To most, history class is the easy course you can pass in your sleep. For me, history  class— specifically eleventh grade United States history—changed the course of my life and  academic career. While much of the content was not new to me, the perspective and candor  brought by my history teacher changed the way I viewed the subject from then on. It was in  Mrs. Sheffield’s class that I learned history is far more than aged men in powdered wigs or  senseless wars, but it is a rather complex recording of societal feelings, norms, and overall  ways of living. Well before college I knew my career journey was deadlocked onto the  attorney career path. At the time, I did not have the language to articulate a specified interest  in one legal practice area, but I knew my main purpose as an attorney would be to educate and  uplift Black communities. After my junior  

year in high school, I chose to let passion lead  

my path, finalizing my undergraduate major  

in History when I decided on Texas Southern  

University.  

The longer I spent studying history, the  

deeper my passion for the subject grew. The  

unique curriculum implemented by the TSU  

history department exposed me to  

perspectives of history that shifted the way I  

view the world. This feeling came to a peak in  

my African American History I course, when I learned of Queen Njinga of Angola. An African  Queen of the Seventeenth Century, whose mark in history is defined by her decades long  success of protecting the people of Angola from the horrors of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.  Queen Njinga spent her life successfully fighting, reigning, and politically strategizing  maneuvers to stop the colonizing power of the Portuguese while protecting African peoples. 

Her impact lives well beyond her story, and yet those who know of her existence of few and  far between. Upon learning of Queen Njinga, I decided her story, and the thousands of stories  we have yet to hear, needed to be told.  

          In today’s society, social media is an apex communication center. One has no limit on the  ability to share their          all aspects of their life and persona through outlets like Instagram and  TikTok. My passion for history, as well          as my long-standing dedication to the legal path, are  both foundational parts of my character. In college, I           increasingly felt a desire to let these  foundations flourish by creating a space to share historical accounts, my           academic journey,  and overall fuse these two passion-filled  

elements. This is how @BaileytheScholar was  

born. On my platform, I share history facts of the  

day—ranging from African American trailblazers  

to the sex lives of our United States Presidents— 

in addition to videos on my journey as a first-generation law student. Recently, I have been intentional on showing the nexus between history and law, how a society’s legal codes are an  in-depth look at their culture, values, and general outlook on their people. While  @BaileytheScholar started as a place for me to document my academic journey and share my  passions, it has since flourished into a place where viewers can reimagine the boring topics  they learned in history class and change their perspective on life.  

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    It is my sincere intention to continue sharing my passion for history with others, both online at  @BaileytheScholar and in real time in my legal career as an education law and civil rights           attorney. Through 90-second history facts, digital media, and advocacy, I hope to continue  sharing the wealth of information and perspectives packed within our history. 

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