After my friend Khadijah and I got into different colleges, and had picked where to go, we came up with a little phrase - "holla back, scholar black!". Since then we've spread it among our friend groups, putting various spins on it : "holla at a schola", "holla black schola black", and my favorite when talking about financial aid or scholarships, "holla at dem dollars for scholars".
What was a funny saying became a mantra for me in my undergrad years. It was and still is my goal to be a black scholar. When I was in middle and high school there was a compass that was provided for me to follow, so I could get into a good college and have a nice life. But now that I'm looking to May 2008, when I'll be putting a peice of kente cloth around the shoulders of my black cap and gown, and getting my cane and degree I need a new kind of compass. How do I make the transition from undergrad to graduate student? There is no map, just a maze and all the anxiety that comes with the unknown.
Although I joke that the plummeting numbers of black grad students will probably work in my favor, its half-hearted. I want to join scores of other students of color, embarking on grad study in subjects will probably result in tons of debt, but will allow them entry into a community of academics.
I don't know where I'll be this time next year, but I do know this, you'll be hollering at this young black scholar at which ever school I end up. I just have to iron out my map, get out my compass and get started on the journey.
