Da’Vion Tatum is making history as he heads to Harvard University!

Tatum has not only made history as the first Black male valedictorian of his high school, but he has millions of dollars worth of scholarships and acceptances into 11 various colleges and universities to match. Now, he wants to use his story to inspire and encourage other young men.

“My story specifically can help other young Black men to know that just because society may say one thing about you, or there may be a stigma or stereotype that surrounds being a Black man, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re confined to that,” said Tatum in an interview with Fox 26 Houston earlier last month.

Not only is he at Harvard, but the 18-year-old penned his very own autobiography, “Thriving In My Own Lane,” to further share all that it took for him to reach such a monumental milestone in his life. The Westfield High School graduate first began writing the book in eighth grade.

“It was to show that regardless of what’s happening around me, I’m going to continue thriving in my own lane,” he continued, “I’m going to continue pushing for equity, inclusivity, and justice.”

At an early age, Tatum recognized the stigmas that were against him since before he was even born.

“I noticed that people didn’t see me in that light because I was a young Black man. They didn’t see me in the light of the next doctor, lawyer, engineer,” he said. “The message I wanted to convey was that we are more than just a stereotype. We are more than just thugs. We are more than athletes.”

Tatum simply wants to use his story to encourage young people not to compete with others.

“I think that’s the key. We shouldn’t always try to compete with others,” said Tatum. “We should really just try to compete with ourselves and when you do that, you’re going to keep bettering yourself.”

With a mindset like this, there’s no limit to the success that Da’Vion Tatum will achieve in life!

Westfield High School

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