Dr. Alvin Schexnider's father, Alfred Schexnider, and mother, Ruth Mayfield Schexnider.
“It’s important to know from whence we came,” said Schexnider, former chancellor of Winston-Salem University and author of Saving Black Colleges. “The struggles that people endured to create opportunities that they themselves were never going to be able to do.”
In Mayfield and Schexnider: Portrait of a Family, Schexnider unravels past mysteries while connecting the faith and encouragement of past generations to the success of future descendants, how family sacrifices put children on the path toward higher education and successful careers, almost all of which began at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
“In a sense, my grandmother lived her life through her children. They fulfilled an ambition that she had, that her father had,” said Schexnider, recalling how his grandmother Arlene had to drop out of school when her father died, never getting the chance to graduate high school herself. Despite that, she sent three of her daughters on to Xavier University in New Orleans and Texas College in Tyler, two private HBCUs.
“Education was the key then and, I think, now. It’s the one great equalizer in society,” said Schexnider. “The sacrifices people made to create opportunities that they knew they would never enjoy. They wanted to create a better life.”
While living in Winston-Salem, Schexnider became acquainted with Maya Angelou, whom he invited to speak at the campus many times.
“She was fond of saying, ‘somebody paid for you,’ meaning, ‘somebody worked hard to create an opportunity for you,’” said Schexnider. “That was her way of reminding students that this is your opportunity to take advantage of. Somebody sacrificed mightily for you to be here.”
