Skye Lorren-Warren graduated from Spelman College recently and had a lot of gratitude for her mother. Skye’s mom, Bonnie, had a lot to do with her daughter’s achievement, and it is a heart-warming story.
When Skye, who is African-American, was touring Spelman College prior to attending, Bonnie had an important message for her. Skye wrote about the memory in her Facebook post, which has gotten more than 1.2 million views:
After our tour at Spelman during Fall 2012, you sat me down on the bench outside of Cosby and said, “Kiddo, this is it. This is where you need to be. As an Irish American woman I could only raise you to be a strong woman but society sees you as far more than that. Society needs to see you as the strong black woman you are destined to be. I couldn’t provide that for you, but Spelman can. This is where I need you to be.”
Spelman College is ranked #1 of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). According to Babble, “[i]t’s also the alma mater of many noteworthy black scholars. Alice Walker — the novelist and poet best known for writing The Color Purple — attended Spelman. So did Audrey F. Manley, the former surgeon general of the United States, and Major General Marcelite J. Harris, the first African-American female general of the U.S. Air Force.”
Spelman would come to offer Skye a singular education and perspective that her mother knew she herself could never provide as a white mother. Skye recognized how insightful her mother’s words of wisdom really were, especially after graduating cum laude from the esteemed university.
“I looked at you in awe of the fact that you could even say something of so much power and I knew that I needed to make this happen,” wrote Skye. “I doubted myself, I didn’t think that I could get into Spelman because it was a school of such high prestige. I didn’t think I was worthy enough to be a ‘Spelman Woman’ or that I could keep up with the Black Excellence I yearned to be a part of. I prayed and prayed for this dream to turn to reality.”
Grab some tissues as you watch the emotional Skye, clad in her cap and gown, run to her mother’s embrace
Grab a tissue before you watch/read this. "If it were not for my mother, I wouldn't be here. After our tour at Spelman during Fall 2012, you sat me down on the bench outside of Cosby and said, 'Kiddo, this is it. This is where you need to be. As an Irish American woman I could only raise you to be a strong woman but society sees you as far more than that. Society needs to see you as the strong Black woman you are destined to be. I couldn't provide that for you, but Spelman can. This is where I need you to be.' I looked at you in awe of the fact that you could even say something of so much power and I knew that I needed to make this happen. I doubted myself. I didn't think that I could get into Spelman because it was a school of such high prestige. I didn't think I was worthy enough to be a 'Spelman Woman' or that I could keep up with the Black Excellence I yearned to be a part of. I prayed and prayed for this dream to turn to reality. And here we are, 4 years later and I'm graduating from THE Illustrious, Spelman College, Cum Laude. This dream came true… this is my reality. I am a PROUD Spelman Alumna, glory be to God." – Skye Warren Beautiful! Congratulations to you and your mom, Skye! #mommonday #becauseofthemwecan
Posted by Because of Them We Can by Eunique Jones on Monday, May 29, 2017
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