Growing up in the small town of Cortland in South Hampton County, Virginia, the site of a rebellion of enslaved people led by preacher and slave Nat Turner in 1831, Latorial Faison remembers Black History as a part of her daily life.

“It is pretty hard to grow up in Cortland and not feel historic because of that,” Faison said. “It was a place of plantations and slavery. I think I grew up feeling like I was a part of Black history.”

Poet, author, performer, educator, mother, military spouse and much more, Faison uses moments from her own life to teach others.

Faison discussed how her life experiences have shaped her work at the San Diego City College Voices of Blackness: The Cultural Arts Innovators event on Feb. 9, hosted in partnership with the Cultural Noire Performing Arts Company and moderated by City English department adjunct faculty and Executive Artistic Director of Cultural Noire Performing Arts Company Gina M. Jackson.

She recounted a memory from fourth grade when a Black teacher advocated for her to be tested for the gifted program, an action that changed Faison’s life.

For Faison, the Black teachers and counselors who pushed her and made her feel loved were a significant part of what kept her engaged in school, which often felt like an extension of her family.

“Education has totally made me,” Faison said. “I am an advocate for it.”

Faison read the poem “What is Black history” from her trilogy collection “28 Days of Poetry Celebrating Black History.”

“Black history is a peek into our ancestors time,

It’s a piece of fabric our grandmothers wore,

An old rope our grandfathers lived to deplore”

This work, Faison explained, is one she uses to start a variety of conversations about Black history with students of all ages.

It really appeals to young people, many of whom are unaware of the significance of the Black historical figures who are mentioned in the piece such Ruby Bridges or Emmett Till.

Vilma Moore, City adjunct English professor and event attendee, thanked Faison for giving her a lot to think about when working with her students who predominantly identify as people of color.

“You’ve given me a lot of ideas and new strength to go back into my class the next few days,” Moore said.

To learn more about Faison’s life and work visit her website here. Visit the City Black History Month calendar here to see all events. To discover more about Cultural Noire Performing Arts Company you can visit the organization’s website here.

Update (Feb. 16, 2 p.m.): This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Noire. The title of Gina M. Jackson has been updated to reflect her position as Executive Artistic Director of Cultural Noire Performing Arts Company and the organization’s website has been added to the article.