Creating Community: Life and Learning at Alabama State University

6 / I Pledge Allegiance toMy “Black-Eyed Susan” University [Contains Image Plates]

In the fall of 1987, my husband and I moved with our children to Montgomery , Alabama, to work at Alabama State University. In moving from Jackson, Mississippi, I left behind what I had considered a utopia: we were surrounded by family and friends, had a good working environment, and were actively involved in church and in the community. I had worked toward being a self-ful¤lling, reproducing woman, rearing a family, belonging to myriad social clubs, and indulging in all my creativeness. After an enriching thirteen-year experience teaching at a community college, it would be a challenge for me to adjust to teaching at a historically black university, even though I had graduated from one myself. It only added to my ambivalence that my husband was named the head football coach at ASU, because I knew how inimical many people are to newcomers, especially coaches. Once the die was cast, however, there was no turning back. In less than a month, we packed our bags and moved to Montgomery, home of the mighty ASU Hornets. It was at that time that I pledged to make ASU my “black-eyed Susan” school. I ¤rst heard that term used by Dr. Margaret Walker Alexander, often described as “the most famous author nobody knows.” A twentieth-century voice from the South, she worked at a historically black college and university for thirty years, and was ¤rst exposed to black campus life by her parents , who had taught for twenty years at HBCUs themselves. Her most popular works include Jubilee and “For My People.” Dr. Walker, as she was 6 / I Pledge Allegiance to My “Black-Eyed Susan” University Annie P. Markham called, taught African American literature and creative writing at six colleges and universities, three white and three black, but affectionately used the term “black-eyed Susan” when referring to my alma mater, Jackson State University, where she worked the longest, and where there is now a research center for the study of the twentieth-century African American named in her honor. Coming to teach at ASU was my chance to discover exactly what Dr. Walker meant by a “black-eyed Susan” school and to join her in pledging my allegiance. There are many similarities between the black-eyed Susan®ower and historically black colleges and universities, beginning with fortitude and resiliency. The black-eyed Susan stands tall on hairy stems that make it dif¤cult for insects to climb and devour, while HBCUs stand erect on traditions of self-determination and hard work that make them thrive. The black-eyed Susan thrives even in poor soil, requiring very little attention , while HBCUs continue to survive limited ¤nancial appropriations and social neglect, providing fellowship in a collective experience. The ®ower often grows in adverse conditions but always stands stately. Many HBCUs have stood proudly in the face of adverse circumstances, as ASU has done for over 135 years. Alabama State University especially resembles the black-eyed Susan because it shares the same colors—black and gold. The ®ower’s petals of gold, surrounding a huge black eye, are symbolic of ASU, surrounded by people of all nationalities in its endeavor to provide equal opportunities for all. The huge black eye in the center of the ®ower represents the heart of the university , the men and women attending and working to make dreams become reality and being a beacon in the community. While the black-eyed Susan provides rich nectar for butter®ies, ASU provides a rich education accessible to all who seek it. Alike in so many ways, both hold out the promise of a bright future. Keeping these similarities in mind was a help to me when I arrived at ASU because, at the time, my problems seemed manifold. I had to meet many new people, become familiar with different administrators, adjust to a different environment, keep my family together on a personal level, work with students on a professional level, and continue to work for human causes on a national level. From the moment my husband accepted the head coaching position, I knew I had to have the dexterity of a juggler. I immediately 82 / Annie P . Markham became surrogate mother to the many athletes under his supervision, and my allegiance to the athletic program was nonpareil. Along with the other coaches’ wives, I attended both in-town and out-of-town football games, hosted and attended...