041 A Journey To Be The First US Black Woman Chess Master w/ Rochelle Ballantyne
Nov 01, 2022
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:
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