Brenda Baker Legacy Scholarship

My family has taught me about Black History for as long as I can remember. My grandfather is a part of the Pan-Africanism movement, so growing up, I was frequently taught both the African and American values that make up our culture, as well as what we as a people persist through while living in this country. Every week in elementary and middle school, I would learn about the values and history of African Americans: how we’ve been falsely taught that we have no history, convinced that the white supremacist oppression is our culture, and that we shouldn’t strive for more or better. I learned about how American society was built to oppress Black people through dehumanizing us as property, deeming us as criminals after the Civil War to keep us in the position of slaves, and the use of keeping us in poverty to ensure we can’t succeed. But just as I learned about Black struggles, I learned about Black success as well. Through my grandfather I learned about the many firsts that came from our African ancestors as the first people, which included archery, math, medicine, art and so much more. I was also taught about some of the greatest Black figures in our own country from engineers like Elijah Mccoy to activists like Ella Baker. My family made sure that just as I needed to be aware of the challenges Black people have faced and what I need to expect to face, I also need to be just as aware of the strength and power that lies within the Black community. These lessons about Black people instilled in me two important qualities, perseverance and conviction. As I learned about my history it became obvious that I couldn’t expect the world to hold my hand, especially as a Black man. Challenges that will be outside my control will always arise, and there will always be people who will use their power to see me fail just because of the color of my skin. When these challenges occur, I have been taught to meet them head on, because otherwise I am allowing myself to be oppressed and I’m not living up to my potential. Struggle strengthening was a frequent lesson I was taught, so I know I can’t just try to avoid challenges just because they’re hard. Additionally, the stories of Black figures taught me the importance of conviction. Then even more than now, if you were Black you were expected to be nothing and stay in your place, but those with values and aspirations didn’t accept this. Frederick Douglas taught himself to read to rise above slavery, and inventors like Carver and McCoy didn’t “stay in their lane” with their revolutionary agricultural and industrial innovations. So, with this in mind, I see no reason why I should not do the same. As a Black student in college, I have the full expectation for myself to push myself to achieve the most as I can. I aspire to be an innovative robotics engineer whose work makes strides in using robotics to optimize the world to address the climate crisis. Therefore, I can’t afford to strive for less or allow my own conviction to falter, and I will use the lessons I was taught to shape my own future as a Black man. Receiving this scholarship will greatly benefit me as while my tuition has been paid for all four years at the University of Michigan, I still must pay for room and board all four years. Doing so would be a burden on my family, so I hope to use the money from this scholarship, to pay for my housing and meals to bring me one step closer to my goals.