Youth Honoree Natajha Graham

OUR 2021 YOUTH HONOREE

Natajha Graham

Born in New York City, a daughter of Jamaican immigrants, Natajha Graham is the first member of her family to go to college. We first met her as a junior at A. Phillip Randolph Campus High School, where she was working as a Youth Leader with the nonprofit College Access: Research and Action (CARA). Along with other Youth Leaders and APRCHS students, Natajha painted the murals inside and outside the Student Success Center as part of a CAW after-school public art youth employment program. Last summer, she returned to CAW as a Youth Apprentice with our Social Justice youth employment program. She is currently studying biology at Spelman College in Atlanta. We sat down to talk to Natajha about her work with CAW, social justice, and her hopes for the future.

In 2019, while you were a junior at APRCHS, you participated in a CAW afterschool program painting murals inside and outside the Student Success Center. How was your experience?

Natajha in front of the Student Success Center It was a really good experience, because I'd never done any type of painting before that. We spent a lot of time trying to figure out what images to include that might influence other students to want to have a postsecondary plan after graduation.

Also, people who pass the mural will come inside, and then want to know more about the Student Success Center. It was eye-catching, and it made people feel good just knowing that somebody cared enough to get their attention and to invite them in.

Tell us about your experience as a Youth Apprentice last summer.

It was something new that I wanted to try and it was totally different than what I expected. It was great learning about my strengths and weaknesses and discovering a love of photography. But mostly, I loved working with a lot of new friends. Our art had a lot of personal meaning behind it and it was surprising to hear other students telling so many stories about their art.

You created two digital posters last summer. One of them features a photo of your little brother looking up at the camera in a state of pure childhood bliss. Could you talk about that poster?

Both of my posters are a response to the BLM movement. When I look at that photo of my little brother, I can’t help thinking what it’s going to be like for him growing up to be a black man in this world. He doesn’t really understand the world yet, but as a black kid, you lose your innocence fast. There’s going to be a time when he experiences something that he won’t understand. I want people to look at this little kid and realize why he is deserving of a better future.

Social justice posters created by Natajha during her apprenticeship with CAW in summer 2020

Where are you going to college?

I'm at Spelman College in Atlanta, and I'm really loving where I'm at. I didn't apply to schools like Princeton or Harvard, even though I think my grades were good enough to get in, because I didn't feel like those schools fit my personality. I wanted something that was more diverse. Spelman is a Historically Black College. I love the unity among the women in my school and among students from HBCUs overall.

What do you think would happen if the student body at American colleges reflected the diversity of America?

If more people of color went to college, I feel like the world would start to realize the potential that we have. A lot of Americans see us like thugs, but if more of us were able to go to college, I feel like they would realize we are not as different as they want us to be. We have a lot to say and we do have a lot of power.