A Journey To Be The First US Black Woman Chess Master w/ Rochelle Ballantyne

041 You may know her as one of the featured students from the 2012 documentary, Brooklyn Castle.  A superb film that covered a low-income, junior high school’s talented chess team. One of the main students the film explored was the inspiring story of Rochelle Ballantyne.

Ten years after its release, Rochelle is now a 3rd-year law student at New York University.

She also recently re-committed to her goal of becoming the first American Black woman to earn the NM title.

In this episode, we cover:

• Reflections on the impact Brooklyn Castle has had on her life.
• Why Rochelle chose to put more effort and time into earning the NM title.
• Her insights on being a black woman in a predominantly male, white chess community.
• The shifting importance and meaning of chasing the NM title in her life.

Where to Watch Brooklyn Castle:

• YouTube Link for Brooklyn Castle
• Amazon DVD of Brooklyn Castle

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