Conclusion

Branch Out with the Lemon Project 2018

From our interviews with the Legacy 3, we learned that each place has layers of meaning. By creating a community, a home away from home, the women forged a space for themselves in a place not built for them. They not only met challenges due to their race but also due to gender roles. The women noted that they arrived at a time when the women’s movement was just gaining momentum. As charter members of the Black Student Organization, the Legacy 3 created a safe space and set positive examples to shift the perception of African-American women on campus. The women found comfort in spaces outside of campus, notably in places around Colonial Williamsburg and in local churches, like First Baptist Church. In spite of difficulties, Briley, Ely, and Brown Strafer persevered and successfully earned their degrees. For them, navigating the academic rigor of and graduating from William & Mary set an important precedent for future African-American students. When Lynn Briley was asked about her bold moment, she talks about the perception on campus that African-Americans could only be housekeepers, food service workers, and maintenance people, so she chose to carry a book everywhere she went. “They needed to see another face,” Briley stated, “that an African American could be a scholar on this campus… that’s my bold moment.”