Jasmine R. Butler '21

Sarah M. Broom’s The Yellow House is the first memoir I’ve read that felt like home – maybe even painfully so. Within the first few pages I was struck by how similar Broom’s family is to mine, and by the time I was a few chapters in I felt like I wanted to write a memoir myself one day. I had never felt more embraced by a family history before, and reading about Broom’s family made me reflect on my own matriarchal family history and the gratitude I have for it. I hope that other readers will appreciate this glimpse into the complex world of one Black NOLA family whose love, lessons, and hardships span generations.

I am a geography major and plan on spending the next couple years organizing for climate and environmental justice full time. I plan on returning to graduate school in a couple of years, but am excited to spend the next few years rooted in community and agitating for change.
 
I was a student assistant at the library, meaning I sometimes worked the Baker lobby desk, Berry first floor desks, and the Orozco mural room desk.

While finishing senior year and my thesis mostly from home was not at all what I expected, I do appreciate having gotten the chance to spend some more time at home with family before I graduate and head off into the world. Now that I’m back for the spring I’m trying to safely cram in a year’s worth of senior activities into just a few weeks, and it’s a fun challenge for me and my friends. The past year has been hard on all of us in so many ways but I’m grateful to have had a strong community to see me through it.