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We use a new W.E.B. Du Bois documentary as a reason to rethink him as a Black first-gen student whose path runs through family responsibility, church support, Fisk College, and elite gatekeeping. We pull out what his story teaches about the hidden curriculum, non-deficit student support, and why first-gen students should see themselves as part of higher education’s legacy.

Link to the new book on Black first-gens:
https://bookstore.emerald.com/amplifying-voices-of-first-generation-black-college-students-hb-9781806862061.html

Link to the Du Bois documentary:

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/w-e-b-du-bois-documentary/34807/

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https://www.smartgirlbook.com/

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Part 2 of the Virginia Humanities series about Alexandria, Virginia.

LT and Sam talk with Dr. Thea James about growing up in Alexandria and learning to lead by questioning rules, from winning a drum major audition to building a career in emergency medicine. Her stories connect school integration, identity, and ambition to a simple belief that access and listening can change a person’s whole trajectory.

Dr. James was the first Black and the first female drum major at George Washington High School, one of the rivals of TC Williams HS in the late 1960s/early 70s. A first-generation college graduate and transfer student, she would go on to study medicine at Georgetown Medical School. Currently, she is VP of Mission and Associate Chief Medical Officer at Boston Medical Center.

• Sports media recommendation: the Jackie Robinson story

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https://www.smartgirlbook.com/

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What stories did Remember the Titans leave out? In part two of a special three-part Smart Girl series, La’Tonya “LT” Rease Miles and Sam Pinto sit down with William “Slinky” Patterson, a longtime family friend, T.C. Williams alum, and the school’s first Black drum major. Patterson takes listeners inside a turbulent era of school integration, reflecting on entering high school at just 12 years old, navigating subtle racism in the classroom, and finding refuge and healing in music. From the band room to the soundtrack of the late 1960s, Patterson offers a powerful firsthand account of an Alexandria history that extends far beyond the football field. This special series is made possible with support from Virginia Humanities.

Here's the court case that Mr. Patterson mentions: https://www.courthousenews.com/dc-circuit-tosses-child-slavery-suit-against-chocolate-giants-for-lack-of-standing/

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https://www.smartgirlbook.com/