Psychology Graduate Traces Connections in Africatown Documentary
Posted on May 16, 2023
Tiffany Pogue describes her life as a journey and her education as a process that pulls her in different directions.
Sheās an artist and a poet. Sheās a voting rights advocate who hosts open mic nights for local nonprofits. Sheās critiques conventional wisdom in business, politics and culture.
āIām definitely rebellious,ā she said. āI question everything about society.ā
A spring graduate of the University of South ĒąÉ¬Ö±²„, Pogue grew up attending the Kiwanis Boys & Girls Club for after-school programs that introduced her to everything from art and aviation to photography and public speaking. As a University student, she worked part-time as social media director for all the Boys & Girls Clubs of South ĒąÉ¬Ö±²„.
āItās part of my path,ā she said. āItās who Iām supposed to be. I was a club kid growing up and it gave me so many opportunities. I wouldnāt be the person I am today, or have the ambition I have today, if it wasnāt for the Boys & Girls Club.ā
A high school summer internship in USA's Study Abroad program opened her eyes to travel and education. Five years later, she won a Gilman International Scholarship. She worked as a photographer and videographer during an internship with a theater company in Madrid, Spain.
āItās the most challenging and liberating thing Iāve ever done,ā she said. āI worked for a company that taught English to children through theater. So cool. What a concept.ā
Pogue, 23, who majored in psychology and minored in sociology, tries to make the most of her opportunities. Sometimes her hard work pays off. Sometimes she gets lucky.
Last year, while walking across campus one day, she ran into Dr. Kern Jackson, director of the African American Studies Program. He served as co-writer and co-producer of āDescendant,ā the 2022 documentary about the families of survivors from the Clotilda, the last ship to carry enslaved Africans to the United States.
They had never met, but Kern offered an invitation.
āHe said, āDo you want to watch a movie about Black people in Mobile?āā Pogue recalled. āI said, āSure, why not?ā When he said it was about Africatown, I said, āOh, thatās my family.ā Then I walked into the room and I saw my cousin, Veda Tunstall, and we hadnāt seen each other in a long time, but we reconnected, and connected all the dots, and she called up her mom, who held the history in her heart. It was crazy to have this revelation.
āThen I watched the movie and I thought it was powerful. It really got the message across that descendants are here now and facing so many obstacles, especially environmentally, and thereās a fight there that has to be fought. It was a real call to action for Africatown and for myself.ā
Pogue wound up working with Joycelyn Davis, one of the community activists in the documentary, on the Spirit Of Our Ancestors Film Festival. She joined the Clotilda Descendants Association and organized an open-mic fundraiser that raised $1,600 for the organization.
In some of her own poems, Pogue talks about her parents and her multiracial family. Her father, Wendell Pogue, died in a traffic accident when she was 2 years old. He had served in the Navy and met her mother, Rhemie Pogue, in the Philippines.
Tiffany Pogue grew up shy but outspoken. She doesnāt mind saying things other people wouldnāt say. She doesnāt fear doing things other people wouldnāt do.
During high school, for instance, Pogue decided she would stop straightening her hair and wearing makeup regularly.
āMy crush at the time, he asked, āAre you sick?āā she said, laughing, ābut thatās been me ever since. I decided I canāt truly love myself if I donāt love myself at my most natural. The way I was made is perfect, and I like to see myself as perfect at my worst and if anyone else sees me that way, thatās a plus.ā
Making an Impression
Jarmora Valrie, director of the Multicultural Leadership Center at South, has known Pogue for three years. She is a regular at Thursday lunches attended by more than 50 students and leaders on campus.
āMost students just sit with other people they know, but Tiffany works the room,ā Valrie said. āSheās going to engage you. She talks with everyone, spends a little time with everyone. She has this understanding about people. Thatās unusual.
āWhenever we have events, we like to put Tiffany out front, because sheās a storyteller. She likes to tell stories and sheās thoughtful about the way she does it. Her perspective is head and shoulders above a lot of her peers.ā
At the downtown offices for the Boys & Girls Club of South ĒąÉ¬Ö±²„, Pogue makes an impression even when sheās not around. The hallways are lined with her photos of children in Mobile.
āSheās a phenomenal photographer,ā said Brenda Carlisle, chief philanthropy officer for the Boys & Girls Club. āShe has this energy and a great personal story. Sheās the epitome of a club kid. I canāt say enough about her.ā
As social media director, Pogue visits local clubs for meetings and events. She started the āMore Than Enoughā Advocates for Girls Empowerment Conference, a program for middle school students, which features activities and motivational speakers.
āSheās mature beyond her years,ā said Carlisle. āSheās talented and passionate. She could do anything in life.ā
Art and History in Mobile
Pogue isnāt sure what sheās going to do after graduation. Sheās thinking about taking a year off to work, save a little money and contribute to the Mobile community. Then she plans on returning to graduate school for a masterās degree in educational leadership.
Her creative work has included paintings and art projects. On Dauphin Street, she helped Devlin Wilson, a Mobile artist, paint a mural of a historic downtown scene. Along Airport Road, one of her abstract canvases is on display at a store in the Shoppes at Bel Air.
Pogue isnāt a film or TV fanatic, but she has watched every episode of āThe Good Placeā five times. She enjoys a quirky comedy that discusses ethics and philosophy in a heaven-like utopia.
āI like the concept and the moral appeal of it all,ā she said. āIām learning something and Iām being entertained. I think that describes me pretty well.ā
When Pogue was a young girl, she made two trips to her motherās hometown in the Philippines. Before her internship in Spain, she visited one of her cousins living in Switzerland. The girlās family was making a trip to Rome, so she tagged along for that, too.
Sheās always meeting people and making connections. At South, Pogue celebrates the positive and speaks out for her interests.
When she didnāt enjoy one of her sociology classes, for example, Pogue asked her professor if he could restructure the course. That was an awkward conversation, but it had a positive result.
āOne day he let me teach the class and I loved it,ā she said, laughing. āI got to make my own PowerPoint and ask critical questions. I consider that one of my greatest accomplishments.ā
Tiffany jokes that she takes after her grandfather, Jerry Pogue, who was a lawyer and Civil Rights activist. Thereās a picture of him in a Marx Library display carrying a flag during a protest march in Mobile.
āHe was a very strong man, he had a very strong voice,ā she said. āI remember he would take me and my cousins to McDonaldās, buy us all cheeseburgers, and have us repeat after him: āI am somebody. I will go to college. I will make good grades. I will uplift my community because I am somebody.
āHe would say a lot of different things as an affirmation. At the time, I thought it was annoying, but now I think it was super powerful. I look back and think that contributed to my character and how I encourage other people.ā
When sheās not advising others, Pogue tries to manage her own life.
She needs to be self-aware. She wants to understand what sheās doing and why. Thatās part of her journey.
āEvery year, I give myself a word to reflect on,ā Pogue said. āLast year, I noticed that I would shut down and not be open to other people, so I made my word vulnerability. This year, itās āintention.ā Making decisions and paying attention to what that means. I think next year itās going to be ābalance.āā
