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4 clock ticks
“It’s past time to broaden the narrative” (said by Sequana Murray)
Intro Music
Introduction: Hello and welcome to another episode of Broadening the Narrative. This is a podcast where I talk to some of my favorite people who have broadened the narrative for me. I'm your host, Nicki Pappas, and I'm so glad you're here.
Transition Music
First Segment
Nicki: On today's episode of Broadening the Narrative, I am joined by my dear friend Vania Love. We will be discussing early childhood education and her preschool Journey 5:11 Academy. Before we begin, I just want to say that Vania is one of my favorite people because of the way she sets others at ease in her presence. I met Vania through a mutual friend, and I completely opened up to her without expecting to. So thank you, Vania, for opening up to me and letting me open up to you.
Vania: Yes, of course. I’m glad I did, and I’m glad you did.
(laughter)
Nicki: Well, let’s jump in. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
Vania: Yes. So a little bit about myself. I like to have fun. I can be pretty free-spirited. I can also be a little Type A sometimes. I enjoy music. I love to read. I grew up in Germany. I lived there for about 9 years before we moved to the States, so that was a big cultural change for me, but I consider it home, so a lot of my background is a little different in comparison to what some may think. But yeah, so I think that’s in part why I can be a little free-spirited and open to so many things. And then I love children. I love my babies, and so, that has, we’ll get there, but that has led me to where I am today.
Nicki: Awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Vania: Yes.
Nicki: Well, jumping in here. What’s the narrative surrounding education in this country?
Vania: I think the narrative surrounding education in this country is that there is equal quality education for all children in this country. I don’t believe that to be true, but I do believe that that is the narrative that is given.
Nicki: Yeah. How does that being the dominant narrative impact the most vulnerable children?
Vania: It doesn’t take a lot into consideration. So, the socioeconomic status of certain children and their families, their family dynamics, is there one parent in the home, is that parent having to work multiple jobs, all of those things play a part in that child’s educational experience as well as where is that child receiving education, where is their school located. All of those things play a part, so when taking that into consideration, it’s near impossible to actually believe that all children are receiving the same quality education.
Nicki: Yeah, so what disparities would you say exist in the current system that need to be addressed?
Vania: Ooh. I think there are several. There’s a lot that I’d like to see change in our education system in the way that we educate and the way that children are learning, but when we consider that narrative, I think that we often have to consider, like I said, where some students are going to school, and how that funding is being dispersed within those schools. So some students aren’t receiving some of the same books and materials, they aren’t receiving the same access to STEM materials and technology, so all of that I think needs to be, is something that needs to be looked at and addressed. And I’m gonna go out on this limb here, I might be by myself with this one, but I really think that homework and standardized testing is something that needs to be looked at as well because, I mean I could probably go into that for a while, but just in homework alone, this idea that once you’ve done your learning in school, you need to go home and do more, more learning, more practice, and somehow we believe that that helps a child retain information and retain the things that they're learning, but it doesn’t take into consideration, once again, what is the culture and the dynamics of that family at home? Do they have someone to help them with their homework, is there someone there at night to read to them before bed? So all of these things that we are saying lead to a successful education that at some point leads you to being a successful person in this country. I think, you know, there are a lot of disparities there that need to be looked into as well.
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Second Segment
Nicki: Well, I’m curious, did you always want to be an educator?
Vania: So in part, yes. So if you were to ask my parents, so when I finally did get into education, they were like, “Oh, that’s no surprise. You were always so bossy. You always had to be the teacher. Your friends had to be your students.” And I’m like, “Really? Not me.”
(laughter)
Vania: But in so many ways, I’m like, oh yeah, that is kind of true. But, no, initially, so when I was younger, I wanted to be a singer. And then, like I love the arts, so I was really wanting to go and do something artistic. And my family, my dad especially, he’s like, “Yes, that’s a gift. You’re good at it. But we need to do something that’s gonna make money and help you be successful,” right. So I go to college, and I’m like, “I’m gonna major in biology, and I’m gonna be an orthodontist.” And I’m solid. Like this is gonna work, this is my life, and freshman year, I was like, “I hate biology. Like why? Why did I sign up for this?” So I changed my major several times before I finally met with one of my counselors, and she said, “We really need to figure this out or else you’re gonna be here a while.”
(laughter)
Vania: So I appreciated the honesty, and she actually helped me realize that I had taken so many electives in sociology because I just loved it, I loved, I just loved the learning, the knowledge, the information, and I love getting into social dynamics and culture and religion and family, so it just excited me in a way. I did acknowledge that I probably wouldn’t be able to do much with it, but at that point, it was just like, “Let’s finish this out. I’m gonna enjoy it and go from there.” So at the time I was already working for a company that I had been with for about 8 years, actually a little over 9 years, and I was in a leadership position, so my plan was just to continue to move up in that company, eventually franchise, but after a while I didn’t really feel the same passion that I did when I initially started because I was there, you know, when I was younger, and so I felt super passionate then, but slowly but surely I was like, “This is not really what I really wanted to do.” But I did know that I wanted my own something, that I wanted to be an entrepreneur, that I wanted to enjoy whatever it was that I was doing. But while I was doing that I was still always caring for children in some capacity, so helping a friend, baby-sitting, I did a lot of tutoring, especially in literacy and helping some of my inner city community friends, and I did a little bit of theater teaching, after-school programs, so I was somehow always still connected to education, but for some reason it just never went off like, “Vania, this is, this is your thing.” So it took for me to leave that job, move out of Georgia, go to North Carolina, and someone introduced me to early childhood education, and I was like, “Why didn’t I ever think of that? Like, this is something I can teach.” You know, I think I was also a little afraid, like I didn’t go to school for education, so I don't know how to teach all of these big things. So early childhood, I was like, “This is something I could do.” So I did go back to school just to get early childhood credentials, so I know a little bit of what I was doing and what I was talking about. So that was my transition into early childhood. So not all, no I didn’t always want to be an educator, but I think somewhere deep down inside that was just always in me.
Nicki: Yeah. So what has this journey been like for you then, becoming an educator, after it wasn’t your plan?
Vania: Yeah. I mean, it's been beautiful because I've alway loved working with children, and I love doing it in this capacity. It feels so important to me, and I think it was, so I’ve always kind of been on this search for purpose, like whatever I do, I want to feel like I’m fulfilling a purpose or God’s plan, you know, for my life. So, in so many ways this is fulfilling for me, but I also love to see the fulfillment it has in the families that I get to be connected to and in their children. So it’s been a beautiful journey. I’ve loved it.
Nicki: Yeah. That’s so cool. How did Journey 5:11 come about?
Vania: Oh yes. So after that transition of being introduced into early childhood education, I worked in different childcare centers, and I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. So I was really wanting that education component. So I started applying for and eventually started working for centers that were more preschool-based, and they had that education component. But so many of them were in affluent areas, and they were predominantly white, so I learned a lot there that was also very eye-opening and shocking to me because I had also had that experience of working with children in inner city communities or minority children, so I had an understanding, or at least I thought, of what they should be learning at these early ages. So being in these schools, I’m like, I was blown away, like, “Wow. This is the education? You’re expecting this 4-year-old to read? Like, really? And all of this is to prepare them for kindergarten?” And I was just like, this is crazy. And it was even more crazy to me, because I lived, so where I lived maybe 2 to 3 exits down from where I worked, right, so I’m like, on the other side of town, there are so many who are not receiving this level of education in early years, right, so that kind of was already stirring something up in me where I just felt like I’ve gotta take some of this back, even if it’s not executed the exact same way, I at least had an understanding of I have to prepare my Black and brown friends to have a strong start in their education, so out of that is Journey 5:11. So education and learning is a lifelong journey, and so my goal is to give all of my students, all of my little friends, a strong start in that journey. And then 5:11, so, this might be a little weird for some. So I actually had a dream, and the name Journey 5:11 was in this dream. And I had already kind of been working on names, and Marquis had mentioned the name Journey, and I was like, “I like that.” And then 5:11 came along, and I had no idea what that could mean or stand for, and so I immediately went to scripture and just kind of went through. For some reason I started backwards, like I started at the end of the Bible, and my answer was in the beginning, so -
(laughter)
Vania: I was like, “Oh great. Perfect. All that time.” It was Exodus 5:11, and in Exodus 5:11 you have Pharaoh, and he’s speaking to his slaves, and he is saying to them, pretty much, “I don’t care what it takes. You go and you find what you need and you produce just as many bricks as you were before.” So it sounds like a weird thing to want to incorporate, but it hit me in a place because for one, I thought, “Wow, isn’t that life, isn’t that the expectation, especially here in America? It’s like, I don’t care what your journey is or how you have to get through what you need to get through. These are the results that I want,” right. So, I’m like, ok, if this is the expectation, then guess what. I’m gonna take that “go,” that “find,” and that “produce,” and I’m gonna use it in a way that is edifying and fulfilling to these children and that gives them a strong start. So we’re gonna give them the environment to go: go around the room, explore, explore outside, explore this world that you live in; find: let’s help you find all the tools that you need in order to be successful and to feel that you are significant, right; so then we’re going to produce: we’re going to produce results that also inspire us to do what? To go again and to inspire others to go again. So we incorporate go, find, and produce in our learning and hopefully we’re giving them the tools to use it in life as well. And that’s something that I think makes us unique and special is that the goal is not just to prepare them for their education journey but for a life journey, right. We want strong, good, healthy humans out here, and so we have such a special job where we get to be in so many ways the foundation of that, and so that just excites me that we get to give them that strong start. So yes, that’s where Journey 5:11 came from.
Nicki: Yeah. So I knew pieces of that but to hear kind of all of it together is very fascinating, and I think redemptive in a way, like you said, taking the Exodus 5:11 and then looking at it differently and making it redemptive for the kids who you are teaching, so I love that story, and thanks for sharing that.
Vania: You’re welcome.
Nicki: How would you sort of sum up the vision for Journey 5:11?
Vania: So outside of that, outside of our vision statement of preparing children to go, find, and produce, I’d say my overall vision would be to really have an impact on our community where we start to do things that are even outside of the school. And my husband, he has started an organization, you know, Grave Robbers, and it’s just so interesting that we were talking, and I’m like, “In so many ways it connects,” right. So here I am with, “Let’s give them these tools.” In one way he’s saying the same thing, we’re out here robbing graves, we need, we need to help each other get to this place where no one is left with, left full, so you’re not leaving this earth full of all the things, all the gifts and talents that are in you. So I want to be a part of that in that I’m helping our community use their gifts, their talents, encouraging people to step out and also be active in their community, be entrepreneurs, like I just want Journey 5:11 to be somewhat of a, what’s the word I’m looking for, to be like a stepping stone for that. Does that make sense?
Nicki: Yeah. Well what would you say sets Journey 5:11 apart?
Vania: What sets us apart? I think what sets us apart is that twofold of we’re here as educators and to help our friends learn, and that’s what I call our little students, they’re my friends. So we’re here to help our friends learn, but we’re also here to give them that strong start in life as well. So I think that’s something that’s unique to us is that we’re not here just to make sure that we’ve checked off all the boxes of ABCs, but, “Do you know kindness, have you experienced kindness, can you show kindness, have you received respect, do you know what you should expect in that?” So we use that verbiage all day long. “Are you being kind to your friend? Are you respecting our classroom?” So just giving those little tools, and then also affirming them in their significance, that’s not in my ABC checklist, but guess what, it’s important. I want them to know that they are significant, they matter, so I think just us wanting to impart that is something that makes us unique as well, as well as our curriculum. I think that’s also unique. I don’t believe that children all learn the same way, so I believe in incorporating different approaches within our curriculum, so we have some Montessori, we have some Waldorf, we have arts that we incorporate as well. So our Montesorri is child-directed, so they have that opportunity to just explore that space, to work in peace, because we need that as well, so we call it work in Montessori when they are playing with an item or a toy on the shelf, we call it work, so they’re working in peace and without interruption, so that’s part of the day. And then Waldorf allows for that creativity and using your imagination, which I also think is important, and I do find that a lot of times that’s removed. So we’re so focused on, “Learn these numbers. Learn this science,” and I think it needs to be a little more inclusive of things that actually help them to learn and retain in a fun way. Music and arts, oh we are chanting, we are singing, we are dancing, we’re the puppets, like, and they get excited, and it shocks me sometimes, I’m like, “Oh my goodness. I can’t believe they remembered that.” So I think that’s something else that makes us unique. It’s important to me that children are able to be children. So yes, I want them learning. I want them to hopefully, to gain more skills and strengthen those skills, but I also want them to enjoy being children. “Jump in that muddy puddle. Let’s get dirty. Ms. Vania’s coming in, too.” I want them just to have this beautiful experience.
Transition Music
Third Segment
Vania: So I’m hoping that parents can look back and say, “Wow, my child was given a really strong start in their education, but they also were able to still be children while doing that.” So all of those things I feel make us unique and special.
Nicki: Yes. I love that. The social-emotional growth, not letting that suffer when solely focusing on academics, rather bringing in that other component is -
Vania: Absolutely.
Nicki: Yeah. Well, what does a typical day look like within Journey 5:11?
Vania: A typical day for us, so it can vary, and I’m ok with that, and I’m actually learning that children, the children are ok with it, too. I learned early on that there needs to be a set, very consistent routine that needs to be the same thing every day so the child knows what to expect. There are some children who do need that, and so if that is the case, then I make sure to alter things in that way, but for the most part, they actually enjoy when we switch it up a little bit. But some of the things are the same. So when they come in, they remove their shoes, they put their things away. We foster independence, so I like for them to do things independently. They come in, they wash their hands, and then they immediately go straight into their work cycle or their exploration cycle, so they’re going to the shelves, choosing what they’d like to be engaged with. Do they want to paint? Do they want to build? They’re free to make that choice throughout that time while all of our friends are still coming in. So that’s how we start the day. And then we transition into our group learning time, and we call it circle time, and as soon as I say, “Alright friends, let’s clean up for circle time,” “Ahhh,” they just get so excited. They love it. So during that time, that’s when we, we go into things like the calendar. We have chants and songs that we go through for our letters and phonetic sounds, number recognition, counting, quantifying, so we’re doing all of these things repeatedly every day. We do sight words, we, what else are we doing? Colors, we’re spelling our colors and working on recognition. Even my younger friends participate, and it’s good because they just get the exposure, and most of the time they wander off, but we’ll start another song, and they come back in. And then we’ll have, we’ll do our prayer, our scripture, we’ll sing a song. And so we do that every day, and that usually takes us anywhere from about 30 to 45 minutes. It’s a really fun time for us, once again because it’s not just them sitting and me teaching and talking at them. They get to participate, and we get to have a good, fun time with it, and they’re learning. So after that we’ll transition to outdoor play, and so it’s really important to me that the children have outside time. I try to at least 30 minutes, but sometimes, most times, it’s 45 minutes to an hour, like just go be free, get the energy out, get messy, whatever you need to do, go explore. I think that’s so important. Outdoor time is really special, it’s important to me. And then after that we’ll come back in. We’ll have lunch. After lunch we have our naptime. We have snack when we wake up from nap. And after that we usually go into like a second lesson where we might do lessons on science and culture and then they kind of transition back into a little work cycle, some more outdoor play, and then it’s time to go home and do it all over again.
Nicki: It sounds so fun. Like I want to be there.
Vania: You should come. I welcome parents, well you know, COVID happened, but usually parents are here. Parents volunteer. We have a good time.
Nicki: That’s awesome.
Vania: So when things settle, we’d love to have you come to visit and help out. That'd be great.
Nicki: I know, I was gonna say, I was a teacher before -
Vania: I know.
Nicki: - so I could maybe help in some way.
Vania: Yes. Oh and they love visitors. So just be prepared that if you come once, you’ll have to come back.
Nicki: Yes. That’s so fun. I was curious, you mentioned something about the younger friends. So what are the age ranges for your students?
Vania: Yes. So right now, I care and teach children 15 months and walking through 5 years old.
Nicki: Oh wow.
Vania: This year might be a little different with everything going on with COVID so I have some friends who may be staying with me for kindergarten, and then some of my friends have siblings on the way, so I’m considering opening our doors to those infants coming in.
Nicki: Oh wow.
Vania: But, we’ll see.
Nicki: Yeah. Yeah. Well, I was gonna say that I have three small children, ages 5, 4, and 2 ½. And I remember when I was still helping Joshua, my oldest, with his school work at the end of last school year, it was a struggle to keep our youngest, the 2 ½ year old, occupied. And so I reached out to you, and you gave me some great advice. So by the time this airs, there will be parents in the middle of probably some distance learning or I know Rock Hill is starting their Virtual Academy, so for those who have small children at home but are still gonna need to be helping their kindergarten, first, and up, I was wondering if you could give some tips for engaging those younger children when the older children are completing their work or need assistance?
Vania: Absolutely. So again, this depends on how young. So I’m answering this question thinking about my youngest age group of friends, so which right now are 2, maybe some that are turning 2, so I think routine and expectations are important. So, I think before, if we know we’re headed into starting the school year with virtual learning and homeschooling with your older children, probably go ahead within that weekend or a few days before during that week and prepare both children for what they should expect. So kind of start having those conversations already. Sometimes I think we underestimate my younger friends, and they are absolutely resilient and they’re brilliant, and they can stick with a routine and a schedule if you are willing, if you’re able, to take that time out and consistently set that for them. So once you’ve set this is the expectation, this is what the routine will look like, some of the things that I think you can incorporate, I love sensory, and so my younger friends love sensory activities, and a lot of them can engage with one activity, pouring rice, for like an hour. And rice and beans are some of my favorite because even if they’re younger, they can eat it, and we don’t have to worry too much about tummy aches or something going wrong. I even like, if you have like a small, small like little blow up swimming pool, a parent can get something like that, have it set in maybe your kitchen area, and you have the activities set aside for them. So then the rice and the beans, you can put that bowl in that pool, set them in there, and let them just go for it for as long as they’re willing to interact and are entertained by it. And then we can switch it out. Let’s take all the beans out, uh, all the rice out, put the beans in. Meanwhile, your older child is doing their work, and you’re able to also focus on them while this child is still active. Yeah, I think anything sensory related. Even in those little pools, they have the markers that you can use that don’t necessarily stain your walls and things, you can give them activities like that that they can use again within that pool and just be active and engaged in that way. So I would say any sensory type of activities would be something to consider. Also, consider the schedule. So anything that you know that your older child absolutely needs your undivided attention on, I’d say maybe, if you can, wait to do that until your younger child is napping or asleep, as much as you can get done during naptime, I would recommend that.
Nicki: Yeah.
Vania: Yeah, I think that’s, I think that’s generally it. Those are some of the things I think that I would incorporate if I needed to do that. And we do have that sometimes where I need to do an activity with our older friends, or we’re doing some writing or something and I need the little ones engaged, I immediately go grab a sensory bin. Oh, kinetic sand is a favorite, like they can do that for, I mean now you probably want that for maybe 2 ½ to 3 year old, maybe not your 15 month old, but that’s an activity that you could do as well. Anything pouring and scooping, go for it.
Nicki: Yes. I love the idea of the pool. So we have a little pool, and I’m definitely gonna be using that, so.
Vania: Yeah. Keep all the mess in one spot.
Nicki: Yes, that’s such a good idea. Well, can you talk about what brings you pride and joy as an educator and the owner of Journey 5:11?
Vania: What brings me pride and joy? My - I feel pride and joy just from seeing my little friends come in each day and that they’re happy to be, they’re happy to come in. I enjoy that I was able to build a sense of community amongst this group, so it’s not just this dynamic of teacher/owner, child. It’s so open. I mean, it’s a beautiful community that we’ve created here, and I love that so much, and it’s something that I’m wanting to hold onto even as we’re working through this transition, it’s so important to me that we continue this aspect of community. And of course I feel, you know, pride and joy when they grasp understanding and have retained something that we’ve been working on for some time, when they’re proud of themselves for going on the potty, all of those little things. That’s one of the beautiful things, working with this age group, you really do start to learn to be more grateful and appreciative for like the smallest things, so I find myself, and even now that Marquis helps me during the day, even he gets excited for the smallest things, and it’s, yeah, so I think my day is full of pride and joy, I get to experience it every day in some of the smallest ways. And yeah, my pride and joy in Journey 5:11 is just in, like I said, the community we have and what we’re doing in that it’s something special.
Nicki: Yeah, it really is. And you are special, and your passion, and even just watching you talk right now, just the, you just see it on your face, and so I know there are some really good things happening there.
Vania: Thank you.
Nicki: Yeah. Well, have there been any challenges that you’ve experienced as an educator and as the owner of Journey 5:11?
Vania: Challenges? Um, yes, I think in everything there are challenges. Some of the challenges usually come on, so one of the biggest challenges is that I’m in multiple roles, right. So I’m the owner, I’m the operator, I’m the educator, I’m the administrator. I think that’s probably one of the biggest challenges, and I feel like I’m seeing it and feeling it more as we’re trying to make this transition in that I have to, I’m here and I’m focused with the children during the day, and then I’m like, “Oh, but I also need to send these emails and make these phone calls and do all these things,” so yes, balancing all of those roles I think has been the most challenging thing. Thankfully I do have my husband here to help me. That’s been awesome. And even like I said, when we were able to have parents to volunteer that was helpful. So there has been some help along the way, but yeah, that’s still probably one of my biggest challenges.
Nicki: Yeah. I mean it makes sense that you’d be juggling all those, but I had not thought about how you’re doing so many things to keep everything afloat, and that’s - you are impressive.
Vania: I try.
Nicki: Well, you posted something recently from Ms. Golding, and her handle is @GoldingGirl617. And she had said, “There are black men and women in Zoom meetings maintaining ‘professionalism,’ biting their tongues, holding back tears and swallowing rage, while we endure attacks from a pandemic and police. Understand this and be mindful.” And your response to that was, “Black people have been biting their tongue and smiling off your racism for too many years in the name of ‘professionalism’. I’ve been doing it since I was 14 up until just 1 year ago, when I started working for myself, so over 15 years. It’s suffocating. I am done.” So would you be willing to talk about that post?
Vania: Yeah. So I, when I wrote that, I really did feel done. I was just kind of over it and just feeling so many different emotions with everything that’s going on right now. So, the name of professionalism. So I would have to like go back a little bit. So I recently just had, so let me start here. The name of professionalism. When I say that, and when the person who made the post, most times Black people who are working in predominantly white spaces often have to do things or not do things in the name of professionalism. So there is a lack of freedom to express your feelings, you have to filter things, you have to be very mindful of everything that you do and that you say all in the name of, “I have to be professional. This is what, this defines professionalism.” And so I had, in that moment, realized that there was so much in me that hadn’t been said, and it hadn’t been said because I wasn’t, I didn’t feel that I had the space or the freedom to say it because I knew it would cost me something if I did. So I couldn’t figure out why now after all this time I was just wanting to express myself and voice an opinion until it dawned on me, oh it’s because now I do have the freedom to do that because anything that I do or say at this point affects me directly and my business directly, and I’m ok with that if it’s me being authentic to myself. So being in someone else’s space where it’s their vision, it’s their dream, you’re having to be, you know, mindful in that way. So what that looks like is having to bite your tongue when someone makes a comment about your hair comparing it to some wild animal or today I look professional because I blow dried and I straightened my hair, so today is the day that I look professional. Or having to code switch because speaking in a more articulate way suggests that I am educated and that I am qualified to be here, right. So doing all of these things because you have been taught and you have learned that this is what it means to be professional. So all of this time, I had been code switching for so much of my life, we were talking about this not too long ago, I’m 32 years old, and I’m like, “What does my voice sound like? Who am I?” because I’ve always been in these spaces, and I learned this from my parents, and I, again, hadn't realized this until recently, I grew up watching my dad code switch all the time. My mother’s from Trinidad, so she would naturally have a Trini accent but worked very hard to make sure that her accent was very American. But in her safe, comfortable spaces, you know, she can turn it on, she can turn it off, and so I’m like, oh, I grew up with this being the experience, like learning that this is how you operate and you function in America, in the corporate world, in white spaces. So I just, so I’d just been doing it for so long that I’ve just been doing a lot of deconstructing and unlearning when it comes to that and what it means to be professional, you know. I have to dress and look a certain way, my hair needs to be a certain color and a certain style so that I’m not perceived as ghetto or hood or you know all of that foolishness. So I just had a moment where I realized, “Oh my God, I have been doing everything based on what is deemed acceptable to these group of white people who hold my paycheck in their hand,” and you get so comfortable doing it, it’s like, “Oh yeah, it makes sense to do that, it’s professional.” And you get so comfortable doing it to the point that you judge other people who look like you who may not, who don’t do that at all, and you’re like, “Don’t you know? Don’t you know that you’re supposed to come in and look this way and sound this way? And don’t you know that you’re not supposed to respond when someone makes an offhanded racist remark? Don’t you know?” And it’s just, I don’t know, I think that in that moment, I was what I said, I was done, and I feel so much freedom, like a freedom that I’ve never experienced before, and it is because I actually have, I have my space, right, it’s my space. I get to decide what’s professional. I get to decide how I’m going to sound when I’m doing business, right, and that means I’m gonna sound like me, Vania’s gonna be Vania. I’m gonna be my unapologetic Black self, so that has been super freeing, but yes, that’s what I meant by “in the name of professionalism.” There’s just so much that is restrictive, and it’s all, you know, covered up in “Well, that’s professional. This is what it means to be professional. This is what you have to do.”
Nicki: Yeah, and I think it’s interesting to see the connection between the education system and then, like, careers, and what, when we were talking the other night, and you were talking about what would be in certain handbooks for a school and how you’re not gonna put those things in your handbooks.
Vania: Right.
Nicki: But how when those things are in the school, and then they’re filtering as those kids grow up who have been under that system and hearing certain things labeled in certain ways, then they grow up, and then it gets called professionalism when you’re older, and so I just think it’s interesting how those tie into each other. Because it makes me think about the next question I wanted to ask you was suggestions for addressing disparities in the current educational system so that kids can grow up to not have to encounter “professionalism” in the workplace, having to be professional.
Vania: Right. Right. Yes, I mean we’ve seen so many cases even now where there are like restrictions still to this day on like hairstyles and even that is being incorporated in the school, which was in part, I don’t know why, I guess because when I went to high school, it was an all Black school, so I didn’t think anything about hairstyles at the time, I only thought of it in the workplace, so to think that you’re being conditioned, not only in the workplace but also in the education system, that this is what professional looks like, this is what good is, this is what, you know, the conditioning, it starts so early. And in so many, we’ve got a lot of work to do. A lot of work to do. And I think that again even with the platform that I have with early childhood education and the students that I have and the families that are here, I think some of the unlearning and learning in those areas are already taking place, and I think we just all need to do our part and start challenging some things. Ask more questions. Why is that, why do you deem this as professional? What makes, why is this the standard? So we really need to start challenging some of those things.
Nicki: Yeah. What is your hope for other people who you’re having conversations with as you broaden the narrative around education through Journey 5:11 and the work you do?
Vania: What is my hope for them? My hope for, my, I think my hope might be split in two parts because I would have to be, my hope would vary depending on the groups of people that I’m speaking to. In this moment, I’ll speak to those who, who I feel have a good bit of work to do in making sure that changes happen, and so my hope for them would be that they would be a part of the solution, that they would start to challenge some things in our education system. What would that look like if parents were to flood the superintendents’ offices and send these emails saying, “Hey, why is my child learning this in history and not learning this?” What would that look like if we could collectively get on the same page that the way we’re teaching some things here needs to change, you know? So my hope would be that we could, we could more on the same page about some of these things, and that people could be intentional about the way, about the way things need to happen going forward. That would be my hope. My hope for my community is that we just keep going the way that we are, in a very productive way, and in that, because in so much of what we’re doing, we do have the upcoming generation in mind, right, and so my hope is that that will continue to be the focus, that we can continue to make good choices and make some true changes for them. Yeah.
Nicki: Well what can privileged people commit to in order to bring your hope to fruition?
Vania: Yeah, so one of those things would be, as I had mentioned before, them challenging things within their own school systems. It was, even on social media, it was so interesting to see how many people were like, “Oh I asked my child had they ever learned anything about Juneteenth, and they had never learned anything about it.” There’s so many different aspects of our history that these children are not learning, but parents, privileged and white families are aware that their children aren’t learning it. So now that you know, how do we change that? So I think my hope for them would be, again, that they would be willing to do the work and to financially support where it’s necessary to do so. Some get very comfortable in some of these schools, like the inner city schools, where it’s like, “Oh they receive funding, they receive all of these things.” If we were so confident, right, that we’re all, that all of the children are receiving the same quality education, send your child there. Send your child there, and then tell me that it’s all the same, right? And if you can’t do that, you’re not willing to do that, then you really need to examine yourself and see why and then see how you can be a solution to that problem. So yes, my hope would be that there would be more action, less, less, less excuses and just more action. Let’s just get it done.
Nicki: Yeah. So I saw that you got all the funding that you needed for the fundraiser that you did, but are there other ways that people can still be supporting, can they still donate money to Journey 5:11?
Vania: Yes. They can. They can still donate money to our Plumfund. We have increased the amount because we are still in need of support, so yes, they can still donate there. If anyone wants to donate books and materials, we’re also welcoming that. If you all don’t know, I currently operate the school in my home, and so we are transitioning to a small commercial space that still feels like, that will still feel like home for our families, but it will allow for more students, so we need more support in just getting some things in order for that transition.
Nicki: Yeah, what’s the site that people can go to to donate?
Vania: So it’s plumfund.com. Let me make sure that I have the right address. Is that ok, Nicki? Can I pull that up?
Nicki: Yeah, yeah, and I can also put it in the show notes, too.
Vania: That would be great, yes, because I know there’s something in addition to it. I think it’s plumfund.com/journey511, but I wanted to double check that.
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Vania: So it is plumfund.com/community-crowdfunding/joinj511.
Nicki: Ok.
Vania: So I can send that to you if that makes it easier.
Nicki: Yeah, that would be great.
Vania: Ok.
Nicki: I can definitely drop it into the show notes so that people can support.
Vania: That would be great. Awesome. Yes, I would love that. We would appreciate all the love and support we can get.
Nicki: Yes. Well, thank you, Vania, for sharing your time this evening and for sharing your expertise. I just want to say that I truly value your voice and your vision that you have. And I’m thankful for you and Marquis and excited for this next step for Journey 5:11.
Vania: Thank you, Nicki. We love you so much.
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Closing: I want to thank Sequana Murray for the voice clip she sent to me for the episode intro. You can purchase her music on Bandcamp at bandy17.bandcamp.com. Her music is available on most streaming services under the name Bandy. I also want to thank Jordan Lukens for his help with editing and Danielle Bolin for creating the episode graphic. Please subscribe and review the show, but only if you’re planning on leaving a 5-star review. Otherwise, you can just skip this part. You can access the Broadening the Narrative blog by visiting broadeningthenarrative.blogspot.com, and you can find the Broadening the Narrative page on Instagram by searching for @broadeningthenarrative and on Twitter by searching for @broadnarrative. I hope that if you know and love me you can engage with the Broadening the Narrative blog, social media accounts, and podcast, as well as any recommended resources. Then, you can share with people who know and love you, and little by little, person by person, we can broaden the narrative. Grace and peace, friends.
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