Coleman's class was the only place I ever heard myself represented in a matter-of-fact way. When teaching the writings of James Baldwin, he noted that Baldwin was gay and moved on, the quiet eloquence of his non-judgmental comments not lost - never lost - on me. 

Almost 50 years later, Liz White, Curator at the University's Museum of Natural and Cultural History, contacted me about my collection. She was delighted to find I had two Afro Ducks, and their presence in the Museum of Natural and Cultural History has promoted deep and thoughtful discussions about their meaning and role. 

The Civil Rights Movement was part and parcel of my upbringing, with images of attack dogs and firehoses being used against demonstrators seared in my mind.

Now, 50 years later, as the Black Lives Matter Movement attests, we're not there yet.