through a read, reflect, and respond model Let this book be the tool that helps your teams move students away from the school-to-prison pipeline and toward a life rich with educational and career choices. "I cannot think of a book more needed than this one. It gives us the tools to support our students who have the most need while practicing the self-care necessary to continue to serve them." —Lydia Adegbola, Chair of English Department New Rochelle High School, NY "This book highlights the impact of trauma on children and the adults who work with them, while providing relevant and practical strategies to understand and address it through reflective practices." —Marine Avagyan, Director, Curriculum and Instruction Saugus Union School District, Sunland, CA
Phoenix Zones
Author: Hope Ferdowsian
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022647609X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 212
Book Description
Few things get our compassion flowing like the sight of suffering. But our response is often shaped by our ability to empathize with others. Some people respond to the suffering of only humans or to one person’s plight more than another’s. Others react more strongly to the suffering of an animal. These divergent realities can be troubling—but they are also a reminder that trauma and suffering are endured by all beings, and we can learn lessons about their aftermath, even across species. With Phoenix Zones, Dr. Hope Ferdowsian shows us how. Ferdowsian has spent years traveling the world to work with people and animals who have endured trauma—war, abuse, displacement. Here, she combines compelling stories of survivors with the latest science on resilience to help us understand the link between violence against people and animals and the biological foundations of recovery, peace, and hope. Taking us to the sanctuaries that give the book its title, she reveals how the injured can heal and thrive if we attend to key principles: respect for liberty and sovereignty, a commitment to love and tolerance, the promotion of justice, and a fundamental belief that each individual possesses dignity. Courageous tales show us how: stories of combat veterans and wolves recovering together at a California refuge, Congolese women thriving in one of the most dangerous places on earth, abused chimpanzees finding peace in a Washington sanctuary, and refugees seeking care at Ferdowsian’s own medical clinic. These are not easy stories. Suffering is real, and recovery is hard. But resilience is real, too, and Phoenix Zones shows how we can foster it. It reveals how both people and animals deserve a chance to live up to their full potential—and how such a view could inspire solutions to some of the greatest challenges of our time.
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022647609X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 212
Book Description
Few things get our compassion flowing like the sight of suffering. But our response is often shaped by our ability to empathize with others. Some people respond to the suffering of only humans or to one person’s plight more than another’s. Others react more strongly to the suffering of an animal. These divergent realities can be troubling—but they are also a reminder that trauma and suffering are endured by all beings, and we can learn lessons about their aftermath, even across species. With Phoenix Zones, Dr. Hope Ferdowsian shows us how. Ferdowsian has spent years traveling the world to work with people and animals who have endured trauma—war, abuse, displacement. Here, she combines compelling stories of survivors with the latest science on resilience to help us understand the link between violence against people and animals and the biological foundations of recovery, peace, and hope. Taking us to the sanctuaries that give the book its title, she reveals how the injured can heal and thrive if we attend to key principles: respect for liberty and sovereignty, a commitment to love and tolerance, the promotion of justice, and a fundamental belief that each individual possesses dignity. Courageous tales show us how: stories of combat veterans and wolves recovering together at a California refuge, Congolese women thriving in one of the most dangerous places on earth, abused chimpanzees finding peace in a Washington sanctuary, and refugees seeking care at Ferdowsian’s own medical clinic. These are not easy stories. Suffering is real, and recovery is hard. But resilience is real, too, and Phoenix Zones shows how we can foster it. It reveals how both people and animals deserve a chance to live up to their full potential—and how such a view could inspire solutions to some of the greatest challenges of our time.
The Color of Food
Author: Natasha Bowens
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780865717893
Category : Minority farmers
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The Color of Food sheds light on the issues that lie at the intersection of race and farming. It challenges the status quo of agrarian identity for people of color, honoring a history richer than slavery and migrant labor. By sharing and celebrating their stories, this collection reveals the remarkable face of the American farmer.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780865717893
Category : Minority farmers
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The Color of Food sheds light on the issues that lie at the intersection of race and farming. It challenges the status quo of agrarian identity for people of color, honoring a history richer than slavery and migrant labor. By sharing and celebrating their stories, this collection reveals the remarkable face of the American farmer.
Resilience in the Face of Adversity
Author: Margaret Ellen Mayo Tolbert
Publisher: Balboa Press
ISBN: 1504331982
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 310
Book Description
In her revealing autobiography, Dr. Tolbert describes how she overcame the obstacles that threatened to derail her aspirations for a sound education and professional career. From humble beginningssurrounded by dirt roads and segregated schools, left orphaned and penniless at an early ageshe chose a path of hard work and diligent study that lifted her out of poverty, despair, and ignorance. In an era of tense race relations, and despite numerous stumbling blocks, Dr. Tolbert rose to prominence as an African-American scientist, educator, and administratoroften in positions traditionally held by males. She eventually became: The first African-American female to serve as director of the nations New Brunswick Laboratory. The first African-American female appointed director of education at Argonne National Laboratory. The first female to serve as director of the Carver Research Foundation of Tuskegee Institute. One of six African-American senior executives at the National Science Foundation. The second African-American to graduate from Brown University with a doctorate in biochemistry. The first member of the Mayo family of Suffolk, Virginia, to earn a doctoral degree. Her journey, however, was no crystal stair. In publishing her tale, Dr. Tolbert affirms our human ability to survive the unexpected, rally against adversity, and charge ahead on a path to personal accomplishment. She is a strong role model with an inspirational message for others struggling against overwhelming odds.
Publisher: Balboa Press
ISBN: 1504331982
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 310
Book Description
In her revealing autobiography, Dr. Tolbert describes how she overcame the obstacles that threatened to derail her aspirations for a sound education and professional career. From humble beginningssurrounded by dirt roads and segregated schools, left orphaned and penniless at an early ageshe chose a path of hard work and diligent study that lifted her out of poverty, despair, and ignorance. In an era of tense race relations, and despite numerous stumbling blocks, Dr. Tolbert rose to prominence as an African-American scientist, educator, and administratoroften in positions traditionally held by males. She eventually became: The first African-American female to serve as director of the nations New Brunswick Laboratory. The first African-American female appointed director of education at Argonne National Laboratory. The first female to serve as director of the Carver Research Foundation of Tuskegee Institute. One of six African-American senior executives at the National Science Foundation. The second African-American to graduate from Brown University with a doctorate in biochemistry. The first member of the Mayo family of Suffolk, Virginia, to earn a doctoral degree. Her journey, however, was no crystal stair. In publishing her tale, Dr. Tolbert affirms our human ability to survive the unexpected, rally against adversity, and charge ahead on a path to personal accomplishment. She is a strong role model with an inspirational message for others struggling against overwhelming odds.