Small Beginnings : Community Voices : 9780999133477 : 0999133470 : 20 Apr 2018 : Before Merze Tate was born, her ancestors had blazed trails as abolitionists, entrepreneurs, inventors, and pioneers. Merze inherited that same spirit as she left the white pine woods of Blanchard, Michigan to explore the world. As first African American graduate of Oxford University, she led a life that continues to give back to others. In this children's book, Small Beginnings: The Photographic Journey Through the Life of Merze Tate, children experience, through her own photographs, some of her most triumphant life moments. Told in poetic format, the book highlights some of Merze's most triumphant life moments that will inspire those of all ages to live a life without boundaries. As the first African American graduate of Oxford University, Tate would go on to achieve many more "firsts." The Howard University history professor was often sought by the Department of State for her expertise in atomic energ