Name: Tabias Wilson
Year: 2013
Major(s): American studies
Hometown: Kansas City, Kansas
How did you become interested in Tufts?
A lot of my close friends from the international boarding school in New Mexico I went to were going to Tufts. We also had a recruiter come and she was amazing. I was really drawn to the active citizenship program, and for some odd reason, I wanted to live in Boston in spite of the cold weather.
What activities do you do around campus?
I am actually doing more off campus than on campus activities this year. But at Tufts, I am co-president of Pan African Alliance with Jameelah. I’m also a member of Students for Justice in Palestine, Students of Color program, Queer Students of Color and Allies (QSOCA), and Tisch Scholars! I am also proud to be part of Theta Chi—mainly because it breaks many negative stereotypes about fraternities. For example, Theta Chi was the first fraternity to hang up a rainbow flag, and it wasn’t me but my brothers who hung it up, so it was really great for me to see that they are supportive of the LGBT movement.
Interesting. What kind of stuff do you do off campus?
I am a research assistant at Harvard Law’s Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice. I do a lot of research there and had my first article published last year. Another thing I do is I am a fellow at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), which is a premiere LGBT law firm in America. They got the first gay marriage cases in the United States. My tasks cover public policy, education, and HIV outreach. I write a lot of blogs, organize events, and lobby at the statehouse. It’s a lot of fun.
What are you doing after graduation?
I am also going to be Teach for America corps member in Miami, and I will be teaching history. But I plan to go to law school down the line. Hopefully, Berkeley, Stanford, or UCLA—staying away from the snow.
Why did you decide to run for Senate?
I actually became part of senate in my freshman/sophomore year. Then, I created the diversity chair position, which is currently held by Logan Cotton. I also helped started Africana Studies program and LGBT Solidarity Day. It was good to be part of all these new initiatives, but recently, it seems like a lot of things we worked for such as organizations for students of color and minority groups on campus were falling apart. So I decided to run again to strengthen these organizations and make sure that their voices are heard. Jameelah and I both feel the same way, and we decided to go out with a bang.
Who is your hero?
I have many heroes, but my political hero is the one and only Malcolm X. My living hero is Kimberley Crenshaw; she is the mother of critical race theory who invented the term “intersectionality.” My personal hero is the late Brandon Lacy Campos who came to speak at Tufts for Black Solidarity Day. He was a black, queer, Latino, HIV-positive blogger, activist, writer and simply one of most amazing people I have ever met.
Any words for the younger Jumbos?
Self-care is primary. Learn to love yourself and treat yourself right. Remaining in touch with your self keeps your spiritual and physical balance intact.