Even as a child, WashU junior Precious Barry was aware that society often underestimates young people from communities like hers. She grew up in a low-income area of north St. Louis County that lacks many of the community and educational resources of surrounding areas. Yet Barry defied expectations and earned admissions to dozes of colleges, including a full-ride scholarship to Washington University in St. Louis.
“There were a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions placed against us as students,” said Barry, who is majoring in African and African American studies (AFAS) in Arts & Sciences. “That we aren’t capable of making it to the next level, of succeeding. My goal and ambition was to make sure that I stood loud and proud. No barrier would limit my success.”
Today, Barry is as busy as she is accomplished. A gifted public speaker, she regularly is invited to address civic leaders, school children and community activists. She hosts her own online radio show, “Say It Proud,” and has published a children’s book, “Why I Use My Voice.”
On campus, she founded and leads the university’s first student chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); has served as a social media intern for WashU’s “In St. Louis, For St. Louis” initiative; and currently serves as a WashU Police Department social media intern, updating the feeds of beloved WashU comfort dogs Bear and Brookie. (“Bear and Brookie are my besties,” Barry said.)
Lisa Weingarth, senior advisor to the chancellor and executive director of WashU’s “In St. Louis, For St. Louis” initiative, called Barry unstoppable. She hired her to help build the social media and outreach of WashU’s community partners and was wowed by Barry’s ability to connect with different community partners and tell their stories.
“The woman is constantly going,” Weingarth said. “She conducts herself with such professionalism and is great at finding common ground with everyone she engages with. It’s amazing to think about how someone so young has already accomplished so much.”
Barry’s proudest accomplishment is the launch of the NAACP chapter last winter. She arrived at WashU determined to start a chapter here. Back in high school, her college readiness instructor asked Barry and her classmates to research the clubs they wanted to join at their universities.
“I was already a part of the NAACP St. Louis County Youth Council, so I wanted to see if WashU had one,” Barry said. “I ended up crafting a proposal on how WashU could found an NAACP chapter. I proposed it to the local president of the NAACP St. Louis County, John Bowman, and he said, ‘Once you get to WashU, let’s see how we can get this started.’”
WashU’s chapter already has 50 members. This fall, Barry plans to officially host their first general body meeting as well as community events with other organizations such as the Association of Black Students.
Barry credited her AFAS coursework with helping her cultivate her skills as a critical thinker and expand her worldview.
“My major has shown me that not everything a student needs to learn is in the history books,” Barry said. “Through AFAS, I took classes like Swahili and Wolof and had the opportunity to study abroad in Senegal last summer, which was a great experience. I’ve also taken classes that document WashU’s history with slavery, and slavery was something I got to study in Senegal, too.”
Barry is a teacher as well as a student. She especially loves working with children and is invigorated by their joy and creativity. Recently, she spoke at WashU’s LIGHT Summer Camp, where she encouraged children to use their voices to make a difference.
“What is it like for you all to use your voice?” Barry asked the students. “It may be telling a friend how you feel, standing up for someone being treated unfairly. Or even asking for help when something’s not going well — or sharing your story, even if it feels scary.”
Whether it’s her Instagram followers or her podcast listeners, Barry has been able to find a connection with everyone she meets.
“One thing about talking to different audiences is that you have to meet each age group where they are,” Barry said. “When you’re speaking to a group of kids, you realize they just want to be kids. They love TikTok, trends and playing. I relate to them, since I’m still a kid at heart. I love TV, I love gaming — I have a PS5, and I love it.”
Ultimately, Barry hopes to leverage her experience in public speaking into a career in broadcast journalism. Friends ask her how she does it all. For Barry, her professional life often reflects her personal interests, since one of her favorite things to do is to talk to people.
“One thing I learned about myself is that I love speaking to people,” Barry said. “I enjoy being around people who are inspiring. I have a great support network. I love being a people-oriented person; it’s what keeps me sane.”
