Dear Reginald Chambers,
I'm terribly excited about the 6 weeks ahead. It's my first opportunity to mobilize my various interests and passions into a social media based course that, quite generally, seeks to empower you and your peers who are part of the Washington National Cathedral Scholars Program. I'm proud to be on the faculty for these next 6 weeks encouraging some of the best and brightest students DC has to offer. All of you introductions indicate that you have bright futures ahead of you. As part of your introductions, I made a point to utilize your introduction: "my name Reggie", as a teaching moment-- not to embarrass you or point out any grammatical inadequacy. As a Washington National Cathedral Scholar, it's a given that you are an intelligent, motivated, and ambitious young brotha. I did, however, want to note that, while I'm a relaxed, cool, laid back kind of individual-- probably a bit like you some decades ago-- I understand the burden of assumptions associated with our "cool" and "swag". In certain settings, our swag undercuts and cancels our best ambitions. It's a burden of proof that creates an added responsibility for those of us seeking to honor and maintain those cultural codes endemic to who many of us are as black men in America, and who have to constantly combat the litany of negative assumptions about who black men are and become. Many who see you will have no doubts about your athletic prowess. Many will also dismiss the possibility that your intellectual prowess is as valuable. We come from a legacy of men respected for what our bodies could do in the service of others: work, toil, fight, win. We also come from a legacy of men who were denied opportunities to exercise our brains and our hearts by systemic racism that, fortunately, has become less of a challenge than for our predecessors, though surely not completely obliterated-- even if there is a brotha at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. We know it's not as fair a game as it seems. I challenge you to ensure that your heart, your capacity to feel and be sensitive to others, as well as your mind, sharpening with an insatiable curiosity, are as vigorous as the athletic dominance you're sure to execute at the Gamecock at the University of South Carolina, or wherever you should choose to attend college.
To be clear, I'm a brotha as steeped in Philosophy as I am Hip-Hop culture. Today I wore a button down light blue dress shirt and khakis but anxiously opted not to remove my eyebrow piercing. I have become cognizant about what might be considered a "distraction", and feel the summer program is a good opportunity to execute professionalism with some liberty to express who I've become as a creative, eclectic scholar. To some degree, I intend for the piercing to be a focal point-- perhaps one illustrating that one can be cool, and "down", and also bright and industrious. So yes, I apologize... sorta... if my corrective response to your "my name Reggie" made you feel any shame for being the cool, bright brotha you are. The sorta apology marks the ambivalence of one who understands that "correctness" may not also be correct, if necessary. I think it would have been a missed opportunity if I had given a "go pass" on the all too informal introduction... especially first day of class-- me, new and hoping to make points beyond formal material. I'm a serious scholar who hopes we have a great deal of fun and learn a lot this summer. It's so valuable going into your senior year and preparing for college.
I am aware, through experience, that some people at the next level, jobs, networking socials, etc... will not be as gracious, should you say: "my name Reggie". And yet there are settings in which this ebonic liberty is not only appropriate, but even strategic and preferred. Hey...I barely know you, but I simply want for you to be mindful of this. That you can say, as you demonstrated: "my name is Reginald", is hardly an indicator that you are being "proper", "talking white", or "selling out" as much as it is an indicator that you, as W.E.B. Dubois suggested, are in full-control of a double-consciousness you've mastered to your benefit. You know the times and places to turn it on or off, because you exercise a discernment that doesn't see everything through a lens of the impending and burdensome racial stereotypes about young black men in America. Yet, you can remain fully aware that these crude judgments exist.
Brotha Reginald. Don't allow anyone to see you as anything less than the brilliant KING you are always already becoming. One day, you'll encounter me at a Hip-Hop concert or social event. I won't have on my khakis and button down baby-blue. You'll introduce me to some of your homies as Mr. Tim'm-- the Social Justice/Activism teacher from the National Cathedral Scholars program. I'll simply respond. "Sup brothas, my name Tim'm." …with a smile of course.
Welcome to the journey brotha. I get and got you. Let's handle this future we jointly wish to be a better one for ourselves, our family and friends, and our world.
Sincerely,
Mr. Tim'm
