What it means to be the first

Swimmer Schuyler Bailar props himself against the edge of a pool.
In 2015, "Obie Is Man Enough" author and trans activist Schuyler Bailar made history when he joined the Harvard swim team. Photo: Sydney Claire Photography
Swimmer Schuyler Bailar props himself against the edge of a pool.
In 2015, "Obie Is Man Enough" author and trans activist Schuyler Bailar made history when he joined the Harvard swim team. Photo: Sydney Claire Photography

What it means to be the first

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This one goes out to trailblazers everywhere. We’re joined by two guests who made headlines for being first in their fields, and they both have books coming out this fall! Schuyler Bailar, the first out trans athlete to compete on a NCAA Division I men’s team, just wrote a middle grade book called Obie Is Man Enough. Then, Dr. Richard Antoine White, the first African American to earn a doctorate in tuba performance, talks about his memoir I’m Possible: A Story of Survival, A Tuba, and the Small Miracle of a Big Dream.

A note from the Nerdette team: An earlier version of this story misidentified Dr. Richard Antoine White as the first Black tenured professor of tuba performance in the country. He is actually the first African American to earn a doctorate in tuba performance.