Taneya believed that everyone possesses gifts they must use to uplift oneself and one’s community.

Her leadership was free spirited and full. She lived in the communities she served. She sought out and supported Black businesses. She was invested in our literature and she was a protector of our legacies.

Taneya believed in social justice, in informed agitation, in the healing deliverance of prayer and music, in the diversity of books, in the love of family, in celebrating each other, and in calling on ancestors and elders for strength and guidance.

Taneya especially loved to dance, and danced in celebration of living. That spirit of movement was also imbued in her academic and professional commitment to scholar activism. She rigorously studied the history of radicalism at Spelman, wrote about the importance of renewing our commitment to cultural activism, and created library programs to educate the community about our undertold stories.

We hope that in providing funding for students who share her commitment to making a radical impact on campus and in the community, we will continue Taneya’s fierce devotion to her family, both blood and spirit.