Looking back over her life, Dr. Beverly Guy-Sheftall credits her parents and her time as a first-year teacher with helping to find her voice. The renowned Black feminist scholar, visionary educator, activist and author, says her mother was fierce and outspoken, and her father was an art teacher who helped Guy-Sheftall understand the powerful, lifelong impact teachers have on their students.
“ Initially at Alabama State University and then at Spelman College, I had to find a voice,” explained Guy-Sheftall on Monday’s edition of “Closer Look,” during an interview for the Piloting the Journey series. “When you walk into a classroom and there are 30 to 50 young folks in there, and you know that you’re gonna have an impact on their lives. That’s how I found my voice as a teacher.”
Early on, Guy-Sheftall had aspirations to follow in her father’s footsteps and become an English teacher. Still, she says her mother strongly encouraged her to become a college professor. At the age of 16, she enrolled at Spelman, where she majored in English and minored in secondary education. She then went on to attend Wellesley College for one year and earned a master’s degree in English at Atlanta University, and taught at Alabama State University for a few years.
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