#i2amru (I, Too, Am Reinhardt) Volume 1 Number 1 | Page 40

holidays as family gatherings
around the dining room table
enjoying cards and each other’s
company.
Church and God were extremely important and astronomically
different in her father’s church as
compared to a white church, she
notes.
Have you met Aliyah Bryant? She is a lacrosse player
and psychology major at
Reinhardt University from
Winston Salem, North
Carolina. Aliyah was born
in 1994 to her mom, Shawn,
and her dad, Maurice. Her
mother was a shy 17-yearold when she gave birth to
Aliyah.

By Jarae Comstock

When asked to expand on
her two different cultures,
Bryant explains how she
had to adapt differently
to them. Holidays, food,
views, discipline and
church differed immensely
between the two cultures.
Her father’s side was more
family-oriented compared
to her mother’s side.

Shawn and Maurice were
young teens in love. Their
story could read like any
other teen story you hear.
However, it’s not. They
were more like star-crossed
lovers because of one important factor: race. Shawn
was white and Maurice was
black.
Twenty years ago, interracial
couples were and still are
highly unaccepted in society. Disapproval surrounded
them as the teens began dating, and it increased as result
of the pregnancy. Shawn’s
white family held feelings
of disappointment for her
having relations with a black
man.
This dismay of disapproval
become increasingly prevalent the older their child
Aliyah Bryant became.

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On one hand, she was able
to enjoy the benefits of
white privilege our country
has embedded into society.
On the other hand, she has
experienced disadvantages
that black Americans face
daily.

“It was your typical black
country family. It’s all about
the soul, dancing, and
checkers,” she remembers.

Aliyah Bryant at age 19

Growing up with two different ethnicities, Bryant
was able to experience fundamental aspects of
both the white and black cultures.

Family gatherings were
large, and food was always
a component. Furthermore, they would have two
family reunions a year, one
for father’s mom and one
for her father’s dad. The
reunions would take place
during summer and winter
holidays. Bryant explained
holidays as family gatherings around the dining
room table enjoying cards
and each other’s company.

“Church clothes for my father’s side
was extremely dressy. Everyone
would get dressed up, and no one
was ever caught in jeans. It was
seen to be disrespectful.”
Hymns sung loudly and face fans
were common commodities at
church.
When asked to elaborate about
the most important thing Bryant
learned from her father’s side, she
stated, “My father’s side of the
family taught me to be proud of
my races, that there was nothing
wrong about being black.” Furthermore, she learned compassion and
the importance of giving from her
grandma. Most importantly, she
learned there’s nothing better than
grandma’s cooking.
Elaborating on her mom’s side of
the family, Bryant explains her
white culture differently. Bryant
claims that, even though she was
biracial herself, her white side of
the family was intolerant and prejudiced against other ethnicities.
“My white side of the family taught
me that white people [can be] very
mean--not to mention, extremely
prejudiced,” Bryant states. While
she was growing up, Bryant believes, her white family suppressed
ideals of hate towards her because
she was bi-racial.

Aliyah Bryant and her father Maurice, November 2000.

Aliyah Bryant at age 14 with and her mother Shawn

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