Meet Our Research Assistant: An Introduction to Bry Reed

BWSA: Please introduce yourself.

Bry Reed (BR): I’m Bry Reed a current senior at Davidson College majoring in Africana Studies with a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies.

What are some of your academic interests?

BR:  Right now, I am diving into Black sexual politics and learning more about June Jordan and Audre Lorde, but more broadly, I study Black femmes and literature. My work explores how Black femmes-- meaning trans and cis women, girls, and non-binary femmes and how we write about them across genres. In the future, I hope to study more about fiction and community. It’s a work in progress, but that goes for everything. 

 How did you first become interested in Black Women's Studies?

BR: I came to Black Women’s Studies in two ways: at home and at school. At home, my granny had books by Zora Neale Hurston and Nikki Giovanni’s poetry collections. I took them for granted in childhood. I was more concerned with Junie B. Jones and her adventures, but looking back there were always works by Black women around the house. So that was an informal introduction that I look back on a lot. I think the first course I took that centered Black women and made me want more was an Afro Cubana Feminisms seminar with Dr. Devyn Spence Benson. Both these spaces, at home and at school, made me more intrigued by how Black women think, create, and understand the world.

 What are your goals for after you graduate?

BR: Currently, I am applying for doctoral programs. Upon graduating from Davidson I plan to continue my studies and become a doctoral student. Long term, the goal is to be a professor and inspire students the same way I have been inspired. 

 What do you enjoy doing for self-care?

BR: Lots of reading which people find odd since I do that so much for classes and my honors thesis, but the reading I do for self-care recharges me. Right now I am reading Sula by Toni Morrison and the brilliance of this book is incredible. Beyond reading, I love watching Youtube vlogs and All-American with my partner.

 Can you tell us your favorite quote?

BR: I have many, but one that I came upon recently is from Toni Morrison. She says, “I don’t want to make somebody else. I want to make myself.”

You can see more from Bry and the entire BWSA team on our website and social media. Stay tuned for upcoming news, opportunities, and so much more!