Erica Stringfellow Tully '08

 What led you to Knox?

I actually took a tour on Martin Luther King Jr., Day. The vibe was right on for either the walking tour or the Martin Luther King Jr., Convocation, and Roger Taylor mentioned that Hiram Revels attended here. I was with my dad, and we both looked at each other like, ‘What?’ Then, after the tour, I decided I liked Knox, so that’s when I decided to come. I wanted to go to a small school with a creative writing major; my high school was really big.

You mention Hiram Revels and family. What does your family legacy with Hiram Revels attending Knox mean to you?

I think what it really instilled in me, my siblings, and all my family was that education is extremely important and that we are not to waste it. We have seen what it has done for us. I don’t think we live day-to-day thinking we are so important because of who we are related to, but it is a fun fact we can share because many people don't know who Hiram Revels was. That’s not something taught in most history classes, so our family can share and explain it to people. 

Being an educator, what does having a diverse workforce and leadership mean to you in your profession?

I think it’s really important for diverse groups of people, especially Black people, to be represented in elementary and high school education, so students have a wide range of voices. It helps to have an introduction to people who are different from them, or for Black students, to see people who look like them. I think a lot of times, so much of the world is alike and not as diverse as it should or could be. I think it's important to present this idea to students, especially when they are younger, so they can have a more open dialogue and a clearer thought process about diversity and its importance in life. 

What does being a Knox graduate mean to you?

I talk a lot about this as a teacher. I do think Knox really led me to become an extremely critical thinker, just because of the open dialogue we had across all the different types of classes we took. I also credit the First-Year Preceptorial for a lot of my thought processes and how to engage students from different backgrounds who are learning new information about diverse groups. I have noticed there is a certain level of discourse that I can hold that some people from large state schools may not have the same experience with. I also notice that there is a wide variety of knowledge because I attended a liberal arts school. I'm still friends with a lot of Knox people, and our group chats are still very engaging and discussion-based, whether in person or online. 

What were some ways you celebrated or advocated for Black history during your time as a student here?

I will say out loud that I did not do a great job of this at Knox in a way that was easily recognizable and it wasn’t the number priority for me. I wish I had, I wish I could go back and reframe a lot of life, but I was very young-you’re not really an adult in college other than in name. I did attend the Martin Luther King Jr., Convocation every year, and I think it is important that Knox continues to celebrate the rich diversity of Black history. Knox was a stop on the Underground Railroad. We need to keep saying it so we don’t forget that it was a large part of the world and that it wasn't that long ago. 

What are some values that Knox helped you develop that have served you later in life?

I think standing up for my principles and beliefs. I don’t want to say that I take the Knox Honor System with me wherever I go, but I try to be truthful in a way that honors what I believe. I was explaining recently that if there is something that sits within my spirit incorrectly, like any decisions made at my school level, I will fight for those. I think Knox made me less afraid to say what I think is wrong. 

What would you tell your college self?

I am pretty far removed from Knox, but I would say to myself to explore as many things as I could because I did so many activities at Knox, but I would do more. I would advise myself to continue to be involved in the things that interest me, but to make sure that I continued to show up authentically and continue to be proud to be Black.