"Day One"

November 29, 2011.

It was on the cloudy, but warm morning of September 4, 1980, when I entered the classroom at my new school, feeling a bit uneasy around my classmates, feeling a bit unsure of the rest of the school year ahead of me.  Well, those fears concerning my new environment passed rather quickly when a tall and beautiful young woman (and I would be remiss if I didn't mention that she was also Black) walked confidently in the classroom, assuring me through her presence and stoic demeanor that everything was going to be okay.  As soon as my new teacher wrote her name on the blackboard and big enough for everyone to see, she introduced herself to the class, her all-Black male class, as "Miss Tyler."  Honestly, you would not have sensed that she was a bit nervous, considering that she effortlessly had the full attention of every student in that class the minute she started introducing herself.   And you would not have thought, either, that she was just fresh out of college when I met her that September morning. 

From that first day on, Miss Tyler and our class became a bit more relaxed around each other and I learned in time that Miss Tyler had both a brown belt in Shotokan karate and a considerable background in community theater, which made it easier for her to help prepare us for a Thanksgiving play two months later.  Making our year worthwhile, the twentysomething Miss Tyler even went so far as to introduce me and the other students to the noteworthy contributions of certain African Americans in the arts, sciences, education, and government, thereby filling quite a void in my education.  Why do I say that? Until I met Miss Tyler, I was not exposed to Black history at all and I didn't have a single teacher that looked like me, either.  

This sketch reflects fondly on my first and last year with Miss Tyler, a woman who, with a few other teachers, successfully helped me make my transition from elementary school to junior high, equipping me with the knowledge and skills needed to survive the next phase of my education and my life.