The football field isn’t their only option, it’s just the only option that was presented to many of these young students.Īfter my freshman year of college, my family moved back to South Florida. The school system as a whole needs to do a better job of preparing these bright minds for after graduation. Everyone in Baltimore wants to be Tavon Austin, not everyone can be, and no one should think that’s their only option. The ones that do make it from the city to the league become legends in Baltimore. These youth are pushed to sports and told that football is the way to escape. The youth that live in Baltimore City are surrounded by violence but are looking for a way out. Whenever we went home, friends would tell each other to stay safe and that they love them and whenever you posted a photo to Instagram you would be flooded with black hearts in your comments.īaltimore is a misunderstood city. Lor Scoota’s song lyrics, “My man, my man, I swear I love all my mans,” would uplift and motivate the football team as we lifted weights through the summer. In celebration of his life, all of my friends would play his music nonstop the lyrics to his songs were my introduction to the culture of the city. When I first moved to Baltimore the most popular rapper in the city, Lor Scoota, had recently passed away. The artists I listened to went from a combination of West Coast and Southern music to Baltimore rappers. Baltimore shaped me more than Florida did. This gave me a unique perspective on life.Īfter Florida, the state my family lived in the longest was Baltimore, Maryland, which is where I graduated from high school. By the time I came to Oberlin, I had attended three different middle schools and three different high schools. At one point in high school, I half-jokingly would tell my mother that I’m a nomad, so I’m not actually from anywhere. I spent most of my childhood years up until middle school in Florida but then found myself bouncing up and down the east coast. One of the first things you say to someone when you meet them is where are you from? This has always been a tricky question for me to answer as growing up I lived in nine different states. Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity.College of Arts and Sciences Admissions.Resources and Support for Conservatory Students.Resources and Support for College Students.

School songs lyrics