“It’s Never Too Late”: LI Educator Finds New Voice In Poetry, Music

ISLIP TERRACE, NY — Dr. “Nay” Renee White spent much of her life teaching others how to read, reflect and understand the world around them.

Now, after nearly four decades in education, the Islip Terrace resident is using poetry, music, books and television to push that same mission beyond the classroom.

White,61, an educator, author, speaker and artist, who performs poetry emphasizing expression, rhythm, and emotion. She has built her work around a message of empowerment, which has connected her years as a classroom teacher in Queens, her decades as a college professor, her books for women and children, her spoken word album, and her newest role as host of a television show focused on women’s stories.

Her public name, “Dr. Nay,” began more personally than professionally. After graduating from New York University, White was a classroom teacher in Queens in the 1980s. She later earned a master’s degree in reading and literacy, became a reading specialist in Virginia, and then earned her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Virginia.

At one point, she thought she would become a superintendent.

Her original vision was to influence school policy and help shape decisions affecting children’s placement, services and educational opportunities. But when she applied for jobs, White said, peers kept steering her toward higher education.

“They all geared me toward higher education, so I have been a college professor for 30 years,” White said to Patch. “Now I’m on a brand new path that I’m having so much fun.”

A New Path After Decades In Education

White's new path began unexpectedly during the COVID-19 pandemic. White had long been a writer in academic spaces, producing proposals, journal articles and book chapters, but poetry started coming to her in a way she had not experienced before

“It started coming like dictation, and I felt that God gave me these words for a purpose," she said. " I said, 'They can’t stay on my laptop. '”

Books Built Around Empowerment

Her book for women, “Embrace Your Power: A Transformative Journey of Self-Discovery,” was published on May 6 and uses poetry as a guide for reflection, confidence and personal transformation. The book was published under her own company, Renee’s Way Incorporated.

The book is structured as a self-help guide, with reflection questions at the end of each poem, asking women to think about how the work connects to their own lives and what changes they may need to make.

The themes include self-love, boundaries, self-care, motherhood, sisterhood, menopause, destiny and transformation.

White said one chapter focuses on loving yourself and recognizing the power of saying no. Other sections explore the stages women move through in life, and the dreams they often delay while caring for others.

“So many times, women put things on the back burner for everybody else,” White said. “So what are your aspirations? What do you want to transform into? What is your destiny?”

White has also written books for children, including “Dear Sistah Girl: Step into Your Greatness” and “Bro: Strive Toward Excellence.”

As a literacy specialist, White built the children’s books not only for reading, but also for reflection. The lessons in the books include self-love, cultural pride, respect, leadership, anti-bullying, social justice and social activism.

“I think all of it has a place, especially when you think about children’s self-esteem being a big, big issue with so many suicides,” White said. “Children need to know who they are, and they need to find out who they are and respect who they are and respect other people as well.”

Lessons From Motherhood

For White, those lessons were never limited to the classroom. White raised two sons, Omar and Owen, with an emphasis on identity, confidence, leadership and cultural awareness

“I enjoyed being a mom because it never ends,” White said. “It was always important for them to love themselves and respect themselves.”

White, who is originally from South Jamaica, Queens, said she and her sons’ father made a strategic decision when choosing where to raise them. They considered remaining in Queens and sending the boys to a private academy, but decided to move to Long Island and look for a public school district with diversity. They chose the Half Hollow Hills School District and specifically looked for a home zoned for Forest Park Elementary School.

“I wanted them to learn about other people and accept other people,” White said.

Omar, now 32, and Owen, who recently turned 29, remain part of what she called a tight family team. They still talk through decisions together, and White said she continues to be present as a mother and guide.

Her sons also influenced her creative work. The phrase “Embrace Your Power” came, she said, from a conversation with Owen, who works in cybersecurity.

“That power came from talking to my younger son for him to go and get what he deserves, so he can live a life that he envisioned.”

Poetry Moves Into Music And TV

White’s poetry eventually moved into music after people told her that her poems sounded musical. At an event, she met Herb Middleton, a multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated music producer. Middleton produced her album, “Embrace Your Power 1113,” which centers on women’s empowerment.

White said the album includes poems from her book, other poems she had already written and several pieces that emerged during the recording process through conversations with Middleton

“He would read my poems, I would send him my poems recorded, and then the music itself would come to him as to what would fit, you know, what was the mood, what was the beat, what was the genre.”

White is now hosting “Sassy Talk TV,” a show focused on women’s stories. She said the program centers on women who have endured challenges, learned from them and continued to rise.

“It’s all about women who win and interviewing women as to learning about their story,” White said. “What did they endure? What lessons can they teach others?

“I absolutely love having good conversations with these various women,” White said. “To get in front of the cameras and to have these conversations with women and to hear their stories is just so intriguing to me.”

White said the teaching career she built over decades prepared her for this moment.

“Teaching was building that foundation to get me ready for this point in my life,” White said. “Even at this age, it’s never too late.”