A Better Chance TV with host Dr. Monique S. Robinson
Educational Conversations with Scholars in Mind. "Our mission is to empower and uplift scholars pursuing higher education at HBCUs, ensuring they have the resources, support, and opportunities needed for a successful future. Through mentorship, scholarship programs, and community engagement, we strive to create a pathway to excellence, fostering academic achievement, leadership development, and a strong sense of cultural identity. Together, we are building a brighter future for young scholars, strengthening the legacy of HBCUs, and fueling positive change in our communities."
A Better Chance TV with host Dr. Monique S. Robinson
Breaking Educational Barriers with Tanisha
What happens when education fails to provide students with the tools they actually need to succeed? Tanisha's powerful journey from correctional officer to education reformer reveals the often-hidden connections between our school systems and the prison pipeline that disproportionately impacts Black and brown youth.
Her story begins in the juvenile sector of an Indianapolis prison, where she witnessed teenagers—some as young as 15—serving decades-long adult sentences. Their common refrain still echoes in her work today: "If I had just known... if someone had just told me..." This experience launched Tanisha into education with a mission to create something different, something that truly serves students beyond standardized curriculum.
During our conversation, Tanisha challenges conventional education practices with refreshing candor. "I've taken trigonometry and calculus. I've never used it in my life," she notes, "but if you would have taught me finances, I probably could have started a business 20 years ago." This disconnect between academic requirements and life skills represents just one way the current system fails to equip students for real-world success.
As Wilberforce University alumni, both Tanisha and I share deep appreciation for the unique support HBCUs provide—support many students never learn about through their high school counselors. "No college campus will love and take care of you and wrap themselves around you like an HBCU," Tanisha explains, highlighting how representation and community create environments where students can truly thrive.
Inspired by Mary McLeod Bethune's legacy, Tanisha is now establishing her own all-girls private school as a safe space where young Black girls can proudly embrace their identity. In a world where Black students still face discrimination for their natural hairstyles and cultural expressions, she's building a place where they'll receive the affirmations and tools they need to become confident change-makers.
Ready to rethink what education could and should be? Listen now and join the movement to create learning environments that truly serve all students.
Welcome to a better chance for youth television show with your host, monique Robinson, where we highlight, celebrate and recognize students from all over the country who are doing great things in the classroom, community and athletics. Every student deserves an opportunity, an opportunity for hope and a future. So let's celebrate our students, the next generation of teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs and future leaders. Join us on another incredible segment of A Better Chance for Youth show with your host, monique Robinson.
Speaker 1:Hello, hello, hello and welcome, welcome, welcome. So today we are going to Georgia. I hope that's where she's from. Actually she's not from Georgia, but she lives to Georgia. I hope that's where she's from. Actually she's not from Georgia, but she lives in Georgia. But she'll correct me when she comes on. But I am so excited I don't want to say her last name because I only remember the last name I know her by, but I am super excited about the changes she is making in education. So let's welcome Tanisha.
Speaker 3:Hey, tanisha how are you? I am good, I am good fellow will before seeing also right.
Speaker 1:I never like I get will before people on here, but not that much but when I do. I am, like you know, this is home, this family, like I don't have to be, so I guess uptight, you know.
Speaker 1:But for the call right, we can talk about business, but I am so excited that you are taking time out your busy day to come and talk to us about your project. You have going on, but before you do I know I said it off air and I probably say it all the time guys when I got to woodford forest, tanisha was like one of those game changers on campus, so it doesn't surprise me that this is what she's doing now and also um on campus. Tanisha probably saved me from myself. I know it's hard to believe. I did have a pass, but she saved me from myself so many times and I do too.
Speaker 1:I do it's like you know, I tell kids then, like really, I'm like, yeah, you know, before miss mo came in existence, there was monique, that was a special, unique person. But I do want to thank you for everything that you may have done that you didn't even realize you did for me on our great alma mater campus. So, tanisha, what do you have going on? I mean we can just jump right into it. So, let's see, I want to actually for you, cause we do have young people watching it, so they can at least know a little bit. They don't have to know everything of your educational journey, because I'm like, I don't think she's from georgia I don't want to know.
Speaker 3:I'm not I'm from chicago, that's right because I'm like she is not from indianapolis right, yeah, I'm, I'm from um, chicago and I have been with the school system, um, with the chicago public, because first I was a correctional officer, actually in Indianapolis. Yeah, I moved to Indianapolis right after I graduated from Wilberforce and I couldn't find a job in my field and I became a correctional officer just to pay bills, things like that, and most of my family is in law enforcement, and so I said, well, I'll just do this for a while, and it was a negative and a positive because it's actually what got me into education. So I was a correctional officer in Indianapolis but I started to see the disparity of truly the pipeline to prison and I was helping juveniles learn how to read in the juvenile sector of the prison and I did not realize how many juveniles at that time, especially black and brown ones, could be charged as adults and actually serving, you know, 20 years to life at 15, 16. And most of the students, the young people that were there, always said to me, if I had just known, if I had just had a second, if somebody would have just told me I wouldn't have went out and did this or did that, that would have led them to their whole life being taken.
Speaker 3:And so, in that during that time, the warden was actually leaving the system and wanted to open the first charter school in Indianapolis. And he asked me well, I see you working with the young people, trying to teach them how to read and write, you know, and their math, and I've always been good with math and teaching young people math. And he said well, you know, can you come with me? Do you still want to stay here or do you want to get out? And I told him yeah, I do, I want to leave. I did not want to be a correctional officer. And I just started to see the disparity so much that he said well, I'm going to pay for your education to get your master's to go into teaching. I'm like, no, he's playing with me. And when we got, when he left, I left with him and he did. He helped me get my, my credits to be alternative teacher through the alternative pathway at that time in Indianapolis. And that's how I became a teacher.
Speaker 3:And when I left Indianapolis, I actually went through the leadership process to become a principal in Chicago Public Schools. Well, I was a counselor and then a principal in Chicago Public Schools and that just taught me seeing that this, this, this disparity that we're going through in the school system, is truly something to be seen, and you don't understand it unless you're in the system and that you actually care about it. Like, even our pension fund goes toward different prisons in the country, you know. And so I'm just like, wow, this is crazy. You know we don't even understand, as black teachers and black educators, that we're helping to fund the pipeline to prison. So that's how I got into.
Speaker 3:Ok, I see that one day I want to start my own school and I don't want to be controlled by what we teach as far as with the state or charter schools, because they're still owned by the state. So I just wanted something different and I said, ok, I'm going to use my platform as a, as a black educator, to start my own and to tell other educators they can start their own schools. As a black educator, to start my own and to tell other educators they can start their own schools. We have all these degrees, we have all this knowledge, but we can't even truly give it to our students through the school system because we're so inundated with testing, we're so inundated with, you know, lesson plans and all the other things they give us to do that takes away from our time that we can't even love on our children anymore and give them actual information that will help them live. So that's why I said I was going to start my own school, and that's when I'm, that's what I'm doing wow you, you said a whole lot.
Speaker 1:I'm sitting in process and I love it because I'm an educator too and just listening I'm I'm like, yeah, that's things I face daily. Sometimes I'm able to advocate and speak on stuff and I mean, you know me well. Regardless, if I'm allowed, I'm still going to say it if it's wrong. But I totally, totally agree, it's not a fair I use it not a fair level playing field when it comes to certain Things in education that are still Inequalities. It's still Things that, and especially when you're from, like you're originally from Chicago and I kept kept thinking you're from Indianapolis and they're like I research and Study everybody's educational Things because I deal with kids all over, um, you know. So I have to know, like, okay, what is your background? What?
Speaker 2:are they teaching?
Speaker 1:there, but um for you to name. You know like some educators come on and they're very like. Don't want to name the elephant in the room.
Speaker 3:I appreciate you saying you know, and it is, it is an elephant in the room and, unfortunately, if it doesn't lead to prison, it can lead to death. Because I'm from, like I said, I am from Chicago. Last four years, between 20, 20, I would like to say 20, 20, oh, seven and 2010. We were going to funerals of black boys almost every week, every week, you know, to buy some type of gang violence or you know just just anything. You know, and and it was because I feel like they didn't have the resources. They need to be strong black men to understand that they didn't have to go that way. They see the gang as a family and we should be their family. But if we don't give those type of resources and we don't love on our kids and we're not allowed to anymore, you know, all these things are taken away from us to build them up. You know everything that we had in the school system when we were coming up. They have taken out vocational training, different sports, the arts. You know they're trying to put them back now. Of course, you got steam now, but at that time, between 2005 and 2010,. They had taken everything out and so we lost a lot of young men, you know, to the streets of Chicago and those type of things. So if it's not prison then it's death, and that's one too many black children to lose, and usually because they didn't have the tools they needed to succeed. And so that's why I said at that point it was becoming so disheartening for me to be an educator in the school system and still can't teach them anything outside of the school system that will help them thrive.
Speaker 3:When we get through talking about it, I tell people all the time I've taken trigonometry and calculus. I've never used it in my life, but if you would have taught me finances, guess what? I probably could have started a business 20 years ago. So all these things that we use, these teaching tools and all these type of things, I went to college and still never used calculus and trigonometry. So it was like but you put all this pressure on me just to get my high school diploma and these things don't help me live. And so now the disparity now is they don't want to go to college. You know you have that small sector that do, but it used to be where we wanted to just leave home, so we'd get up and go to college just to leave home. But our young people are seeing now the problem with debt. But that depreciates your education, doesn't? That's an investment in myself, right away from you. Weigh the scale. You see what I'm saying and that's what I look at.
Speaker 3:That, if they don't have that knowledge and a lot of times too, sister Monique is that our parents are not knowledgeable. You know a lot of our first year, first generations and stuff like that their parents don't know either, because they went straight to work, so they're trying to figure it out too. Well, I can't take out a student loan and I can't do this and I can't do that. Well, those of us that know, we should be teaching them that.
Speaker 3:But if nobody ever tells you and I'm right here in the boondocks of Georgia, I'm not in Atlanta, I'm in the boondocks of Georgia, which is considered, you know the outskirts, hiram, georgia, paulding County, carroll County and none of the black and brown counselors are able to tell the students about HBCUs, about what you can look forward to once you leave this. We just focus our kids in the four walls like they're going to stay in Georgia for the rest of their life or they're going to just stay in Chicago the rest of their life. So we don't give them the information to empower them, and that's the problem. I think in that, in our teaching and in starting my school for girls, is that I want to give you the tools to thrive, and if I'm not giving you that, just giving you trigonometry, is not going to help you live and take care of a family and you're going to lose your generation, you know. So that won't help you any, you know. So that's what I try to focus in on.
Speaker 1:And that's what I'm looking at when I look at the disparity of what's going on now in the school system for black and brown children. Yeah, that like you. Like you said that to me and that's what I face every day. I'm glad more people are starting to speak up against it and that's part of the reason why I started my nonprofit is because I was working in the trenches. I was a school counselor administrator, I was, you know, and I'm seeing the things that are being done hands on. You are not about HBCUs, but yet you say you want 100 percent of your kids to go to college.
Speaker 3:Right, right, exactly.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I totally, totally agree with you when it comes to that.
Speaker 3:And I think you put it in one of your postings we're just now putting the HBCUs On the Common app, like okay, we want to put our name on it now he's been doing it.
Speaker 1:He's been doing the Black Common College app.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:We actually promote him on a lot of our things. $20 you can apply To over 68 schools and some of the guidance counselors. They don't do that, yeah, and you?
Speaker 3:know what's crazy. I work out here in Paulding County and I have black and brown students but it still is majority white out here. But when I talk to the black and brown students because my daughter was in the system here before she left for the military I would ask the students where do you want to go? And I would ask them why you don't go to HBCU here. Oh, I didn't know, savannah State was a HBCU. You live in Georgia. You mean you don't know the HBCUs right here in your own state and you don't know that you can use your Georgia benefits right here in your own state where it costs you less in your own state. Now, don't get me wrong, some states don't have an HBCU, but those that do, don't you think they should be pushing that to the students you know and going to those?
Speaker 3:schools the only thing you tell them about is Georgia State, like it's the only school here.
Speaker 1:You know, yeah, we have I think nine. Some of them might not be open anymore here in Texas. In Texas, yeah, and when I say it's like pulling teeth, oh no, we just want to go here, we just want our kids to go here. I have several friends who are alum and several friends that are actual admissions counselors. One year it was so bad I'm not going to put the school on blast, but one of the counselors had to have a meet and greet at one of the local restaurants because the school district did not um open their doors so that person can have um get to meet students so they could possibly go to that hbcu you see, you, yeah, that, that's crazy, that's crazy you know, it has to make it popular for everybody who wanted to go to HBCU now.
Speaker 3:It's the end thing to do now because you know certain celebrities have talked about the HBCUs and stuff like that, but it's true, I think, yeah, it's crazy to me and so not understanding. You know, and don't get me wrong, the PWI has had their place for those students that have to go there, for black and brown students that have to go there and offer them the money. But here's the thing I've seen a lot of students go to PWIs and they come right back home.
Speaker 3:So now you've taken out a loan and went in debt to come right back home because you felt out of place and you wasn't loved on. You were not taken care of. Nobody made sure that you got on the path to stay to graduate like a HBCU will no college campus will love and take care of you and wrap themselves around you like a HBCU. I don't care what nobody says, it's the thing of you got your money, your number. Figure it out. You do have some black and brown students that can figure it out and go right through there, but you've got a lot that don't. And they wasn't prepared when they went. They wasn't prepared when they went.
Speaker 3:We're seeing now in the high schools the study habits are so poor. You know the writing skills are so poor. You're sitting here using chat, GTP, things like that, Things that can get you in trouble with plagiarism. The skills are so poor. You're sitting here using chat, GTP, things like that, Things that can get you in trouble with plagiarism. The skills are so low by the time they come in. They're taking remedial classes when they do go to college, so they're feeling like I'm in high school all over again. I'm not doing anything different, I'm not learning anything different and they don't find their place at these PWIs and then they end up back home and the unfortunate thing, if they flunk out then it's hard for them to get back into another school. And they've taken out loans and made investments and things like that and just did not know what they were set up for. And I can't convey to you what it's like to be at a PWI because I didn't go to one.
Speaker 1:I did my advanced degrees. I didn't go to one. That's it, my advanced degrees. I didn't go, Not for the advanced degrees but undergrad.
Speaker 3:You know my first love? Look, let me tell you. Until somebody asked me where I went to grad school, I'll never mention it. I went to one school, Wilberforce, that's it.
Speaker 1:That's funny because I do the same.
Speaker 3:I have to literally think sometimes where did I get my advanced degrees at? Because people never you know, until they ask me I have to. Oh yeah, northeastern, you know but other than that.
Speaker 3:If somebody asked me where I went to school, it's you know. So I can't convey to students what it's like to go and take your time and go to a PWI and what you will face. But I what I can tell you what you won't get is the love and respect and the comfort of knowing that you're with family like you would at a HBCU. That I can't tell you what you won't get at a PWI. I can't tell you what you will get, but I know the love and the honor and respect of being around people that look like you, that feel like you, that want to be great in life is right there at HBCU One is that you succeed.
Speaker 1:I want to say I know I dealt with a lot of personal family issues at Wilberforce. I still to this day. A lot of those people who were there, uh, that know exactly when I got the call about my sister. You know they, they still to this day like mo you all right, I know it's around that time you know right, that's right, that's right you might get some people like, hey, I'm sorry for your loss, but they're not going to show up.
Speaker 3:Right, right, yeah, you know, for weddings, anniversaries, you know we come together at homecoming and dawn. You know all these things to celebrate and love on one another, Even to this day. My best friends from Louisville Forest and from my HBCU experience at Central State, right across the street, you know just meeting and being around people that look like you, that love on you and want to see you do better, and as alumni, when you join your alumni council in your state or your city, it's like man, we haven't missed the beat. We're just still on everybody cheering each other on. Seriously, you know, when I go to the HBCU meetings for Little Force alumni, let's go. What you doing, what you doing, what you doing. How can we support this? How can we support that? You know we got our chat rooms and I know every HBCU has that. You know where they're still supporting their alumni, pushing them forward, always giving them those accolades they need to stand them up.
Speaker 3:So that's what I look at when I look at starting my own school and I told my husband when I um, when I initially wanted to start my school I just look at bethune cook me. You know, the greatest influence to me as far as a woman starting. Uh, come on, man, what she did to start her school. You know who would thought years later. I know she probably never thought in her mind that to this day I would still have black and brown students getting degrees in mass numbers and in every field of endeavor. You know. So I use her as my catalyst. You know that that's what I set my sights on, what she did.
Speaker 1:Wow, and she's in DC. So yeah, come on now.
Speaker 3:The girl was bad as all get out and what she did, and don't get me wrong, there was other women that helped start institutions, but I just look at Bethune-Cookman as the catalyst for me as far as having what you need to start a school. And if you don't have anything which she didn't she had a dollar in her pocket, you know, and is one of the greatest HBCUs, and so I know if she could do it and she didn't have anything but her voice and a dollar I know I can do it too. So that's what I push for, and so I'm starting my school next year. We're starting off as a after school program this year, but come next year, when the school year starts, we will be a full all girls private school, nonprofit private school, so that we can teach the culture to our young ladies and it can be a safe, safe zone. I'm going to tell you another thing, sis.
Speaker 3:I hate when I hear on the news that black girls and black young men can't even wear their hairstyles or they're depreciated, devalued for their hair or just being in the school. You know, regardless of what city or state they're in, they got to, you know feel some type of way when they go into school. No, the school should be a safe zone and it should be other people advocating for them that work there. If that's not what you're doing as an educator, then you shouldn't be an educator. If you're not standing up for kids, I wish somebody would hurt a black or brown child while I'm standing there.
Speaker 3:So that's how I feel about having this safe space for these girls is that you could come in here. You can feel proud of your skin tone, your hue, who you are as a young lady. I'm going to give them every affirmation that they need to be proud of who they are and whose they are, and give them that so that when they do finish in our program, even though we're only going up to eighth grade, they know, going into high school, I am that woman. I'm that great woman that's going to make a change in the world, and I was given the tools to do so. So that's what I look at and that's what that's what I strive for.
Speaker 1:Wow, we have just flown by everything. My goodness, but I don't you know. Hey, it is. It is my goodness, but I don't you know. Hey, it is. It is. Hello. My name is Monique Robinson and I am a children's author. I also wear a lot of other mini hats, but today I am going to talk about my books now how the idea of writing came about. It was actually my nephews, junior and Mark, have motivated me to want to write.
Speaker 1:I love literacy. I've been an educator for 23 years and reading is very important to me, and when they told me they didn't like to read, who says that? So when my nephews told me they didn't like to read, what I did as their aunt is, I created children's books that has African-American boys doing some unique, amazing things, and it has like a little twist in some of them because they also inspire historical facts in one. Now, recently, I am in the works of making another children's book that deals with Kwanzaa, so that one will be out during the holidays. So please, please, please, check that one out or follow me and see when that one will get released. But right now I have this book here. It actually is all three of my books in one. So it has my first book, abc Black History, where it goes through the alphabet of all the African-American inventions history, where it goes through the alphabet of all the African-American inventions. And then I have my second book, a unique, adventurous story about the magical cheese. And then my most recent one, which is every day, is black history. You know, black history can be something in history has happened every day and all three of my books just really, really love them.
Speaker 1:The pictures make you feel like you are in the adventure, but, as a teacher, to see scholars light up when they see things that represent them inside the book is also wonderful. Now you can purchase my children's book on Amazon or you can inbox me and I can probably give you a cheaper rate than Amazon. But they are on Amazon, they are on Lulu, they are on Barnes and Noble. But, most important, when you read my book, you will see pictures that I don't know if you can really see it, pictures where the characters actually look and resemble, look and resemble us. It represents us. I'm really excited about my upcoming book because growing up in my family, we actually celebrated both. My family celebrated Kwanzaa and we also celebrate Christmas. So this book that's coming out is going to tell that story from my nephew's point of view, and I can't give you all the details of the story yet because I'm so excited that we are venturing out and actually doing a holiday one this year. But I love, love, love to see our young people read and I love it, more importantly, when they read and they see them reflecting in the pages. So my name is Monique Robinson.
Speaker 1:I have been an author for, I want to say, six years as a published author. I used to write all the time when I was in school. According to my mom, she used to tell me I used to have notebooks of just poems and things like that. So I wish I could find it because then I could probably share it with you guys. But I really, really really do love the fact that there are a lot of African-American authors who are doing some amazing things that are reaching out, that are touching the lives of youngsters. I also would like to collaborate. I am a collaborating author and I can't do anything but thank the Filmpreneur Project for pushing me in that aspect of my life to where I'm able to write down things that I may have experienced and I'm able to also talk about it.
Speaker 1:But, like I said today, I'm strictly here for the children's books. But I just wanted to inform you that, hey, get on Amazon, get on Lulu. This one is actually for purchase on Lulu, but if you do not want to pay those extra fees and things, you can actually get it through me. Send me your info and I can send you an invoice, and you can get all three books in one book for the price of one. So pretty amazing. Now the other thing that I would like to tell you is be on the lookout for our Christmas book. Also, be on the lookout for another journal Well, I can't say another journal.
Speaker 1:I'm excited about this journal because it is youth affirmations, affirmations for young people, because often we do things but we forget about our young people, because often we do things but we forget about our young people. So we're going to have several things coming out as the holiday season is approaching. So look out for our Christmas book and also look out for our journal. Now, if you have any questions about the books, about meeting me, about the books about meeting me, you can email me at mrobinson, at abcyouthfuturesinccom, or you can just follow me on Facebook and inbox me. You can follow me on actually any other social media sites and inbox me, and we will greatly assist you with your needs.
Speaker 2:Thanks for watching A Better Chance for Youth television show with your host, monique Robinson, the television show where we highlight incredible students in their quest to change the world. Join us each and every week as we uplift our youth and help them on their journey to the bright future they deserve. So until next time, god bless from your friends. On a better chance for youth television show with your host, monique Robinson.
