In celebration of Black History Month and Wesleyan’s dedication to uplifting Black voices, we spoke to alumna Tarry Little. During our conversation, we heard about her growth as a leader and her belief in the power of allyship.
Leadership, allyship and willingness to understand alternative perspectives are all important aspects of being a member of a community. Here’s what Little had to say about Black History Month:
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Q: What does Black History Month mean to you?
A: It means so many things. You get to celebrate African-American heritage and, I think for a lot of people [get to] focus on things that we don't normally pay attention to each day. It really just gives us time to think about and appreciate a lot of the contributions that Black people or African Americans have [made].
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Q: How has Wesleyan developed your character in a way that shaped your future?
A: Coming into the MBA program, I was very timid, shy, not really sure of myself in leadership. I was already in leadership, but not in the roles that I desired to have. And so it really helped me to examine my structure and how I approached different things and how to lead into management with confidence.
My cohort was amazing. We were probably the smallest cohort ever. There were six of us. But there were so many experiences and different things that we had going on. Just within that, I was able to take a little piece here, a little piece there from each of my classmates and from each of the professors. There's so much that I learned, it helped to elevate my leadership and put things into perspective.
Little describes herself as an “emotional” leader. She enjoys taking in the thoughts and feelings of her personnel and clients to create comfortable workplace environments that uplift all opinions and perceptions.
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Q: Were there any key moments during your time at college that deepened your connection to black history?
A: I think for me, it was just understanding the different perspectives of the people in my class. When I think about my class, there were three African-American women, one African- American man, one Hispanic-American woman, and one Caucasian woman. We all had different ways of going about doing things. So we talked about everything, from our approach to projects to even our personal style. I got my friend wearing high-heel shoes.
Little credits her time at Wesleyan for allowing her to participate in difficult conversations. Conversations that incorporate different perspectives help us become active listeners and allies for our peers.
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Q: What advice do you have for current students who want to make a positive impact on Black History Month celebrations at Wesleyan?
A: I would say now probably more than ever, just be open-minded and ask questions. Don't shy away from those hard answers. Some of those things are not going to be comfortable to talk about. As we work through differences and we try to understand what's happening in the world beyond us, appreciate your Wesleyan experience and learn all that you can to make an impact in the world. Be willing to speak up for others who are marginalized, be able to share your resources, be able to have a different contact, and invite people into conversations.
Students at Wesleyan should see Black History Month as an opportunity to educate themselves and their peers on what Black history represents in our community.
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Q: What would you say to students looking to promote allyship in their communities?
A: Find an organization that speaks to your heart, and sometimes it's going to be those organizations that may not already receive the resources, the support of the funding your popular organizations, you know. When I think about our community, a lot of our elementary schools are underfunded and under supported. A lot of times we don't look into what allyship looks like or means until we're in college and beyond. And I think at that point, we've kind of already kind of formed our, ‘this is my safe space, this is my safe community. I'm going to be here.’
Little believes in the importance of committing children to allyship young. The earlier children become comfortable with others standing up for them, the more confident and successful they will become later in life. Students looking to uplift Black voices this month (and every month) may look into local organizations and schools to volunteer to mentor marginalized individuals.
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Tarry Little is a wonderful mentor, businesswoman, and mother in the Central Georgia community. Her insights give us a glimpse into how college students can champion voices of color at all ages and promote a more harmonious society in the educational and professional world.
If you have any further questions for Tarry or thoughts on what she shared, feel free to leave a comment below. And a big thank you to Tarry for taking the time to share her expertise!
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