Psalms of Brick and Mortar

Abstract

As colleges and universities—particularly predominantly White institutions (PWIs)—look to offer healing and reconciliation for racialized transgressions, it is important that these institutions also honor the sacrifices of those brave students who not only broke barriers but also held open the door of opportunity through which others may walk. This commissioned poem was written to honor the first Black women to integrate the residence halls at a PWI in the US South. The poem, in addition to a weekend-long celebration at the university, commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of their milestone, reflecting on the legacy of courage they left behind. As the nation navigates its own racial reckoning, this poem attempts to compel higher education professionals—and institutions of higher education more broadly—to look at their past through a critical lens.