At some point or another, we’ve all needed a helping hand to guide us through our personal and professional journeys. We are also inspired by trailblazers who came before us and demonstrated what is possible. For Black History Month, Dr. Anjalé (AJ) Welton and Carol Griggs discuss the mentors and role models who helped them get where they are in their lives and careers thus far.
Carol Griggs
Deputy Chief of Staff to the Chancellor
“To me, Black History represents the fullness of all that makes me who I am today in this complicated world. I am a person of faith who believes that first and foremost, the sacrifice of Christ changed my life forever and granted me access to the Kingdom. Additionally, I am also so grateful for all of the sacrifices made by so many before me that granted me privileges and opened possibilities.
I am a Mississippian (whose family lived on plantation land) who spent years traveling the country and world in the military only to finally land in Birmingham, AL for a number of years working in higher education. I was reminded daily in Alabama of all the people whose shoulders I stand on — Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Hosea Williams, Jimmy Lee Jackson, and so many more who made it possible for me to be who I am today. As we reflect on this, I think it is imperative for all of us to always remember this complicated history (and all of the complicated histories of this country) so that we can use whatever power we have to avoid past mistakes and to continue to strive for a better future.”
Anjalé (AJ) Welton, PhD
Rupple – Bascom Professor of Education
Professor & Department Chair
“As a first-generation college graduate when I began graduate school, I knew very little about academia and that the tenure-track professoriate was even a career path one could choose. It took a lot of mentoring to get me here. And so, I’m using this platform as an opportunity to honor the following Black scholars in my field who contributed insurmountable time and labor towards getting me to this point in my career:”
- Eboni Zamani- Gallaher
- Renée and Richard Goldman Interim Dean
- School of Education
- University of Pittsburgh
- James D. Anderson
- Professor and Dean Emeritus
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- William Trent
- Professor Emeritus
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Linda C. Tillman
- Professor Emerita
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Mark Anthony Gooden
- Christian Johnson Endeavor Professor of Educational Leadership
- Teachers College, Columbia University
- Laurence J. Parker
- Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy
- University of Utah
- Richard Reddick
- Professor, Senior Vice Provost and Dean of the Undergraduate College
- University of Texas at Austin
Not only are historical Black figures important but members of the Black community with whom we build community also inspire us, lift us up and push us forward.