1. Name
a. Aleques D. N. Lanier
2. Where were you born
a. Joliet, Illinois
3. Where did you grow up
a. Joliet, Illinois and Vicksburg, MS
4. What are your parent’s names and what do they do (occupation)
a. Michael Lanier(biotech/electronics) and Michelle Hawkins(nurse)
5. Number of siblings
a. 5
6. Their names
a. Johnathann Hawkins, Michael Lanier Jr., James Lanier, Joseph Lanier, and Teighlore Lanier
7. What was your life like growing up as a black girl in both the north and the south?
a. Growing up in the North for me was I guess I was looked at as a normal child. Had a black dad and a mixed mother. I grew up around a lot of black people, and I don’t know the white side of my family, but that hasn’t stopped me from talking to white people. When I moved down south that was just a huge culture shock. People are still calling people the “N” word, which I find ridiculous. I went to high school in Vicksburg and all you heard any black person say was my “N” did this and that, but if a white person said it then he would be in the hospital at the end of the day hoping to see another day.
8. Did you ever encounter racism? Explain.
a. Yes. I was in the first grade and my teacher Mrs. Smith told all the black kids in class that they stink and they needed to go home and take a bath. And I went home and told my parents and they had a meeting with the principal. She didn’t lose her job, but I slick believe she hated me for the rest of the year, and if she could she would have failed me. LOL.
9. What privileges or setbacks do you feel that you experienced growing up in the north?
a. Privilege wise I was around people who looked at my skin color and didn’t care what color I was. They for me I think felt like even though we were too different colors I was still the same silly person even if I was the color of white paint. I was considered normal there and whole lot different in the south. The only setback would be that I wasn’t ready for what the south had to offer.
10. What, if anything do you remember your parents telling you about race?
a. The only thing I remember really is my parents talking about how us kids don’t and won’t really know the other side of our family because my Nana (mother’s side) was disowned by her family because she married a black man and she had a kid with this black man. And ever since then there has been no communication on either end.
11. What did your parents tell you or instill in you regarding being a black woman?
a. Nothing at all.
12. Why did you attend school (high school)
a. My parents made me. In my house you had no SAY SO until you started paying your own got darn bills and if you were making money you better be helping pay for the utilities you are using up in their house and you better be to find somewhere else to stay.
13. What was it like in school for you as a black female?
a. Caucasian and African American boys honestly thought that just because I’m black that they had every right to feel on me and everything. Irritating. I pressed charges on one boy for sexually harassing me. And from that point on a lot of stuff stopped happening to me at school. But I think in general all females, but more black girls, do get looked at as an easy target just because they are females. But once women start standing up for themselves things will get better. It did for me.
14. Where did you attend undergrad?
a. University of Mississippi
15. Why did you pick this specific school?
a. Dad said I couldn’t go to JSU because it was too much violence. Mind you he would rather send me 3 hours away than 30 minutes away; also he is sending me to an all-white school where they still don’t like black folks.
16. How far do you want to take your education?
a. Nurse practitioner
17. Why do you not want to have children?
a. A lot of things in my childhood. Mainly being I had a close family member sexually abuse me for eight years, sexually harassed for four years, and almost raped my freshmen year by a classmate. I just feel like I wasn’t being protected and parents can’t always be there for your child. So for me that’s a way to not only protect myself from being hurt but to also protect (my) child from going through what I went through as a child, teenager, young woman.
18. How is it like being a black woman today?
a. I mean for me it’s normal. I’m starting to get use to how a lot of people in the south are so ignorant still. A lot of things I can let go. Like being called the “N” word, because for me it’s a 2011 and its time for a new word. And as long as African Americans keep using this word then of course other people outside of our race are going to keep calling us that. Its common sense, just like 2+2 makes four-ignorant African Americans + common sense make a smarter African Americans.
19. Where are you working now?
a. I-Hop as a waitress, FOR NOW.
20. What are your relationships like with other women?
a. Ummm, I don’t really care for women just simply because I don’t have that figure of how a woman should act. Because I’ve never had that mother figure.
21. What do you think is the role of both black men and women in a relationship should be (inside the home)?
a. I honestly believe that it is a two way street. If one party is putting forth the effort so should the other party that is involved. There should be common ground in the household and I think that women of any race should really appreciate a strong African American man, if that’s what they like, to keep a hold of them because those kind of men are scarce in our world today. Once they are gone they are gone.
22. What do you think about women who date outside their race?
I honestly think that if you want to date someone outside of your race then do it. I mean if that’s what floats your boat then go ahead. More power to you. And if you let somebody tell you that your stupid if your date outside of your race, just look at them and tell them---Obviously what you are doing isn’t keeping him/her at bay so maybe you should take some cards from him/her and use them. And then politely say nice meeting you and hope you have a nice day. Don’t forget to smile.
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