Category: Black History At SMU

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AAPI At SMU Black History At SMU Latinx At SMU Meet the Team Oral History SMU

Diversity during the Covid Pandemic: SMU Multicultural Histories in 2020-2021

This blog post was written by Jonathan Angulo. He is currently a PhD Candidate at SMU’s History Department and an Oral History Project Manager at Voices of SMU. His research focuses on undocumented economies in the Imperial-Mexicali Valley California Borderlands during the mid-twentieth century. 
The Voices of SMU team seeing each other in person after carrying the project forward via Zoom. 
SMU students, faculty, and staff experienced the Covid pandemic in numerous ways throughout the 2020 and 2021 semesters; this was also true for the Voices of SMU team. Everyone throughout the campus adjusted to multitudes of emergency protocols as Covid spread throughout the nation and university. Individuals learned and worked by attending Zoom classes, virtual weekly meetings, hybrid courses, and physically distanced events. People affiliated with SMU attempted to protect themselves and their loved ones to the best of their abilities as we experienced the highs and lows of a once-in-a-lifetime event. The Voices of SMU team learned that we could conduct oral history interviews digitally. Black, Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), and Latinx alumni participated in interviews via Zoom to tell their histories. As we get ready for the fall semester, the team is animated to grow our work while being safe during the remainder of the pandemic.
When the university transitioned to a virtual semester after Spring Break 2020, leaders at Voices of SMU thought of ways to keep a digital presence. Project managers and graduate assistants worked via Microsoft Teams and email to construct a blog page through WordPress. Members created content via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to inform others about essential interviews we conducted. Our lead project manager continued to contact alumni and arranged interviews with them throughout the summer. As a result, the team succeeded in creating new and sharing important interviews on social media. Furthermore, undergraduate research assistants learned about the experiences of alumni who graduated between the 1970s and 2010s.
After the Fall 2021 semester, our team highlighted alumni during Black History Month and Women’s History Month on social media. For Black History Month, we chose to focus on Ms. Rickie Wright (Class of 1977), Ms. Anga Sanders (Class of 1970), and Reverend Doctor Zan Homes (Class of 1959 and 1968). These alumni talked about segregation in Dallas, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority’s history at SMU, and the Black League of African American Students’ (BLAACS) sit-in at President Willis M. Tate’s office. The scholars discussed how they fought segregation in the city and formed institutions at SMU that advocated for better funding, retention, and recruitment of Black students.
For Women’s History Month, we shared an oral history and posted a blog about the experiences of alumni. The team discussed the importance of Dr. Sheron Patterson’s (Class of 1983, 1989, 1996) trailblazing career. Dr. Patterson became one of the first Black women to be ordained in the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Furthermore, she published numerous books and became recognized for her work in United Methodism. Our graduate project manager, Camille Davis, shared, “Merci Monsieur! (Thank You, Sir!) What I learned from SMU Alum, Marc Patrick” on the blog. Ms. Davis describes how Mr. Patrick’s views on internal strength and good character helped him succeed as a Black student at a predominantly white institution. Mr. Patrick’s insights left an imprint on her as she aspires to build on her internal strength and good character to develop as an academic and individual.
The Voices of SMU team successfully organized our first webinar and participated in SMU Giving Day in April despite the pandemic. Beginning in Spring 2021, our leadership team planned an online webinar sponsored by the Office of Social Change and Intercultural Engagement, Clements Department of History, Dedman College Interdisciplinary Institute, and Dedman College Diversity and Inclusion. Using our social media pages and the sponsoring institutions, we had a successful webinar where alumni, participants, and attendees heard our undergraduate and graduate researchers discuss the experiences of Black, Asian/AAPI, and Latinx alumni. The team was pleased to hear that the attendees enjoyed hearing about the histories and alumni’s contributions to SMU’s history. Finally, we closed out the month with a strong finish for SMU’s Giving Day. Forty-six supporters helped us fundraise nearly $10,000 for events, transcription costs, and research funding. THANK YOU!
While we are not at the end of the Covid pandemic, Voices of SMU is excited for a safe 2021-2022 school year where we can interact in person and present our projects to the public. To relieve ourselves from Zoom fatigue, the team scheduled an in-person meeting where our undergraduate and graduate researchers took headshots for their professional advancement during the summer. We reminisced about our virtual experiences and talked about how enthusiastic we are for the school year. Researchers succeeded in creating a Latinx History at SMU video for Hispanic Heritage Month; it will be aired between August and September 2021. Moreover, this video will acknowledge the importance of Latinos and Latinas at SMU, just as our Black History at SMU video does. The Voices team assisted with an application for a Texas historical marker commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s speech in SMU’s McFarlin Auditorium. We will be at the unveiling event and hope to see everyone there when it’s completed! We are thrilled to share our work with the SMU community as safe as possible throughout the upcoming school year.
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Black History At SMU Oral History SMU

Merci Monsieur! (Thank you, Sir!) What I learned from SMU Alum, Marc Patrick

A screenshot from a Voices of SMU Zoom interview between PhD Candidate Camille Davis and SMU Meadows School of the Arts Executive Board Member, Marc Patrick, in December 2020. The interview will be available for viewing at the end of this month.

Addendum: At the time of the interview, Patrick was Senior Vice President of Beyond Meat; however, in 2021, he became Head of Sports Marketing at Amazon Prime Video. In early 2022, he returned to Nike as Vice President of North America Brand Defining, Purpose and Athlete Marketing.

Background

One of the many joys of being a member of the Voices of SMU team is having the opportunity to become acquainted with inspirational SMU alumni. At the end of last year, I got the pleasure of interviewing SMU Meadows School of the Arts Executive Board Member, Marc Patrick. A few months later, I still find myself empowered, encouraged, and challenged by the wisdom he shared during his oral history.  I won’t give away any details because I don’t want to spoil the interview. However, I will convey the lessons that stuck with me regarding internal strength and good character.
First, you should know that Marc Patrick is a marketing extraordinaire. He is the Senior Vice President of Marketing at Beyond Meat, an organization that creates meat from plant-based proteins for those who live vegan and vegetarian lifestyles. Additionally, before joining Beyond Meat, Patrick spent twenty-one years at Nike in various marketing and brand-enhancement roles that include Head of Global Brand Communications, Head of Global Brand Marketing Special Categories, and Senior Director of Global Brand Marketing Nike Sportswear – just to name a few.
Secondly, you should know that I had a brief stint at Nike, which gave me some insight into Mr. Patrick’s previous employment.  It was my first “real job” after college. I worked off-site, a few blocks from SMU, because Nike had hired a corporate entity to handle the logistics of a special project that they were rolling out that year. I was hired by this third party to complete analysis and editing work on text and photos for the new project, and I was paid by Nike. I reported to both organizations. 
As I was preparing for my interview with Mr. Patrick, I learned that he was the Senior Director of Global Brand Marketing of Nike Sportswear and the Senior Director of North America Brand Marketing during my time as an off-site Nike Brand Coordinator. During the interview, I had an epiphany. I realized that although I had never met Mr. Patrick during my association with Nike, so much of what went right during my tenure was due to his leadership within the company.

Getting to know Marc Patrick

Mr. Patrick possesses qualities that are even more rare than his significant achievements. I have tried to find the appropriate adjectives to characterize him, but I am at a loss for just the right words. My best conjecture is to use the well-known French phrase used to represent individuals with qualities that are difficult to articulate– “je ne sais quoi,” which literally translates to “a quality that cannot be described or named easily.” I have come to this conclusion because Mr. Patrick is more concerned with personal integrity than with professional success. During his interview, when I asked about the mantra that guides his professional life, he mentioned none of the usual “buzzwords” that usually permeate the psyche of high achievers within the corporate realm. Patrick did not use “networking” and “personal branding” or even “marketing” as directives for success. Instead, he invoked a trait that few consider, value, or possess — namely, the characteristic of personal excellence. 
Often people are shaped and defined by the climate of their professional lives. However, in this case, the antithesis is true.  Instead of being controlled by his surroundings, Patrick chooses to imbue his environment with integrity and hard work.  He believes that the road to success is paved with treating others with respect and dignity, honoring one’s commitments, and doing unglamorous tasks with the consistency and vigor usually reserved for conspicuously significant feats.  This perspective has formed an internal discipline that distinguishes him from the masses.

Coming Full Circle

While with Nike, I received continuous encouragement and support from the marketing and brand personnel– the individuals who reported to Mr. Patrick. Despite the struggles of working with the third-party that Nike hired, I was always buoyed by the treatment I received from Mr. Patrick’s team. They sent me Nike merchandise and encouraged me through many difficult times. They recommended me for special opportunities and trainings and invited me to dinner when they came to town from their Portland, Oregon headquarters. Most importantly, this group supported my professional goals. At the time, I was unaware of why they poured into me.  Why were they treating me so well?  Why had they chosen to believe in me as a team member and as a human being?
The answer was that they had a leader that I had not met. This person set a professional tone that reverberated throughout his chain of command. Unbeknownst to me until a few months ago, this was Marc Patrick.

The Final Analysis

As I reflect on that period of my life, I now understand how crucial it was in developing me into the person I am and into the person who I am working towards becoming.  As I worked with Nike, I had no idea that my mind was being disciplined to do much of the analytical work that is a continuous part of my doctoral research as a visual historian at SMU. At that time, I just wanted to become a professional woman and develop the skills that I needed to become a trustworthy team member. Little did I know that I was absorbing lessons that were even more important: lessons that crystallized once I had my conversation with Marc Patrick.
The first lesson is that the true reward for any type of work is the person that one becomes along the way. Yes, goals matter. Yes, achievement matters. Nevertheless, these things are only meaningful if they mold us into people with exceptional personal standards who approach each task of life – those that are big, small, significant, and those that seem insignificant, with equal amounts of care and attention. Additionally, goals make us more aware of our own fragility and vulnerability, which should result in us being more patient, understanding, and helpful with the fragility and vulnerability of those within our sphere. The right goals shape our ambition into desires that seek the good of others, instead of focusing only on our own welfare.  A good goal will force one’s heart, mind, and soul into beautiful, virtuous contortions that no selfish impulse could ever create.  Virtuous desires challenge us to become the best version of ourselves and to appreciate the best versions of others.
Last year, I spent so much time worrying about the future. For numerous hours, I contemplated a post-pandemic world and pondered whether I had accomplished enough to be professionally marketable within it. However, my mind and my heart are shifting. I am thinking of all my favorite scriptures and poems that elevate the soul above the goal. Additionally, I am remembering one of the lines from the French author, Colette, that I have kept close to my heart for quite some time:

“What it takes to make a heavenly star…one will never know. But no human star has ever been made without suffering.”

Colette simply meant that although she knew nothing about the science of how stars were formed in the sky, she did know how the best people in the world were formed. It was through the discipline and commitment of attempting to do the right thing, despite the ease or difficulty of circumstances. A true luminary was a luminary of the soul instead of someone who achieved just for the sake of the ego or personal aggrandizement. Such is the life of Marc Patrick.
I am honored to have spent time with this individual, and I imagine that the lessons from his oral history will stick with me for the rest of my life. If I am wise, they will. As I close, it seems fitting that I offer one more French phrase in appreciation of my time with this extraordinary human being.
 Merci, Monsieur.
 Or simply said, Thank you, Sir.
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Black History At SMU Football Team Integration Oral History SMU

WFAA Airs Documentary on Jerry LeVias. His Oral History Reveals He Does Not Regret Choosing SMU.

On October 19, 2020 the ABC-affiliated television station in Dallas, WFAA, premiered a mini documentary on Jerry LeVias (SMU, Class of 1969). The SMU alum was the first Black athlete who received a football scholarship to the NCAA’s Southwest Conference. Levias integrated the team at the university and experienced numerous acts of racism on campus. WFAA’s episode details what life was like for LeVias as he navigated integration during the mid-1960s. In this special, LeVias reflects on the Civil Rights Movement and today’s Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
To learn more about LeVias’ years at SMU, check out our interview with him. The clip excerpted below describes how he does not regret his tenure at SMU, despite the many difficulties he endured as he played for the football team. His drive allowed him to succeed at the school and continued to persevere after graduating. He ultimately became a professional football player and a successful businessman. LeVias ends by stating that he would not change any of his decisions.