Chapter 7: Favor Ain’t Fair: The Saga Continues

My life, for the most part, has been fairly simple—I was born in September of 1983, the last child of nine to Ervin and Mary Johnson in Iredell County. The only grandparent I knew was my mother’s father, Luther Dalton, and he was a huge proponent of education—he believed that African Americans should obtain as much education as possible, which was not an option for him. I began kindergarten at the age of 4 and graduated high school at the age of 17. I attended predominantly White schools throughout my entire primary and secondary schooling and had been called a b**** and n**** during my matriculation. I never had a job until the summer after my first year of college, as my parents always wanted me to focus on my studies. I completed my bachelor’s and master’s degree at UNC Charlotte in mathematics and mathematics education, respectively; I am almost at the end of completing my PhD in curriculum and instruction, with a focus on urban education, also at UNC Charlotte.