This month's community spotlight is shifting focus from our usual Afrocentric content to an equally important aspect of the identities of thousands of Black people, myself included. Truthfully, this post is a part of my application for the scholarship, but for October, I'd like to shed some light on the Transgender First College Scholarship.
The Transgender First Scholarship is the first of its kind in the United States, offering a $2500 award to help Transgender and Nonbinary students (like me!) gain access to affordable college education.
In the wake of the affirmative action ruling, I can say that I have been worried as a Black student about what college admissions will look like for me. "Where would I find spaces for Black students at PWIs?"; "How am I supposed to mention my identity in my application?"; "Should I only apply to HBCUs?"; and about a dozen other questions I still don't have answers to.
The confusion is palpable, and I recognize that in that regard I'm not alone, but our national and state governments have made decisions that affect me in a separate and equally awful way.
In about half of the states in the United States, I don't know if applying to college is even an option because I'm transgender. Even in the states where I can apply, I'm not sure that my safety or even my mere existence will always be legally protected.
I have the typical college anxieties: living away from home, "adulting" (to use a tired millennial phrasing), harder courseloads, dating, socializing, and financial aid. But it's exhausting and terrifying to think about the other things related to my trans-ness: Would my college's healthcare cover gender-affirming care? Is there a trans community on campus? Are there protocols for preferred names and pronouns? Gender-inclusive housing?
I know, to an extent, that I'm not alone in these fears, but with the laws being passed and the culture being perpetuated, I wonder how many openly transgender people there will be to support me. I wonder if I'll still be able to be me. And these fears affect so many other people like me; it's a feat of strength that we continue to fight like we do. But I think it's that strength that will help me be okay wherever I end up.
I want to be a journalist to show people like me, Black people, queer people, trans people, pockets of hope in a world built against us. I want to be a journalist to help build a new world. With this spotlight, by sharing this scholarship, maybe I'm taking my first step toward this goal.
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