Unaware

OUAT Blog for June 6

Two months ago I started work on the video documentation of the Oral Histories for The Friends of Rankin Chapel (The Friends), a service group in support of the Andrew Rankin Chapel located on the campus of Howard University.  Last week I had the pleasure of working with this amazing group of professional men and women who were as dynamic as they were, collectively, extraordinary.

The one thing about history, particularly the history of others, is hearing how their life experiences shaped them.  When I first meet members of The Friends I was inclined to make initial assumptions about each one based on what they are wearing, how they spoke and particularly what their titles were.  I have to say that I have had the pleasure of working with a very large number of Ph.D.'s and , I have to say, you can't help but feel smarter while doing so.

And so when the recording begins, the story unfolds and then my world becomes a great deal more enriched. Last week, while recording I learned so much more about my alma mater that I was practically embarrassed to call myself an Alumni. I even met a young man, Mr. Glen Vinson, Jr., who was a fellow member of the football team, a team that I captained during my time, who is currently a member of The Friends and was a Chapel Assistant when he was a student in the late 1990's.

But perhaps the greatest impact occurred late on the first day of filming. Looking back I have to say that we were on a blistering pace of recording, a total of 10 interviews in one day. At the end of the day I had the pleasure of recording the Oral History of Dr. Donna Grant-Mills, Chair for the Department of Dental Hygiene at the Howard University School of Dentistry. When the day was done Dr. Mills came up to me and personally thanked me for the work I (we) had accomplished and expressed sincere gratitude for how the entire process unfolded.

Looking back, at that moment it became clear to me that even though I stood on the outside looking in, I was also simultaneously becoming a part of that history. Her words of thanks and appreciation allowed me to understand that no matter what a persons title or the maker of their suit, together we share in the history making process as soon as the recording begins.

As I reflect on Dr. Mills I am also reminded of Rev. Fay Akers, the current Reverend of Rankin Chapel as well as Rev. Dr. Judy Fentress of Alfred Street Baptist Church, both leaders of congregations and dynamic individuals who have a heart for service. Standing back, I can almost see just how fortunate I am to be able to share in their stories, and so many others. And yet, in the moment, I am totally unaware of the impact I may be having on their lives, in comparison to the impact I know that they were having on mine.

Each of us has an "impact factor" that I am sure we are not aware of. As I continue my work and my sharing of these experiences, I am hopeful that you, those reading this blog, will be mindful of the part you play in sharing, shaping and preserving our collective history for the generations to come, fully aware.

Dr. Donna Grant-Mills with Dean Emeritus Sanders