I tell my sisters at Spelman, my sisters in Delta, all young Black women, and all women, whether young or older: You have to block out the noise. I learned that desegregating schools in Georgia, and I carried it with me throughout my career. Block out the noise of low expectations for your own sake. And use that history to your advantage.
To quote another Delta-because I can do this all day-"challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. They're what make the instrument stretch; what make you go beyond the norm." Thank you, Cicely Tyson!