World Changer of the Month — May 2021: Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Hailed as the "Godmother of Rock and Roll," Sister Rosetta Tharpe, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, recording artist, and pioneer in her unique guitar technique. Born in Arkansas in 1915 to parents who made ends meet by picking cotton, she was one of the very first recording artists to use heavy distortion on her electric guitar, which gave rise to the electric blues. Tharpe heavily influenced early Rock and Roll musicians, including Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis. She was a woman performing and recording in what was, and remains, a male-dominated music scene. An undeniable force, Tharpe broke down barriers of sexism and racism with her grace, charm, sharp wit, strong will, incredible work ethic, and supreme talent. The United States Postal Service issued a 32-cent commemorative stamp to honor Tharpe on July 15, 1998. In 2007, she was inducted posthumously into the Blues Hall of Fame. In 2008, a concert was held to raise funds for a marker for her grave, and January 11 was declared Sister Rosetta Tharpe Day in Pennsylvania. To experience one of Tharpe's electric performances, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9a49oFalZE. To learn more about her life and legacy, please visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sister_Rosetta_Tharpe and https://unitedagainstracismnm.wordpress.com/2019/02/06/sister-rosetta-tharpe/.

“Anxiety and self-doubt are the key ingredients in the recipe for underachievement.”*

-*Adapted from a quote by Leon Seltzer, PhD.

“I don’t think I can do it this time,” Cara*, my former student, said to me with tears in her eyes. “I don’t think I can get As this semester. It will be a stretch for me.”

Cara was approaching semester finals. For context this young lady was brilliant. She had gotten straight As her entire academic career, including during the prior semester. She was at the top of her class and a leader in STEM among her peers. She had received national recognition for her intellect. But for some reason she didn’t think she could do it this time.

“Why?” I probed.

She didn’t have an answer. “I don’t know why I feel this way,” she lamented. I did. Let’s survey the evidence.

The evidence demonstrated that she was highly capable and probably one of the highest performing students at her school. The evidence demonstrated that she could perform at elite levels in both local and national forums.

So why in the face of all of this evidence, would she believe that she was not capable of doing something that she’d done many times before? Why would she believe the proposition that she could not do it in the face of countless examples that she could?

The answer was clear. This wasn’t about ability or talent. This was about an internal war raging inside of her. She was being internally pummeled and brow beaten by the lies of self-doubt and anxiety. Lies that, if believed, threatened to paralyze her and prevent her from performing at the level at which she was capable, and ultimately, keep her from achieving the greatness for which she was destined.

When we become paralyzed by our fears, doubts and insecurities, we are neutralized. The gifts, talents and unique attributes that have been bestowed upon us by our Creator will never see the light of day. As a result, suffering and deprivation ensue. Not just our own internal suffering as we cope with the regret we experience after giving up and allowing our gifts to go unrealized, but the world suffers a loss as well in that it has been deprived of the enrichment those gifts would offer.

Each of us, no matter at what point in time and space we find ourselves, are at that moment for a reason. Shaped by our past experiences, we arrive prepared to each moment we encounter, especially the challenging ones.

No matter how scary it may feel, we must embrace these moments. We must choose faith over fear. If we refuse to take that next step and choose to believe the lies that we can’t do it, we will have squandered our gifts.

I let Cara in on my assessment.

“Cara, you were made for this moment and every moment like this that you will encounter in the future,” I said. “You are more than capable of mastering this material. You have done this before. You will do it again. Do your part. Run the race to win and believe.”

I say the same to you, dear reader. Whatever you are facing, do not give up. The world is waiting with bated breath to see what you will accomplish once you cross your finish line.

*Name has been changed to protect the student’s privacy

World Changer of the Month — April 2021: Shirley Chisholm

Shirley Chisholm is known for breaking barriers.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, she studied and worked in early childhood education, becoming involved in local Democratic party politics in the 1950s. In 1964, after overcoming some resistance because she was a woman, she was elected to the New York State Assembly. In 1968, she became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress, representing New York's 12th congressional district for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. In January of 1972, Congresswoman Chisholm became the first Black person to seek the presidential nomination from one of the two major parties (the first woman was Margaret Chase Smith, who sought the Republican nomination in 1964). Her slogan was: “Unbought and Unbossed.” From the beginning, journalists and politicians did not take her bid seriously, with one journalist calling her “quixotic” in the Wall Street Journal. Though she did not win the Democratic party's nomination, Congresswoman Chisholm led an inspirational and courageous campaign. During the campaign, filmmaker Peter Lilienthal shot the documentary film Shirley Chisholm for President.

During her time in Congress, Congresswoman Chisholm led expansion of food and nutrition programs for the underserved and rose to party leadership, serving as a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. She retired from Congress in 1983 and taught at Mount Holyoke College, while continuing her political organizing. Although nominated for an ambassadorship in 1993, health issues caused her to withdraw. In 2015, Chisholm was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Chisholm; https://www.history.com/news/shirley-chisholm-presidential-campaign-george-wallace.