Black History Month 2016

People’s Corner: Toya Poplar

 

Tell us about yourself

I grew up in Muskegon, Michigan, and as much as I dreamed of leaving when I was a little girl, I cannot imagine growing up anywhere else.  Michigan holds a special place in my heart and I feel as though a great deal of who I am is because of where I am from. I am married to my high school sweetheart, Melvin. I am a lover of words  and I am in love with The Lover of my Soul, Jesus.  I am a photographer, poet, public speaker, purity presenter, paradigm shifter, and a proud mommy of 6 children.

I currently reside in the State of Alabama, where my grandfather was a sharecropper for 35 years, before migrating to Michigan. I love living in Huntsville!  Together my husband and I cohost a monthly group for local Christian Artists known as Rhymers for the Lord.  I am also the author of the new book Stop Write There .

What motivates you to do what you do?

I had the privilege of growing up in the 80‘s with a Black Pediatrician, Teachers, Principal and Pastor whom I also was able to call my father. By the time I was a senior in High School, our city’s Mayor was not only a black female, but also a strong Believer in Christ.  It would be easy to assume that I grew up in a predominantly Black town, but the truth is, my home town was 74.1% segregated.  I did not know anything about the census when I was little, but I did know that Black children were not allowed to enter our local candy store more than 2 at a time.  When we would travel to The South in the summer, we knew better than to stop in certain towns to use the bathroom and because of this, we became proficient at squatting when we had to go potty. Though we did not vocalize our frustration with the inequalities we faced, our teachers and parents had to teach us much more than mere academics.  One of the greatest skill sets they taught us was to not let our good be evil spoke of.  

Songs like “We Shall Overcome” or “Lift Every Voice and Sing” made me realize that my world was not much different from that of the Civil Rights Leaders I had learned about.  The beauty that stemmed from deferred hope making my heart sad was that I felt an urgency to succeed at something.  I considered Politics because the Mayor of my hometown was once my brother’s Preschool Teacher. I wished to be a Teacher because of the impact my Teachers made on me.  I wanted to be a Minister not just because of the sermons my Daddy preached, but because of the life he lived and the legacy he left.  I believe that children become what they behold.  So much of who I have become is because of what I beheld back then.  I was blessed to be poured into by people who were not placed in positions because of the color of their skin, but due to integrity of heart, hard work, professionalism and perseverance.

What is one verse that has been significant in your life and why?

“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 KJV

This verse is significant to my life because if what is in my heart is unclean, then what I say will be contaminated. If what I am saying is not acceptable to God, then I would rather say nothing at all.  Our words are powerful and correlate directly with what is in our hearts.  Our words shape the world that we live in.  If the words from our mouths change, and the meditation of our hearts change, we can change the world.

What is God speaking to you right now?

The Lord has given me a sense of urgency to inspire those who inspire to write what is in their hearts.  To focus on the things that have eternal purpose attached to them.  It does not necessarily have to be some grand accomplishment, but making the small interactions that we have with one another feel grand.  He has also been highlighting how most of our countries’ issues that the media portrays as racial tension, are really Spiritual Warfare between light and darkness; a battle between good and evil. As believers we are called to take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but yet expose them.  The Word reveals that our battle is not against flesh and blood; it is against rulers of darkness and our role is to be the light.  As long as the enemy can distract us with skin color, we will be blind to his devices and we will in turn be so deceived that we will do his work for him.  As Ministers of Reconciliation, we should search for ways to unite rather than speak words that divide.

What is one of your most memorable God moments in this city?

One of my most memorable God moments in this city was the “Our City on a Hill” launch.  For years I longed to see a move of God in which the Body of Christ collaborates with one another instead of competes against each other.  Social Media generally creates an environment in which we broadcast ourselves and Our City on a Hill is an opportunity for us to tune in to one another.  During a time in which storytelling seems like a lost art, it is refreshing to read an article that contains more than 140 characters.  I am thankful for our literal city on a hill, Huntsville, Alabama, (that sits in the Tennessee Valley) in a State that once terrified me every February is now the place I refer to as home sweet home.

Tags: Black History Month, Huntsville, Melvin Poplar Jr., Muskegon, Our City On A Hill, Rhymersforthelord, Stop Write There, Toya Poplar