If People Don’t Accept You For Who You Are, They Aren’t Meant To Be In Your Life
This afternoon we interviewed Brishonne Tollie, a former student-athlete who now works for the Brady Center, which focuses on minimizing gun violence.
What resonated most with me is what she said about growing up feeling different from others. She talked about how she didn’t fully feel accepted in black spaces but also didn’t feel accepted in white spaces. Although I am not African-American and cannot know exactly what her experience has been like, I do understand how it feels not to be accepted in places. She talked about how it feels to be taller and “weirder” than others, and I completely understood how that feels. Being extroverted, loud, and “weird” can be uncomfortable for others. She said that if people in your life don’t accept you for who you are, then they aren’t meant to be in your life anyway. I really want to incorporate this idea into my life.
I also loved what she had to say about selflessness. Sometimes thinking about fighting against what’s going on right now seems tiring, as it feels like we have to do a crazy amount of work and protesting in order to create positive change, but Brishonne said that it’s best to incorporate selflessness into your daily life. She said that doing things such as donating food to charity or picking up your friends at the airport are examples of selfless acts that also can contribute to making the world a better place. She also stated that it’s often easier to learn from people who have been through hard times than from people who have had an easy life. It is tempting to copy what another person is doing in order to have a life as “good” as theirs appears to be, but in order to grow you must learn from other people’s mistakes.
I learned much from Brishonne, and I think when she gets older she is going to be a well-known figure.
-Cora Kayne
Justice Is Not Something That Happens By Accident
Brishonne Tollie was incredibly down to earth. I especially enjoyed the second half of her interview, as she opened up to us and gave a quotation that will stick with me for a long time: “Justice is not something that happens by accident.” I could go on for hours about this idea, and I thank Kyler for what he had to say about it as well. The quotation can mean many things, but what struck me immediately is that in order to make things right, you have to work hard, and in order for us to achieve the greatness our founding fathers intended for our nation, we must work hard together.
A similar point she made is that activism and working for justice does not have to mean going to rallies and doing other difficult things. It can mean more everyday things like driving your friend to the airport or simply showing love and kindness to others. At the end of the day, that’s the only way this world and our nation gets better. It doesn’t happen by accident, and it certainly won’t happen while we are locked away in our houses, isolated and furious at each other, waiting for things to improve. We have to choose to open our hearts and to be at peace with others. If we know that we have treated each other with the kindness we all deserve, there is a high chance it will be returned. However, even if it is not returned, if we put our best foot forward, then we can take comfort in knowing we did our best no matter what happens. One of yesterday’s interviewees, Regginald Hubbard, stated similarly that “kindness begets kindness, and justice begets justice.” Seeking justice and displaying kindness can be difficult, especially when there are those that do not do the same, but not only is it the right thing to do, but it is essential that we do it. It’s how we begin to heal, how we begin to build, and how we make sure that real justice isn’t left to chance, but is a collective choice.
-Eli Moody
Of the people we researched for this trip, I felt that I knew the most about Brishonne Tollie. I had done a lot of research for our questions for her, and I became very interested in interviewing her. All of my questions made sense, as I had extensively rehearsed them beforehand. By the time that we met her, I felt prepared. I had a hard time paying attention and focusing in the previous interviews, but I felt much better going into this interview. I was chosen to read the introduction for the interview, which I had never done before, and I felt good doing it.
I was not disappointed by her interview. She spoke quickly but in a way that was easily understandable. When she got to my question, which was about preparing for college as a high schooler, she answered in a way that I could understand, although what she said scared me a little. She talked about having her parents involved in almost every aspect of her life while she lived at home and how difficult it was to adapt to having freedom in college. I have worried about making that transition myself, wondering what will happen if I fail at being independent. However, I was relieved to hear that, despite the difficulties that she had adapting to college life, she turned out fine and has a successful career doing what she loves.
I want to conclude by quoting what she had to say about the power of activism. While talking about her work with In Defense of Black Lives Dallas, she stated that “justice is not something that happens by accident.” If we want to change the world, we have to work hard to change it.
-Kyler Nishimura
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