'Spelman told me my presence was necessary. Madrid proved it': Being Black Abroad

'Spelman told me my presence was necessary. Madrid proved it': Being Black Abroad

I” grew as a journalist, and carried everything Spelman poured into me across an ocean to Madrid,” said Spelman College student Grace Barlow. Photo by Grace Barlow/The Atlanta Voice intern Nobody warned me that studying abroad would feel like starting over. Not linguistically. I speak Spanish. I had spent years conjugating verbs, learning the cadence of Castilian, preparing to move through Madrid like I belonged. What I did not prepare for was h…