Dr. Tammy L. Holmes, a tenured Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) professor, has been honored as a 2023 Black Future Maker through AT&T’s prestigious Dream in Black program.
This accolade celebrates visionaries shaping culture, and Holmes stands out for her dedication to connecting students and the Black community with global opportunities, emphasizing the significance of understanding their global identity.
She is committed to addressing the disparity in international exposure among Black students by creating “Living Learning Communities” through travel and impactful documentary filmmaking, exemplified by her recent work, “A Legacy Lost & Found.”
Driven by this mission, she is one of four distinguished female recipients awarded a $25,000 grant by AT&T, which she passionately channels into bringing her latest documentary to the big screen.
With over two decades of experience in education, specializing in Communication, Leadership, Africana Studies, and Adult Learning, Holmes is holding it down for the culture. Currently serving as a lecturer at PVAMU and an adjunct instructor at Lonestar College, her research centers on fostering increased student participation in international programs.
The Defender spoke with Holmes about her story and her plans for the grant.
Defender: Can you share your initial reactions and what this recognition means to you ?
Dr. Holmes : I’m still processing the initial reaction. It’s a great honor. The first question I asked was, “Am I an alternate?” Sometimes, you do what you do but don’t think much about it. So, I definitely count it as a privilege. I count it as an honor. I count it very humbling because I know that hundreds and thousands of people likely have a dream and work in communities like mine. So, in some regard, you’re still trying to internalize and just say, I guess at this point, this is the work you’ve been prepared for, and this is what you do. So, it’s nice to be recognized in that capacity.
Defender: Your work connects students and the Black community to global opportunities. How did you develop this passion, and what drives your commitment to global education and awareness?
Holmes : I grew up in a predominantly white, small town and was in Spanish language immersion. A teacher came to me and said, “I’m taking a trip in the summer to Mexico, to the Yucatan Peninsula, and I would like you to consider going and talking to your parents.” That’s how my journey began. I did not go talk to my parents. My teacher decided to talk to my parents unbeknownst to me. And that was the beginning of my Mayan language immersion, understanding the world was much bigger.
I didn’t know it was gonna be part of the purpose. Moving forward to college, I decided to go to Africa and help develop a program the university had never had. Little did I know that was the beginning of a journey. Moving on to grad school, I continued to study abroad. It changed the way I saw learning. It changed the way I approached life. It changed my mindset. I don’t think that would continue in higher ed if it weren’t for these particular programs. I did not know that here we are 30 years later, this would be part of the purpose. It started at 14. So here I am, the professor trying to do something that a teacher saw in me at 14, now where I can impact other students and other people the way she impacted me.
Defender: You are a transplant from Tennessee. What brought you to Houston?
Holmes : I was born in northwest Tennessee. Raised in southern Illinois. I lived in Chicago for 12 years, taught there, and then relocated to Houston through Hurricane Harvey, working for FEMA. But my mother is a native of Houston, and her whole side of the family. At one point, I had thought about career change, but something about disaster recovery had my attention. I came, and I never left. Six months later, Prairie View A&M University called me for a part-time job I applied for, which turned into a full-time job. Here I am, six years, but 24 years in higher education.
Defender: Being a 20+ year tenured HBCU professor, how have you seen the education landscape evolve, especially concerning Black students’ representation and global awareness ?
Holmes : I came from a home of educators. My mom was an educator. My grandmother was an educator. My uncle was, as well. Honestly, being a teacher was never what I wanted to be. Teaching found me. I’m not an HBCU student. I wasn’t HBCU-made. Growing up in Illinois, HBCUs are not a whole bunch to choose from unless you pay out-of-state tuition. I was PWI [predominantly white institutions] made. All three degrees. One of my goals was that if I didn’t go to [an HBCU] and stayed in higher education, I’d teach at one.
I remember when I did my dissertation on study abroad, specifically global education. I had to focus on a particular target demographic group, not just U.S. students. I had to narrow my focus. I decided to pick African-American students to focus on because I was an African-American student, not as much an HBCU. Still, the demographic is so small for US students in global education. But it’s even that much smaller when you talk about non-majority populations and demographics of race that are non-white. I have a love for students who look like me. They, too, can have these opportunities. I always tell my students here that the best-kept secret at the university is your study abroad program. Getting a passport is your global citizenship.
Defender: Your recent film, “A Legacy Lost & Found,” explores underrepresented stories. What narratives do you hope it brings to light?
Holmes : The idea came from one of my former undergrad professors. She was a Black studies professor, and she happened to be here in Houston on business, and we connected. And she was teaching me about how recreation parks were segregated. Little did I ever think about segregation in regard to recreation. We teach segregation as it relates to transportation, the bus boycott, and the separate water fountains. But what does it look like with recreational parks, vacation places, and elite groups of Black people who wanted to travel and go places that they were discriminated against just because they were Black? There was a grant from the National Trust and Historic Preservation. [They were] doing this historical preservation of these places, much more highlighted since the movie of the Green Book. That’s how it started. I’ve always had a love for filmmaking. This is my directorial debut.
Defender: Can you tell us more about how you plan to utilize AT&T’s $25K grant from AT&T, especially in bringing your latest documentary to the big screen?
Holmes : Number one is investing in the Black community. As always, it’s a huge investment. I believe the grant will help me to help students travel, supplement some funding costs, and also for post productions with documentaries. We live in a very video-oriented culture, and people love to press play and ask questions later. This allows me to not only leverage programming but also leverage the impact, amplify it, and share points of view about people who look like me.
