Taylor Derielle Flake of Cordova received the Vanderhaar Student Peace Award this month during a symposium at Christian Brothers University.
The Vanderhaar Symposium is an annual city-wide activity, featuring noted scholars and/or activists addressing social and moral issues related to peace and justice.
The award recognizes an undergraduate or graduate student within Memphis involved in non-violent work for peace and justice. It includes a $600 prize. Flake, a sophomore history major at CBU, organized the founding of CBU’s collegiate chapter of the NAACP during her freshman year.
In 2013, she was the first African-American class president at Arlington High School when it was part of the Shelby County Schools (SCS) district. She was in the news then over allegations of racial discrimination when she was not chosen as a graduation speaker.An SCS investigation into the allegations did not find in her favor, noting that graduation speaking slots go to the two top academic students in the class and a third student nominated by teachers and voted on by the senior class.
She and her mother met with NAACP officials during the process. Although Flake’s request to speak at graduation was not fulfilled, the struggle apparently strengthened some of her core beliefs.
“Because of the relationship I developed with the NAACP during high school, I felt that beginning a chapter at CBU would be an effective way to create a structure for social change,” she said. “I spent my freshman year preparing for approval of a NAACP collegiate chapter; CBU received its charter in July 2014. I was then elected by my peers to be our first chapter president.”
Under her leadership, the student chapter of the NAACP has worked to create programs and initiatives that challenge CBU and the city of Memphis to face community issues and work together to solve them. Programs have included the Juvenile Justice Summit, NAACP Reads, and the Black Lives Matter Campaign.
Dr. Jeff Gross, assistant professor of literature and languages, is the faculty adviser for CBU’s NAACP chapter, and he introduced Flake at the symposium.
“The NAACP chartering ceremony was one of the most impressive events I have seen at CBU,” Gross said. “Taylor’s invitations reached dignitaries from across Tennessee. During her speech, Taylor stated emphatically that CBU’s campus chapter ‘will stand for something,’ as she aligned the core values of the NAACP with CBU’s own Lasallian values. Under Taylor’s leadership, the NAACP is also engaging with childhood literacy and food justice issues.
Flake is the daughter of Derek and Sherita Flake of Cordova.
For more information on CBU’s NAACP chapter, email tflake@cbu.edu.
