On May 17th, 1954, a monumental decision was made. The Supreme Court issued a momentous verdict in the case Brown v Board of Education effectively dismantling the practice of segregation in schools. In 1960, Ruby Bridges courageously became the first child to integrate into an all-white school, however, her presence was met with disdain. Despite the court’s ruling, many individuals felt that African Americans should not be given such privileges and they voiced this through harsh comments and actions fueled from racism. From a young age of merely six, these comments could have severely impacted Bridges self-confidence. I aspire to help those belonging to minority groups when navigating their feelings when dealing with injustices. This is what inspired my passion for the study of Psychology.
Many individuals in a minority will have unfortunate encounters and let the substance of the conversation affect their mindset. They will let one superficial comment from an uneducated individual linger in their mind for years. I know that’s what I did. Growing up attending predominantly white institutions in the South, I received many comments with underlying racism. One I distinctly remember occurred when I came to school with my hair straight for the first time. My peers had only seen me with my naturally coily hair that I would throw up into a bun. As soon as I stepped foot into the classroom, I was flooded with comments like “Wow I love your hair” or “Cute hair”. But the ones that stuck with me the most were “Your hair looks so much better that way” and “Wow is that your real hair?” These remarks stunned me. Yes, it is my real hair. Why would they even ask that? People couldn’t fathom the idea that an African American had the ability to have silky straight hair. Some were so enthralled by it that they felt compelled to mention how much better I looked know that I had straightened it. These comments lingered with me, and I allowed them to influence my choices like how I styled my hair, dressed etc. It wasn’t until I started learning about psychology and the processes of the mind that I began to develop my confidence.
While studying psychology, I was able to learn about peoples thought processes and the rationale behind certain comments. My knowledge from psychology was also instrumental in the development of my self-perception. I enrolled in Positive Psychology and was able to learn about topics like self-efficacy, self-talk, self-worth etc. Knowledge on these topics allowed me to no longer feel ashamed of myself, and I was able to develop a powerful sense of confidence. By learning about the cognitive processes in the mind when dealing with negative experiences, I was able to cultivate confident self-talk.
I believe this scholarship would allow me to use my personal experiences and education to aid others in the way that I was helped. I plan to major in Psychology and receive my Masters and Doctorate, which will give me the opportunity to reach out to children in a similar situation like me. I want to facilitate the journey through adolescence for children of minorities and enable them to navigate its complexities easier. I will be able to instill a positive mindset into young individuals to limit negative self-talk. I hope to help the younger generation from being affected by the internalized racism from members of our society. I aim to promote and build powerful African American children and this scholarship will help me begin my journey.
During my Sophomore year, I became interested in learning about the human mind and why we do certain things. It was during the peak of the pandemic and my family had lost too many people, to health and mental battles. My mental health started to decline without me even realizing it. I became irritable and tired, I lost my appetite, and my enthusiastic views about life disappeared. I didn’t want to believe that I was depressed, mainly because of the stigma it has in the Black community. I was scared that if I mentioned it, I wouldn’t get taken seriously since my life was “good” and I “had nothing to be sad about”. I believed it too. I thought there were more important things to worry about than how I felt and that it was just a phase. The gloomy feeling of uncertainty stayed with me for a long time, but after suppressing it, I finally decided to take my mental health seriously.
I started researching depression and read stories about people who felt the same way I did. I wanted to know if they “cured” themselves of it and how I could do the same. However, I slowly realized that depression isn’t some curable disease. It’s a mental health issue that can’t be fixed with a snap of a finger. It takes time. You have to be willing to get better. I changed my diet, journaled, wrote stories, and used distractions like dance, work, and anime in hopes of bettering myself. I did everything but the one thing that might’ve helped me improve. See a therapist. I’ve since gotten the courage to mention it to my parents, but to no surprise, they doubted I needed one because I seemed happy and had everything I wanted. Getting better on my own was the best option.
As I worked on myself, my interest in Psychology grew. I transferred to a new school and took the Psychology course they have. By the end of my Junior year, I knew I wanted to study it in college. I aspire to use my experience with mental health and the knowledge I have and will continue to gain, to help people. Especially young Black teens who might go through the same thing I did. Becoming a therapist is the best way that I can do that.
Dance was the most effective form of healing for me. When I dance, it feels like I’m in a different world where it’s just me and the music. If my body wasn’t sore, I could dance for hours. I had my happiest years when I was on that dance team. Dance has helped me remain positive in one of the darkest times of my life. I danced to distract myself. Dance gave me the freedom to express how I felt through my movement. It was therapeutic for me to use my body to release my feelings and emotions.
I can’t ever see myself getting tired of dancing. Even though I’m not on a team now, I still find ways to do it. I participate in Zumba and have virtual dance parties with my sister. I intend to bring my passion to college with me. Maybe I’ll host my own Zumba class or be the coach of a dance team. I could even incorporate it into my psychology career and offer dance therapy. I like the idea of using something that helped me in a time of need to help others. Being able to incorporate something I love into my everyday life is what makes dance so meaningful to me.
