Reggie Blackwell's Thank You Letter

976 Greene Avenue #1
Brooklyn, NY 11221
September 24, 2014

Reggie Blackwell
The City College of New York

160 Convent Avenue
New York, NY 10031

Dear Mr. Blackwell:

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to visit my Basic Writing Theory and Pedagogy class at City College. Your story of overcoming and perseverance is truly inspirational.  There was so much that you said that resonated with me as an instructor of basic writing and college composition.

First, listening to your comments gave me real hope that developmental writing students can succeed in college no matter their age or background.  I already believe that students can make it despite some of the systemic and personal obstacles that confront them.  Yet, your visit and testimony is a real-life reminder of this possibility.  Society needs to see that more African American men can prosper despite the myriad social problems they face, especially our young men.

Just the other day, I thought about your journey from obtaining a G.E.D to earning a Master of Social Work degree from Lehman College when I ran into one of my former students on the subway.  Portia, a single mother in her late thirties, had been a student in my basic writing course at Borough of Manhattan Community College about four years ago.  She told me that she had graduated from BMCC and is now a student at Brooklyn College.  Portia’s accomplishment is notable because many basic writing students have to repeat the course several times before they pass the CUNY Writing Assessment Test.

In a way, you were fortunate.  Many of my students give up a lot to attend college.  You had already worked as a successful employee in several restaurants.  Many of them have little to no support from their families and friends.  You had a supportive wife.  I realize that for some of my students, I might be all they have in terms of a support system.  We all laughed when you told us that Professor Gleason called your draft a piece of “shit,” but one thing you must have realized is that “students will”, as Mike Rose says in his essay, I Just Wanna Be Average, “float to the mark you set.”  I can speak from experience.  Students can sense when an instructor is vested in their academic development and personal transformation, and they will usually step-up and meet the challenge if they are engaged.  I can imagine that the publication of your short story is an example of how basic writing instructors can engage and inspire students to do their best.

Thank you again for your time, and congratulations on the important work that you are doing in your professional life.  Your story is proof is that it is never too late to make the most of our lives.

Yours truly,

James Dunn