My Experience with Black Art at Tufts
Before attending Tufts, a significant part of my identity was sports. I dedicated 18 years of my life to athletics. My parents sought to raise a well-rounded child. They placed me in guitar lessons and musical theater. In middle school, I elected to take drama classes, but sports still dominated my life during these years. In high school, I completely cut the arts out of my life and fully committed to the student-athlete persona. It was not until I got to Tufts that I discovered a love for the arts. In addition to finding a new passion, I met some of the most talented, unique, and encouraging people I have ever encountered. The best part of it is, many of them look like me.
The Black arts scene at Tufts is one of my favorite parts of Tufts. The talent is immense. Whether it is singing, dancing, acting, photography, or any other form of art, it is certain that there is a Black student at Tufts that excels in that area. The community is also very supportive. I currently serve as Vice President of S-Factor, Tufts only all-male a cappella group specializing in music of the African diaspora. Prior to joining, I never had any serious singing experience. I do not know how to read music, and I have not played an instrument since I was in elementary school. Despite all of this, I have received nothing but support and encouragement from everyone in S-Factor, our sister group the Ladies of Essence, and all who have heard me sing, which has tremendously increased my confidence.
I never expected to find an enjoyment for the arts in college. In my first two years of college I started singing, starred in a play through Envision Black Theater, and now I am assistant directing a play with Envision. None of this was in my plans for my time at Tufts, but I am so glad I took the opportunity to try something completely new. It would not have been possible without the support of all of the Black artists around me. My favorite part about this community is that they are not just people I sing with or act with. They are my friends. They want to support me in whatever I do. That is a beautiful thing about Tufts. There is so much room to explore and having a support system that looks like me, motivates me to keep trying new things every day.