What America Means to Me

What is America to me?

This morning, as I hung a wreath on my front door for America's 250th birthday, I found myself reflecting on what this country has meant to me as an immigrant.

For me, America has never been about politics.

It has always been about people.

And one person embodies it best for me:

Dr. Michelle Tooley.

Michelle was a religion professor at Berea College, my favorite professor anywhere I have studied.

I got an F on my first quiz in her class. I was a freshman international student, and I was not ready for her pop quizzes.

She believed we all had gifts to share with the world.

Her gift was seeing people others overlooked.

I was one of those people.

I did not have the best SAT scores when I applied to Berea.

But years before I ever met her, Michelle sat on the international admissions committee and advocated for me.

She did not know me.

But she saw something worth betting on.

That bet changed my life.

When I was stuck on campus during winter breaks with no family in America, Michelle opened her home to me and treated me like family.

Because of her, I saw America beyond a small rural campus in Kentucky, from Louisville to Cincinnati to D.C. to Chicago.

Michelle helped me find my voice.

She would tell me, "Ehis, you have to project!"

She was not talking about volume.

She wanted me to own my space, believe I had something worth saying, and let that belief come through.

In many ways, I am still trying to project enough for Michelle.

She passed away about 10 years ago, after a long battle with melanoma, faithful to the end to her students, her church, and her belief in just, loving communities.

Michelle called herself a daughter of the South.

She knew America was not perfect.

But she believed in justice, empowerment, and the possibility of becoming better.

That is what America means to me.

Not perfection, but possibility.

The land where, at its best, someone can believe in you before you know how to believe in yourself.

I am proud to be a part of this country.

Happy 250th birthday, America 🇺🇸