Name: LaShawn Simmons
Year: 2018
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Major/Minor: African and Afro-American Studies with a minor in Sexuality and Queer Studies
Her Campus: What attracted you to Brandeis?
LaShawn Simmons: I really enjoyed the mission of social justice. I had never really heard of that type of language being used back home, so just the theme itself attracted me to Brandeis. Before coming to Brandeis, I was a part of the Maynard Jackson Youth Foundation (MJYF). Maynard Jackson was a former mayor of Atlanta who has made great contributions to the city of Atlanta. In MJYF, we placed a lot of emphasis on leadership, community, and civic engagement. So when I heard about social justice at Brandeis, I thought that it sounded a lot like what we did at MJYF. In MJYF, I felt like I was part of a community that was doing something really positive, and I felt like I could get this feeling again at Brandeis. Other factors like its small size, good location, and legacy with the Ford Hall movement made me feel like Brandeis had the ingredients I needed to have a successful, well-rounded college experience.
HC: What activities are you involved in on campus?
LS: This year I’m in the process of working with Professor Abby Cooper as a Research Assistant. The topic involves exploring the refugee camps of the American Civil War and I’m really excited to be working with her. It’s one of my biggest priorities right now. I’m also in the Women of Color Alliance (WOCA) as the ICC Representative. This year, we’re trying to revamp WOCA—it’s not like there was anything wrong with it before, but now we’re experimenting with new strategies and new directions to make WOCA a bigger part of the Brandeis campus than ever before. We have almost an entirely new e-board this year and I’m excited to continue the legacy that WOCA has already started. I’m also a Community Advisor in East. I love my staff and I think DCL has such genuine people. I really appreciate them because I had a lot of self-doubt coming into the training, but they assured me that I was chosen for a reason. They’re improving every day and I’m so happy to be a part of it. I’m also involved in Brandeis Bridges, which is a student-led initiative that works to bridge the gap between the Black and Jewish students at Brandeis.
HC: You are currently in the midst of creating Ebony Axis, a zine for women within the Brandeis community who identify as Black. What has been the most rewarding part of this project?
LS: Ebony Axis creates a space for women to be able to talk about anything—black women in particular. The point of Ebony Axis is to share our stories through poetry with hopes of reducing the benign segregation we have on campus. The most rewarding experience of doing this is seeing people who don’t identify, as poets want to be a part of it. To have women come up to me and say “I have this poem but I’m nervous because my poem isn’t the best,” and me being able to respond and remind them that “What you say matters” is so important to me. You never know whom you’re going to touch. In a society that tells us most of the time, unfortunately, that we don’t matter, it makes it so important to have a space where they feel like their stories are valid. Their stories are enduring and necessary. I tear up sometimes—these women have so much courage.
HC: What’s your advice for incoming freshmen?
LS: Stay in your lane. There won’t be any traffic if you stay in your lane. There’s going to be people that you see as superhuman, and that’ll ignite self-doubt, but don’t focus on what other people are doing. Just know that everyone evolves at different rates. Also, don’t feel obligated to be a super student. If you already studied that day, don’t feel bad about hanging out with your friends. That was one of the things I had trouble with in the beginning. My friends were so diligent and so studious and so great, and I knew deep-down I was too, but I love having fun. I used to feel guilty. But you just have to do you and stay in your lane.
HC: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
LS: I pray that I am finished with my PhD in African and Afro-American Studies. It’ll be great to have a doctoral degree. In 2025 I’ll be Dr. LaShawn Simmons. I think that has a nice ring to it.
Quick Facts:
Something Most People Don’t Know: I love making playlists on Spotify. If there’s a mood I’m in, it’ll just take a hold of me and I’ll create a playlist.
Favorite Spot on Campus: The Stein. I love the social atmosphere. It’s a great place to let loose and have fun late at night.
Favorite Quote: “Wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down”—Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon.
Favorite Artist: Beyoncé. I love her music, but I admire her humility and diligence. I’m definitely a part of the Beyhive.
Prized Possession: My journal. I feel kind of naked without it. It’ not like I’m whipping it out every five seconds, but to have that clutch—that expression—is important to me. There’s something powerful about having a notebook full of your thoughts to look back on.
Guilty Pleasure: Reality TV. I know how problematic it is, but I love it. My favorite is Love & Hip Hop Atlanta. Sometimes, I try to make a game of finding the black feminist lessons in it.