Overview
The person I chose to discuss is Quantalane Henry. Henry was a student at TCU during the early 80s. She studied Broadcast journalism during her time at TCU and was actively involved with TCU’s Skiff student newspaper. Henry wrote multiple articles for Skiff, many of which focused on race and other societal issues like poverty.
The first artifact that brought me to Quantalane Henry is a TCU Skiff article dated November 16, 1981. Written by a student named Anne Stabile, the article is titled “Group Breaking Racial Barriers” and discusses a group whose goal was to explore race relations and help break down racial barriers on TCU’s campus. The group consisted of 10-20 students from various classes, as well as faculty/staff. Rev. John Butler, former minister to the university, and Marvin Dulaney, former intercultural affairs advisor served as co-founders of the group which they called Interracial Encounter Group. They would meet every Tuesday at 4pm and discussed their racial identities, stereotypes and discrimination they may have encountered, and how to navigate relationships with people of other races. Though no one the groups alone would create the change they wanted to see on campus, those who were interviewed each believed it was a good place to start. It also helped individual students and faculty with their own identity development which they felt was a step in the right direction. As a sophomore at the time, Henry was one of the students who attended these meetings. Henry is quoted stating, “I've not been directly hit at by a racist remark, but I know that just because I'm black I’ve been discriminated against indirectly”. She was known to speak her mind about her identity as a Black student at TCU.
The second archival object is another article from TCU’s Skiff Magazine, dated September 28, 1981. This article was written by Quantalane Henry, the Black student mentioned in the article above. It is interesting to be able to follow her commitment to diversity and inclusion based on the things she was involved in. Henry titled the article “Discrimination no Barrier for Bell” as she highlighted the experience of Reva Bell as a Black, tenured assistant professor at TCU in the 70s and 80s. Despite being recognized as the first Black tenured faculty at TCU, she gives proper recognition to Allene Jones who was actually the first when she received her tenure in 1973 from the Harris College of Nursing. Henry spends time discussing the path that led Bell to TCU. The article takes a turn, however, when she states, “racial discrimination and prejudice were not foreign factors at TCU in the '50s”. While at TCU, Bell was a part of a racial community that was not allowed to be seen on campus. Instead, Black professors would go to Black neighborhoods to hold classes. Both Bell and Jones agreed that despite the discrimination and racism, the instructors were very supportive”. Bell however discusses how there are not enough Black faculty at colleges and universities due to the inadequate pay scale. What I like about this article is that while it focuses on discrimination against Black students at TCU, that is not the only subject matter. Henry is also sure to aspects of Bell’s life such as her family, her community and professional involvement, and her achievements.
Notable Aspects
The language used to describe Henry in the first article is vague as the article only includes her race, major, and year in school. On the other hand, Henry is very intentional in the ways she describes Reva Bell, another Black woman. She describes her to have “a professional image”, be “an involved woman”, and the recipient of a National Science Foundation Grant”; all of which contributes to the credibility of Bell. This alone demonstrates the importance of Black women writing about Black women. Had Henry not written about the Black experience, we would not have much information about what it was like for them.
Sexuality is not explicitly discussed in either article. Henry vaguely discusses Bell’s heterosexual marriage. That is one form of identity that I am sure was discussed during this time, but not publicly. In that regard, I believe the culture at TCU has made some noticeable strides in at least having conversations about gender and sexuality across campus. What the articles do reveal is that many of the same issues that Black women faced in the 80s exist now. Though not as explicit, there are female students of color that may still express similar feelings of isolation and discrimination. The hashtag #BeingMinorityatTCU that trended in 2016 documented some of these feelings and experiences that speak to these common themes. Furthermore, there is also still a lack of Black faculty at TCU. The main reason during the 80s was that TCU and colleges in general did not pay enough, which may still be true. However, it is much less the pay, but rather that TCU is failing to recruit and retain Black faculty. Those that do stay are quickly worn out and overworked as they attempt to provide support and mentorship for as many students of color as possible, just as the professors did forty years ago.
Henry and WOC Feminisms
I have framed these articles using several concepts that we discussed in class. The first is the idea of the “strong Black woman” that is explained in bell hooks’ Ain’t I a Woman. hooks describes this as the way society has romanticized the struggles of Black woman into a prideful image while ignoring the source and severity of their oppression. Had Quantalane Henry solely talked about the successes of Reva Bell, I believe it would contribute to this stereotype that Black woman can handle anything. By including the hardships she endured as a student at TCU because of her race, she paints a holistic image of Bell.
I also found parallels between the articles and the concept of the veil that we discussed in relation to slavery. The veil, as described by bell hooks, involved Black women hiding the truths about their experiences with slave owners and their truths as Black women in general to protect the community. Quantalane was attempting to uncover these truths in her work. There is very little documentation of the experiences of Black women specifically at TCU.
Both Quantalane Henry and Reva Bell were very aware of their identities as Black women at TCU and the implications it held. I am sure, just as me, they were curious about the Black women that came before them, and those that would come after. I wonder if they are conscious of the impact they had as Black women, despite the lack of recognition they receive. They both are trailblazers and representation for the women of color that attended and worked for TCU after their time here.
https://repository.tcu.edu/bitstream/handle/116099117/16312/19810928.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://repository.tcu.edu/bitstream/handle/116099117/16345/19811116.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y