Te’Airea Powell

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPH:

“ Okay, my name is Te’Airea Powell, and I am a trustee with the East Westwood Improvement Association. And the picture that I have submitted is a picture of myself, and some people that I grew up with in the judge's chambers of Judge Melbourne Marsh. And this picture has always been one for me to remember because the career research team was started in East Westwood. And the goal of it was to show us in the neighborhood that there was more out there than what we can see.

And going down to a judge's chambers and sitting in her chair and putting on her robe was really a big deal to me. And I felt like I remember, when she asked who wanted to wear the robe, we all were kind of nervous because we didn't have a positive images of judges; we knew they threw people in jail. So that was a big thing. And this picture was kind of like a turning point for me. Because growing up, you know, people in the neighborhood all had the same type of jobs, and nothing is wrong with that, but going to see a person that looked like me in such a high position, let me know that there was more out there that I could obtain.

And part of my People Power has been me being a leader. I think in this picture, it shows because I was willing to go ahead and throw on that robe and sit in the chair and sit in the front as an adult, to continue being on the Community Council and speaking in front of our city's Council and represent my community and doing that. I think that my people power is leadership. It always has been. And if people look at this picture, I want people like Reggie and Rodney and even Melba Marsh in this case to know that sometimes it's a small things that you can do for a child that has a big influence on the rest of their life.”