Dear sweet girl,

There is one poem I sometimes copy and paste on my office wall. I did it because each time after I taught this poem I felt very very much empowered.

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I, Too, Sing America
By Langston Hughes

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
”Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.

Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed--

I, too, am America.
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When I was 26, starting to teach part-time in a very big university,I had the treatment you got. I was invited to attend all kinds of meetings, but got ignored. What they needed seemed to be a ballot. I never got the time to speak, unless nobody else wanted to talk. I started to bite my tongue and declined the invitations.

I was scared, and I ”learned” one thing at that time: ”When I get to you professors’ position, I will try not to hurt any young people’s feelings--in any case.”

The next year, I got a full-time teaching position in the school I am teaching now. Everything went all over again. I was the ”fresh meat.” Even a ganitor could yell at me. An employee in the personnel department scolded me fiercely for my filling out a library application form incorrectly.

I might look too young that the guard often stopped me when I rode the motorcycle into school.

”Get off!” (Like calling dogs!)
”I am a teacher here.” (All teachers were allowed to park their motorcycles on campus.)
”Show me your ID! Anyone can say he is a teacher here.”
”Did you hear anyone has an Employees ID Card here?” (There were no Employees ID cards then.)

For a year or two, it happened every once in a while when that guard was on duty. The front gate guard picked on me!

I worked and worked here and ”got the position” that my ICA members can tell you.

One day I met a teacher from that big university:
“Hey, I haven’t seen you for a century! How have you been?”
“I am fine and happy with my job. Thank you! And you?”
“I believe so! And you must be a very successful teacher. I still remember you at a meeting. You looked so radiant and energetic. I remember your eyes. I told So-and-So [her colleague] that this young woman would make herself a great teacher. You were so great at that meeting.”

Really? I could not believe it! I remember their cold eyes and the smirk at the corner of their mouths. To me, it seemed that they were saying: “Look at that young cub! She thought she knew everything. She wanted to alter the situation and persuade us to use that difficult textbook.”

(That is a memory long ago—at least 14 years. They did use that WONDERFUL book and 5,000 freshmen had to use it. Besides, it proved the book was too difficult. I was an idealist, but no one ever blamed me, a part-time teacher, for my excessive enthusiasm.)

I can cite one hundred more poems and one hundred more episodes to boost you up, but the only belief you have is not from those poems or personal stories. They should come from the value you believe you have.

I got older and older and I presume that I have THAT LOOK, which scares the young folks. I never mean it, but I know it exists. The fear is from the bottom of the hearts of the young folks, and possibly from my students too. They are scared of themselves first.

It is Okay to possess that inferiority when you are young, but never make it hinder you from smiles and laughter. C’est la vie! Everyone should learn to swallow “shame” and grow strong!

My ICA members are all excellent people. (Including me, of course! Haha!!) They all know how to break through--buy a bottle of expensive champagne and have a super big glass at home. Next time, SOMEONE ELSE is going to pay for the champagne—maybe exclusively for you!

Best luck to all my beloved fellows!