Karen Butler-Purry

"There were neighborhoods where it was almost exclusively Black, and neighborhoods that were exclusively white"

"there wasn’t really a lot of mixing that happened except perhaps through after-school activities like sports and band."

"We would hang out a little, but then as we got older, that ended. I knew it was because we were a different color. We weren’t really supposed to be friends"

"One of the things I remember from growing up was this pride that older Blacks had and this desire to see young Blacks succeed,” she said. “There was this village that you felt a part of. It was this motivation that helped you to want to succeed"

"I wanted initially to be a math teacher like my dad but one of their teacher friends said, ‘You can become an engineer. Engineers make more money than teachers"

"For my high school graduating class, the white guidance counselor was disturbed to have to select me and another Black student for the top scholarships and awards. We even had separate proms"

"Sometimes my male professors, they were not intentionally trying to hurt me, but some weren’t very encouraging of my decision to pursue a Ph.D. One even said, ‘Well, you might not get a husband if you get that Ph.D"

"But I realized that if you show the students that you care, no matter where they were from, they would appreciate who you are and respect you"