Traveling to a Culturally Significant Location (6 Points) - Nia Givens (Class of 2027)

    This summer I had the opportunity to visit a place that is truly one of a kind while visiting my grandparents in San Diego, CA. I was able to visit the Altipiano Vineyard and learn about its rich history and cultural significance. The winemaker and owner, Denise Clarke, is the sole Black woman winery owner in Southern California, a large area and market for vineyards in America. I was able to hear her story and saw what great strength and tenacity it takes to come into an industry where there are close to zero people who look like her. She told us how it was originally an avocado grove that was destroyed by the infamous California wildfires in 2007. They rebuilt their land by planting grapevines in 2008 and releasing their first wines in 2012. The history of rebuilding after loss made the visit greater than just a regular wine tasting. It was the story old as time a black women entering a space that wasn’t made for her and making it her own. She talked about the struggles she faced in the industry. Many times people assumed that it was her husband (white male) who was the winemaker and not herself. There were many times when she was not taken seriously. The only criticism of my visit was not having more time to talk with her about her journey and experiences.

This visit deeply resonated with my experience as a Black woman at Spelman. Spelman is a leader in the education of Black women and proves to its students that they belong in all spaces and are capable of greatness like any white or male counterpart. Spelman exemplifies how Black Women excel in spaces built to support them and how to build them for themselves when they don’t. My time at the vineyard showed me these sentiments in the real world. Denise Clarke came into a field where she was constantly doubted and also uncredited for her work, which people credited to her husband. Spelman has shown me, just as Denise proved through her experiences, that we see Black women leading in all spaces, even though various industries don’t expect us to. What made this connection relevant during my time at the vineyard was hearing that her daughter was a key factor in founding the winery. This is how we learned about the winery through my aunt, who is also a Spelman Alumna and was a classmate of the daughter. 

My time visiting Altipiano Vineyard really reinforced the notions of what Spelman has instilled in me during my four years here. That Black women are here to break glass ceilings and traverse new pathways. That people are not allowed to tell us we don’t belong somewhere because we are everywhere. As I go deeper into my senior year seeing and hearing stories such as this give me confidence in my future outside of Spelman. While Spelman gave me a supportive community and uplifted me, I won’t always be in that space, but I will always have them in my corner encouraging me. 

By:

Nia Givens