Dr. Niecy Fuqua
~ Author/Speaker ~
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Copa: Where are from?
Dr. Niecy: I'm from the beautiful town of Glade Spring, Virginia. Copa: Tell us about your educational background.
Dr. Niecy: Niecy: I graduated from Patrick Henry High School; I loved my History classes. Paul Revere was an interesting character riding his horse spreading the message that" the British are coming." Art was another one of my favorite courses which I actually drew a picture of him on his Midnight ride. I also drew a picture of Betsy Ross. The first college I attended was Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia where I majored in Graphic Design. Unfortunately, six months in the university discontinued the Graphics Design program. So, therefore I had to change my major. My mother and father ask me to take Computer Science, and because I wanted to please them, I did. I didn't do well so I eventually dropped out and traveled to Washington, DC to start modeling for a while. Later, I returned home to visit, and my father died shortly afterwards of a heart attack. Later on in life I returned to my studies and attended the University of Maryland University College. There I received my Bachelor's Degree in Management Studies with a Minor in Human Resources. The next school would be the Master's program at Webster University in Charleston, South Carolina. My major was in Human Resources Development where I received my Master's Degree. I graduated at the top of my class. I felt that my education wasn't complete, so I decided to continue on to acquire my Doctorate in Organizational Leadership. The reason I chose this degree program was because as a federal employee I had experienced working with ineffective leaders. Therefore, I wanted to learn how I could assist with leadership improvement. My dissertation was about Teacher’s Leadership Styles and Graduation Rates of the South Carolina school systems. The city I researched had one of the lowest graduation rates in the state. The study included five schools in this unidentified school district. I wanted to find out if the teacher’s leadership styles affected graduation rates. I researched the schools and the teachers and how they led in the classroom. The results of the research yield that a collaborative style was more effective in the schools. Just like the African Proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” meaning it takes a entire community of people to provide. 
Speakers
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Virginia State Flag
Map of Virginia
Dr. Niecy Fuqua's 2022 "Author of Year" Award from Copa Style Magazine
Dr. Niecy's Book:" Cultivating A Culture of Nonviolence in Early Childhood Development Centers and Schools"
Dr. Niecy's Children's Book "Secure Your Cape"
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Dr. Niecy's maternal grandmother.
Copa: Who was the most influential person in your life?
Dr. Niecy: That would be my maternal grandmother who had a disability, I never looked at her that way because she was a very strong woman. She was married and lived out what I would call a normal life with 11 children. She was also known as the neighborhood quilt lady, making quilts was a hobby of hers. I always looked up to her. It was amazing that she could do many things with only one leg. Nothing seemed to stop her, also all of her 11 children ended up doing very well in their lives. I always looked up to her however, I didn't always agree with her mindset. It was a little different because she was born in 1905, she felt that white people were always right. We should always follow what they say to stay out of trouble. I didn't really understand the race thing either because she married a black man and had black children. The funny thing was she didn't care very much for dark skinned people. I never did understand this about her until a few years ago. I found out she only had about 25% of black in her. Her mother was a full blooded Indian and her father was part black, white and something else. If you could see a photo of him you would probably say he was a white man.
Her sisters moved up north to get better jobs by passing for white. I guess they did what they needed to do to make a life for themselves.
Dr. Niecy: That would be my maternal grandmother who had a disability, I never looked at her that way because she was a very strong woman. She was married and lived out what I would call a normal life with 11 children. She was also known as the neighborhood quilt lady, making quilts was a hobby of hers. I always looked up to her. It was amazing that she could do many things with only one leg. Nothing seemed to stop her, also all of her 11 children ended up doing very well in their lives. I always looked up to her however, I didn't always agree with her mindset. It was a little different because she was born in 1905, she felt that white people were always right. We should always follow what they say to stay out of trouble. I didn't really understand the race thing either because she married a black man and had black children. The funny thing was she didn't care very much for dark skinned people. I never did understand this about her until a few years ago. I found out she only had about 25% of black in her. Her mother was a full blooded Indian and her father was part black, white and something else. If you could see a photo of him you would probably say he was a white man.
Her sisters moved up north to get better jobs by passing for white. I guess they did what they needed to do to make a life for themselves.
Copa: What was the biggest thing you've learned from your Grandmother?
Dr. Niecy: I would say it would be to never give up! The life she lived will always be with me. She’s my inspiration. If she can accomplish her dreams in life, with a disability, then anybody can do what they want to do, no excuses.
My grandmother on my dad's side was an Apostolic Pentecostal holiness preacher. She was a woman of great strength and had a great love for Jazz music. I didn’t know her that well, but I loved her. She is part of who I am. She was a beautiful woman of God.
Dr. Niecy: I would say it would be to never give up! The life she lived will always be with me. She’s my inspiration. If she can accomplish her dreams in life, with a disability, then anybody can do what they want to do, no excuses.
My grandmother on my dad's side was an Apostolic Pentecostal holiness preacher. She was a woman of great strength and had a great love for Jazz music. I didn’t know her that well, but I loved her. She is part of who I am. She was a beautiful woman of God.
Niecy's paternal Grandmother
Copa: How about your Mom?
Dr. Niecy: My mother was a working woman. I was part of the latchkey generation where we came home from school and took care of ourselves until our parents came home from work. My mother taught me and my sister how to cook and clean at a very young age. We lived in the country, but my mother didn't cook a lot of typical 'country food' like chitlins or anything like that. She didn't really raise us like country children. To sum things up, my mother was a great influence on my life.
Dr. Niecy: My mother was a working woman. I was part of the latchkey generation where we came home from school and took care of ourselves until our parents came home from work. My mother taught me and my sister how to cook and clean at a very young age. We lived in the country, but my mother didn't cook a lot of typical 'country food' like chitlins or anything like that. She didn't really raise us like country children. To sum things up, my mother was a great influence on my life.
