Community Leader Profile-Katina Parker
Emmie Davidson
“It’s an illusion, do not be fooled!”
Every year, Wake Forest allows prospective students of color to visit and experience the campus under the supervision of an undergraduate. My MOSAIC trip resonated with me because I was confronted by the truth. Students of color lined up across the stage as they boldly recited lines that painted a picture of their reality.
Black students and students of color comprise a small percent of the Wake Forest population, as is the case at many universities and institutions. This, along with several other factors, makes it difficult for black students to assimilate and call this campus home. This was no different for Katina Parker roughly 20 years ago.
Parker was a Joseph G. Gordon scholar and graduated from Wake Forest University in 1996. During the 1990’s, black youth were inspired by media representation of educated and successful African Americans. While shows like A Different World captured the experience of attending a historically black college/university (HBCU), Parker’s undergraduate years were drastically different.
“A lot of us were struggling with the financial challenges of being students at Wake [as a result], we were very separate from white culture of campus,” Parker said. “[We experienced a] sense of financial and cultural isolation and also the sense of danger [at parties].”
Parker even recounted a frightening situation that was eerily similar to that of an event that occurred in 2010.
“The first time that I was pepper sprayed or maced was at Wake Forest, at a school that I was supposed to be able to call home. We happened to have a “Pit Gym” scheduled and the fellas got into a line and they were dancing and they were big. That scared security and so they started pepper spraying folks.”
Such instances motivated Parker to stand up and voice her concerns and opposition to injustices on campus. Parker’s zealous and persevering attitude made her an extraordinary activist and leader. Parker possessed some of the same qualities of her late mentor, Dr. Maya Angelou.
“I was one of the more militant people at the school, other folks were envious of some of the stances I took,” Parker said. “But, it was important to be able to show up as the person that I was and combat racism whenever it presented itself in public spaces.”
Dr. Malika Roman-Isler, one of Parker’s classmates during undergrad, admired her energy and remarkable vision.
“I have experienced her as an outspoken, truthful, and authentic artist and advocate,” Roman-Isler said of Parker’s tenacity. “She has a heart for social justice for all people and uses her voice and pictures to share lived experiences, underrepresented perspectives, and love for humankind.”
Parker went on to make an impact on campus as vice president of Black Student Alliance (BSA). BSA was a refuge for her and many other black students which made her contributions meaningful.
“I can’t remember all of the programming that we did, but I would imagine it was ambitious and it was a lot because that’s the kind of person that I was,” she stated.
Events, as well as other inspirational efforts are photographed in the BSA scrapbook of 1994-1996. Black students are seen smiling and laughing while either embracing one another, exhibiting their talents and strengths, or simply enjoying a sunny day at Reynolda Gardens while sharing a meal. However, the pictures could not capture the full story and excitement.
“I remember senior year, [we] invit[ed] Michael Coulier for homecoming because we wanted to make sure we had a real black student homecoming that was somehow be comparable to the type of homecoming Winston-Salem State would throw for their students,” Parker said.
One of the many notable actions portrayed in the scrapbook was BSA’s participation in Project Pumpkin.
“The reason why we became involved [in Project Pumpkin] was because we wanted there to be toothbrushes and floss, some sort of responsibility piece,” she explained. “If you’re going to load them up with candy and caffeine, at least teach them how to take care of their teeth and give them the tools and resources to do so. Also, they needed to see us; they needed to see black kids.”
Finally, Parker executed her own program called My Kidz, which she began her sophomore year.
“The program at Cook Middle School happened because I was studying with a poetry professor who had taken us to Cook Middle for a poetry event,” she said about the program. “I had such a good time with the sixth graders that I decided that I would create some kind of creative writing program at the school.”
“The basis of the program was that there were so many underutilized resources that were going to waste at the school… so, the My Kidz program was a literacy and poetry and performance program and also an incentive program. We gave out t-shirts… I collected money from different groups to throw them a party at the end of the semester. I was able to get Tim Duncan and Randolph Childress to talk to the kids. ”
Parker says that her involvement in BSA allowed her to acquire several valuable life skills including how to raise money, organize, and strategize events. Also, she improved her abilities to leverage, compromise, and connect with people.
“I wasn’t particularly great at [compromising] when I was in college,” Parker said. “I wanted things my way and now I look back realize that there was a way to get what I wanted and I could’ve been softer about it.”
The life lessons that she learned enabled her to go on to prosper elsewhere in North Carolina. Currently, Parker serves the role as instructor at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. She continues to use her position in the community to encourage students to voice themselves.
“I sometimes work with black students here at Duke University,” Parker said. “Something that we’re doing at Duke in the fall that is associated with the Black Lives Matter exhibit that I’m installing is we’re doing a Black Joy Turn Up. [We’ll] have a DJ, some food, some poetry, whatever it is that people enjoy doing. [Also, we’ll have] some dancing, some games…”
Her leadership paved the way for students like myself who are members of BSA and hope to make a positive impact at Wake Forest and in the Winston-Salem community. Though Parker describes her time away from Wake as a “lifetime ago”, the legacy that she and others left is an impressive example of black excellence.
