Sunday, May 13, 2012

an essay I wrote for class on my mom


 Shortly after Rosa Parks gave up her seat,  a vice chancellor was  born; however,  when she was younger   no one could have  imagined it because   they were female, African American  and lived in  the same state that the Boycott took place in, Alabama.  This is my own mother who  had  to overcome insurmountable odds to get to where she is today  and this is her story.
            My mom was born on a June day.  She is  daughter of  .   My  grandmother was a country girl  who was the daughter of sharecroppers,  a system   developed by former slave owners  in which black people who   got  very little money for the crops they  produced and  were trapped on the land.    My grandma  was born  in the 30’s  during the  depression which made it  especially hard for her  family to get ahead.  My Grandfather lived  on the farm in Alabama which  his  grandfather, who was freed by the slaves as a  had bought.
              My  mom was brown in  a time period where  her mom was inevitably  referred to as a girl and her dad was  always a boy. Because of the color of their skin, my  grandparents endured   segregation.   In  my mom’s neighborhood was all black  and whenever  my mom went to town with  her mom she was  exposed to the bomb mine  of the ways of white people.  My mom remembers   asking  my grandmother  why she had to cross the street for white people. My mom remembers   hearing my grandmother  telling her about  that at work, as a cook she  was forced to go through the back door.  her job as a cook for white people, yet home was   still  home for  my mother.    When she was born  she already had four siblings, that all attended segregated schools, to look out for her.  My mom also grew up with both set of grandparents to look out for her.
            The  pivotal movement that would allow my mom and her siblings to reach their fullest potential came when my grandpa   moved the family to California.   It came shortly after  my mom  turned  five.  My  grandpa moved the family because he was  in the military and  had  to pick between Texas  and California.  He chose California because he had already had relatives  there.  I am  forever grateful that my grandpa chose California because without that choice I would not be here.
            One day when my grandma  was helping my mom study she  told her that she could be a doctor because she was so smart. My mom did not  actually believe her.  Even though my mom could attend the public school in California she had never thought  that she could be a doctor because   there were no African American doctors in Sacramento.  Still life was good in the state capital.  My grandma and grandpa became  really busy when they  moved to California.  Grandpa continued to work at McClellan Air Force Base in  North Highlands. My grandmother, who  knew that education was the key to a better future,  got her teaching credential  while raising her five kids  and working.  By the  time  my mom  graduated from high school after three years she  already had  siblings that had been in the college system.  My mom decided to go to  University of the Pacific in Stockton which was  close to her  parents and little brother,  who is  a decade younger than she.

            The future vice chancellor of diversity  for UCSF graduated  from UOP she went to medical  school  at UCSF.  She  spent a year in Los Angles, yet  she would return to UCSF for her residency. In residency one of  her black professors encourage her to go into academic medicine.  This choice would  ground her for  a very long time.
            In residency my mom met a handsome   half white half Mexican  man who was the eldest of  six children.  He also had an interesting story. This man, my father, was a wise  soul who loved to read.  He was  from a poor family and was born in Oregon. He was the only person to graduate from high school.  He  also came with a little  boy, from his first marriage, who was cute funny and enjoyed Ninja Turtles and baseball. Although    my father was a different race   and had a kid, she  fell in love  and the couple soon got married.
            Shortly after my parents  married. The best thing that happened to them was born.  I was born a few months shy of their one year anniversary.  I was  the first child that my mother had actually carried around  for  eight months, I was born  prematurely.  When I was born    Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable”  was playing in the delivery room. My mom had thought that that song was  predicting the unforgettable stuff that I would do. It  turned out that it was the song  both mother and daughter  would live up to.
            A year after  I was born  doctors  told my parents that I had Cerebral Palsy. My mom  got me all the help I needed, yet  she never gave up her work.   I was joined by two little sisters that would serve as  good teachers  for me as I got older,  but until then  that meant she had three little kids at home the eldest had disabilities. Most people would have given up their jobs to care for their disabled   toddler, but my mom never  did  take off more than she had . During this time my mom  worked  at two sites, taking care of patients and  doing research,  Mymom and  dad found the best nanny’s to care for us  and they would assume all parental duties during the day.  Growing up  I wished that my mom had  been a Stay at home mom, yet  I am  glad she did not because  America needed her to work.
              When I was  seven years old  it was the down of a new  millennium and  the first time  that my mother would become  a leader who championed the  rights of minorities, That year she would become chief of staff  at UCSF.   Soon after that she was promoted to associate dean of the medical  school.  She would be a there   for a while. She also became  involved  in her community outside the hospital.  She joined  the Commission on disabilities and  the compassion  on the status of women.  She also started began to travel a lot.   When I was in middle school my mom began traveling to Washington DC to be on the board  on women in medicine and science, The  national board challenges the  fact that  not a lot of women are in leadership roles  yet they were more women in medicine.  All of this meant travelling  advocating and doing countless  hours  of writing  and practicing  long into the night.
             In  the fall of  2010 my mom  interviewed  for the vice chancellor of diversity. She  got the position. My family and I were so excited.  Last  January we went to  a ceremony honoring her work.  Going to the event made me realize her impact  that she had  in her  professional life. She became the  first female  African American vice chancellor  in the University of California system.     During that time my mom has  implemented  programs that improve the diversity at UCSF .
             Mom  is a hard worker, She began working at the age of 16  and has not looked back since. Renee is so  wonderful and amazing.  She has won numerous of awards and recognition .  My mom  has shown me that   with hard work anything is possible.  She has shown me the  racism  can be overcome and   we must keep fighting until everyone has a fair shot at life.  She is my mom  and  I am  so honored that  her blood   runs through my veins.   When  I think  of  her accomplishments I   feel  proud to call her my  mom.    She has showed me    through her actions, those  are  bigger than words,  anyone can make a  difference in the lives of others.




Happy mothers day to al the mom's out there







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