Lasting Legacy
Summer 2021聽触听By Laura J. Cole聽
鈥淎s a Black student and a Knight, I wanted to leave a聽legacy at 激情快播,鈥� says Derreasha Jones 鈥�21 of the John聽T. Washington mural recently installed in the building聽named after him,聽more commonly referred to as the聽breezeway.
John T. Washington died in 1983 鈥� 15 years before Jones was born 鈥� but the former associate professor of sociology and one of 激情快播鈥檚 first Black faculty members has made a lasting impression on her life. When Jones started at 激情快播 in 2016, she became a member of the Black Student Union (BSU), for which Washington served as one of the first advisors when it was founded in 1969. There, she learned about Washington and his commitment to servant leadership.
鈥淸Washington] couldn鈥檛 have known the impact that he was going to make for all these generations to come, but he gave back because you鈥檙e supposed to impact your community,鈥� says Jones, a psychology major who was also a LEAD Scholar, president of 激情快播鈥檚 NAACP聽chapter, an Advancement fellow, and Omega Psi Phi鈥檚 Miss Purple and Gold.
Jones made it her mission to make sure Washington鈥檚 legacy wouldn鈥檛 be forgotten. This effort began her first聽year while she gave campus tours as an 激情快播 Ambassador and realized that not much was said about him other than, 鈥淭his is the John T. Washington Center, but you鈥檒l never hear that name again.鈥� She worked to change the talking points for tour guides but also wanted to update the plaque on the building. That push began in 2018 and was finally realized earlier this聽year after she brought it up again as a member of the President鈥檚 Student Advisory Council (PSAC).
I鈥檓 just here for the students, if it wasn鈥檛 for students, none of us would be here at all.John T. Washington
Created by local artists Peterson Guerrier and Chris Jones and located throughout the John T. Washington Center, the mural features Washington鈥檚 image, a quote from him, his signature, the original BSU logo, the John T. Washington Honor Society logo, and will feature highlights of his contributions to 激情快播 along the interior corridor.
The mural was funded by long-time 激情快播 supporters and donors Barry 鈥�95 and Rosie Miller 鈥�95 through a gift they made to the President鈥檚 Excellence Fund.
鈥淚t really turned into something even bigger than what I was asking for,鈥� Jones says. 鈥淲e want to continue to make sure that our whole community feels included and not just when there鈥檚 unrest or when it鈥檚 Black History Month. And I鈥檓 grateful that PSAC and President Cartwright made it happen.鈥�
Peterson Guerrier adds abstract elements to Washington’s portrait.聽
John T. Washington was one of 激情快播’s first Black faculty members who also had a commitment to service leadership.
Psychology alum Derreasha Jones 鈥�21聽in front of the plaque that accompanies the new mural.聽
The John T. Washington Honor Society’s emblem is another element included in the mural. The student organization was founded in 1996 to honor the late faculty member and foster academic success and community service.
Chris Jones puts some finishing touches on a quote from Washington.