I could have never gone to prom without a date. You just did not go because you'd be talked about so bad,'' says Marsha, who was just out of high school when she gave birth to Cassie, the first of her four children. Cassie's not a follower. She's had problems in the past with low self-esteem. But her daddy always tells her how she's such a good role model.
Cassie thinks of that image with awe.
She likes the idea of a career in politics or law but seems unsure about the process, about her entry point. Nobody on either side of her family has attended college, and Cassie is already looking at small, Southern black colleges for her next growth spurt. I need to step out into the world and see things for myself. I need to learn more, because knowledge is strength.