Featured Alumni: Bex Riehm

From San Diego to Moscow; Finding Myself and a Safe Space

I was raised in San Diego, California in a single-parent household. It was mainly just my brother, my mother and myself. The idea of going to college, whether due to financial constraints or personal determination, seemed out of reach for me. Growing up in poverty, my main focus was on securing a stable home rather than pursuing higher education and its potential professional benefits. I didn't feel like I had the luxury of taking time off work to attend school. Little did I know that I would eventually find my way.

I made the decision to get married, and my husband at the time believed in my tenacity and ability to work hard. With his support, I determined to pursue higher education. I changed my major multiple times, starting with film, then music, back to film, followed by drug and alcohol studies, psychology and marketing. It was a varied journey. After three years at community college, I received an associate's degree in psychology with a focus on Alcohol and Other Drug Studies. In 2021, I transferred to University of Idaho. Recently, I completed my bachelor's degree in Psychology and Criminology. My favorite class during my time here was a citizen police academy class, which allowed me to build strong relationships with the Moscow Police Department — an amazing experience.

When I first arrived at U of I, I kept receiving concerned calls from my aunt. She asked if I was safe and how cautious I was being. At the time, I didn't understand her worry. She had lived in Pullman during the 70s and 80s but would come to Moscow for dates and other activities. However, she continued to express her concern about a young black woman moving to a place like Moscow. Growing up in San Diego, surrounded by diversity and different cultures, I never really thought about it. It never crossed my mind that I would face discrimination just because of my race. It wasn't a genuine concern for me until my aunt repeatedly expressed her worry. To be completely honest, I have faced more hate for being from California than for being Black. That being said, I recognize that I have the privilege of being of mixed race. I am not as dark-skinned as some of my peers or coworkers, and I emphasize this because I still don't feel like I fully fit in. I love marching band and music, but since I'm not a music major, there is a disconnect in those spaces. The same can be said within the Black community. There is a small disconnect that I feel due to my mixed heritage. This is in no way anyone's fault, but it is a feeling I experience. I am just white enough to benefit from certain privileges, but just Black enough to not be fully accepted as white. A simple way to explain this is comparing it to the stereotype that blondes have more fun or that brunettes are bookworms. These may seem superficial and shallow, but unfortunately, that's how society functions.

If I had access to the Black African American Cultural Center (BAACC) as a freshman, I believe I would have a better understanding of myself, how to treat myself and how to embrace and love the complex version of myself that I have developed in order to meet everyone's expectations. It would have provided me with a space to exist as a student among others who understand the complexities of culture in relation to society. It would have been a safe, welcoming place for me to let my guard down, learn new hairstyles or accept the fact that I can't do certain ones. A place where African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is encouraged but not mandatory, where the only switch being flipped is the light switch, where diverse music is played, where history is taught and where students are nurtured and encouraged to embrace their diversity and be loved for their natural traits like curly hair, full lips and direct way of speaking.

Unfortunately, I arrived at U of I as a 28-year-old transfer student of mixed race, and I have felt out of place since day one. However, now that I am working for the BAACC, I can assure all students, regardless of their skin color, that they have a warm, loving, encouraging, understanding and accepting place where they can truly be themselves, thrive and have fun.