INTRODUCTION Writers Room members have always been diligent in our quest to attain excellence in our endeavors; therefore, the COVID-19 Pandemic did not deter us from continuing our vibrant sevenyear program. During an early Saturday summer evening, I spoke with Victoria Peurifoy via phone about a recent TRIPOD meeting. Later that evening she was rushed to the hospital. She had contracted COVID and, as a result, was hospitalized for a month. Two weeks of her confinement were spent on a ventilator. Her will to beat the odds helped her to recover and, shortly after, she phoned me and we continued our TRIPOD discussion. Because of the pandemic, the senior class members of the Paul Robeson High School were not only deprived of a class trip and prom, but were faced with the possibility of not having senior portraits as well. Thanks to the efforts of Devin Welsh, ArtistYear AmeriCorps Fellow at Robeson, and his students and TRIPOD members, Amina Mosley, Tariq Rhodes, Ciani Richardson, and Lyric Wise, photographs of the senior class were taken and featured in the series “But We Keep Going: Robeson ’21 Voices and Portraits.” The portraits and the accompanying writing vividly and heartfully chronicle who helped the seniors get through this year and the hopes they have for the future. In spite of everything, Victoria overcame COVID and went on with her life. Devin, buoyed by support, helped the seniors create everlasting memories, and the membership of Writers Room can honestly say: We kept going. We kept going because we were endowed with the spirit of perseverance and the marvels of Zoom which allowed us to continue walking across the pathway of excellence. 11
Introduction
