The Mahogany Tower September 2019 Spotlight: Mia Brantley
Mia Brantley is one of my heroes. I met her during a low point in grad school… I think I found out I made a 49 on an exam that week, which was the class low, apparently. Ironically, it was actually HIGHER than the grade I made on my first exam, hahaha. We met, via Facebook, through a mutual friend who subscribed to my blog. She told Mia about it, and Mia reached out to connect, excited to hear from another underrepresented minority in the academy. We talked for a good hour that day. I felt like trash leading up to that conversation, but that phone call was probably the highlight of my entire Fall 2017 semester. Anyway, that was almost 2 years ago. Since, she’s been a huge sister and friend, as we navigate this crazy adventure called a PhD program. And it’s definitely crazy, for real for real.
ACADEMIC BIO
Doctor of Philosophy, University of South Carolina, Department of Sociology
Bachelor’s in Sociology with a minor in Chemistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Q: You grew up in Mississippi, but you went to Alabama for school. What motivated your decision to attend UAB?
A simple answer is I love my southern roots. I wasn’t entirely sure of where I wanted to be, but I knew I wanted to stay as close as I could to the South. It’s actually funny because I was set on attending an HBCU (Historically Black College and University), but a family member continued to ask me to consider applying to a more “diverse” school (I know I know). So, out of spite, I Googled, “the most diverse University in America,” and as of 2009/2010 UAB was that University. So, it seemed like the universe was speaking to me. I applied, I was accepted, and at the time I was a little bitter; however, it was clear that God put me in a city with a tumultuous, yet rich culture because He was marking my path. I learned more about myself, Black history, and what I was being set out to do during my four years in Birmingham, AL than I had in my lifetime. So, what motivated my decision was a simple Google search, but what maintained my dedication was less about the University and more about the city that God had placed me in, which I will always consider a second home.
Q: Sociology is a pretty broad undergraduate degree, but you decided you would further your career as a sociology scholar. At what point did you know you wanted to do sociology research? What played into this decision?
So, initially when I arrived at UAB, I was a chemistry major who had plans on attending medical school. However, as I continued my undergraduate career, shadowing doctors, conducting research in biochemistry labs, etc. I began to recognize that my vision was not aligning with my path. One day I was having a conversation with one of my sociology professors and he asked me, “why do you want to go to medical school?” Of course I answered with the most obvious answer of all by saying that I want to help people. He asked me to elaborate, and I began to explain to him that the disparities in preventable diseases and mortality rates, as well as mental health outcomes, among Black people hurt me. I was looking to dedicate my life to changing that as well as shifting the narrative of who Black people are, at least within academia. My professor looked at me and said, “Mia, you care less about what people are sick from, and more about who is getting sick and why. That is PhD work, and I want to encourage you to look into that.” Within the six months before my graduation date I changed my major from chemistry to sociology, took my GRE, gather recommendation letters, and basically made an all out dash to the graduate school starting line. I have to give glory to God for keeping me close during this time and blessing me with the opportunity to receive my PhD. But little did I know…it was only the beginning of an already long journey in the ivory tower.
Q: Doctoral education is different from undergrad in that you’re defined by the research you do, rather than the degree you receive. Can you talk about your area of research and what led you to your area of specialty?
My research focuses on how racism impacts the understanding and well-being of Black families in the U.S. Essentially, I examine how race and racism impact well-being within the context of Black families, as well as the narratives that have been created by academia about Black families.
Do you remember the Hasbro commercials where it would encourage people to buy games and have “family” time? The families were always White. Always a mom & dad. Always happy. At 8 years old, I remember looking at this commercial, turning to my mom with tears in my eyes and saying, “we can’t have a family night because we do not have a family.” My mom hugged me and told me that I do have a family…a mom, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. But this wasn’t the family that was shown on that commercial. America had taught me at a young age that a happy family was nowhere near what mine was. However I have an amazing family, and it was a family that Hasbro, Moynihan, and America did not, and still at times DO not, understand. So this is what led to my interest in studying Black families because I seek to change the destructive narratives that have been placed on us.
Q: There’s been a lot of discussion about the shortage of underrepresented minorities in PhD programs, as well as on faculty at universities. How did you weigh out pursuing this career path, even though you didn’t see many people who look like you doing it?
Honestly, I believe this is (unfortunately) something that I had gotten used to, so I did not think about it before making career choices. I was prepared to go into any situation with the expectation that I would be one of the few (or the only). However I wasn’t expecting what I was walking into. I was unaware and ignorant to the history of the academy. This was not a space created for inclusion but exclusion. This was a place that wasn’t generating ideas to unite, but creating hierarchies to further divide. I think the better question is what kept me here, which is the passion I have for social justice and this PhD is not an end goal but a tool to assist in this aspiration.
Q: Maybe as a follow up question, not only are you a woman in the academy, but you’re also a black woman in the academy. In what ways do you think this has shaped your graduate experience?
I really appreciate this question. So often I hear people speak about the experiences of women and minorities. But these conversations often leave out the experiences of those who are both.
As a Black woman, I have had to examine my identity and presence in ways that, I believe, are unique to us. I cannot speak passionately about my work or else people might mistake my fervor for an inability to receive criticism or anger. For my entire first year, I wore my hair in a bun because the one time I wore it out I had 3 professors/colleagues label it as “interesting”. I have had several people in my department call me sassy because I did not withhold the truth. I have had peers/colleagues ask me to be their own personal tour guide through oppression and pain as they ask me to explain the “Southern Black experience” to them, the same experience they apply in their research agendas (or claim to). It makes it more intimidating to teach in a college classroom because I may not be seen as an authority figure or as knowledgeable on the topics at hand. Additionally, I do not see many Black women in the academy. Of course I know we are here, but they are not as easily noticeable. We have to actively search for our representation, as do some other marginalized people, so it makes the impostor syndrome that much more debilitating because this space really may not be for you if no one that looks like you is around.
Although there have been many hurdles, another aspect that is unique to my experience as a Black woman is the impact that I am privileged to have. I have the ability to come into contact with Black girls and young women who have the ability to see themselves in me in the classroom, and I in them. That I can provide a safe space on a campus that may not always have their best interests in mind.
Q: In a previous conversation, you were giving me a rundown of Solange Knowle’s A Seat at the Table and how it’s been helpful in thinking through your graduate experience. Can you elaborate more?
Yessssssssss! So, in 2016, when Solange dropped A Seat at the Table, I was going through a really rough time in school. I did not feel like I belonged, I was insecure about my presence in the classroom, and I had a professor tell me that they do not believe I have a promising future at my current university. I felt like my experiences we being invalidated, and I was contemplating discontinuing my program.
And then it dropped and Solange gave me my LIFE!!! To hear her say all of the things that I had been thinking and feeling. To hear her sternly tell everyone around her not to touch her hair because it was apart of her culture and how she expressed herself. To hear Master P talk about the importance of us as Black people to understand our worth. Hearing her tell me that I had the right to be mad about the unfair treatment I was experiencing. And finally, to hear the empowerment of F.U.B.U. as a reminder that we can be proud of where we come from without it having to be considered an attack on someone else. Solange gave me a soundtrack to my graduate school experience that I still use today. She reminded me that these spaces were not created for me, so it’s okay to feel out of place. But when I feel like there are not anymore seats at the table, I either grab a chair, or I create my own table. Creating my own table looks like having the confidence in my work to stand by it, to know that my experiences are worthy of a research question (even when others think that it’s not), and understanding that, because this space was never built for me, I am the resistance whenever I step foot onto this campus.
Q: Doing a PhD is so nebulous and difficult to explain. In what ways do you think this has created difficulty connecting with people who may want to support you? Have you found other support systems useful?
Yeah, it’s so interesting because I still have people really close to me who do not know what exactly it is that I am doing haha. I do feel like it is difficult for people to “connect” with what I am doing because they have not experienced it. However, I do not think that it affects their ability or level of support. When people have your best interests and well-being in mind, that is really the most important thing for me. I have resources in the academy from those who understand this experience. The greatest amount of support I receive is from those who are not in this space. My family, my friends, my church…these are the people who have kept me (at least semi) sane through all of this so far. These are the people that remind me that there is more to life than this degree. My purpose is bigger than this moment, and this is just a stepping stone.
Q: It’s easy to feel like being a PhD student kills your social life. On the contrary, you have a boyfriend. Can you talk about the interplay between school and your relationship, if any?
I do have a boyfriend. A really great one at that. The most important thing for any relationship during this time is that your partner is understanding. They do not have to understand completely what you are experiencing, but they should be willing to understand the pull that it will have on you. It can definitely kill your social/romantic life if you allow it, but because I have people in my life who remind me that I am more than this moment, it helps me remember the importance in staying present. So, there is actually little interplay per se between my relationship and school because I fight to keep them separate (which helps because he is not in academia). He encourages me and gives me space when needed, but he also helps me prioritize my life so that I am not just another robot in the tower.
Q: So, you became a Christian several years ago while you were in undergrad. In what ways does that shape your graduate school experience? What about the reverse, your training as a scholar influencing how you walk with God?
I love this question. Having a relationship with God gives me peace during these stressful and trying times. Not that it is ALWAYS peaceful by any stretch of the imagination, but I am able to be reminded that I am apart of something bigger because I trust in His word. John 16:33 says, “in me you should have peace. In this world you will go through many trials, but take heart, I have overcome the world.” This scripture keeps me grounded when i begin to feel like this program is too much. The reminder that Jesus faced trials of many kind and still overcame gives me hope that I can do the same.
Additionally, I believe being a scholar has allowed me to examine the scriptures more thoroughly and have a more holistic understanding of who God is. We are taught in the academy to think critically, find references for everything, put things into its context, etc. This has helped me better understand who God is because I research Him. I look as far into the depths of God as I can possibly go, and I am never afraid of running into something I do not understand. Being a scholar has opened up my heart and mind to aspects of God’s character that I have never thought about before, as well as bring me closer to Jesus via the suffering that I am facing. I know that it does not compare, but it gives me a glimpse at what Jesus did for me.
Q: If you could go back and have a conversation with 1st year Mia, what professional or spiritual advice would you give her?
Pretty simple: (1) Stay close to God. Like, CLOSE close. Like, on your face praying daily close. (2) Do not be afraid of preventative counseling/therapy. Nothing has to be “wrong” or you to seek help. (3) Know that you are more than this. The day you allow a piece of paper, or a couple of letters to define you, is the day you have completely lost yourself.
Q: When you were in undergrad, what do you feel was your most defining adversity or failure? What about in your PhD program? What gets you through moments like these?
My most defining adversity in undergrad was failing one of my science courses. For so long I had functioned under having success with the bare minimum, so when I failed that class, it was a wake up. I did a complete 180 after that. That was the day I told myself, “you can live with failing something you have tried, but you can’t live with failing having never given it your all.”
My most defining moment in the PhD program? I feel like I am still going through that moment now, so to be continued….
Q: Any advice for underrepresented students that are aspiring PhD students?
Do not let an institution that was built to oppress you, define you. You are more than this degree, and your experiences and knowledge are worthy of discussion. Never feel like you have to adjust who you are to be there. Find YOUR voice, whatever it is, and be true to it. Find the people that love you, regardless of the degree, and talk to them. Get advice, laugh, go out, find a hobby, get involved in your community, whatever ecosystem you need to build to get through this time. Just remember that this is an important moment of your life time, but it is NOT your lifetime. You are worthy of the spot that you are in. And always remember, you deserve your seat at the table.
Nnamdi