Tufts Blogs

Like many headstrong incoming freshmen, I thought I had my mind made up on my major with my class schedule planned to a T! However, freshman me didn’t know what registration time slots were, so on the morning of my registration, I was saddened to see some of the classes I wanted were full. Suddenly, my perfect schedule was non-existent. The replacement for what likely would’ve been a STEM course in my perfect schedule was “Black Women in America”, a course taught by Dr. Kerri Greenidge. I thought, “Sure, why not? I’m a Black woman in America so this should be easy!” But to my surprise, I never expected the class to so drastically change my outlook on the institutions of healthcare and education in the U.S. and even my own childhood and upbringing.

Dr. Greenidge’s syllabus consisted of readings by Black female authors and scholars―a sight I wasn’t used to seeing in academia―and centered the works of Black women from 1860 to 1970. We were challenged to have discussions that expanded our understanding of intersectionality, radical feminism, and the role of Black women had in shaping America. It was the first time I had ever learned the history of Black women in America. It was the first time I was being taught a history I could understand and see myself in.

My favorite week of the class centered around discussions on the novel, The Bluest Eye. What was for some a weekly assignment and discussion was a reconciliation I began to have with my youth and childhood. Beyond filling a slot in my schedule, the course became a space where people that looked like me could finally be seen, heard, and validated.

I knew that my identity as a Black woman was one that often felt like exclusion, but I never knew what systems were in place to make me feel that way. The class lit a fire within me. I had seen pieces of my life played out through our readings, and while it angered me, it also inspired me. I began to question many aspects of my life―my major, my career, and the “perfect” schedule I thought I had lined up for the next four years.

Black Women in America completely changed my perspective on my own life and the lives of other Black women around me. Discrepancies in our health treatment and outcomes became so apparent to me. After taking Professor Greenidge’s class, I sat down and looked at my schedule. I looked at my goals. I looked at myself and knew that I could no longer separate my identity from my pursuits. Thanks to Dr. Greenidge’s class, and so many other interdisciplinary courses at Tufts, I decided this semester to major in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Child Study and Human Development on the pre-med track. There are no perfect schedules or career paths, but there are perfect classes that allow you to realize your passions. Black Women in America was mine. :)